Archive for the ‘Early Childhood Development’ Category

New staff:

Colleen Roberts has joined Tracey le Roux, facilitating the Special Needs Programme. This programme will be extended into another school. Priscilla Stemela, has joined the Enlighten ECD project as the Enlighten ECD Assistant.

New Trustees:

A warm welcome is extended to two additional trustees, Johan Ryk and Almero Oosthuizen. Thank you for your commitment.

The Early Childhood Development programme (ECD) is in full swing.  Mentoring at Siyakha, the new pre-school, is on-going and so are monthly workshops which Gerda Wolheim facilitates. Welcome to Joan McKee who has volunteered to take on the post of the SGB treasurer at the pre-school.

A braai for the workers and final inspection have been held and the handover of keys took place on the 29th May. The next step is to fully equip the site. We intend holding the official opening of Siyakha Educare and Enrichment Centre at the beginning of July, in time for the start of the third term of the year.

An ECD Forum meeting was held on the 13th May.  Representatives from both the Dept. of Education and the Dept. of Social Services were present and useful input and information was provided.  Additional members are joining the Forum and we really should be able to be considered fully representative of this region now.  Clint August is the programme manager for Early Years Services, mandated to ensure that training for ECD is provided in the Overberg region – OTI’s Clint, the caterer!  At least we have a fully established and happy relationship with him already.

Early Childhood Development (ECD) in the Overstrand has received a major boost as funding was received to build a formal ECD site. Building is scheduled to begin at the end of March. The building will cater for 60 children and 15 babies and will be utilised as a resource centre by the whole ECD community at the same time.

Gerda is doing an enormous amount of work in this regard, including approaching local businesses to support this aspect of the project.  Peter Peiser will oversee the levelling and fencing and has provided a competitive quote for this work. The furnishing and fitting out of the (interim) resource centre in our business advice office downstairs has been completed.  The carpet has been laid and Peter has built in the shelves and desktops.  

Tracy was asked by a Cape Town organization to share her methods of working and the making of her resources with educators from the Cape Metropole region where she participated in a two-day workshop at the end of November.