MICHAELHOUSE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

QUARTERLY REPORT January – March 2021

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS: PROGRESS REPORT (January - March 2021)

TRAINING

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Despite the school year having a delayed start, teaching and learning is well underway. The majority of the schools took advantage of Cyril Ramaphosa’s Presidential Stimulus Programme, through the Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI) aimed at being able to create 300 000 employment opportunities in Education. They have been a huge help to schools who are short of staff, helping with reading, cooking and general admin support for the schools.

We welcomed Chris Meyer who is the new chaplain to Michaelhouse. We look forward to the important role he will play in our organization. We are thrilled to welcome four new funding partners, Redfern and Findley, Furad Paper CC, Mooi River Truck Stop and Meter Mate.

MATHEMATICS TRAINING The Andiswa Maths Academy continues to support the teaching and learning of Mathematics in secondary schools in and beyond our community. The Academy has created and distributed resources in the form of workbooks by topic for Grade 12 and 11. The workbooks have been printed for each learner in seven schools (Amahlubi, Asithuthuke, Dabulamanzi, Doornkloof, Eminyazaneni, Jabula and Shea O’Connor) through the generosity of Trafalgar Property. In total 200 Grade 12s and 231 Grade 11s have received workbooks and will continue to receive them for each new topic. The teachers receive a completed workbook and in some cases, video lessons covering the workbook. The teachers and learners have been very positive about the workbook approach, claiming that it promotes the engagement which is essential to learning, while also introducing efficiencies in terms of time. The dream is to expand this approach to include:

• All of the secondary grades (8-12)

• All of the topics

• Video lessons for all of the topics

The biggest limiting factor at present is the amount of human resource which is available for this project. It is currently facilitated by Paul de Wet whose ‘day job’ is running the Michaelhouse Mathematics department. We are thinking of creative ways to address this. From next term we plan to run some Saturday revision sessions for Matrics. It is hoped that these too will add value.

IT TRAINING Our Digital Citizen Plus training was put on hold while schools were under COVID-19 restrictions. Next quarter we will be starting up training and maintenance at partnership schools. Mr Nkosi Mahlaba has been holding computer lessons at Lions River, Asithuthuke and Jabula combined school. We feel if children have access to the computers, we will be able to cultivate interest. We have plans for the next quarter, to have IT consulting as well, to support the lessons as well as repairs and maintenance to ensure maximum use of these facilities.

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E-LEARNING For the matric class of 2020 there were 13 learners of whom 9 passed both maths and science. It was a very challenging year with limited contact and communication during Lockdown and three months of isolation. The headmaster was upbeat as the 9 who passed achieved: 5 Batchelor’s Degree passes, 2 Diploma

passes and 3 Higher Certificate passes

Ligbron e-Learning continues at Shea O’Connor in 2021. There are 22 learners writing matric maths and science. Currently in grade 11 there are 33 learners. The numbers are increasing and Allison Dladla, the Eduhelper, has been supportive with extra lessons.

BOYS INVOLVEMENT

WHITE BOARD DONATION

Michaelhouse donated 12 pre used White Boards and Mr Mhaba delivered and installed 9 of these at 9 Schools. The boards were

identified for High Schools Maths teachers who did not have access to the boards. While most B Block boys were away for confirmation camp, four B Block boys helped install the one white board at Jabula combined school.

MY SCHOOL AND SCHOOL DAYS Simon Williams an A Block Founders learner has been tasked to increase School days and My Schools usage. In the past, MySchool card has raise about R60 000 a year. Our aim now is to increase the number of active supporters through MySchool and to start a new initiative called School Days.

The two initiatives do not compete with one another, they are with completely different retailers and we can raise much more in 2021 all for a very good cause.

School Days allows you to raise funds for Michaelhouse CPT through Dis-Chem, Net Florist, SnapnSave, rental cars etc. while

School Days operates either off an app via your cellphone or through the Dis-Chem Shoppers’ card.

The steps to download School Days are as follows:

1. Download the app off your cellular device ‘School Days mobile app’.

2. Once downloaded, you will need to sign up using your details.

3. After logging in, you will need to select Michaelhouse-Balgowan as your beneficiary.

You may use the app at the specified stores to gain points.

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To date we have 43 families supporting School Days and have raised R82.00.

MySchool allows you to help us raise funds through Woolworths, loot.co.za, Engen (walk-in store), Builders, Bidvest (Waltons) and many more. MySchool operates on the MySchool card or off your cellular device on the MySchool app.

The steps to download MySchool are as follows:

1. You will have to download the app ‘MySchool’ on your phone.

2. After downloading the app, please would you create an online account. (If you already have a physical card, please would you sign in with your card number and password)

3. Once you have created the account, please select Michaelhouse Community Partnerships to be your beneficiary. (For those of you with the physical card, please would you either add or change it so that Michaelhouse Community Partnerships is your beneficiary).

The top 10 My School stores

1. Woolworths - Online R477.31

2. Woolworths - Gateway DBN R323.37

3. Woolworths - Maroun Square R215.01

4. Woolworths - Rosebank R199.69

5. Woolworths – Kokstad R195.11

6. Woolworths - La Lucia DBN R187.14

7. Woolworths - Ballito Bay Lifestyle R178.01

8. Woolworths - Midlands Mall PMB R174.90

9. Woolworths - Ballito Junction Regional R170.08

10. Woolworths - Hydepark JHB R166.89

We currently have 368 active supporters. Simon hopes to raise a further R30 000 – R100 000 to add to the R68 000 we earned last year through the points accumulated by parents, Old Boys and staff. The Rector and staff are fully supportive of this venture and updates will be included in the Rector’s eNews.

To date we have 43 families supporting School Days.

B BLOCK PORTFOLIO We have renewed Michaelhouse boy involvement, with the implementation of B Block portfolio boys who have taken up the service role in their house. Each house has been allocated a school and it is then the responsibility of the boys to take on the leadership. The projects are to be implemented and because of COVID, we are looking at distance projects.

Partnership Schools House

Asithuthuke Combined FARFIELD

Crystal Springs Primary FOUNDERS

Curry’s Post Primary TATHAM

Esiphethwini Sendiza PASCOE

Jabula Combined BAINES

Lions River McCORMICK

Nottingham Road Primary WEST

Shea O’Connor EAST

Sibonokuhle Primary RALFE

Khazimila MACKENZIE

Term 1

Step 1: Make contact with partnership school

Term 2

Step 2: Have some questions prepared

Step 3: Present to the house- pictures/ profile

Step 4: Working with B Block Boys and Housemaster – create a project

Step 5: Communicate with the CPT team and see where we can support you on your project.

Step 6: Budget (Confirm your target)

Step 7: Fundraising

Term 3 and 4

Step 8: Implement project

Step 9: Monitor project

Step 10: Evaluate the project

SOUL2SOLE As has been done for many years, the Michaelhouse boys were able to donate their school shoes at the end of the year. In 2020 68 pairs were collected. The team at Soul2Sole have allocated 250 pairs of schools to the Partner for Possibility schools in our area. A day of shoe fitting was needed to ensure that the correct size shoes were ordered.

FORD WORKSHOP Previous Rector of Michaelhouse, Dudley Ford, has published a book on four principals of leadership. Dudley was unable to give his workshop in person; however he was able to record his presentation with Paul Fleischack. Paul has since held a workshop at his partnership school, Curry Post with principal Sibusiso Ndlovu. The remaining Midlands2 Schools have a copy of the workshop and will be implementing this in the coming quarter.

PARTNERS FOR POSSIBILITY (PFP)On the 21 & 28 January the National PfP hosted an online think tank for LEADING in a CRISIS. 5 Midlands principals attended. The main take-aways from these sessions were the wellbeing of learners and staff post lockdown as well as how to create fertile ground for teaching, whilst many individuals within the systems still seem “fearful” of teaching in a pandemic.

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Midlands2 PfP Business leaders met for an update on relationship and general project progress reports. Some of the exciting happenings were Paul Fleischack who shared the Dudley Ford workshop with the team Curry’s Post at a workshop. Middlefield primary received a new modular classroom and an upcoming workshop on “how Middlefield can prepare and plan for the changes in education post pandemic”. Also Amamhlubi Secondary have been successful in asking for donor support to drill a borehole as they have no secure water source.

On 9th February a Community of Practice session with special guest Paul Rencken( from FEDSAS) was held. Here the discussion was the upcoming School governing body election readiness.

We are delighted that two Principals have been promoted. Firstly BM Ngubane was promoted to circuit manager in Mpofana district, a great supporter of our community work. Secondly Silindele principal Futhi Khuzwayo has accepted a high school principals position in Pietermaritzburg at Insika Secondary. Futhi’s PfP partner Nicky Worrall, a neighbouring farmers to the school, will continue her relationship with the next acting head Jabulani Buthelezi. Futhi has already reported how valuable her community building and thinking environment skills have been at her new school. These are leadership skills she acquired during her PfP programme. Both BM Ngubane and Futhi will complete their PfP journey.

March has been an incredibly productive period for the PfP leadership development circle of 8 partnerships.

The Midlands2 PfP team met at Amahlubi Secondary, the COP (Community of Practise) host school situated in Draycott (near Loskop) on 16 March via Michaelhouse transport. The driver and navigator pair, Paul Fleischack and ‘Sibusiso Ndlovu (principal of Curry’s Post primary) collected the “taxi fees” and safely steered a humbling yet most inspiring journey to the school of principal and Lutheran pastor, Sakhi Dlamini. Amahlubi Secondary is an academic inspiration to the area, with “Class of

2020” Lwandiso Mpembe being a top 10 student in the region, achieving 90% plus in both maths core and physics, receiving 7 distinctions.This school achieved 48 bachelor passes .

The Curry’s Post Duo (Paul and Sibusiso) shared with us Dr Dudley Forde’s 4 Aces of Leadership presentation, which opened up tremendous leadership shares such as” I have recognised that I have potential. I can use this to attract gifts to my school”. This “gift attraction” certainly is reflected in principal Dlamini’s school now being fully subscribed and drawing great teachers with a strong “education is key” ethos. “I have been pushed to learn and lead, not to rely on hand-outs” noted another principal.

If you would like to join us for a Celebration lunch on Tuesday 12 May to hear the 8 inspirational leadership journeys forged over the last 12 months by Midlands2, please reserve a seat with Amy Webster on AmyWeb@michaelhouse.org. You are likely to hear journeys of personal shifts, partnership discoveries and project commitments from staff development workshops to fundraising for a dream of increased classrooms and improved sanitation.

Two online information sessions were held on 12 and 24 March to started building momentum for creating a next PfP leadership circle (Midlands3). Four local community members have expressed interest in walking a “formal” year long road with a school principal in our community. We are also hoping that an invitation for future business leaders( as placed in the final Rector’s newsletter for last term), will yield a positive response. During April there are two more online information sessions for the 5 PfP circles that will launch in KZN this year, including in the Midlands .The ZOOM hosted info sessions are from 08:00-09:00 on Fridays 16 and 30 April 2021. Email Diane Holtzhausen diane@symphonia.net to RSVP. Feel free to join to hear more about this and where you can ask and see how you could play a part in this leadership development programme.

If we all have a valuable contribution to make to this community, what will you consider yours to be?

EDUCATION

EDUHELPERS

With the continued support of N3TC, 8 Eduhelpers are working in four schools. The Eduhelper projects improve the quality of education. Thus the ability improves the general surrounding community. The Eduhelpers are passionate teachers and live in the community, children then have access to the teachers during weekends and after schools.

Sinethemba Zondi who is working at Shea O’Connor gave us some insights to what it meant for him to be an Eduhelper.

“Being an EduHelper means more, to me, than the actual word. Before I decided to venture into teaching I once saw a quote by Mark Van Doren that says “The art of teaching is the art of

assisting discovery”. To a great extent it was then that I realised I wanted to be a teacher. Being an EduHelper means that I can actually assist learners in discovering their true self and potential. Watching learners grow and realise their goal(s) is one thing I have always wanted and the EduHelper programme has provided me with that opportunity.” – Sinethemba Sibonga Zondi

With support from Lula Sandla, we were able to pay UNISA fees, and extra months’ stipend for a Youth@Work staff member after her contact ended. The Eduhelper programme will grow from 8 to 10 passionate teachers in April as funds have become available. An Eduhelper workshop is set to for the 30th April. The day will include talks on time management, how to write a CV, personal leadership and more.

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ART AND CHOIR COMPETITION

We looking forward to hosting another choir and art competition, date set for 24 September 2021. We are planning on including workshops before the competition with the support of the Michaelhouse Music staff.

READING CREW

On the 26 February, Kate Baynes, Karen McKenzie and Amy Webster met to plan the way forward and offering for 2021. Majority of the volunteers are high risk and it wouldn’t be

advisable to continue with in classroom contact. Kate and Amy have joined the newly formed The KwaZulu-Natal Reading Coalition (KZN-NRC) https://www.kznrc.org.za/home with the aim to facilitate the coordination of all reading initiatives, active in KwaZulu-Natal, and provide a platform for all interested stakeholders to come together to share knowledge and successful learning experiences.

Vanessa Francis, Country Director for Room to Read https://bit.ly/3cYu7V7 met with us to speak through their approach and programs. They have a very comprehensive literacy program that we feel would work well in our partnership schools.

HEALTH

ST RAPHAEL’SThe past year has brought us many challenges and taught us many things in our response to the Corona Virus. One of our most important lessons has been to be flexible and not afraid to change our modus operandi with the changes in lock down levels throughout the year. The beginning of the year saw us starting with more stringent lock down rules again as we were still on the back end of the second wave of Corona Virus.

We tailored our programme to involve more home visits instead of clinics which would pose a greater risk of transmission due to the nature of these events. To date the St Raphael’s team has conducted 64 home visits identifying 7 patients who needed clinic care, they have also aided the ill in the community by calling the ambulance in emergencies 4 times. On one of these occasions the ambulance arrived too late and our carer was able to aid in the delivery of a healthy new born! They have

also provided transport for 42 patients unable to get to the clinic themselves due to ill health or advanced age and collected and delivered medication to a further 46 patients.

In the latter half of the quarter we have recommenced the clinics and one of the most exciting developments this year has a been a strengthening of the relationship between St Raphael’s and the Balgowan Primary Care Clinic. The clinic has sent staff along to join us at our clinic in order to offer both HIV and TB testing. This initiative has been very well received by the clients attending the clinics. So far this term we have conducted 5 clinics, 1 clinic at a Riverfield farm, 1 clinic at Khazimula Children’s Project, 1 clinic for Michaelhouse Staff, and another at Ardmore. We had to return to Ardmore on a second day as the clinic was so popular we could not finish on 1 day.

We look forward to what the next quarter has in store.

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EXTRA ACTIVITIES

Chaplain Chris Meyer being introduced to St Raphael’s

Donating from the boys R1000.

On the 2nd February Karen Mckenzie, Partners for Possibility and Amy Webster hosted an online seminar on LEADING in a pandemic – a journey of community in KwaZulu-Natal Midlands Hosting a “are we ready to go back to school?”

Covering topics such as.

• How to deal with anxiety – principal, staff, learners

• Dealing with collective grief

• How to keep educators/learners motivated in particular after severe loss… specifically emotional well-being

• Supporting the learners in their anxiety and stresses

There were 9 participants and we received incredibly valuable information from Dr Adrienne Watson from the St Stithians “family” and I look forward to her sharing her educational wisdom with us. She spoke in particular of the value of self-nurturing practises and strong governance structures as well as clear communication channels, deeply treasured when dealing with trauma in the system. Following the call, we also had an offer of group trauma support by a local psychologist.

The agenda that came out of national calls:

1. How to deal with anxiety – principal, staff, learners

2. Dealing with collective grief

3. How to keep educators/learners motivated in particular after severe loss… specifically emotional well-being

4. Supporting the learners in their anxiety

The Michaelhouse Chaplin, Chris Meyer, shared these valuable thoughts pertaining to the above that were shared during the workshop.

SUBSIDIZED TRANSPORTATION TO SCHOOLSAnother layer of complexity in the school system is that of transport and the cost of transportation to school. The subsidized taxi has been running very efficiently between Bruntville and Shea O’Connor school.

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UNIVERSITY APPLICATIONS One of our latest projects involves assisting grade 12 learners in our partnership high schools with applications for university, college and financial aid. On the 11 & 25 March 2021 we visited Shea O’Connor and Jabula Combined School respectively to deliver a presentation on the general university/college application process. The next school that we plan to visit is Asithuthuke Combined School.

We hope to expand this project to high schools beyond our close proximity in the near future, with the addition of career day presentations from local colleges, individuals and financial

aid schemes.

BOOK DONATIONS Rotary International who sponsored books to Priya Balakisten at Champagne Sport Resort – sharing with the PfP Midlands1 & 2 schools together with schools in the Champagne Valley.

NEW WEBPAGE Michaelhouse Community Partnerships launched its own webpage. Please have a look at all the sponsors https://www.mcommunitypartnerships.com/

WAYS TO GET INVOLVED:

1. Join MySchool AND SchoolDays

2. Donate via EFT or Zapper

3. Partner with us on a project

BANKING DETAILS:Standard Bank

Branch: PietermaritzburgBranch no: 05 75 25

Account no: 05 22 86 525

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OUR SPONSORS

CONTACT US TO INVEST YOUR CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Amy Webster: | +27 33 234 1234 | AmyWeb@michaelhouse.orgAndiswa Nyandu: | +27 33 234 1234 | AndNya@michaelhouse.orgNkosi Mahlaba: | +27 33 234 1235 | NkoMah@michaelhouse.org

Pvt Bag X1 Balgowan KwaZulu-Natal 3275 South Africa

David and Peter Thorrington-Smith , Jamie Inglis, Johan and Stefan Groenewald, Jon Henriksen, Paul Barnett,

Richard Savage and Rob Le Sueur