WATERWISE VISITS MOOI RIVER SCHOOLS:

Annie Waterhouse reports on her school visits in Mooi River:A.I.KAJEE is located in the centre of Mooi River where very steep grounds lead down to the river itself. Most of the teachers are first language English speakers so understanding of the learners is good and I did not need a translator. There is enormous pressure on this school and classes are very overcrowded, e.g 48 pupils in Grade 1. I presented the WaterWise lesson to each of the Foundation Phase classes, about 200 learners in total.It was a very cold day in Mooi River so role play and drama were well received! The learners acted out saving a friend from a river and how to call for help. They were taught the PLAN and HHH responses and of course the emergency number through dance and song.This lesson fits into the new curriculum under LIFE SKILLS and I intend to create some worksheets in order that the teachers will have evidence that this section has been covered. Learning the PLAN ... A child is rescued from the 'river.'WATERWISE VISITS NXAMALALA ISLAMIC SCHOOL IN MPOPHOMENI TOWNSHIP IN KZN.This is a gem of a small school! Set on the outskirts of the township it is clean, well run and has manageable size classes. However English language skills were not great so I did have a translator to help me. I presented the WaterWise lesson to each of the Foundation Phase classes which was about 120 learners in total. Each class had sufficient room for play acting ‘the river drama’ and it was possible to invite learners from the back of the class to participate in the presentations. In all classes most pupils put up their hands when asked if they played in the nearby river in the summertime. One Grade 3 learner actually did know the Emergency number!!! They were taught the PLAN and HHH responses and of course the emergency number through dance and song.This lesson fits into the new curriculum under LIFE SKILLS and I intend to create some worksheets in order that the teachers will have evidence that this section has been covered.I propose to return to this school and present the WaterWise Workshop to learners in the Intermediate Phase and Senior Phase. Annie with a class from Nxamalala Islamic school. Learning to save a child from the river ...