The two Redeemer teams from New York worked really hard in the school. Emily Soong enjoyed a week  in  Grade 1, teaching and supporting children in their normal daily activities and a fortnight later Allie Abbott and Debbie  joined Grade 2 pupils for a few days to teach and support. The Children made puppets and were taught about plant growth as well as how to write the start of a story.

Thank you to all for your wonderful encouragement , support, gifts and interest in the work at Lilyvale School.

On Wednesday 25th August children and staff from Lilyvale School visited Tala Game Reserve. We piled twenty-nine children, 3 staff and 2 volunteers into buses and headed off for a fun-packed day among the rhinos and warthogs!

Sanele (aged was our lead photographer and he captured many great moments on camera. Miss Lise thought the children were more excited about going to the swimming pool than seeing the animals but their children’s excitement shifted as soon as they saw their first animal—an ostrich. As the day went on children were able to get close to a number of the animals, including giraffes, rhinos, zebras, hippos, warthogs and a variety of buck. This was a first for most of them and they were able to ask lots of questions and learn facts about the animals.

Finally came the moment the children had been waiting for…. Swimming in the pool. Some children, and Miss Lise were disappointed to find the water was so cold, but the majority happily splashed around for a time before enjoying a picnic lunch, which included chicken cooked on the braai.

Sanele, a boy in Grade 1 was sent to the Grade 2 class today to ask for an Isi-Zulu dictionary as Miss Lise wanted to see how to say ‘grey hair.’ The children in Grade 2 were delighted when Sanele after knocking on the door, greeted the class as if he was a member of teaching staff. “Good morning class!” He said brightly, the children laughed and responded in unison with “Good morning Sanele!”

During a maths lesson, young Rowan who is eight went to his teacher  and asked “how am I supposed to get 6 from 5?” As a class children were working to calculate giving change from different amounts of money. His teacher replied with “you can’t!” The young boy looked confused so the teacher went on to explain that he  needed to borrow from the tens column. “Oh, it’s borrowing, no problem,” he replied with a broad grin on his face.

It was a bright, sunny, yet cold in Grade 2 and Kwanele greeted the PE teacher with a “Good afternoon” despite it still being the morning. When his teacher asked him why he’d said “Good Afternoon,” Kwanele replied it was because when the sun is shinning it is hot and it’s hot in the afternoon. his teacher quizzed him as to whether it ever was hot at night – “do you ever see the sun at night time?” The boy was confused, “no Sir,” he answered. “But it can be hot at night?” The teacher appeared to be really challenging the boy now. “Does it still mean it’s afternoon when it’s sunny in the morning?” “Ahhhh, no Sir, it would be morning – I should say ‘Good morning, then.’”

Grade 1 celebrated Amahle’s 7th birthday today with chocolate cake and numerous renditions of “Happy Birthday.” Miss Lise once called Amahle “Princess!” and so Amahle arrived at school today with a crown and demanded that everyone address her as ‘Princess Amahle, the birthday girl.’