| News January 2012 |
Building confidence in your childThe start of a new school year can hold a mixture of emotions for many children: the excitement of seeing old friends, having new stationery and uniform, moving onto a new class; the uncertainty of who their new teacher will be, and of coping with new subjects and a different timetable. This is especially so for children who struggle with learning and school work, and it can help enormously for parents and teachers to be sensitive to this and work together in creating a positive school experience. For children who are repeating a grade, the new year can bring a slightly different set of feelings: sadness at a sense of having "failed"; of being left behind, their friends moving on without them. These children need lots of encouragement and positive reinforcement. Repeating should not be viewed as "failure" but as a chance to get a firmer grasp of difficult concepts. Try to:
Some children are especially sensitive to sensory overload which means that their brain struggles to integrate the impact of multiple sensory inputs. Things like the noise generated in a busy and full classroom, or discomfort of stiff school clothes can be very distracting and unsettling. Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is a common problem for children who have developmental disabilities, but can also occur with children who have no other learning challenges but struggle to sit still and focus. Parents can play a very important role in sharing information about their son or daughter's learning experiences and /or any possible barrier to learning or special need. Teachers are extremely busy at the beginning of the school year and teacher meetings in the first term are often of a general nature so it can be difficult to know how and when to speak to your child's teacher. Try to find out from the secretary when the teacher is available or send a note with your child to ask when you could come into school. Try to gather together any reports and other information that might be helpful so that when you do meet you have everything at your fingertips.
Urgent call for support using your My School / My Village card
We are in the process of becoming a registered beneficiary of the My Village fundraising program. Our application has been provisionally approved, but in order to complete the process we need to sign up 200 supporters. Your participation will enable us to raise much needed funds on a regular basis, simply through presenting your My Village card every time you shop at a participating partner schools. We would like to get completed applications sent off by 31st January, so please fax your form to us as soon as possible. The registration process takes 2 minutes! NEW REGISTRATIONSIf this is the first time you are registering for a My School or My Village card:
EXISTING CARDHOLDERSIf you already have a My School or My Village card:
Every time you swipe your card, you will be helping IEWC to continue our work with children in some of the most vulnerable communities across the Western Cape. Thank you so much for your continued interest and support. We could not do this work without you!
2011: A Year in Review2011 has been a challenging yet exciting year for IEWC. We have managed to take inclusive education forward and have been involved in some exciting projects during this year. We look forward to a new year filled with new challenges and wonderful opportunities. Adapted Toy Library - Living Hope, Capricorn
We would like to extend a very special thank you to Gail who has been responsible for this project. We are delighted that new families have joined the Toy Library and the group and Gail has done a wonderful job of running the toy library and of making these families feel so loved and cared for. Living Hope recently held an end of year toy library and support group party and the jumping castles and various activities certainly had the kids entertained and wanting more!
New ECD ProjectOur new ECD Project has officially started and we have spent the last few months of 2011 identifying the participating centres and preparing the material for the implementation of the project in January 2012. IEWC will be supporting 14 centres in the Western Cape towards becoming inclusive ECD Centres. An additional 14 centres will be receiving an accelerated learning pack to allow struggling children to bridge the gap in their early learning to prepare them for entry into formal schooling. We have a great team in place with solid ECD expertise and we are looking forward to working with our centres in 2012.
Inclusive Schools Project
We recently had the privilege of attending Claremont Primary's award evening. Claremont Primary school is one of the schools participating in the Inclusive Schools Project and we were very impressed by their demonstration of good inclusive practice of rewarding not only academic achievement but also recognising other efforts in a range of merit certificates that were handed out. These included politeness, respectfulness, cheerfulness, good role model to peers, overall good progress and willing to accept a challenge. In addition, learners from the unit class had been encouraged to participate in a wide range of activities throughout the year and received recognition for this with their mainstream peers. Congratulations Claremont Primary School, keep up the good inclusion work! We are busy assisting the schools in strengthening available support structures before our project ends at the end of March 2012.
Teacher's Recognition Event
Client Support Service
We have some great success stories of learners who are now accessing the support they need and we thank everyone involved in accommodating those learners. Unfortunately many of our learners, especially those with multiple disabilities find themselves outside of the education system and we are continuing in our advocacy efforts to place their needs high on the political agenda. An encouraging step in the direction of addressing some of these out-of-school learners needs has come about through a joint initiative of IEWC/SNAP/Blouvlei Special School and the WCED Metro South District. Two learners who have previously been turned down for special school placement and who have had little or no educational input are now part of a pilot project where they attend two sessions per week with Facilitators from the local community who have been trained on-site at Blouvlei School by SNAP. The development of these two boys in just two months is absolutely remarkable and shows us once again that with the right opportunity and stimulation all children can learn! We are all eagerly hoping that this project can continue in the new year and that all the partners will be able to continue to commit resources into making this the first of many successful initiatives to address the challenge of out of school learners.
IEWC Staff news & Annual General Meeting
We are sad to be saying goodbye to Lorna Solomons. Lorna has been with us for 18 months and has been an integral part of our Momentum Inclusive Schools project. Lorna will be taking up a post of Learner Support Teacher for WCED Metro South District and we wish her all the best in her new role and we look forward to our continued working relationship with her. We are pleased to have welcomed Jacqi Dudley to our team as our new Fundraiser and hope she will be able to bring in the much needed funding to secure our work. We also have 3 new Members on our Management Committee and would like to welcome Delia Cupido, Samantha Koen and Nafisa Mayat to the team! We look forward to your contributions to our organisation and thank you for your commitment to IEWC. For those of you who were unable to attend our AGM, a copy of our Annual Report is available to download here or upon request. The report outlines the work of IEWC during the last financial year (1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011) as well as the broader context in which we operate.
Making the best of your child's school report Children who struggle with their learning often end the term or year with a school report that focuses on the negative aspects of their performance. The codes 1 - 4 are used to indicate to what extent the child has achieved the required level of the grade they are currently placed into. The WCED Report Card format does not give space to reflect progress at a lower grade level - unless the teacher refers to this in the short remarks section.
Children who struggle with their learning often end the term or year with a school report that focuses on the negative aspects of their performance. The codes 1 - 4 are used to indicate to what extent the child has achieved the required level of the grade they are currently placed into. The WCED Report Card format does not give space to reflect progress at a lower grade level - unless the teacher refers to this in the short remarks section. Whilst it is important to have an honest assessment of how a child is performing in relation to his/her age group, we often urge teachers to try to reflect positive aspects of learning in order to avoid a child being regularly faced with a sense of failure. The child who regularly receives a report card of code 1's can easily feel discouraged, as can his or her parents who get the impression that nothing is being achieved. When reading your child's report, try not to convey anger or disappointment about low grades. Rather make a note to speak to the teacher as soon as an opportunity arises. Take time to chat with your child about how the term or year has been for them - what they have enjoyed and what has been especially difficult. Explain that everyone is good at some things and not at others and that the challenge is to discover what are his or her particular strengths and interests.
Getting to know youThe school holidays can provide an opportunity for a different kind of "homework"! We all learn in different ways, have different interests and talents, and the school holidays can provide a good opportunity to help your child learn more about his or hers. Not only do we have different learning styles and ways of learning, but we also have different kinds of "intelligences". The more we know about how a child learns and what interests him or her, the more we can know and develop his /her strengths. This is especially important for children who experience difficulties in school or who have a disability of some kind. Different "intelligences" relate to our ability to use words and numbers, but also music, movement, art, how well we relate to people or the natural world. The idea of multiple intelligences was developed largely by Howard Gardner and you can learn more about this on various websites - or by paying a visit to our Resource Centre. What are some of the different ways of learning?
Other ways of approaching learning
Most of all, remember that children learn through play, be it on a beach, in the forest or at home - so spend time these holidays getting to know how your child learns best.
Things to do, places to see in the holidays
Planet Kids Planet Kids is an inclusive and fun indoor play and activity centre.
Jimmy Jungles Jimmy Jungles is an Indoor Adventure Playground that offers supervised, secure facilities for Kiddies from 6 months to 9 years old.
Scratch Patch For a unique experience search through the sea of colourful gemstones beneath your feet while picking out your favourites. This is a great activity for everyone, with children in particular enjoying the experience. Green Point Park The new Green Point Park next to the Cape Town Stadium has a uniquely South African biodiversity garden set in an environment where families can relax and picnic next to green lawns and small lakes.
Silvermine Nature Reserve Various attractions including a boardwalk accessible to wheelchairs and prams. There are also several picnic and braai areas in the park. The reserve is open daily from 07h00 to 19h00, and plenty of parking is available. Contact Cape Town Tourism if you require further information and maps.
Bizzy Bodies Fun Factory An active play experience for children aged 1 to 12 with plenty of space to move around in a light and bright environment. There are also lots of Putt-Putt Mini Golf courses around Cape Town and don't forget you can also go for a walk in the Newlands Forest or have fun at the beach!
Educators recognised on World Teachers Day
World Teachers' Day was celebrated on 6 October, 2011 with the inaugural Western Cape Inclusive Education Recognition Awards held at a breakfast function at the Granger Bay Hotel School restaurant. The event, which was hosted by Inclusive Education Western Cape in partnership with the South African Association for Learning and Educational difficulties (SAALED) and the WCED Directorate for Specialised Education Support Services, aimed at recognising efforts made by individual educators and whole schools towards accommodating a wide range of learner needs in their school settings. Over 100 nominations were received of both educators and schools who were nominated by colleagues and Education Department officials. Robyn Bath, manager of IEWC said that "All the nominees were invited to attend the Recognition breakfast in the hope that they would feel motivated, inspired and encouraged to continue in their efforts towards inclusion as they go back out into their schools and communities."
Provincial Minister for Education, Minister Donald Grant, said that although we had a long way to go in education in the Western Cape, the teachers present were to be commended for their dedication and efforts at making inclusive education a reality in the province. Caroline Taylor, IEWC Client Support Co-ordinator said that these teachers have "despite the huge expectations of a changing education system, managed to create a supportive learning environment for children with different learning needs. " Educators face increasing challenges as children's deteriorating home and community circumstances impact on their ability to learn. More and more educators who are willing to rise to the occasion and meet the support needs of these learners is the most pressing need for Inclusive education to succeed in South Africa. It is hoped that events such as this one will go a long way towards making these educators feel valued for their contributions. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Robyn Bath, included@mweb.co.za, 021 6741422
IEWC supports Golden Grove Primary School Anti-Bullying Campaign
Golden Grove Primary School hosted a Friendship Morning on the 28 September as the culmination of the school's 2011 anti-bullying campaign. The project was initiated by the psychology department of the school who had noticed that bullying has been on the rise at the school over the past few years, and they launched an extensive campaign at the school based on the principles of restorative justice. School psychologist Julie McCaugh explained that the Anti-Bullying Campaign was based on the school's core values: valuing the individual, embracing diversity and celebrating learning. The campaign has been a whole school approach resulting in the school writing its own anti-bullying policy, with each learner receiving a copy. Parents discussed the difference between punitive and restorative justice including:What are the problems with punitive justice?
Why do we threaten our children with punishment to do the right thing? It was suggested that learners are given the opportunity each week to report on any incidents giving children time to express problems or any highlights. IEWC's Lorna Solomons was invited to cut the ribbon to start a march around the school fields. Learners held up posters and chanted "No more bullies, we want peace. We can do it, yes we can!". At the end of the march a petition was handed over to the chairperson of the SGB with a copy of the anti-bullying policy. The learners were then addressed by the principal, Mr Austen, and an organizational psychologist and were entertained with poetry, role plays and a friendship dance: Michael Jackson's Man in the Mirror. Learners were also introduced to 'The Wibble Box' where they may write down and post a bullying incident which can only be read by the Peace Committee who will speak to the learner/s involved.
Annual General Meeting, 5 September 2011 IEWC will be holding its AGM on Monday the 5th September 2011 at Claremont Primary School from 15.30 - 17.30. Mrs Berenice Daniels, the Director Specialised Support Services, WCED will be speaking at our AGM on the role of Specialised Support Services and the future plans for her Department.
IEWC launches 2-year inclusive ECD projectIEWC has received funding form the Anglo American Chairman's fund to begin work on an ECD Programme which comprises 2 main projects. One programme will identify and strengthen Inclusive ECD Centres - that is centres willing to include young children with disabilities or other special needs. IEWC will be supporting and training the staff over an 18 month period as well as paving the way at neighbouring primary schools for inclusion of these children when they are ready to move into primary school. The second project will identify under-resourced ECD Centres where there are particularly vulnerable children who run the risk of not being able to manage with the demands of formal schooling the following year. The Centre will be supplied with supplementary material and training in order to help them to bridge this gap with those children. We are looking for ECD Centres in the Western Cape who would like to be considered as participants in this project. Please contact Robyn at the IEWC office to find out more 021-674-1422.
New Directory of Services for Children with Special NeedsAn updated version of this extremely useful book has just been published by the Child Care Information Centre at Red Cross Children's Hospital.It includes information on government and non-government services relating to health, educational and social needs, and anyone working with children will find it a great resource.
Challenging behaviour from special-needs children All children are challenging at times, but when your child has special needs, those behavioral storms can be more demanding and more difficult to interpret. It is often hard to distinguish whether they are being 'difficult' or just can't control their emotions.
For parents Understanding what lies behind behaviour can help parents to develop a more positive relationship with a child who has special needs.
For educators Educators often feel that they don't know how to manage the behaviour of some of the learners in their class.
Some of the books available at our Resource Centre on this topic includes: Promoting positive behavior by Nick Hutchinson & Hilary Smith: When behavior of young children causes concern, practitioners often find it difficult to identify exactly what the child's needs are or how to focus their support most effectively. This book will help meet this challenge. It includes a straightforward assessment process to identify children who need additional support; practical strategies to encourage positive behavior and promote emotional wellbeing; information case studies that show how solutions work in practice. The Difficult Child by Dr Stanley Turecki, one of the nations' more respected experts on children & discipline - and himself the father of a once-difficult child - offers compassionate and practical advice to parents of hard-to-raise children.
"Be a friend, not a bully" campaign update
The campaign activities included working with the learners to deepen their understanding about bullying and the importance of respecting each other and accepting differences. The learners made posters, researched poems, practiced dances and participated in the debates and it was wonderful to see them so engaged in this campaign. We also held an open event where parents, learners, teachers, WCED District and Circuit officials and other community groups came together to debate and discuss bullying in schools and the communities in which learners live. Overall the feedback and suggestions were incredibly positive and show a real move towards understanding who bullies and constructive ways of dealing with bullying behaviour.
We look forward to continuing our work with the schools in taking there proposed bullying strategies forward and exploring peer mediation in more depth in the third and final year of our Momentum Inclusive Schools Project. FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ALL IEWC PROJECTS
Teachers who bully their students
Recently, the increasing reports of bullying have gained considerable attention in both the popular media and academic research articles. Educational experts and researchers have aimed at examining the nature and extent of bullying in schools, its consequences, and the characteristics of bullies, victims, and bystanders. Efforts towards creating change have been directed mostly towards developing school anti-bullying policies, and staff training for prevention and intervention strategies. This article has chosen a slightly different focus: when teachers become bullies! Although most teachers as professionals in the field of education are ethical in their conduct, bullying of learners by teachers needs to be recognised as a problem that requires intervention.
Bullying by teachers has been defined by academic researchers as a pattern of behaviour rooted in a power discrepancy that threatens, harms, humiliates, creates fear, or causes learners considerable distress. Bullying by teachers is viewed as an abuse of power that tends to be deliberate, repeated, and often is expressed in a public manner. Such bullying is a form of humiliation that brings attention to, whilst degrading a learner in front of others; making threats of physical harm or of giving low academic grades. Trends are also apparent in the process of targeting learners, as well as the consequences of being bullied. Victims may be chosen on the basis of:
Once targeted the victim is treated such that s/he is set apart from his peers/classmates. Often, teachers who bully tend to emphasise frequently how this learner differs from others who are presumably much more capable or valued in the teacher's perspective. Bullying by teachers thus creates considerable confusion, fear, anger, and self-doubt particularly regarding the individual child's academic and social competencies. Over time and without any intervention by other authority figures, research indicates that learners who are victims of teacher bullying tend to become increasingly demotivated at school, withdraw, and present with a persistent sense of worthlessness and helplessness. Teachers who bully also feel strongly that their abusive conduct is justified. They often disguise their behaviour as 'motivational', or as an appropriate disciplinary response to unacceptable behaviour. The child as the victim however, is subjected to deliberate humiliation that does not serve a legitimate educational purpose. Bullying by teachers creates a hostile classroom environment, as it undermines learning and the ability of all students to meet academic requirements when they feel unsafe. Most teachers are caring and compassionate. They become teachers in order to make a difference in the lives of their learners. However, some teachers for one reason or another take a dislike to learner in a classroom and will pick on them on almost a daily basis. Such bullying can have a long lasting effect on a child's academic experience and turn his school year into a nightmare.
As a teacher, are you a bully?
References
- www.a-better-child.org/page/933699
Bullying between siblings
Sibling bullying is often seen by adults as 'just the way kids are'. Parents of more than one child are often aware of what is referred to as sibling rivalry. Sometimes this can actually be bullying.
Through many of discussions with learners at our project schools, I found that a number of learners, who were seen as the bullies in the class, were modelling behaviour that they were experiencing at home. Many children admitted to bullying their younger siblings and were being bullied by their older siblings. Research indicates that children who are identified as bullies at school are often modelling behaviour that they have seen or encountered at home and that includes those who are bullied by siblings. As a parent how do you tell the difference between normal sibling squabbles and a situation where one child is bullying his sibling or siblings?
The four markers of bullying
References
- bullysolutions.com/index.php/sibling-bullying
Boosting your child's self-esteem
Inclusive Education Book Review
IEWC Inclusive Schools Project: Anti bullying campaign
As a result of the clear concern expressed in all four of our projects schools around the issue of name calling and bullying, IEWC is engaging with the schools in an anti-bullying campaign in the 1st Term of the 2011 school year. We will be inviting participation from learners, parents and educators and encouraging the schools to take a firm stance on bullying and ensure a Bullying policy is in place and that everyone is aware of it. The children will be given badges and bookmarks as part of the awareness raising and are being encouraged to creatively express the anti bullying message "Be a friend, not a bully" through posters, dance, and song.
Bullying can take different forms - it could amount to physical abuse, name calling, having your money or lunch taken from you, being teased, etc. Both boys and girls can be bullied and be bullies. Research shows that there has been a significant increase in bullying among girls between the ages of 11- 14. Very often teachers or parents are unaware that bullying is taking place. Bullying most often occurs in the playground or outside of the school premises on the way to or from school. Children need to be taught to speak up when they are being bullied and not try and deal with it on their own. Adults need to learn to listen to children when they say they are being bullied and take their feelings seriously. Each School Governing Body is responsible for implementing a code of conduct in the school. This should contain a bullying policy. Find out if your school has a policy on bullying and what it entails. Learners should be aware that the school does not tolerate bullying and know the procedures to follow if a child is being bullied.
Are some children more vulnerable to being bullied? Any child can be bullied, but some may be more vulnerable than others. Some reasons children are bullied include:
* Extracts from the Childline SA Prevention and Education Manual How do you know if your child is being bullied? Being bullied at school is very stressful for the victims of bullying and tell tale signs often begin to emerge in their behaviour that may indicate they are being bullied.
Bullying behaviour often emerges from children who themselves are the victims of bullying at home or who are feeling particularly vulnerable. Children with poor social skills and low self esteem often protect themselves by becoming the bully. Parents don't like to admit that their child might be a bully. Parents need to examine their own behaviour to see whether or not their child might be learning bullying behaviour at home. Monitoring what they watch on TV is important in ensuring they receive the right messages about behaviour. Children can also behave in one way at home and a completely different way at school. Remember parents: Condemn the behaviour and not your child. Shaming or humiliating a child will not help them stop bullying! Praise good social behaviour when it does occur. Children who bully need to understand their own feelings and why bullying younger or weaker children makes them feel better about themselves. Children who bully need help as much as those who are the victims of bullying. What to do if your child is being bullied Your child must tell the bully to stop, and tell them how bad it feels and that he/she has no right to make your child feel this way Encourage your child to walk away without fighting back. Violence will not stop the bullying! Your child should be the stronger person and walk away. Tell your child to tell someone they trust, and not to remain silent on the matter Your child must band together with others and avoid being alone with a bully. Talking to other children will probably turn up others who have been bullied. Bullies are usually not as brave in front of a group. Encourage your child's sense of belief in themselves, and discourage them from blaming themselves for being a target for bullying.
IEWC Launches Toy Libraries in Capricorn
On the 9th February 2011 IEWC officially launched the two toy libraries established in the Capricorn / Vrygrond area. Cllr Qually (the ward councilor), with the help of Toufeeq, one of our special needs children opened the adapted toy library and Mosa Le Roux (representing the Nussbaum Foundation) cut the ribbon to officially open the Rainbow Toy Library for surrounding ECD Centres. Our Toy Library Project arose as a follow up to the project funded by Social Development in 2009 which IEWC undertook in Lavender Hill and Capricorn raising awareness about the rights of children experiencing barriers to learning to access appropriate education. It became clear that there was a need for ECD centres to be equipped with appropriate toys to stimulate the development of young children and for their teachers to understand the importance of play in development. We were also made aware in the process of many children with disabilities who were not accessing education and whose parents due to their limited financial means were unable to supply them with appropriate toys for their stimulation at home, hence the adapted toy library equipped with modified or appropriate toys for children with disabilities. Living Hope came on board as the host of the adapted toy library for parents of children with disabilities and the toy library will be open on a Monday and Friday from 10am - 3pm. They will also be inviting parents to attend a Parents Support Group on Wednesday mornings at Living Hope, Drury Road, Carpicorn. The ECD Centre Library is hosted at Rainbow Educare, Vrygrond Drive, Vrygrond. ECD Centres are welcome to go to the library on a Tuesday and Wednesday from 1.30pm - 3.30pm to make use of the library.
Workshops and trainingIEWC recently facilitated a three day training programme with the North Education District office. Our brief was to examine from an inclusive education perspective the transformation of Special Schools into Resource Centres and Mainstream Schools into Full Service Schools and to empower principals and SMTs to tackle the task of transformation.We are currently involved in training Learning Support teachers from the South Education District on How to conduct and ISP and the use of SIAS . Need training at your school? Visit our website for more details www.included.org.za. Our last parent meeting was held on Saturday 19th February, where parents had the opportunity to share their experiences and be informed on accessing the right school for your child and accessing the right support for your child's special learning needs in school. Details of our next Parent Meeting.
Other happenings...SAALED (South African Association Of Learning & Educational Difficulties) is this year hosting its "From Inclusion to Belonging" congress in Cape Town, bringing with it some very prestigious international speakers. They include Professor Sue Buckley, renowned for her work on teaching children with intellectual disabilities such as Down Syndrome, and Jen Tait from Australia, whose speciality is teaching children with visual impairment. SAALED is offering non-congress-goers the opportunity to attend a day workshop that includes a breakaway session with either of these speakers on Saturday April 2nd. Visit www.saaled.org.za. Contact melodie@yebo.co.za
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