Friday 24 February 2012

Mrs Madel and GCU take on Woodlands literacy!

This week the tutoring program made GCU proud as we did the assessments with the grade 5 students for the reading program. As a result of these assessments Woodlands School was so impressed with how the results helped level the children that Mrs Madel is now taking on the whole school and assessing everyone. It is clear that they need to do these to assist in the classes and create appripriate tasks for the children and after feedback from Mr Madel, the teachers are more than willing to make things work it shows the partnership between GCU and woodlands is growing and becoming stronger each day. The two working together to achieve results will only benefit the children in the future.
GCU will be assisting Woodlands in compiling these results which will hopefully lead to improving the literacy levels of these children and a brighter future for them. I would like to thank all the coaches who helped with the assessments.

By Shaffiek White
Head of Tutoring

Saturday 18 February 2012

Get your fruit and veg at Woodlands!


This was the first day for the GCU lifeskills coaches to teach the children of Woodlands primary about their veggie and fruit trees. I found it quite exciting teaching the kids about fruit and veg in their garden . there are green peppers, butternut squash, potatoes, watermelon and bananas in the garden. Its great to see variety and it helps a lot for the children to identify the different things.
One child asked me, “coach, is that a gem squash?” I replied “no, it’s a watermelon”. All these children need is education and for someone to show them the way. They have the potential and are all interested to learn. These kids give you courage and energy to teach them with their enthusiasm. At least now they understand the different between fruit and vegetables and more importantly that they can grow them themselves if they want! Next we can hopefully harvest the produce and maybe they can take it home or eat at school….yum!

By
Darrel Smith
Head Coach

Tuesday 14 February 2012

/b/ for BRILLIANT!


 
Mondays is U7’s tutoring and as I am often in the library before it starts I am often finding myself telling the U7 at woodlands to ‘come back in half an hour’. It is great to see the little ones so eager to learn and read stories. Codi will often pick a book and pretend to read regardless of what is on the page but he gets lost in his own little world, and isn’t that why we all read?
          My two U7 which I have had for 2 weeks now, Codi and Zioh are just a joy to teach. This week we read all about slithery snakes, very scary crocodiles and lots and lot of noisy monkeys to make our jungle. We focused on the letter /b/ and all things /b/. We spotted 50 things beginning with /b/ then we marveled at my surprise /b/ box to see what was inside. Both of them did brilliantly and we finished of the lesson making our very own /b/ pictures. I was very impressed with Codi’s writing and how he was so eager to copy my spellings but then add his own /b/ to his other pictures and Zioh is always very colourful with his colouring. I wonder what letter it will be next week and what will be in my next box of tricks!

By Jennifer Pickett, UK
Long term volunteer

Friday 3 February 2012

GCU boys learn about Global Warming!

Hey  humble greetings from G.C.U .The team started cleaning up the school we the team of  G.C.U coaches  .We cleaned the school and was very excited about giving the school a new nice fresh look with the help and  authority Woodlands Primary  gave us and working hand in hand we were allow to do as we were capable of doing .

We had the week to cut and trim the trees on the field of the school we had a hectic week as it was very tiring and hot. As we were cutting and trimming the trees some of the kids on the school came to assist us reason being they felt they would like to do there part for the school while the kids were helping with the more lighter and easier stuff me and the coaches explained the bit of global warming and environmental awareness .

They were quite shocked and surprised as well very eager, excited and interested about some facts about environmental awareness. For me the greening went well and I’m looking forward to the rest of the year greening, it is so natural. Making our children aware of this crisis the world is going through we inform them of global warming and they were ecstatic of what’s happening so they pledged to plant a tree or flower to do there part for the world not only there surroundings.

Thank you for reading my story. .  


by
Coach: Gogo