Dowerglen High School hopes to grow from strength to strength with help from the community.
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One way the school hopes to do this is by establishing a nutritious feeding scheme that will cater for at least 300 learners.
Principal Dr Larry Harmer said learners are often so hungry that they fall asleep during the day’s first lesson.
He said the school received 30 loaves of bread from Child Welfare SA – Edenvale and Bedfordview that will help to feed those learners.
The school appealed to the community for jam, margarine, butter and sandwich spreads to help make sandwiches for the learners.
The school is in talks with Dowerglen KwikSpar to have a collection trolley outside the store where shoppers can donate sandwich spreads and non-perishable foods to the scheme.
With the help of Nuno Morais, the school hopes to grow the feeding scheme.
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“There are three fundamental things a child needs – their right to an education, a roof over their head and food,” said Morais.
“Without those building blocks, you can’t create a future.”
Speaking to the consumer studies teacher, Angela Mautsa, the NEWS and Morais learnt that hungry learners often visit Mautsa’s class when they need a meal.
“You will see learners are hungry by the way they come to the classroom door asking for a scone or slice of bread. Many don’t want their friends or other learners to know.”
She said the class kitchen needs a revamp.
With help from the community, Morais said the school hopes to provide learners with more than just sandwiches, preferably a meal that includes protein, starch and vegetables.
Something Morais would like to introduce is a community vegetable garden where they can grow foods such as pumpkin, spinach, squash and herbs to sustain the feeding scheme and lower the costs of the consumer studies class.
Harmer said a vegetable garden would benefit the school as it has the land for one.
The school is applying for Section 18A status with the assistance of Edenvale Lions Basketball Academy’s Edson Makavan and Capitec.
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“We have investors interested in assisting the school, and with Section 18 A status, it benefits them, too.”
Harmer said once investors are on board, some of the first sports facilities to be improved will be the soccer fields and netball and basketball courts.
Harmer said with the correct investment, the school hopes to construct an indoor arena for soccer, netball and basketball.
“We have all the fields down there, and we could put up a massive structure.”
He said that building on their boxing programme, Damascus boxing is interested in investing in the school.
This will build on the school’s after-hours initiative that promotes discipline and provides functional fitness and self-defence knowledge under the guidance of Danie du Preez.
Other equipment they need are sports kits, paint for classrooms, bush cutters, lawn mowers or skilled individuals such as repairmen who can offer their services.
Looking to the year ahead, Harmer hopes to increase the pass rate this year to 98%.
He said last year’s matric pass rate had increased by 3%, raising it to 95%, something Harmer described as ‘massive’.
Mautsa said since Harmer took over as principal of the school, the atmosphere had improved.
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“When Harmer started, everyone was excited, everyone was coming to school. I feel like my authority as a teacher has been enhanced because he supports us in the staff room.”
She said that although the school had structures in place previously, there was no follow-up.
Her hopes for the school are to see the pass rate increase and more discipline at school.
“I want the community to view Dowerglen as a good school, not a school associated with hooligans.”
Donations toward the feeding scheme can be delivered to the school, or arrangements can be made by calling 011 609 8227.
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