Because of Hazyview’s thriving tourist industry, Summerhill Prep School’s grade six and seven pupils follow the junior field-guiding curriculum for their geology studies.
They write their Field Guides Association of Southern Africa (FGASA) junior field-guide level 1 exam at the end of grade seven, qualifying them as fully-fledged FGASA junior field guides.
The visit to Perry’s Bridge Reptile Park gave them the opportunity to see some of the creatures they had learnt about at school. Armed with their newly acquired knowledge, all pupils participated actively in the discussions and guided tour.
They spotted three snakes close to molting time, as they could tell from the milky colour of their eyes. They were also fortunate enough to watch a cobra shed its entire skin during their visit.
Their guide, known to the children as Sir George from the United Kingdom, has been working closely with Summerhill as part of a community service project. George Berton has been visiting the school every Thursday as part of an incentive by the reptile park to teach them a little more about physical and natural sciences.
He showed the children, among others, how to tell the difference between a male and female tortoise, by looking for the concave shape of the bottom of the male’s shell.
At the end, to top off a wonderful and educational morning, they were treated to a reptile demonstration, where they could learn a little bit more and show off their FGASA knowledge.
Summerhill would like to thank both and George the reptile park for this opportunity and the school looks forward to a prosperous working partnership in future to educate young learners about these incredible creatures and the need for their preservation.
