It may have been a short school week, but there was much activity and excitement at Weenen Primêr during the past week. On Tuesday afternoon the school hosted two soccer teams from Bergville Primary – a junior and a senior team. The juniors kicked off the afternoon and a very close encounter it turned out to be with both teams playing some good football and the game swinging from end-to-end.

It was Bergville who scored the all-important goal in the first half with some good attacking play. Weenen defended manfully and then came more into the game in the second half. Despite their efforts , the game ended in a 1-0 victory for the visitors. The senior game was a really tough, rugged encounter with neither side giving way to the other. Bergville played very good, controlled football and were rewarded with some outstanding goals. Full credit must go to the Weenen team who fought valiantly, but were overcome 3-1 by the visitors.

Thanks to Bergville for a most enjoyable afternoon and for being prepared to travel all the way to Weenen to give our boys a game.
As part of Embury Teachers College’s exchange programme, four Norwegian ECD students accompanied by a South African student, visited Weenen Primêr on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday. The aim of the visit by these young folk was for them to see, and experience ECD in a rural setting.

They were also exposed to the school in its totality-all areas being visited. An undoubted highlight for the visitors was a truly traditional supper on Tuesday evening. The two Teacher Assistants at Weenen Primêr, Yolanda Sibisi and Sbonisiwe Zondi prepared a delicious meal for the visitors and then served it in their traditional dress. After the meal, all of the students were able to interact and share their experiences. A wonderful time was had by all.

The newly established pre-school was also given another ‘face-lift’ as the garden was transformed within a short period of time by some of our local ‘Friends of Weenen Primêr’ – namely Fanie and Hannelie du Plooy and Aneleen Heino. We are truly grateful for their support.
The curtain came down on the week with the now-established Reading Hour.

As the school believes in, and is totally committed to, a culture of reading – parents, friends, relatives, gogos , taxi drivers and – on this occasion – the visiting Norwegian students were exposed to the children reading to them and they reading to the children on the school field. Some of the smallest children were read to by their “Buddies” – another initiative to develop and enhance reading in all of its facets.

The school is of the opinion that whilst Readathons, Book Days, etc. all have their place, it is the daily interaction with books and reading, and thus a development of a culture of reading which enables people to learn to read and thereby read to learn.
The community are brought into the school to read and interact with books, thus spreading the message of the importance of reading. This was another highly successful Reading Hour. Totally exhausted and highly excited after the events of the week, everyone left to enjoy the much appreciated long weekend.