2020 AT A GLANCE SUNDAY, 15 MARCH 2020: President Cyril Ramaphosa officially declared a national state of disaster due to the COVID-19 global pandemic and at midnight on 27 March 2020, the country entered a complete lockdown. We were ready. Christel House is more than just a school. We provide a host of critical services to our children – from daily nutrition to healthcare and social services. With this in mind, Christel House leadership, teachers and staff implemented a robust strategy to ensure that our students had access to sufficient educational resources, health and food supplies, and social support. Each student received a food and hygiene hamper on the last day of school. We also identified 300 of our most at-risk and destitute families, who received support in the form of a small stipend of R100 per week (paid via eWallet), from the start of April to the end of September. With the help of our generous donors, we successfully raised R1.7 million to directly provide additional CLICK TO SEE HOW support to our families. OUR FAMILIES
THANKED DONORS FOR THEIR SUPPORT
1 APRIL: Our Principals officially activated our remote learning curriculum. Our Junior School Principal, Ms Carol Kriel and High School Principal, Dr Ronald Fortune confidently led our teaching staff through a very uncertain period and implemented an innovative remote curriculum that was on par with the best schools in the country. Our students received the best tools, skills and teaching assistance, which in turn minimised academic and psychosocial disruption.
8 | CHRISTEL HOUSE SA 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
Our Junior School students received printed workbooks to take home. Our teachers kept in close contact with our parents via WhatsApp (sending voice-note instructions) to provide assistance and ensure that the students complete their daily and weekly tasks. Our High School students were issued with donated tablets, SIM cards and weekly data bundles to ‘Zoom’ into their classes and complete their assignments. The cost of data remains extremely costly, CLICK TO WATCH and we continue to seek more OUR STUDENTS affordable solutions in 2021. WORKING FROM
HOME 1 JUNE: We opened our education doors again for the Grade 7s and 12s. The entire school was sanitised prior to the students’ arrival and plans were put in place well in advance to ensure that all of our health and safety measures adhere to national and international standards.
On the first day back at school, students received masks and pre-packaged meals; temperature testing and screening protocols were in place; classrooms, buses and toilets were sanitised; and students received a full brief on safety and social distancing rules. JUNE – DEC 2020: Once permitted, all students were allowed back to school on a rotational basis and we kept tight reins on our safety protocols for both students and our staff. Despite the many challenges that 2020
CLICK TO WATCH A 2-MINUTE VIDEO OF THEIR FIRST DAY BACK
