UNSUNG HEROES

When lockdown was announced, many of our teachers and staff members knew that there would be families right on our school’s doorstep, and further afield, who would need support. Breadwinners were losing their jobs and families were left helpless without food and basic provisions. A number of our teachers and staff went above and beyond to help neighbours in need. Here are two of those remarkable stories.

Mr Randall Daniels, the Engineering Graphics and Design (EGD) and Technology teacher at our High School has been actively involved in supporting the nearby Freedom Park informal settlement in Ottery since joining Christel House in 2006. He taught students to give back, and sharpen their culinary skills at the same time, by asking them to bring a vegetable to class. Together, the class prepared nourishing soup and distributed it in the community on a weekly basis.

During lockdown, Mr Randall provided meals three times a week for 100 families in both Freedom Park and Jim se Bos, another community in the area. With support from Christel House, Mr Randall’s project received a generous donation from a benevolent donor (who preferred to remain anonymous). The funding enabled him to provide most Freedom Park families with bulk food supplies and emergency relief over several of the darkest months of the pandemic. Ms Wendy Woolf, a Grade 7 teacher at Christel House, has been involved with the Freedom Park community for the past 21 years.

With funds donated from friends and family at the start of lockdown, Ms Wendy helped to start Operation Freedom Park, which provided the community with three meals per week that included a sandwhich, soup and bread or a cooked meal.

A team of local ladies were mobilised to prepare the food each week and it was distributed to those in need. On Christmas morning, Ms Wendy and her family and friends also treated 150 Freedom Park children to party packs, and distributed baby and teenage packs to parents.

“It is a privilege for my child to be at Christel House. The teachers really went out of their way to support and encourage our children every day. They checked in every morning and they sent guidelines for the work for the day.”

–Ronel Bosch, parent of a Grade 6 student.

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ALL OUR STAFF

2020 proved to be a difficult year with many challenges. Our staff members, the heroes who kept our school going, deserve a special thank you. With our Principals leading our ’new normal‘ teaching methods, our students only missed two school days for the entire year and the education that they received, although it was behind a computer screen or protective desk screen, was of the highest quality as always.

Our operations team were also on the ground doing the hard yards. The team was responsible for maintaining our hygiene and safety protocols, sanitising classrooms, fumigating buildings when needed. Our bus drivers dropped food off at neighbourhoods that were volatile at times. Each department worked tirelessly to ensure that our students were fully supported.

We salute all of our staff – they are the embodiment of the values and ethos that Christel House SA promotes.