Growing up in disadvantaged circumstances unfortunately gives way to emotional challenges such as abuse and neglect and other psycho-social issues.
We have incorporated an emotional aspect into our curriculum. Providing the teachers with tools to help the children identify and understand their emotions. Every day the children do an “emotional check-in” where they identify how they are feeling by placing an ’emotion-face’ next to their name on a chart.
Through this exercise, we aim to create a safe environment allowing the children to feel their emotions without feeling judged or scared. This also helps the teachers to recognize if there are children that need extra support. When help is needed the necessary intervention is put in place.
Healthy emotional and physical development is vital to sustainable growth.
SUCCESS STORIES:
- We have formed relationships with speech therapists, dentists and optometrist who supports us in helping the children and teachers.
- Various children over the last 6 years, with bad eyesight that hindered their everyday life, received glasses for the first time in their lives.
- We also have 3 learners that are currently enrolled at the School for Visually Impaired and doing very well.
- Thanks to regular speech therapy a little boy was able to attend a main stream school for grade 1 in, after his initial diagnoses indicated that he needed to attend a special needs school.
- Side-by-Side Intervention Centre supports us in providing support and identifying children with special needs.
- Our team consisting of a Social Worker & Play Therapist, and Counsellor attends to the emotional needs of the children as well as the teachers on a continual basis.
