Memorandum to Vicky

We are all heartsick over the tragic loss of Vicky, the namesake for our organization, but we will continue to support the education of the children.  Our prayers go out to her family and community.

Hi Everyone,

Today, Fran and I said our goodbyes to the children and staff at Vusamanzi Primary School.  What a beautiful send off they gave us.  I visited all the classrooms and the children blew kisses and said how much they love me.  It was so special.

The principal and staff surprised Fran and I with a lovely program in tribute to the work we have accomplished at their school.  There were speeches, songs, and even some sweet treats.  I was so overwhelmed by their thoughtfulness and generosity.  I can't believe how grateful they were for the help and the compliments they showered on us.

I leave with joy in my heart coupled with a sadness since I know how much they are suffering yet their spirits are so uplifting and inspiring.

Thanks to everyone that made this trip possible.  Fran and I are grateful to serve in your name.

Fondly,
Laura and Fran

8/13/12 - Hi Everyone,

Today Fran and I brought to school over 80 photographs that we have taken and developed of the groups of children and teachers I have taught/taught with.  We mounted them on poster board (thanks to Mr. Fran) and shared them with everyone.  The response was overwhelming!  The students and the staff spent the day in awe over the "shots".  I couldn't stop taking more pictures over their reaction to the original pictures.  It was heartwarming to see how grateful they were for this gift.

Next, I spent all morning in the intermediate grades until finally I got into first grade.  They are so adorable and the most attentive group I have worked with so far.  Even when it was time for their lunch they didn't want to stop learning.

Unfortunately, there are riots and protests happening around Khayelitsha since Saturday so things are a little unsettled.  I hope it does not affect my ability to continue to educate the students and staff at Vuzamanzi Primary School.  Everyone here is so dedicated and eager to learn.  Unfortunately, political unrest exists here, much like everywhere.  The people here are suffering so badly.

Well, that is all for now.  I have to get my lessons ready for tomorrow and get a little shut eye.

See you soon.

Laura and Fran

Hello Everyone,

Today we are preparing for an Open House at school on Sunday, 8/11/12 from 9:00 am to noon.  At that time, we will be meeting with attending parents to introduce ourselves and tell them what we have been doing with the children.  I am typing fast because we need to find a place to print out the myriad of pictures Fran has been taking in the classrooms.  I am sure the students and parents will enjoy the posters we plan to make with their children pictured on them.  Say a prayer we can find a place that sells posterboards and glue sticks.  I have tried several places to no avail.  Although I did get a hot tip regarding where I can print pictures. 

Thank goodness Fran is here not only for his computer expertise and classroom support but because he has been the navigator around town.  If you are not already aware of this, I have a terrible sense of direction and I would never have been able to get to the places I need to be at in South Africa without him.

I am working very closely with a wonderful teacher, Miss Joy Nqolobe, as I teach within the various grade level classrooms.  As I stated previously, I am very busy every night and weekends documenting lessons and typing up materials the school can use going forward in their literacy instruction.  I am using our CR model of "training the trainer" so that Joy can train the staff in these methodologies after we leave.  Since the classroom teachers only get to see me in action when I am in their own classroom.

Cute story --- I was working with second grade students on Wednesday and I was teaching them consonant actions in order to develop their phonemic awareness.  The children were having so much fun and afterwards I saw a good transfer of knowledge in their ability to identify initial sounds.  You should have seen them as they pretended to catch a ball as they made the "c" sound and laughing out loud as they made the "l" sound.  Even though it was time for recess, the children did not want to leave the classroom because they were so engaged in this literacy activity.

Elaine Wunder, wonderful kindergarten teacher, if you are reading this, please send me a copy of the consonant action document.  I am going from memory with some of the actions but it would be nice to have a copy of the document I furnished to the K teachers.

Fran is going to attempt to upload a picture or two now.  Keep your fingers crossed because we have attempted to do this previously with no success.

Goodbye for now.

Fondly,
Laura and Fran

Sorry for the delay in posting to the blog.  Boy, have I been BUSY!  I realize that everyone is anxious to hear news about Vuzamanzi Primary School and my experience here. 

First of all, the children are amazing.  Every day the gift of their smiles lights up my spirit and heart.  The poverty and hardships the families, students, and community face are many, however, their positive attitudes and their passion for learning is astounding. 

So what have I been doing......lots of demonstration lessons, team teaching with a wonderful teacher,  Miss Joy Nqolobe, who helps translate English to Xhosa, the native language of the students here, prepping for lessons, helping teachers with reading across the curriculum, teaching reading strategies, developing session plans for mediated reading experiences, and paperwork.  I have been enjoying myself immensely and will have many stories to share with you later.  Unfortunately, I do not have Internet access at school so I can only post to the blog after I have completed all my homework and prepping for lessons after school.  At night, I am busy preparing files that teachers can use to learn about the demonstration lessons taught in other classrooms.  So far I have taught in grades 2-7.  Unfortunately, I have not been in grade 1 classrooms ,my forte, since these students only have lessons 10 % of the time in English and 90 % of the time in Khosa. 

To give you a picture of what the school looks like, the physical school building is old and need of repairs.  Teachers and learners work in their coats and scarfs (students if they have them) in buildings with no heat.  It is wintertime in South Africa with temperatures 45 degrees Fahrenheit.  Cold winds are blowing and lots of rain.  Before I left  home, I thought great, I won't miss the heat.  But now, I yearn for some.  I can not complain, since the students live in shacks, that are very small with no indoor heat, plumbing or sanitation.  Imagine waking up every day very cold and wet from the rains.  The children at school wear uniforms and their parents do a great job making sure they are neat and presentable.  Since they have no heat, they all seem to be suffering from runny noses.  Boy, I wish someone could air drop a shipment of tissues, warm clothes, food, and money to help them with their situation.  Yet, as I stated before, they are so eager to learn.  They value their education and know that they need it to get ahead in life.  I am learning so much from them. 

The teachers should be commended as well.  They continue to show students love while imparting knowledge to them as they shiver in classrooms with broken windows, door that don't shut and with little supplies.  Another thing I would like air dropped to me is all my school supplies from home.  Every day I lay awake thinking what can I do next to help the children and teachers here.  I feel like I am in a trauma center trying to place band aids over large gaping wounds.  Oh, on a good note, I have a new boyfriend.  Don't tell Mr. Fran (that is what the children call him).  One of the third grade boys told me after I did a demonstration lesson in his classroom that I am the cutest. 

So what about Mr. Fran, he has been taking lots of pictures to share with you.  Unfortunately, we are experiencing problems uploading these pictures to the blog site.  I think we will have to wait until we return to do this.  The Internet here is not as fast and we experience many problems using it.  He has been such a valuable asset to this project from computer work to updating documents, uploading pictures and documents into teacher's directories, and even photocopying as needed.  Tomorrow he will assist in organizing the ISBN numbers of books that the school is planning to purchase with their grant money for their new reading curriculum.  Additionally, he has been a good male role model for students since many come from homes with only a mother.

Today, I was even observed by an administrator from the Department of Education.  I can't wait to tell Mr. Reid, my principal at home, how much she enjoyed my lesson and the strategies I was using with the third grade classroom.

Goodbye for now.  Laura and Fran

Teacher's First Report from Cape Town!

I have been extremely busy doing demonstration lessons in classrooms grades 2-7, working with teachers, writing lesson plans, teaching reading strategies, observations, researching topics for learning, and helping them with completing checklists for teaching reading and literacy across the curriculum in listening, speaking, reading and writing.  I decided that I would concentrate at night on developing curriculum/lessons with the teachers since this is my first priority.  I know that you are anxiously awaiting news via the blog but due to the time I am spending in the classroom working with students and teachers and the hours I am spending on curriculum development and class preparation at night there are not enough hours in the day to do everything.

 

I can not wait until I return so that I can speak with you in person regarding all that I have learned here.  

 

Finally, Fran has been an invaluable assistant since he is able to take lots of classroom pictures and he has been uploading these pictures for teachers to their directories (time permitting he will upload some of these pictures on the blog).  Unfortunately, this can not be done at school since there is no Internet access.  He has also been busy printing out all the materials I am developing on a daily basis.   Having a male presence in the class with me at times helps students see his as a good role model since many of them only have a mother in their homes.  He has spent lots of time copying and collating materials since their are not enough resources available, etc. etc.

Reading Specialist Arrives Safely!

Laura Harrington and her husband, Fran, have begun their 3 week assignment.  They are staying at Vicky's B & B and while Laura utilizes her reading specialist skills in the Primary School, Fran assists the school with coordinating Foundation requests to the School's needs.

Like Us on Facebook!

http://www.facebook.com/MissVickysChildrensEducationFund

URGENT Need for Donations

This generous donation of textbooks by Council Rock School District has created a pressing need for funding to transport the books to South Africa.  Herron & Associates, LLC of Media, PA, a freight forwarding company, has offered to ship the containers “virtually at cost” which means that they are essentially donating any profits they would earn to the organization. However, there still exists and outstanding amount of $7,500 and Miss Vicky’s Non-Profit Foundation is seeking contributions of any monetary level.  A corporate contribution would be a great way for a local corporation to make a big difference in the lives of hundreds of kids.  

Courier Times Article

CR donating thousands of old reading books

By Chris English Staff Writer | Posted: Thursday, June 21, 2012 12:00 am

Thousands of old elementary school reading books no longer needed in Council Rock aren’t going to waste.

The school district is going to a different elementary reading program starting in the 2012-13 school year and replacing all the reading materials, said Director of Elementary Education/Curriculum Services Joy McClendon.

The old books are going to various places. Most recently, Council Rock arranged to donate 21,000 of them to Miss Vicky’s Children’s Education Fund, a nonprofit foundation founded by Northampton resident Debra Marra.

Marra’s group will arrange for and fund shipment of the books to the Vusamanzi Primary School in Khayelitsha, near Cape Town, South Africa. The children there will be thrilled to get them, she said.

“Half the people there are illiterate and I’m a firm believer in the fact that education is one of the best ways to improve the world,” said Marra.

She started the foundation after a visit to Cape Town and the surrounding area in 2007. The nonprofit is named for Vicky Ntonzini, a Cape Town resident who devotes much of her life to helping children get an education and assisting them in other ways.

In addition to the shipment of books, the foundation is also funding much of the expense for Council Rock reading specialist Laura Harrington to teach at the Khayelitsha school for several weeks later this summer.

McClendon, Marra, Council Rock students and staff and other volunteers recently helped pack the reading books for shipment.

McClendon said she and other school district officials first tried, without success, to see if a publisher wanted to buy the old reading books. Council Rock then let any students who wanted the books take them home.

With thousands of volumes remaining, district elementary schools found creative ways to deal with the issue, said McClendon.

Students and staff at Sol Feinstone Elementary School in Upper Makefield joined with the Newtown Rotary Club to donate thousands of the books to schools at Native American reservations in New Mexico and South Dakota. And at Wrightstown Elementary, arrangements were made to ship many of books to children in Haiti, said McClendon.

“It’s very rewarding to know these books will be put to good use in these places and will help children learn how to read,” she said.

For more information on Marra’s foundation, visit missvickyschildrenseducation.blogspot.com or email debra.lynn.marra@gmail.com.

Press Release 2012

Non-Profit Sends Third Teacher to Cape Town, South Africa

Khayelitsha Township eagerly awaits skill set of USA teacher

We are pleased to announce the upcoming departure of our third volunteer teacher, Laura Harrington, to Khayelitsha, a township in Cape Town, South Africa. Laura is a reading specialist in Council Rock School District of Bucks County, PA. In addition to volunteering several weeks of her time to educate children in Khayelitsha, fellow teachers in many Council Rock Elementary Schools held dress down days to raise money for the shipping of donated textbooks and reading books in anticipation of the building of a school library. Previously Tanya Anderson, Welch Elementary School Guidance Counselor and Caroline Kerns, St. Joseph’s University graduate offered their teaching skills to Khayelitsha’s children.

Assisting with loading books at a Council Rock’s Goodnoe Elementary School include Joy McClendon (Director of Elementary Education/Curriculum Services), Sue Kacergis, Patricia Erickson (RELA Curriculum Coordinator, K-6), Rick Plassio, Nicole Crawford (Principal at Goodnoe), Mike Hellman, Ellen Wilson, Laura Harrington, Holland resident and Temple University student Julie Erickson, Churchville resident and CR South Senior Ross McDaniel and Holy Ghost Prep student and Ivyland resident, Christopher Marra. 

Council Rock School District generously donated 21,000 primary school level language arts textbooks which will be shipped via ocean container to Vusamanzi Primary School in Khayelitsha.

Holy Ghost Prep students Brian Nachtburn, Christopher Marra and Joe O’Connor filled the first truck load from Welch Elementary, Churchville Elementary and Richboro Elementary.

To follow Laura's daily activities during her stay please visit,

http://missvickyschildrenseducation.blogspot.com/.

A fundraiser to enjoy South African wines and cheeses will be held locally later this summer.

If you’d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Laura, please email Debra at missvickyseducationfund@gmail.com.

Please help

I want to thank everyone for their tremendous response in providing me with financial donations and expertise to support Miss Vicky’s Children’s Education Fund. Unfortunately, we have not yet met our financial requirement to transport the vast amount of donated text books to where they are needed most – the village schools in South Africa.

Council Rock School District has several thousand outdated language arts textbooks scheduled to be sent to the dumpster on May 1^st. These textbooks, while outdated for current US curricula, are in excellent condition and are of great value to young students in Khayelitsha. Council Rock School District will donate these books to us but we must arrange for their immediate transport. Our 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization has already collected several hundreds of books prior to this donation from Council Rock School District.

How your help can make it happen: We are in the process of arranging with a freight forwarder to secure the required ocean freight container(s) at cost! Including trucking to and from the ports, as well as customs clearance, we are facing costs of approximately $8,500.

Other fundraising activities have already been conducted to raise monies for transport of the books such as school and community based fundraising events. But we can’t do it without your help!

Help us make a difference. With your donation, we will be able to assist many Khayelitsha families and individuals work toward a brighter future with an education – one that can only be made possible with your financial support through a modest donation. Many of us take textbooks for granted. The families and students in South Africa will benefit beyond their imaginations with your help.

Please send a special gift today of $25 or more to this non-profit education organization via PayPal at http://missvickyschildrenseducation.blogspot.com/

Or, send a check to: Miss Vicky’s Children’s Education Fund c/o 411 Foxcroft Drive, Ivyland, PA 18974

$8,500 estimated shipping cost / $25 donation = 350 generous donors (rounded)

Very generous donors like you can guarantee achievement of this shipping goal so we can stock the schools and the beginnings of a school library in a regions where these text books are most needed!

Miss Vicky’s Children’s Education Fund is fueled by the desire to educate youth and adults in Khayelitsha’s Township “C”, in order to empower them to achieve beyond the limitations of their socioeconomic status. We are committed to serving the needs of these students so they can better themselves and become assets to their community.

This summer Miss Vicky’s will be hosting a South African Wine/Cheese event along with a 5K race. Details to follow . . .

School has lost government funding

conversion factor =
R195,000 = $24,400
R8000 = $993.92

Dear Debra

Its been too long since we last communicated,things are
fine in SA Schools have just started again on monady for educators and yesterday
for learners. we are looking forward to a prosperous year.

I am aware that you are working in a process of raising
funds for our school library and we are waiting for the day the library will be
built.
The reason i am sending you this email is because we
are finding ourselves in a disastrous situation financial. Our school is non fee
government school meaning that the parents are not paying for the education of
their children. The government is giving us R195 000,00 per year to run the
school. In the past that money was supplemented by the donations we were
receiving from the private book suppliers who were giving us 10 % of the amount
of books we bought from them and we could run the school and pay our debts.
Since last year the book suppliers were withdrawn and the government is
supplying the books by itself as a result we are not getting the 10% that was
assissting us financially. That has crippled us seriously. We are unable to pay
all our debts.
For this month and next two months up to March we will
be unable to pay our two Grade R educators which are employed by the sgb. Each
one of them is getting R 8000,00 meaing therefore we are falling short of
R48000,00. We are asking if your institution can to donate the sum up to that
amount to help those educators which we do not want to loose.

It will be appreciated if that can happen starting from
this month. We know that we are diverting from our project but i have tried many
institutions in SA in vain.

Thanking you in advance for your support

Regards

Mr Mnconywa