This has to be the coldest and wettest winter we have had here in the Cape for many years.   Or is it that I am getting older and feel the elements more intensely?  Here in this southern nook of Africa we are lucky enough to have a Mediterranean Climate – warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters.   I like winter because many of the days are clear and sunny and the wind doesn’t blow. But this winter we have had so much rain that the dams are over 100% full and there is snow on the mountain which means it is freezing!   After a couple of days of heavy rain there was river flowing outside my classroom door!

A River Runs Through It

Every day I pray that the rain will let up at 10:30 – break time – so that the children get to go out and release their pent up energy – mostly my prayers are answered and luckily inspite of the excessive rain we do find at least a few minutes to get out and play.

A break in the weather and fun on the swings

Something in the weather has caused the birds to visit the garden – when the children are not around.  I captured these feathered beauties enjoying some rare sunshine.

Cape Canary

Chaffinch

It has been a busy week and the girls have worked hard.   After their two day Funscape they were keen to share their experiences and wrote good sentences about what they had done.

Look what I did at Fabric Painting

Pieces of Eight My Hearties

Anyone for cookies?

Working on our Funscape Report

Having someone different in the classroom is always exciting for the girls and I have been so proud of their welcoming attitude to our visiting student  and one of our own GAPs.   What a fun lesson they had learning all about the food pyramid and which foods we need for energy, muscle building and fighting illness.

Carbohydrates for energy

Learning a second language can be challenging but doing a familiar movement song in Afrikaans makes learning the parts of the body fun and easy.

Kop en skoures, knie en tone, knie en tone

Neus?

They also learned an old favourite fairy tale in their second language – the same one we have been working on in our regular Afrikaans lessons.

“We know this story,” piped up one bright spark – “but we don’t do it like this!”

I am proud to say that in spite of that they remembered the vocabulary and thoroughly enjoyed the new presentation of an old favourite.

‘n Mandjie vol Kos

Sy pluk blomme

Die Wolf in Ouma se Klere

Another full week has flown by.  Assessments are complete and report writing has begun. The rain has gone for now so enjoy your weekend everybody.