Reflections of Havergal: 1994-2019

Appendices

Get Ahead Project—A New School Opens In Whittlesea, South Africa The Chronicle , 2004 Excerpted from an article by Junior School teacher Julie McMeekin 72

Saturday Mornings At Havergal With Derrydown Public School This past spring, Saturday mornings at Havergal were far from quiet, with more than 70 children from Toronto’s Derrydown Public School bustling through the doors of the R. Samuel McLaughlin Wing, eager to begin their next photography or swimming class. The classes were led by approximately 20 Havergal students, along with a dozen or so students from Crescent and high schools in the Derrydown neighbourhood. The Saturday morning program began at Derrydown Public School last year as a collaborative effort between Derrydown staff and families, and staff and students at Havergal and other high schools. It is part of the GAP project and its purpose is to provide Derrydown students in Grades 1 to 5 with the opportunity to participate in activities that are not offered during their regular school day. Last year, the majority of activities at Derrydown included sports, arts, computer and science classes. This year, children were able to take advantage of Havergal’s facilities to enjoy classes in swimming, photography, drama, science/robotics and music. The Derrydown parents’ association is also involved and Derrydown parents and their younger children were invited to attend meetings and nursery programs at Havergal. In addition, two Havergal Old Girls who are both students at York University’s faculty of education, participated, further strengthening the support for the project within the Havergal community.

On The Morning Of Friday, March 5, I found myself with six other members of the Havergal community, driving down a rutted dirt road off the main street of Whittlesea, a small town in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. We had travelled for 36 hours to get there and were very tired, but the reason for our long journey was explained in a moment by a new, brightly painted, proud school building with a sign over the door encouraging all who entered to “Get Ahead.” The Whittlesea School is the second “Get Ahead Project” or “GAP” school in Queenstown under the direction of Mrs. Cilla Crankshaw. It currently provides education to 120 local children beginning with R class (JK/SK) through to Grade 3. Each year, as the children progress, the next grade will be added. A tour of the new facility following the ceremony revealed a series of clean, cheerful classrooms, rooms for staff and administration and a vast, fenced playground area. During the days following the opening, we began to understand what an extraordinary learning environment GAP is, in contrast to the publicly funded elementary schools in the nearby Ezibeleni Township. We saw that peeling paint, broken glass and a lack of electricity are a result of neglect and vandalism characteristic of the schools in the Township. Students were crowded into unkempt classrooms, outfitted with few desks and meagre resources, as teachers worked to provide instruction with little financial or professional support. With much support, three schools have formed a partnership for international educational exchange-Havergal, Derrydown Junior Public School and the Whittlesea GAP School in South Africa. As each of the three school communities represent vastly different circumstances, we have much to learn and much to offer. Interest and energy on the part of these three communities will sustain this vital exchange and, in turn, w. will continue to gain knowledge from this broader spectrum.

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