Fitter Teaching

Dear Willowridge Family

With anticipation for the 2021 academic year, we have decided on a theme for this year: Be 212 degrees. Water is warm at 211 degrees Fahrenheit but at 212 degrees it boils. One degree makes all the difference. We want to install this idea of doing one thing extra per day with our staff, community and learners. One book more, one sum more or one page of reading more and at the end this will make a difference.

With the announcement from the Department of Education this morning, regarding schools only opening on the 15th of February, our theme falls perfectly in line with this crazy year ahead.

We would like to assure parents that our staff are ready to start teaching online from the 1st of February doing revision and to start the annual teaching plans. Our different departments will meet the week before to make sure all issues regarding online classrooms and online teaching, are ironed out. We would like our parents to get involved so that all our learners are on par and that constructive teaching and learning can take place. We fully understand that other schools will only start their academic calendar on the 15th of February but we feel that from our experience in teaching online last year, we are fully prepared to start doing revision and teaching plans online with our learners from the 1st of February.

We would like to bring the following point to your attention as parents and assist us in the following regards:

1.Collection of textbooks is vital at this point and the school is ready to receive parents to collect timetables and textbooks from the hall.

2.A staff email address list has been placed in the book bag and please make sure that your child gets in contact with their teachers.

3.All teachers will start sending out Google classroom codes via email and sms to parents from the 25th of January, please make sure that your child use this code to join the correct class for online learning.

4.A Google form has been sent to parents to complete with your child’s info. Please make sure you complete this as soon as possible, as we need to have your child’s email address and cell number to add to google classrooms and WhatsApp groups.

5.Constructive teaching and revision will be done from the 1st of February and we ask parents to make sure that their children are online and working as a roll call will be taken in these online classes.

6.Teachers will be available from the 1st of February with any queries but if you have problems before then please email **********@***********.**.** or ********@***********.**.** or ********@***********.**.** .

7.No subject changes will or can be allowed at this stage as the timetables are finalized and learners need to start working online. The GDE has closed subject changes at the end of last year.

We believe as a school, l that we are ready and able to do our 1 degree more this year and we hope that all learners buy into this idea, starting with collecting books and online teaching.

Regards

G Pretorius

Acting Principal

Willowridge High School