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Our association with Mavula goes
back to the beginning of 1998 when we donated sports equipment to the
school. A lot of water has passed under the bridge since then. We have
hosted training sessions for Mavula Staff in order to learn new
teaching ideas and techniques. We have supplied lesson material,
schemes of work and curriculum content whenever there has been a need.
Mavula sports teams have been invited to take part in our competitions
and tournaments. Their participation in our annual Spar Soccer
Tournament is a huge event in their year plan. Many of the team
players wear kit that used belong to our children. Soccer boots are
especially in demand; many of their soccer players have never owned
boots before and a good pair of used boots is treasured and passed on
through the family. Our school uniform is similar to that of Mavula,
so much so that a lot of what is worn at Mavula started off life at
LRPS! There are old style LRPS tracksuits at Mavula that must have
been purchased for LRPS children twenty years ago that are still going
strong! |
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Every year, during November, we
collect Christmas gifts for the Mavula children. We ask our children
to bring something that they don’t use anymore—books, toys, puzzles,
clothing etc. The response has always been very positive from our
children and the Mavula children have always managed to take home
something of value for Christmas. |
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At
the end of the first term
2004, our
Grade Seven Leaders organised a drive to collect old clothing and
books for the children of Mavula. The response from our school community was overwhelming!
We delivered approximately four tons of clothing to Mavula on Friday
16 April. We also delivered educational equipment to the value of
R53000 that had been purchased with funds collected by a group of
enthusiastic Teachers from Hillingdon in England. These selfsame
Teachers flew out especially from the UK to hand over all the goods
that they had bought. The Mavula School Community was understandably
most grateful for the gifts and they organised a very warm welcome for
us and the Teachers from Hillingdon. Everybody was called upon to make
a speech! This took place between energetic displays by dancers, drum
majorettes and gymnasts. Brandon Hill, our Grade Seven representative
most ably offered an impromptu speech on behalf of our Grade Seven
Leaders and all the children from LRPS.
Mrs. Gray,
(she was our Head of Department Foundation Phase), has been
incredibly committed to the Mavula cause. She and her Staff have spent countless hours developing
systems, providing support and advising the Foundation Phase Staff at
Mavula. She has also been the moving force behind facility development
in the Foundation Phase at the school. It has been largely through her
efforts that Mavula now have extra desks and chairs, new educational
equipment, educational games and books and a host of much needed
educational resources. She also arranged for playground equipment, a
load of pit sand and some tractor tyres to be transported to the
school and the FP children now have a very valuable addition to their
play area.
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Some highs in our brief history!
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March, June, September 1998—Mavula
Teachers visit LRPS to learn from LRPS Teachers. This was the first of
many such visits.
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September 1998,
Mavula netball and soccer teams play matches at LRPS birthday party.
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March 1999, we managed, with the help of parents, to raise R25000
which was used to purchase reference books for the Staff at Mavula.
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June 1999,
Mavula teams enter the Spar Soccer Tournament for the first time. This
has become an annual event for them.
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May 2000,
we were invited to have tea with Mr. Mbeki at the Union Buildings in
recognition for what we had done for Mavula. The occasion was the
unveiling of the New Coat of Arms of South Africa. A group of LRPS and
Mavula children formed the guard of honour at a very formal and moving
ceremony. Mr. Mbeki took time to speak to each of our pupils at the
tea afterward and his obvious care and sincerity left a lasting
impression on them. It was an occasion to remember!
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THE DAY WE HAD TEA WITH PRESIDENT MBEKI WAS AN OCCASION TO REMEMBER
FOR EVER!
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December 2000 saw the first Mavula ‘Children to Children” assembly
and the collection of four bakkie loads of gifts. This has become an
annual event since then.
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March 2001 saw the start of the Alice project with the arrival of
a group of teachers from England who were committed to putting
something in to education in South Africa. They had been shown some
township schools in Mamelodi and Atteridgeville and were much
concerned about the poor learning conditions and lack of facilities in
previously disadvantaged schools. It was, however, a trip to Mavula
that brought them in contact with the real face of education in South
Africa. (We have had three more visits from English Teachers since
2001.)
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The Alice Project eventually saw
Mrs. Gray and two members of the Mavula Staff heading off to England
for an educational trip—all paid for by the British Government.
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December 2001,
Mavula under 13 goal keeper plays for the LRPS soccer team that tours
England, Ireland and France.
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2003 - saw the
building of classrooms and offices by the education authorities.
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March 2004,
Hillingdon Teachers from England raise R53000 for educational
development at Mavula.
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2004 - clothing,
books and educational equipment collected and delivered to Mavula.
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2008 - R6 000 000
spent by Government upgrading Mavula's facilities, thanks to the
efforts of Adv. John Mullins of the LRPS Governing Body.
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I could write pages of detail
describing the things that have been happening quietly at Mavula over
the years of our twinning and hardly even begin to describe the huge
influence our small input has had on the lives of children who lack so
much of the absolute basic things in life.
Without the kindness and goodwill
of our school community, this could never have happened.
Thank you LRPS—Parents, Children and Staff for your
input!
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