Dear Friends. I write this message with a heavy heart after a 40-hour weekend of desperately trying to rebuild our systems to be ready for online streaming today. I am assured by the IT department that by noon we will have sufficient resources freed to start to roll out a number of classes. I have heard that message before and nothing has come of it, so I am treating it with caution.

Some details :
1 : Everything that is taught in class while there is no livestream will be retaught.
2 : We are working as hard as is humanly possible to get this system off the ground.
3 : I know that these past three days (including today) have been extremely frustrating. They will pass. Even a journey of a 1000 miles starts with a single step.
4 : We will make up all lost days by cutting out holidays.
5 : Most of the books that are required this year are on Google Classroom.
6 : Next week we are preparing to hand out all textbooks and copybooks for Junior Department students that are following online. We will inform you presently of details about how this will work. However, in the meantime, if you want to collect the photocopied workbooks for your children you can do so. You can collect all WORKBOOKS from school between 8:00 am and 12:00 noon as long as you have informed us by WhatsApp [71 183 559] 24 hours before you intend to collect. This will begin on Wednesday 16OCT2024, therefore start sending messages now!

Today, Friday 11OCT2024, there will be no livestream due once again to technical issues. Teachers have been instructed NOT to teach new material today, but to revise material that was covered last year. IF they cover any new material today, it will be re-taught on Monday 14OCT2024.

The fault lies with me, the Principal. If you have any concerns, please set a meeting with me via the Senior Administration.

1 : There will be no livestreaming of any classes today, Thursday 10OCT2024. There WILL be teaching in the classroom. This is due to a technical problem.

2 : School starts at 07:40 am and finishes at 01:30 pm. Six teaching sessions of 50 minutes each, 2 breaks of 15 minutes each.

Here is a video about the opening of school.

Summary :

Wednesday 09OCT2024 : Parents will come to sign the waiver form that will allow their children to enter school starting on Thursday 10OCT2024.

Thursday 10OCT2024 and Friday 11OCT2024 : School will start using the Hybrid Online School System for Classes 9, 10, 11 and 12. Nursery, LKG, UKG and Junior 1 will come in their Group A/B at the times originally posted. Group A from 08:00 – 09:30 am. Group B from 10:00 – 11:30 am. The school day (for a normal school day) will last from 07:40 am until 1:30 pm compromising 6 hours. A timetable will be published tomorrow. Details in the video.

Monday 14OCT2024 : Classes Nursery, LKG, UKG and Junior 1 will be at school for a full day. Classes 6 to 8 will join in the Senior Department and Juniors 4 and 5 will join in the Junior Department.

Tuesday 15OCT2024  : Juniors 2 and 3 join and the entire school is present or online.

NOTE : The signing of the waiver form (a PDF is attached) is happening tomorrow, Wednesday 09OCT2024. There will be 5 classrooms manned by teachers giving out forms that you need to sign. This will allow your child to enter school IN PERSON. If you want your child to start school online, you do NOT need to sign the form now, you can sign it later.

Here is a PDF copy of the waiver form that you will be asked to sign if you want your children to attend in school in person.

A video about this coming week.

The basic transcript of what is said in the video :

Dear Friends. I realise that the Minister of Education is due to speak tomorrow at 12:00 noon about this coming week and about the forthcoming academic year in general.

Whatever he says, as a school, we cannot start on Monday 07OCT2024. We have had a serious problem with our internet connection at the school since Friday 04OCT2024 and have been unable to set up and test our Hybrid systems.

We have 87 different classrooms that we will be broadcasting from once our system is up and running. I need at least two days of full Internet to be able to get the laptops and associated software and hardware ready for this huge operation.

Even if I am ready to start on Wednesday 09OCT2024, there are many other factors that will affect whether we open or not. I must admit to feeling guilty rushing into starting the school year when so many of our families have suffered great loss and been pushed from their houses.

I am well aware that even with our livestreaming of classes, many students do not have the equipment or Internet connection to be able to attend even virtually. We need to work on a solution and work out how we can help in these very difficult circumstances.

The system that we are going to use of Hybrid Livestreaming is the nearest I think we can come to saving this academic year for all concerned. If some students are able to get to school, they are more than welcome to attend classes. For those students for whom this will be an impossibility, the livestreaming of classes (which will be automatically recorded and available for watching later) will be very useful.

Nothing we do will be perfect. We need to support each other during this terrible time and put the children first.

The start may be a staggered start where we begin with the exam classes for a couple of days and then add other classes when and as we can.

When I have more details in the coming days, I will post a video.