Sifunda Kunye Writing Camp 2019

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From the 23rd to the 25th of August, we attended a writing camp in Keiskammahoes. At the camp we were assorted with kids from the other school such as Richard Varha, St Matthews, Toise and Xolani and that gave us a chance to make new friends. Each year the camp has a new theme and this year it was UBUNTU and we had to write poems or short stories based on UBUNTU. Because we are all inexperience writers hoping to be good writers one day, the camp mainly focused on teaching us how to write Poems and Short stories and what to focus on when writing a poem. It was a really enjoyable experience to such an extent that I will be making sure that the writing club runs smoothly and I will volunteer myself in facilitating the writing club and make sure that everyone writes and produce good poems and short stories.

Looking forward to attending the next camp as a facilitator.

BY: ABULELE JANUARY

 

National book week spelling Bee

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On the 19 of August I went to Makhanda to participate in the National Book Week Spelling Bee Competition where I was competing against 5 schools for isiXhosa spelling and I won 3rd position out of the 5 kids I was competing against. It was a nice experience and I really hope I will do better next time and put my school on the map.

I am looking forward to the next competition which will be next year.

BY: LINDOKUHLE MATYUMZA (GRADE 9)


 

On the 19th of August I participated in the National Book week Spelling Bee Competition where I was competing against schools. I won the 1st position in the English spelling Bee and I proceeded to the level which was to compete in the district in Alexandria.

In Alexandria I was competing against 11 other learners in the Sarah Baartman District from other schools on the 21st of August and I won the 2nd position.t

The competition was very tough but I was tougher and next time, I am getting that prize.

BY: LANDISWA NTAMO (GRADE 9)

 

On the 19th of August 2019 I went to attend a National Book Week in Grahamstown at the Makana Municipality Library. I went there to do an English Book Review on a book called “Nwelezelanga – The Star Child”. It was my first time doing a book review but because we do it all the time in the Reading Club for the kids, I did very well and got 1st position.

Then again on the 21st of August I went to Port Alfred. There were many schools there from the Sundays River, Kouga, Makana and Ndlambe Municipalities. The competition was very tough, but I tried my best and got the third position. We were given prizes and the third prize was a backpack, a pen and a water bottle.

I experienced a lot during the competition and I would encourage others to also try and attend the Book Week every year when it takes place.

BY ASEMAHLE ZONDANI (GRADE11)

 

On the 21/08/2019 two learners from the intermediate phase Alupheli Dingaan(Grade4) and Ahlumile Madyo(Grade5) attended a Xhosa Spelling Bee of the district in Grahamstwon. There were eighteen schools from Grahamstown and the surrounding areas. Each school was represented by two learners and Alupheli Dingaan managed to get position 4.

We look forward to the next spelling bee and we will be more prepared than we were.

BY MISS SATI

Sifunda Kunye Community Reading club and Facilitators program term 2

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For the club, we have had a wonderful term. The kids have been coming in numbers and our facilitators have been enjoying each and every session with the kids. The club started a year ago and throughout the whole journey the facilitators have managed to acquire skills on how to work with the kids and be able to control the over excitement the kids always have.

The whole experience of working with the kids have caused our old facilitators to want to continue working with the kids even though their time span has been finished. The facilitators are supposed to work for a year then we can recruit new facilitators the following year. In total we have 10 facilitators (5 olds and 5 new) and 90 kids who attend our reading club.

The kids enjoy a fun day dancing along to action songs and doing group reading or enjoying a lovely story read by one of the facilitators. Sometimes they also tell their own stories or do drawings. The drawings interpret what each individual has learned that specific day or what they have enjoyed most about that day.

The club has also engaged in a clean-up program where they had to find the dirtiest place in the community and try to fill up 200 bean bags with trash. The program was organized by the Shamwari group and in return the kids received a donation of books for the club.

 

 

Spelling Bee

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Writing Club With Big Dreams

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A dedicated group of 15 members that attended Sifunda Kunye writing camp in Keiskammahoek last year has launched their own writing club at school, under guidance from Sifunda Kunye facilitator Yonela Swayi the members meet up every week to write their own short stories and poetry.

Asemahle who is in Grade 11 and is now a facilitator of the Writing Club wrote a poem for Freedom Day.

Freedom Day (A new page in South Africa’s history)

1994 was the year it all changed
Where we all voted as one
And opened a new page

Before, it wasn’t easy
But we managed to get by

If a white and black man person met
It was hard to say hi

Nowadays it’s quite simple;
Because we’re one as a nation
We can broaden our horizons
And free our imagination 

We can pave new roads for the new generation
We can pray for better days
Because we’re God’s creation.

Asemahle Dyantyi Grade 11 – 2018

Asemahle Dyantyi says; he learnt to write in Grade 8 and since then he hasn’t stopped and he has nurtured that skill ever since then. By going to the Sifunda Kunye writing camp, he has learned about different styles of poems and different types of stories. He would like the club to help young minds learn as well as write their own stories and poems so that they can better their speech, writing and reading skills.

Sinesipho Habana said he has always been writing short stories and poems, the Sifunda Kunye Writing camp helped in bettering he’s writing skills and now he hope this club will help learners that are passionate about showcasing their writing skills to be able to come out of their shells. Asemahle hopes and dreams for this writing club – focus on young children’s talents so they can be proud of their writing talents.

World Read Aloud Day

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On the 1st of February it was Wold Read Aloud Day. Our Grade 4 class had a reading session with the Department of Education Library commune. The purpose of this day is to allow children from all over South Africa to dedicate the day into reading aloud.

The event was started after the results of a global literacy study that revealed about 78% of Grade 4 children in South Africa cannot read for meaning in any language.

Thank you to the DOE Library commune held at our school, we read books together with our visitors. The grade 4’s really enjoyed the session.

Innovative Writing Camp Empowers Learners

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Seventy learners from four area schools explored creativity, learning, and self-expression in an intense writing camp over the weekend. The camp was sponsored and hosted by the Sifunda Kunye Educational Project, a local public benefit organization that has been active in the King Williams Town district since 2008.

Sifunda Kunye invites 10 to 15 learners from each of its partner schools in the King William’s Town District and Grahamstown district participate in these camps. This past weekend, learners from St. Matthew’s, Xolani, Richard Varha, Toise and Hendrik Kanise combined Schools spent an intense 3 days (Friday-Sunday) focusing on a specific theme, completing personal works, and submitting them for peer critique. This session’s theme was “Dreams are made of…” and learners were encouraged to express what dreams and ambitions means to them in essays, poems, and group discussions and drama. Participants received guidance from a talented group of volunteer facilitators, student leaders, and the Sifunda Kunye staff. Participants submit their work for inclusion into a published student journal at the end of the camp. The journal is a unique opportunity for many to see their work in print.

Learners and teachers are continually impressed with the writing camps. Participants relish the opportunity to engage in an in-depth weekend of imaginative learning. They enjoy improving their language and writing skills in a fun and creative venue outside of the classroom. Teacher’s enjoy witnessing the progress these young writers make over the course of a weekend.

The Sifunda Kunye Literacy Project’s writing camps have been successfully running since they first launched in August 2014. Sifunda Kunye supports literacy and technology programs in Eastern Cape schools.