WESSA Schools Programme Impact Report 2020

Southern Cross Schools

Hoedspruit, Limpopo

THE MAGIC OF SOUTHERN CROSS SCHOOLS My name is Gay Wabeke, the Environmental Education Facilitator at Southern Cross Schools. Located on a wildlife estate, on the outskirts of Hoedspruit, we are privileged to call this ‘home’. Our children range from pre-schoolers to matric, and this unique school shares a new journey every day with all who pass through its gates. Technology might interest our learners, but not as much as every facet of our wildlife and wild places. These children are simply ‘wild at heart’. When one sees a child bent over double, squealing with delight, one might think they found out they are going on a fancy holiday, but not here, not at Southern Cross Schools. So what, you may wonder, are they looking at? Well, it might be a tick species they have never seen before, an unusual feather, insect, worm, or even leopard spoor (footprints) in the playground – since all of these things happen on our campus. Our daily classes seldom follow the lesson plans that we spend hours preparing. The reason is that there is always someone who arrives with an extraordinary show-and-tell. If a child approaches you with a lunchbox and says “look what I found!” whatever

breath and hurriedly gasped “can someone please help, there’s a warthog eating someone’s lunch!” The staffroom was abuzz. I laughed so much I could not breathe, let alone get up to help the children. A Grade 1 child was found in tears while the largest warthog I have ever seen rudely devoured his school lunch. The warthog was promptly dubbed “the lunchbox thief” and nowadays the Grade 1s stand guard over their lunch. Our lessons are often stolen by the wildlife too. We watch in awe as a pack of wild dogs chase impala through the school grounds, two nyala bulls display right next to us, an antlion larva makes a kill, or a snake races over the lawn chasing a lizard. You might sit down with the children in the playground – to explain your lesson before heading out on an adventure – only to discover leopard tracks from the previous night between your feet. We have, first hand, explored myriads of topics which other school children only dream about. We let the bush teach us . Sometimes we just sit – or just walk – and it is truly amazing to see what we find or learn. We have two after-school Eco Clubs (Preparatory and College) where we host guest speakers, go on countless adventures and learn from experts in all areas of conservation. We explore topics ranging from biodiversity conservation to recycling, presented by people from K9 anti-poaching dog units to the Endangered Wildlife Trust. When we eventually return to school, we have an extremely exciting project planned for our Eco-Schools entry, so watch this space.

you do NEVER just open it, since it’s like opening Pandora’s box! It might be alive, dead, or simply downright dangerous!

My all-time favourite was the time a child ran to the staffroom, out of

WESSA Schools Programme | Stories of Change | 2019/2020 44