Penguin Tutoring Blog

As the days warm up and holidays are around the corner, a great day out can be spent in the sun seeing and learning about penguins at Boulders in Cape Town. Each year, as part of our corporate social investment drive, we sponsor the rehabilitation of an injured or marooned penguin. Being in our sixth year, we’ve adopted five penguins, namely Patrick, Petunia, Percival, Pippa and Pablo. Have you got any suggestions on the name of the next one?

Read an extract from a recent travel24 post about boulders below:

If you’re a fan of the cute and cuddly tuxedo-wearing birds that fly through water, instead air, Simonstown’s Boulders beach is a must-visit destination. First established in 1986 when a pair of perky African Penguins came across this cosy stretch of coast and decided to settle there, the colony has grown substantially and is now home to about 2100 breeding pairs and their fluffy babies.

A well-maintained boardwalk takes you right along their burrowed nests, hidden among the lush indigenous undergrowth and a variety of viewing points look out over their hunting grounds and the white beach where nurseries of chicks await their parents and their food.

But, even though it may look like the penguin colony is bursting at the seems, the numbers tell a different story, as 2100 breeding pairs is a sad site, compared to the 4500 of five years ago. And the worst part is that this reflects the figures of South Africa’s penguin population at large, as the 36 000 breeding pairs spread across the 26 different colonies, have dwindled to 17 000 in the past 10 years.

Reasons for this demise are uncertain, but conservationists suspect that pelagic fishing is at the heart of it. The Treasure oil spill in 2000 also may have interfered with breeding seasons more drastically than expected.

So, if you haven’t seen these cuties in all their natural glory, make a big and bold inscription on your bucket list and head on over there as soon as possible!

The winter solstice sees people doing crazy things to mark the shortest day of the year. Polar Bear plunges in the middle of a Northern hemisphere winter, and now a local Penguin Plunge into the Klein River in Stanford, Western Cape.

Local residents and any other brave Overberg souls will be lining up on the jetty of the River Lodge on Sunday 25th June to leap into the icy waters. Their reward? A comforting mug of gluwhein, and a glow in their hearts knowing that they will contribute to a needy cause in the local community.

A challenge was set to one of the big-hearted local residents, who rose to the fore and turned the occasion into a fun event, with the spin off to raise funds for local charities.

Springfontein Wines will generously sponsor the wine, and Hennie - of the famed Hennie’s Pub and Grill - will be ladling  the gluwhein.

Join Penguin Tutoring and support this worthy cause, or take up the challenge and organise your own Penguin Plunge - your pool, perhaps?

Very early on a cold and moist autumn morning, a taxi left the Johannesburg CBD. On board was a team of hand picked Penguin tutors, specialists in Maths and Science. Their destination was the HB Nyathi school in Daveyton, Ekurhuleni.

The Penguin Tutoring Co, with backing from the RGM School of Excellence, has embarked on a Saturday school project to assist 100 Grade 10 learners improve their grasp and understanding of Maths and Physical Science. The ultimate goal is to maintain the partnership with these learners until Grade 12, constantly improving their marks and giving them the opportunity to apply to a tertiary institution, obtain a degree and follow their dreams.

The learners at this dynamic school, set in a humble neighbourhood of the township, are eager to embrace this learning opportunity and are willing to give up their Saturday mornings, every week, if it means that one day, they too will be university students on their way to a wonderful career.

The tutors, themselves products of disadvantaged backgrounds, were excited by the prospect of being able to give something back to the community, and to act as mentors and role models to these young, impressionable minds.In their introductory speeches, they told these young people of the hardships they had overcome, and how, through the power of education, they had achieved their goals.

The Penguin Tutoring Co is proud to partner with the RGM School of Excellence on this important social investment initiative. Their goals, which focus on the empowerment of youth through education and career guidance, are in close alignment with those of Penguin Tutoring. They share our passion for the vital need for excellence in Maths and Science to ensure the future of our children and the prosperity of our country.

Nelson Mandela said: “Education is the great engine of personal development” and that is true whether you are giving or receiving the education.

The African Penguin is a globally endangered species. In 1956 the population numbered about 147,000 breeding pairs and just over fifty years later, in 2010, the population was down to some 21,000 pairs – a decrease of more than 100,000 pairs. This massive population decline led to the species classification as endangered by the World Conservation Union. Competition with commercial fisheries for pelagic fish, changes in prey distribution and availability, habitat degradation, oiling and predation contributed to the decline.
Dyer Island is a critically important breeding colony – one of the largest remaining in South Africa – but African penguin numbers are rapidly declining. In 1979 Dyer Island had a penguin population of about 23,000 breeding pairs. This dropped to 1,200 pairs in 2010 – a more than 90% drop in numbers in 30 years. Today, Dyer Island is a protected area but during the last century (in fact as late as the 1980s) the island was stripped of all its guano, centuries of accumulated bird droppings. In addition, commercial exploitation of eggs drastically reduced African penguin numbers. Further threats come from disease, oiling and predation by Cape Fur Seals.

Historical threats:
During the 19th and 20th centuries the island was stripped of guano for use as an agricultural fertilizer. This has had devastating effects on the penguins. The safest place for penguins to breed is in burrows, which they used to dig into the soft guano enabling the birds to make their nests and sheltering them from the heat of the sun.

The problem:
When guano was removed, penguins were forced to nest in the open on the rocky island surface. Here they are at the mercy of the elements and of predators. On hot days adults incubating in the open overheat and often leave their nests to go down to the sea. As soon as eggs and small chicks are left unattended on the surface, they too can overheat and die, or more likely fall prey to the ever watchful Kelp Gulls.

The solution:
The Dyer Island Conservation Trust, in partnership with Cape Nature, has embarked on a programme to introduce artificial nests providing vitally important shelter for breeding penguins.Fibreglass nests were specially designed to mimic natural guano burrows. The nests minimise exposure to predators and the elements. They also facilitate research and monitoring that would otherwise not be possible on surface nesting birds.

The way ahead:
The nesting project has been expanded to other breeding colonies where penguins are forced to nest on the surface, including Stony Point, Bird Island, Boulders Beach, Robben Island and Ichaboe Island (Namibia).
Sponsor an Endangered African Penguin Family a New Home Now! Only R400 buys and installs a nest as well as supporting research.

Dyer Island Conservation Trust objectives:
This Trust has been established for the conservation, rehabilitation and protection of the natural environment, including flora, fauna and the biosphere, the care of wild animals, the promotion of, and the conducting of educational and training programmes relating to environmental awareness, greening and clean-up projects, and conservation research. Donations towards this Trust are administered specifically for conservation at Dyer Island and its surroundings.
The Trust promotes awareness of the plight of the African penguin both locally and internationally and generates support for the African penguin and marine research.

What can you do?:

Sponsor a penguin nest!
Cost: R400 (towards nest manufacture, transport and placement, conservation, monitoring and penguin research). Receive: Certificate of sponsorship, penguin information, name on online supporters list, access to website updates and newsletters.
Contact details: Dyer Island Conservation Trust P.O. Box 78, Gansbaai, 7220 Tel: +27 (0)28 384 0406 Fax: +27 (0) 28 384 2002 Email: info@dict.org.za Web: www.dict.org.za

“I accept the call to responsibility that comes with the many rights and freedoms that I have been privileged to inherit from the sacrifice and the suffering of those who come before me.
“I appreciate that the rights enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa are inseparable from the duties and responsibilities to others. Therefore I accept that with every right comes a set of responsibilities.”

Today saw the launch of The Bill of Responsibilities, an initiative by Lead SA and the Department of Education,with the support of the National Interfaith Movement.  A nationwide programme will teach the youth of our country the content and implications of this Bill, a first of its kind in the World. It is an educational document to be taught in schools and publicised and debated throughout all areas of society.

The Bill of Responsibilities is a complementary document to the Bill of Rights and has the power to change South Africa for the good. Each one of us has the potential to change the course of this country’s future, and when we change our behaviour, we change the attitudes of those around us. We all need to improve our moral values and behavior and base our values on the foundations of integrity, compassion and decency.

Through the positive actions of every individual, we will be able to improve our wonderful country, and the future of the bright young people just at the beginning of their lives.

Lets all embrace this change and Lead South Africa.

Penguin Tutoring is the leading provider of specialist academic tutors in the country. Our professional management and extensive tutor database will ensure that your children get everything they need and more out of their extra lessons.

Last night I had the pleasure and the privilege of attending a gala function at the Johannesburg City Hall. This in itself was an uplifting experience. Driving apprehensively through the darkening streets of downtown Johannesburg,  I was enthralled at the beautiful buildings in the vicinity of this magnificent old lady. The fire damaged historical Post office building is receiving attention and together with the City Hall and another newly refurbished building in close proximity, the area looks set to rival the smartest addresses in any European city for class and architectural excellence.

The event, hosted by Murray and Roberts, was to announce the winners of their annual Jack Cheetham award. This year’s winner was the Tiger Titans Cricket Club in the Eastern Cape. The club was started in 2007 by a 14 year old schoolboy in Bathurst, Ross McCreath. His aim was to give the boys from the impoverished Nolukanye township something to do during the holidays.In a very short time, Ross and the enthusiastic group of boys had restored the derelict cricket field and started practicing. The under 14 Tiger Titans team took on Ross’s school team, St Andrews College,reaching the winning target with seven wickets in hand and disposing of Ross for a duck! Today, a squad of 50 young boys between 9 and 19 make up three formidable teams and 35 of the players are enrolled in the President’s Award Programme.

Ross is a 17 year old schoolboy. He works with passion, energy and drive to improve the lives of so many young people in his community. He has received awards in South Africa and overseas and was invited by HRH Prince Phillip to be the keynote speaker at a gala dinner at Lords Cricket Ground. He has been recognised by the Peter Cruddas foundation as one of ten International social innovators. Together with the talented coach, Mduduzi Mkalipi, and community elder, Gladman Xali, Ross McCreath is altering the future of an entire community.

Murray and Roberts, already every South African’s favourite company after their involvement in the Chilean mine rescue, is a big company - doing bigger things. With the support of business and the energy and passion of our youth, South Africa is full of promise. Imagine what you could do.

The year 2010 has been an exciting adventure for most South Africans as we played host to the World for an exhilirating month during the Fifa Soccer world cup from June to July. Not so exhilirating for the Matrics of this memorable year as their scholastic calendar was turned on its head to accommodate the long winter holiday, and then their lessons were disrupted by a prolonged teachers strike.

On Monday, 25 October, 67000 eager and anxious young people start their final exams. They have been told that this is the most important event of their young lives, and that their entire future depends on the outcome. Yes, the exams are important, and yes, good results will open doors to tertiary institutions,and bursary offers. But the results printed on the Senior certificate are just a small measure of the person. South Africans are world renowned for their resilience, their strength of character and their sheer guts and determination, especially in the face of difficulty. So use your energy to believe in yourself, to believe in a positive outcome, to believe in an exciting and fulfilling future. ke nako - the time has come.

Good luck to every one of you as your anxiously turn over that first question paper. Good luck to your family as they wait on the sidelines in nervous anticipation.

Good luck!

2010 has been a trying year for our young learners at school. The Soccer World Cup, exciting and inspirational as it was, played havoc with the school timetables and learning programmes.  Added to this, an extended teachers strike put additional pressure on teachers and learners to complete the curriculum in time. Prelims were postponed, teaching days were lengthened and communities rallied around our precious  Grade 12’s to help them prepare for the all important “MATRIC“

The first exam takes place on October 25th. By now, all attention is focussed on preparing for this important event.

We at Penguin Tutoring Co understand the pressure and the difficulties that learners and their parents are faced with. For their entire school career, they are  told of the importance of this final measure of their capabilities. Their future relies on these results. This is all scary and daunting stuff and in addition to this, many young people are faced with the dilemma of making a career choice - which degree? which university? which residence?

We would like to pass on some tips on making the exam experience a bit easier for both parents and learners.

Parents, try and maintain a consistent environment for your children.  Avoid change, crisis and conflict. Be there to support and love. Be available to discuss the post-mortem of the exam if your child needs to share - but just listen, don’t judge. Provide healthy satisfying meals and ensure a restful environment for a good night’s sleep. Make time for family fun and entertainment and encourage your child to keep active and fit. Consider enlisting the help of a tutor. Even at this late stage of the academic year, these young people have the experience and expertise to help your child with exam techniques and study methods. They act as mentors and role models and can defuse unnecessary tension.Get a good night’s sleep before the exam.

Learners, try these helpful tips:

• Get a good night’s sleep before the exams
• Don’t try and cram the night or morning before the exam
• Arrive early and be ready to write with all the correct equipment
• Check you have received the correct paper
• Read and understand instructions
• Preview the question paper and allocate writing time
• Read the questions and underline key words
• Set out answers clearly, numbering in accordance with the question paper
• Write neatly
• If uncertain of a question, or find you are running out of time, answer at least in part
• Don’t panic
• Review your answers
• Stay till the end of the allotted time

Finally, keep all things in perspective. Keep focused and keep a positive attitude. Believe in yourself, and if things go wrong, don’t give up.

Good luck!

Penguin Tutoring is the leading provider of specialist academic tutors in the country. Our professional management and extensive tutor database will ensure that your children get everything they need and more out of their extra lessons.