Penguin Tutoring Blog

Penguins, lets LEAD South Africa and volunteer to help out at schools in crisis.

Just a few weeks ago, we watched with pride and excitement as we hosted the most successful sporting event in the World. We wore our Bafana shirts, waved our flags, and felt proud to be South Africans. On Saturday 94 000 (and thirteen) of us swarmed to the FNB stadium in Soweto to cheer on our rugby boys. We are a very special nation of amazing people. We have pride and commitment and belief that we can achieve the impossible.

But we are also strongly aware of a crisis that is currently unfolding in the hospitals and schools. South Africa’s education is in a state of crisis as members of one Teachers union, SADTU, embark on violent strikes and prevent learners and teachers from attending school. If Government has not responded to their demands, members of Naptosa will join their colleagues.

We sympathise with their cause and strongly believe that they should be well paid for work well done. After all, the future of our nation is in their hands. But, we can’t sit by and watch as learners miss out on essential teaching, not now, only weeks before their final exams.

We at Penguin Tutoring Co would like to assist these bewildered young people where we can and we appeal to you to come forward if you are able to volunteer your time. You had the benefit of a good education and are now able to follow your dream as a student at a tertiary institution. Thousands of Matrics may have to delay writing their exams until next year, because of the disruption to their education

We will be offering to help out at schools and in communities to prepare the Matrics for their final exams. Do the right thing - sign up with us and help LEAD SA.

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.

With the long summer holiday behind us and memories of  family fun fading into the distant past,  parents are looking forward to a return to normality on Wednesday 13th January when the new school year begins.

For the little people about to enter Grade 1 for the first time, this will be an exciting, overwhelming and memorable day. New school uniforms hang in the cupboard, shiny shoes are placed in eager readiness on the floor and a smart new school suitcase awaits the freshly packed lunch box in the morning.

Parents can help make the transition as smooth and painless as ­possible with a little preparation. We’ve put together a few tips:

• Have a dress rehearsal with the uniform so that they are comfortable with how it all works - buttons, zips, laces.
• Get an early start on the first day and go to bed early the night before.
• Prepare a good breakfast and pack a healthy lunch. An interesting lunchbox goes a long way to brightening up the first day.
• Drop them off or walk them to school for the first few days.  Go hand in hand and don’t linger after you’ve said “Goodbye”.
• Help break the ice by introducing yourself to another parent outside the class. This way, the children have an instant ally at break-time.
• Make sure your child knows their full name, surname and ­address; home telephone number and parents’ full names and surnames.
• Encourage them to talk about what they have learned when they come back from school. Listen to their stories, but don’t take them too seriously, unless the same complaints still surface a week later.
• Keep your emotions under control! Floods of tears from their parents, may convey the message that school is a really fearful place.
• Don’t go on a stationery spending spree.  Basics like a pen, pencil, eraser, ruler, sharpener and some coloured pencils should be enough for the first day.
• Alert the school and the teacher if your child has any medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma or if they have problems with hearing or sight.
• Make your child blend in.  Don’t make your child stand out in any way initially.
• Prepare for the book-covering exercise. Buy enough paper, plastic and sticky tape.

Good luck! You are about to embark on an exciting,  challenging and enormously fulfilling journey with your child. Enjoy every day of it.