Wow!! These students were over the moon with their results. Sheetal, Academic Year Coordinator, dropped in just before the end of the Reading Circle session. The students were enjoying milk and cookies  (part of their Reading Circle lesson with “When Summer Comes” ) and reviewing their weekly results for Participation and Motivation, Homework and Reading Circle on the Score Cards. Keep up the great work guys!

by Sheetal Makhan / AYC On Thursday, 23 May a group of students joined me at Baxter Theatre for Long Street Nights. It is a play set in the heart of Cape Town’s party district. It follows the lives of 6 different, dynamic individuals whose lives are woven together through their individual stories. While many of our students are familiar with the well-known, vibrant “night playground”, it was an interesting experience for them to watch a play which was also a culmination of various cultures and accents! The students thoroughly enjoyed the evening and many found that they could, in fact, relate to the stories.

by Sheetal Makhan / AYC On Tuesday, 21 May staff and students observed the annual World Day for Cultural Diversity. According to its website, the 2013 campaign encourages people to take action to support diversity and it aims: -To raise awareness worldwide about the importance of intercultural dialogue, diversity and inclusion. -To build a world community of individuals committed to support diversity with real and every day life gestures. -To combat polarization and stereotypes to improve understanding and cooperation among people from different cultures. Some staff members came to school dressed in traditional attire – all in an effort to celebrate the melting pot that is South Africa (AKA “The Rainbow Nation”) At 3pm, everyone gathered in the student lounge to acknowledge this special day. We were even treated to a traditional Xhosa song! Teachers then took part in a short piece of the “Welcome to Cape Town” song performed by the Cape Town Minstrels. In addition to this, students who wished to, could stay on and enjoy a DVD about the cultural diversity in South Africa. As is South African (and EC Cape Town culture!), no one left empty-handed. Everyone was given a little bag of spices with a recipe for a traditional Cape Malay Curry. We all had a wonderful and very colourful day enjoying and embracing each others cultural identity, which is so easily forgotten in today’s global community.

by Sheetal Makhan / AYC It started out as a general exercise where students had to formulate questions using the grammar point they used. The Pre-Intermediate 2 class directed their questions to their teacher, Sheetal. They asked what she does in the morning before coming to work. “I read & journal,” she responded. Their interest was piqued and they asked what exactly she reads & writes. She went on to tell them about her Gratitude Journal, where she gives thanks for people and events in her life. The class then came up with a lovely idea to say “Thank You” to Abdul. Their reasoning was quite simple: He’s always very kind and friendly to students at any time of the day, holds the gate open for latecomers in the morning and patiently waits for them to finish their conversations before having to pack the chairs away in the afternoon. On Friday, 18 May Abdul was invited to the Graduation Ceremony on the second floor and to his surprise, he was honoured by all students, especially the Pre-Intermediate 2 class. It was noted that he is the first face many of us see in the morning and the last before we leave to go home, so it is vital that we acknowledge and say thank you! The class presented him with a letter with “Thank You” written in a number of different languages as well as sweet treats.

Congratulations to Şerif Süha Türkyılmaz who is our AY Student of the Month for March! Read more about this star student on our AY blog!