A new school year has started. Teresia was elected head girl this year. We are all very proud of them. The painting courses have also resumed and the children are fully concentrated.
In March, another day of cultures took place in the school. This time the families were also allowed to participate.
On the occasion of the Namibian Independence Day, the children were allowed to appear at school in their traditional tribal costumes. Unfortunately, only two girls had the right clothes…
At the end of the school year the traditional Christmas party took place again. The girls enjoyed themselves with cool drinks, delicious pizza and romping around in the playground. It was a great afternoon which everyone involved will remember for a long time.
Another year with shortened teaching times is behind us …. Since the infection rates are highest in the winter months, the Ministry of Education has decided to change the school time from trimesters to semesters with long holidays in June and July.
During the third wave in the African winter, Namibia had the highest number of infections and the highest number of deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. The schools were closed at the end of June and only reopened at the beginning of August.
A little joy in the form of a new play hut expected the children and they set it up with great enthusiasm.
Primary school in Namibia is completed after grade 7. There is a big graduation party every year, a great opportunity for students to say goodbye to their classmates as they spread out to high schools across the country.
Also in this special year at the end of the school year there was a Christmas Party on Siama, adapted to the circumstances with a traditional Braii on the terrace. The children got a new trampoline as a Christmas present. It was a very nice afternoon!
We had prepared so well for the opening of the remaining school classes on August 3rd, but on Friday not only was the lockdown extended, but also the nationwide closure of all schools for the next four weeks! Our offer to do distance learning for the children here remains of course, but many parents feel insecure due to the continuous new regulations and prefer to have their children with them…
A light at the end of the tunnel! On the 7th of September schools started to reopen gradually. First of all, the “big ones” from the 7th grade were allowed to come back. All school classes are now running, but the OPS is currently closed for several days because two students tested positive and the premises have to be disinfected. This happens again and again across the country, but since the number of infections is generally falling, we look forward with confidence…
In
all Namibian schools it’s compulsory to wear a school uniform. These uniforms
differ from school to school. At the beginning of this schoolyear Omaruru
Primary School changed its school uniform and all of the girls needed to get a
new one which had to be sewn…..After many fittings you can see the result on
the pictures.
Also
in Namibia life changed fundamentally due to Covid 19. After the first case
occured on 16th of March all schools were closed respectively winter
holidays were advanced. All children had to go back to their families. On 28th
of March a national lockdown was proclaimed which included travel restrictions
and was extended to the 5th of May. Officially schools re-opened on
the 20th of April – but this only means that teachers had to prepare
a programm for „e-learning“ and „distance learning“. On the 5th of
May Namibia entered the 2nd phase of Lockdown; this mainly means the
cancellation of travel restrictions inland and the permission to re-open
different businesses. Schools remain closed and students should study by
distance learning. As there is a great financial pressure in many families due
to the loss of income and the conditions for regular lessons are not always
given, we offered to admit the children in need and to teach them here. Half of
the children are now back in Siama…..
One of the first fridays of this term an election to the „Miss OPS“ took place at Omaruru Primary School. Beside the usual catwalk also several dances were shown. It was great fun for the children….
At the occasion of the yearly price giving ceremony at the end of the schoolyear some of the girls got awards for their performances. Keep it up!
Christmas Party at Omaruru Restcamp! There was Pizza and icecream, the children could have a good romp at the playground and afterwards jump into the swimmingpool for refreshment. And of course every girl got a Christmas present…….It was a nice day! Thanks Renee and Albert!
During winterterm the risk of outbreaking illnesses is higher than in the rest of the year. This time it was a mumps epidemic that struck the schools in Omaruru and also several of the Siama girls fell ill. In this context a big thank you goes to the organisation „Hilfsgruppe Eifel“ that is taking in charge the medical expenses for the children since many years.
After the winter holiday the 10 best of each grade got an award from school. This is a remarkable achievement as the class sizes are about 35 pupils and the children who got such a certificate can be proud of themselves. Well done!
