The Joy and Laughter of a Shine Session

Christine McPherson and Sibulele at Prestwich

I love this photo that popped into my in-box this morning: the collective joy of both the child and her learning partner is contagious: this photo epitomises the atmosphere and energy that a Shine session creates.

"Can I be a Shine Child, Please?"

 I received a lovely message this morning from Bea, our programme manager. She arrived at Zonnebloem on Tuesday, and two little girls were waiting for her at the Shine Centre door.


"I was so touched yesterday. Anuske in grade 2, a Shine child, and her friend Zhanne, who does not come to Shine were waiting for me at the door yesterday. Zhanne asked if she could become a Shine child. When I asked why, she said that she just Loves Shine (she had been in the centre for assessments this week) and wanted to learn to read even better.  

We certainly are giving the children a wonderful environment in which to feel safe and learn -  so hats off to our centre managers and volunteers for making it such a special place to be."

Test Week at the Centres, May 28th-May 31st

Test week has been and gone at the Shine Centre: as I write this, we have tested every single grade two and grade three at our six schools, a total of 763 children. We like to test all the Grade 2's and 3's, regardless of whether they attend Shine or not. It is a great record for us, but it is also a useful tool for the teachers, who are busy writing their end of term reports. It is a way for us to celebrate the childrens' successes, as well as see where their gaps are, so we can finesse the work we do with each child.

Some of the children lining up on their cushions, ready to go into the centre to be tested at Observatory Junior 

Testing under way....

Each D1 assessment can take anything from 5 mins to ten, depending on the ability and confidence of the child 

Ginette, one of our longest standing volunteers,  and Lelethu at Observatory

The last child waiting.... with the most glorious of smiles!