Before Pat (not her real name) enrolled at COLT she would run to the school bus every morning when the bus arrived. She radiated this most beautiful smile. She knew about the Educare and the names of the driver and teachers. How could we resist her.
We met with her mother who is unemployed and raising her daughter as a single mother. She does not have any documents and lives her life day to day. However she was very interested in her daughter attending the Educare and wanted assistance with applications.
Pat started in the Sunflower class, to become familiar with routine, rhythm and basic life skills. She very quickly moved to the grade R class as she could complete a 24-piece puzzle with ease, is always eager to help the teacher, and has a yearning to learn.
The mom does domestic work 3 days per week and is putting in the effort to ensure that Pat attends COLT daily, is washed and has clean clothes. These basic tasks lay the foundation for parents and children to get into the rhythm in preparation for mainstream school. By going the extra mile our teachers assisted with obtaining Pat’s birth certificate.
Pat received intense Occupational Therapy (OT) by an OT student in August and September 2022. The goals for therapy were gross and fine motor development, cognitive development, and specifically visual perception. Also a class program was given to guide the class teacher at her desk with activities and posture.
At the end of 2022 COLT teachers were concerned because Pat’s mother had not made an effort to complete applications for school placement for her. Pat was ready and would benefit from the structure and social environment of a mainstream school, but schools in her area were already full. With the help of COLT teachers and the Department of Education District Office Pat has been accepted at Morgenson Primary School. Mother and daughter went shopping with teacher Nushfeekah this week to kit her out with a brand-new school uniform. Follow her progress with us and if you wish to donate towards her school supplies please follow the link https://colt.org.za/donate/
