Festivals are celebrated at the end of each term and represent the rhythmic cycles of the seasons fostering wonder, reverence and gratitude. The COLT Winter Lantern Festival was held on the last day of the 2nd term which significantly was also the Winter Solstice. Teachers created a spiral walk and each child walked the spiral alone to the centre. Along the way they placed their candle and when all had walked the spiral the whole spiral was aglow. This represents each one of them getting ready for the change giving them a sense of the passing of time, and finding the light and warmth within.
Snippet 2: We go back to November 2020 when COLT teachers together with a social worker doing his internship held parenting support sessions with one of our mothers. Her son’s behaviour was a problem at home and she appealed to COLT staff for help. An early childhood education program was initiated with one-on-one support from our staff. It is well documented that strong family engagement promotes children’s intellectual, physical, social and emotional health and development. The mother told us that she wanted a better life for her two children and was motivated to submit applications for ID documents, clinic cards and birth certificates. She also said that she was spending more time with her two children at home.
This year teachers noticed that her younger daughter ran to the Educare bus each morning when it arrived to fetch COLT children. She was desperate to attend the Educare, but did not have the support of her parents, and she appeared neglected. Her situation was raised with the local branch of Child Welfare and teachers have regularly followed up with the social workers, but to date there has been no assistance or support for her. In light of this COLT staff have made a decision to help her. She arrives at the bus dirty and wet every morning. Teacher Nushfeekah gives her a bath and dresses her in clean clothes. She is an extremely bright child and keen to learn, and for now will remain at COLT until she is placed in a primary school.
The vision at COLT remains one of offering love and healing to vulnerable and traumatised children.
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