School #1 - St. Josephs K-12 Marist College - This is a 'brother' school to the Marist College we visited in Durban; but it's very different! When we arrived there was a power outage and we were all in the dark. We thought school might be canceled; but it wasn't. We had 4 ambassadors to escort us to the classrooms to make sure we didn't get lost, and to answer any of our questions. We divided into 3 groups: elementary, middle, and high school teachers. For grades 1-3; and 4-6 there are traditional and Montessori classrooms. The parents get to choose which path their child will follow. After grade 6 they all matriculate into the traditional classrooms through grade 12. They are getting ready for "holiday" after this week. They have 4 school terms that last approximately 3 months; and their school year is from January through December. It is very similar to the year-round calendar. All of the schools in Durban and Cape Town have the same type of schedule - public and private. The children were excited to meet us. Americans are held in high esteem in South Africa. Almost forgot - School begins at 8am. K and grade 1 students dismiss at 1:30pm. All other students dismiss at 2:30 pm.
School #2 - Milnerton High School - Public Class C School
By the time we arrived at Milnerton the students had left for the day; however, it was one of the best visits. We got a wonderful opportunity to hear from a public school principal. He was especially proud of his school and his students! They are all taking exams; and being high school students, they finish their exams daily at 12pm. All students that attend Milnerton are required to play a sport. There are 37 languages represented in their student body; and they are required to teach the students in the language they speak. It's unbelievable. While English is the 'primary' language in the country, there is no mandated language of instruction. Standing at the rugby stadium of the school it looked as if we had moved closer to Table Mountain! There are amazing views wherever you look!
Tomorrow we see the African penguins!!