Happy summer holidays for Southern African teachers and learners !

Following a very full year of teacher exchanges in four different directions, our schools' academic year comes to a close shortly - firstly exam marking, reports and a month long well deserved summer break

In 2016, we look forward to a number of student group visits in the UK February half term break, one of which will entail the building of an Elephant playground at Sokhanyo Primary  by students from Whitby High (I D Mkhise High's Capetown twin school) in conjunction with Capetown's Jungle Mania company.  Joining in will be learners and teachers from their Zimbabwean twinned schools too who will make the pilgrimage by bus . A real thank you to the staff and learners from Whitby High in advance for all the fundraising efforts to improving the lives of Sokhanyo's young learners, who will soon have exercise and fun in their school's play times.

We also look forward to a student group visit from Headlands High, North East England to spend time at Sibelius High, Retreat, Capetown, when they will be welcomed by the Headmaster Armien Samodien.

Devonport Girls High ( UK ) and Nsezi High (ZIM ) twin Principals to finally visit their Capetown twin, Wynberg Girls High school.

With the closing off of the Connecting Classrooms current grant, comes their next one in 2016, which we will update you on in the new year.

We have been forging close ties with an organisation involved in wildlife education which inspires learners to value the natural creatures in our countries, and the importance of preserving and protecting them. We are alarmed at the escalating numbers of rhinos and elephants being poached in our game parks and on our borders. If only the truth be known that crushed ivory has no medicinal effect as is widely thought in China and Vietnam creating the demand and opportunities for poaching. We would like to encourage partners to involve their schools more in appreciating the risks of unsustainable practices which ultimately will lead to the disappearance of wildlife ,with a devastating impact on tourism and jobs.  To this end we will pick up this conversation with yourselves in the new calendar year and already have begun to share with a number of Capetown twinned schools . Please see their website www.greenwallofafrica.com

We also wish our UK colleagues a happy winter Festive Season!