HA Jack Primary School
Care Bear Room:
Counseling Support
In addition to our academic initiatives, we have also extended emotional and psychological support through our Care Bear Room.
Impact: The presence of our counseling support has had a marked impact, not only for the children but also for the teachers. These interventions have helped alleviate emotional and behavioral challenges, fostering a more positive and supportive environment within the school.
Reports and Interventions: Detailed reports have helped us identify and address pressing needs. These insights have enabled timely and necessary interventions, which are critical in supporting the overall well-being of the learners.
Teachers’ Workshop: In June 2024, a successful teachers’ workshop was hosted, focusing on team-building exercises and building self-esteem. Our teachers face incredibly tough and often demoralizing circumstances, as many classes have as many as 50 learners, making it a constant challenge to manage and provide the attention each student needs. One of our generous donors provided lunch, juices, and chocolates to remind the teachers how valued and appreciated they are. This day was a huge success, and we are grateful to have been able to offer this intervention. We recognize the need for more emotional support for our teachers and would love to expand these efforts in the future.
Paid Initiative: Like our remedial program, this counseling support is a paid initiative, ensuring long-term sustainability.
Feeding Scheme
H.A. Jack Primary, a township school serving learners from Alexandra, runs a vital feeding scheme to support children facing severe socioeconomic challenges. Every morning, 400 bowls of immuno pap provide essential nourishment before school, while 120 balanced meals are served daily to those who rely on school-provided food. Proper nutrition is crucial for both learning and development, as hunger can hinder concentration and academic performance. This year, generous funding enabled a complete renovation of the feeding scheme kitchen, transforming a dimly lit storeroom into a well-equipped, welcoming space with new catering facilities, shelving, a tiled floor, and a concertina window for easier meal distribution. This upgrade not only improves efficiency but also creates a nurturing environment for Maria and Margaret, who lovingly prepare and serve meals to the children.
Stationery Pack Initiative
Each year, as school starts in January, we provide a stationery pack containing essential supplies for our grade 2 learners. We have found that grade 2 is a pivotal year, where having access to basic stationery is critical for the learning process.
Ensuring that every child has the necessary tools and a chair bag helps create a level playing field, allowing all students to begin the school year on equal footing. Over the past 10 years, this initiative has helped countless children in their academic development and has had a tremendous positive impact on their learning experience.
Remedial Teaching Program
At H.A. Jack Primary School, we have focused on providing remedial teaching to grade 1 and 2 students who have been struggling academically. Program Structure: Three remedial teachers provide one-on-one lessons to these learners every Tuesday. The personalized attention has proven effective in addressing learning gaps and providing the students with the skills they need to succeed. Paid Initiative: This is a paid initiative, ensuring that the program is sustainable and that our teachers are adequately supported.
The Link Literacy Program
Thirteen years ago, CAS implemented a reading program at H.A. Jack Primary to improve literacy among grade 2 learners.The program, run by the CAS committee, involved reading to every grade 2 student twice a week and was a resounding success. At its peak, we had 80 volunteers passing through the center weekly, including high school students who participated as part of their community service during the holidays.
The program was thriving until the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted it, leaving many of our elderly and retired volunteers nervous to return. As a result, The Link Literacy program now runs the initiative independently of the CAS committee. Children who are experiencing challenges with reading are given the support they need to build confidence and improve their literacy skills. CAS continues to support the program by providing assistance where necessary and ensuring that the children have a fun year-end party with donuts and juices.
The work we do with literacy at H.A. Jack is deeply interconnected with our other initiatives. Often, children who come for reading are flagged for needing food or counseling, underscoring the holistic support system we provide.
If you would like to get involved or volunteer, please contact us.
Literacy Needs for the
Foundation Phase
As the student population continues to grow, with classes of 50 learners being the norm, the resources required to teach are stretched thin. A critical need at H.A. Jack Primary is access to readers for the foundation phase. CAS continues to fundraise for these essential tools because, without them, learning is stunted. Reading skills can only improve with continual practice and reinforcement, and without the proper resources, children miss out on the opportunity to develop
strong literacy skills. This is an ongoing and urgent need for the children, and we are committed to addressing it.
