New eLearning Hub opens on wine estate to support pupils

Staff Reporter|Published 2 years ago

In the new Hub, Kathryn Couzens, teacher provides assistance to pupils from left, are Andrew-Lee Ninon, a grade eight pupil at Axios School of Skills; Natalie Lange, a grade 12 pupil at Gordon High School; Micaela Jackson, in grade 12 at Gordon High School; and Chanelle Jonkers, grade eight pupil at Gordon High School.

A new modern, eLearning Hub has been opened in September at Vergelegen wine estate in Somerset West with the goal to provide support and inspiration to pupils residing on the estate.

According to the estate, a cottage at Harmony Village was refurbished to incorporate 10 learning stations, of which seven are equipped with computers. Additional facilities include a printer, stationery, a small kitchen to prepare hot drinks, toilets, and a small library. Teacher employed at the Hub, Kathryn Couzens, is on hand every afternoon to offer support and guidance.

The Hub is currently available to grade eight to 12 pupils. Eighteen of the 24 eligible pupils have used the facilities to date, with eight learners visiting regularly.

Development of the facility has been a team effort by committed members of the estate staff, with the support of Managing Director Wayne Coetzer.

The estate reveeals the key participants in the project have been IT Manager Warren Daniel; Security Manager Carl Langenhoven; Finance Manager Dean Carlse; and Hospitality and HR Manager Sharon Hosking. Social Media Manager A.J. van der Vyver also offers extra maths lessons weekly.

“It is important to keep the kids busy and to ensure they have the necessary resources to make more choices. We want to prepare them for adulthood and tertiary education. Our dream is to facilitate from grade R to grade 12, with the kids having the tools to get ahead and enter university,” says Mr Langenhoven.

Mr Daniel, who brings facilitation skills from working at Damelin College, plus IT expertise, says the Hub is intended to bridge the gap between school and home.

“Tech is ever-evolving, and we can’t let learners fall behind. This is the starting point and it is going to develop further. The Hub lends itself to more uses in future such as adult literacy classes and holiday workshops,” he adds.

Kathryn Couzens, who has 16 years of high school experience, says: “The response from the children has been overwhelmingly positive, especially with the core group who attend regularly. You feel that you can make an impact by working with their strengths and weaknesses. It’s wonderful to be able to share my experience.”

Staff aspirations are for the Hub to have a different feel other than that of a formal classroom, instead their hope is for children to feel comfortable and relaxed in the environment.

The children only had positive feedback from working in the Hub thus far. They raved about the help they get from the Hub with their studies as well as the assistance from their teacher when experiencing difficulties. Mr Daniel concurred: “You can see the spark in the children’s eyes.”

In the back from left, are Vergelegen IT Manager Warren Daniel and Security Manager Carl Langenhoven with teacher Kathryn Couzens seen in the front. From left, are pupils pupils Andrew-Lee Ninon, Miceala Jackson, Natalie Lange and Chanelle Jonkers.