2018 is the year of new changes in the Free Classes program! The terms have been shortened to 3 months with a month break in between to give teachers the opportunity to participate in Teacher Training Workshops. Teachers build their capacity during this month to maximise impact during the term. During the workshop, teaching demonstrations were conducted amongst the English teachers with a focus on conversational English. They also focused on methods to improve research, planning and

presentation and teamwork to improve project-based lessons in the classrooms. The feedback received from the teachers was very positive as they felt a strong sense of community in their work and appreciation!

The Computer team based their workshop on improving tech literacy amongst the teachers, particularly with Google Drive. The team focused the trainings on Google Sheets and Google Forms as tools to track and measure changes. They have also shifted all attendance online to ensure reliability.

The Free Classes team aims to make all lessons relevant to students everyday lives, as such each term will begin with a Hygiene and Environment lesson in all classes. The hygiene lessons covered the importance of practising good hygiene and the proper hand

washing techniques. The Environmental lesson revolved around the responsibility we all have to nature and in turn the community. The students were asked to answer the question, “Why do we put litter in the bin?” and they had brilliant responses from, “We put litter in the bins to reduce the work for our parents” to “Putting litter in the bins reduce illness.”  

The feedback we received from students on these lessons was very positive as we included games and discussions in the lessons.

We’ve had a record number of local volunteers this year! This is not only beneficial to the work we do but also ensures that local volunteers are receiving hands-on trainings and giving back to their community.

We currently have 17 local volunteers and 38 Scholarship Student teachers which ensures that almost all classes have a Teacher and a Teacher Assistant. One volunteer that we are particularly excited about is Savon. Savon is the mother of Rithyza who has been studying at JWOC for the past 9 months in the Let’s Go – A class, the beginner’s English class. Savon has been bringing Rithyza to JWOC every day ensuring that she attends all her lessons regularly. She has been volunteering at JWOC for the past 2 terms in the Let’s Go B English Class to 20 students between the ages of 7- 12. The students are currently learning about Days of the Week, Shapes, Animals and Feelings. We’re so pleased to have Savon work with us, as our vision is to see empowered families who value education with a strong sense of social responsibility!