A trip to the aquarium for our ECD learners 

On the 7th of November, 50 learners from Chasmay Educare and Masi Educare visited the two oceans Aquarium in the V&A waterfront. This was the first time the learners from the schools had a chance to meet and interact with each other. The learners instantly embraced each other and enjoyed making new friends on the trip. For most of them, it was their first time visiting an aquarium and it opened their minds to a new experience they will never forget. 

There was excitement in the air as the learners went around the aquarium to see different sea creatures like sharks, fish and even got to feed penguins. Their senses were stimulated as they fed the penguins, they were in awe of these beautiful creatures as they marveled at the sight. It took quite some time for the learners to leave the penguins and the teachers allowed them to experience the whole process. This was a whole new world to them and it was the highlight of their entire trip. 

After feeding the penguins and seeing different creatures they had never seen before in their lives, the learners were called to watch a puppet show. The story was about a seal that had swallowed a plastic that was left laying at the beach. This story was meant to teach the children about taking care of our planet and oceans and being more considerate towards animals. 

The learners also got to learn about plants that grow in the sea and got to touch them, not all the learners were enthusiastic about touching these strange plants at first. Once they saw their enthusiastic friends and schoolmates, they relaxed and started enjoying the experience. 

After the day’s events and experiences, the learners and teachers had lunch on the bus which consisted of a sandwich, fruit, and snacks. The learners were excited when they were received surprise party packs. On the way back home, the bus was very quiet because all the kids fell asleep from exhaustion.  It was indeed an experience for them and they were overwhelmed with happiness and excitement. 

We would like to thank David Blumenthal of Lion brand yarn for funding this trip, He made it possible for the learners to get out of their own environment to have a new experience which they will never forget. The learners and teachers are eternally grateful and cannot stop talking about the experience they had. We just hope that the learners will get more experiences like this as they grow with us.