OVERVIEW
One of our main strategic objectives is to deliver a relevant curriculum, aimed at producing individuals with well-developed strength of character and the ability to solve problems. This makes the awareness of social ills and the immediate shortcomings of the surrounding community so relevant to our existence and role as a school in teaching children how to become good citizens.
Following the fire in June 2017, we received unwavering support from so many people, near and far. This was heartwarming and served to remind us of our responsibility as a corporate citizen to make a positive impact whenever we can.
It is therefore vital for our pupils to learn to empathize with those afflicted by unemployment or poverty and provide ample opportunities for them to engage meaningfully in the community and help those who are less fortunate.
We are very grateful for the wonderful support we receive from staff, pupils and parents in reaching our outreach objectives each year.
At the Prep school, the community outreach programme is led by a dedicated staff member. Each month they focus on a different cause or beneficiary, and in so doing, children are made aware of the needs of others who may not be as fortunate as they are.
We are overwhelmed with the generous support we receive with each initiative, food collection drive or civvies day, aimed at raising funds with a specific objective in mind.
A superhero themed civvies day raised much needed funds for Wings & Wishes.
At the College, the Interact Committee actively drives the outreach activities, with a continuous effort to collect sanitary towels, bottle tops, bread tags and clothing.
The sanitary towels are donated to a local school in the nearby town of Thornhill, while the clothing goes to the Afrikaanse Christelike Vrouevereniging (ACVV) in Gqeberha and Humansdorp.
The bottle tops and bread tags are donated to the Sweethearts Foundation, which recycles these items in exchange for wheelchairs and then donates them to those who need them most. With generous donations they can maximise their impact by making customised wheelchairs available to children, thereby drastically improving their quality of life.
A number of community outreach activities are planned throughout each year. Examples of these include beach clean-ups, fun runs, bake sales and easter egg collection drives.
The Woodridge Surf Lifesaving Club (SLC) is a voluntary community service and club members have provided voluntary water-safety patrols every summer since 1973, making this club the oldest and only continuous community service at Woodridge. Since 1973, members have performed 350 rescues, saving many lives.
As the saying goes, "The greatest thing a human can do is to save a person’s life."
The Woodridge SLC is the only school-based surf lifesaving club in the world and members currently perform voluntary duties at Main Beach, Cape St Francis from 09:00-17:00 every Sunday during the summer terms. Members pay for this privilege and are obliged to give up their weekend time. Our members are held in high regard by the bathing public and the lifesaving fraternity.
During the '21/'22 summer season (Nov to April), they completed 1,020 man-hours of incident-free voluntary community service by providing safe bathing to the public at the main beach in Cape St Francis.
MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet is one of South Africa’s biggest fundraising programmes and raises over R5 million every month for schools, charities and animal welfare organisation. The programme allows you to make a difference, just by shopping. Every time you use your card at any of their partner stores, a percentage of your purchase value will be given back, on your behalf, to the school or charity you choose, at absolutely no cost to you! The card is absolutely free, so get it today!
As a cardholder, you can select up to 3 schools or charities to support. With over 1500 partner stores to swipe at, it is really easy to raise funds for Woodridge and get instant discounts. If you are already a cardholder, please ensure that your status is active and that Woodridge College & Preparatory School has been selected as one of your 3 beneficiaries.
How to Apply?
Apply for your card online at www.myschool.co.za/supporter/apply, call 0860 100 445 or download the free MYSCHOOL app from Apple Store or Google Play Store. Alternatively, get your card at the Woodridge School Shop. National partner stores include Woolworths, WorksheetCloud, Flight Centre, Loot.co.za, Engen, Bidvest Waltons & Quick Shop. Port Elizabeth based partner stores include Ultimate Stylists, Supa Quick, Brian Bands Sports, Wimpy, Havilah, Jack’s Paint & Hardware, Webster, Torga Optical & The Pro Shop.
Now all you do have do is shop & swipe with www.myschool.co.za