St Teresa’s Senior School exceeds secret scarves target
While they had set themselves a target of 300 scarves for Nelson Mandela Day, St Teresa’s School in Rosebank knitted well over double their target.
St Teresa’s Senior School in Rosebank adorned Sturdee Avenue with colourful scarves for their Secret Scarves initiative.
Learners hung up scarves so that passersby could take one on July 18.
St Teresa’s Senior School principal Lindsey Verster said it was wonderful to celebrate Nelson Mandela Day each year. “We try and encourage that every day is Mandela Day, not just July 18 when we honour Nelson Mandela. This year again, our girls took part in Jobs for Joy where they had to take some jobs home to raise the much-needed funds for us to participate in a whole school initiative for Mandela Day. Our Secret Scarves is our main focus but this year we have also included grade initiatives,” said Verster.
She said the Grade 4s put together soup packs to be delivered to Immaculata Homeless Shelter. The Grade 5s made tea-time treats for the Rosebank Police Station and the Grade 6s made sandwiches for the shelter. The Grade 7s raised funds to purchase sanitary pads to keep girls at school and also held a winter clothes drive and packed gift packs for children in need. Verster added, “So we feel that today is a day we can honour Nelson Mandela and make a difference in a little way. It is just wonderful to see us being able to give back to the community of Rosebank.”
Computer teacher and marketing liaison at St Teresa’s School, Lianda May said they had set themselves a target to make 300 scarves for Nelson Mandela Day and they started knitting in April. “We have exceeded our target by more than double so we made close to 700 scarves,” May said.
On July 17, they delivered 90 scarves to Immaculata and 50 more on Mandela Day. Beanies and scarves would also be delivered to the Childhood Cancer Foundation, some to a parish in Westbury and to the Sisters of Mercy that founded the school in 1930.
Sister Goretti of Sisters of Mercy said, “Some of the scarves will go to a shelter for refugee women and their children. There are usually up to 40 women there and about 50 children, with about 16 newborns. Most of the children are at crèche and others go to school. The shelter also has workshops to train women in different skills. We will also take scarves to Little Eden which is a home in Edenvale for people who are mentally and physically profoundly challenged.”
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