2006 – 2017

“A little school with a big heart”

Our history and our friendship with Nessy!

This cosy little school, situated in

the picturesque village of Somerset

West in the Helderberg* region of

South Africa, started in 2006.

The aim was to provide a nurturing,

small class environment to children

who battle with barriers to learning.

Currently there are 105 Afrikaans

and English children between the ages

of 5 and 14 in the school.

*Helderberg means Clear Mountain

Vergezicht is a Dutch word meaning

“vista” and the school’s logo (ink well

and quill) carries the message of

learning and teaching. The motto is

easy enough for the smallest child to

read:

I can!

Learning barriers include:

ADHD

Language difficulties

Dyspraxia

Anxiety

Slight vision and hearing

impairments

Reading and writing difficulties

Dyslexia

Dyscalculia

The children follow the same

curriculum as in the state schools, but

with a remedial slant.

In 2014, Nokkie Hartman*, one of the

directors, met John Dorman at the BDA’s

International Dyslexia Conference in

Guildford, UK.

Nokkie was impressed with Nessy right

from the start and when visiting John in

Bristol, he suggested that Vergezicht

School becomes the pilot school for Nessy

in South Africa.

*Nokkie is a remedial therapist specializing in children who

battle with Afrikaans and English reading.

In 2014, Vergezicht hosted a Dyslexia Information Day which was attended by about 500 people.

Nessy was introduced and people started talking about the program. They were asking if it could

be used for teaching an additional language and the Vergezicht staff decided to take this on as a

challenge!

Teachers in the region started to realize that dyslexia was NOT just about reversing letters, but

much much more!

“Thank you so much for a fantastic, informative and entertaining morning. What wonderful and inspirational people you had speaking with such helpful tips. HUGE thanks for the enormous dedication and effort that was taken to put it together and welcome us with such lovely goodies and tea too!” Lisa O’Mahony

Nokkie Hartman, remedial therapist

Carin ten Cate, Speech Therapist

Nessy in South Africa!

The students and the friendly green creature…

9-year old Afrikaans

Vergezicht children doing

Nessy and experiencing

great success in their second

language.

Jeniel, our 13-year old

Afrikaans student whose

English reading age

improved from 11 years to

13 years in just one year of

being a Nessy user.

He finished primary school

and now, in 2017, is a

confident high school pupil!

Jacob speaks Shangaan with

his mom, Portuguese and

French with his dad, and is

taught through medium

English. With the help of

Nessy he is progressing

successfully through

primary school and will

enter high school in 2018.

“For both of us English is

our 2nd Language.

“Ons hou BAIE van

Nessy!”

(We really like Nessy!)

Rebeca & Karli

“I love Nessy because it is

so much fun. I like playing

Nessy because I am

learning AND having fun.”

Since 2015 EVERY child in the school

has been doing Nessy at least once a

week. They were encouraged to log in at

home, and they fought for computer

places to play during break times or

early in the morning before school.

(Very early! 07h15...)

The children of Vergezicht were hooked

on Nessy!

They all took part in painting banners to

express their enthusiasm.

Learning happens when you mess with paint!

In October 2016 Vergezicht hosted another Dyslexia Information Day:

Tea, coffee and snacks ready for

the guests.

See the lovely bunch of South

African Proteas on the table?

The senior students impressed the

guests with the hospitality with

which they welcomed each guest.

Each guest received a Goody Bag

filled with gifts (and a Nessy

discount voucher…)

Geniet die middag means:

“Enjoy the afternoon!

ealing with Dyslexia

Assess and Address…

Vergezicht Information Day

Carin ten Cate (Director) talking

about Vergezicht, a unique little

school.

Monique Yates (Deputy Principal

and senior English teacher)

explaining the benefits of Nessy.

Guests enjoying tea on our front

porch.

Learning happens when you combine it

with tea, snacks & smiles...

Another succesful day in the lives

of Nessy family members.

No, not in Scotland, but right at

the sunny Southern tip of Africa!

2016 was also the 10th birthday of the school and it was celebrated in a very unique way:

We live right next to the ocean, so why not create (not a fairy tale) a “sea tale?”

The children illustrated a special sea story!

Every child in the school helped with the illustrations.

How does one talk

to a Water Whippy Maiden?

A sea story illustrated by the

children of

Vergezicht School,

Somerset West.

2016

www.vergezicht.co.za

Nobody knows what a Water

Whippy Maiden looks like.

If you would like to talk to her,

you’ll have to whisper very special

words and with a very gentle heart,

deep into the cool blue waters of

False Bay.

Maybe, maybe, she’ll listen to

you…

The year 2016 ended with our annual Nativity Show.

Good bye 2016! Totsiens 2016!

HELLO 2017,

HERE WE COME!