September SEGA News and Staff Spotlight
Soccer, Gardening, New Students, Oh my!
- Friday afternoon Student v. Staff soccer games are the new highlight of everyone’s week! After classes on Fridays, all staff and students head to the soccer field – adrenaline and enthusiasm runs high. The girls LOVE the games and even the teachers are quite competitive. These soccer games have become a highly anticipated event of everyone’s week!
- SEGA’s organic garden is flourishing! Recently Daniel, Estate Keeper and Garden Manager, attended an organic farming conference. He is excited to teach the girls how to use natural resources to produce high quality crops.
- SEGA’s new “Non-Formal” class arrived recently. The “Non-Formal” class is composed of students who have been identified as high-risk for dropping out of school. These girls are currently transitioning to SEGA where they will catch up and complete their primary education before formally joining SEGA as Form One students. The arrival of new “Non-Formal” students is always really exciting for current SEGA students. The current students welcome the new girls with open arms and take a lot of pride in making them feel at home.
- Forms One & Three took their midterm exams last week. The girls were very relieved to be finished their exams. After completing their tests many students returned home for a quick midterm break. Classes will resume on September 15.
- Graduation is coming up! Believe it or not, SEGA’s second class will graduate on October 25th!
Staff Spotlight: Pauline Rusisye
Meet Pauline Rusisye – SEGA’s fabulous Counselor and Life Skills Teacher. Pauline, or Madame Counselor as the girls call her, joined the SEGA team four years ago. While her job is multi-faceted and very dynamic, at the core of her work Pauline supports the girls and is a positive role model for the students to look up to and rely on.
Each week Pauline teaches each form a different lesson. Last week, she taught the Form 1 students about menstruation. When she asked the girls if they learned about this at home, not one student raised her hand. Pauline taught them about cleanliness, the development of their bodies and about the importance of being happy and confident when these changes happen. She was open and encouraging with the girls; she’s truly a fantastic female role model.
Additionally Pauline leads SEGA’s community outreach program with our partner, Restless Development. Pauline works closely with the organization to teach SEGA students how to address social issues in their communities. Through this program, Pauline has taken the girls on a variety of day trips to local orphanages, homes for the elderly and homes for the mentally ill where the girls volunteer and learn how to help these various disadvantaged groups.
Thank you Pauline for being such a wonderful mentor to SEGA students and making such a positive difference in their lives!
Thank you to Dana Droller for compiling these updates straight from SEGA.