• My Zone

A school with a strong purpose

- 2022-09-06 00:00:00

Boasting 15 teachers and 80 learners, Desert View Private School in Walvis Bay was established in January 2021. This is a mainstream school offering grade R to 12 as well as a daycare facility.
According to the founder of the school, Kim Koch, they are a unique school because they are affordable, if not the cheapest private school in Walvis Bay. “Our uniform is very classy, it has been black and white with the gold school badge.”
The school offers the Cambridge University syllabus, and is big on making sure that every learner receives proper attention.
“We have small classes. Depending on the grade, we have eight to 12 learners in a class in junior primary and high school we have 12 to 18 learners. This allows for one-on-one attention which improves the pass rate per grade and individual improvements are seen in our learners.”
They also accept learners who have previously failed grades 10 to 12.
Their number-one priority is children’s education, she said, and to provide an excellent education at an affordable price.
They foster learners' love for learning, encourage them to try new things and give them a solid foundation to build on.
The vision is to develop confident individuals who aspire to achieve their full potential, Koch said.
“We do this by providing a welcoming, happy, safe and supportive learning environment in which everyone is equal and all achievements are recognised and celebrated.”
The school also has zero tolerance for bullying as “a happy child is a successful one”.
The school hopes to become one of the top private schools in Namibia.

Upcoming events
The calendar for the rest of the year is quite busy, she said. Their very first matric dance will be held on 9 September. The school is also actively involved with visiting the SPCA. This is done every second week, and classes get a chance to collect donations for them and visit the animals and spend time with them.
The International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) learners have a career fair coming up soon as well as a carwash fundraiser which was held last Saturday to raise funds for their dance, she said.
Grades R to three have their very first end-of-year concert scheduled for 25 November. A Christmas party is also planned for the junior grades as well as a staff party. A mini flea market day is scheduled for the end of October. The junior primary will be visiting the nursery for spring celebrations as well as a visit planned to the fire department. The senior primary have cake sales and movie nights coming up. “We have a full calendar until school closes for the year. We feel that children should also do fun learning activities outside of school, thus our efforts.”
Koch added: “The meaning behind the name Namibia is our desert. Thus the reason for our school’s name. Unfortunately, one cannot see the dunes from where the school is situated, but the walls have dunes painted on the outside to make the name look more effective. The school badge also has a dune on it.

“We love and appreciate our country and wanted to incorporate it into our school's name.”
The school has two heads of department (HODs) in place who are in charge of discipline. “We have a warning system and our code of conduct. We have a lot of control over discipline in the school.
“Grades R to three have kinderkinetics every week which is included in the school fees. The school has external activities run by external individuals, trainers and coaches.
“We do not have a field but we source the qualified individuals to assist learners who want to do extramurals,” Koch added.
They have a number of learners who do dancing, gymnastics and other sports. The school hopes to enrol 150 learners by January 2023 as its maximum capacity for the property is roughly 250, which they hope to reach by 2025.

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