Monday, Tuesday

It's become a tradition for schools to bookend the beginning and end of term with trips to the science centre.

In addition to Panorama Laerskool's visit on Monday, we also had 60 grade R newbies from Norma Road in Silvertown, Athlone, organised by teacher Judith van Dyk. And at the other end of the scale, we had just 5 grade 11 students from the private Boston House College campus in the central business district, organised by Stephen Twinburyo.

On Tuesday, different parts of the Peninsula came to the science centre, including:
* thirty grade five students from Fish Hoek Primary who enjoyed themselves with teacher Gaelyn Hayden-Thomas;
* 31 grade three students from Rainbow Montessori in Durbanville;
* 62 grade three students from Pinelands North Primary School in Pinelands, with their teacher Nicola Robbins;
* a mixed bag of 48 students from grades 4,5 and 6 from Yeshua Christian School in Heathfield, led by teacher Aldyth Steenveld, and
* 80 grade six students from Turfhall Primary School in Penlynn Estate in Athlone on the Cape Flats.

Teacher Shereen Witten from Turfhall Primary said the school had so many students in grade six (four classes of 160 in total) that some classes visited the MTN Sciencentre earlier, on the thirteenth of this month. In addition, the grades four and five have already visited the science centre.

''The children absolutely enjoyed that Canon camera obscura,'' said Shereen Witten. ''They also enjoyed the experiments as well in the auditorium and to play the games.''

She emphasised the importance of enjoying the science at the centre. ''I think it's more fun, it makes science fun. When you're in the classroom and we do experiments, it's not as much fun!''

She also noticed the importance of discovery. ''You're glad they can enjoy themselves and learn as well, because if it's not fun, it's boring for them. Learning is fun. When I spoke to them afterwards they were very excited about what they learnt and saw. Children are so focused on watching tv and sitting with their phones that they don't get out to enjoy themselves.''

But the furthest lot of visitors on Tuessday seem to have come from the province of Mpumalanga, as 48 students from Middelburg Primary squeezed in, led by teacher Phil Joubert. What can we say ... we're a tourist attraction!