Ocean View library coding team set to represent SA
Youngsters from Ocean View library’s coding club will be representing South Africa at an international competition later this year.
Coding is just one of several after-school programmes that are run by the library and which it promoted during a Lights On Afterschool campaign last Thursday.
Launched by the Afterschool Alliance in America in October 2000, the annual Lights On Afterschool campaign stresses the importance of after-school programmes.
This is the fourth year the campaign has run in South Africa.
“Our after-school programmes provide various opportunities for our students to learn new things, develop new skills, and explore new horizons. These programmes help them unlock their potential, receive academic support, and access important psychosocial assistance,” said Ocean View senior librarian Marlene Davids.
Apart from coding, the library also has chess, art and reading clubs.
Art teacher Wytske van der Meulen said: “We have roughly around 12 kids every week, and sometimes we have up to 50 during holiday workshops. We do things like painting and working with clay.”
One library visitor, 75-year-old Rose Jones, takes care of her 10-year-old granddaughter, Cassidy Layters, and brings her to the library.
Cassidy is a member of the art club and enjoys reading.
Ms Jones commended the library's programmes and the dedication of the librarians, saying, “I’m genuinely proud of this library, and for good reason. My own kids used to come here after school, just like Cassidy does now.“
Tazlin Davids, a 10-year-old pupil from Kleinberg Primary School, is part of the “reading buddies” programme at the library.
“I like to read to the younger children. My favourite books to read them are the Look at Me books,” she said.
“Reading buddies helps young readers by showing them how to read fluently with the help of an older peer who's good at reading. Older students learn important social and emotional skills like being patient and understanding as they help the younger kids with their reading,” said librarian Natasha Arendse.
In July, the Ocean View library’s coding team won the Library Coding Network’s Coding4Mandela tournament, in which teams from 26 City libraries and six schools participated.
On Tuesday October 17, the Ocean View library team took part in a virtual coding challenge and was chosen as one of six teams that will represent South Africa at the virtual Coding4Mandela World Championships, scheduled for Tuesday December 5, which marks the 10th anniversary of Nelson Mandela's death.
The other teams representing South Africa are Belhar library, Parsons Hill Primary School, Shalom Akademie, Sunford Primary, and Valhalla Park library.
Teams from various African and European countries, including Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Ireland, Germany, and America will also participate.
Coding club member Orlando Baker, 15, said: “I want to make it clear that people tend to underestimate Ocean View. But I'm here to tell them that I, along with my team, will show them the full potential of Ocean View come December.”
