Magruder has formed a sister school partnership
with Hage Geingob High School in Windhoek, Namibia in the fall of 2002. Hage
Geingob is located in Katatura, the traditionally black
area of Windhoek under apartheid. It is a relatively new school,
currently with grades 8 through 12. There are
approximately 500 learners (the term for students in Nambia), one principal, one secretary,
and sixteen teachers.Many of the learners are newly arrived to the area from the country and live in "informal" settlements.
The two schools recived a grant from the Education for Development and Democracy Initative for an International Studies Partnership in 2003. The grant installed a computer lab at Hage Geingob to facliltate communications via internet between the two schools. Teachers have email buddies and the Creative Writing class at Magruder has and will continue to exchange emails with groups of students at Hage Geingob. The grat also funded exchange visits between the two schools. In May of 2003, the principal of Hage Genigob(Hanna Garises),
a teacher (John Adams), and a learner, (Ingelore Katjingisiua)
visitedto Magruder for two weeks-attending classed, meeting with
student and teacher groups, speaking to classes, and even attending
prom. Because of her visit to Magrder, Ingelore wanted to attend
university in the US and started this fall as freshmen at Pacific
Luther University. In July of 2003, Dr. Steinberg, principal, Robert
Hyman, teacher and two students, Amy Dorsey and Tara Collins, visited
Hage Geingob High School. In addition to visiting and speaking to
classes, the groups stayed in the homes of faculty and learners, and,
along with learners and teachers of Hage Geingob, visited Etosha
National Park for a sofari. The Magruder group was there for the
official opening and naming of Hage Geingob High School. The group
even had dinner at the home of Hage Geingob, a leader in the Namibian
independence movement and the first Prime Minister of Namibia.
Kay McGuire, during a year's leave of absence from Magruder, did
volunteer individual and group counseling, in -serviced staff on
developing a counseling program, and helped to set up the library at
Hage Geingob with books donatede by Magruder staff and students and
their teacher for a stay at the Cheetah Conservation Fund where
students learned not ony about cheetahs and other wildlife but also
about Namibian efforts in cheetah conservation.
Numerous groups at Magruder have participated in fund raising to
assist our sister school. Key Club raised money for an emergency food
canteen in 2002. That program has expanded to a feeding program for
needy learners. The National Honor Society had a fund raiser last
spring to contribut to that program. Key Club has also had two very
successful bookdrives to help set up a library at Hage Geingob.
SISTERSdonated the proceeds from their Mother-Daughter banquet in May
to the Girls' Scholarship Fund, money used to pay for tuition and
uniforms for girls who otherwise could not attend school. The Future
Educators Association has for the past three years donated toys at
Christmas to sixteen children living at Dolam House, an orphanage for
children whose parents died from HIV AIDS.
For additional information or to contribute to the sister school
project, contact Kay McGuire in Counseling Services or Arly-Lyn
Costa, Key Club representative, via First Class.
This August (2003),
Magruder's principal, a teacher and two Magruder students
visited Hage Geingob High School in Namibia. For a look
at their visit, click here.
Other Photos From The 2004 Visit :
Staff Photos
The
Independence Celebration
Visit To The Cheetah Conservation Fund
An Attentive Class at Work
Ms. McGuire at the Farewell Assembly
