Treehouse Academy

We are a Christian school and believe that every child is wonderful and uniquely made by God and endowed with individual gifts. Every day starts with a common prayer and the subject of biblical lessons is firmly anchored in every grade level. Every Friday we have a shared devotional time where we praise God, listen to His Word, and discuss topics that shape and grow us. We pray for the children and encourage them to have a personal relationship with God.

Because many parents have to work until the afternoon, we as a school want to ensure that the children are looked after all day. After the normal school day until 1 p.m., the children receive lunch every day. Supervised homework time then begins to take the stress away from the parents at home. In the afternoon, the children have various activities or can spend time on the playground or in the library until 5 p.m.

In the lower grades 1-3, in addition to the class teacher, there is also an additional teacher who supports the teacher and opens up the possibility of dividing the class into smaller groups or going out with individual children to explain something individually. This means more individual help is guaranteed and work can be done more effectively.

In every subject, we try to teach every topic as clearly and practically as possible. I always tell teachers: “When you talk about the river, take the children to the river, let the children see, touch, experience. This is the best way to learn.” Therefore, at the beginning of 2024, thanks to generous donations from the Breitbach family, we were able to build a school garden in order to teach the subject of agriculture as practically as possible. In other subjects, students should also understand topics better and more sustainably through practical and playful implementation.

Breaks are very important for children to concentrate. Unfortunately, at most schools in Namibia there is only a 20 minute break throughout the day!!! We try to give the children as many breaks as possible in order to refresh themselves, just breathe and be able to concentrate again. After the first lesson we have a 15-minute breakfast break to give all children who did not have the opportunity to eat something in the morning a chance to gain strength. We also have something to eat for the children who come with nothing. After the second and fourth lessons, the children have a 20-minute break to play or let off steam in the yard or sports field. After the third and fifth periods, the children have a short 5-minute break to change classrooms, go to the toilet or freshen up. After the school day, i.e. after 6 hours, there is a 30-minute lunch break where we eat lunch together and there is time to recover. This is followed by the one-hour homework period.

The teachers work very closely with the parents to ensure the best possible conditions for the child to develop well. Regular communication via Whatsapp groups keeps parents informed about everything current. In addition, there are constant discussions between parents and teachers so that difficulties can be identified and resolved. Regular parents’ evenings and one-to-one meetings ensure that parents are involved and informed. We encourage parents to check with teachers regularly (every 2-3 weeks) about progress, but we also call parents if we see problems.

Unfortunately there are no further training courses for teachers in Rundu. We try to counteract this with in-school training and workshops. Several times a year we take time to talk about important topics such as lesson design, planning and methods and to help each other.