Lynette Louw

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” – Proverbs 22:6.

Gateway Christian School finally moved into its own school building during the long weekend in August. It had been given a piece of land to build the school in 1996 but lack of funds delayed the completion of the building.

According to principal, Allison Joubert, Jonathan Irons led the building project over the last few years and the first brick was eventually laid just over a year ago.

“The building has been erected on a cash basis and is a testimony to the faithfulness of God,” Allison said. “We are still not 100% finished and plan an auto show in September to raise funds for the grass, garden and a few smaller projects”.

The school was started in 1994 by Angela and Dave Scott with Theo and Marie van Ghent as the first principal couple. At that stage it was situated in the Old Scout Hall in Gospel Street. The next year it moved to the old Kofkor building and a preschool programme was added to the school in February of that year. Children from four to six years old could attend these two classes.

During the following few years the school grew to such an extent that they had to look for still larger premises while they were raising funds to build their own school in Henry Nettman Street. In 2000 they moved again – this time to the old municipal offices on MacPherson Street in the industrial area.

The Van Ghents left the school in 2007 to establish an Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) school in Russia. Pierre Eloff succeeded as principal until March this year when Allison Joubert took over the reigns from him.

At Gateway average is not an option. It is an independent Christian School using the internationally and nationally accredited ACE curriculum which is a direct extension of Biblical Education Ministries.

According to Allison the ACE system is based on five basic learning principles:

Level – it acknowledges that all children are different and must be taught on an individual level where they can perform to the best of their ability.
Goals – Each child sets goals which must be reasonable and achievable in a prescribed period of time. This reflects good judgment in a child’s life.

Control and motivation – Students must be controlled and motivated in their own lives to develop, use and experience the materials used to educate them.

Measurable – each child’s progress is continuously measured.

Rewards – the child’s learning must be rewarded according to standards achievedS.

She said the aim of Gateway Christian School is to offer a Godly, Bible-based education to children of born-again parents, in order to assist the parents and children in execution of their own God-given lifestyles. It creates a vision within the child concerning their Christian walk and assist in the development of Godly leadership qualities and character and a desire to get involved in the work of the Lord. The academic as well as spiritual education of the children is the main focus.

At present Allison is also the senior supervisor. Admire Mdondo supervises the intermediate phase and Vicky Breytenbach the junior phase.

Maria Schlacker, Dolly and Isabelle Nkosi are the senior, intermediate and junior monitors with Carmen Hallet the pre-school supervisor and Yvonne Watson the monitor.

Brynnie Whitton supervises the ABC group (grade one).

Donelle Grobler and Liska Heath are responsible for the every day administration at the school.

For any other information and school fees contact the school on 013-712-5113.

The children and teachers of Gateway Christian School on the front steps of their new school building

Sitting at their work stations are Thembelihle Madidone and Siyakudumisa Nhleko with supervisor Admire Mdondo

Busy in the science laboratory are Courtney Grobler and Angela Lehoka

Michael Irons with a microscope in the science laboratory while Katli Makhema makes notes