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Dialogue Days 2019
2019 saw Rustenburg include Dialogue Days and transformation workshops into the school timetable and calendar, as part of our ongoing mission to create a school where all learners belong.
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Each term had a theme, which was explored in a whole school assembly and a 90-minute Dialogue Day session. These were often followed up by shorter discussions in the weeks that followed.
As part of their orientation programme, the Grade 8s participated in a 90-minute workshop led by three Rustenburg staff members. They engaged with the idea of the “Rustybug” identity; how to make everyone feel included at Rustenburg; how we create our own narratives about people we meet; and the idea of privilege.
The first Dialogue Day of the year focused on mental health. This topic was chosen in response to requests from the learners. The Dialogue Day was preceded by an assembly with guest speaker Dr Laura Conley, a psychiatrist. A member of staff and a student also shared their experiences. For Dialogue Day, the learners identified some of the stigmas surrounding mental health and how to break them; and also discussed how to help friends in need.
The second topic was around implicit bias. The April assembly introducing the topic saw the learners being exposed to what implicit and explicit biases are, our subconscious minds and the idea of in and out groups. The Dialogue Day which followed the assembly unpacked explicit and implicit attitudes, where these attitudes come from, biasforming and how to avoid in and out groups in our school.
The final topic for the year was around judgements that we make about each other. The July introductory assembly focused on the idea that we are more than just what people see, or assume when they meet us or look at us. The learners watched a video where different members of the Rustenburg community had been asked to complete sentences such as: “Don’t judge me by my…” A few staff members and students then shared their personal experiences. The Dialogue Day started with a video case study from one of the staff members sharing his story, which the learners were then asked to reflect upon. Next, they created a “River of Life”, a visual representation of their lives so far. This creative activity led to sharing parts of their life stories with each other in small groups.
In September, Rustenburg joined the women of South Africa in saying enough is enough, protesting against gender-based violence and trying to raise awareness around the issue. We held three protests with placards outside the entrance to the school and tied ribbons around the gates to commemorate those women who have been victims of violence. We also engaged learners from other schools in a formal discussion on gender-based violence in our country and how we move forward in addressing it. Through the course of a week the learners were able to discuss something that affects every one of their lives in one way or another, and engage with each other and their community.
