{"id":1475,"date":"2025-08-11T10:35:48","date_gmt":"2025-08-11T10:35:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesisuhub.co.za\/?p=1475"},"modified":"2025-08-12T08:24:17","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T08:24:17","slug":"looking-back-at-the-last-6-months","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesisuhub.co.za\/?p=1475","title":{"rendered":"Looking back at the last 6 months"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Halfway There and Full of Heart: A Look Back at 2025 So Far. <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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By: Marquerette Muller, Stefanie Louw & Vicky Oettle\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Can you believe we\u2019re already halfway through 2025? Time really does fly when you\u2019re busy learning, laughing, and making memories that warm the heart. Here at The Sisu Hub, the first half of the year has been nothing short of spectacular\u2014filled with wagging tails, sunshine trails, chocolatey giggles, and community spirit that just keeps growing.<\/span>
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<\/span>So grab a snack or something warm to drink, settle in, and let\u2019s take a joyful stroll down memory lane together.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Shared Magic Across Our Branches<\/b><\/span><\/h2>

Some events this year brought both our branches together in spirit, even if we weren\u2019t always in the same place. We kicked off the year with a Valentine\u2019s Day Dress-Up and Fundraiser\u2014a celebration of love, laughter, and fabulous outfits.<\/span><\/p>

The Park Runs were another highlight. JHB got us started early at the peaceful Delta Park, while PTA laced up their running shoes at the beautiful Pretoria Botanical Gardens, for two events\u2014one in March and again in May. There’s something so grounding and energising about moving our bodies in nature while connecting with friends!<\/span><\/p>

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Both branches also got the joy of hosting the Guide Dogs. What a heartwarming day\u2014full of furry cuddles, curiosity, and valuable learning.<\/span><\/p>

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And then\u2026 the Easter Egg Hunts! A burst of colour, chocolate, and pure excitement. Our spellers figured out the answers to clues and found their treasures with laughter from both spellers and staff echoing through the air.<\/span>
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<\/span>We also got practical with First Aid Training, empowering our teams with life-saving knowledge. And then we embraced our cosiest selves on <\/span>Pyjama Day<\/b>, diving into texture and play during our engaging <\/span>Sensory Days, reminding us that learning happens in every sense<\/b>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

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Growth Mindset Mode: Training Day!<\/b><\/span><\/h2>

Our Interactive Training Day was packed with \u201caha!\u201d moments. Thank you to everyone who showed up ready to learn, share, and stretch their thinking. It wasn\u2019t just about gaining new skills\u2014it was about growing together as a community, strengthening our collective mission, and walking away inspired. And thank you to Marc and Zekwande for sharing your insights with our families.<\/span><\/p>

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Food, Fire, and Family<\/b><\/span><\/h2>

Who doesn\u2019t love good food with good people? The Sisu Family Braai in Pretoria and the Picnic in Jo\u2019burg were the perfect ending to a vibrant term, with stories shared around the fire in Pretoria, while our Jo\u2019burg families celebrated their wins with snacks and drinks at the picnic. We had laughter that made our cheeks hurt, and these events reminded us that connection feeds the soul.<\/span><\/p>

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Dungeons and Dragons\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h2>

One of the highlights of our school year so far was our epic Dungeons & Dragons Games Day! We teamed up with another practitioner\u2019s practice for a magical day of adventure, laughter, and teamwork. Our spellers dove into character, solved tricky quests, and spelt their way through battles and mysteries. It was a day packed with creativity, connection, and loads of fun \u2014 a perfect blend of learning and imagination!<\/span><\/p>

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PTA: Pet Power & More<\/b><\/span><\/h2>

Pretoria packed their calendar with unforgettable moments, starting with Our Pet Day in Pretoria, which meant that we were able to bring joy to our furry friends. Our generous families filled bowls (and hearts) at Wollies Animal Shelter. Kindness, compassion, and lots of wagging tails\u2014what could be better? Thank you to all who donated.<\/span><\/p>

JHB: Celebrating Difference & Legacy<\/b><\/span><\/h2>

Jo\u2019burg and Pretoria showed their colours (and their socks!) with Funky Socks Day, to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day. And keeping to the theme of celebration, on Autism Day, we stood proudly in support of neurodiversity. On Mandela Day, we honoured his legacy with acts of kindness by creating jars of kindness that were donated to those in need. Each step was a tribute to connection and community. Thank you to all who donated to this cause.<\/span><\/p>

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The Sisu Insiders<\/span><\/h2>

The Sisu PTA Branch proudly launched our very first adult group this year, and the members themselves chose the perfect name \u2013 The Sisu Insiders. This group offers adult nonspeakers the chance to connect with like-minded peers, enjoy meaningful social time, and dive into engaging, age-appropriate topics. <\/span><\/p>

Together, we\u2019ve explored fascinating subjects through Udemy online courses as well as group lessons on a variety of interesting themes. Our adults also voiced a strong interest in learning practical Life Skills to build their independence, and we\u2019ve spent the year working at the pace of the spellers to develop these. From making tea and toast to whipping up scrambled eggs, preparing instant noodles, and even learning how to shave, the Sisu Insiders are building confidence and capability one skill at a time. This is more than just a group \u2013 it\u2019s an exciting opportunity for growth, friendship, and empowerment.<\/span><\/p>

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A Season of Growth and Gratitude<\/b><\/span><\/h2>

This year hasn\u2019t just been about events\u2014it\u2019s been about growth, connection, and celebrating every unique member of our Sisu family. Each activity, whether shared or branch-specific, has added another colourful thread to our story.<\/span><\/p>

Looking back, the first half of 2025 has been a wild, wonderful ride. We\u2019ve grown stronger, laughed louder, and loved harder. And guess what? Term 3 is just getting started\u2014and it\u2019s already shaping up to be unforgettable.<\/span>
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<\/span>Here\u2019s to more learning, more joy, and more moments that make our hearts full.<\/span>
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<\/span>Stay tuned\u2014the best is yet to come!<\/span><\/span><\/p>



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Halfway There and Full of Heart: A Look Back at 2025 So Far. By: Marquerette Muller, Stefanie Louw & Vicky Oettle\u00a0 Can you believe we\u2019re already halfway through 2025? Time really does fly when you\u2019re busy learning, laughing, and making memories that warm the heart. Here at The Sisu Hub, the first half of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1475","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"blog_post_layout_featured_media_urls":{"thumbnail":"","full":""},"categories_names":{"1":{"name":"Uncategorized","link":"https:\/\/thesisuhub.co.za\/?cat=1"}},"tags_names":[],"comments_number":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesisuhub.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1475","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesisuhub.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesisuhub.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesisuhub.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesisuhub.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1475"}],"version-history":[{"count":91,"href":"https:\/\/thesisuhub.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1475\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1603,"href":"https:\/\/thesisuhub.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1475\/revisions\/1603"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesisuhub.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1475"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesisuhub.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1475"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesisuhub.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1475"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}