On the 21st of June I had the pleasure to speak with Mr. John Nderitu who is currently the Global Alumni Coordinator at Nova Pioneer. My first natural question to John was, “Who are you and what do you do?”. In his own words, he describes himself as a student at the University of Nairobi in their Construction Management programme, a son, class representative, construction manager, Nova Pioneer alumnus and the Organising Secretary for the Construction Management course at the University of Nairobi. John’s current passion lies within construction because he enjoys the process and the vigour. 

 

Now that we know a little bit about John, we can dive into today’s subject matter; the experiences that John has had the pleasure of living through, the opportunities he had as a Nova Pioneer student, an intern at the organisation and now as a fulltime teammate.

 

Strong Culture

As an alumnus, John describes the culture instilled in the community as one that has allowed him to learn how to collaborate at the workplace and grow with others. He also feels that it has contributed to his positive growth as the CRESA organizing secretary which is a pro bono position that he enjoys and is grateful for. He has learnt the essence of scheduling and collaborative plenary. The skill of networking has also enabled him to engage with others, offering him opportunities most at his age never get to experience. There is also a keen focus on self development, and growth feedback sessions.

 

Connection

Because Nova Pioneer believes and invests in ensuring its students are connected to each other, experiences and opportunities, it was a natural transition for John to join the Learning Design team as an intern when he completed his K.C.S.E in 2019.  interest in seeing the backend of lesson design and the opportunities to give back to the Novaneer community as an intern was dear to him. His choice to join the Learning Design team is based on how crucial the work the team does is to the direct impact it has on students’ learning and outcomes. He wanted to be at the core of what makes learning at Nova Pioneer different, having experienced the unique learning model himself, as a former student. 

For John the opportunity within Learning and Design was very constructive. The belief that failure is and growth from it is acceptable and the opportunity to always call for help when you need it. He has had the uniquely distinct pleasure of working as an intern within Learning and Design for three different cycles. He really enjoyed the STEM department especially the practical versus theory and this was also compounded by his passion for the sciences which he carried forward from his high school experience. He may have evolved from sciences to construction but he is just as passionate about opportunities in this field. His successes were also facilitated by working with kind people who allowed him to flourish despite the age difference. 

John’s final words are, “ I am grateful to the Novaneer community for the opportunities accorded to me and to helping shape me into who I am today. I believe that the impact will live on”.

Do you want to learn more about the role Nova Pioneer’s Learning Design team plays in delivering our unique learning model across our 16 schools in Kenya and South Africa? Do you want to hear more stories on the impact our alumni are making across the globe? Join our next open day by filling out this form.

We are thrilled to introduce a new exciting challenge dubbed CHANGO – Be The Change. The name Chango is derived from the Swahili word Kuchangia meaning to contribute. As the name suggests, this challenge will bring together students from across the country, particularly our feeder schools, to contribute ideas towards innovative causes and offer solutions to some of the challenges we face as a continent. 

This year’s theme is focused on CLIMATE ACTION, one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. SDGs, also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

Climate change is a global issue that is affecting every nation and continent. Its consequences are far-reaching, impacting not only the present but also posing greater challenges for the future.

Communities worldwide are already witnessing the profound effects of climate change, including shifts in weather patterns, rising sea levels, and intensified extreme weather events. These changes are primarily driven by the increasing greenhouse gas emissions resulting from human activities. In fact, these emissions have reached unprecedented levels in history. Without decisive action, it is projected that the average surface temperature of the planet will rise significantly throughout the 21st century, potentially exceeding a 3-degree Celsius increase. Some regions may even experience more pronounced warming. Unfortunately, those who are least able to adapt and the most economically disadvantaged are disproportionately affected by these impacts.

This competition aims to inspire young minds to develop innovative solutions that address the challenges posed by climate change. Participants will have the opportunity to showcase their creativity, ingenuity, and commitment to sustainable development by designing projects that promote renewable energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, or encourage sustainable lifestyles.

The competition is open to all schools, and projects will be judged based on their originality, effectiveness, and potential impact. Prizes will be awarded to the winners, and participants will gain invaluable experience in developing projects that promote sustainability and address one of the most pressing issues facing our planet. We have exciting awards for the participating students including a fully paid scholarship at the Nova Pioneer Junior Secondary School!

For more information or to secure your participation, email us at dwangechi@novapioneer.com

If the future is African, then we have the responsibility to prepare our future African leaders to meet the demands of a turning African century. 

Find Your Nova encompasses the mission for parents and students to explore the opportunities available to them at Nova Pioneer and beyond. The answer to the question of “what do you want to be when you grow up?” no longer needs to be a tough one for your child to respond to. At Nova Pioneer, our students have the confidence to see themselves with the potential to be anything that they want to be under the sun. We empower their imaginations to see themselves as future doctors, climate change activists, agriculturalists, and astronauts of their generation.

This is why when choosing a school for your child, it is important to ensure that the school can adequately inspire and equip your child for a world that doesn’t exist today. Our school develops skills such as critical thinking, life-long learning, problem-solving, curiosity and self-awareness through academic rigour, leadership, and enquiry-based learning. These are the fundamental skills that we at Nova Pioneer anticipate the future will essentially demand from your child.

 

Academic Excellence

Nova Pioneer exceeds high expectations on academic excellence for your child. Our students are challenged to critically interrogate and analyse content, investigate possible ideas and develop practical solutions that they can apply in their in-class activities, helping them achieve their academic goals.  

For our students to achieve academic success, our learning cycle involves learning to overcome the fear of failure, and the value of reflection, and feedback.

Marclus, is an alumnus from Nova Pioneer Boys Secondary in Tatu City, whose dream is to become a prolific architect who will design eco-friendly and futuristic infrastructure in Africa. 

He achieved an A of 83 points in the 2022 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KSCE) examinations. With the support of Nova Pioneer’s teaching and post-school-support team, Marclus focused his high school journey on improving his artistic and design skills. 

Given his outstanding academic results, he received early admission offers from University of Southern Mississippi and Snow College with a scholarship of US$29,000. For students at Nova Pioneer, like Marclus, we believe that their future is bright!

 

Leaders and innovators that will shape the African century

We believe that every child has the potential to lead, thrive and shape the world they live in, and this can be achieved through our 3 C’s – Character, Capabilities and Connection. We develop students into the innovators and leaders that will shape the African century. 

Discover how Nova Pioneer can help you Find Your Nova:

Are you ready to take the next step? Make sure to Apply Today

 

Are you already part of the Nova Pioneer community? 

You’ve found your Nova, now help others find theirs!

At Nova Pioneer, we know how important it is to build community. Who better to help us do this than our very own parents? As an existing Nova Pioneer parent, you could qualify for a 5% discount on your own child’s tuition, when a parent that you refer successfully enrolls their child at any of our Nova Pioneer campuses in Kenya.

In order to successfully enrol a referred student, the prospective parent must state that they were referred to Nova Pioneer by you (your first name and surname), when they fill in the online application form in the ‘How did you hear about us?’ section on our website. This is a mandatory requirement to be eligible for the discount.

As a current parent who wishes to refer a family, you can also complete this form with the details of the family you wish to refer and an Admissions teammate will reach out to them and assist them make a formal application for their child to join one of our Nova Pioneer campuses. 

There is no limit to the number of students a current parent can successfully refer and consecutively benefit. You will be entitled to a 5% discount per referral who successfully enrols.

 

At Nova Pioneer, we complement our rigorous learning model with a variety of academic activities to ensure we boost students’ academic excellence. Our academic team is intentional in supporting learners, so as to develop their skills and abilities within the classroom. Some of these activities include;

 

 

ACADEMIC DECATHLON

An academic decathlon is an educational competition intended for high school students from various academic achievement levels (from the Form 1, Form 2, Form 3, and/or Form 4) to demonstrate their knowledge and proficiency in content derived from specific subjects and topics. 

The objective of the contest is to:

1. Stimulate healthy academic competition amongst students.
2. Help keep students on top of their game in matters concerning revision.

Each Saturday, the school Academic Decathlon chooses a new theme subject and topic to be tested in the competition. Since its inception, the Academic Decathlon has provided students with an opportunity to experience a challenging and rigorous learning environment through individual and team competitions. 

It has been designed to include students with varying achievement levels, each Academic Decathlon team (homeroom) is divided into 4 or 5 divisions based on the subjects included in the competition; where students match wits in several individual and team competitions.

Overall winners, individuals and teams, are recognized as champion teams and get a special mention during baraza and they are rewarded handsomely.

The success of the Academic Decathlon is shared by the students, teachers, and the supportive administrators at the school. Countless hours are spent learning, researching, and practicing for the competition.

The benefits:

• Strengthen students’ self-esteem
• Improves students’ academic achievement and skills
• Develop school pride
• Foster a team spirit and spirit of cooperation
• Builds students’ perseverance and dedication

ACADEMIC WALKTHROUGHS

Instructional walkthroughs are intended to help education leaders develop a shared understanding of what high-quality instruction looks like and what the schools need to do to support it. Through this process, educators develop a shared practice of observing, discussing, and analyzing learning and teaching.

Academic Deans walk through classrooms to get a strong sense of the current instructional practices at school. This enables the Wednesday Professional Development planning sessions to be grounded in evidence from classrooms, leverage current strengths, and be within a reasonable development zone based on teachers’ current practice. 

Before going into a classroom, the team will have a brief meeting on what to look out for and each member would be assigned a specific task. For example, one member might be assigned to note what is written on the chalkboard, and another to pull aside one student to learn what they understand about the lesson. After leaving each classroom, the team spends about a few minutes comparing notes. After visiting all of the classrooms for a particular day, the team assembles and spends about 30 – 45 minutes going over the evidence they have collected.

By observing what students are doing and staying in the classroom, we gather qualitative data on the strengths and needs of students and plan improvement efforts accordingly, which are communicated to the teachers for subsequent implementation.

 

ACADEMIC CLINICS

We are constantly looking for ways to support the academic growth of our students, and as such, we are in the process of formalizing a new structure which we believe will not only enhance the delivery of an exceptional service to students, but also provide a solid foundation for the future growth of the school. The aim of the educational clinics is to provide intervention and educational support for our students.

At the Academic clinics, there is a lot of support that happens behind the scenes to manage the students’ support program. This includes monitoring student progress using internal and external, formative and summative assessment data, ongoing professional development and upskilling of teachers. 

The Academic Clinic model reflects the exceptional characteristics of our students, their range of learning needs and the fact that typically, they do not respond to instruction the same way. To maximize the effectiveness, our students often require expertise beyond the skills and experience of a single teacher. The Academic Clinics collaborative model ensures that each student’s support is individualized to unprecedented levels.

Our strategy to deliver Results:

• Initial assessment to determine each student’s need
• Evidence-based intervention targeted to individual learning needs
• Continuous monitoring of students progress with regular feedback
• Use of a collaborative model for intervention involving the whole team of our skilled and experienced teachers
• Ongoing professional development and sharing of expertise and experiences

Should you wish to learn more about our unique learning model, please ensure to join us at our next Open Day. 

Nova Pioneer encourages parents’ involvement in their child’s education. We organize parent teacher conferences and academic days for parents to find out how students are doing academically and socially. These meet-ups trigger deep conversations regarding the wellness of students in school. 

Research has shown that having parents involved in school has a very positive impact on a child’s education. The Harvard Family Research Project concluded that parental involvement is associated with higher student achievement.

Here are 5 reasons why you should get involved in your child’s education.

Higher Grades; Students whose parents are involved in their education, tend to record an upward trajectory in academics.

Better behavior; Students develop better social skills when parents are involved in school. They are less likely to skip school, less disruptive in class and are more likely to complete homework. The students are less likely to be suspended, expelled or expected to repeat a grade.

Improved Education; Parent involvement in schools directly impacts quality of schools, teachers morale, and improves a schools reputation in the community.

Increased Confidence; When students feel supported both at home and in school, they develop more positive attitude about school, have more confidence and place a high value on academic achievement. 

Parents benefit too; When parents are involved in their children’s education, they become more comfortable with the school,  gain confidence in their parenting skills, and feel more capable of helping their children learn. They are also more likely to continue their own education.

Parents’ involvement in their children’s education always pays off.

Enrollments for 2023 are currently ongoing in all our day and boarding schools. Click here to submit an application for your child.

Would you buy a car without test driving it first? Probably not! Nova Pioneer believes that an important part of choosing the right school for your child should include checking out the facilities, meeting the school leadership and understanding what students experience in and outside of the classroom. A Campus Experience at Nova Pioneer provides a unique and interactive way  for parents to experience Nova Pioneer’s learning model  that differentiates us from other schools. It also provides a convenient opportunity for your child to complete  our internal in-person assessment.

Attending a Campus Experience gives you a chance to receive an early admission for your child.

Early Admissions are beneficial in the following ways;

 

Njaanuary? Plan Ahead!

The January back-to-school hustle is one to dread.  Long queues at supermarkets, textbook centers and uniform shops, not to forget the hiked prices of items. Securing an early admission for your child will give you ample time to plan your resources, saving you time and money.

 

Helps Student Prepare for K.C.P.E

The assessment process at Nova Pioneer  is an important learning opportunity for Class 8 candidates. The Interview provides students with an experience of what to expect in K.C.P.E giving them confidence to sit for the main exam.

 

Spots at Nova Pioneer are Limited

Nova Pioneer’s unique learning approach includes an inquiry-based-learning model that results in stronger intellectual ability and character than the traditional lecture-based education learning approach.  Spots are therefore very competitive and limited.  Our spots are offered on a first-come-first-serve basis. Securing an early admission by attending a campus experience, keeps you ahead of the competition.

Click here to Join us on our next Campus Experience. 

At Nova Pioneer we live and learn by our six culture principles.Our culture is the most important element of our work at Nova Pioneer. Our culture drives the learning and character development of our students and it enables our team to work together to achieve exceptional results. 

Our culture principles are;

Joy of Learning ; We delight in learning and bring infectious energy and positive spirit to everything we do because joy fuels learning and hardwork

High Expectations ; We set goals that others think are impossible and never stop until we achieve them.

Always Growing ; We constantly seek out difficult challenges , share and receive feedback as a gift and see every failure as an opportunity to grow.

Solutions First ; We respond to every obstacle with action and always bring solutions to problems

Servant Leadership ; We believe great leaders are great servants, and put service to  others before service to self.

Greater Together ; We collaborate with and support our colleagues and students because we can achieve more together.

This year’s mashujaa day, We celebrate our culture heroes. These are teammates who have demonstrated, Always growing, High Expectations and Joy of learning in an extraordinary way. 

Shouts to Griffin, Stella and Elvis!!

Visit our website today to learn more about Nova Pioneer.

 

 

 

At Nova Pioneer we believe that the objective of discipline is to encourage awareness, and that discipline, rather than punishment, should focus on inclusive methods of communication, reinforcement, and modelling. Above all, we want to create a warm and supportive environment in which children can grow, learn, and learn to love learning. A case in point, Nova Pioneer Ormonde refers to an affirmation mirror, which our young Novaneers use to modulate and learn about their emotions. They make affirmations by looking in the mirror and expressing something positive about oneself; it does not have to be physical characteristics, but it might be something about their personality, for example, “ I am intelligent” or “I am kind”.

According to Nova Pioneer pre-primary senior resident teacher, Asmaa Khan, “When we encounter challenging behaviour, we must establish why, what the child is attempting to communicate, and how we may assist the child. Our role as adults is to assist the child in communicating their feelings and guiding the child toward a constructive resolution of the problem.”

In situations like these, Nova Pioneer teachers are trained to take a supportive rather than punitive approach-to build strong bonds of trust so that our Novaneers develop a sense of accountability from early childhood. Understanding the impact of one’s actions (positive or negative) is an important part of early childhood development. The Reggio Emilia approach which our curriculum is founded on facilitates this level of consciousness. 

Our teachers (all of whom are required to be certified) are able to encourage positive conduct by rewarding good behaviour using our positive reinforcement model. This stems from an understanding that our students have a constant need for validation, and that “misbehaviour” is a cry for attention, so when “misbehaviour” occurs, it is also important to reflect on what we as caregivers are not adequately providing. (This applies at home as well!). The positive reinforcement model is heavily reliant on communication and consistency-verbal or physical rewards for appropriate and responsible behaviour create an appreciation for appropriate and responsible behaviour and an awareness of the opposite.

We value the relationship that we have with our parents. Teachers and caregivers are encouraged to develop relationships with Novaneer parents through day-to-day engagements during drop-off and pick-up times as well as staying accessible to parents when needed. This collaborative relationship also assists in ensuring that the home and school environment is helping our Novaneers get the best out of themselves and behaviours that could be harmful (or good) are monitored and handled accordingly. 

Nova Pioneer strives to create a community that continues with our learners from the start of their school career until they graduate. Our school philosophy is developed to ensure the success of every child who passes through our doors; we want them to be major actors in any setting they inhabit during and after their time at Nova Pioneer. (As we say, once a Novaneer, always a Novaneer!). 

Click here to read more about our Post School Success programme.

Enrollments for Grade 7 and Form 1 2023 are currently ongoing. Click here to apply for your child.

 

Novaneers are well known for their commitment to the Nova Pioneer Culture principles. Our Students refer to the 6 culture principles as a way of life.

One of our students at Nova Pioneer Tatu boys campus, Abdilahi Ali, founded the Tumaini Pioneer club based on the culture principle of servant leadership. The club aims at giving back to the community within and outside the school. 

 

The club has been conducting various donation drives within the school.

On 30th July, the club organized a marathon where teachers, students and parents participated. The marathon was a great success as the club managed to raise resources such as; Dry foods, sanitary towels, clothes, Books, stationery and toiletries.

 

All the resources collected will be channeled to support school going- children in Samburu. The club members will be visiting Reten Primary school and Lalaingok Primary Schools in Samburu on the 17th and 18th September to complete their mission.

To continue with the club’s objective, Donation drives will be running throughout the year to enable the club to reach out to more members of the community.