It has been almost two weeks since we (Nova Pioneer teachers) parted ways with students. I am glad to report that school closures didn’t dampen our commitment to teaching and neither did they put a halt in our students’ learning. Joy of Learning remains a priority.

 

The work behind the work

Our school leaders, learning design team and teachers have worked tirelessly to curate learning material which caters to the holistic needs of our students. The lesson plans have also been adapted to accommodate learning to occur in the home environment.

The learning packs were designed to keep our Novaneers immersed and active throughout the day. The lessons range from using beans or pasta as counting materials for our young ones to writing an engaging newspaper article about the impact of the COVID-19 for our more dynamic grade six students.  In an effort to not lose the Joy of Learning, all packs also included fun games and easy-to-do at home physical activities.

 

Learning through digital platforms

Thanks to great strides in tech innovations, and together with the help of parents, we have been able to facilitate remote learning and serve our students. From day one of the national school closure, our students have had the opportunity to engage in e-learning programmes from the comfort of their home. Teachers have been able to continually monitor progress and ready to provide timely feedback to the both students and their parents.

 

 

 

Building inquisitive, enquiring minds

Even with the social distancing, our teaching methods stay the same. Our expectations of our students also don’t change. Our students are still encouraged to not only absorb the information presented to them but also to engage with it. They are encouraged to ask questions which will lead to them creating connections between their learning materials and real-life experiences.We are confident that they have been equipped with the skills and tools to take the lead in their own learning. 

 

 

Parents getting in on the action

Parents and teachers have begun to share pictures of their amazing work of facilitating from home. We can not ignore the huge contribution of our parent-teacher relationships in the success of this remote learning programme. Our teachers continue to serve as support structures to both learners and parents telephonically as well as through email.

 

Teamwork makes the dreamwork

During this time, we have found real joy in being Greater Together and probably taken the culture principle to the next level. This is a reflection of the work our school does to equip learners with the ICT skills they will need now and in the future for independence and empowerment. Not even COVID-19 could stand in the way of our Joy of Learning spirit.

 

 

Here’s what some of our teachers had to say:

“Working remotely does not prevent us from providing maximum support to our learners. We strive to ensure that they still experience the Joy of Learning even at home.” – Khensani Mabona, Grade 6 Teacher Ormonde 

“Nothing beats starting my day with meditation – similar to how we start off each day with mindfulness activities with our Novaneers. – Roxanne Prem, Grade 3 Teacher Ormonde 

“Joy of Learning means taking regular outdoor reading breaks between my work so I can provide 100% support to learners and parents” – Katlego Thwane – Grade 7 Humanities Teacher Ormonde

 

 

Head over to our social media pages for updates on how our teachers, parents and students continue to live up to our mission – to develop generations of innovators and leaders who will shape the African Century. 

Instagram: @novapioneer_sa

Twitter: @novapioneer_sa

Facebook: Nova Pioneer South Africa

In normal times, the option of working remotely may seem like a luxury. COVID-19 has unfortunately necessitated remote work for people across the world — including just about all of us here at Nova Pioneer — taking us out of our usual work environment. Because the workplace, for many, provides a daily sense of routine, stability, connection and meaning, such an abrupt change can leave us feeling isolated, frustrated, anxious, or unmotivated.

 

Don’t be too hard on yourself

The first thing we’d like you take away from this message is that if you’re having trouble staying motivated, organised, or well-nourished; if you’re having trouble dealing with family demands, cabin fever, or social isolation; in general, if you aren’t feeling like your best self during this time, this is totally natural and you are not alone! So be gentle on yourself. And to managers, who undoubtedly are also feeling disoriented — be thoughtful about how to support your team. We’re all headed up a steep learning curve, and we’ll get more confident day by day.

All that being said, while some sense of disruption may be inevitable, there are steps that you can proactively take to maximize your well-being and productivity while working remotely. Below you’ll find some of the classic pitfalls of working remotely and tips for how you can avoid them. 

 

 

1. Build a routine and focus – Steps to help you avoid the “It’s 2pm and I’m still in my pajamas” concept

 

Build routine and create new rituals to help you focus and separate work life from home life. Here are some easy, effective steps you can take:

• To start, mimic your normal workplace routine as much as possible.
• Set clear start and stop times to your day.
• Shower and dress professionally to get into a work mindset.
• Get yourself in the mindset for work — fake a commute by going for a walk or any other small ritual to set the tone. You can also use the commute time to journal or set up your work space for the day.
• Take scheduled breaks — set alarms every hour or so to get up and stretch your legs, make a cup of tea, or step outside.
• Keep a checklist of things to be done each day and block time in your calendar to get projects done.
• By all means, keep the TV and social media powered off!

Create a comfortable primary workspace.

Having a primary workspace that can feel like your at-home office or cubicle is critical — even if it’s just reserving a particular corner or other area. Comfortable seating, sufficient light, and minimal distractions are all ingredients of a productive workspace, whether at home or in the office. This doesn’t have to be your only workspace, but it should be where you can reliably go to get good, focused work done.

Set boundaries with family and friends.

Many of us may share a home workspace with family, a spouse, or roommates. Make it clear to them that just because you are home does not mean you are available, and that they should respect your time and your space. We will be sending a separate guide specifically for teammates who have kids at home, which of course presents a different set of challenges to working remotely.

Reflect on what works and what doesn’t.

Again, for most of us this is an entirely new experience, so we’ll learn as we go. Take time at the end of each day to review how you spent your time, where and when you were most productive, and what you want to try the next day. Do headphones help you block out distractions? Are you more productive with short breaks throughout the day or one longer lunch break? Everyone is different — listen to your body and brain to figure out what works for you.

 

 

2. Health and wellness – Ain’t no sunshine when I work from home

If you typically exercise, don’t stop now.

If your gym is closed, there are plenty of exercises you can do at home — squats, push-ups, sit-ups, burpees, and more that do not require gym equipment. Remember that as long as your heart is beating faster, it doesn’t care why. Here’s a list of resources/routines for at-home workouts.

Movement is key, whether or not you choose to exercise.

It’s easy to come to the end of a remote work day and realise you’ve taken just a few hundred steps. This is counter-productive, as movement enhances cognitive activity, posture, and general wellbeing and can be very energising while working remote. So build activity into your routine — go for a walk, take calls standing up, and/or do exercises in the morning, evening, or throughout the day.

Drink plenty of water.

This is important for hydration, health, and for movement.

Eat proper meals and avoid snacking throughout the day.

There may be more temptations at home than at work — do your best to avoid them. Eating proper, whole-food meals can suppress your appetite for snacks. Nutrition is always vital! Consider prepping your meals the night before if you’re worried you won’t have time during the day.

Do something every day (even small!), other than work, that enriches your life.

Reading, writing, cooking (recipes), podcasting, and other hobbies will do the trick.

 

 

3. Connection and support – Teamwork makes the remote work.

Be kind to yourself and your teammates.

Trust that everyone is doing their best in a difficult situation. Especially given the circumstances, consider starting your meetings with a personal check-in to see how everyone is doing.

Over-communicate.

Especially early on, as we are all getting comfortable with each others’ working styles in this environment, consider sharing more regular status updates with your team and/or manager. Scheduling more regular check-ins may help until a new rhythm is established. Note that this is not a free pass to managers to remotely hover over their team’s shoulder. Trust is key.

Feedback is (still) a gift!

Always a priority at Nova Pioneer, giving feedback on what’s working and what isn’t is even more critical when navigating uncertainty. Share learnings with the broader team so everyone can benefit and adapt their style as needed. Remember that your manager has likely never managed a remote team and would benefit greatly from feedback during this time. 

Keep culture going.

Keep up the casual communications that might have happened at the “water-cooler”. Check in with teammates via email or WhatsApp and schedule digital lunches or tea breaks. Share pictures of your workspace and send GIFs and memes to express your feelings. Most rituals and rhythms that your team does at work can be recreated remotely.

 

 

We encourage you to experiment with these and other strategies and find what works for you. No one size fits all, and nothing can solve all your challenges overnight. But with practise, remote work will get easier and hopefully more enjoyable. Along the way, we encourage you to openly voice your struggles and share your triumphs. Because above all, remember that we’re in this together.

At Nova Pioneer, we are intentional about the spaces that we create for learning. Children learn to love learning, and come to school to experience the joy and wonder of learning in a safe and loving environment.  Our students, parents and teachers experience Nova Pioneer Paulshof as a place of love and joy where all Novaneers feel appreciated, and valued. Our teachers love what they do, and parents know that this is a place for them too.

 

 

Creativity in the Nova Pioneer classrooms

All our teachers are given creative freedom to theme and design their classrooms for their students. In the process, students are also encouraged to take part in the making the space feel like their own by putting up their photos or photos of their families. Today we shine a spotlight on a Nova Pioneer Paulshof Campus classroom – Ms Neveling’s Grade R classroom. We asked Ms Neveling to tell us more about her Leaf Classroom.

 

 

What inspired you to create the “Leaf” Classroom theme?

The leaf classroom is what most people would call it but, I see it as a classroom that I created hoping to open doors and I am glad many walked in. My main idea behind my classroom decor, was a space that would accommodate each and every child. I wanted to bring something that they are all used to but in my own way. I made majority of the resources myself, from the alphabet chart to the huge birthday tree.

 

 

 

How long did it take you to decorate your classroom?

The decor making and the creation of the space, took 27 hours in total. A lot of time I know but I would do it all over again because seeing how excited the children were on Day 1 made it all worth it. So, it was not for me but for the children. I believe that our classroom space does affect the atmosphere each and every day. I see how children are happy, calm and comfortable in their corner of nature.

 

 

What has been the response from parents and people who have seen your classroom?

I recently placed pictures of my class on twitter, and unexpectedly received 6,5K Likes and 724 Retweets. I also received a great amount of messages, amazing comments and books delivered to our class, from the author herself. The response I received from the parents and learners,made me appreciate the long hours I spent planning and putting this space together. I plan to carry my love for beautiful and inspiring spaces into every class I am placed in, as I know it might inspire me in the moment, but it will inspire those young minds for years to come.

 

Students, teachers staff, 3rd parties and even parents, you have access to our beautiful schools daily but ever wondered how we go about ensuring that your time on our campuses is a happy and safe one?

 

Well, that responsibility falls on the big shoulders of Nova Pioneer’s Health and Safety compliance officers who work behind the scenes to make that a reality.

 

Health and safety are the activities related to ensuring the wellbeing of all persons that are present on our school grounds. 

 

Health and Safety touch on physical as well as emotional wellbeing, and it makes this field very rewarding yet challenging at the same time. However, we at Nova Pioneer take our responsibilities in this regard very seriously and have instituted a formal health and safety program throughout our network of schools. 

 

Health and Safety at Nova Pioneer is governed by the following policies and these documents form the basis of all our health and safety practices at all Nova Pioneer schools.

 

• Health & Safety Policy
• Emergency Management Plan
• Health & Safety Procedures

 

In addition, each school has a fully functioning Health and Safety Committee, who are charged with the day-to-day management of health and safety risks at individual campuses. This speeds up decision-making processes and mitigation of risk, on the ground, as it arises.

 

All schools report once per term on the status of compliance on issues that have arisen during the term. This, in turn, is collated into a report to the Nova Pioneer Managing Director on the overall state of compliance with the standard of health and safety across the network.

 

In a follow up to this article, we will share some of the specific activities we engage in to ensure that we manage the health and safety of all Novaneers responsibly.

 

Click here to read more on our Nova Pioneer policy documents

 

Novaneers made history when they came together to compete in the first InterNOVA Sports Day!

We recently saw our Nova Pioneer Paulshof campus host the inaugural InterNOVA Sports day that brought Nova Pioneer Students from our Grade 1 and 2 classes from across our network of schools in Gauteng to compete in this exciting event.

Watching the buses arrive with excited athletes from Midrand, North Riding and Ormonde was a sight to behold, and another momentous occasion for Nova Pioneer as we brought together our students in the spirit of #GreaterTogether and further realise our vision.

As the young Novaneers hopped off the buses, and ran onto the field, a Paulshof student was overheard saying, “They have the same shirts as us – they must be Nova Pioneers too!” Such is the culture of a #GreaterTogether organisation!

This spirit ensued throughout the day as war cries from each school reverberated across the campus. Many exciting events including athletics, basketball and soccer matches were run smoothly throughout the morning, thanks to our energetic coaches from Fielding Dreams and the different campuses

We look forward to enjoying the same spirit for the rest of our Grades soon. All are welcome to come and join us at Nova Pioneer Paulshof to enjoy the Novaneer spirit! Stay tuned to our blog for more updates.

 

As we look forward to a new year, a lot of us may already have set our new year’s resolutions. For parents however, the question is, “have you taken time to set academic goals with your child?” If your answer is no, or not yet, then now may be the right time for you to start Academic Goal Setting with your little ones.

In my experience as an educator, I have come across many parents who want to get actively involved in their children’s education but, more than often, do not know where to start or the best way to do so. I continue to advise parents to focus on collaborative goal setting with their children. Nova Pioneer believes this is a great way to contribute to their children’s educational success. 

 

Setting Growth Goals

In the previous year, my learners and I set ‘Growth Goals’ together. This was after we had a conversation about understanding our Always Growing culture principle. They took the lead and wrote down their academic growth goals. These were hung up the wall to serve as a constant reminder of what they were working towards.

Each term, we took some time to reflect and track how far we were to reaching our goals. This was important as it allowed the learners a chance to celebrate their achievements and also note down some growth areas. 

Academic Goal Setting should not be treated like New Year’s Resolutions – set once and never looked at again. It should be an ongoing process which requires tracking and reflection so that learners are constantly aware of the expectations they have set for themselves.

 

How do I set goals with my child?

It is a good idea to have conversations around how they picture their future then introduce goal-setting to them as a building block towards their desired future.  A great way of setting goals is through the use of the SMART mnemonic. SMART stands for:

S – Specific

M – Measurable

A – Attainable

R – Relevant

T – Time-bound

For example, instead of having “to pass grade 4” as a goal, it is more powerful to use the SMART goal “To achieve more than 70% in each subject at the end of term 1.”

 

How will my child benefit from goal setting?

Academic Goal Setting will not only pave the way for academic success, but it also has other great benefits for learners. Research has uncovered many key aspects of goal setting theory and its link to success (Kleingeld, et al, 2011). Setting goals is linked to self-confidence, motivation, and autonomy (Locke & Lathan, 2006). 

 

Here are more benefits:

Active engagement: The goals are set by the students themselves. Therefore, they work actively towards achieving them. This means they place more effort in their studies to ensure they accomplish the goal.

Accomplishment: Celebrating the small successes is a great part of goal-setting as it motivates the learners to achieve more. These accomplishments contribute to increased self-confidence. 

Awareness of strengths and weaknesses: Goal setting allows students to be aware of their potential. They discover their strengths and weaknesses which allow them to set more attainable goals in the future. Furthermore, they can aim higher and advance their learning. 

Collaborative goal-setting, therefore, increases parental involvement, broadens students’ thinking and provides a map for the school year.

Here’s a free reflection template to use as a goal tracker with your child.

Written by Khensani Mabona – a resident teacher at Ormonde Primary 

On 19 October, Nova Pioneer North Riding hosted its first Cupcakes and Coding event at their Jackal Creek based campus. The three-hour-long workshop taught teachers from all over Johannesburg the basics of Swift coding, which is a language used by some of the top application developers worldwide.

 

Coding 101

As a school network group, we want to play an integral part in the sustainability of education on the African continent. The Cupcakes and Coding concept was born as a first step to achieving this goal. The class, offered free of charge, was inspired by our wish to equip all learners with the skills needed for future jobs.

 

 

 

 

Nova Pioneer School broke ground on a new piece of land which will house an extension of the current premises on 2 October.

 

Press Release: Head of school Jeanine Kerr said a new campus would be built and will accommodate Grade 4 to 7 learners. She added, “It will be a senior primary campus. Our oldest grade this year is Grade 5 so they will be moving to the new campus next year.”

The campus will be situated about 250m from the current one and will include sports facilities.

The school hosted a small ceremony to mark the occasion with Kerr saying the new campus would benefit the growth of their school and learners. There is the hope of a high school opening in 2022.

Property development manager for Nova Pioneer Carel Dill said, “We will be starting with the earthworks. We want to start with building in January next year with the school opening in our third term next year.”

Article published in the Midrand Reporter 

Nova Pioneer Secondary students competed in the 2019 AGEC19 challenge. Our students got the opportunity to immerse themselves in the gamified learning platform that was open to all high school students from Grade 8 to Grade 12.

 

Tough Competition

Our students competed against 300 other schools from around South Africa. During five weeks of competition, students were exposed to entrepreneurial development as well as exponential technologies like Blockchain, Digital Biology, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things or 3D printing. Students experienced this through bite-sized chunks of enriched, digitised skills-based learning.

 

Students gain exposure

Within this sphere of  #AGEC19 Novaneers were exposed to habits and concepts pertinent to being an entrepreneur. The challenges were categorised into themes like Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), food security, affordable housing and healthcare. Novaneers engaged in this experience by researching (collecting data, interviews and creating applications) and formulated realistic solutions to these issues. 

Six of our students really demonstrated their #Joy of Learning and exceeded #High Expectations by achieving accolades for their work in the competition. Secondary students Neo Motaung, Siphesihle Dubazana achieved Bronze certificates while Tasmiyya Paruk, Ayanda Sibanda, Sandisiwe Nyoni, and Lesedi Mnguni achieved Gold Awards.

Tasmiyya Paruk has been selected to deliver her ideas in the form of a business pitch. She was selected out of hundreds of submissions. As a community of Novaneers, we celebrate these achievements and couldn’t be prouder of our future entrepreneurial leaders on their successes. 

Nova Pioneer has introduced International Benchmark Assessment tool called MAP (Measuring Academic Progress) at all campuses. The tool helps us identify student strengths and areas of need. It also allows teachers to better prepare students for their exams.

 

Creating cross-geo consistencies

Our shared mission as Nova Pioneer is to build a network of high-quality schools across the continent that are fostering the next generation of innovators and leaders. We are currently operating 10 schools across South Africa and Kenya, and central to our work is using global best practices to build a coherent and powerful curriculum.

In our primary schools, in addition to being grounded in the Cambridge International Curriculum in South Africa, we are also using leading world programming, like Singapore Maths and THRASS from the UK, to further deep learning and competency-building in our students.

As we operate schools across multiple countries, at our inception, we researched global assessments that would allow us to measure the growth of our students, independent of the curriculum of the country we operate in. After rigorous research, we decided to use an international benchmark assessment tool that we refer to as ‘MAP’. This tool allows us to measure the growth students are experiencing in our schools across countries so that we can continue to ground our work focused on the growth of our schools and children.

 

 

Academic rigor is a must

Another core component of our vision is in making sure that all students grow academically while they are with us. This growth is measured in a number of ways, including: Termly assessments; end of unit assessments; verbal communication; written communication; portfolios; reading growth assessments; plus informal exit tickets and continuous assessments of and for learning – all at relevant grades.

We seek to have multiple points of contact in what and how students are learning so that we can continue to support their accelerated and meaningful growth. A key part of that constellation of assessments that allow us to get a picture of how students are doing is through MAP.

 

 

Measuring growth over time

The MAP assessments are skill-based, and curriculum related, which is critical as 145 countries are using the tool and each may have different curriculum mandates. At its core, MAP is a computer-based, adaptive test, with each student being presented with a unique set of questions based on their responses to prior questions. The assessment is focused on measuring growth over time. As such, learners take an assessment at the beginning of the year, in the middle of the year, and the end of the year. MAP software is able to determine growth goals based on the initial assessment and then measure progress.