Nova Pioneer announced plans to launch a new high schools in 2023. Nova Pioneer Ruimsig High Campus will be based at our North Riding campus for the first two years (thereafter moving to our Ruimsig campus in 2025) and serve Novaneers in Johannesburg West.  The new campus will cater for Grade 8 students in 2023 and subsequently add grades. Nova Pioneer is a private school network that builds and operates world-class, affordable schools, offering students grades from preschool through to high school.

Quality Education Made Accessible to More Families

Co-founder and CEO of Nova Pioneer Chinezi Chijioke said the school group’s expansion plans are guided by their mission to develop a generation of young innovators and leaders who will shape the world.

“Over the past five years, our Nova Pioneer North Riding primary school campus has only catered to students from preschool to Grade 7. However, due to the remarkable success of the campus and growing demand for a high school, we will introduce high school that will serve families in the areas as well as give Novaneers the opportunity to complete their schooling career at Nova Pioneer,” he explained.

“Nova Pioneer seeks to provide consistent excellent 21st century schooling that prepares children to thrive and lead in life beyond school, and is financially accessible – we want to reach as many families as possible. We do this through a combination of the rigorously implemented Cambridge curriculum, a teaching approach that emphasises critical thinking and student voice, and our internally developed leadership, social-emotional wellness, and post-school success programmes.”

 

Expansion Plans in Detail

 

The Ruimsig High School will initially be housed at our North Riding campus for the first two years and thereafter will move onto our Ruimsig campus ensuring it can suitably serve all students in the Randburg and Roodepoort areas. Nova Pioneer South Africa now has three high schools and we are currently enrolling for the following grades.

• Nova Pioneer Ormonde: Grade 8 to A-Levels
• Nova Pioneer Midrand: Grade 8 and 9
• Nova Pioneer West (incubated at North Riding): Grade 8

 

 

Excellent Cambridge Results

 

Chief Academic Officer, Rahel Wondwossen said the school group offers quality education grounded in the Cambridge standards, an internationally accredited curriculum that is both locally and globally recognised. Our Nova Pioneer High schools offer grades up to, and including Grade 13, which is optional but a popular choice for many students based on their specific tertiary learning plans and, with time, Nova Pioneer West will offer all grades.

“Cambridge qualifications are internationally recognised, opening doors for Nova Pioneer students to universities in South Africa and worldwide. We are proud to be one of a few South African schools that offer the Cambridge Curriculum and are fully accredited with Cambridge International.”

Nova Pioneer students can write their IGSCE, AS-Level and A-Level examinations. Earlier this year, the school group celebrated their Ormonde High students’ Cambridge A-Level results, with a 100% pass rate and exceeded the national subject pass average. The A-Level year is ostensibly the equivalent of Grade 13 at high school level and provides students a world-recognised exit qualification to widen the scope of their university studies both locally and internationally and, depending on how they performed in their IGCSE and AS levels, gives students the opportunity to improve their options of getting into their preferred course.

 

Post School Success Team

 

Nova Pioneer places high value on students’ post-secondary school success. The school believes many elements can impact a student’s ability to succeed after completing high school. “We want to ensure that students perform well academically and ensure that they feel supported and prepared to succeed beyond Nova Pioneer. We recognise that those paths will be as diverse as our students are, reflecting their passions and talents. To that effect, we have a Post-School Success (PSS) programme to provide all students with personalised guidance on exploring post-school options. Our PSS programme is a unique offering available to our senior high students,” said Wondwossen.

Since its introduction in both South Africa and Kenya, Nova Pioneer’s PSS programme has facilitated the admission of students into renowned universities both locally and abroad. Schools for Innovators and Leaders Nova Pioneer believes too many schools focus too narrowly on knowledge memorisation and content accumulation. While Nova Pioneer considers academic mastery and skills to be critically important, it also places focus on a more holistic set of skills aligned with its vision of developing high-character leaders and innovators.

“We focus on developing our students’ character, problem-solving capabilities and interpersonal connection. We call these our ‘3Cs’. We expect our students to excel in exams and attend great universities, but ultimately our success will be measured by our graduates’ lives. By the innovations they develop, companies they launch and lead, art they create, and impact they have on their communities,” said Chijioke.

“Ultimately, we want our students to become shapers of a world they envision, rather than takers of the world they inherit. We are very proud of all our students and wish them well as they transition into the next secondary learning stage of their lives. We look forward to having our students complete their entire schooling career (Grade 000 to Grade 13) at Nova Pioneer and openly welcome students from other schools too.”

 

Take a few seconds to think of someone that you deeply admire… 

This could be a friend, a colleague, a family member or maybe someone famous.

Now note down your answers to these 6 questions, as you keep this person in mind…

 

Do they: 

• believe that they can achieve more by working together with others?
• see failure as an opportunity to grow?
• set high standards for themselves?
• try to come up with solutions when faced with a problem?
• put others before themselves and engage with those around then with humility and generosity?
• remain open to learning and discovering new things?

If most of your answers were “yes” to the questions above, the person that you were thinking about and admire is undoubtedly someone who lives their life guided by a strong set of values and principles.

You may find it interesting that there were purposefully no questions above that were centred on the person’s expertise, accomplishments, capabilities, intellect or professional/career success. The person that you had in mind may exemplify all or most of the qualities portrayed in the 6 questions AND they may also be very smart, accomplished and successful in their field. (Whilst I don’t deny the value that success in one’s chosen profession or field brings, it certainly cannot be and typically isn’t, the only important ingredient!)

So my point is that many people that we admire are first and foremost deeply principled, have a growth mindset and live their lives with integrity. Isn’t this what each of us parents want for your children as they navigate their way through life… to be beacons for others around them appreciated and admired for their resilience; their selflessness; their grit and determination in the face of adversity; their curiosity and openness to grow and learn?

At Nova Pioneer, we place a lot of care and thought in integrating our school’s six culture principles into the in-class and extra-mural experiences, into how our lesson content is designed and how it is delivered. 

 

We have seen the power of helping students as early as pre-primary and through primary and secondary school to live by, to learn by and be guided by our SIX NOVA PIONEER CULTURE PRINCIPLES: 

• Enquiry-based learning means that Nova Pioneer students are encouraged to ask questions; they research and explore various topics (rather than just been lectured on these) which means that they foster a sense of curiosity and exploration from a young age. They become life-long learners. Nova Pioneer current students and alumni are described as curious and wanting to learn and discover more and more about topics.  (Joy of Learning).
• Our students are purposefully challenged; they are not scared to try new things; to fail and learn from these experiences. They also embrace feedback and see the value of giving and receiving feedback (Always Growing).
• Novaneers work in groups on tasks, class-work and projects. They quickly experience the benefits of collaboration – a life-long skill (Greater Together).
• It’s with great pride that we celebrate Novaneer students of all ages for their service within the school and within their community, selflessly helping others most in need (Servant Leadership).
• Novaneer students set high goals for themselves because they are not afraid to fail and because they are not scared to try new things. They build self-confidence and set their targets high (High Expectations).
• It is very rare that a Nova Pioneer student approaches their teacher or fellow Novaneer with a problem without a suggested solution. Novaneers are encouraged to be critical thinkers and natural problem solvers (Solutions First).

Cast your mind forward 10 or 20 years from now. Someone you know is asked to think of a person that they most admire and it is your child that comes to their mind. It is your child (probably a young adult by then) that they admire because they say that your child:

• believes that they can achieve more by working together with others
• sees failure as an opportunity to grow
• sets high standards for themselves
• comes up with solutions when faced with a problem
• put others before themselves and engages with those around then with humility and generosity
• remains open to learning and discovering new things.

Nova Pioneer believes that all schools should place as much focus, value and emphasis on character and value development as they do on academic excellence. Is your child’s current school doing this?

 

 

Celebrating our Novaneers 100% pass rate for Cambridge A-Levels 

 

Students at the Nova Pioneer Ormonde Secondary campus elated as they celebrate a year of exceptional results.

Nova Pioneer is a pan-African independent school group that builds and operates world-class, affordable schools, offering students grades from preschool through to secondary. The school offers Cambridge, an internationally accredited curriculum, where students can write their IGSCE, AS-Level and A-Level examinations.

The A-Level year is ostensibly the equivalent of Grade 13 at secondary school level and provides students a world-recognised exit qualification to widen the scope of their university studies both locally and internationally and, depending on how they performed in their IGCSE and AS levels, gives students the opportunity to improve their options of getting into their preferred course.  

Theuns Opperman, the school leader for Nova Pioneer Ormonde Secondary, said that he was pleased with the students’ results as they, again, exceeded the national subject pass average.

“It is a pleasure to share in our students’ successes and excitement about their futures and to hear personally from them how attending Nova Pioneer has laid the foundations for  their aspirations. Their exceptional results reflect the tremendous diligence of our students and their tenacity, as well as the unstinting support and inspiration of their teachers,” said Opperman.

“We believe these results demonstrate the value in the completion of an A-Level year – who wish to apply to the top South African and international tertiary institutions, and also for those students wishing to improve on their previous year’s AS level results.”

 

Academic excellence a priority 

 

Chief Academic Officer, Rahel Wondwossen said they were proud of the results achieved by their Grade 13 class of 2021. 

“I wish to commend our students and teachers for their commitment and hard work. The results achieved this year are a testament to their hard work and dedication leading up to this point and will underpin their successful progression into the future. Many of our students have now earned the necessary grades to secure places at universities locally or internationally should that be their plan,” said Wondwossen.

“We want to see students leave Nova Pioneer with the best possible academic qualifications for them and a love of learning that will remain with them for life. We are passionate about ensuring excellent outcomes for our pupils in order to improve their life opportunities. Thus, we are exceptionally proud of what the students have achieved,” she said.

 

Student spotlight

 

Top performing 2021 student in the A-Level year, Lindokuhle Nyoka says she plans to study medicine at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and is excited about the prospect of becoming the first medical doctor in the family.

“A-Levels are not easy but through hard work, determination and a collaborative attitude, acquiring good results is possible. I am really proud of my class,” says Nyoka. 

“I also appreciated the Greater Together culture principle and how my classmates and I were able to live it out. With the help of others, I was able to grow both academically and emotionally. My classmate Leslie Mpemba helped me tremendously in the area of personal development, whilst Colbert Jansen helped me with my academics.”

Attiyah Ally, who plans to pursue a career in science, was the top performing student in the AS-Level, achieving As in English and Mathematics. She says while she is happy about her academic achievements, she is really proud of the role that she played in the Student Council as the Academic Chair.

“I have seen tremendous growth in my character through the application of the “Always Growing” culture principle. I used to feel so exasperated by the smallest faults, but now I confidently embrace my failures and mistakes as an opportunity to improve and nurture success. I have learned this through my academic work as well as my role in the student council,” said Ally.

 

Prepared to thrive post school

 

Departing Nova Pioneer students who have completed their A-Levels, leave feeling confident as they  know what they want to pursue beyond school. Wondwossen says this was made possible through the support of the Post School Success (PSS) Team and the school’s Psycho-social Support Team.

Wondwossen explains, “We established the PSS Team with the aim of equipping students with practical tools for preparation in life after school. The team supports students in understanding their options and what benefits and challenges each may come with.” 

The PSS team, in collaboration with the psycho-social support team, provides students with personalised assessments and career guidance based on each of their unique talents and skills. They also support in mentoring students as they prepare for life after school, as well as giving them assistance and direction on applying to the best tertiary learning institutions nationally and globally.

Both teams have, and continue to, support all students’ as they explore their options to study further or to pursue other paths.

“Also, it is important to note that the journey of a Nova Pioneer student does not end with their exit examinations – once a Novaneer, always a Novaneer. We look forward to engaging with our Novaneers who will now be part of Nova Pioneer’s active and networked pan-African Alumni community,” she added. 

Mindfulness refers to a state of mind where a person has a heightened awareness of the internal and external experiences that are occurring at the present moment. It is a practice where your mind and all its thoughts are quietened bringing a feeling of calmness and increased awareness and focus.

 

The concept of mindfulness is thought to have been introduced to the west by Jon Kabat-Zinn in the late 1970s, who described it as “the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, at that moment.

 

Now more than ever, teaching mindfulness in the classroom is essential. As the world is experiencing unprecedented times with the Covid-19 pandemic.  Students, teachers, and parents feel stressed and anxious.

 

We also live busy lives and find our thoughts buzzing with a myriad of things to do and worry about.

 

As educators, we know that children learn best when they are comfortable, feel safe, and relaxed. By incorporating mindfulness in the classroom, teachers can create an environment for their students that is nurturing and non-threatening. It can set the climate for the day that is optimal for learning.

 

There are many benefits to mindfulness for students:

 

• Reduces stress and anxiety
• Improves attention and focus
• Improves the student’s cognitive performance
• Better emotional and social intelligence
• Improves memory

 

There are a few ways that our  teachers incorporate mindfulness into their classrooms, 

 

Mindfulness Through Breathing

Teaching children to breathe deeply into their stomachs when they feel stressed and anxious. This helps to calm their body and mind.

 

Mindfulness Through Sensory Experiences

Sensory experiences also help children to relax and focus. By playing relaxing or classical music with calming sounds, children can focus and concentrate on the task at hand. Work produced is of a higher quality and the classroom has a calm atmosphere.

 

Mindfulness Through Guided Imagery

Guided Imagery can develop children’s imaginations. It helps them to integrate learning with prior knowledge. When teachers introduce a new concept, they invite children to close their eyes and slowly talk them through a journey. In this way, the children can imagine and visualize – placing them in the right frame of mind and focus. In the younger classes, children can pretend they are the animals and mimic the sounds and movements of the animals. This just helps them to relate better to the topic that will follow.

 

At Nova Pioneer Ruimsig, our teachers incorporate all these strategies every day in their classrooms. You will always hear relaxing background music in each class when students are working independently. Music is also used to support transitions between centres. We use Guided Imagery in the younger grades to create a fun and interactive environment before the teacher introduces the new topic. Students are encouraged to close their eyes and imagine they are various characters or in a different setting to visualize the concept. This helps students to internalize the concept using all their senses. 

 

Our Grade  R, 1, and 3 classes actively practice meditation each morning. Teachers have noted the benefits of meditation in their classrooms, stating that their students are calm, focused, and are able to concentrate better throughout the day. 

 

Deep breathing techniques are also practiced after the lunch breaks and Physical Education (PE) transitions to help settle the class for the next lesson and put them in a calm and focussed frame of mind. 

 

As a result of practicing mindfulness on our Ruimsig campus, our students appear calm, relaxed, and happy.

 

 

Source:

http://www.educationalneuroscience.org.uk/resources/neuromyth-or-neurofact/mindfulness-has-a-place-in-the-classroom/#

https://childmind.org

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/integrating-mindfulness-in-classroom-curriculum-giselle-shardlow

 

Stand a chance to win 7 days of luxury accommodation in Umhlanga, KZN, when you tell us what makes your Novaneer child stand out. 

We may be biased but we believe that Novaneers (Nova Pioneer students) stand out amongst their peers. 

They’re the kind of students who aim high. They’re empowered to lead, to grow, to do more, be more and achieve great things.  #HighExpectations

Novaneers are resilient and adaptable in uncertainty. We saw this when schools closed last year and they had to pivot to a new way of learning (#AlwaysGrowing). They worked together with their peers and teachers to thrive during what may have been the toughest year for all of us. #GreaterTogether 

Our students are always pushing boundaries. They think fast to solve problems and, most importantly, they solve problems together. #SolutionsFirst

Their confidence is off the charts. They’re the kind of students who speak up because they know their voice matters! #JoyOfLearning

But most importantly, Novaneers stand out because of their big hearts – they care deeply about their peers, their learning and their teachers. #ServantLeaders

Enough about what we think however, we want to hear from you mom, dad, sister, brother or even you Novaneer, what you think makes a Novaneer stand out. How do you stand out?

Post on social media showing us what makes your Novaneer child a stand-out student, be creative and get all your friends to like and share. Tag @novapioneer_sa on Instagram and Twitter, Nova Pioneer South Africa on Facebook and @novapioneer on TikTok, using the hashtag #imaNovaneer. 

The post with the highest engagement, this includes likes, shares and comments (views excluded) will win 7 days of luxury accommodation in Umhlanga, KZN (please see terms and conditions below).

P.S: Make sure your profile is public in order for us to view and enter your video into the draw

Terms & conditions: 

• This competition is open ONLY to current Nova Pioneer parents from schools in South Africa. Entrants would have to be a current parent at the time of the competition closing on 15 November 2021. 
• There will be one prize of a 6-night stay at a 3 bedroom self-catering apartment in Umhlanga, KZN (sleeping a max of 6 people). This prize can only be redeemed in low or mid-season (excludes December and early January). Travel, meals, and entertainment are excluded from this prize and will be for the winner’s own account. 
• The prize must be redeemed before 15 November 2022. Dates will be subject to availability.
• Nova Pioneer parents and students may enter the competition utilising the following mechanism: 
  • Current Nova Pioneer parents will have to film their child (or themselves) talking about what makes their Nova Pioneer child stand out from the rest. They need to post the video online (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or TikTok) using the hashtag #imaNovaneer and tag us on their post. The video with the most engagements (likes and shares – not views) as of 15 November 2021, will win the above-mentioned prize.
  • By entering the competition through the use of the hashtag, Nova Pioneer will consider this consent from the entrant to post on their social media platforms.
• The winner is required to pay a R2000 breakage deposit before the stay
• Nova Pioneer has a right (with consent from the winners to): (i) electronically publish and distribute the photos of these prize winners in any website or social media platform

(ii) include the photo(s) in advertising and promotion materials; and 

(iii) to include the photo(s) in print and non-print products.  

• The winner will be notified by direct message via the associated social media platform.  
• Prizes are not exchangeable, transferable or exchangeable for cash. 
• The prize must be claimed within one month from the date of the draw.
• All unclaimed prizes will be forfeited by 30 June 2022.  
• Parents are to abide by the rules and regulations stated by the organizer.  
• In case of dispute, the organizer’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entertained.  
• This competition runs from 20 October 2021 to 15 November 2021. The winner will be announced on 20 November 2021.  
• Nova Pioneer reserves the right to amend the terms and conditions of or withdraw this competition if required by the authorities.

 

Simikazi Deyi expresses the importance of mother tongue languages in an article in 2018 that states, “Language is not just a series of words, but includes certain nuances that emerge in the form of idioms, metaphors and euphemisms, as well as praises. Language is therefore tied intrinsically to a sense of belonging, which is in turn linked to society and its values”. In a country where our differences have so often divided us, our school is always looking for tangible opportunities to acknowledge the spectrum of who we are. 

 

Language has historically been a divisive tool in education. Used to disempower, to segregate, and to alienate children from access to quality education. One simply needs to reflect on the 1976 Soweto Uprising to realise how powerful a tool language is in creating equitable access to education. In modern day South Africa, we still struggle with classism and bias based on people’s accents when they speak in English. As schools serving children on the African continent, it is our responsibility to work to create a cohesive society, and the acknowledgement of our language diversity is one of many ways we can make this possible for our learners. 

 

A starting point for us was to embrace the different languages spoken by our students. In social and break settings, we do not prohibit students from speaking in their mother tongue. Rather, we seek to empower our students to understand how to include their peers, and not allow children of differing languages to feel excluded from a social group. We also encourage our students to learn language through socialising with their peers, who may speak a different language. This is a more complicated approach than simply saying everyone must speak English, however, the long term impact on social cohesion is more meaningful. 

 

With all this in mind, our team launched our first Love Your Mother Tongue Week (LYMT Week) in 2019. LYMT Week is a week where parents can book a slot to come in to visit their child’s class during the Morning Meeting, which is the first half hour of the day. During this time parents are invited to read a story, teach the children a song, or recite a poem in their mother tongue. During COVID parents have been able to join via Zoom. Since starting LYMT Week, we have been treated to the most rewarding recognition of who we are as a nation. Our children have experienced parents celebrating the various indigenous South African languages, Asianlanguages, English, Afrikaans, languages from the Middle East, as well languages from throughout Africa by introducing them to the rich nuances of their languages through music, poetry and storytelling. 

 

We host this each term in an effort to normalise the differences that make us who we are, and being mindful to not just doing this once a year on a national holiday. Operationally, this is a very simple event, which requires no changes to our timetable, and is facilitated with a simple booking form. While it is very little work to organise, the power and impact of it is huge. It is however, important that the true shift does not just come from a termly event, but rather from interrogating our policies about language, and language diversity, both formal and informal. We should continue to strive to create cohesion through our everyday actions and daily acknowledgement of our differences, or else events like this will remain hollow and will be unable to affect the change we need to see in our society.

 

High school is the final phase of basic education, and the seeds planted in high school will be the fruits that will grow in tertiary. Looking for a high school for your child is no small feat. Parents want to know that their children are well prepared in high school to face tertiary education.

 

1. Find out what happens to students after they matriculate

 

A school’s post-high school success rate is one of the first things parents ought to consider when looking for a high school for their child. At Nova Pioneer, we place great value on students’ post-high school success. We strongly believe many elements can impact a student’s ability to succeed after completing high school. Thus, we want to ensure that students perform well academically at our institutions and ensure that they feel supported and prepared to succeed beyond Nova Pioneer. 

 

2. Additional support programmes

 

The kind of support a high school provides their students, specifically with regards to tertiary support programmes, exposure and resources – is as important as the school’s success rate. Our Post-School Success (PSS) programme at Nova Pioneer is designed to leverage different stakeholders in the student’s ecosystem, to facilitate the student’s exploration and understanding of themselves. The programme is a unique offering available to our senior high school students and it provides our students with personalised guidance on exploring post-school options.

 

3. Educational philosophy 

 

Parents should understand the unique educational philosophy of the school that they’re considering for their child. Schools operate with different educational values and some might not be aligned with your family values or the values you wish to instil in your child. For example, public schools are typically driven by a directive to teach in order to test. On the other hand, independent schools, like Nova Pioneer, have much more creativity and flexibility to develop our curriculum to allow our students to learn in a more all-inclusive way. We, at Nova Pioneer, are intentionally developing generations of innovators and leaders who will shape the African Century.

 

4. Academic programme

 

Parents should also get a sense of what the academic programme of the school looks like and how it fits into their child’s needs. Your child will be spending their last years of basic education at that school; make sure that the school offers classes that interest and challenge your child. Nova Pioneer offers the Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) curriculum, designed to teach students how to learn and how to go on learning. Our role goes beyond helping students achieve good results, and beyond giving students passports for progression to university or employment. We give our students a curriculum that will bring lifelong success in tomorrow’s world.

 

5. Classroom experience

 

Parents ought to have a guided experience around the high schools that they’re considering for their children. Make sure that you see the on-campus offering, facilities and how the classrooms are structured. In our classroom experience, Nova Pioneer invites parents to become students again by having them experience our unique way of teaching and experiencing what it’s like to be a Novaneer.

What parents need to remember is that there is no right or wrong way of selecting a high school for your child. Parents need to consider what will work best for their children. Place the needs of your child first when choosing a high school for them. And remember, whatever the high school has to offer your child, at the end of their high school career, the school needs to have prepared them for the next level of education post-high school.

 

Source

 

We are excited to announce that our new Midrand campus is taking shape. The new site is located on Third Road and is less than 250m from the current school campus. The new property will allow us more space for the grades that we will introduce each year.

“Due to the realities of Covid-19 and weeks of lockdown, development had been delayed. However, we are happy to announce that the Senior Primary grades will now move to the new campus in January 2021, we will also be growing into a Secondary School which we are extremely excited about,” says Jeanine Kerr, Head of School for Nova Pioneer Midrand. 

 

Construction is continuing at a fast pace

 

Campuses highlights include: 

• A full-size sports field, a pool and a hardcourt which will extend our sports offering to all our students, including the lower grades who will remain on the Matuka campus
• Our Matuka campus will become further specialised for younger grades
• A science lab which will further develop our vision to grow innovation 
• An Amphitheatre to assist in developing performing arts
• More room for family events, such as picnics, concerts and fun days
• The uniques layout allows for team teaching to enrich learning
• A studio space that allows for small groups to work collaboratively outside their classroom but still under-cover
• Airy interior with classrooms windows facing inwards onto the studio space, creating a sense of community and connection with other students
• Breakaway classrooms for additional language teaching
• A counselling room to facilitate the holistic care of our students, including their social and emotional wellbeing
• Specialised playground equipment designed with the physical developmental needs of the upper primary student in mind

“The phase two building of our Secondary School which will be built shortly after phase one completion, will give our students the opportunity to complete their school careers using the Cambridge Curriculum. We look forward to having our students complete their entire career of schooling (Grade 000 to Grade 13) with us”, says Jeanine. 

The school’s academic team works very closely with the Nova Pioneer Property company in defining how the schools look and feel. The continuous collaboration between the two ensures that the buildings help facilitate the learning process for every Novaneer.

Nova Pioneer Midrand will include Grade 7 in 2021 and launch our inaugural Grade 8 class in 2022. For more information, contact our Midrand admissions team on admissions.midrand@novapioneer.com.

Have a look at our architectural rendering below:

 

 

 

 

 

As a parent you may be wondering what differentiates us from other schools? Perhaps you’re wondering what the inside of a Nova Pioneer classroom really looks like? Well, certainly learning looks a little bit different at Nova Pioneer. From how the classrooms are designed, to the language our students and teachers use in the classroom and even down to the behaviours our students exemplify. 

 

It’s important for us to create a responsive classroom

We are very intentional about creating a responsive classroom and there are four key domains to achieving this. They include:

1. Engaging Academics: Learner-centered lessons that are participatory, appropriately challenging, fun, and relevant and promote curiosity, wonder, and interest.
2. Positive Community: A safe, predictable, joyful, and inclusive environment where all students have a sense of belonging and significance.
3. Effective Management: A calm and orderly learning environment that promotes autonomy, responsibility, and high engagement in learning.
4. Developmentally Responsive Teaching: Basing all decisions for teaching and discipline upon research and knowledge of students’ social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development.

 

How do teachers engage with students?

Our teachers use a number of prompts and routines to create an environment that best facilitates learning. Here is some of the language you will hear in a Nova Pioneer classroom:

1. Risk It: A prompt to challenge students to attempt a response, even if they aren’t sure if they’re correct.
2. Do Now: A quick assessment question that students answer at the beginning of class to test their mastery of a previous lesson.
3. Exit Tickets: A short questions given at the end of a lesson to test student mastery of what they have just been taught. Exit tickets are a student’s ‘ticket out of the classroom’ and are used by the teacher to gauge student understanding of the lesson material.
4. Reflection meeting: A whole class meeting in which a problem or a theory from an investigation is posed to the students.

 

How do we setup the classroom?

We are intentional about creating the kind of space that allows for students to receive individualised attention and to also encourage collaboration between each other.

Desks are arranged in 5 “centers” which consists of 6 students per center. Each center allows for a different activity to take place at it, and allows students to engage in the content being taught in different ways – whether it be a group activity, using a chromebook or in an individual capacity.

Centers gives the student opportunity to learn to work collaboratively with others but also work individually. Each center takes 20 minutes to complete, before students rotate to the next center.

 

How do we incorporate technology in the classroom?

Technology is a big part of who we are as Nova Pioneer and what we do, and we blend this into our students learning experiences. We makes use of Blended Learning as part of our teaching.

Students make use of Chromebooks during their rotations during lessons. Technology is also offered as part of the innovative space. Our students start coding and robotics from Grade R.

 

Creating transparency using glass walls

We believe in transparency in everything that we do. This is represented in the design of our buildings. The glass doors also encourage collaboration between the classrooms as you can move the doors open.

Glass doors also encourage ‘positive distraction’ and students get comfortable with positive stimulation (other students learning) happening around them.

My name is Lesley Mpemba, I am a grade 12 learner (in a time of COVID-19) at Nova Pioneer. During my tenure at the school I have managed to achieve quite a bit. One achievement in particular that stands out as the highlight would be the establishing Nova Pioneer’s Spoken Word, a student led poets association, and helping host the school’s first-ever poetry slam.

 

 

Grade 12 in the Corona Pandemic

The year 2020 thus far, has been full of surprises, some good and some not so great. When the coronavirus hit SA it really raised news levels of anxiety for myself and my fellow peers. Not only that but it brought with it, fear, uncertainty and change. Even though change is the only constant, not many people are fond of it.

Before issuing a nationwide Level 5 lockdown, President Cyril Ramaposa had first announced mandatory school closures nationwide. This meant that we could not go on campus and instead, we had to engage in a programme completely foreign to us: social distancing and online learning. This involved the use of the internet for learning while in the “comfort of your own home”. As wonderful as it may sound, it wasn’t appealing to me. As comprehensive and robust as the programme is, I still don’t enjoy learning remotely. 

 

Longing for the ‘Normal’

Going back to school would be such a relief for me. Being a matriculant is already a stressful thing. We are worried about our end of year results, about matric farewells and most importantly, we worry about university applications. Going back to school will help us salvage what we have left of the academic year. 

What I look forward to the most is seeing my friends again. Although, we may not be able to interact the same way as before, just seeing their faces and hearing their voices is more than satisfying. I am truly looking forward to engaging in full class discussions and lessons, being able to ask questions and do cool activities while at campus. 

 

 

Leading through uncertainty

On the other hand, being part of the student leadership committee means that I have a responsibility to tend to the well-being of my fellow peers. In all honesty, this is a tremendous task.

Students need motivation, they need to know that everything is going to be alright, it is quite difficult for us to tell them that when we don’t know it for sure.

When we go back to school, there will be many safety precautions set in place to ensure that we are taken care of and to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As the leadership committee, we would have to see to it that student abides by the rules, it will take some getting used to.  Another frightening fact is that we will no longer be able to partake in sports and this includes, our Spoken Word poetry slams.

 

 

Looking Forward

Nova Pioneer encourages students to be innovative and creative, it is this very principle among 6 others that our school was built on. I trust my peers, I know how strong-willed they are, how smart they are, and how inspiring they can be. I have no doubt that through them, something special will be born.