Each year, parents enter into a co-guardianship with their child’s teacher. Each of us in this partnership plays our different roles, but we all strive to surround the child and put their needs at the centre. Our common goal is to have the child succeed throughout the year and to ensure they are happy in the school environment. Attaining that goal is more likely when parents develop a good relationship with their child’s teacher.

As with all healthy relationships, it is important to establish effective and open channels of communication through which the parents and teacher can identify areas of common ground, develop mutual respect and understanding. In this way, parents and teachers form the foundation for rich and meaningful dialogue around our children’s education.

So, how can you develop an understanding of who your child’s teacher is? To get to the heart of a teacher’s personality and to find out what drives them, I propose the following five questions. The answers will give you a picture of the person your child spends part of their day at school with.

 

What led you to become a teacher?

 

Most educators have a story to tell about how they ventured into teaching. Their story informs you on how they teach and how they relate to their students in the classroom. This will give you a window into the kind of classroom environment that the teacher will create and it will reveal why your child’s teacher shows up to work every day as well as what makes them passionate about what they do.

What do you want most for my child this year?

The beliefs and expectations the teacher has of each student can directly impact student achievement and growth. This question sheds light on how your child is viewed by the teacher and gives an indication of how the year will progress.

How do you view mistakes and how do you discipline students?

Knowing a teacher’s style of discipline and how they deal with the inevitable mistakes that children make, will help you gain a clearer picture of what is happening in the classroom. Knowing the teacher’s views on discipline will help you to understand the teacher’s reaction to any given event. Often teachers choose to work at certain schools because their personal views on discipline align with that of the school. However, it is important to understand your child’s teacher’s personal views.

What is your philosophy on education?

A teacher’s philosophy on education will determine how your child is taught, how much their voice will be heard as well as the students; access to certain resources. How you can successfully advocate for your child can be greatly influenced by how well you understand your child’s teacher’s approach to education. A deeper understanding of the teacher’s core beliefs of teaching and learning can allow you to develop a strong partnership with the teacher which will, in turn, have a positive impact on your child’s school year.

What is your expectation of us as parents and what does good communication look like to
you?

In any relationship, it is good to understand what each person’s expectations are to keep things harmonious. I would suggest that you seek to understand early on what your child’s teacher expects from you as a parent. Knowing this will allow you to establish rules of engagement with the teacher and also give you the opportunity to discuss how this fits in with other things that you have to do as a parent. Gaining an understanding of this from the outset can lead to conversations about where you are struggling and where you need help.

Your ultimate goal is to get to know your child’s teacher and I would encourage you to make this a priority. Make an effort to learn about and value the individuality of this very significant person in your child’s life. I would also suggest that parents reflect on what five things you would like your child’s teacher to know about you. This will go a long way in building a parent and teacher relationship that will ultimately benefit your child.

 

As children grow in their early childhood years and enter pre-primary school, their world begins to open up. They want to explore and frequently ask about the things around them. Eventually, their interactions with others help to shape their ways of thinking and moving.

Early childhood development progresses gradually and continuously in clearly defined phases. It is most important that parents send their children to pre-primary schools that are equipped with teachers who are skilled at working with young children during this crucial period of their lives. Teachers in pre-primary school play an important role in ensuring that your child has a strong foundation for their future school career. 

At Nova Pioneer we believe that a strong educational foundation in pre-primary school is vital to not only shaping your child’s academic success but also in paving their road for success in life. How your child learns and develops mentally, emotionally, physically and socially is critical to us. At Nova Pioneer, we use a unique integrated approach to support our youngest of students’ growth. We offer vast opportunities to develop your child’s intellectual curiosity and love of learning. Here are the 5 skills that you can expect your child to develop in pre-primary school:

 

Independence

 

We’ve realized that children become more independent in pre-primary school. Naturally, becoming more independent enables children to take care of their own basic needs, to be mindful of their belongings, and to develop their self-confidence. Nurturing your child’s independence is vital in pre-primary school because it encourages them to not only be resourceful and to learn how to solve problems on their own, but it also gives them the confidence to build up their student voice.

 

Language skills

 

Language develops rapidly during pre-primary school years. There is an increase in the scope and function of speech, and children start to use words to resolve conflict. They understand the conversation and volunteer their own ideas and opinions. Their concentration, memory and attention span increase and they begin to participate in discussions to make sense of the world that they live in.

 

Social skills

 

Consequently, children become more socially aware in pre-primary school, and they learn how to get along with others. They share more readily at school, take turns with one another more easily, and begin to work through conflict peacefully. Their play evolves from parallel to interactive play and they are comfortable forming friendships in a pre-primary school environment. Also, pre-primary school is where children begin to learn more about social cues and it’s where their individual personalities begin to unfold as they are exposed to different people from different backgrounds.

 

Physical development

 

Children attending pre-primary school learn how to intentionally use and control their bodies through the various physical activities they engage in at school. There are also striking physical changes in their body proportions during this time as they grow and partake in challenging physical undertakings when they play with their peers. They become capable and confident of more strenuous activities and learn to have greater endurance. Pre-primary school is also where children start to develop dominance and learn to have control over their hand muscles, which is an essential part of physical development during this phase of their lives.

 

Emotional maturity

 

In pre-primary school, children learn to outgrow the heightened emotionality of temper tantrums. Emotions begin to colour their lives. They become better at controlling their emotions and can be reasoned with. They overcome problems with separation from their parents more easily as they interact with other children and they are able to build trust with their teachers and peers. Lastly, emotions become more evident in children’s facial expressions in pre-primary school. Their body posture, movements and tone of voice help both parents and teachers to easily identify the children’s emotional cues. 

 

As I write this, I think of my younger self, in the late 1990s, with only a  few years of working experience. (Yes, that was ages ago and I am giving my age away!). I can vividly recall my father – who was my greatest role model – telling me that I didn’t need to become “hardened” as a woman in business to “make it”.

 

Hardened 

 

When I looked “up the ranks” (ironically a  phrase that I detest but which was a pertinent reality in my early career), in the various organisations that I was part of, for the first 15 years of my career, the women in senior leadership were few, relative to their male counterparts. They were also mostly in fact “pretty hardened”, ambitious-at-all-costs and fiercely driven. Many of them made their jobs their “whole life”. 

 

Feminine

 

Thankfully I had my dad whispering in my ear on how important it was not to “lose (feminine) self” in the quest for career success or model success in a predominantly male persona (which I think at that time, many women assumed was the only route).

 

Admittedly there were times, when I have/did put my roles of “being a mom, a wife, a daughter, a sister and a friend” on hold and de-prioritised these in favour of work, work, work.  Perhaps the subliminal narrative inside my head was that in a business context, feminine roles and qualities were in fact a handicap or sign of weakness.

 

Grateful 

 

Fast forward a couple of decades to where I find myself now, in the wonderful world of education and as part of the Nova Pioneer family. I truly never even think of my gender in my workplace context – I don’t think twice about being a female. How grateful I am to think that gender is just an irrelevant demographic, right now in my work life.  I don’t feel embarrassed about needing to “rush off and be a mom to my own kids” during a working day or in fact anything else that comes with the territory of my role as mother, wife, sister and daughter. These roles are equally respected and appreciated by the teammates that I work with. How very grateful I am for that, when things felt quite the contrary some decades back for “women in business”.

 

I identify first and foremost as a woman. This means that in every aspect of my life, it is important to me that my womanliness is ever-present and authentic.

On its own, this principle should not be a challenge to uphold. However, in a world in which the acceptable view of gender and gender equity continues to evolve in ways that are often contradictory, my pursuit to be a woman takes on an interesting tilt.

It becomes imperative then, that I define for myself what lies at the core of my womanliness, what values I wish to embody as a woman, and how these can be brought to life in my role as a leader. One relevant manifestation of this in my role today is empathy. Not mushy sentimentality, but rather the striving to connect meaningfully with others, to understand and celebrate their strengths, and along with that, to inspire them to harness the potential often obscured by our weaknesses; all while leveraging an intentionally nurtured professional relationship. It calls for a combination of warmth and firmness, a clarified sense of fairness, and the ability to be positively honest, especially when tough things need to be said.

I am a coach. And indeed every leader is one, or at least should strive to be one. Leadership extends beyond a title or a job designation. It lies in the ability to rally others in pursuit of a higher aim, to help them see that in truth they can attain it, to equip them with the skills and tools needed for success, and to inspire them to retain a winning front even in the face of the many obstacles they inevitably will encounter. This is the type of leader I strive to be.

 

Considering the rapid rise and developments in technology and the introduction of the 4th industrial revolution, it is safe to say, the world will surely be a different place in the future. We will see a lot more automation of some systems, advancements in machine learning and integration of robotics in our daily lives. Which opens the question, what are we doing today as an educational institution to prepare our kids for that future? 

 

Robotics is the intersection of science, engineering and technology that produces machines (7STEM), called robots, that are either a substitute (or replication) for human actions. This could be anything from industrial robots, domestic or household machines or even robots/machines designed for social interactions such as automated food ordering machines, etc.

 

At Nova Pioneer we pride ourselves to be one of the few 21st-century schools that are incorporating Robotics in our day-to-day learning experience. As part of developing students who are future leaders and innovators, it is important that we move with the times and be future-focused by developing a learning experience that will allow our students to be solutions-driven.

 

Coding and robotics go hand-in-hand, and they’re becoming a more integral part of classrooms across the country  Aside from the excitement students muster when they see a robotics kit or a tiny programmable vehicle, coding and robotics offer a little bit more than a fun classroom experience.

 

When our students participate in coding and robotics activities, they’re learning fundamental skills such as teamwork and collaboration, problem-solving, the ability to fail forward, persistence and more. The world has evolved and if you don’t move with the times you may end up being redundant, irrelevant and insignificant in society.

 

Nova Pioneer continues to live up to its promise by introducing additional grades throughout our campuses. As a group, we made a promise to our parents and students that each year, we will grow our schools with an additional grade, to grow with our Novaneers as they progress to their next academic level. This year, we have continued to deliver on that promise. Nova Pioneer Education Group is a Pan-African independent school network, that builds and operates world-class, affordable education, offering students grades from preschool through to secondary. 

 

Here is a list of new grade offerings at our campuses:

 

Midrand – Currently accepting enrollments from Grade 000 to Grade 7 for in-year and now introducing our first Secondary Grade 8 class for the year 2022. 

North Riding – Currently accepting enrollments for Grade 000 to Grade 6 for in-year and we have now introduced Grade 7 enrollments for the year 2022. 

Paulshof – Currently accepting enrollments for Tots to Grade 6 for in-year and we have now introduced Grade 7 enrollments for the year 2022. 

 

Ruimsig – Currently accepting enrollments for Grade 000 to Grade 3 for in-year and we have now introduced Grade 4 for the year 2022. 

Boksburg – Currently accepting enrollments for Babies (3 months) to Grade 5 for in-year and we have now introduced Grade 6 for the year 2022.  

 

As an education brand, we take pride in being a leader in innovation that disrupts the education landscape positively. We offer the internationally recognized Cambridge curriculum from pre-primary to secondary school through our Reggio Emilia Enquiry based Learning Model. Our offering includes a blended learning method that combines academic education, physical education, play learning, SEL (Social and Emotional Learning), coding and robotics to provide our students with a holistic education to prepare them for the future. Nova Pioneer is currently operational in both South Africa and Kenya.

I’ve been mentally journalling these thoughts for months since I started at Nova Pioneer on the 5th of September 2019. Coming here with a vast IT background, I have to admit that having worked as an IT Technician at a prestigious school in Parktown, I strongly believed I had an advantage in the IT/school environment.

 

I Was Wrong

 

I was wrong in thinking Nova Pioneer was like any other school. Yes, they have classes, teachers, sporting facilities – all that the Department of Education would require for a schooling environment – but what I’ve never experienced is the heart Nova Pioneer possesses.

My personal experience of schooling is a conflation of good and bad. Straight A student succumbing to mental issues, the principal office visits, ranging from worrying because of dropping my academic standard due to the aforementioned issues and pride in sporting victories. My schooling was a mixture of memorable lessons and ‘wish to be forgotten’ corridor incidents.

Nova Pioneer taught me, that all involved, have a passion beyond their job description. They are not looking to conveyor belt a thousand Einsteins but holistically wholesome innovators. They are not looking to funnel future Bill Gates but persons that connect with and for the world.

I’ve had the pleasure of being IT Coordinator for two campuses, North Riding and Ruimsig, and in both, there’s a noticeable difference but mammoth similarities.

 

Joy of Learning is two-ways

 

The kids are orderly, not military wise, but instruction is rather imparted than enforced. The gentleness is abundant but not spoilt or coddled. The teachings are adequate as they are challenging. The respect is palpable as it fills corridors and bounces off the visuals carefully and neatly plastered on the glass doors. The joy of learning is two-ways, teachers love to impart knowledge on eager minds and the students are attentive and visibly engaged. The trust is seamless, although earned over time, it is a marvel to watch.

Interacting with the students is proof of what the teachers and the whole Nova Pioneer institution are instilling in these young minds. Respect first, listen always, learn of self and others, freedom to be self, responsibility and accountability are imperative and have fun.

I am forever shell-shocked at how these children’s faces light up when they walk in through the entry gate, how, when they are sad they won’t shy away, but effectively communicate their feelings with no fear of possible repercussions for being honest, how they manage to get me smiling when they tell me about a new dog they have; it’s the humanity Nova Pioneer sprinkles on each child as they wear the blue and stride proudly into the premises.

I am always in awe of the teachers and staff of Nova Pioneer from the perspective of someone who adores children (and they adore me back, even calling me Uncle Siphiwe). Being someone who wishes for a child someday, it’s invigorating knowing that Nova Pioneer has the capabilities, the structure and enough kindness to be a core foundation for any child to not only dream big but also understand and learn to be a compassionate, empathic human because that’s what the world needs.

I was wrong about Nova Pioneer being just another school. Nova Pioneer is an institution, whose emphasis on learning is to be different, respectful, courteous, smart, innovative and most importantly, being human.

 

 

In celebration of ‘Make A Difference Day’ earlier this year, Nova Pioneer Midrand students successfully embarked on a book collection drive with the hope of donating their books to a school based in the Alexandra township, North of Johannesburg this December.  

The learning model of the Nova Pioneer schools fosters a great love of reading through daily read-aloud’s, guided reading and writers’ workshops. Our students donated pre-loved books to children who do not have easy access to books. “It was so heartwarming to see the enthusiasm from our Novaneers to share their books. They understand the magic of stories that lie between the covers of a book. Even the youngest students enjoy engaging with non-fiction text as they learn about the world around them,” says Jeanine Kerr, School Leader at Nova Pioneer Midrand.

Teachers know that the fastest and most effective way of improving academic results in children is to get them reading. Exposure to the written word builds vocabulary, comprehension, ability to predict and infer and improves writing skills. Other academic subjects also benefit indirectly from reading more. 

“As a school that is firmly entrenched in our culture principle, we believed that donating these books was an opportunity to give a gift of learning to other children,” says Kerr. 

Nova Pioneer Midrand offers private education and is currently enrolling from Grade 000 to Grade 7 in 2021.  For more information and application queries contact us via email on  admissions.midrand@novapioneer.com or call us on 064 946 6724.

At Nova Pioneer, we focus on providing a holistic education for our students that extends beyond the classroom. We strive to teach our students the values that will make them more socially responsible and to live out our Culture Principle of Servant Leadership.

“This term, Nova Pioneer Ruimsig embarked on a charity initiative for children who are less fortunate. We decided on the Santa Shoe Box charity drive,” says Carla Hercules, School Lead at Nova Pioneer Ruimsig. 

“We partnered with Eleanor from the Lighthouse Baby Shelter who gave us a list of items required and the age group of the children at her shelter. Our Ruimsig students and parents were very excited to participate in this worthy initiative. We were able to fill over 40 shoeboxes with stationery, toys, sweets and clothing. Our students wrapped and labelled each shoebox with pride while dressed in superhero civvies,” says Hercules. 

Nova Pioneer is extremely proud and thankful to our parents and students for supporting this initiative in a time when many are experiencing financial constraints.

“It was a very special morning as our students handed over the shoeboxes to a very emotional and grateful Eleanor from the Lighthouse Baby Shelter,” says Hercules. 

The Lighthouse Baby Shelter, founded in 2008 by Eleanor Dustan, is an orphanage situated at 48 Drysdale Road, Sundowner in Randburg that looks after children from birth to the age of six. 

Our Ruimsig campus is enrolling from 000 to Grade 3 for 2021. Complete an application on our website and an Admissions Associate will be in contact.