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?

 

 

Nova Pioneer Schools for Innovators and Leaders, recently celebrated their Midrand students’ Cambridge Checkpoint results. Nova Pioneer students achieved scores ahead of the international benchmark for English and Science, whilst staying at pace with international trends for Maths. 

 

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 group offers Cambridge, an internationally accredited curriculum, where students can write their Checkpoint, IGSCE, AS-Level, as well as their A-Level examinations in their 13th year. 

 

 

Nova Pioneer Midrand’s current Grade 7 and 8 students participated in the Cambridge Primary Checkpoint last Spring. Whilst normally administered only in the Grade 6 year, the advent of COVID in 2020 resulted in significant interruptions in the administration of these exams by Cambridge International. The disruptions as a result of COVID over the last two years have made the results achieved by these students even more impressive. 

 

At the prize giving, Nova Pioneer acknowledged their Grade 7 top achievers for the 2021 Checkpoint, including –

• Shalathi Shikwambana for English and Maths, as well as being the overall top achiever in the grade
• Lwandile Mhlungu for English and Maths
• John-David Malaba for Maths
• Casey Oosthuzien for her top performance in Science  

 

In Grade 8, Nova Pioneer celebrated – 

• Kgosi Kekane for his top performance in Maths
• Kayden Reddy for Maths, as well as being the overall top achiever in the grade
• Yuveer Ramalal for Maths

 

Xolisa Luthi, the school leader for Nova Pioneer Midrand Secondary, said that he was thrilled to have this opportunity to engage in the assessments, which provide insight into how Nova Pioneer students are progressing in their mastery of the curriculum and in their readiness for Secondary school.   

 

 

Mr Luthi expressed gratitude to the Nova Pioneer teachers and leadership team. “Our students’ impressive results reflect their tremendous diligence and tenacity, as well as the unstinting support and inspiration of their teachers. We also thank our parent community for their continued partnership”.

 

 

Nova Pioneer is currently operational in both South Africa and Kenya with the mission to develop generations of innovators and leaders who will shape the African Century. Nova Pioneer Midrand Secondary School opened its doors in January 2022 and welcomed their inaugural class of Grade 8’s. The school will expand teaching and learning to accommodate families of Grades 8 to 13 students in the Midrand area and is now enrolling for Grade 9.

 

I would like to take this opportunity to celebrate our top academic achievers (Grade 8 -10) for 2021. I wish to congratulate these students for managing to produce these excellent results in what was, again, an unusual year. We are very proud of them. They exemplify our Culture Principles of High Expectations, Always Growing and being Solutions First. Well done!

While recognising these examples of excellence, I also wish to congratulate all the students who made the best of this year. Overall, our data show an ongoing improvement in the academic performance of almost all of our students. I must commend our teachers on also pulling out all the stops and not allowing the complexities of the past two years to get in the way of delivering excellent teaching. I salute you.

Lastly, to our parents. You have been incredibly supportive of both us as a school and your children. In a true spirit of being Greater Together, you have rolled with the punches while trusting us to get on with the job. It is such a privilege to help lead a school when you feel that you have the implicit trust and support of parents. We thank you.

We look forward to hosting a formal awards assembly in the new year to recognise these students as well as the IGCSE, AS and A-level students.

 

Academic Awards Term 3 2021 for Grades 8 to 10

 

Academic half-colours

 

Grade 10: minimum of 4 A’s in the November examinations

Grade 10

– Arjun Thulsie (6 As)
– Afrikaans (82%)
– Computer Science (96%)
– English (82%)
– Physics (88%)
– Biology (91%)
– Mathematics (92%)

 

Academic certificate of merit

 

Grades 8-10: minimum of 3 A’s in the November examinations

Grade 10
Gadija Shaikh (3 As)
– Art and Design (81%)
– Biology (81%)
– Mathematics (82%)

Grade 9
Sabeeha Adams (6 As)
– Commerce (94%)
– Geography (80%)
– English (83%)
– History (97%)
– Mathematics (80%)
– Science (85%)

Naledi Djiogo (5 As)
– Commerce (80%)
– Geography (93%)
– History (94%)
– Mathematics (92%)
– Science (90%)

Keziah Pillay (5 As)
– Afrikaans (86%)
– Commerce (84%)
– Geography (85%0
– History (91%)
– Science (80%)

Mikayla Bayat (4 As)
– Afrikaans (83%)
– Commerce (84%)
– Geography (87%)
– History (90%)

Nene Manyana (4 As)
– Commerce (83%)
– Geography (90%)
– History (81%)
– isiZulu (92%)

Nhlakanipho Magazi (4 As)
– Commerce (86%)
– History (100%)
– Mathematics (82%)
– Science (80%)

Jordan Roux (3 As)
– Geography (85%)
– History (88%)
– Science (81%)

Grade 8
Simphiwe William (7 As)
– Chemistry (81%)
– English (87%)
– Humanities (89%)
– Biology (90%)
– Business Studies (89%)
– Physics (88%)
– Mathematics (95%)

Matabo Kekana (6 As)
– Chemistry (81%)
– Humanities (83%)
– Biology (82%)
– Physics (96%)
– isiZulu (87%)
– Mathematics (90%)

Kwanele Dlangisa (4 As)
– Humanities (81%)
– Biology (82%)
– Physics (92%)
– isiZulu (86%)

Njabulo Sithole (4 As)
– Biology (88%)
– Business Studies (81%)
– Physics (96%)
– isiZulu (80%)

Thabiso Rasimeni (3 As)
– Chemistry (84%)
– Biology (93%)
– Physics (92%)

Molemo Kodisang (3 As)
– English (81%)
– Physics (84%)
– isiZulu (80%)

Lethabo Thinane (3 As)
– Biology (87%)
– Physics (87%)
– Humanities (85%)

Caris Ayemole (3 As)
– Chemistry (83%)
– English (85%)
– Biology (85%)

Ashton Wax
– Chemistry (80%)
– Biology (80%)
– Physics (88%)

 

Grade 10 Subject awards

 

Top 3 per subject (80% minimum) based on year mark

Grade 10

Afrikaans
1. Arjun Thulsie (81%)
Computers
3. Saad Sattar (87%)
2. Sitara Singh (92%)
1. Arjun Thulsie (97%)

English
2. Ungowakho Madolo (80%)
1. Arjun Thulsie (81%)
Physics
1. Arjun Thulsie (86%)

Biology
3. Ungowakho Madolo (86%)
2. Kewell Moodley (87%)
1. Arjun Thulsie (91%)

Business Studies
1. Tlotlo Oliphant (80%)

isiZulu
3. Lebogang Noni (80%)
2. Xolisile Buthelezi (83%)
1. Siphokazi Nxumalo (88%)

History
2. Alyssa Wax (83%)
1. Ayandza Dlamini (84%)

Mathematics
3. Ungowakho Madolo (90%)
2. Sitara Singh (92%)
1. Arjun Thulsie (94%)

 

Grade 9 Subject Awards

 

Top 3 per subject (75% minimum) based on year mark

 

Afrikaans
3. Mikayla Bayat (81%)
2. Lekeisha Campbell (82%)
1. Keziah Pillay (85%)

Commerce
3. Keziah Pillay (85%)
2. Nhlakanipho Magazi (87%)
1. Sabeeha Adams (93%)

 

Geography
3. Sabeeha Adams (83%)
2. Keziah Pillay (84%)
2. Mikayla Bayat (84%)
1. Naledi Djiogo (89%)
1. Nene Manyana (89%)

English
3. Naledi Djiogo (78%)
2. Naseeha Majam (79%)
2. Mikayla Bayat (79%)
1. Sabeeha Adams (84%)

History
3. Mikayla Bayat (92%)
3. Keziah Pillay (92%)
3. Naledi Djiogo (92%)
2. Samukelisiwe Nkwanyana (94%)
1. Nhlakanipho Magazi (97%)
1. Sabeeha Adams (97%)

isiZulu
3. Nene Manyana (90%)
2. Nhlakanipho Mandlazi (91%)
3. Mbalenhle Mntambo (93%)

Mathematics
3. Nfihlo Mulamula (84%)
3. Mlindi Msimango (84%)
2. Naseeha Majam (87%)
1. Naledi Djiogo (91%)

Science
3. Sabeeha Adams (85%)
2. Naseeha Majam (86%)
1. Naledi Djiogo (88%)

 

Grade 8 Subject awards

 

Top 3 per subject (75% minimum) based on year mark

 

Chemistry
3. Simphiwe William (84%)
2. Matabo Kekana (85%)
1. Caris Ayemole (86%)
1. Humairah Cornelius (86%)

English
3. Caris Ayemole (81%)
2. Cade ́ Jansen (84%)
1. Simphiwe William (87%)

Humanities
3. Lethabo Thinane (83%)
2. Kwanele Dlangisa (86%
1. Simphiwe William (88%)

Biology
3. Lethabo Thinane (85%)
2. Matabo Kekana (86%)
2. Bhavesh Thulsie (86%)
1. Simphiwe William (93%)

Business Studies
2. Matabo Kekana (81%)
1. Simphiwe William (86%)

Physics
3. Thadeous Snyders (90%)
2. Jabulani Khuzwayo (91%)
2. Thabiso Rasimeni (91%)
2. Balisa Lushozi (91%)
1. Matabo Kekana (92%)
1. Njabulo Sithole (92%)

isiZulu
3. Amahle Nkosi (84%)
2. Aobakwe Mchunu (86%)
1. Duduzile Ndinesa (87%)

Mathematics
3. Jabulani Khuzwayo (84%)
2. Matabo Kekana (93%)
1. Simphiwe William (96%)

 

Grade 8 Top students per grade

 

Based on the minimum average of 80% across all subjects

 

2. Matabo Kekana (84% av.)
1. Simphiwe William (85% av.)

 

Grade 9 Top students per grade

 

Based on the minimum average of 80% across all subjects

 

3. Mikayla Bayat (83% av.)
2. Naledi Djiogo (84% av.)
1. Sabeeha Adams (85% av.)

 

Grade 10 Top students per grade

 

Based on the minimum average of 80% across all subjects

 

2. Sitara Singh (80% av.)
1. Arjun Thulsie (86% av.)

 

Progress award

 

Most improved student in the whole school based on the ranking change between Term 1 and 3

 

Ashton Wax- Grade 8
Term 1- 26th place
Term 3- 9th place
Improved 17 places during the course of the year!

 

Nova Pioneer believes in building a compassionate, like-minded community

 

Once your child is enrolled at Nova Pioneer, you become part of our supportive and passionate community – a group of parents from all walks of life – who all contribute to our school in various ways for the betterment of our students’ education. It is through this community that our school Culture Principles come alive, even at home. 

Nova Pioneer parents share in our mission of building the next generation of innovators and leaders and thus, we look to them to help us find more families who share our vision and values. This is because we believe in building a community of like-minded people who want to come along for the journey, and share in our story, as we continue to expand our offering throughout South Africa.

 

Benefits of growing our community

 

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 double the normal referral discount (R7000 off your tuition for a period of one year) when you refer a parent and they successfully enrol their child at any of our Nova Pioneer campuses for 2022 or 2023 between 8 December 2021 and 30 April 2022.

 

Which parents are eligible for the R7000 discount?

 

• In order to successfully benefit from referring a student, the parent must apply to Nova Pioneer between 8 December 2021 and 30 April 2022 for enrolment in-year in 2022 or for 2023.
• The parent must state that they were referred to by you (name and surname) when they fill in the online application form in the ‘how did you hear about us’ section.  
• The referred parent needs to successfully enrol at Nova Pioneer by completing the full admissions process (detailed below).
• Referred students cannot have a sibling currently or previously enrolled at Nova Pioneer. 
• The referral discount is awarded to the youngest child – if you have only one child at Nova Pioneer, that child will receive the discount. 
• You will be entitled to a R7000 discount per enrolled student that is referred up to five students (or a maximum tuition discount of R35000)
• If you are not yet an enrolled parent, you ONLY qualify for this discount once you have confirmation of enrolment.
• The discount is non-transferable and cannot be substituted for cash or a refund.
• The referral discount will not be applied should the student account be in arrears at the point in time that the discount is allocated.
• Nova Pioneer staff do not qualify.

What does “Successful Enrolment” look like: 

 

Step 1: Current family/ parent talks to a friend and tells them about Nova Pioneer.

Step 2: The prospective parent completes an online application form and in the ‘how did you hear about us’ section, they select ‘referred by a current parent’ and write the full name of the parent and student who referred them. We can only identify the family that referred you if they give us your first and last name.

Step 3: The prospective parent attends a Nova Pioneer event and the learner completes and passes, an assessment. 

Step 4: The prospective parent, who is very excited about Nova Pioneer, then completes all online forms and submits required documentation before our Finance Team completes the affordability check and gives go-ahead for enrolment fee payment.

Step 5: The prospective parent then pays the grade-relevant enrolment fee to secure their child’s spot. 

Step 6: The referral is then flagged to our Finance Team, who will pick up the name from the original application, and ensure your account reflects the referral discount once the student has started.

 

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

 

“We don’t think so, my lord. Why, then, ’tis none to you, for there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so” – Hamlet, William Shakespeare 

In the month of July, we as South Africans were challenged to confront threatening, destabilising events and emotions, due to the social tensions and unrest. Moreover, questions regarding our own biases and opinions on the unequal structure of society were subtly posed to us all. In confronting these issues, our perception of the events and people alike has been a powerful tool in shaping our experience of the unrest seen in our country.

 

In this sense, as unfortunate as events have been during that ill-fated week in July, that moment in time gave us an opportunity to contemplate our views on our society and interrogate how far we allow our own biases to dictate what we perceive of a given situation. 

In dissecting significant occurrences of social upheaval, as witnessed in the unrest last month, many (particularly the media and our leaders) tended to simplify the causes behind the unrest, in an attempt to create an easy-to-understand, dominant perception across the citizenry. This inaccurate characterisation of events was perpetuated on social media, as I discussed recently on The JM Podcast, where people would bandwagon and justify viral viewpoints, without any form of prior independent thinking.

 

The unrest, or ‘looting’ as has been established by mainstream media, cannot be simply attributed to unruly human behaviour. Rather, a culmination of various factors – poor governance, corruption, criminality, poor defence capabilities, classism, poverty, hunger, unemployment, social inequity (all of which were exacerbated by the pandemic) – gradually accumulated over a sustained period of time, ultimately erupting, facilitated by the less pleasant side of human nature.

 

All of these factors combined to produce the anarchy we all witnessed occurring on the news, and for some, in their own communities. A well-informed background and understanding of the context of the unrest we witnessed is pivotal for one to fully appreciate the destructive occurrences of social unrest.

 

In our respective reactions and observations of what we saw happening around us, we ought to practice empathy and perspective, over moralism and judgementalism. As has been become common knowledge in human psychology, we are prone to viewing people, national events, personal situations etc., through an emotional lens. We tend to project our personal and emotional needs during interactions we have with the world around us. At the end of the day, we are emotional creatures.

 

It is virtually impossible to reverse the thousands of years of evolution in our genetic makeup as humans. Therefore, taking the cognitive decision to emotionally detach ourselves, in certain instances, when forming opinions on events, is a significantly liberating decision to take. In this regard, emotionally detaching ourselves from the world around us, essentially enables us to see people or events for who and what they really are. Doing this limits the influence our emotional needs and biases have on our perception of a person, event, belief system etc. In this way, you are not being blinded by your own emotions or prejudices, but seeing people as they are.

 

This is something we ought to do the next time we face such events, in order to appropriately consume what happens around us in a more objective, empathetic manner. This is something I believe many of us lacked – resorting to judging and moralising over people who participated in the looting, without acknowledging our own varying levels of privilege. It is much better to practice empathy especially during a time where we witnessed people expressing their long-held frustrations over their own country, which has continuously failed them and excluded them from economic opportunities. That is not to justify the irresponsible actions of a minority, but to view such situations with an acknowledgment of the social inequality that still persists in our 27-year-long democracy.

 

Lastly, it remains extremely important to understand the causes of the issues we face as a country. However, instead of fixating on the problem, our leaders ought to apply their minds to finding effective, lasting solutions. Like Novaneers, we ought to be guided by both independent and collaborative thinking alongside a solutions-based approach to our country’s challenges. Importantly, in all we do, it is vital to continue cultivating a sense of hope that we have seen the worst and are finally heading into a period of sustained prosperity. Now is the time to celebrate our resilience and look to the future with optimism and a firm willingness to collectively solve the problems our beautiful country faces.

 

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

 

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.