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.

As the 2020 academic year draws to a close, there is much anticipation at the Nova Pioneer Midrand school as they prepare for the new year and the opening of their new campus, located on Third Road, less than 250m from the current school campus, during the course of 2021. 

 

According to Nova Pioneer Midrand School Lead, Jeanine Kerr, the new building will serve the Upper Primary section of Nova Pioneer Midrand, accommodating students in grades 4 to 7. The school’s growth plans include the introduction of a Secondary school in 2022 which will offer a Cambridge Curriculum.

 

“As a school network that prides itself on helping shape young innovators and leaders, we are excited to have the opportunity to serve and engage even more families in the greater Midrand community,” says Mrs Kerr. In a safety-compliant way – using videos and small tours – we have been able to show many of our existing families (and prospective ones too) this new campus and their response has been one of excitement and anticipation!

 

Nova Pioneer believes in transparency in everything that they do. This is represented in the design of our buildings through the use of a lot of glass to further reinforce this. Glass doors join classrooms and shared spaces and encourage collaboration as students and teachers move between the classes. Class doors can be opened to create flexible, open spaces for project work or assemblies and the like.

 

The building design utilises natural lighting techniques This not only saves on energy but it also creates a productive and joyful atmosphere for our students and teachers. 

 

“We first broke ground on the new site in October 2019 and had planned to complete the first phase of the building by July 2020. As is typical of the Nova Pioneer spirit, the building team and their tenacious contractors managed to overcome construction disruptions and building supply shortages that COVID-19 presented. They were not discouraged and the Nova Pioneer property team and contractors managed to deliver the world-class, modern campus that will soon be home to Nova Pioneer Upper Primary and Secondary school students” says Mrs Kerr.

 

Phase 1 of the development includes a modern double-storey classroom block with 10 classrooms per floor, as well as central studio space. The new block also includes a science lab for students. 

 

“External facilities include age-specific play areas surrounding the classroom block, as well as sporting facilities, which includes a 25m x 8m swimming pool, multipurpose hardcourt (for tennis, basketball and netball) and a full-size sports field that can be used for soccer, cricket, athletics and other sports,” she went on to confirm.

 

“All of these will be completed as part of the initial phase. However, as excited as we are about the expansion and extended campus, it is also important to note that we are just as committed to constantly investing in our existing campus.”

 

“The phase 2 building of our Secondary School which will be built after Phase 1 completion. We look forward to having our students complete their entire career of schooling (Grade 000 to Grade 13) with us”, says Mrs Kerr.

 

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 building design helps facilitate the learning process for every Novaneer. 

 

Nova Pioneer Midrand will include Grade 7 in 2021 and launch its inaugural Grade 8 class in 2022 which is open to students beyond Nova Pioneer Midrand Primary. For more information, contact our Midrand admissions team on admissions.midrand@novapioneer.com.

 

Spark Schools recently challenged Nova Pioneer to the #JerusalemaChallenge and we’d like to think we turned it on its head. The team (teachers and students) had an amazing time getting in on the action. 

Be sure to like, subscribe and comment on our Youtube page!

 

If you had asked any of our teammates in the beginning of the year how we saw 2020 turning out, the answer definitely wouldn’t have been “surviving a Pandemic”.  I mean, if our One Team Day “Uptown Funk” dance off was anything to go by, no one could’ve predicted that the president would shut down schools weeks later.

 

Nothing keeps us down too long

Despite the issues of our world, our team has been amazing in pulling together while we’ve stayed and worked safely apart. We saw our academic teams pivot quickly to teaching virtually and even getting back on campus to teach in what we now refer to as our “new normal”. As an organisation we were also very intentional about keeping the team feeling connected through virtual team meets and events. We recently hosted the first Virtual One Team Day – with more than 200 teammates on a Zoom line. It doesn’t stop there. Our team also recently took part in the from the Jerusalema Challenge. Can we say that we haven’t let the year keep us down?

 

Pulse Check

Every year our Culture and Talent Teams send out a team survey to check in on our teammates. This year, this survey was especially important. One of the questions we ask in the Culture Survey, or pulse check is, ‘Even on a hard day do you feel this is the place for you?’ I think it is safe to say that 2020  has felt like a hard day for everyone both physically and mentally. don’t you agree?

To see what keeps our Novaneers ticking and understand the deeper commitment to exceeding expectations even on a hard ‘day’, we asked some of our teammates a simple question: Why Nova Pioneer? Here is what a few of our teammates had to say. 

 

Sameerah, Associate Dean (Ormonde) 

Whenever I question myself or my¨why¨, seeing our students´ growth and potential motivates me to strengthen my practice and not only lead by example, but allow myself to be led by them. 

 

Sona – Teacher (Ruimsig)

My name is Sona Moodley and I am a Novaneer. I was born to shine! My name actually means “gold, precious”. At Nova Pioneer, I found an environment that enables and empowers the star in me to shine brighter and live in lustre. Being a Novaneer makes me want to do better; be bigger; and go higher. 

 

Kobus – Learning Design Team 

What makes me proud to be a Novaneer is that we are challenging harmful stereotypes of the African continent by developing young innovators and leaders who will shape the continent into a place of abundance and prosperity. I feel privileged to have the opportunity to develop signature learning experiences, which will equip Novaneers with the skills and competencies to be changemakers for the continent. I am proud of being part of the Africa Rising movement by working for Nova Pioneer. 

 

Wes – People, Systems and Analytics Team 

Nova Pioneer is filled with the most diverse and talented bunch of people I have ever had the privilege of working with. A group of people who are sincerely committed to improving the lived experience of as many others as possible. In many organizations there will be talk of culture, of how an employee conducts themselves and how they interact with others- mostly all talk in my experience. The difference here is that I see the tangible outcomes of teammates who actually do live out our culture principles, not some cliched hollowed out version of it. I see people who want to go the extra mile. I am proud to work alongside such a calibre of person and I am proud of how the work we do will impact the African century. 

 

Samson – Teacher (Ormonde)

Working at any school can be a challenge but there are so many reasons why I love working at  Nova Pioneer: Nova Pioneer is incredibly unique – The methodology and style of teaching are so engaging. Our inquiry-based learning brings enthusiasm and meaningful meaning to learning. Our culture principles enable us to trust and build a team that focuses on growth mindset, solutions to every problem. We believe that learning is a journey to both our students and teachers. 

 

Karely – Teacher (Paulshof) 

I love being a Novaneer because of the tremendous support and opportunities for growth. Through observations, feedback and professional development sessions, I’ve grown as a teacher and have achieved more than I ever thought I could. I am part of such a caring, compassionate team, and I truly feel appreciated and seen as an individual. 

 

Inge – Admissions and Marketing Team 

Disneyland has it wrong, to me Nova Pioneer is the happiest place in the world. The organisation is really thoughtful about the kind of people they hire and as a result every day you’ll work with remarkable, smart, kind and engaged teammates. The leadership team is diverse, approachable and deeply connected to our mission so every choice we make adds to the bigger goal of enhancing education across the African continent. Joy is palpable here and so even on the toughest days (and we know that 2020 has had plenty of those) I know it’s the place for me. 

 

Basil – Associate Dean (Ormonde)

If you are looking for a stimulating place to teach, to flex your creative and intellectual muscles, to spread your wings; then Nova Pioneer is the place to teach. Day by day we seek to change the world and create a launch pad for the life success of our students. Come and be a part of the team at Nova Pioneer senior school. 

 

Lebo M – Receptionist (Ormonde)

I have never had to adjust my personality to feel at home, we work hard for our children and parentś needs and play just as hard to feed our inner child souls.  Thereś freedom to express your opinion with no fear of discrimination and you are always challenged to do more for yourself in order to do more for others. 

 

If being in an organisation where your toughest days are still worth it or being in a place where you can embed your personal why to a mission you believe in, Nova Pioneer may be for You. Visit our Careers page now, applications for 2021 are officially open!

 

Traditionally, there is a common saying that says children must be seen not heard. In this era, in order to effectively groom the holistic child to their full potential, we need to listen to them and understand their state of mind. We also need to be able to view their social cues, which means comprehending their socialization. We cannot merely focus on academics forgetting that human beings are social creatures who co-exist and thrive on social interaction. We need to nurture our students so that they may be able to live in harmony with others. We need to equip them with the skills to be free to express themselves while being mindful and respectful of other people around them. That is why Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is very important. 

SEL not only improves academic achievement, but it also increases prosocial behaviours (such as kindness, sharing, and empathy), improves student attitudes toward school, and reduces depression and stress among students. By incorporating SEL, students are more successful in school and daily life when they:

• Know and can manage themselves resulting in more positive social behaviours and relationships with peers and adults leading to sound choices about personal and social decisions.
• Understand the perspectives of others and relate effectively with them which leads to more positive attitudes toward oneself, others, and tasks including enhanced confidence, persistence, empathy, and a sense of purpose.

• Reduced conduct problems, risk-taking behaviour and decreased emotional distress.
• Improved test scores, grades, and attendance.

Apart from our  SEL lessons in class, we launched Tool Box in January and it has been a resounding success. The Toolbox curriculum teaches 12 simple yet powerful “Tools.” With deliberate practice in a class and school that shares them, these inner skills become important personal and social proficiencies for self-awareness, self-management, healthy relationships, and responsible decision making. The common language and practices of Toolbox help children quickly adopt the Tools and use them with autonomy, resilience, and self-mastery. 

The more students use and internalise the 12 Tools, the easier it will be for them to self regulate and also help others around them do the same.  Because the ToolBox teaches students to be empathetic and consider the impact of their actions on others, students are less likely to bully other students as they become more solutions-oriented, calmer and more willing to talk through how they are feeling as opposed to resorting to a physical altercation. The Tool Box also helps students develop self and social awareness, self-management,  relationship skills and responsible decision-making skills. 

It has really been amazing seeing our Novaneers asking their peers to ¨use your breathing tool¨ when they see that their friend is angry and needs to calm down. It is incredible when you walk into a grade R class and you see other students encouraging their shy classmate to ¨use your courage tool¨ to share out the answer in class. It is incredibly remarkable how emotionally aware and mature our Novaneers are after equipping them with the right ´tools´ to navigate various life situations. Please refer to this link for information about the ToolBox  Here

 

School closures in 2020 caused some disruptions for all schools and particularly for the students. In a normal school year, we are able to observe the growth of a students on a day-to-day basis and not only based on the work produced but also by observing how they engage with the content in a classroom, and with peers.

In a normal year, we are also able to take the MAP assessment three times a year– at the start of the year to determine a baseline and set our growth goals, the middle of the year to gauge our progress and the end of the year to see how we did.   

Of course, 2020 was anything but a normal year, and therefore how we’ve decided to use MAP to drive student learning has had to shift.  

First, some background.

 

What is MAP?

 

MAP, or the Measure of Academic Progress assessments, are a suite of educational tools developed by a US-based company, NWEA, and currently in use in around 145 countries worldwide. Since the year 2000, NWEA has offered a comprehensive set of web-based tests to aged Grade R-12 learners.  These assessments are skill-based, and curriculum agnostic, which is critical as 145 countries are using the tool and each may have differing curricula.  

 

 

Growth Focused Assessment:

 

At its core, MAP is a computer-based, adaptive test, with each student being presented with a unique set of questions based on how they respond to prior questions.  The assessment is focused on measuring growth over time.  As such, learners take an assessment at the beginning of the year, in the middle of the year, and the end of the year.  MAP software is able to determine growth goals based on the initial assessment and then measure progress.  For our internal purposes, we are able to measure the growth of students over time, allowing us to see what impact we are having and how we, as an organisation, can continue to improve.  

 

 

Global Benchmark

 

Over the past 20 years, NWEA has been refining their assessment tools, as well as collecting data across the globe that allows them to predict what academic growth should look like in schools.  Nova Pioneer’s decision to use MAP was due, in part, to the length of time NWEA has been refining the assessment, the fact that learners can take the assessment online allowing us easier administration across South Africa and Kenya, and the wealth of data we can use to compare our performance against 145 other countries.  Ultimately, like Nova Pioneer, MAP shares our deep commitment in measuring the growth of children, not just their endpoint.  

 

Why MAP?

Our shared mission as Nova Pioneer is to build a network of high-quality schools across the continent that are fostering the next generation of innovators and leaders.  We currently operate 13 schools across South Africa and Kenya, and central to our work is using global best practices to build a coherent and powerful curriculum.  In our primary schools, in addition to being grounded in the Cambridge Standards, we also use leading world programming, like Singapore Maths, to further deepen learning and competency building in our students.

Another core component of our vision is in making sure that all students grow academically while they are with us.  This growth is measured in a number of ways, including termly assessment, verbal communication, written communication, portfolios, reading growth assessments, etc.  We seek to have multiple points of contact in what and how students are learning so that we can continue to support their accelerated and meaningful growth.  A key part of that constellation of assessments that allow us to get a picture of how students are doing is an assessment called MAP.   

 

How will we be able to use MAP in 2020 and beyond?

 

We are excited to collect the MAP data this year, not so much to assess beginning to end of year growth (although it will help us determine that), but rather to get clearer on the ways in which we can best support student growth and achievement in 2021 and beyond.

We are seeing data from all around the world that the interruption to schooling will have created learning gaps for learners around the globe.  At Nova Pioneer, we have seen the extraordinary efforts of our families, central learning design team, teachers and school leaders come together to make sure that learners had as much normalcy and support in their learning during COVID 19.  

We are confident that the measures that we have put in place to support teaching and learning during school closure, and then the staggered return to school, have supported our learners in moving forward with their curriculum coverage and skill-building.  

However, we do not doubt that the interruptions will have caused gaps in skills that we would be able to address more meaningfully had students been in school as in a normal year.  

To that end, we are excited to administer and then dive into the MAP data that this end of year assessment will generate for every child. Each teacher will be able to get a report outlining the concepts and skills that each learner has mastered and the ones that they will need more support for in the 2021 school year.  

We will be able to use this internationally benchmarked and external assessment to get a clear mirror to reflect what has been learned and what needs more support, and we will be able to use that data to inform practical, thoughtful and targeted interventions for our learners in 2021.  

This will, of course, be one of the many pieces of information we will use to support young Novaneers in 2021 and one of the many ways we live out our commitment to making sure that we are a data-driven organization.