Our Boksburg campus’ staff and students recently celebrated Grandparents Day at retirement village SAVF Huis Dien Bothma, where they donated toiletries and pleasantries to the elderly.

On the day, Charlene Thomson and Mandy William, both teachers at Nova Pioneer Boksburg campus, were accompanied by students (observing all Covid-19 health and safety measures) as they handed over the donation.

 

The Nova Pioneer Boksburg campus chose to work with SAVF Huis Dien Bothma as it recognises the centre’s commitment and dedication to the service of elderly people in the community.

“Servant Leadership is one of our Culture Principles that we instil in our children, teaching them the importance of caring for others,” says Luciel Morgan, Head of School at Nova Pioneer Boksburg.

“We celebrated Grandparents Day by expressing our sincere gratitude to our senior citizens with a small token of appreciation. We believe that the elderly continue to play an important role in nurturing our lives and instilling moral values to our societies and therefore, we see it as our collective duty to care for them,” says Morgan.

In November 2018, Nova Pioneer acquired Boksburg based pre-school, Stepping Stones, which underwent the process of a gradual transition to Nova Pioneer. The school offers affordable private schooling and currently accepts children ranging from 3 months to 3 years into the Baby and Tots Center – the youngest Novaneers to date – and is open for applications for Pre-Primary and Primary, grade 000 to grade 5.

Don’t miss your opportunity to apply. 

 

Our Novaneers have once more shown us what it means to take charge of their own learning. The closing of schools did not mean books had to be shut for our students at Nova Pioneer, Ormonde. They carried our reading culture home as they continued to prepare for the South African Literacy Association reading competition which, for the first time, took place remotely.

 

National Winners

 

Despite the challenges brought by the pandemic, our students submitted videos of themselves reading their favourite books for the English Home Language prepared reading competition. Four of our students entered Reitumetse Mosikare and Lesedi Mosebo who both received a B symbol, Zahra Chalwe an A+ and Tshedza Sithagu an A++ in the provincial round. We wish to congratulate all these learners for their dedication to reading. 

Of these students, two proceeded to represent Nova Pioneer at the National Final Round. Zahra Chalwe contested in the English Home Language prepared reading grade 5 division. She was awarded 4th place after confidently reading from her book titled Wonder by R.J Palacio. Tshedza Sithagu who competed in the grade 6 division was awarded 3rd place after she had displayed her love of reading when she read from Horse for Angel.

 

“We Love Reading”

 

Tshedza Sithagu (Grade 6 student) expressed that she is beyond grateful for this opportunity. “Thank you for this award. I love reading and writing these are very close to my heart. I am excited and thankful for being recognised for my reading.”

This is what Zahra Chalwe (Grade 5 student) had to say, “Participating in the national rounds makes me feel proud, happy, nervous and excited. This is very big for me and, I know it will be hard and challenging but if I practice and try my best I know I will make it.”

At Nova Pioneer, we foster the culture of reading by allowing learners to choose the reading materials they wish to engage with. Furthermore, we provide platforms such as reading clubs to foster the love of reading outside of the classroom.

Written by Khensani Mabona – Resident Teacher at our Ormonde Campus. 

Nova Pioneer Schools for Innovators and Leaders are inspired by the principles of the Reggio Emilia approach. The principles of relationships, spaces and environment are reflected in Tammy Gertzen’s classroom at our Boksburg campus.

At the heart of the Reggio Emilia approach is relationships. The school environment and spaces have been designed so that they foster interaction and communication, exploration and participation, a sense of autonomy and curiosity. In fact, the environment is thought of as the “third teacher” for its ability to foster connections between ideas, people and things. 

Think about the places you spend the majority of your time – your home, your immediate neighbourhood, and the place you work.  We aren’t always aware of it, but the spaces, activities and environment around us can have a big impact on how we feel, and what feels possible or allowable in that space. 

Being aware of how space, and place, shapes how we feel about ourselves and each other. In the 1970s Reggio Emilia began working on a project that looked specifically at the relationship between their philosophy of education, the architecture and resources of their schools, and their health and safety regulations. Through this project, they developed a set of design principles aimed at helping each school cultivate its own identity while still fostering values that are consistent across all the schools.

 

What does this look like in practice?

 

Care and beauty

 

The values of the Reggio Emilia approach and the unique identity of each school are communicated throughout classrooms and spaces. Over the decades, the schools have even worked with local companies to design particular kinds of furniture that can enhance children’s experiences and thinking. The environment, the spaces, the objects and furniture in them are all beautifully made and arranged. This beauty isn’t seen as a ‘nice to have’. It’s central to the educational experience. Beautiful spaces communicate that you care about the people and relationships they make in them, and encourage these people (big and small) to take care of each other and the things in that space. As the Charter of Services suggests, “taking care of the indoor and outdoor environment, the furniture, objects and materials by children and adults is an educational act that creates well-being, a sense of familiarity and belonging, aesthetic taste and the pleasure of inhabiting spaces, which are also primary prerequisites and conditions for safety”.

 

Environment as third teacher

 

Children are acutely sensitive to the world around them, and how a space or a particular material suggests certain possibilities. In Reggio Emilia, teachers welcome this influence and actively cultivate it, by recognising the environment as the third teacher in the classroom, capable of stimulating, deepening and challenging children’s thinking without saying a word. In a similar vein, they pay great attention to the intelligence of materials – the power of the natural and manufactured world to suggest certain uses or functions. When deciding what materials to introduce in the school around a particular investigation, teachers will first spend time exploring its particular ‘intelligence’, what possibilities it suggests to you as you explore it with all your senses. 

 

Sustainability and recycled materials

 

Both natural objects (like wood, stones and plants) and recycled materials (like plastic trays, pipes, material offcuts) are used to stimulate and deepen learning in the school. Schools aim to encourage empathy, the sustainable use of materials, and a kind resourcefulness that comes of being able to see new possibilities in natural and recycled objects and put them to use. When exploring a topic to do with the natural world, children are encouraged to go out into the environment, to see their object of study in its natural context (not to remove it), to get in relationship with the nature.

As for recycled materials, the city of Reggio Emilia has evolved recycling centres known as Remida, where offcuts and waste materials produced by the city’s factories and local artisans are collected, cleaned, and artfully displayed. These Remida are a free resource for teachers, a place they can go to explore the possibilities inherent in different materials, and collect what they need for their classroom or current investigation. “Remida is named after King Midas with the golden touch… It’s a name to acknowledge that everything, any material, can be, in our hands, in the children’s hands, like gold. A treasure. There is beauty in the imperfect.” 

The set up of provocations in the classroom inspires curiosity and imagination, it fosters communication and collaboration and supports enquiry and investigation. All the elements of great learning.

Applications to our Boksburg campus are open, contact admissions.boksburg@novapioneer or click below.

We are well over the 100-day mark since our schools have closed and gradually re-opened, as a result of the COVID-19 quarantine and lockdown measures across both South Africa and Kenya. A lot of us can agree that there’s something about the past 100 days that seemed to make time fly by so fast. Changes to how we live our lives have been implemented at record speed, leaving us with the age-old question of how we are adapting to and adopting the changes. 

 

Adapting to change

 

Change is set to be the only constant as we continue grappling with what our new normal will look like. It is, however, an interesting time for the education sector across the world. We watch how our key players: teachers, students and parents take stock of what the changes mean for the future and how we can continue to make sure that we are as prepared for the same.

 

Webinars

 

Our Nova Pioneer Connect (webinar) hosted a much-needed conversation about how our Nova Pioneer community continues to respond to the times ahead. The connect panel consisted of our Kenyan Co-founder and Director, Christopher Khaemba, Chief of Schools, Rahel Wondwossen, Operations Leader for South Africa, Ofentse Lekwane, students, Vahin (Grade 10, Nova Pioneer Senior School, Ormonde), Michelle (Form Three, Nova Pioneer Tatu Girls) and a parent Dr Emily Too (Nova Pioneer Boys, Eldoret). The discussion centred around key lessons we have learned and how our South African team is handling school reopening.

 

Tune in to the rest of the conversation below.

 

You can catch up with their inspiring stories through the recorded recap down below.

 

Click on the links below to watch our Nova Pioneer Connect episodes that take place every fortnight.

Nova Pioneer Connect: Finding Your Inner Voice

Nova Pioneer Connect: Role of Creatives in Shaping a holistic Education Experience

Nova Pioneer Connect: Life after Nova Pioneer

Nova Pioneer Connect: How to help your child build grit during trying times

Emotions run high when families, schools and those involved in National decision making discuss matters around schools opening and closing. The passionate arguments from all sides speak directly to everyone’s intent: keeping our precious, little ones safe. 

 

Triangle of support 

 

Everyday this is front of mind for our teachers at Nova Pioneer. Our concern for safety is for all our children, those at home and at school. What has been clear, is that we do not carry this burden alone. During this time, the value of the ‘triangle of support’ (student at the top, anchored by the solid base of support provided by both parents and teachers) has been so apparent. Our Greater Together spirit has been so critical.  

 

As school reopened, a number of our students returned to a somewhat different campus. New routines and procedures, different classrooms, unfamiliar desk arrangements and absent friends could have proved unsettling for our little Novaneers (some emerging from home for the first time in a little over 3 months). However, the power of the triangle has made this transition to our ‘new normal’ so seamless and the bright smiles (under colourful masks) are a testament to this. 

 

Hugs, kisses and high fives

 

It is so special to see parents take a moment at drop off, to chant and sing last reminders, counting them off on their hands: ‘wear your mask, wash your hands, keep socially distant, and have an awesome day!’ Hugs, kisses and high fives in the confines of each car, relaxes the students before getting out and beginning the walk up to the screening. Even our littlest Novaneers come bouncing up the ramp with such confidence and independence, encouraged all the way by their welcoming teachers, as their parents are no longer able to walk them to class.

 

Social Distancing

 

Temperature checks and morning check-ins have become a special time for one-on-one chats with the Deans and School Leader. A moment to get to know each other a little better and allay any niggling fears at the start of each day. Our teachers skillfully manage social distancing while still creating a warm, ‘we are better together’, learning environment. Our Operations team have thought of everything, helping our little ones with markers and reminders all over our school so we can all keep safe! And then there is playtime! It has been so joyful to watch our students and teachers engage in safe play. The squeals of happiness and delight fill the spaces between us created by social distancing. 

 

Celebrating our students

 

At the top of this triangle are our heroes. We celebrate our students for their resilience, their encouragement of each other and their constant strive towards adhering to these new rules. It has been amazing to watch them adjust and cope and still come back each day, eager to learn and play. During such a time, our students are a reminder of hope and optimism and the power of a collective goal. We can be safe together! 

 

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

 

It’s important for us to create a responsive classroom

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

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

 

How do teachers engage with students?

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

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

 

How do we setup the classroom?

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

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

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

 

How do we incorporate technology in the classroom?

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

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

 

Creating transparency using glass walls

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

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

The past few days have seen major changes within our country and more specifically, within our homes. All of us are wearing multiple hats – mum, dad, professional, cook, gardener and maybe even referee…amongst others. However, the hat that most of us may be struggling with is becoming a “work-from-home” parent.

 

Working from home

For some, like me, this is a completely new experience as I have never been called to work from home and not only take care of, but also school my own children. I am sure that the expectation of completing your own work and tasks and becoming your child’s teacher has raised stress levels for many parents.

 

 

Confident I could do it

On day one of the school closures, I made breakfast for everyone, made the kids brush their teeth and dress and got myself done. I then arrived at our dining room table, armed with a printed out schedule and started handing out work to both my 8 year old and 4 year old, before settling down to do my own work. Eight minutes in and after multiple chimes of “Mommy, LOOK WHAT I DID!”, getting up twice for snacks and “Can you both focus on YOUR work so I can do MINE!”, my son looked at me and proclaimed that he wished he was back at school.

 

Changing things up

Recovering quickly from a shattered heart, I realised that whilst we all have expectations, this is such a unique context and I couldn’t expect my kids and I to function in the same routine because too many things are so far away from our “normal”. After this, no two days in our home have looked the same so far. And, you know what? This is fine! As the concept of working from home is such a unique scenario we are all having to do what we can. Not all work needs to be completed whilst seated at a desk. Last week, my kids and I enjoyed some time outside. While my son worked on some activities on our boundary wall with chalk (yes – we wrote on the walls!), my daughter and I played her own version of x’s and o’s.

 

 

Embracing the time we have 

This time at home can be impactful – as a school, we would want it to be a positive experience above all. This is such an anxious time. Instead of getting bogged down by all we need to accomplish – take some time to rest, recuperate and spend quality time with your families, even if it means you put down tools for a few hours. We probably will not have an opportunity again to spend so much time with our families and only we can determine the level of opportunity presented to us in this case.

Our children’s schedules are so packed on a normal day – allow them this opportunity to just be. Let them get messy. Let them laugh at silly things. Watch them as they run around the house and possibly eat ALL the snacks. Let them have a little extra screen time and my favourite one, let them spend the whole day in pyjamas. Above all, stay safe and be well. We cannot wait to welcome all our families back once our situation improves!

 

Here’s what our other Nova Pioneer teacher-parents had to say

“As a Senior School teacher it is quite a challenge dealing with High school students, parent requests and of course with a 3 and a half year old running around and demanding my every bit of attention towards him. I downloaded a work pack for his age from a company who designs school programmes and am keeping my little one occupied. He is SUPER energetic so I needed to find a way to keep him busy. Each day has a different activity which he LOVES. So in between my online teaching and responding to emails, I’m a grade 000 teacher too. We trying to keep that #AlwaysGrowing momentum going here with yogurt, snacks and trampoline jumping in between. P. S. – Parents, please be easy on your children… This process is very new to them and to us as teachers too. THEY WILL BE ABSOLUTELY FINE WITH YOUR AND OUR SUPPORT!” – Shelley Jacobs, Senior School Teacher Ormonde 

“WELL!!! Where do I begin?! What is more traumatic than the constant flood of Corona posts? The constant flood of home schooling posts! So many parents look like they just have it nailed, and there I am, 15 years in a classroom, and not getting anything done! Working from home and managing a team remotely is so intense. Right now my children are working on their careers as professional gamers! But, I know when the dust settles, and we find a rhythm, the amazing learning packs sent home by Learning Design will make my home schooling life a dream! Then maybe I can also post some perfect parenting pics on social media, but for now, my measure of success is FED , WASHED, and CLOTHED. 😁” – Claudia Pienaar, School Leader Paulshof

 

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

 

The work behind the work

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

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

 

Learning through digital platforms

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

 

 

 

Building inquisitive, enquiring minds

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

 

 

Parents getting in on the action

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

 

Teamwork makes the dreamwork

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

Instagram: @novapioneer_sa

Twitter: @novapioneer_sa

Facebook: Nova Pioneer South Africa

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

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

 

Setting Growth Goals

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

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

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

 

How do I set goals with my child?

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

S – Specific

M – Measurable

A – Attainable

R – Relevant

T – Time-bound

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

 

How will my child benefit from goal setting?

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

 

Here are more benefits:

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

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

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

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

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

Written by Khensani Mabona – a resident teacher at Ormonde Primary 

Our Nova Pioneer Boksburg students took learning through play to the next level by participating in World Play Day to acknowledge the child’s right to play as outlined in article 31 of the United Nations Conventions on the rights of the child. Play is also a big part of Nova Pioneer’s learning model, our curriculum incorporates play into daily school activities.

 

 

Developing through play

World Play Day is hosted annually with the hope of incorporating exploration, language experimentation, cognition, and the development of social skills which are central to children’s learning as well as the foundation of adult achievement. UNESCO maintains that “the encouragement of creativity from an early age is one of the best guarantees of growth in a healthy environment of self-esteem and mutual respect – critical ingredients for building a culture of peace.”

 

 

 

The Reggio Emilia Approach

Nova Pioneer’s curriculum follows the Reggio Emilia approach, a play-based pedagogy and supports the Africa Reggio Emilia Alliance chaired by own Director of Academics, Des Hugo. The Reggio Emilia Approach is an innovative approach to early childhood education. It values the child as strong, capable and resilient; rich with wonder and knowledge. Every child has a deep curiosity and potential. Children are curious to understand their world, and their place within it. The fundamental principles of Reggio Emilia resonate with Nova Pioneer’s learning approach. Playful learning, curiosity and exploration are essential for building knowledge.

And so, all our Nova Pioneer campuses incorporate play as part of learning. At Nova Pioneer we value the child as strong, capable and resilient; rich with wonder and knowledge. We also understand that every child has a deep curiosity and potential.  By incorporating play into their learning, we give students the chance to honour their talents, create, explore and collaborate.

 

Harvard University and the Lego Foundation research learning through play

Nova Pioneer Schools have been directly involved in research on the pedagogy of play project with Project Zero of Harvard Graduate School of Education. They work with teachers from around the world to determine best practice for learning through play. Mardell and his research team visited Nova Pioneer to observe lessons. Nova Pioneer was a part of a group of three schools selected in South Africa chosen.

 

 

 

World Play Day was just another opportunity for us to bring this to life and to celebrate play in a fun and engaging way.