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 is excited to announce we will welcome the first Grade 8 students at our new Midrand campus, with enrollment open now for the 2022 school year. Guided by our mission to develop young innovators and leaders who will shape the world, we are excited to extend our offering in Midrand from preschool through secondary school, and to be able to serve even more families in the Midrand community. This is the second secondary school to be opened in our South African network of schools and the sixth to be opened by Nova Pioneer Globally.

Phase 1 of an Extensive Secondary Campus is Complete

The secondary school campus will be multi-phased and is situated on a spacious site on 3rd Road, Carlswald (next to Protea Hotel Midrand), just a few hundred metres from the current primary school site in Matuka Close. The newly built campus will serve both the school’s upper primary and secondary students.

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 modern science lab for students. External facilities provide for age-relevant recreational areas, as well as sporting facilities, including 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, other sports and extra-murals.

 

Cambridge Accredited

Nova Pioneer is a private school network that offers quality education grounded in the Cambridge standards, an internationally accredited curriculum that is both locally and globally recognised. Our secondary campuses offer grades up to and including Grade 13, which is optional but a popular choice for many students based on their specific tertiary learning plans.

We recently celebrated the 2020 matriculating class  at our Ormonde Campus for their strong achievement, which was most exemplary considering how disruptive the 2020 year was.  The Cambridge AS and A-level examinations set a very high standard that is both globally and locally respected.  Our graduates outperformed international benchmarks on 70% of the subjects examined.  In addition, our graduates exemplified the character, dynamism and positive confidence of innovators and leaders.  We look forward to similar success for students in our new Midrand secondary school.

Our Midrand based secondary school will open its doors in January 2022, catering for Grade 8 students initially and subsequently adding grades. 

 

Post School Success Team

At Nova Pioneer, we place a high value on students’ post-secondary school success. We strongly believe many elements can impact a student’s ability to succeed after completing secondary school. 

Thus, we want to ensure that students perform well academically and ensure that they feel supported and prepared to succeed beyond Nova Pioneer.  We recognise that those paths will be as diverse as our students are, reflecting their passions and talents.  To that effect, we have a Post-School Success (PSS) programme to provide all students with personalised guidance on exploring post-school options. Our PSS programme is a unique offering available to our senior secondary students,” said Chijioke.

Since its introduction in both South Africa and Kenya, Nova Pioneer’s PSS programme has facilitated the admission of students into universities both locally and abroad.

 

Schools for Innovators and Leaders

It is our belief at Nova Pioneer that too many schools focus too narrowly on knowledge memorisation and content accumulation.  While Nova Pioneer considers academic mastery and skills to be critically important, we also places focus on a more holistic set of skills aligned with our vision of developing high-character leaders and innovators.

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

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

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.

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.

 

We are fast approaching the season of giving. Our children are precious to us and we often give them gifts that delight them in the moment but have little positive impact on their future.

Upon reflection, I considered the fact that at least 16 years of my children’s lives will be spent at school and thus the most profound and impactful gift I could give them, is that of an educational environment that builds character and a solid foundation of skills.

The African Century needs our children to show up unlike any other in history! The future will be filled with unprecedented and unimaginable circumstances that will require our children to rely on skills that have been fostered throughout their 16 years of basic education. 

The Nova Pioneer approach to education checks this box for me. Teachers provide children with the knowledge required but the focus is on the children’s ability to process the knowledge. Skills such as investigative thinking processes, innovating alternative solutions, empowering their voice to test the status quo and exploring topics from different angles.

I believe these are some of the skills that will propel our children to succeed in a world where knowledge is ever-evolving. I am resolute, now more than ever, I want to give them the best gift, the gift of a great education and rich skillset, the gift of a good future.

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.

Michaela Kruger, our Grade 00 teacher at our North Riding campus, speaks to her continued learning through COVID-19.  

 

How do you get 4-5 year olds to practice social distancing?

 

In our class this term we first began by explaining social distancing to our students. Distance is a challenging concept for students to understand as they are still learning spatial awareness. We started by explaining to students the importance of only touching their own items as well as being responsible for their own bodies. When students arrived at school, we explained how they could create their own imaginary bubbles by swinging their arms around their bodies.

This was explained as their safe space and only they were allowed to be in their safe space. We allowed them to hold hula hoops around them in order for them to see the correct distancing as well as practise what it felt like to stand a certain distance away from their peers. We placed tape markings on the floor in our classroom and outside our classroom in order to make social distancing a more practical and understandable activity to practise. Students would stand on the tape markings and practise creating their imaginary bubbles around them.

 

How is your day structured now, is it the same routine?

 

Our daily structure is very similar to how it was before lockdown. We still include morning ring, academic rotations, PE, phonics, read alouds, outdoor play and nap time. The only thing that has slightly changed in our class is the fact that students no longer stand up and move for each academic rotation. Students remain at their tables and they are given the work to complete at their table. Every student has their own allocated space as well as their own stationery. Items are no longer shared amongst our students. Outdoor play has also changed as our sandpits and jungle gyms have been closed off. We have created fun social distancing games for students to play during this time as we feel gross motor and outdoor play is an important part of the day for all students.

 

What health and safety measures are observed?

 

Our teachers work extremely hard to ensure that no students are unsupervised. Teachers are always present and rigorously monitoring students and their behaviours. It is easy for students to pull down their masks or forget about social distancing as this is a new way of life, it is sometimes hard for us as adults to remember the rules of social distancing. Teachers monitor students during bathroom breaks, inside and outside the classroom as well as during dismissal and arrival. Desks and items that are used during the day are sanitized every 20 minutes and our classrooms are fully disinfected at the end of every day. Students have learnt to sanitize their hands during every interval as well as when they have sneezed or coughed (which they confidently do into their elbow).

 

Are you using just your classroom space or other spaces too?

 

We have only been using our classroom space and an allocated outdoor area. There are no longer shared spaces such as the studio area, jungle gyms, sandpit and mud kitchen.

 

 What protective gear do teachers and students wear?

 

Students and teachers have been wearing masks. Some of our students have been wearing face shields but they often find this hard as it fogs up and they are unable to see.

 

What is something that would’ve been normal for you to do before that you can’t do anymore?

 

It has been very challenging for teachers and students to remove physical touch. Pre-primary students are very affectionate and love to give hugs and receive them. We also used to have a class handshake and a greeting routine which involved students picking either a hug, a high five, a fist pump or a wave. This had to be removed from the day in order to follow all the rules and regulations. Students at this age are learning to express their emotions through words but gestures are often used while they learn to explain their emotions correctly but during this time students have had to adjust and learn a new approach by expressing their emotions from a distance. We included the COVID cuddle as a new approach to hugging. Playing with their peers and working in groups is also an important part of their development, with this being removed we’ve had to try and think of new ways to teach and grow these skills.

 

How do you explain the new normal to kids? What do they understand about it?

 

Most of our students had amazing explanations given to them by their parents at home. We started term two by doing a science experiment where you place water in a bowl and grind pepper on top. You then dip your finger into the water and the pepper flakes stick to your finger. You then place soap on your finger and place it in the water again. The pepper flakes seem to run away from your finger. We explained that the pepper flakes are like germs, if you have clean hands they won’t come near you.

We went on to speak about COVID and how is COVID spread. Students understood that germs can make you sick just like COVID and if we keep our hands clean it will help us to stay healthy. We then went on to ask: do you think if someone is sick and they cough or sneeze on you that you could get sick? With some thought, many students said yes. We asked: so how can we protect ourselves and others from not getting sick? They responded with many answers such as, stay home if you are sick, wash your hands more, wear a mask and cough or sneeze into your elbow. We asked students to wear their masks to our online lessons. We also asked students to show us how they would cough or sneeze. Students were taught how to wash their hands correctly while they count to 20. Our students grasped these concepts extremely well and were able to practise at home before schools reopened.