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

 

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

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

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

 

Independence

 

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

 

Language skills

 

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

 

Social skills

 

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

 

Physical development

 

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

 

Emotional maturity

 

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

 

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.

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.

If you’re like me – the worst part about growing up was being forced to nap! Can you imagine cutting play time short – for a nap? But now, I see I shouldn’t have taken it for granted! Have you ever wondered why a nap is so important to your health and wellness? Let me assure you – you’re not alone! Many adults are unfamiliar with the importance of taking a nap, not just for themselves but for pre-schoolers as well! As a Grade 00 teacher, let me explain why our Nova Pioneer preschools nap, and why we would love for you to implement daily naps at home as well. Sleeping is a big part of living a healthy life, and it helps young children boost their mental, emotional and physical development. Unfortunately many children do not get their required amount of sleep during the night (11-12 hours) which is why most children need to sleep during the day as well.

“Ultimately my goal as a preschool teacher is to set my preschoolers up for success, and nap time is a good place to start.” – Teacher Emma Grade 00 Teacher at Nova Pioneer Midrand 

 

 

Napping helps growth

When little ones go through periods of rapid growth, they need more than just extra food. They need extra sleep too. A lot of their growth is happening while they’re in dreamland, so depriving them of that time impacts them physically as much as mentally. A missed nap or two may not seem like a big deal to friends and caregivers who see the child for an hour and then leave. But talk to the parents later that evening or the next day—when they’re dealing with extra fussiness, whining, and tantrum-throwing—and it’s a different story.

As explained by sleep scientist Dr. Monique LeBourgeouis, “Sleepy children are not able to cope with day-to-day challenges in their worlds.” Of course, this isn’t to say that parents who bypass naps every now and then are somehow robbing their little ones of the ability to learn, grow, emotionally engage, and sleep soundly at night. It just means that, when possible, napping should be prioritized—for the sake of parent and child alike.

 

Three reasons why we encourage naps at Nova Pioneer:

1. Naps can provide much-needed downtime for your child that aids both the physical and mental development that happens during early childhood. –
2. Nap time gives your child a break from the stimuli of learning and fun and keeps them from becoming overexerted. When a child is extremely tired, their mood changes and simply makes it harder for them to sleep at night.
3. Naps can help a child recharge from all the activity they have experienced during the day. The nap allows the brain to sort all the information they have learned and gives the cells an opportunity to develop faster! This helps the brain learn faster! So in summary, preschoolers nap because it is an opportunity for both their minds and their bodies to rest, recharge, reset and have a successful rest of the day.

Nova Pioneer Paulshof is excited to announce the addition of a Tots class (ages 2 turning 3 years old) to its complement of grade offerings in 2021. With the addition of this new grade, Nova Pioneer Paulshof will provide a full pre-primary offering accepting children from age 3 through to Grade R.

The Primary School will also grow, accommodating students from Grade 1 to Grade 6 in 2021.”After opening its first campus in 2015, this pan-African group of schools continues to grow their campuses through thoughtful collaboration and support from interested parents, staff and the community. 

 

A word from the Nova Pioneer Paulshof School Leader, Claudia Pienaar:

“We’re thrilled to welcome the Tots class to our growing campus and global family of schools This is something our parents have been asking for and, now that our Phase 2 building is complete, we cannot wait to open our new class to our families” 

 

 

Why should you enroll Your Tot at Nova Pioneer Paulshof?

Nova Pioneer believes that the journey of becoming a leader and innovator starts early, and as such, are very intentional about how they engage with pre-primary students. Their curriculum incorporates an enquiry-based learning approach, with teachers leading discussions and facilitating projects that help students engage deeply with course material and apply what they have learnt outside the classroom to real world situations.

This pedagogy is currently used in classes from Grade 000 upwards and Nova Pioneer is excited to be able to extend this offering to Tots students and parents from next year.

 

 

Where is the school located? 

Situated on Stone Haven Road, Paulshof,  with close proximity to Witkoppen Road and the N1 highway, this campus is ideally placed for parents in the Sandton and Fourways communities. 

 

How do you find out more during Lockdown? 

Attend one of our Virtual Open Days! Lockdown hasn’t stopped us from taking you on a tour of our school … virtually. Join us and engage with our School Leaders as they share all you need to know about Nova Pioneer. RSVP here: shorturl.at/jmyKT  For more information about Nova Pioneer, visit www.novapioneer.com