We are excited to announce that our new Midrand campus is taking shape. The new site is located on Third Road and is less than 250m from the current school campus. The new property will allow us more space for the grades that we will introduce each year.

“Due to the realities of Covid-19 and weeks of lockdown, development had been delayed. However, we are happy to announce that the Senior Primary grades will now move to the new campus in January 2021, we will also be growing into a Secondary School which we are extremely excited about,” says Jeanine Kerr, Head of School for Nova Pioneer Midrand. 

 

Construction is continuing at a fast pace

 

Campuses highlights include: 

• A full-size sports field, a pool and a hardcourt which will extend our sports offering to all our students, including the lower grades who will remain on the Matuka campus
• Our Matuka campus will become further specialised for younger grades
• A science lab which will further develop our vision to grow innovation 
• An Amphitheatre to assist in developing performing arts
• More room for family events, such as picnics, concerts and fun days
• The uniques layout allows for team teaching to enrich learning
• A studio space that allows for small groups to work collaboratively outside their classroom but still under-cover
• Airy interior with classrooms windows facing inwards onto the studio space, creating a sense of community and connection with other students
• Breakaway classrooms for additional language teaching
• A counselling room to facilitate the holistic care of our students, including their social and emotional wellbeing
• Specialised playground equipment designed with the physical developmental needs of the upper primary student in mind

“The phase two building of our Secondary School which will be built shortly after phase one completion, will give our students the opportunity to complete their school careers using the Cambridge Curriculum. We look forward to having our students complete their entire career of schooling (Grade 000 to Grade 13) with us”, says Jeanine. 

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 buildings help facilitate the learning process for every Novaneer.

Nova Pioneer Midrand will include Grade 7 in 2021 and launch our inaugural Grade 8 class in 2022. For more information, contact our Midrand admissions team on admissions.midrand@novapioneer.com.

Have a look at our architectural rendering below:

 

 

 

 

 

A personal symbol of “Life After Nova Pioneer” for myself and those close to me was the day I finally cut my peculiar, nappy dreads off. It was on that normal day in the first month of a surreal year that I matched the next chapter of my life with an adjustment to  my physical appearance. Dreads that had become so synonymous with my story and eccentric period at Nova Pioneer, had reached their noble culmination which coincided with the exordium of my academic career in Law, at arguably the most acclaimed tertiary institution in South Africa, the University of Witwatersrand. 

 

The Rapid Shift

 

The scale of the transition to university has been unprecedented, in keeping with the theme of the unforgettable year of 2020. The rapid shift from two months of contact learning to online learning, the mental adaptation necessary to get accustomed to living at home again, the high cognitive demands of a law degree – all of this alongside the strange practicalities of living in a COVID-19 world have all been challenges I have grappled with in my first year at Wits. Obviously though, my challenges are extremely trivial relative to the horror many families and individuals all around the world have experienced at this time.

 

Personal Growth and Improvement

 

This reality has added an additional emotional strain on my empathetic nature so much so that I decided to stop watching the news about a month ago, as one of the limited things I can control at this time is my emotional and mental well-being. My partial oblivion to world affairs which have become so distraught, has allowed me greater psychological space to enjoy the mere simplicity of life like reading books. These reads include, “The Land Is Ours” by Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, “Sula” by Toni Morrison and “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy, which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the most so far. In this way, perhaps, the lockdown has been a productive time for my personal growth and improvement, despite the unfortunate events that caused it. 

 

A New World

 

As I continue the online learning programme, I remain hopeful and pray for better days for our feeble world at this moment. If we, as a human race, can come out of this historic predicament with more empathy and fortitude, a genuine appreciation of unity, equality and how much we actually need each other, then perhaps this disastrous year would have aided our mentalities and outlooks on life for the better. Perhaps, if we can return to a normal world with greater awareness and an authentic willingness to eradicate the evils of our country, and the world at large, such as corruption, racial injustices, gender-based violence and poverty to name a few, then we would have probably used this dark period in our lives to come to terms with the subtle realities of the world we live in and acknowledge the need for real change. 

I shall end with a couple of lines from a song I think encapsulates the remarkably strange times we’re in: 

“Streams running down my eyes think I’m losing faith

But God is always on time no he’s never late

This epidemic had my mind in another place

Put some love in the world let it marinate”

– Kofi Stone, Diamonds in the Water

Thanks for reading, stay safe, stay hopeful and spread love. The world needs it, especially at such extraordinary times. 

Check out our webinars where our alumni from both South Africa and Kenya discuss life after Nova Pioneer.

 

 

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

The advent of Covid-19 in 2020 and the introduction of lockdowns has certainly changed the way we think and do things. From social gatherings, meetings and the way we deliver on education, we were forced to rethink life as we knew it. Now in the world of social distancing, working from home, face masks and regular sanitisation, we have to embrace a new reality which is ‘virtual reality’. Virtual meetings, virtual open days, webinars, virtual teaching and learning has become our ‘new normal’.

But how do we adapt? From social beings to this new virtual reality? Firstly, we have to look at the benefits of virtual reality. Secondly, we need to look at how virtual reality will impact our lives in a positive way. Introducing us to a new generation of thinkers, innovators and solutions-first leaders. All of whom will advance our lives beyond any challenging circumstance in education and beyond. As Nova Pioneer, we have had to embrace four key virtual reality aspects that form part of our ‘new normal’ as an educational institution.

 

Virtual teaching and learning:

 

While we were traditionally accustomed to face-to-face interaction in a classroom, Covid-19 has revealed to us our ability to teach and learn virtually through various tools that we have adopted. Delivering on our education promise of remote learning. ‘Google Classrooms’ have become our new way of teaching and learning.

It should be easy for us to embrace virtual teaching and learning when you consider all the benefits it presents.  This includes our students being able to receive a quality education, safely, in the comfort of their homes. For our Novaneer parents, the benefits include ensured safety of your child and their well-being, while learning from home, not to forget the savings on fuel and time spent in Johannesburg’s often terrible traffic.  

The introduction of virtual learning has encouraged our students to become independent thinkers, leading themselves to achieve their objectives with guidance from their teachers and support from their online classmates. If anything, virtual learning has allowed us to rethink what education may look like in a post-COVID-19 future, and from this lense, the future looks bright and full of wonder. 

 

Virtual Meetings:

 

Attending parent meetings are always a struggle, common scenarios include parents needing to take time off work, meetings running over the available time of the parent, last-minute cancellations, etc.  In comes the introduction of virtual meetings – your time, your space and no traffic. Most importantly, parents have that ample opportunity for a close connect with the teacher, with little to no time limitations, ensuring the parent is completely tuned in to the students’ growth throughout the year.

 

Webinars:

 

Nova Pioneer is not just a school, but a learning institution that is rich with information and knowledge which we aim to constantly share with our Novaneer parents and community through our webinars. Our goal is to share enriching and helpful information on the education sector giving our parents insight into what we do here at Nova Pioneer, how we live through our culture principals while striving steadily towards our vision. The best part is that we are embracing the joy of learning, all from the comfort of your office or home. You can listen to some of our recent Nova Pioneer Connect webinars here.

 

Virtual Open Days

 

Inge, one of our Admissions Specialists, shares with us how the Admissions landscape has had to adapt during this time: 

“School Open Days are essential as they provide our potential Nova Pioneer parents with the opportunity to meet with the school leaders. Learning more about our curriculum and understanding our learning approach. It is also a platform for you to ask as many questions about our school. 

Nova Pioneer has adjusted our application process and created The Virtual Admissions Experience to answer all your enrolment needs from the safety and comfort of your home. 

Whether you have put in an application or not, you are welcome to attend the Nova Pioneer Virtual Open Day. Each Nova Pioneer campus in our network hosts their own open day via Google-meet.

It is undeniable that virtual reality has become a large part of our lives during the pandemic and it’s certainly here to stay. We can also appreciate that it has presented us with an opportunity to deliver a unique learning solution to the pandemic ensuring our learners don’t miss a beat, helping them thrive in this new world and assisting them in reaching their learning outcomes for the year. We have become a people without limits, solutions-first leaders and innovators, who deliver on high expectations.

 

 

 

Six years ago

 

On July 7th 2014, 20 teammates and 30 students gathered for the Pioneer Winter Programme.  There were two programmes: we welcomed 15 Grade 00-1 “Young Pioneers”, and 15 Grade 6-8 “Pioneer Innovators”.  It was the first time teammates and students would come together to do what we do: grow innovators and leaders!   With that step, after many months of preparation and anticipation, our journey to develop innovators and leaders who will shape the African Century began in earnest.  With that coming together, Nova Pioneer was born.

One year ago, as Nova Pioneer turned 5, we celebrated our birthday for the first time.  What a year it has been since then!  It has been a year that has led us to reckon with both a health pandemic and a global social justice movement that could well define our generation.  It has been a year in which we have faced up to the challenges of learning to work, learn and live in new ways; and most importantly of staying true and committed to our mission, our students and each other through the most challenging stretch yet of our journey together.  It has also been a year of important achievements: the milestone of our first graduates, the growth of our students in all grades and teammates in all roles; and the welcoming of new campuses, teammates and students to the Novaneer family.  

 

On a personal note

 

I have never been as challenged or encouraged by our journey as I have been this past year.  I have felt greater extremes of strain and setback on the one hand, and gratitude and admiration on the other, than I have in any year of my life to date.  In my birthday message to teammates last year, I wrote that I consider our team and culture to have been our greatest achievements of our first five years.  I still do.  Our collective response to the unprecedented challenges of this year — while remaining committed to our mission and each other through it all — will be a close second!  Indeed, that too will also be a reflection of our team and culture.  

 

Where will the world be, where will we be?

 

One year from now on July 7th 2021?  How about July 7th 2022?  I hope that one year from now we will be able to look back with a sense of accomplishment and pride at the year we will have led, the storms we will have weathered, the scars we will have endured, and the triumphs we will have earned.  I hope that two years from now, with a world emerging from a long winter and looking forward with the exuberance and optimism of spring, we will once again pause and be able to take pride in our journey — our learning, our adaptations, our choices, our successes.  As we do so, on both of those days, I hope that we will be able to look around at ourselves and feel an ever-stronger sense of unity and bond amongst ourselves, and look within ourselves and feel affirmed by who we will have individually and collectively shown ourselves to be.  

From Paulo Coehlo’s The Alchemist — a book that met me at the right challenging moment in my life — I share with you: “No heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God and with eternity.”  I am grateful for every moment of this journey together with you, and look forward to the many years ahead of us! 

Happy 6th birthday Novaneers 🙂

Students, teachers staff, 3rd parties and even parents, you have access to our beautiful schools daily but ever wondered how we go about ensuring that your time on our campuses is a happy and safe one?

 

Well, that responsibility falls on the big shoulders of Nova Pioneer’s Health and Safety compliance officers who work behind the scenes to make that a reality.

 

Health and safety are the activities related to ensuring the wellbeing of all persons that are present on our school grounds. 

 

Health and Safety touch on physical as well as emotional wellbeing, and it makes this field very rewarding yet challenging at the same time. However, we at Nova Pioneer take our responsibilities in this regard very seriously and have instituted a formal health and safety program throughout our network of schools. 

 

Health and Safety at Nova Pioneer is governed by the following policies and these documents form the basis of all our health and safety practices at all Nova Pioneer schools.

 

• Health & Safety Policy
• Emergency Management Plan
• Health & Safety Procedures

 

In addition, each school has a fully functioning Health and Safety Committee, who are charged with the day-to-day management of health and safety risks at individual campuses. This speeds up decision-making processes and mitigation of risk, on the ground, as it arises.

 

All schools report once per term on the status of compliance on issues that have arisen during the term. This, in turn, is collated into a report to the Nova Pioneer Managing Director on the overall state of compliance with the standard of health and safety across the network.

 

In a follow up to this article, we will share some of the specific activities we engage in to ensure that we manage the health and safety of all Novaneers responsibly.

 

Click here to read more on our Nova Pioneer policy documents

 

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 

On 19 October, Nova Pioneer North Riding hosted its first Cupcakes and Coding event at their Jackal Creek based campus. The three-hour-long workshop taught teachers from all over Johannesburg the basics of Swift coding, which is a language used by some of the top application developers worldwide.

 

Coding 101

As a school network group, we want to play an integral part in the sustainability of education on the African continent. The Cupcakes and Coding concept was born as a first step to achieving this goal. The class, offered free of charge, was inspired by our wish to equip all learners with the skills needed for future jobs.

 

 

 

 

Nova Pioneer School broke ground on a new piece of land which will house an extension of the current premises on 2 October.

 

Press Release: Head of school Jeanine Kerr said a new campus would be built and will accommodate Grade 4 to 7 learners. She added, “It will be a senior primary campus. Our oldest grade this year is Grade 5 so they will be moving to the new campus next year.”

The campus will be situated about 250m from the current one and will include sports facilities.

The school hosted a small ceremony to mark the occasion with Kerr saying the new campus would benefit the growth of their school and learners. There is the hope of a high school opening in 2022.

Property development manager for Nova Pioneer Carel Dill said, “We will be starting with the earthworks. We want to start with building in January next year with the school opening in our third term next year.”

Article published in the Midrand Reporter 

Nova Pioneer Secondary students competed in the 2019 AGEC19 challenge. Our students got the opportunity to immerse themselves in the gamified learning platform that was open to all high school students from Grade 8 to Grade 12.

 

Tough Competition

Our students competed against 300 other schools from around South Africa. During five weeks of competition, students were exposed to entrepreneurial development as well as exponential technologies like Blockchain, Digital Biology, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things or 3D printing. Students experienced this through bite-sized chunks of enriched, digitised skills-based learning.

 

Students gain exposure

Within this sphere of  #AGEC19 Novaneers were exposed to habits and concepts pertinent to being an entrepreneur. The challenges were categorised into themes like Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), food security, affordable housing and healthcare. Novaneers engaged in this experience by researching (collecting data, interviews and creating applications) and formulated realistic solutions to these issues. 

Six of our students really demonstrated their #Joy of Learning and exceeded #High Expectations by achieving accolades for their work in the competition. Secondary students Neo Motaung, Siphesihle Dubazana achieved Bronze certificates while Tasmiyya Paruk, Ayanda Sibanda, Sandisiwe Nyoni, and Lesedi Mnguni achieved Gold Awards.

Tasmiyya Paruk has been selected to deliver her ideas in the form of a business pitch. She was selected out of hundreds of submissions. As a community of Novaneers, we celebrate these achievements and couldn’t be prouder of our future entrepreneurial leaders on their successes.