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It was with an excited sense of
nervousness coupled with a certain degree
of apprehension that the new Grade
Four learners embarked on their exciting
educational adventure into the Senior
Preparatory Faculty at the beginning of the
year.
This journey may often seem daunting and
overwhelming because of the new campus
and teachers. However, the transition into
Grade Four was smooth due to the genuine
compassion and warm approach of the
dedicated educators. The children were
welcomed with open arms and encouraging
smiles at school and after a few short weeks,
the start-of-school jitters had quickly settled.
Their initial apprehension had long been
forgotten as they quickly became familiar
with their immediate surroundings and the
expectations of the grade.
There has been an abundance of learning
opportunities in Grade Four with the
introduction of History, Geography and
Natural Science. The holistic approach
to learning has stimulated, probed and
challenged the learners this year.The content
subjects provide a large scope of themes
from learning about iconic leaders such as
Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi, to
studying the current farming practices such
as commercial, subsistence and organic
farming. The outings to Giraffe House, Gan
Eden Farm and theWynberg Conservation
Centre complemented the various topics
and made for interesting excursions.
A new platform to integrate the English,
History and Geography syllabi with the
use of the iPad, has resulted in an overall
enhanced learning experience for the
children. Drawing from the knowledge
established whilst observing video clips,
extracting online information from child-
friendly websites and exploring various
iPad applications during content subject
lessons, allowed the learners to complete
certain English tasks more effectively and
successfully. They also used their English
skills to express their opinion and to provide
written responses when dealing with certain
issues and topics in the content subjects,
incorporating their valuable IT skills whilst
completing the task. Their basic computer
skills have developed and have been
practised on a daily basis in order to further
build computer efficiency. Learners were
encouraged to evaluate websites to measure
the credibility and validity of the plethora of
sites available on the web.Their uninhibited
interaction with technology has proven
to be an exciting, fresh and memorable
experience for learners and teachers alike.
It has been remarkable to witness not
only the cognitive but also the emotional
development of every unique learner.
The ‘Cool to Be Friends’ programme
was introduced in the third quarter with
the intention of promoting the healthy
development of interpersonal skills between
children. It focused specifically on teaching
the values of kindness, respect, fairness and
peace, making the learners become more
aware of the importance of friendships.
Learners were taught how to resolve
disagreements in an amicable manner
through real life situations.
It has been an eventful and fulfilling year
for the Grade Four educators as they have
watched each learner grow and develop new
skills, become more responsible towards
their own learning and move confidently on
their own path to success. We would like to
take this opportunity of thanking the parents
for their ongoing support throughout the
year. We wish all the learners and parents
well for the rest of their journeyin the
Senior Preparatory.
Lauren Drawbridge,Wendy Hindle
and Colette O’Halloran
UsingThe SunTo Find North
Cwenga Up CloseTo A Sheep
David’s Museum Display
Learning HowTo Read A Measuring Jug At Eye Level
Miss O’halloran ReadingTo Grade 4R
Marcel Enjoys History Lessons
We Can Measure Accurately
Miss Sherwood Helping Kai, Chloé,Victoire And RushayWithTheir Maths
Lelesibini And MorganWorking OnTheir Ipads
Showing Mom HowTo Do It!
