Dear Parents

This week we celebrated World Book Day on Wednesday, 23 April, and what a joyful day it was! The children looked absolutely adorable dressed as their favourite storybook characters.

Reading plays such an important role in early childhood. It’s not only fun, but also a beautiful way for children to learn and grow. Through stories, they expand their vocabulary, stretch their imaginations, and begin to understand emotions, solve problems, and make sense of the world around them.

Why Reading Matters in Preschool:

• Language Boost: Books introduce new words and sentence patterns, helping children become confident communicators.

• Thinking Skills: Stories build attention, memory, and understanding—important for future learning!

• Emotional Growth: Hearing about different characters and challenges helps children develop empathy and emotional awareness.

• Imagination: Storytime sparks creativity and lets little minds dream big.

• Special Moments: Sharing books is a wonderful bonding time between adults and children.
  
  

Books for Every Age:

• 0–3 years: Choose simple, repetitive stories with bright pictures and textures.

• 3–4 years: Look for stories with clear plots and familiar experiences like going to school or visiting the doctor.

• 4–5 years: Enjoy fairy tales, fables, and stories that encourage curiosity and problem-solving.

Keep reading and keep exploring—books open doors to endless adventures! 🌍💫

A Peek Into Our Week

Celebrating Science Week in the Pre-Primary 

This week, our Pre-Primary children had so much fun exploring the wonders of science through play, observation, and hands-on discovery. From bubbling potions to floating objects, Science Week was full of curious moments and wide-eyed excitement. It’s been all about asking questions, trying things out, and noticing the magic in everyday things. What a joy it is to see early scientific thinking take root in such playful and meaningful ways

Piglet's & Tigger's House

Farmyard Fun and a Splash of Science!

This week in Grade 000 was full of excitement as we explored the world of farm animals! The children had a fantastic time learning the names, sounds, and homes of animals like cows, pigs, sheep, and chickens. Through songs, stories, and creative crafts, our classroom turned into a lively little barnyard!

Adding a splash of science to our week, we explored a colourful oil and water experiment. The children were fascinated as vibrant drops of food colouring swirled through the oil, discovering first-hand that oil and water simply don’t mix!

It was a joyful week of learning through play, curiosity, and hands-on discovery. Thank you for being part of our wonderful journey!

Kanga's House

A Week of Stories and Science!

Although it was a short week, it was packed with excitement! One of the highlights was our special World Book Day dress-up, where the children arrived in the most creative and colourful costumes—each one bringing a favourite story to life. A heartfelt thank you to all families for the generous book donations; your support plays a big role in nurturing a love for reading in our little ones.

To top it off, we ended the week with an exciting science experiment featuring Magic Sand—a hydrophobic polymer that repels water and stays completely dry, even when submerged! The children were fascinated and had so much fun exploring this magical scientific concept.

It was a fun, inspiring week filled with learning, imagination, and discovery!

Pooh Bear's House 

The Pooh Bears had an exciting outdoor play session this week as they took to the driveway for some fun in the sun! The children explored a variety of activities, from kicking and throwing big balls to pushing and pulling the wooden wagons, all while building coordination, strength, and confidence.

The wagons were especially popular, sparking imaginative games and encouraging teamwork as friends worked together to navigate their way around. Our little artists also brought the ground to life with colourful chalk drawings, creating a vibrant ocean scene filled with octopuses, crabs, and wiggly eels.

It was a joyful morning of movement, creativity, and learning through play,  just the way we like it!

Rabbit's House 

Rabbits love reading stories, and World Book Day was the perfect opportunity to celebrate the magic of books. We dressed up in a variety of inspiring outfits, from princesses to police officers, superheroes to clowns. 

We loved this wonderful day of storytelling and the chance to nourish our imagination. 

Owl's House

At Owls House, our young scientists explored a fun and simple experiment using pepper, water, and dishwashing liquid. Before diving in, we made predictions about what might happen. The children were amazed when the first child dipped a soapy finger into the pepper-covered water and watched the pepper scatter to the edges! However, we noticed that the experiment didn't work as well the second time. This led to a great discussion about why the results changed and how we could improve them—like using clean water each time or making sure the soap stays on the finger. 

It was a wonderful way to learn through curiosity, observation, and teamwork!

Little Chefs

This week, our Little Chefs rolled up their sleeves and got stuck into a fun and tasty kitchen activity, making coconut ice!

The children loved the process, especially exploring the different textures as they mixed, pressed, and shaped their creations. From the soft, grainy feel of the coconut to the sticky sweetness of the condensed milk, it was a hands-on sensory experience that brought lots of giggles and smiles.

We’re so proud of how excited and involved they were, and of course, they were thrilled to taste the final product too!

Outreach
Slipper Day 2025 – May 9th

Get ready to step into kindness! Slipper Day will take place on 9 May 9, and children are encouraged to wear their favourite slippers to school in support of the Reach For A Dream Foundation. This special initiative helps make dreams come true for children living with life-threatening illnesses.

Stickers can be purchased for R20 at the office, and by wearing them along with their slippers, children will be showing their support for this wonderful cause. Let’s walk together in comfort and compassion!

Potty Training Superstars

Library Adventure

A SPECIAL VISITOR

Our World Book Day adventure continues as we welcome a children’s author, Roslynne Toerien, who will be visiting our Grade R, 1, 2 and 3 classes on Monday 5 May.  This lovely lady has a passion for bringing books to children and is founder and CEO of The LEARN Project ( Let’s Educate A Rainbow Nation), with the aim of equipping schools with libraries and book corners.

Her animal series is highly entertaining and hugely popular with our young readers. The rhyming text, creative use of font styles and beautiful illustrations make the animals come to life. The books also contain not only a story, but valuable information about these creatures which satisfy the learners’ desire to know more about the animals. 

We are delighted to be able to introduce TWO new books in the series, namely FEATHERED FIVE and NOCTURNAL NINE. Roslynne will be signing books on the day, which is always a memorable moment for the children. Books can be pre-ordered (see the information below), or purchased on the day (cash or card). 

Elise Crouse - Librarian

2025 Dates 

Please note that there has been a slight change to the 2025 dates indicated in blue below:

Provisional dates for 2025

Summer Quarter: 20 January – 28 March
Autumn Quarter: 08 April- 25 June
*Mid-term break: 29 April – 2 May
Winter Quarter: 22 July – 23 Sept
Spring Quarter: 14 October – 05 December

Important Dates - Autumn Quarter 2025

27 April: Public Holiday: Freedom Day

28 April: Public Holiday

MID-TERM BREAK

29 APRIL - 2 MAY

1 May: Public Holiday: Workers Day  

5 May: Author: Roslynne Toerien visiting Gr R - 3

9 May: Slipper Day - Reach for a Dream Foundation

11 May: Mother’s Day

14 May: May Play Photographs - Grade 000 & R

15 May: May Play Photographs - Grade 00 

16 May: Grade 00 Cake Sale 

23 May: Grade 00 Occupational Dress-up Day 

28 May: Build your burger with Chef Kerry 

29 May: 09:00 - 10:00 May Play (Grade 000 - R) 

29 May: 10:30 - 11:00 May Play (Grade 000 - R) 

30 May: 09:00 - 10:00 May Play (Grade 000 - R) 

30 May: 10:30 - 11:00 May Play (Grade 000 - R)
31 May: Open Day

1 June: International Children’s Day 

  Happy Birthday Kerry Kemp

2 June: Happy Birthday Chanay De Klerk

International Children's Day- Movie & Pop Corn (Grade 000 - R) in the hall
Crackerjacks Music & Marshmallow in their classes       

13 June: Reports sent to parents 

15 June: Father’s Day

16 June: Public Holiday: Youth Day 

17-20 June: Report Feedback Meetings Grade 0000 - R

20 June: Grade 000 and Crackerjacks Cake Sale 

24 June: Winter Olympics and R20 ‘entry’ fee towards Grant Pienaar Foundation

25 June: Last day of the quarter  

29 June: Happy Birthday Litho Voxeka

The Jungle Adventure Concert (Grade 000 - R)

We’re excited to invite you to our upcoming Jungle Adventure Concert, where our little performers will take you on a wild and wonderful journey through the jungle! 

To manage the event smoothly and ensure everyone’s comfort, there will be 110 tickets available per show, and it’s strictly first come, first served.

To book your spot, please use the correct Google Form link that matches the date and time you plan to attend. All Grade 000 to R learners (not the Crackerjacks) will be performing in the same concert, which will take place twice a day on 29 and 30 May.

Each performance will be the same, repeated four times in total, and each show has its own booking form to help us manage unreserved seating accurately.

🎟️ Booking is essential – once the 110 tickets are booked for a show, the form will close automatically.

📅 Booking Links (please choose carefully based on the correct date and time):

29 May: 09:00 - 10:00 

29 May: 10:30 - 11:30 

30 May: 09:00 - 10:00

30 May: 10:30 - 11:30  

Hyperion Bots Shine at FIRST Tech World Championships in Houston

The Hyperion Bots’ participation in the FIRST Tech World Championships in Houston was a thrilling blend of competition, learning, and unforgettable experiences. The team proudly represented South Africa, delivering a strong judges’ presentation and passing both robot and field inspections with ease. 

On the field, they fought hard in the Edison Division, earning exciting wins in matches Q-11, Q-25, Q-139, and Q-158, and tackling technical challenges—including a broken robot arm—with impressive perseverance and teamwork. The vibrant atmosphere at the competition was electric, with learners enjoying the mascot dance, trading team memorabilia, and cheering on alliances from around the world. 

Beyond the competition, the team explored the wonders of space at Johnson Space Centre, discovered cutting-edge space travel technology at Limitless Space Institute, and capped off their trip with a fun visit to the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences. From presenting like professionals to dancing with mascots and learning about nanotechnology, every moment was packed with energy, inspiration, and pride. 

Well done to the team who placed 47th in the Edison division, an outstanding achievement for a first year team.

Conclusion

Enjoy the upcoming mid-term break, and we look forward to seeing all the little ones on Monday, 5 May.