Dear Parents

The Importance of Play in Early Learning

Play is more than just fun—it’s a key part of how young children learn and grow. Through play, preschoolers develop essential skills that lay the foundation for their future learning and well-being.

✨ Building Key Skills
Play encourages problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity. It also helps little ones explore early literacy and numeracy concepts naturally and engagingly.

🤝 Social and Emotional Growth
Children learn to share, take turns, cooperate, and resolve conflicts when they play together. Play also helps them express emotions, build confidence, and feel a sense of belonging.

🏃 Physical Development
Active play strengthens muscles, improves coordination and balance, and develops fine and gross motor skills. It also encourages healthy movement habits.

🗣️ Language and Communication
Through role-play, storytelling, and interaction with peers and teachers, children expand their vocabulary, listening skills, and ability to express themselves.

🎨 Creativity and Imagination
Open-ended play allows children to experiment, create, and think in new ways. Pretend play nurtures their imagination and ability to think beyond the present moment.

🧠 Cognitive Development
Play supports memory, attention span, and decision-making. It also helps children explore cause-and-effect relationships, strengthening logical thinking skills.

💖 Emotional Well-Being
Play provides a safe space for children to relax, express their feelings, and release energy. It helps them develop a positive attitude toward learning and school life.

🌱 Independence and Resilience
Unstructured play allows children to explore their interests, develop self-regulation, and build perseverance as they experiment and learn through trial and error.

Encouraging play—both at school and home—helps establish a lifelong love of learning. Thank you for supporting your child’s journey through play!

Grade 000 Learning About Senses

During our week of learning about the body and our five senses, the Grade 000s had an exciting day of hands-on exploration. They engaged in messy gloop play, felt the textures of paint on their hands, and discovered a variety of scents, from garden herbs to zesty citrus and warm spices like turmeric. Their taste buds were put to the test with intriguing flavours like dragon fruit, coconut, and sour lemon—though the sweet and familiar taste of a Smartie remained the ultimate favourite!

A Special Visit from the Secondary Prefect Body

We were delighted to welcome the high school prefects for their annual visit to the preschool. Many of them once walked these very paths, and it was heartwarming to see them reliving their childhood in the 100 Aker Wood. They eagerly joined in classroom activities, built with big wooden blocks, swung the little ones on the swings, and simply enjoyed being part of our world once again. It was a joyful reunion, filled with laughter, nostalgia, and a wonderful sense of connection across the years.

Virtual class visit

This week, the children in Kanga's House had the opportunity to connect with teachers and learners from Little England School in Italy. It was a lovely interaction, and the children enjoyed the experience. It was especially meaningful for Luna to share a moment with her school abroad.

We look forward to keeping in touch and seeing more of her school once she is settled back in Italy.

Hat Policy

As the weather remains hot, we kindly ask all parents to ensure that their children wear a hat when playing outside, especially during outdoor activities such as extra-murals. The sun is very harsh, and protecting our children's skin is a priority. To encourage this, we are reintroducing the ‘No Hat, No Play’ rule.

Please also ensure that your child has a layer of sunblock applied each morning. Teachers will reapply sunblock before outdoor play.

Thank you for your support!

Water Bottles

We have noticed that many children do not have water bottles at school. Please ensure that your child brings a clearly labeled water bottle each day. Staying hydrated is essential, especially in the heat, and having their own bottle makes it easier for teachers to encourage regular water breaks.

Health 

4-5 Year Old Development

Amy Dolley - Registered Nurse

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 - Summer Quarter 2025

1 March: Happy Birthday Nadine Fourie 

2 March: Happy Birthday Vuyo Raqa 

9 March: Happy Birthday Abigail De Witt

11 March: Happy Birthday Christopher Robin Pre-Primary 45 years

Jig Saw Children’s Theatre: Seasons and Colours Show (ALL)

14 March: Grade 000 and Crackerjacks Cake Sale 

15 March: Happy Birthday Riëtte Pieterse 

24-27 March: Grade 0000 - 00 Feedback meetings & Grade R Report meetings

21 March: Public Holiday - Human Rights Day

28 March: Last day of the quarter (school closes at 13:00)

Extra Mural Open Week 

We warmly invite parents to our Extra-Mural Open Week from 14–26 March! This is a great opportunity to observe your child’s lesson, experience their progress, and, for some activities, even join in. Attendance is entirely optional, but we would love to share this special experience with you. We look forward to welcoming you!

14 March: Little Chefs (Group 3)

     Orchestra

17 March: Ballet

Tennis

18 March: Swimming

Cricket

Minor Repertoire Grade 000 - 00

19 March: Speech and Drama

Intro-golf

Little Chefs (Group 1)

20 March: Intro-golf

26 March: Little Chefs (Group 2)

Individual music lessons will be liaised directly with the parents 

Conclusion

The children had a wonderful time exploring their senses and refining their fine motor skills as they carefully sequenced and created their own delicious fruit kebabs. Enjoying the fresh air, they eagerly threaded juicy pieces of fruit onto skewers, taking pride in their colourful creations. The highlight of the activity was tasting their kebabs - each bite filled with excitement and a big “YUM!” Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!