Pre-School News

From the Rector’s Desk

Dear parents and guardians

Every school phase matters! I sometimes hear parents saying that they will send their children to an independent high school while settling for a less expensive Early Childhood Development (ECD) phase. While I understand the financial reasoning, I would argue that it is in this sector that the foundations of a child’s future learning patterns are formed.

The purpose of Early Childhood Development (ECD) is not simply to prepare children academically for Grade 1. In fact, at this stage it is not a competition to see who can read or complete worksheets first. The aim is to cultivate curious, confident, self-regulated learners who have the cognitive, social, emotional and language foundations to flourish throughout their schooling. To achieve this, we engage our students in purposeful play. We plan for and encourage play that is self-directed, imaginative, physically active and socially interactive. It is through this intentional planning that students establish the skills and confidence necessary for the more formal learning that follows in the next phase of schooling – the Foundation Phase of Grades 1 to 3.

Although brain development continues throughout childhood, adolescence and into the mid-twenties, what is true is that during the ECD years sensory, language and emotional regulation undergo rapid development. The first five years of life are a period of extraordinary brain development. It is estimated that during these first few years, the brain forms more than one million new neural connections every second, creating the foundation for later learning. Our ECD curriculum is packed with a diverse range of learning opportunities and facilities that provide for a broad spectrum of play-based activities. These activities include imaginative play, exploration, construction play (making things), creative arts, physical play, sensory play, social play, storytelling, scientific enquiry, collecting, categorising and the performing arts, amongst others. Each has a specific time and place within our curriculum.

Neuroscientists and educational psychologists emphasise that later learning relies significantly on early neural wiring. If foundational neural pathways are not stimulated early, later remediation becomes significantly more difficult and resource-intensive. The conclusion is clear: Early Childhood Development matters!

One advantage of having all the school phases on one property is that it becomes easy to develop common themes, traditions and values that encompass the entire College. Earlier this year, the Matric Invitation Handout took place in the Pre-School with much excitement. This gave our Pre-School students the opportunity to engage socially and perform as they walked up the red carpet to hand over the invitations. Other significant cross-school activities have included St Dunstan’s Day and the opening of the Memorial Hall. For the first time on the “new” campus, we had enough space to host the entire school under one roof on our own property. This multipurpose hall is destined to be a game changer – hosting honours evenings, concerts and other major events with ease. It is not a facility just for the College, but for the Pre-School too.

The Big Colour Walk, another highlight in the Pre-School calendar, gave your children the opportunity to explore beyond their immediate environment into the spaces that will later become so meaningful to them. The Don Jones Oval is our main cricket ground, but it is also our full 400m fine-lawn athletics track.

As the term draws to a close, I take this opportunity to thank the Pre-School team, under the leadership of Mrs Millner, for a job well done, and for all the care, effort and love they invest in the lives of our children to make it such a special place.

The School Council has the important responsibility of driving strategy and ensuring sound financial oversight. Without its input and direction, we would not have the Memorial Hall, the new parking areas and the facility upgrades that we now enjoy. I thank the Council and Lorraine Barry, as Chairperson, for their dedicated and professional stewardship of our magnificent school. As unpaid volunteers, they truly uphold our school motto: “I Serve”.

Finally, I wish you all a restful August holiday. I trust that you will be able to step away from your busy schedules, spend some special time with your families and enjoy the opportunity to recharge. May every moment count.

Mr Warwick Taylor

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realise they were the big things.”
– Robert Brault

KIN CLASS