If you have sat for a national examination, then you know how this comes with its fair share of societal pressure. Now, imagine what this must feel like for the current Class Eight candidates across Kenya who have to live through the Covid-19 pandemic as they prepare to take their Kenya Certificate of Primary Examination (K.C.P.E). 

There is no doubt that these are unprecedented times for this year’s Class Eight candidates as everyone grapples with the question of whether they are adequately prepared to tackle a national exam. 

At Nova Pioneer, we believe in preparing student capabilities that includes developing high levels of academic mastery to take on the world with confidence and to create new possibilities for themselves and others. As an organization that’s deeply invested in playing our part in ensuring that each child reaches their full potential, Nova Pioneer has put together revision packages to complement the resources already available to Class Eight candidates across the country through their respective schools. 

Our Academic and Learning Design teams have collaborated with external experts to help prepare a comprehensive study schedule and support materials that will enable parents, their children and educators to creatively find solutions to ensure that adequate exam preparation is happening remotely.

Following the school closures, Nova Pioneer families received robust online Learning Packs weekly that were both engaging and easily accessible to the majority of our students. We are excited to share with you some of our materials to support learning in your home. Our hope is that all children can continue their learning journey during this time.

 

What Can You Expect?

 

Short and Interactive Videos across Each subject

These videos will help the candidates build a clear understanding of the most challenging areas across Mathematics, English, Kiswahili, Science and Social Studies and Religious Education.

 

Short Quizzes With Detailed Marking Schemes

The short quizzes across the six subjects will mostly tackle the most challenging areas for learners and will be accompanied with marking schemes to aid the revision process.

 

Study/Revision Timetable and Study Tips

As part of the package, you will also be able to access a customizable timetable with base-level foundational tips on how to structure private study time and the optimum times to adhere to. Students and parents will also be able to access tips on how to build a conducive learning environment that will enable them to thrive during their private studies.

To learn more about our K.C.P.E study packs, feel free to email us at admissions.ke@novapioneer.com.

To sign-up for the K.C.P.E study packs, click here to complete the interest form and a member of the admissions team will reach out to you to clarify any questions you may have and with the next steps.

 

The first time I found out about YYAS (Yale Young African Scholars) was last year. I did my research on the program and decided it was something I’d be interested in. However, back then, I found out about it one week before the application due date. Nonetheless, I applied. 

Of course, with my application being prepared in a week, I was simply trying my luck. I did not get in. I didn’t let that put me down. If there’s something Nova Pioneer has taught me, it’s that failure is a stepping stone to success. I learnt from my last-minute attempt and as soon as the applications were opened this year, I began mine.

 

Applying for YYAS

 

The application was long and detailed. It is designed in such a way that I had to dedicate a lot of time and thought to it. I eventually completed it and submitted well before the deadline. I was, to say the very least, ecstatic, when I found out I had gotten in.

 

Day in the life of a YYAS Scholar

 

The program was initially supposed to take place over a week in a school within the country. When I received my acceptance email, I was saddened to find out that this would not be the case this year but that was understandable due to the COVID_19 pandemic. Instead, we would be having a three-day online program. But, hey, half a loaf is better than none.

The program took place over zoom. We were placed in groups and each group had slightly different schedules. We had our sessions between 3 pm and 6 pm EAT. It consisted of interesting seminars, for example, we learnt about language and its effect on behaviour and were able to discuss the subject.

The program was incredibly inspiring. I remember a session where an entrepreneur from Ghana shared his story with us and we got to interact with him and ask him questions. I learnt a lot from that session about the power of persistence and determination.

 

Opportunities at YYAS

 

Opportunities such as a Q&A with university admission officers and university students were availed and were incredibly helpful. I got to find out more about universities I was interested in, learn about other options and generally get more information about university life.

I also got to interact with brilliant minds from different countries. During the program, we had opportunities to share ideas and experiences and I really enjoyed having my sessions in such a diverse environment.

I made some friends I continue to keep in touch with even after the program and made some networks which I believe may be valuable in life. 

All in all, the program was absolutely fantastic. It was much more than one would expect from a three-day online program. It was an invaluable experience and I’m more than glad I could attend.

Adapting To Change

 

Covid-19 outbreak and the sudden closure of schools meant we could not do most things we have always done while at school. This includes interactive learning activities such as online symposium, contests and seminars that bring together students and teachers from different schools to learn together and engage in positive competitive activities. 

 

United by a common purpose

 

As a group of passionate educators, united by our love for Geography,  we saw a need to create a platform for both students and educators to share ideas. Being an interactive subject there is a need for a space to converse and perhaps even shift students’ perception and mindset on the subject. 

The Nova Pioneer Geography Department which comprises Geography teachers across all our High Schools from Nova Pioneer Tatu Girls, Tatu Boys, Eldoret Girls and Eldoret Boys, decided to bring together teachers and students using online platforms. “Power is gained by sharing knowledge, not hoarding it”.~ Anonymous. It is our hope that this will be a platform where knowledge is shared with stakeholders.

 

Empowering Our Teachers  & Students

 

To start us off we began with an online forum for teachers where we launched Geography Teachers Open Mic Forums on 31st July 2020, with an objective of sharing ideas on how to enhance teaching and learning of geography. During these sessions, we have two to three facilitators who take the teachers through various topics. As it is also important for teachers to feel empowered in their craft.

Having successfully hosted the teacher forums, we saw the need to launch an online symposium and mini-contest that will bring together students from different schools. The objective is to have our students learn from each other, with guidance from teachers. We will be hosting our first Nova Pioneer Geography Online Symposium and Mini-Contest on 25th of September 2020. This will be a first of many as we aim to have these sessions at least once a month.

The main activities during this first symposium include:

• Quiz for all student participants 
• Group discussions on set questions and guided by teachers.
• Talk from Ms. Scholastica Muchagi, The Head of Geography Subject at Baricho High School, Kirinyaga County.

 

Registration and participation in the virtual symposium is open to all geography teachers and high school students from any school.

 

Our Goal 

 

Through this platform, we aim to have the students acquire a deeper understanding of the subject and develop their content mastery. The learners will gain effective answering skills that will help them score highly in an exam set up. The event will expose the students to creative ways of learning and thus foster a positive attitude towards the subject and infuse the joy in learning. 

For teachers, the Symposium will create a platform where they can build a strong network that will provide great inspiration, encouragement and professional growth.

There will also be awarding certificates in soft copy in the following categories: Top four students per Form in the quiz, Top two students overall in the quiz,  Most active and impactful students in each group discussion, and Teachers will get a certificate for participation and leading discussion.

We take this opportunity to invite all students and teachers to join us in our online symposium and Mini-Contest.

You can register to join the symposium by clicking on this link here

Just as most of us have had to adjust ourselves to these uncertain times, YYAS (Yale Young African Scholars) has not been an exception. YYAS – was supposed to be my opportunity to meet other Africans who are passionate about our continent as well as their respective countries, and to share ideas and interact with new people from very diverse backgrounds. Even though we had to have our session online due to the pandemic, I have still learned so much and had an unforgettable experience.

 

Applying for YYAS

 

My friend Esther Wachira, had the chance to attend YYAS in 2019. From all the great stories she told me, coupled with her experience, I knew that I too would love such an experience, and thought, why not give it a try. I did my research through their website to learn more about the program and the application process and requirement and from there I began the application process. 

The essay questions were not only thought-provoking but also super fun. One asked about our favourite fictional character, the second asked us what in our country’s history we would change and the other, which was my favourite, asked us to write on a rumour about our country and whether we agree or disagree with it.

It was a bit challenging trying to think about the rumour question but the best part was finding and settling on a topic about Kenya and from there, writing a 500-word essay even felt limiting. I also had help from one of the school Post School Success mentors who read my essays over and over and helped me articulate my thoughts in a much concise way. It was a tough process but worth it in the end.

On 9th April I opened my email from YYAS. “Congratulations! I am thrilled to offer you admission…” I saw those words and started to jump all over the house and I cried because I really couldn’t believe it! That was probably one of my highest moments in this quarantine period. I called my number one cheerleader and classmate Chelsy, who was there for me throughout the application process. Let’s just say she sounded like she was more excited than I was!

 

Finding a balance 

 

A live program is obviously much better than an online one, but it was well planned either way in order to give us the YYAS experience despite the current pandemic. Additionally, I had exams at the same time as the program, which meant juggling between both. An online program also meant that we had shorter sessions and we weren’t able to have too many interactions if we were going to get all the information YYAS had to offer. We were sent materials to familiarize ourselves with the program content before it started. 

During the program, we had two types of sessions, the seminars and group sessions. I especially loved the group sessions because that’s when we got to talk in smaller groups and get to know each other better. I met so many passionate people. People who are aware of the issues happening around them; people who wanted to help bring positive change to their communities; people who were not afraid to confront the challenges that we face as Africans and provide solutions to those problems.

 

Valuable lessons

 

“If we are the ones we’ve been waiting for, why are we still waiting?” This is a statement that stood out for me. It was from a video on Leadership, by Africa Matters. It is a call to us the youth to begin being changemakers and to stop waiting and just start doing whatever we can, however, we can, to impact Africa. Another perception that changed for me was my view on applying to universities in America. Previously, during our Post School Success sessions, I was clear that I was not going to go to the US to study, but now some of its schools are among the top five on my list. 

 

All in all, YYAS gave me an opportunity to learn more about myself as well as pushed me to be better. It encouraged me to start thinking about what I can do now to help my community while equipping me with the skills I would need to do so. Lastly, I loved the people I met and enjoyed learning about all those different cultures and sharing my own. I got to expand my network and make friends for life from all over Africa. YYAS was great and I highly recommend it!

 

Join us

 

Interested in enrolling your child at Nova Pioneer? Click down below to apply

I love teaching because I am helping shape the life of a learner. Watching my learners accomplish milestones is always rewarding to me. Some of the accomplishments include: seeing a child learn a routine to a point where I don’t have to give reminders,  watching a once reserved child stand before a whole class or a school and do a presentation, a skit or lead a baraza, seeing a child hold a writing tool and write letters or their name, read a word, create a car using objects and most recently witnessing the impact of the virtual learning program in my students. Teaching is truly a blessing.

My career in teaching began nine years ago when I had my second child. This was sparked by my interest to know more about children and their growth. The more I read, the more I became fascinated. My first course was in Management of Information Systems. I then enrolled for a certificate in Child Development and Education and that’s how my teaching career started. I later went back to do a Diploma on the same. It was amazing, Children are amazing.

 

 

Adapting to change

 

When the announcement was made that schools would close in March, it didn’t seem so serious at the time. We thought it would only be a few days or weeks. It took a different turn and it felt so surreal. Not being able to interact with your students on a personal level is not easy. Having to shelve the goals you have on student growth especially when it comes to skills such as building collaboration was also not easy.

But just like with all circumstances in life, we must learn to adapt. As a school, we decided to make the switch to online learning. Being an innovative school we were able to adapt so well and so quickly to virtual learning. All teachers have laptops and are tech-savvy which came in handy as we made the switch to online learning.

Virtual learning means putting in more effort at connecting with your students as they won’t be seeing you the whole day as they have been used to. It also involves ensuring values and virtues are instilled so they can continue the good behaviour at home, connecting more with their parents and creating content that they can understand and work on with minimal supervision. It’s a whole new level of growth for both teachers and students and I have fully embraced it albeit, I  miss my homeroom.

 

Helping learners get on board

 

My students found it hard to understand why they needed to stay home because all they wanted was to come to school. We had to take time to really explain and make them understand why they couldn’t come to school or spend time with their teachers and friends. It is important to us that we empower our students with all the necessary information on current happenings.

We did a lot of educating on coronavirus as well, and preventive measures. The school counselor also prepares weekly bulletins to help students manage different challenges during this period and it’s going on well.

In the beginning, there were some challenges as both teachers and learners adapted to virtual learning. One of the challenges was classroom management, use of technology for the students and finding a balance with the parents especially those with young ones who need close supervision, for both parents working from home and those leaving for work.

Another challenge is not having all your students for a meeting and especially if it’s a meeting where you want to set expectations for the week, talk about a value that needs to be lived out that week and a culture principle to be shown at home.

 

Timetables and Schedules 

 

For the lesson delivery of our virtual learning program,  I go through the lesson plan and internalize it. I then check on what I need like props and prepare a background or realia for the lesson.

I then prepare a powerpoint that I can share with the students during the lesson and we go through it with my line manager to see if there are any additions or omissions that I can make for excellence. The powerpoint in my case has to be child friendly with relevant videos and images as I prepare lessons for 4-5 year olds.

After that, I do a recording of my lesson using zoom and then upload it to google classroom where all students can access it.

We have our morning meetings with the students via zoom for 30 minutes from 9 am. This is where we set expectations and introduce topics and themes for the week.

Students then access lessons via google classroom and these are pre-recorded for ease of access at any time during the day. We also have live lessons that run through the day with breaks in between for the upper grades.

 

Impact of Virtual learning

 

Virtual learning as I said before is a blessing. There has been tremendous growth in our students especially in regards to technology. 

Some students are able to log in to their classroom or own meetings and join with minimal supervision. We have students uploading work and submitting assignments on google classrooms. This has made us realize that our students are go-getters, problem solvers and true innovators.

Students have also learnt to be self- managers and this is where our weekly values come in. They want to show integrity, responsibility and honesty so they do their work even in the absence of their parents especially those who are away at work.

And for a primary school student to be able to join an online class, work on assignment and submit it via google classroom, that is a great achievement. It means we are truly getting it right when it comes to developing a school of innovators and leaders.

 

Adapting & learning at the same time

 

Online learning has come with some great advantages as well. I have noticed that my students have adapted some skills that they would not necessarily have easily grasped within the normal classroom set up.

 

Time management skills: Being at home means a lot of distractions and for students to adhere to the strict timetables set is an achievement. Being able to log into a meeting or online class ,find time to do assignments and submit before the deadline and not getting distracted by things like TV and movies is real growth.

Technology: Students being able to log into meetings, learning to use the mute and unmute feature when answering questions, learning to put their hand up if they have a point to put across or if they want to answer a question, submitting work online. These are real achievements that students have come to learn as they adapt to online learning. 

The other day a student asked if I could log into my computer and see her helping her aunt to bake a cake. I was so impressed because this is a four year old who already knows that nothing is impossible when it comes to technology. Of course, I enjoyed watching her cook as she explained to me everything that she was doing.

 

What we have achieved so far

 

Continued learning : Our students have been able to learn and gain more knowledge despite the pandemic. We have had great projects going on ,built reading skills, had fitness programs and the list is endless.

 

Keeping connections alive: I can’t imagine not being able to connect to my students for such a long time. Virtual learning had enabled this and it’s been amazing.       

                                                                                                 

Close parent-teacher interactions: We have managed to connect more with parents due to virtual learning and this helps us understand students’ background. Getting to know each other and build relationships and connections which are in turn beneficial to the students.

 

Favorite Moments

 

Students enjoy the live meetings, seeing their friends and being able to ask and answer questions from home.

Some students are also happy to be spending more time with their parents and while initially it was difficult because of ‘My teacher doesn’t do it like that’ syndrome, they have become accustomed to it and are now happier.

Students also love the projects that they get to do at home. Two weeks ago we tasked them with creating a weather chart, recording weather for the day and becoming a meteorologist. At the end of the week, they were required to give a report of the week’s weather. They were quite excited about it.

The idea of having their own email addresses has also been well received ,the independence that comes with owning your own address where you can log in and access lessons as well as submit assignments.

I am remarkably proud of our students, on the Joy of Learning & High Expectations exhibited from the inception of our virtual learning program up until now. They are truly the future innovators and leaders that will shape the continent.

With the necessity of social distancing in the time of Covid, it is important to offer students avenues for learning to continue so that learning loss can be curbed – because even with schools closed, learning must continue.

As an educator, I miss being in our schools and interacting with our students. Hearing laughter in class and along the corridors as I watch students explore their individual interests.

However, the reality is that Covid-19 has presented the unimaginable for teachers and learners across the world.

 

Keeping up with the rest of the world

International organisations that work to safeguard the rights of children such as Save the Children, UNICEF, Plan International and many others have come together and given recommendations on finding ways to keep children safe and learning during and after Covid-19 crisis.

Many of the current estimates of learning loss from COVID-19 already present a worrying picture for young Africans.

Our colleagues at the Brookings Institution and the World Bank estimate that, with just four months of lost schooling and little change in the quality of education, the lifetime earnings of today’s students in the United States will be greatly reduced, representing a loss of nearly 13 percent of U.S. GDP over subsequent generations.

What might that look like for us as Kenyans? What ripple impact will that cause for us? This is a global challenge and we therefore can’t ignore what statistics from across the globe indicate.

At Nova Pioneer, we believe it is our duty as educators to still forge forward, despite existing challenges, so students experience as minimal disruption as possible.

We are committed to staying up to date with what the rest of the world is doing in matters education so your children, our students, are well-equipped to solve real world problems.

 

 

Introducing a Virtual Learning Programme

At Nova Pioneer, we decided to design and offer a Virtual Learning Programme to families for two reasons:

1. so our students experience minimal learning loss during this time while they are physically away from campus; and
2. to help students retain some form of normalcy by providing them the opportunity to connect with teachers and other students, giving them a sense of connection amidst all the changes they are experiencing.

We believe that keeping children engaged in meaningful learning experiences while at home during this time, will help them improve and maintain the skills they need for once they are back in the classroom.

 

We have made the switch 

Our Virtual Learning Programme has been designed to ensure learning milestones are achieved and offers children the opportunity to stay ahead of the curve so that they are ready to begin the 2021 school year feeling confident and prepared to do well.

The programme is structured to run in three consecutive 4-week periods, spanning a total of 3 months and starting 7 September.

It also offers parents flexibility to choose preferred classes and activities. The programme comprises of three blocks a day and they focus on [1] Academic Mastery, [2] developing Innovation and Leadership Skills and [3] participating in Enrichment activities. Families can select up to two classes from each of the blocks.

See the full course catalogue

 

Why should you make the switch?

The Virtual Learning Programme offers parents flexibility. It’s not a one size fits all. You decide what you want your child to focus on.

You may want your child to (1) improve and master their academic skills; (2) develop their character and entrepreneurial skills; (3) Or cultivate skills in new areas. The programme offers the opportunity to opt into classes and courses that appeal most to you and your child.

The programme is aimed at encouraging students to:

1. adapt to a new way of learning;
2. connect with students beyond our national borders through cross geo classes with peers from South Africa and  Korea through a virtual exchange programme;
3. continuously reflect on their own personal development; and
4. contribute to finding solutions to real world problems through projects set out in their classes.

 

Academic Classes

Our Academic classes encourage inquiry instruction, critical thinking, project based learning, independent learning and self-discovery. Our teachers are well trained to deliver the curriculum in a fun and interactive virtual environment. 

 

Innovation & Leadership Classes

In our Hallmark classes, we focus on ensuring that our students are learning to think and behave like innovators and leaders. Students are given the opportunity to develop their character and entrepreneurship skills at an early age. Students are exposed early to finance and savings and learn about African history as they grow to become our leaders of today. In these classes, students gain an appreciation for research and analytical thinking as they explore solutions to problems that they observe, and test them with their peers and in the community.

 

Enrichment Classes

Our Enrichment classes are designed to allow our students to focus on skill based classes that they are personally passionate about in a fun and interactive manner. Skills from art and drawing to public speaking, digital literacy and many more.  

Students can cultivate skills in new areas, explore and develop their interests and ultimately strengthen their values while gaining skills that go beyond the classroom walls. Enrichment classes allow students to use Math to calculate measurements in plants, Geography when learning about Bible characters and the value of collaboration through group Music lessons. 

 

Speak to our Admissions Team

Are you ready to take this journey with us and start your child’s application process to enrol into our Virtual Learning Programme? We will work with you closely to ensure your questions are answered and that your child’s application is submitted.  Complete this form and we will reach out to you!