Nova Pioneer North Riding recently hosted a Parent Instructional Evening where parents got a glimpse of how learning occurs in the classroom. Our parents embraced the school’s learning experience and got a taste of what it feels like to be back in the classroom.
An Engaged Parent = An Engaged Student
Research shows that children of engaged parents perform better in school. We believe that now, more than ever before, parents need to understand the learning process and their roles as partners in their children’s education. We also acknowledge that allowing parents to take initiative on learning-related matters is vital in forging productive partnerships.
This session took parent through the physical, social and academic developmental stages of children from ages 0-5. Our grades 000 to R focused on Play Based Learning and parents had the opportunity to play together at some of the fun centers that were set up so that they could better understand how children learn through play.
While our foundation phase grades 1 and 2 focused on coding, where parents were taken through what coding is, why we have it as part of our curriculum and what the benefits of coding are. Parents had fun trying to code some robots.
Learning can get serious
Admittedly, things got a bit more serious as we saw our grade 3 to 5 lessons focus on the Cambridge Curriculum. At Northriding, our very first grade 4 and 5 classes started this year so it has been a major change from Grade 3. This session was a great opportunity to for parents to learn more about the Cambridge Curriculum, how it works and how they can play a part in their children’s learning. The session was followed by a Q&A sessions so that parents could ask clarifying questions.
At Nova Pioneer, we certainly believe that nights such as this one are good opportunities to establish a shared vision for learning and let parents experience learning firsthand. Our presenters for the day included Kobus from our Learning design team; our Ormonde Secondary School Lead Mr T. Opperman; and our Gr R and preprimary coaches Susan and Chantelle, .
