Dear Parents
As we come to the end of this term, we would like to share with you all that the children have discovered and achieved. It has been a joy to see their curiosity grow as they explored nature, cared for our garden, planted seeds, created art with recycled materials, spring cleaned classrooms, walked in forests, danced, sang songs, spread the message of peace and spent an extra special day with grandparents in their second home. Each child has contributed to making our eco-preschool a place where we all love to be.
We are so proud of their progress and grateful for your continued support in fostering sustainable habits at home and at school. Together, we are helping to nurture a generation of mindful, responsible, and compassionate young learners.
School closes on Wednesday 1st October at 11h00. Regret no aftercare or Clubs on closing day. School resumes on the 14th October.
We wish you a restful and happy holiday, and we look forward to another exciting term of learning and discovery ahead.
Inge & May
END OF TERM PICNICS
The Preschool End of Term picnics will take place as follows;
29th September: May and Claire’s classes
30th September: Amy’s class
Claire’s class will be going to The Wreck Beach. May’s class will be going to Keurbooms Beach.
Please ensure your child has good hiking shoes, a sun hat, a bottle of water and a fruit. Please let us know if you can assist with transport.
Amy’s class will be having a Teddy Bear’s picnic in the Old Nick Village Garden. Please send your child to school with their favourite Teddy bear.
BURSARY FUND
Huge thanks to all the parents who supported our term 3 fundraising initiatives:
Funds raised from our tuck shop this term will be put towards upgrading our outside classroom and play areas and the balance of our fundraising income has been put towards our Bursary fund.
Income generated this term: R6097
Tuck shop: R1783
T Shirts: R1378
Photographs: R2936
Target for The Fundraising Bursary: R128 260
Amount raised so far: R79 180
Balance still to raise: R49 080
HOLIDAY CLUB
Holiday Club will take place from 2nd October to the 10th October. Please contact Vicky on 073688 9381 or Phakama on 073 1057907 for more information and to book your child in.
MARKETING AND ADVERTISING
We would like to thank Jayde Ryan for all the amazing reels she has created and posted on social media. These reels take a tremendous amount of time and effort and we are so grateful for her support. We are looking at new ways to market and advertise our school and in term 4 we will be creating a short video with some of our parent’s reviews to promote our school. We appreciate your support in this video. Jayde or Inge will be in touch in this regard.
THANK YOU!
We would like to thank Riley’s Dad for fixing the pram, Kai’s Dad for fixing the Motorbike, Jacob and Jordi for donating the construction helmets, Lyra, Emry and Grace for donating plants on their bithday and Harvey, Boe and Lyra for donating books on their birthdays. These donations assist us in improving our library of children’s books and ensuring our garden is kept well maintained and looking stunning.
TERM THREE NEWS
ARBOR DAY OUTING
For Arbour Day, May’s class set out to Kalander Kloof to visit the ancient Yellowwood trees, while Claire’s class embarked on an adventure to the Hebron Private Nature Reserve. The children hiked through the kloof, explored the forest, and learned the names of the trees they discovered along the way. As they wandered along winding paths beneath the lush indigenous canopy, they were immersed in the sights and sounds of the forest. Through this experience, they came to understand the importance of the forest and the delicate balance of the ecosystem it sustains. This hands-on journey not only deepened their awareness of nature’s interconnections but also inspired a sense of responsibility to care for and protect it.
SPRING CLEANING DAY
Spring Cleaning Day took place at the onset of Spring. The children rolled up their sleeves and scrubbed down tables and chairs, repacked book shelves, cleaned mats , dusted puzzles, washed windows, swept and mopped and dusted every corner of the classroom. The children took their jobs very seriously and worked hard to ensure everything was given a good shine. This activity highlights the importance of taking care of your belongings and your environment and is an important part of the practical life area of The Montessori Classroom. Photo’s of the day HERE!
SPRING PLANTING DAY
Thanks to all the parents who contributed to our Spring Planting Day. Seedlings were carefully transplanted, new flowers were planted and seeds were sown. The children had a fantastic day out getting their hands dirty as they got stuck into the hard task of digging and working in the garden. Thanks to Jan our gardener for assisting with some of the deeper digging and to all the teachers for all their enthusiasm in helping to create our beautiful little garden.
GRANDPARENTS DAY
Huge thanks to all the grannies, grandpas, nannies, oupas, oumas and friends who joined us for our Grandparents Tea Party. We had a fantastic turn out and our guests enjoyed spending time with their grandchildren in and out the classrooms. We received such positive feedback from everyone and it certainly was a very special day for the children. A special thanks to all those who contributed to the tea table. What a spread it was. Also a big thanks to Jono Tucker from Wild Compass Events for the donation of table and chair hire. Photo’s of the lovely day HERE!
INTERNATIONAL PEACE DAY
International Day of Peace (“Peace Day”) is observed around the world each year on 21 September., Peace Day provides a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to Peace above all differences, to contribute to building a culture of Peace, end conflict, and foster global cooperation. Each year on this day, individuals and nations are reminded of the importance of building a world free from violence and inequality. In celebration of this important day the children in the preschool classes at the Village Eco-preschool make special peace doves and then they hand a flower and a dove to visitors at The Old Nick Village. In so doing they pass on the importance of peace.
REFLECTIONS FROM THE CLASS TEACHERS:
Claire’s Class
What a busy term we have had. We followed the seasons with our art making snowmen, polar bears, penguins and umbrellas for rainy days, once the weather started warming up we painted colourful flowers and butterflies to celebrate the beginning of Spring. Giving our class room a proper clean was so much fun and we also got to brighten up our playground garden by planting the beautiful flowers and cuttings we donated to the school.
We kept our minds busy learning in the class room and our bodies fit by hiking up the hill behind the school to the very top where we can see the whole of Plettenberg Bay, it’s a tough walk for little legs but we love it. We also went to visit the Mill to see how they make their blankets and throws which was very noisy but also very interesting. We learnt all about trees and how important they are, made some recycled paper and went on an awesome walk through the forest in Natures Valley to celebrate Arbor Day.
And we spent time walking around the Old Nick village looking for fairy houses, spotting fish and birds nests and having lots of fun on their obstacle course.
What an amazing school we have.
May’s Class
Term 3 has been a season of growth, curiosity, and joy as the children welcomed the first signs of spring. From creating vibrant, spring-inspired artwork to exploring nature on walks around the Old Nick, each moment has been an opportunity to connect with the beauty of the natural world. As the days grow warmer, we look forward to spending even more time outdoors, where we can learn and play in nature. Alongside these explorations, the children have also been engaging deeply with the values of peace, respect, empathy, and cultural diversity. They’ve learned about the importance of inner peace and emotional awareness, and practised these lessons during regular circle time discussions. Whether it is learning to see the world from another’s perspective, celebrating differences, or caring for the environment through recycling and gardening, these experiences have been woven into our everyday rhythm.
Amy’s Class
In our toddler class this term we have welcomed new friends, and it has been heartwarming to see how kind and helpful the older children have been to the younger ones.The children are always eager to go on walks around the village and through the forest, sometimes even climbing a steep hill to admire the beautiful view of the bay. We have enjoyed visiting the mill and the little shops in the village, which are full of new things to discover.
We celebrated the arrival of spring with nature-inspired art, fresh flowers and new veggies in our garden, which the children proudly take responsibility for.
They thoroughly enjoy imaginative games outdoors while also balancing focus time working with the Montessori materials during our morning work cycle. Morning ring is a time of connection and learning, and when the instruments come out, the children love singing and dancing filling the room with happiness.
We prepare our morning snack and fruit share together, with the children’s independence growing daily. Story time is never missed, and we are grateful to all the friends who bring in books for us to read, share and enjoy.
Check out our PHOTO JOURNAL to get a glimpse of what we’ve been up to at school!
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