Christmas!

Christmas!

THEME

Christmas

COLOUR

Red, Green, Maroon, Silver & White

SHAPE

Diamond & Star

NUMBER

Recap

j

LETTER

Jj – Jesus & Pp – Presents

IB Principle: Open-Minded – We explained to the Squad that being open-minded means being willing to listen to and consider other people’s ideas and thoughts, even if they’re different from yours. 

Imagine you have a friend who loves playing with blocks, but you love playing with dolls. Being open-minded means you can say, “That’s cool! You like blocks, and I like dolls. Let’s play together and find a way to make it fun for both of us!” 

The year has flown by, and it’s hard to believe it’s already come to an end! We’re cherishing these last few days with the kids, and they’re having an absolute blast, playing holiday games and free playtime have been a hit, and it’s been amazing to see them laughing and having so much fun together. We have also been working on Christmas Art; the Squad can’t wait to bring it home to show you! 

We’re going to miss them so much over the holidays, but we’re excited for them to relax, recharge, and make some amazing memories with their families 

Wishing you all a lovely weekend. 

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

    Dates to Diarise:

 

1 Dec: End of Year Surprise (during school)

2 Dec: Christmas Party (during school)

3 Dec: Break Up Day

 

 

 

Lots of love

Teacher Hayley, Teacher Alexia and the Smart Squad Assistants

Our Merry Little Squad!

Shops and Shopping

Shops and Shopping

THEME

Shops & Shopping

COLOUR

White

SHAPE

Oval / Triangular Prism

NUMBER

Recap

j

LETTER

Qq – Queue

IB Principle: Communicators – We explained to the Squad the importance of communicating and expressing how they feel by using their words and that they must try their best to listen actively to others. We also explained that they need to make sure they are using the correct tone of voice and think about what they want to say to others before saying it as their words can sometimes hurt others. 

Our Shops and Shopping theme is always a hit! We taught the kids practical skills that blend learning with fun. We covered money basics (identifying coins, understanding “buying” and “change”), practiced social interactions (role-playing shopkeepers/customers), and linked maths to life (counting, sorting items). We encouraged creativity (designing their own “shop”), all while connecting school to the real world. The kiddies had an absolute blast choosing their items and filling their trolleys, it was too cute! 

Writing and Phonics: This week the Squad practiced letter formation on their white boards as well as recapped their letter sounds and sight words. They worked hard in their Time2Read books, decoding words, completed listening and visual comprehensions, and practiced rhyming words. They’re reading their CVC words beautifully – we are super proud of them!  

Mathematics: This week, the squad practiced counting in 2s, 5s, and 10s as well as counted to 30 and back down again. They practiced number formation on their white boards and ordinal numbers. 

Creative Art: The squad have been working hard on their Christmas art and are excited to bring it home to share with you! 

Wishing you all a lovely weekend. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

    Dates to Diarise:

 

18 Nov: HH Outing

19 Nov: SS Graduation

21 Nov: CC & SS Outing

26 Nov: Carols By Candlelight

1 Dec: End of Year Surprise (during school)

2 Dec: Christmas Party (during school)

3 Dec: Break Up Day

 

 

 

Lots of love

Teacher Hayley, Teacher Alexia and the Smart Squad Assistants

Our Squad!

Cooking and Food

Cooking and Food

THEME

Cooking & Food

COLOUR

Purple

SHAPE

Rectangle/Rectangular Prism

NUMBER

Recap

j

LETTER

Cc – Cooking / Ff – Food

The Squad had a blast with the theme cooking and food! They learned about various cooking methods and the importance of proper food handling, especially for foods like pork and chicken, to avoid foodborne illnesses. They made their own pizzas, where they added their own tomato paste, ham, and cheese, and then took this delicious treat home to eat. Well done, Squad! 

IB Principle: Open-Minded – We explained to the Squad that being open-minded means being willing to listen to and consider other people’s ideas and thoughts, even if they’re different from yours. 

Imagine you have a friend who loves playing with blocks, but you love playing with dolls. Being open-minded means, you can say, “That’s cool! You like blocks, and I like dolls. Let’s play together and find a way to make it fun for both of us!” 

Writing and Phonics: This week the Squad focused on decoding words using sound buttons in their Time2Read books. Great work Squad! We also recapped letter sounds, CVC words, clapping in syllables as well as practiced letter formation. 

Mathematics: This week for maths the squad tackled a worksheet where they had to fill in the number that comes before or after the given number. They grasped this concept well! We also practiced counting to 30 and backwards, as well as in 2’s, 5’s and 10’s.  

Creative Art: For art this week the kiddies started creating the most beautiful Christmas Art, they cant wait to take it home to show their family! 

Music: We are currently practicing graduation songs, and the squad is singing with all their heart. It is a bittersweet time of the year filled with excitement! 

Wishing you all a lovely weekend. 

What do you think folks ... does pineapple belong on pizza??

    Dates to Diarise:

 

13 Nov: Shopping Activity (during school)

14 Nov: CC Entrepreneur Market

17 Nov: HH Outing

19 Nov: SS Graduation

21 Nov: CC & SS Outing

26 Nov: Carols By Candlelight

1 Dec: End of Year Surprise (during school)

2 Dec: Christmas Party (during school)

3 Dec: Break Up Day

 

 

 

Lots of love

Teacher Hayley, Teacher Alexia and the Smart Squad Assistants

Our Squad!

Under The Sea

Under The Sea

THEME

Under The Sea

COLOUR

Dark Blue

SHAPE

Circle, Cylinder

NUMBER

Recap

j

LETTER

Uu – Under

The Squad have been absolutely fascinated by the “Under the Sea” theme! They have been learning about all sorts of amazing ocean creatures, like colourful fish, vibrant coral reefs, playful dolphins, gentle sea turtles, and majestic octopuses🐠🐳🌊.  

We have also discussed why it’s super important to keep our oceans clean and protect these incredible creatures and their habitats🌎 💚. 

IB Principle: Reflective – This week the Squad learnt all about completing a project and then being able to reflect on what they could have fixed or what they could have changed. This is an important lesson to learn as all things in our lives can be corrected and mistakes are how we learn.   

Writing and Phonics: Over the past weeks the Squad focused on beginning and end sounds of words, as well as completed a worksheet on the “ub” family. They wrote sentences with these words in their workbooks using the cat method, we are so pleased with how well they are progressing with their handwriting, focusing on finger spacing and placing the letters in the correct part of the “cat”. They also decoded words using sound buttons in their Time2Read books. Great work Squad! We then recapped letter sounds, sight words and dividing words in syllables by clapping.  

Mathematics: Over the past weeks, the squad practiced witing the numbers that come before and after up to 10. We also recapped writing the numbers 1-20, 3D and 2D shapes recognition, practiced counting in ordinal numbers (1st to 10th), counting to 30 and backwards, as well as in multiples of 2’s, 5’s and 10’s.  

Creative Art: The Squad created transparent sparkly turtles, they added green glitter to an outline of a turtle and used tape to give it a transparent effect. You can stick them on windows and watch them shimmer in the sunlight. They were so chuffed with their beautiful masterpieces! We also worked hard on Art Expo Art, we hope you all enjoyed the wonderful evening. 

Music: We are currently practicing graduation songs, and the squad is singing with all their heart. It is a bittersweet time of the year filled with excitement! 

 

Wishing you all a lovely weekend. 

Weekend ... SHELL YEAH!

    Dates to Diarise:

 5 Nov: Haircut Day

6 Nov: Mommy & Me Yoga (PP, HH, CC)

7 Nov: Mommy & Me Yoga (BB, SS)

13 Nov: Shopping Activity (during school)

14 Nov: CC Entrepreneur Market

17 Nov: HH Outing

19 Nov: SS Graduation

21 Nov: CC & SS Outing

26 Nov: Carols By Candlelight

1 Dec: End of Year Surprise (during school)

2 Dec: Christmas Party (during school)

3 Dec: Break Up Day

 

 

 

Lots of love

Teacher Hayley, Teacher Alexia and the Smart Squad Assistants

Our Squad!

Fantasy

Fantasy

THEME

Fantasy

COLOUR

Rainbow, Black & Dark Grey

SHAPE

Recap, Star & Crescent

NUMBER

Recap

j

LETTER

Mm – Mystical

IB Principle: Communicators – We explained to the Squad the importance of communicating and expressing how they feel by using their words and that they must try their best to listen actively to others. We also explained that they need to make sure they are using the correct tone of voice and think about what they want to say to others before saying it as their words can sometimes hurt others. 

Writing and Phonics: This week the Squad focused on the “op” family and wrote sentences in their workbooks using the cat method. We are so pleased with how well they are progressing with their handwriting, focusing on finger spacing and placing the letters in the correct part of the “cat”. They also decoded words using sound buttons in their Time2Read books. Great work Squad! 

Mathematics: This week for maths the squad tackled subtraction sums up to 20 in their workbooks. Some used the “crossing out” method, while others used their abacuses, showing their individual understanding of the concept. We also practiced counting to 30 and backwards, as well as in 2’s, 5’s and 10’s.  

Creative Art: For art this week the kiddies created their own dragons using coloured paper. They folded paper for the body, added colour to the head, decorated the wings and stuck them on which was the perfect touch while developing their fine motor skills!  

Music: We are currently practicing graduation songs, and the squad is singing with all their heart. It is a bittersweet time of the year filled with excitement! 

Wishing you all a lovely weekend. 

  

Have a MAGICAL weekend!

    Dates to Diarise:

17, 18, 19, 20 October: Mid Term Break

24 October: Art Expo

 

Lots of love

Teacher Hayley, Teacher Alexia and the Smart Squad Assistants

Our Squad!

Frogs and Ponds, Rivers and Dams

Frogs and Ponds, Rivers and Dams

THEME

Frogs & Ponds, Rivers & Dams

COLOUR

Light Blue/Turquoise

SHAPE

Oval/Tear Drop

NUMBER

14 & Recap

j

LETTER

Mm – Mud

IB Principle: Open-Minded – We explained to the Squad that being open-minded means being willing to listen to and consider other people’s ideas and thoughts, even if they’re different from yours. 

Imagine you have a friend who loves playing with blocks, but you love playing with dolls. Being open-minded means you can say, “That’s cool! You like blocks, and I like dolls. Let’s play together and find a way to make it fun for both of us!” 

Writing and Phonics: This week the Squad focused on beginning sounds and then wrote sentences in their workbooks using the cat method. We are so pleased with how well they are progressing with their handwriting, focusing on finger spacing and placing the letters in the correct part of the “cat”. They also decoded words using sound buttons in their Time2Read books. Great work Squad! 

Mathematics: This week for maths the squad tackled a worksheet on addition sums up to 20 in their workbooks. We also practiced counting to 30 and backwards, ordinal numbers from 1st-10th as well as in 2’s, 5’s and 10’s.  

Creative Art: For art this week the kiddies created their own frogs using coloured paper and toilet rolls. They painted the toilet roll, stuck on the eyes, legs and tongue. We also worked on a beautiful Art Expo piece that we can’t wait to showcase on the night of Art Expo. 

Music: We are currently practicing graduation songs, and the Kiddies are singing with all their heart. It is a bittersweet time of the year filled with excitement! 

 

Wishing you all a lovely weekend. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

    Dates to Diarise:

3 October: Haircut Day

17, 18, 19, 20 October: Mid Term Break

24 October: Art Expo

 

Lots of love

Teacher Hayley, Teacher Alexia and the Smart Squad Assistants

Our Squad!

Insects and Bees

Insects and Bees

THEME

Insects & Bees

COLOUR

Yellow

SHAPE

Hexagon

NUMBER

13 & Recap

j

LETTER

Ii – Insects

IB Principle: Balanced – We explained to the Squad how important it is to take care of their physical, emotional and mental well-being such as, eating healthy food, exercising and getting enough sleep as it helps us feel happy and calm.  

Writing and Phonics: This week the Squad focused on the “it” family and wrote sentences in their workbooks using the cat method. We are so pleased with how well they are pogressing with their handwriting, focusing on finger spacing and placing the letters in the correct part of the “cat”. They also decoded words using sound buttons in their Time2Read books. Great work Squad! 

We had a short week due to the Public Holiday and Sports Day – Well done to the Squad on their incredible performance on the field, you all ran your heart out!  

Wishing you all a lovely weekend. 

We wanna know folks ... what is your favourite insect?

    Dates to Diarise:

3 October: Haircut Day

17, 18, 19, 20 October: Mid Term Break

24 October: Art Expo

 

Lots of love

Teacher Hayley, Teacher Alexia and the Smart Squad Assistants

Our Squad!

Countries and Cultures

Countries and Cultures

THEME

Countries and Cultures

COLOUR

Flag Colours

SHAPE

Rectangle/Rectangular Prism

NUMBER

12 & Recap

j

LETTER

Pp – Pride

IB Principle: Open-Minded – We explained to the Squad that being open-minded means being willing to listen to and consider other people’s ideas and thoughts, even if they’re different from yours. 

Imagine you have a friend who loves playing with blocks, but you love playing with dolls. Being open-minded means you can say, “That’s cool! You like blocks, and I like dolls. Let’s play together and find a way to make it fun for both of us!” 

Writing and Phonics: This week the Squad focused on the “ug” family and wrote sentences in their workbooks using the cat method. We are so pleased with how well they are progressing with their handwriting, focusing on finger spacing and placing the letters in the correct part of the “cat”. They also decoded words using sound buttons in their Time2Read books. Great work Squad! 

Mathematics: This week for maths the squad tackled addition sums up to 20 in their workbooks. Some used the “counting on” method, while others used their abacuses, showing their individual understanding of the concept. We also practiced counting to 30 and backwards, as well as in 2’s, 5’s and 10’s.  

Creative Art: For art this week the kiddies created their own South African flags by colouring, cutting, and puzzle-piecing the blocks together. They were so chuffed with the outcome!  

Music: We are currently practicing graduation songs, and the squad is singing with all their heart. It is a bittersweet time of the year filled with excitement! 

Wishing you all a lovely weekend. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

    Dates to Diarise:

22 September: School Photos

23 September: School Photos

24 September: Public Holiday (Heritage Day)

25 September: School Photos

3 October: Haircut Day

17, 18, 19, 20 October: Mid Term Break

24 October: Art Expo

 

Lots of love

Teacher Hayley, Teacher Alexia and the Smart Squad Assistants

Our Squad!

Trees, Plants, Paper, Wood

Trees, Plants, Paper, Wood

THEME

Trees, Plants, Wood & Paper

COLOUR

Brown

SHAPE

Cone/Sphere

NUMBER

11 & Recap

j

LETTER

Tt – Trees

IB Principle: Balanced – We explained to the Squad how important it is to take care of their physical, emotional and mental well-being such as, eating healthy food, exercising and getting enough sleep as it helps us feel happy and calm. 

Writing and Phonics: This week the Squad completed a worksheet where they identified missing beginning letters based on a picture. They then wrote sentences in their books using the “cat” method, placing each letter in the correct place and incorporating finger spaces. They also went on a scavenger hunt around the playground to find letters and then gathered in a circle to practice saying the letter sounds aloud and naming words that start with each letter.  

Mathematics: This week the Squad completed a worksheet where they had to write in 2s, 5s, and 10s – they did a great job! We also had some fun practicing number formation on the whiteboards. 

Creative Art: For art this week, Teacher Alexia led a hands-on lesson where she explained the paper-making process and then had the students create their own paper, they thoroughly enjoyed the process. 

Wishing you all a lovely weekend. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

    Dates to Diarise:

19 September: Hat Parade Day

22 September: School Photos

23 September: School Photos

24 September: Public Holiday (Heritage Day)

25 September: School Photos

3 October: Haircut Day

17, 18, 19, 20 October: Mid Term Break

24 October: Art Expo

 

Lots of love

Teacher Hayley, Teacher Alexia and the Smart Squad Assistants

Our Squad!

Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs

THEME

Dinosaurs

COLOUR

Silver & Green

SHAPE

Circle/Sphere/Octagon & Triangle/Cone/Sphere

NUMBER

Recap

j

LETTER

Dd – Dinosaur

 

What a fun two weeks of learning all about dinosaurs! 

Week 1:

IB Principle: Communicators – We explained to the Squad the importance of communicating and expressing how they feel by using their words and that they must try their best to listen actively to others. We also explained that they need to make sure they are using the correct tone of voice and think about what they want to say to others before saying it as their words can sometimes hurt others. 

Writing and Phonics: This week the Squad practiced letter sounds and were introduced two new sight words, ‘and’ and ‘no’. They focused on the “un” family and completed a worksheet where they had to sound out the word and then match it to the picture, followed by writing sentences in their books using these words and placing them in the correct part of the “cat”. Great work Squad! 

Mathematics: This week, the squad practiced counting in 2s, 5s, and 10s as well as counted to 30 and back down again. The squad completed a worksheet where they had to cut out pictures of 3D shapes and pasted them into the correct blocks, identifying them as cones, spheres, cylinders, or cubes. 

Creative Art: The Squad created a dinosaur backdrop and drew dinosaur pictures. They also made sun catcher dinosaur footprints using coloured plastic and an outline of a footprint. 

We are working on an exciting art dinosaur tent for the upcoming Art Expo, which we will showcase on the night. 

Music: We are in full swing of practicing for our annual concert – the children are singing their hearts out. Keep it up.  

Wishing you all a lovely weekend. 

Week 2: 

IB Principle: Communicators – We explained to the Squad the importance of communicating and expressing how they feel by using their words and that they must try their best to listen actively to others. We also explained that they need to make sure they are using the correct tone of voice and think about what they want to say to others before saying it as their words can sometimes hurt others. 

Writing and Phonics: This week the Squad practiced letter sounds and were introduced two new sight words, ‘you’ and ‘like’. They focused on the “ut” family and completed a worksheet where they had to sound out the word and then match it to the picture, followed by writing sentences in their books using these words and placing them in the correct part of the “cat”. Great work Squad! 

 

Mathematics: This week, the squad practiced counting in 2s, 5s, and 10s as well as counted to 30 and back down again. They also completed subtraction sums in their workbooks, they understand this concept so well and we are incredibly proud of them! 

 

Creative Art: The squad made their own dinosaur fossils using salt dough, they enjoyed moulding them and then off they went into the oven to set, they can’t wait to bring them home to show you! 

We are working on an exciting art dinosaur tent for the upcoming Art Expo, which we will showcase on the night. 

Wishing you all a lovely weekend

 

Keep warm this weekend!

    Dates to Diarise:

8 August: Pyjama Dress Up Day

8 August: Break Up Day

9 August: Public Holiday

11 August: Holiday Club Starts

 

Lots of love

Teacher Hayley, Teacher Alexia and the Smart Squad Assistants

Our Squad!

Space

Space

THEME

Space

COLOUR

Orange

SHAPE

Diamond

NUMBER

Recap

j

LETTER

Nn – Night

IB Principle: Balanced – We explained to the Squad how important it is to take care of their physical, emotional and mental well-being such as, eating healthy food, exercising and getting enough sleep as it helps us feel happy and calm. 

Writing and Phonics: This week the Squad focused on their sight words and then used these words to write sentences in their workbooks using the cat method. We are so pleased with how well they are progressing with their handwriting, focusing on finger spacing and placing the letters in the correct part of the “cat”. They also decoded words using sound buttons in their TimetoRead books. Great work Squad! 

Mathematics: This week the Squad worked on a number sequencing activity where they identified missing numbers up to 10 in a snake-like pattern. For example, given the sequence 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, they filled in the gaps with the numbers 2, 3, 4, 9 and 10 to complete the sequence. Well done, Squad! We also practiced counting to 30 and backwards, as well as in 2’s, 5’s and 10’s.  

Creative Art: The Squad had an awesome time creating their own space scenes! They coloured in planets and an astronaut (representing themselves), then cut them out and pasted them onto black paper to make their artwork really shine. It was amazing to see their creativity take off – they totally felt like they were blasting into space! We have also been working on Art Expo pieces, and they are really coming together. We can’t wait for you to see them! 

Music: We are in full swing of practicing for our annual concert – the children are singing their hearts out. Keep it up.  

Wishing you all a lovely weekend. 

May your weekend be out of this world!

    Dates to Diarise:

 

26 July: EcoKids Concert

8 August: Pyjama Dress Up Day

8 August: Break Up Day

9 August: Public Holiday

11 August: Holiday Club Starts

 

Lots of love

Teacher Hayley, Teacher Alexia and the Smart Squad Assistants 

Our Squad!

Reptiles

Reptiles

THEME

Reptiles

COLOUR

White

SHAPE

Hexagon

NUMBER

Recap

j

LETTER

Ll – Lizard

IB Principle: Communicators – We explained to the Squad the importance of communicating and expressing how they feel by using their words and that they must try their best to listen actively to others. We also explained that they need to make sure they are using the correct tone of voice and think about what they want to say to others before saying it as their words can sometimes hurt others. 

Writing and Phonics: This week the Squad practiced letter sounds and were introduced two new sight words, ‘said’ and ‘has’. They also tackled a fun worksheet activity in their TimeToRead books where they had to unscramble words, sound out the correct word, and then draw a picture.   

Mathematics: This week, the squad practiced counting in 2s, 5s, and 10s as well as counted to 30 and back down again. They also refreshed their shape skills and got hands-on with math problems on their whiteboards, mastering some sums. Keep it up smarties! 

Creative Art: The Squad got creative and crafted their own awesome crocodiles from recycled materials – we can’t wait for you to check them out at the Art Expo! They also had a blast colouring and cutting out snakes and then drew their favourite reptile. It was a fun-filled activity! 

Music: We are in full swing of practicing for our annual concert – the children are singing their hearts out. Keep it up.  

Wishing you all a lovely weekend. 

 

See you on Monday!

    Dates to Diarise:

 

18 July: Nelson Mandela Day

26 July: EcoKids Concert

8 August: Pyjama Dress Up Day

8 August: Break Up Day

9 August: Public Holiday

11 August: Holiday Club Starts

 

Lots of love

Teacher Hayley, Teacher Alexia and the smart Squad Assistants 

Our Squad!