Page 38 - FWG Issue 11 December 2021

Advertorial

st peter's pre-prep

– the Wonder years

The important thing is not so much that every child transition, building on these first interactions with others within
should be taught, as that every child should be their age group, teachers and those who begin to make a significant
mark in the child’s life. This is a time when children learn critical
given the wish to learn. – John Lubbock social and emotional skills and an important partnership begins to
form between the child, parents, and teachers, to smooth the path
hen parents wonder whether there is any significant into higher grades.
advantage in sending their children to a preschool
rather than keeping them at home with a trusted MAkING cHIlDHOOD A POsITIvelY MeMORABle eXPeRIeNce
Wcaregiver or relative, they need to keep in mind that Angi Buys, Head of Pre-Prep at St Peter’s, is an emphatic proponent
this first step into the educational journey has the potential to of the preschool experience.
mould a child’s attitude toward learning for the future. It models all
their initial frameworks, feelings, and associations around learning “Preschool is such an interesting time in young children’s lives,
and their initial experience of school. where the need for reassurance and the yearning for independence
start to surface. By the age of three, little children are ready for a
This early phase in your child’s life shapes their emotional, social more structured environment which still honours the importance of
and spiritual well-being as well as their ability to problem-solve as learning through play,” she says. “At St Peter’s, we embrace a holistic
they grow older. The first school chapter is so much more than just approach to learning and teaching where spiritual, emotional,
learning the basic skills of ABCs and 123s, it’s the time frame when physical and perceptual growth are all beautifully intertwined, and
educators have the opportunity to instil in them and develop a the crucial foundation of lifelong learning begins to be built.”
deep love for learning.
The establishment of the Pre-Prep in 2020 extended St Peter’s
eAsING THe TRANsITION INTO PReP scHOOl educational foundation phase based on the same approach and
The transition into a prep school can sometimes be overwhelming values that distinguish the Boys Prep School, Girls Prep School and
for parents who have not opted to send their child to a preschool. College. St Peter’s Pre-Prep consists of five classes, with two Grade 000
Some common threads that surface include classes catering for children aged three turning four within that year,
• “Will my child be exposed to a sound programme that ensures and three Grade 00 classes for children that are four turning five.
their school readiness on an academic level?”
• “Will my child be treated as an individual, where their needs, The staff members are experienced in different teaching styles
challenges and strengths will be recognised and nurtured?” across the globe, including neurodivergent methods, as well as the
Early Child Development curricula. Unsurprisingly, the new school
The preschool experience goes a long way towards easing that was fully subscribed within 36 hours of the launch.

Fourways Gardens • 36 • December 2021