Pre-Preparatory Phase
A to Z
2016
PRE-PREPARATORY PHASE A TO Z
Arrival: School starts at 07:45am, please be punctual. Children will be received from 07:15
in an early morning ‘waiting’ class in Room 8. Children dropped off before 07:15 will be
UNSUPERVISED.
Please use the entrance at the staff car park for morning drop-off of Grade 000 children. The gate
will be unlocked until 7:45. Grade 00 and 0 children can be dropped off at the front door of the
Pioneer Campus. This will help alleviate congestion of the front parking area which is also used by
the Junior Preparatory children. The gate is kept locked for the rest of the day and pick-up in the
afternoons is from the front entrance.
A
Aftercare:
Grade 000 full time Aftercare children – go to Aftercare to eat at 12:30 and return to the AFTERCARE
SLEEP CLASS to sleep from 13:00 to 14:30. These children return to Aftercare after their sleep.
Grade 000 children who are NOT in Aftercare have their afternoon snack in class at 12:30. They then
sleep from 12:45 to 14:00. These children must be fetched at 14:00.
NO SLEEP CLASSES MAY BE DISTURBED!
The Gr.00 full time Aftercare children – go to Aftercare to eat at 12:30 and return to the SLEEP OR
RESTING CLASS to sleep from 13:00 to 14:00. These children return to Aftercare after their sleep.
SLEEP vs RESTING CLASS IS DETERMINED BY THE TEACHERS; IN CONSULTATION WITH
PARENTS, AFTER MID-TERM BREAK IN TERM 1.
Grade 00 children who are NOT in Aftercare have their afternoon snack in class at 12:30. They then
sleep from 13:00 to 14:00. These children must be fetched at 14:00.
NO SLEEP CLASSES MAY BE DISTURBED!
Grade 0’s who are full time Aftercare children are signed in at 13:00 from Monday to Thursdays and
at 12:30 on Fridays.
Aftercare ends at 17:30. Please fill in Aftercare forms if your child is to attend Aftercare. Forms are
available from the office. Please also inform your child’s teacher if your child is a full time Aftercare
member. A month’s notice is required should you wish to de-register your child.
AFTERCARE CLOSES AT 16:00 AT THE END OF TERM AND AT MID-TERM BREAKS!
VERY IMPORTANT: PLEASE LET YOUR CHILD’S TEACHER KNOW IF YOUR CHILD WILL BE AD
HOC FOR ANY GIVEN DAY.
INFORM AFTERCARE OF ANY CHANGES TO DRIVERS OR ADULTS FETCHING YOUR
CHILDREN.
Aftercare is managed by Miss Potgieter – she can be contacted on 072 9257694 during Aftercare
hours, or a message can be left for her on 012 809 2879 during school office hours.
Age: The Tyger Valley College policy states that pupils are enrolled in the Pre-Preparatory Phase in
the year they turn 4. Pupils are grouped according to chronological age:
Gr.000: The year they turn 4.
Gr.00: The year they turn 5.
Gr. 0: The year they turn 6.
Absence: If your child is going to be absent, please notify the office so that the teacher can be
informed.
Art folders are sent home during the term containing the work that your children have done. Please
empty the folder and return it to school.
Birthdays are special and parents are encouraged to bring cupcakes, ice lollies, ice creams or
fruit kebabs for the class on the day. Cupcakes must comply with our strict policy of NO
artificial flavouring or colourants as these affect many children adversely. Vanilla or chocolate
cupcakes with plain icing are BEST. Children may wear civvies on their birthday.
B
Breakfast is a very important meal in the day of a preschool child. Please ensure that your children
have a healthy, substantial breakfast in the mornings. A healthy start to the day encourages a healthy
mind and effective learning.
Ballet is offered to all girls in the Pre-Preparatory Phase. A nominal fee is payable by the parents and
the balance for these classes is paid by the school. Girls are therefore encouraged to remain
committed to their dance and to have the correct attire for their lessons. Girls will be divided into age
appropriate groups according to the numbers and parents will be informed of their time slots.
Balance and co-ordination are vital aspects of a Pre-Preparatory child’s development. We encourage
our children to take part in games and activities that foster these skills. Children need to build
shoulder girdle strength and strong core muscles. Allow your children to ‘wheelbarrow walk’, to jump
on trampolines and balance on balancing beams.
Clothing: Please ensure that ALL belongings are clearly marked.
Children in the Pre-Preparatory Phase enjoy a programme which involves painting and
sand/water play. Please therefore ensure that your child has a marked change of clothes (any blue
shorts/green t-shirts are acceptable for spare clothes) at school every day. Accidents do happen and
we would like to be prepared.
C
Communication folders are sent home on a regular basis containing important letters and
information. Please read all correspondence and return the folder to school the next day. Please use
the folder to include any communication with your child’s teacher on various issues and they will
respond accordingly.
Computer lessons are presented as part of the weekly programme to the Gr 0’s only.
Change of information: Please notify the office if there are any changes to your personal
information. This is very important. We cannot be held responsible for lack of contact if we do not
have the correct information.
Class moms (or dads) are volunteer parents for each class. Please refer to the relevant policy for
further details.
Departure: Children must be fetched personally by an adult known to the teacher. If a different
person is fetching your child, please notify us in advance via email and please provide a copy
of the relevant ID document. For your child’s own safety, we will not allow him/her to go with another
adult unless we have been notified.
Grade 0: School closes at 13:00 from Mondays to Thursdays and at 12:30 on Fridays.
Grade 000 and 00 children who have not been fetched at 12:30 or at 14:00 after sleep class WILL be
booked into Aftercare.
D
There is NO grace period after sleep time.
If there is an emergency and you are running late, please contact the office on (012) 809 2879 or
060 447 1037.
Drivers/Private transport companies: All drivers fetching children from the Pre-Preparatory phase
MUST provide a copy of their driver’s license to the office at the beginning of the year. ALL changes
regarding drivers/transport must be relayed to the teacher and the office and the same process
applies. Children will NOT be allowed to leave with a driver unknown to the class teacher or Aftercare
teacher.
D6 Communicator is a valuable communication tool between school and parents. Please make sure
you have loaded it and that you have access to all relevant communication.
www.school-communicator.com/downloads
Discipline in the Pre-Preparatory Phase consists of a discipline system and a reward system. The
discipline system makes use of a traffic light and “time out” is used in conjunction with this. The
reward system is different for each class but is consistent with our policy of positive reward and
reinforcement to encourage good behaviour.
We encourage consistent and appropriate discipline at home.
Extra Activities: These are optional extra activities and are for your own account. Pamphlets
for these activities are handed out during the first week of the year. Please fill in the necessary
forms if you would like your child to take part in any of these activities. Please note that as these are
PRIVATE activities, all communication must be between the relevant company and yourself. These
include Miki Maths, Pottery, Drama, Chess and Coerver Soccer.
E
Early leavers need to collect a slip from the office which must be filled in and signed by the
Headmistress of the Pre-Preparatory school and the relevant teacher. The class teacher will only
allow your child to leave the school premises during school time with the necessary signature on the
early leavers form. PLEASE REPORT TO RECEPTION AT ALL TIMES DURING SCHOOL HOURS
BEFORE GOING TO YOUR CHILD’S CLASS!
F
Fun: Fun is part of the learning process. We endeavour to make every aspect of the day and
every learning experience as much fun as possible. Special fun days are organised during the
year.
Facebook page: this is another way of staying in touch with the happenings at school.
www.facebook.com/tygervalleycollege
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Grades and teachers in the Pre-Preparatory phase:
Gr.000 Cubs
Gr.000 Lambs
Gr.000 Teddies
Gr.00 Ants
Gr.00 Bees
Gr.00 Bugs
Gr.00 Ladybirds
Gr.0 Penguins
Gr.0 Starfish
Gr.0 Frogs
Gr.0 Turtles
Gr.0 Whales
= Miss Massie
= Mrs Nunan
= Mrs Lombaard
= Mrs van Rooyen
= Mrs Gevers
= Mrs van Greunen
= Miss Wortmann
= Mrs Swanepoel
= Mrs Macfarlane
= Mrs Comins
= Mrs Greyling
= Mrs Butler
Teaching Intern
Teaching Assistants
= Aunty Miriam
= Aunty Elizabeth, Aunty Christina, Aunty Emely, Aunty Joyce,
Aunty Sannah, Aunty Sanele, Aunty Caroline, Aunty Mathuto
Headmistress of the Pre-Preparatory phase is Mrs Weir. Please contact the office should you
wish to make an appointment to see her. Problems shared are problems solved. Please make
use of this channel of communication for any issues, once you have seen or spoken to the relevant
teacher.
H
School HATS must be worn at all times during outside play and activities. NO HAT = NO PLAY! Navy
blue school hats are available at the uniform shop.
Hair must be neat and tidy at all times. Please refer to the Tyger Valley College Hair Policy for further
details.
Injuries and illnesses will be reported to parents. Please refer to the Tyger Valley College
policy on medicine and medication as no medication will be administered to a child by a
teacher. Only medicine prescribed by a doctor may be administered by the office.
I
Infectious conditions require your child being kept at home so as not to infect others. Please use
your judgment in this regard and err on the side of caution.
Innings are part of the Educational Resources offered to your children by the school. This is when an
external company comes to school and gives a demonstration or a performance of some kind, related
to our themes.
J
Judo is an included activity presented once a week.
K
Keep our school clean.
L
Late collection: If for some reason you realise that you will be late, please phone and let us
know. You can contact the office on
(012) 809 2879 or 060 447 1037.
Lost property: Little children often ‘lose’ their belongings. If they are clearly marked, they will be
returned. Please do check the blue ‘LOST PROPERTY BOX’ outside the Reception area for
unmarked items. These will eventually be ‘recycled’ for Outreach if not claimed.
M
Monkeynastix is an included activity which is presented once a week to all children in the PrePreparatory Phase.
Money is only allowed on special days such as Market Days. Money must be sent in a clearly marked
envelope/wallet/purse.
Messing is part of learning. However, pupils are expected to help clean up afterwards.
Mini-cricket takes place in Term 1 and 3 and Mini-soccer takes place in Term 2 on a Saturday
morning for all Grade 0 children. These games are either at school or away and usually last for
approximately an hour between 7:30 and 8:30am. Preschool children wear their green t-shirts tucked
into their blue quantec shorts, short white school socks (cricket), long blue school socks (soccer) and
white takkies. Dads are encouraged to make themselves available to help with the teams. This is
great bonding time for Dads and Lads!
Music lessons are part of the daily timetable and all classes in the Pre-Preparatory Phase enjoy one
music lesson a week with Miss Viljoen.
N
Notice boards outside each classroom should be checked daily for upcoming events, general
information and reminders.
Outings take place once a year for Grade 0 children only. This is usually an outing to a
Theatre performance. Notification and indemnity forms will be sent home leading up to the
outing.
O
Occupational Therapy is handled by the Academic Enrichment Centre upon referral by your child’s
teacher. This is often a necessary tool in order to adequately prepare your children for formal
schooling where areas of concern are noted.
Open door policy: Please feel free to direct any concerns to your child’s teacher. Policy requires that
AT ALL TIMES the correct channels be followed if you have a concern or query. Please do not
discuss such matters in the car park as this in no way solves any problems. If you have not met with
an appropriate response from the teacher, please make an appointment with Mrs. Weir and your
concern will be heard. Often easily resolved issues escalate when discussed outside of the correct
channels!
Office hours are from 07:30 – 15:30 Monday to Thursday and 07:30 – 14:00 on a Friday. The
secretary in the Pre-Preparatory School is Mrs Andrea Heunis.
Parent Meetings are scheduled after reports have been handed out at the end of Term 1 and
2. During this meeting your child’s progress is discussed. You will be notified in advance and
these meetings are made strictly by appointment. Teachers are however available throughout the
year should you wish to chat about your child’s progress.
P
PTA: The Parents Association hosts various events during the year and they have monthly meetings
to discuss events and other matters. Please DO get involved in the PTA as your children will look
back on their school careers and remember the moments you were involved and available for the
things that are important to them. This is an ideal opportunity to meet other parents and foster
friendships for life.
Q
Queries or questions should be directed to the office.
Quiet class – this class is for Grade 0 children only. This is available between 13:00 – 14:00 from
Monday to Thursday for Grade 0 children who are waiting for:
- a Grade 00 or 000 sibling who is sleeping or
- a JP sibling doing co-curricular activities.
Children who do not meet the criteria will be booked into Aftercare if not collected at 13:00.
Children not collected at 14:00 from Quiet class will be booked into Aftercare.
R
Reports are handed out at the end of each term.
Reply slips must please be filled in, signed and returned to school by the requested date. This is
very important for an outing and for various sporting events your children may be part of.
Reading and writing will formally be taught in Gr. 1. However, during the Pre-Preparatory phase and
more specifically in Gr. 0, we will focus on teaching your child pre-reading and writing skills as well as
all the other skills which need to be acquired before formal reading and writing can commence.
Requirements: All stationery in the Pre-Preparatory phase is provided. The following items are
however necessary for each grade at the start of the year:
 Grade 000 – 1 pack of wet wipes per term, spare clothes in case of accidents and a water
bottle (clearly labelled) for play time.
 Grade 00 – 1 pack of retractable wax crayons (clearly marked) and placed in a pencil bag or
ziplock bag and 1 pack of wet wipes.
 Grade 0 – 2 packs of retractable wax crayons (or more if needed in the year) clearly and
individually marked and placed in a pencil bag or ziplock bag.
An A4 whiteboard
3 black whiteboard markers per term clearly and individually marked
1 whiteboard duster
Snack time is at 10:00 daily. Parents are required to send a packed snack to school each day.
We request a healthy snack be packed such as a sandwich, fruit and water. The following are
NOT permitted as part of the snack: sweets, chips, fizzy drinks of any kind and biscuits with icing
(plain biscuits such as Marie, Tennis and savoury biscuits are permitted.) Everything must please be
ready to eat and drink. FORBIDDEN ITEMS WILL BE SENT HOME.
S
School readiness assessments are done during the Grade 0 year in preparation for the formality of
Grade 1. These are only done for children where Academic concerns are noted.
Speech Therapy is handled by the Academic Enrichment Centre upon referral by the teacher.
T
Tears: Yes, tears do occur. We will do our utmost to dry them as soon as possible and settle
your child. If, however, we do not manage and your child is inconsolable we will contact you.
Technology and television are undeniably a part of our modern lives; HOWEVER, everything has a
time and a place. Please monitor what your children are watching and how often. Children play rough
on the playground but are in fact mimicking what they learn from their television watching and game
playing. Please do not give your preschool children cell phones!
Tennis: Pre-Preparatory children take part in one tennis lesson per week in Term 2 and 3 for Grade
000 children and Term 1, 2 and 3 for Grade 00 and 0 children. For private coaching please contact
Johan Meyer on 082 926 2649.
Tuck-shop: Parents can visit the tuckshop themselves any day between Monday and early Friday
morning to place an order for their child to receive Tuckshop on a Friday if they wish. This order is
placed directly with the Tuckshop staff and payment can be made at the same time. At 9:00am on
Friday morning, all orders placed in that week will be delivered to the children at their class and they
will picnic outside at lunchtime with their class. Tuckshop is a treat reserved for a Friday (unless in
case of an emergency.) ONE small treat (chocolate, sweet etc) is allowed on a Friday. This can be
purchased from the tuckshop or sent from home.
Toys are not permitted at school. This inevitably causes problems. They get lost, get broken or end
up causing tears and fighting. However, items relating to the theme may be brought for Show and Tell
on the day and will be looked at and discussed.
Twitter: follow us on twitter @TVCPrePrep.
Uniform should be worn with pride. Pupils must at all times be presentable.
The following items are compulsory:
Winter uniform - school jeans/school tracksuit pants/long sleeve TVC green t-shirt/ school fleece lined
tracksuit top/school jersey
Summer uniform – short sleeve TVC green t-shirt/ TVC blue quantec shorts/school hats
U
Uniform shop:
Telephone number – 012 9404277
Email: [email protected]
Hours: Monday, Tuesday & Thursdays 07:00 – 10:00
Wednesdays 12:00 – 15:00
Please mark every item clearly!
Consult the website for further information regarding price lists and starter kits
V
Very special care will be taken to ensure your child’s belongings do not get lost. However
please check your child’s bag daily and ensure that ALL items are clearly marked.
Values are important to us and should be instilled from a young age. We base the values which we
teach the children on our Christian ethos.
W
Water day is held at the end of each year.
Winning isn’t everything, taking part and having fun is what is important.
Water safety is very important at Tyger Valley College. Please teach your child about safety around
a pool and allow him/her to become familiar and comfortable with swimming. This will ensure that
they will be ready to take part in swimming when they get to Gr.1.
 Our Learn 2 Swim Pool will be built in 2016. Pupils will all enjoy 2 lessons per week as a part
of their weekly programme. One lesson will take place during the school day and the other
lesson can be booked in an afternoon slot so that parents can watch their children swim.
Should the child be enrolled in aftercare, the instructors will collect the children so that the 2 nd
lesson can take place during Aftercare time. More information on this exciting new
development will follow closer to the time of its opening.
Water bottles are essential in summer for all children. Please mark all bottles clearly.
Website: www.tygervalleycollege.co.za
X
X-tra love and care will be given to each child by every teacher.
Y
You and your child are important to us. We treat each child and parent with respect and
request the same in return.
Z
Zzzzzz A happy child needs a good night’s rest. Bedtime for a preschool child should be no
later than 19:00.