Dear All
With this post I will focus on the way in which we differ from a mainstream school in our teaching and learning approach to accommodate learners who display barriers to learning.
At Edusmart Academy we believe in the education of the whole child in line with our motto:
EDUCATION FOR THE FUTURE GENERATION
Classes are small (between 10 and 12) and digital teaching forms part of the daily curriculum for Grades 4-7 learners, using Google Classroom and associated Google apps, as well as instilling research skills as our basis. Our Grade 3s are introduced to specific Google apps such as docs, slides, email and jamboard.
As many of our learners present with barriers to learning, and / or socio-emotional barriers, we focus on the development of the academic, cultural, spiritual and physical child in order to prepare our learners for the demands that society will impose on them in future.
It is our aim to provide a positive and calm learning atmosphere at school. In order to meet the different needs and levels of development of our learners, we divide the functional working of the school into a Foundation Phase and Intersen Phase.
The guiding principle of our academic focus is to develop a sound, yet simplified and balanced program based on the CAPS curriculum with its focus on SKAVS - Skills, Knowledge, Attitude and Values. Each of our learners is a unique individual with special talents to be harnessed and developed, and each of them displays specific needs to be addressed in a solutions focused way.
Edusmart teachers strive to develop the full potential of their pupils through a wide range of experiences, aiming to extend their understanding of themselves and the world that surrounds them.
Learning barriers and specific areas of weakness are identified early in the Foundation Phase, or have already been identified in a mainstream school that has referred the learners to a smaller group environment. Parents are offered advice and assistance with regards to remediation and corrective measures by a qualified team of experienced teachers, our occupational therapist, speech therapist, psychologists and /or other professionals. Learners are only accepted once a two-week probation period and an occupational screening session has been completed. In the classroom emphasis is placed on both individual and group work, allowing pupils to progress at their own pace.
FOUNDATION PHASE
In the Foundation Phase group work in literacy and numeracy is aimed at establishing the basic skills and habits required to develop an enquiring mind. Personal and social qualities, such as self-respect, respect for fellow learners and teachers alike, tolerance, self-discipline, and the natural willingness to cooperate, are fostered. As a result, the necessary values and attitudes that reflect the community we live in are encouraged and developed.
INTERMEDIATE PHASE
While the work ethic and basic work patterns are set in the formative Foundation Phase, in the Intermediate Phase time is spent on consolidation, extension and the building of a base on which the child can develop according to our mission.
In the Intermediate Phase we are guided by three specific goals:
To develop basic skills in listening, speaking, reading, writing, natural and social sciences, numeracy and digital learning;
To introduce our learners to the CAPS content in an innovative and supportive way;
To promote positive attitudes to learning by focusing on building self-confidence and by so doing, building on the foundation for future learning.
In our next Edublog we will focus on our Homework Policy which is based on the credo: LESS IS MORE, and explain the rationale behind our policy.
Blessings @Edusmart family.
Marianne & Esther
We are humbled by appreciation notes such as the one below..
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