Teenagers have different reasons for not wanting to go to camp anymore, from feeling like they have grown out of the annual excursion to wanting to invest time in things that interest them outside of camp.
Choosing Engineering Graphics and Design as a subject for Grade 10 provides fundamental knowledge and drawing skills required for several career opportunities, namely architecture, engineering, medical technician, industrial designer, interior designer, city planner, graphic illustrator and artisan.
The weather is getting warmer and it’s time to get outdoors. One of the most exciting outings is to gather the family for a picnic. You can picnic in your own garden or venture to some of the great picnic spots around South Africa. Here are some tips to have a fuss free picnic: 1. Pack light Make sure you pack smart and light. You never know how far you are going to need to walk to find the perfect spot. Picnic Baskets are great but can be clumsy if you are balancing a toddler on your hip as well. Backpacks make the best picnic bags. Don’t forget a good lightweight foldable picnic blanket try not weigh yourself down with heavy blankets that get damp and dirty. 2. Stay Hydrated Keep a bottle of frozen water in your bag in summer, this will slowly melt and keep the water cold. For something sweeter for the kids the new Miracle 360° Fruit infuser cup from Munchkin makes for a healthy choice. Add your child’s favourite fruit like strawberries, oranges, or blueberries into the fruit basket, twist it into the bottom, then fill the cup with water. The twist-on fruit extractor breaks up the fruit allowing it to infuse into the water and make a fun flavourful drink! Bye, bye juice and unhealthy cooldrinks! Hello, healthy flavoured water! Plus, your kids stay hydrated and clean (or at least cleaner!) while playing at parks and scenic areas. 3. Keep the hunger at bay When packing for a picnic, it seems like there are never enough bowls to accommodate all the different snacks everyone wants. Once again Munchkin have an answer Munchkin Love-a-Bowl comes in a set of four bowls with interchangeable lids, these come in handy when your little ones have not finished all the snacks and want to eat later. With all the tossing around in your picnic bag the lids need to be leak proof. Munchkin Love-a-Bowl are 100% guaranteed to be spill proof, leak proof and break- proof. Now that’s the kind of bowl I need on a picnic. 4. Keep the Insects away Flies and bees can be a pest on a picnic! Our top tip for this is take along your Camp Cot Mozzi net. It can come in handy if baby falls asleep in a pram or for just keeping those bugs off the food. 5. Snacks on the go If your kids enjoy food on the run, consider the Munchkin Deluxe Snack Catcher. It is designed to keep up with your toddler’s active lifestyle. This cleaver little bowl teaches self-feeding with a bit more dexterity and a lot less mess. It’s a multitasking bowl with soft flaps that are gentle enough for fingers to get through but sturdy enough to keep messes at bay (and insects out.) 6. No Stress Picnics with kids need not be a challenge so stick to what you know your kids like to eat and drink and don’t forget something special for Mom and Dad Picnics can be a cost-effective outing, so go out and enjoy a bonding time with your family. Don’t forget to enter the picnic hamper competition on the competition page. Thank you to Munchkin for generously donating our favourite products for the prize.
Visual Arts at high school level offers a multi-disciplinary programme that trains the hand and the eye, while engaging the intellect and the imagination in conceptualising and creating two-dimensional and three-dimensional artworks. This subject is about self-expression and helps students to engage meaningfully with, and respond to, their world in a non-verbal way. Students come into the art lessons often with a sense of relief, where they can be themselves, talk about all sorts of things and feel safe to do so.
In fact, according to recent reports, 6 Android apps that were downloaded a staggering 90 million times from the Google Play Store were found to have been loaded with the PreAMo malware, while another recent threat saw 50 malware-filled apps on the Google Play Store infect over 30 million Android devices. Surveillance malware was also loaded onto fake versions of Android apps such as Evernote, Google Play and Skype.
History helps one understand the world by examining the struggles, failures and successes of our predecessors. Through this we learn how to examine ourselves and improve the world we live in. Studying History, equips us with all the qualities we require in a modern society: understanding, compassion & tolerance.
Have you noticed that we may be bringing up a generation of young people who feel so entitled to gifts, devices and whatever they desire, that gratitude is becoming a lost art? How often do you feel uncomfortable in choosing gifts for yours or other’s children because you know that the more affordable, ‘little’ things may result in a forced ‘thank-you’, or worse, a temper tantrum?
Dené worked hard and obtained her National Senior Certificate through Impaq at the end of 2012. She got accepted to the University of Pretoria and started her BA Drama in 2013. Dené has passed her master’s degree in Drama and Film Studies from UP with distinction – with the feedback that she achieved the highest mark in the department’s history! She shares her advice to current and future Impaq learners, parents, guardians, and tutors:
parents have come to (unconsciously) rely on the buying of material gifts to let their children know that they love them while not fully understanding the negative implications of these well-meaning gestures.” She adds that joy in receiving material gifts and especially if the gifts are guilt-driven is most often short-lived and children are all too frequently left feeling confused, alone, miserable and frustrated and, in some cases, even a bit depressed. You see, it is not the receiving of many material gifts that they seek!
Many of South Africa’s Matric learners are approaching their looming final examinations filled with dread and anxiety, in anticipation that they won’t do very well or, even worse, fail the most important assessment in their academic life so far.
The moment of truth has arrived for this year’s Grade 12s. With fewer than 100 days until the start of their final examinations, the Class of 2019 now has to pull out all the stops to ensure they achieve to their full potential, as their final results will play a decisive role in the options open to them in years to come.
Matric learners all over South Africa have the finish line in sight as the race to complete their schooling career nears its end. Cindy Glass, Director and Co-founder of Step Up Education Centres explains “There is no doubt that the upcoming Trial and Final exams can be a source of anxiety and stress for most, if not all, Grade 12 learners-and their parents! The task ahead can feel overwhelmingly challenging and the resulting fear-of-failure can and, too-often, does become counter-productive in the learning process.”
After their first semester and first major university exams, many first years are sitting with an unenviable conundrum – the realisation that they may not have made the best choice about what to study for the next 3 years of their life.
When you introduce the idea of camp to your children, the first reaction expected is of excitement, looking forward to making new friends, being away from home and new experiences. For some children, however, the idea of being away from home might be frightening and a cause of anxiety.
Imagine holding a big juicy orange in your hand. The fruit feels heavy and cool and you excitedly anticipate enjoying what it has ‘inside’. You know for sure that the orange, when squeezed, will only produce orange juice. You do not expect, nor will you receive, apple, pear or even grape juice, right? This is, of course because an orange only HAS orange juice inside to ‘give’.
Participation in university sports is highly regarded by future employers. In an increasingly competitive business world, progressive companies seek out young people with skills crafted both in the classroom and on the sporting field. Student athletes can gain corporate attention by showcasing their dedication to high performance and skills, this is often transferable in an office environment. “Whether a student is aiming to play a sport at a professional level or just play for fun during their university years, they can leverage their athletic abilities to land a top career after they graduate,” says Rebecca Pretorius, Country Manager for Crimson Education. The global education company assists young people to gain entry to universities in the United States and United Kingdom. Pretorius highlights some key skills that student athletes possess, which will benefit them in the working world: Resilience – businesses seek employees who can ride out the tough times and use failure as motivation to improve. Years of communicating effectively with coaches has seen athletes appreciate the benefits of constructive criticism. They understand the importance of effective communication and thrive on clear expectations. Team player – corporate recruiters look for young people who understand how to both take control and be effective followers. Athletes understand the importance of working together towards a common goal. Eye on the prize – athletes are achievement orientated. Most have practiced their sport since a young age and have developed a strong understanding of the psychological mindset of success. Efficiency – the time management and organisational skills learned by juggling academics and sporting practices translate into an employee who uses their time wisely, who performs well under stress and meets all required deadlines. Self-awareness – athletes are team members who bring their own set of skills to the table with an awareness of how their contribution compliments the input of others. This displays an understanding of how they will fit into company culture. “Success in sports boils down to finding the best fit university, having a good strategy and getting started early,” says Pretorius. With a specialised athletic division, Crimson Education assists learners by designing and helping to implement an admissions roadmap. This includes athletic campaigning to coaches, eligibility assessment, creating a recruitment video, and test preparation and tutoring to ensure that academic requirements are met. Helping applicants navigate admissions processes and campaign to coaches across all divisions has seen 100% of Crimson Education students gain access to universities on a sports scholarship. Students and parents who are inspired by the idea can attend one of the company’s information sessions by emailing [email protected].
Home education (or homeschooling) helps learners prepare for the real world as homeschool learners learn the art of self-study. Ravon Venter, an Impaq alumnus, says that studying through Impaq helped him develop better self-discipline. He also credits Impaq with giving him the qualifications he needed to find a job he is passionate about.
How do we create the next generation of innovative artists? Through all our amazing art teachers across the globe! It’s not easy being a kid today; facing chunks of homework and a seemingly never-ending quest for achievement, it appears to be harder being a kid than a CEO of a large corporate company. It’s even harder for creative children; to discover and nurture their talent with different social pressures and numerous inconsistent daily requirements. Listed below are 3 key qualities every art teacher should have. Cultivating these principles assists our aspiring Picassos, aka your students, in finding their role in the creative world and how to play it. Curiosity Curiosity builds a desire for a greater understanding and learning more. Besides innovating your student’s creative talent by gaining more intel, curiosity develops awareness and attention to detail for their craft. It is of utmost importance to motivate them to consistently ask questions and to dig deeper. This fosters growth and matures their expertise. Passion Tony Wagner, a Senior Research Fellow at the Learning Policy Institute, states that one of the key principles to strengthen a student’s innovative framework, is the passion passed from the teacher to student. Wagner further explains how the best teachers always support what the student’s natural passion is, and make an effort to connect what needs to be learnt to satisfy the passion. This creates a sense of purpose with their craft and longing to better themselves. Purpose Having a purpose is imperative for any human being. Great art teachers know the importance of creating art that will add value to the world, rather than creating for the sake of creating. When students pick up this sentiment, it develops their creative problem-solving skills. Finding solutions is more urgent and pushes the student to take greater risks and look for new ways of solving challenging issues to fulfil their purpose. With these 3 principles implemented into your art class, who knows, you could be grooming the next Da Vinci.
Of all the important learning activities we can do with young children, reading probably trumps the rest. The importance of elementary literacy skill development has been well documented. In reality, early literacy influences every aspect of learning and thinking. As the organization, ProLiteracy states, “Every important social issue is impacted by low literacy.” Decades of research shows the direct correlation between early literacy skills and long term student success. Shockingly it is said that “students not reading well in third grade are four times more likely to drop out” (Students First, Statistics about Education in America). In most curricula, children learn to read and receive reading instruction in the foundation phase. Hereafter they are expected to read to learn. Therefore, it is imperative that children be afforded every possible support to ensure early reading success.
It occurred to me the day I went back to work after my maternity leave that I didn’t know any other emergency number besides 10111. Thankfully I have never had to use this but I couldn’t risk leaving my daughter at home with her caregiver without leaving a more comprehensive list of important numbers by the phone. The last thing you want to do in an emergency is dial the wrong number. In the US, the UK and Europe there is only one toll-free number to call from any landline or mobile phone. In South Africa, things are not as simple. Unfortunately there isn’t one single number for an emergency. I spent a really long time searching the web and making a couple of phone calls but I finally managed to put together this simple list. It is vital that you as parents and/or caregivers know what number to dial when and it is perhaps even more important that your little ones know this too. USING YOUR CELL PHONE: Any emergency nationwide – 112 (this number will still work even if you have no airtime) USING YOUR LANDLINE OR CELL PHONE: Police/Fire – 10111 Nationwide ambulance (public EMS) – 10177 Netcare 911 (private EMS) – 082 911 ER 24 (private EMS) – 084 124 Poison Information Centre – 0861 555 777 Remember, before making that emergency call, try to stay calm. You also need to have important information ready such as, the type of emergency, details of any injuries and the exact location of the emergency needing attention. A list of Emergency Numbers can be downloaded for free from my resources page. It may be a good idea to stick this on your fridge or somewhere nearby the phone.
Lifting students learning in a school is a collaborative effort. It requires team effort, both at school and at home. It has become evident that with the current economic demands, parents find themselves overcommitted, not by choice, but the need to provide for their families. Hence, social growth is neglected and thus the school environment becomes the essential feeder of the curious minds.
Irrational decisions are made when they are the result of a knee jerk reaction and when you are at your emotional peak. It is a choice you have made and decided to act upon based on your feelings and usually clouded by misinformation. Decisions made on the spur of the moment and under emotional conditions have almost always been the wrong decision, which leads to one feeling embarrassed and the need to apologise followed by the necessary mending of the relationship.
This time of the year Grade 9 learners need to make their subject selections for next year, but parents often do not know how to guide them. Educational psychologist, Lizette Erasmus, share some insightful guidelines on subject selections and how they will guide your child’s career choices in South Africa.
Garbage in – garbage out? What are we feeding them? Good nutrition is of paramount importance for teenagers. Teens who do not eat correctly are more likely to be overweight, lack energy and enthusiasm and perform poorly at school.
Winter is here and so are coughs, colds and flu. Common colds and flu are both caused by viruses and share many of the same symptoms however colds are usually milder and do not cause any serious complications. More than 200 viruses can cause a cold whereas the flu is caused by the Influenza virus. This is why there is no vaccine available for the common cold.
Do you find yourself constantly asking your child to get off their phone? Or delayed responses because they need to answer a text? Welcome to a world where toddlers have tablets and teenagers are iMessaging on the latest iPhone. A break from the digital world is the goal of our camp, to be able to revel in adventure, friendships, and personal growth. Most camps do not include cellphones on their packing list, and the reason is simple: cellphones take away from the camp experience.
We want our girls to have every opportunity to become strong, successful women. How we treat them in childhood has a huge role to play. Find out how you can boost your daughter’s confidence and empower her to be amazing!
Children and teenagers have to be shown and taught how to deal with money. We are advised that, “The love of money is the root of all evil.” The source of this wisdom is the Book of Timothy in the Bible. This well-known adage is often mis-quoted as, “Money is the root of all evil,” which does not mean the same at all. It is greed and corruption and the misuse of the currency which can cause trouble for us, not the cold, hard cash or credit cards in your wallet. In accordance with your family’s wishes and beliefs, it is a good idea for children to learn to manage small amounts of money and experience having to budget for desired items. We know that we are living in a world and society where many young people feel entitled to have everything they want, or least everything their friends have. Not every family has the same financial means and children should be taught to understand that fact. Teach your children not to show off with money. Decide, as a parent, with your teenager, what would be a reasonable weekly allowance. Receiving a weekly amount to begin with may be better than a monthly sum, which may seem large and be squandered initially. Just like all adults, all children are different, so watch, without interfering, how your teenager manages money in the early stages. The amount to give depends on you as a parent and also on what you expect your teen to buy with this allowance. Do you give your teen a separate budget for cellphone usage or to buy family gifts? Those details need to be negotiated between you and your teenager. The teenager is still at school and either living at home or in the boarding house at school. He should not have to pay for his daily lunches at the tuckshop at school from his allowance. To avoid this expensive trap, pack an interesting and healthy lunchbox and provide a water bottle for school every day. If the child, sometimes, wants to buy something at the tuckshop, then that item should come from his allowance. Many parents believe that children should do chores around the home in exchange for an allowance. These chores could include cleaning the house, taking care of the garden or swimming pool or feeding the family’s pets. A lot of teens also do the cooking at home if a parent is busy at work or with younger siblings. Some parents are stricter than others and will deduct from an allowance for tasks not performed satisfactorily. Doing work in exchange for an allowance can teach responsibility and give your teen a taste of what the real world will be like. Everyone needs to learn to perform basic tasks like ironing a short or polishing school shoes. It is reasonable to expect a teenager to budget for non-school clothing and entertainment, such as movies or treats with friends. Should she wish to buy more expensive items of clothing, she should learn to save her allowance and budget. This is good training for when she is an adult and working and earning her own money for the first time. Teach your teenager to work wisely with money and save a small amount every month. Allow him to learn the value of money whilst still in the safety of your home. Encourage him not to be extravagant or to waste money unnecessarily. Enjoy and use your money carefully, but don’t LOVE it! By: Mrs Tracy Freemantle (Teacher at Pinnacle College Kyalami)
There is a lot of talk in South Africa about the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and the need for education in the country to start preparing learners for the future world of work from a young age. Unfortunately in South Africa, resources are often lacking and many teachers are not yet equipped to teach coding. However this shouldn’t stop parents from encouraging their children to start with the basics of coding from a young age, an expert says. “As we teach our children to read and speak our mother tongue language so we should start with coding at an early age,” says John Luis, Head of Academics at ADvTECH Schools, a division of South Africa’s largest private education provider. “Parents who are not tech savvy may find this daunting, so the easiest way to start the children off will be to download some apps to their mobile devices which will use games to kick off the coding thought processes. Learning to code is like learning how to speak, read and write in a different language. Children are very good at learning a variety of languages from a young age so teaching them coding will be no different,” he says. Luis says that the importance of preparing children for a technologically-enabled future cannot be overstated. “Technology changes rapidly and our children must be able to adapt, be agile minded and most importantly prepared for the future working world. The 4IR should not be dismissed as a buzzword – it is real, and it is here where our lives will become intertwined with technology, the edges between reality and virtual worlds will blur and we need to ensure our children will be effective workers in this rapidly changing environment. “This means that in the future world of work, coding will be a fundamental digital skill which our children will need to be literate in much the same way we prepare our children with language, numeracy and physical skills. Coding is no longer a skill reserved for scientists, engineers and IT geeks.” Luis explains that the fourth industrial revolution is characterised by a rapidly developing technological environment in which disruptive technologies, the Internet of Things, virtual and augmented reality, robotics and artificial intelligence are changing the way we exercise, play, study, live and work. “Behind this technology, functionality is achieved using code. It is how we communicate with computers, build websites, mobile apps, computer games and instruct robots. The Internet of Things (IoT) is already becoming more integrated into our homes. Smart TVs and watches, automated home management and security are only some of the examples where IoT is already used.” Like mathematics, becoming competent in the language of coding has many advantages beyond the obvious, he says. “Coding also helps with maths skills, it fosters creativity, improves problem solving abilities and can improve language and writing skills,” he says. Internationally coding has long been recognised as a future life skill and is offered as part of the normal primary school curriculum. In South Africa, high schools have had the subject from Grade 10 to 12 as a subject choice (Information Technology) for many years, but it was mostly offered to select learners based on their mathematics marks. Still, only a small percentage of schools have been able to offer the subject as it requires dedicated infrastructure and highly competent teachers. The situation looks better at progressive private schools, where coding has been introduced as part of the mainstream offering, from as early as pre-prep, where children are introduced via simple techniques and readily available software. “While many schools are still in the starting blocks, and most haven’t even arrived for the race yet, parents must realise that academic excellence and individual competitiveness in future will require a solid grasp of the language of technology. So the question of a school’s offering in this regard should be one they take very seriously before enrolling their child. “And where they do not yet have the option of enrolling their child in a school that incorporates coding as part of the mainstream offering – which is the reality for the majority of the country – they should ensure that their child isn’t left behind, by assisting them independently,” says Luis. One of the options available to these parents, is to search for holiday camps in their area. And where those are not offered, parents can start by helping their child download some of the various free mobile applications and software (listed below) which help young children to start coding, he says. * Scratch (https://scratch.mit.edu/educators) is a very effective free coding language that is designed specifically for ages 8 to 16 but can be used by people of all ages. * Alice (https://www.alice.org/) is a block-based programming environment that makes it easy to create animations, build interactive narratives, or program simple games in 3D. *Microsoft Minecraft Education an educational version of Minecraft, the game popular with children all over the world. (https://education.minecraft.net/) . * Roblox (https://developer.roblox.com/resources/education/Resources) caters for children from the ages of 8 to 14.
Grade Nine learners will soon have the exciting task of selecting the subjects they want to pursue for the next 3 years, on which they will be tested during the final exams. Because of the withdrawal of the designated subject list by the Department of Basic Education last year, they are truly spoilt for choice, but this also means they need to be more focused than ever, because their decision now can have far-reaching and even life-altering consequences, an education expert says. “It’s a tough ask of teenagers to make a commitment now which will affect their ability to gain access to higher education and potentially their qualification of choice in four years’ time, when many are not even yet sure what they want to study after school,” says Dr Gillian Mooney, Dean: Academic Development and Support at The Independent Institute of Education, SA’s largest private higher education provider. “It is therefore very important for them to firstly realise the gravity of the potential consequences of the choices they make now, and then, to really consider the strategy which will keep as many doors as possible open down the line,” she says. Mooney explains that Grade Nines are required to select at least seven subjects on which they will be tested in Matric, four of which are compulsory: Home Language, Second Language, Maths or Maths Literacy, and Life Orientation. The balance then, are elective subjects, and should be chosen carefully. “Because there are no longer so-called designated subjects, learners may be tempted to choose subjects they envision will be comparatively easier than others, in order to gain the best possible Matric marks,” she says. “However they need to consider not only which subjects will ensure they get admission to higher education, but also which subjects will allow them admission into their chosen qualification. If they don’t yet know what they want to do, they need to make sure that their choice positions them well to access a wide range of qualifications. Their selection must also ensure they can claim a well-rounded education upon completion of their schooling.” Mooney says Grade Nines – with the help of their parents or guardians, and ideally even with the help of career and student counsellors from a respected higher education institution – need to carefully weigh up their various options, and the various combinations of subjects that are suitable for them. “The aim is to choose those subjects that will leave you with a wide range of options, while at the same time also positioning you optimally to perform well in your last three years of school,” she says. “Your subject choice must enable you to demonstrate proficiency in critical thinking and numeracy, and particularly important is the choice between Maths and Maths Literacy, as many university courses still require core maths,” she says. Choosing three relatively easy subjects as electives might help a learner achieve good aggregate marks, but their options will be limited if their education doesn’t incorporate those subjects that teach logic and argumentation, and scientific and reasoning skills as found in for instance History, Accountancy and Maths, and Physical and Life Sciences, says Mooney. “So it would not be wise to go for the short-term gain of spectacular marks, instead of implementing a long-term vision which will support an holistic academic development, as the impact on the future student’s studies – which require higher reasoning than what is expected at school – will be significant, even if they do qualify for study,” she says. “The best way to future-proof your study options and therefore career choices, as well as your ability to be resilient and adapt to currently unpredictable changes in the world of work – is to get as solid a grounding during your last three years of school as possible, even if it is going to be more challenging. “Before making your choice, make an effort to gain as much information about admission requirements for potential career paths from a wide range of higher education institutions, and then to work back to ensure that your subjects will enable you to enter those fields. Very importantly however, ensure that your choices reflect a wide enough range to develop an extended skills base which will serve you well into the future.”
