Kyalami Schools have introduced Computational Thinking as part of our curriculum from Grade 1 to 9. In Computational Thinking, the children learn how to take a complex problem, understand what it is asking, break it down and develop possible solutions. These solutions are presented in a clear way that shows that the children have a good understanding of what they have learned.
In this subject, your child will be using skills such as decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction and the use of algorithms, amongst others. These skills are taught as fun activities at an age-appropriate level. The beauty of this subject is that it is applicable across the curriculum and allows children to strengthen their lateral thinking muscle, as we continue to make Computational Thinking a common language across our schools.
Kyalami Schools have added to their First Additional Languages (FAL) offering this term. The children in Grade Nought and Grade One had to choose two First Additional Languages from the three that we have on offer. These are Afrikaans, isiZulu and Sesotho. As this is a new offering in our schools the number of children who chose Sesotho is relatively low, however, we believe that the number will grow over the next few years. Our new Sesotho teacher is vibrant and very excited about teaching the children she has in her small groups. The children will be exploring various themes including ‘ Greetings’, ‘My Body’, ‘Numbers’, ‘Colours’, Clothes’ and more. Songs, rhymes and games will be included in these lessons, ensuring that fun is the focus of this learning experience.
Economic Management Sciences (EMS) has evolved at Kyalami Schools, over the past two years and is now called Entrepreneurial Skills Development (ESD). The change is not only in the name but also in the content of the subject. In order to develop the curriculum to fit our internal goals and make the subject more relevant to the child, within a South African context, we have had multiple engagements with teachers from Kyalami Prep, Beaulieu Prep and Beaulieu College. In this subject, we will continue to develop the pupils’ 21st-century skills and help them to become enterprising traders, effective salespeople, self-promoters and go-getters.
We encourage the children to develop their ability to take calculated risks. We celebrate their ideas, their failures and the growth mindset that emerges along the way.
Part of the curriculum incorporates an Entrepreneur’s Day or Stallions Den at the College. In their planning, students brainstorm ideas, create business plans, conduct surveys, and design websites for their micro-businesses. As John Spencer says: “ Not every student will become an entrepreneur but they will all someday need to think like one.” We believe that ESD will prepare our students for the world around them.
The curriculum outline is as follows:
- Economic Concepts – Looking at the history and future of money, the production process, how our needs and wants impact the availability and prices of goods and the importance of formal and informal businesses worldwide.
- Entrepreneurship – It is the core of this subject and concentrates on the skills of developing a business, conducting surveys, pitching business ideas, branding, marketing and packaging. At the beginning of every year, the grade 7s are presented with a toolbox (Business in a box) that contains a calculator, whiteboard, marker and two books. The books are: Sales is a Life Skill by Barry Mitchell and Entrepreneur Resource Pack by Uncovering Greatness. These books are excellent tools to help the children as references that they will use throughout the year.
- Financial literacy – The learners are introduced to business terminology and work through them in practical ways for better understanding. Learners learn how to calculate profit and losses, create budgets and calculate net worth. All these skills will be put into practice on Entrepreneur’s Day.
