Grade 0 Teacher Shauneen Nurcombe-Thorne
I arrived in Eswatini in July of 2014.
I have a passion for teaching the young child and qualified at the University of Pretoria in 2001 with a B Primarty Degree. I have since taught at various pre-primary and primary schools, covering ages 3 to 9, as well as special educational needs. I enjoy finding new ways to make the learning experience more fun and therefore more effective.
News Letter July 2022
We are now in the middle of the academic year and our Grade 7s are seriously preparing for the Eswatini Primary Certificate exams in November.
In spite of the Covid interruptions and the political upheavals, our 1921 Grade 7s did very well, achieving 10 merits, 1 first and 4 second class passes out of the 15 pupils who wrote the exam, which had been postponed to March of this year. These results were largely due to the fact that throughout the lock downs, our teachers never stopped teaching. We taught continuously, using internet classes or hard copy notes for those children who did not have access to the internet.
But it has not been all hard work. We had a pyjama day during Book Week, (photos below) which proved a lot of fun. And our sports teams went to athletic outings and hockey matches. The Drama Club is working hard preparing to put on the musical “Annie”, hopefully in September.
Our toilet block has been beautifully renovated, and we have facilities for special needs children and wheel-chair friendly paths.
Cellphone: +268 76426321/ 76577573/ 76355460
P.O. BOX 637 Mbabane Eswatini H100
Email: thelittleschoolacc@gmail.com
http://www.thelittleschoolswaziland.org
11th January 2022
Newsletter 1 – 2022
Dear Parents,
And so we begin a new year and a new term with hope and optimism after the challenging year of 2021 during which we were grateful for your continued support of your children and of The Little School. It did not go unnoticed, nor unappreciated.
Although 2021 was indeed a challenging year, it had its highlights.
Despite the difficulties of COVID and civil unrest, The Little School Staff, parents and children rallied and managed to continue uninterrupted teaching and learning online and still keep a positive, enthusiastic outlook.
95% of our staff were fully vaccinated and some of our children. Vaccination of children over 12 years of age is ongoing and may I encourage you to do so.
CNN Call to Earth Project
The Little School Primary participated in the global Call To Earth Day which is dedicated to environmentalism, conservation and sustainability. It celebrates today’s Champions of Change and inspires Environmentalists of tomorrow. We were glad to showcase products and projects done by our children in Practical Arts.
Opening dates for 2022
The Little School will start first term 2022 on Tuesday 25th January,2021
Arrival time is 7:20am for the smooth running of screening and sanitizing procedures and starting time in the morning is 7:30am and closing times are
Grade Zero…….12:00pm
Grades One to three ……1pm
Grades four to seven…….2pm
Uniforms
Uniforms are available from Mrs Zulu on +268 7622 1531
Girls: White blouse, red Tishweshwe tunic, red jersey, white socks or black stockings, black shoes.
Boys: Blue Tishweshwe shirt, navy blue trousers, red jersey, grey or navy socks, black shoes
Sports uniform: Red tracksuit, white golf shirt or coloured house shirt, white socks, black or white trainers.
Inside shoes (slippers) for in the classrooms and gumboots are allowed in wet weather, red, black or blue.
Grade One 2022 Enrolment
Grade One 2022 Enrolment is still open. Please contact Khanyisile in the office on +268 7642 6321 for enrolment details and interviews.
School Fees for 2022
School fees for 2022 will be as follows
Grade Zero E5,400 per term
Grade One to Grade Seven E 8,800 per term
New student enrolment E1,250.00
New student refundable deposit E….
Half the terms fees are due on or before the first day of each term and the balance is due on or before half term.
Please note that from the beginning of 2022 there will be no extensions on late payments. We are not a lending facility and therefore are not in a position to extend credit to anyone. However parents may choose to pay the school fees monthly with prior arrangement with the office.
Please send your bank proofs of payment to Khanysile in the office at thelittleschoolacc@gmail.com.
Please ensure that your proofs of payment have your childs name and the class your child is in on them.
Banking details:
Nedbank Swaziland Building Society Standard Bank
JF and MJ Enterprises JF and MJ Enterprises JF and MJ Enterprises
Acc No. 020000716422 Acc No. 116084592 Acc No. 9110003044710
Branch Code 380 164 Branch Code: Mbabane Branch Code: 663 164
Please note, correct referencing when making payments is essential to avoid future confusion.
Please state the child’s name, grade and term.
Eg: John Smith, Grade 2B, First term 2022
Projects in the pipeline for 2022 to 2025
We have a few building projects we would like to embark on in the next two years.
Smaller projects are to increase the parking and waiting areas and to upgrade the computer lab.
Larger projects are to build a new staff room for the teachers as their staffroom was appropriated to create our library.
We also wish to build a spacious practical arts studio where all equipment and materials can be kept and projects worked on with plenty of space and light.
And our longer-term project is to build a swimming pool. We have been in discussion with swimming pool experts on location, type of pool and cost. Exciting project!
Welcome back everyone and looking forward to good times ahead.
Frances Farrell
(Director)
We need a few pictures – I love when the children dress for book week
The Little School SWD where you will learn about how the school started and plenty of pictures to browse through.Also check out our web page on www.thelittleschoolswaziland.org
Kind Regards
The Little School.
Wonderful news for The Little School! We will be going back to face-to-face teaching on Monday, 29th March 2021; Just over a whole year since we went into lock-down on the 23rd March 2020.
The teachers are ready, the pupils are ready and everyone is really looking forward to this coming Monday. It will be the best Monday of this past year.
But, do remember, Parents, Teachers and Pupils: Take care! We don’t want to go back into Lock-down.
Wear your masks at all times. Wash your hands often. Keep a social distance of two meters. And get vaccinated as soon as you are invited to do so.
Wellcome back to proper school, everyone!
Joy Farrell (Headmistress)
Today a little Grade 5 pupil told me that “today is the last day of school.” She said that she so vividly remembers the day in March when her teacher told the class: Tomorrow you must not come back to school. School will be closed until the Govt says we can all come back.” “And now a whole year of school is over!”
Yes, that is so, but it is not the whole story. And I want to take this opportunity to thank all the teachers and all the pupils and all the parents who have worked so hard at lessons this whole year. Teachers have had to learn new ways of dealing with pupils sitting in front of computers and tablets, and they have done so, brilliantly, using zoom and whatsapp and the telephone, and often giving one-to-one lessons to children who have asked for extra help. And parents and pupils have worked just as hard adapting to new ways of studying and learning. Parents have learned to “teach”, doing sometimes better than they expected, and achieving a closeness with their children which they had not anticipated. Children have suffered in many ways, but they too have learned from this enclosed situation: they have learned self-reliance and how to study on their own and they have often done very well in the exams, which have been conducted just as in a normal school year. The children have learned new ways of occupying their time, becoming increasingly creative, and they have had more time to watch and notice nature, which my little Grade 5 informant has certainly done.
And so, pupils, parents and teachers, I salute you, and congratulate you on your wonderful achievements this year, and I look forward to welcoming you back to school on the 5th of January 2021.
The Headmistress of The Little School.
Mfomfo Dlamini, Simile Dlamini, Akhiwe Shabangu, Hlelowethu Dludlu, Cebolenkhosi Sibandze, Nonkazimulo Fakudze, Sukoluhle Dlamini, Kwanda Hlatshwayo, Buyiselwe Malandzisa, Simphiwe Ngwenya, Meluleki Dlamini, Sazi Hlophe, Akhonamandla Nsibandze, Tumai Bukutu,
In December 2019 our 25 Grade 7 pupils wrote the Swaziland Primary Certificate Exam and The Little School achieved top school in the country with 14 first class passes with merits, 9 first class passes and two second class passes.
Well done and congratulations to pupils and teachers.
The Emantjwele Children’s Theatre has produced another wonderful school play.
The Emantjwele Children’s Theatre is the name under which The Little School’s drama club produces plays. The drama club meets every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon and is conducted by Frances Farrell and Teacher Simalline Chagwinya.
They staged ” The Jungle Book” at the Swaziland Theatre Club at the beginning of September and the three events were sold out for every performance. It was a spectacular achievement. The plays that The Emantjwele Children’s Theatre produces are not the usual school plays, but they are professional productions.
The Little School 