CAR STICKERS

Car stickers must be displayed on your vehicles. For security reasons, we are required to keep a register of all stickers handed out. Please ensure that you remove the sticker should you change car ownership.

We sincerely appeal to you to heed Dainfern College traffic rules, especially the speed regulations and to be most courteous to the gate security and all those associated with the College and grounds. Please ensure that you follow the direct route to CRS when reaching the Grade 0 Department. It is clearly signposted and you need to follow the road to the left.

DRESS CODE

Please dress your child in play clothes only. The children are encouraged to participate in all activities and should not have to concern themselves with keeping clean. You will be notified in advance of special days when a different dress code may apply.

Please try and encourage your child to take responsibility for his/her own belongings. Labelling clothes, lunchboxes, hats, raincoats etc. does make it easier for all concerned especially seeing that a lot of the children have identical items.

NEWSLETTER

These are sent out every second Tuesday and discuss any events that may be happening at school. Please take the time to read these.
Tuesday is also a very good day to send out party invitations/special notices as these are all placed in the library folder. Our newsletter is also available on our website: www.crschool.co.za.

BIRTHDAYS

On the child’s birthday, we do a special ring at school to celebrate. We find the easiest party treat is for the mom to provide cupcakes for the birthday child to hand out. A tradition we have established is the Birthday Book where a child may present a book to school on his/her birthday. Please write a note on the inside, stating whom it’s from, which birthday is being celebrated and the date. It is a lovely way to remember the children passing through the school.

*Please refer to the relevant drop-off and collection routine dependent on whether the school is under normal operation or following Covid-19 protocol.

DROP-OFF AND COLLECTION ROUTINE

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING APPLIES ONLY UNDER NORMAL OPERATIONS:

The school will be open from 07:30 for your convenience. Children are not to be left without a staff member in attendance. School starts at 08:15 and ends at 12.15. Please do your best to adhere to the school hours as the school programme has been worked out accordingly.

Please note that up to half term in the first term, Bunnies are to be collected from 12:00 to 12:15 from the entrance directly leading into the Bunny classroom. Thereafter Bunnies are to be collected at the usual finishing time (12:15) and the parents are to use the side gate next to the Bunny Class.

For the Chicken and Duck Groups, we would like to encourage as much independence as possible. As soon as your child is ready to take this big step, you may drop him/her off at the front doors. We do welcome the occasional visit from parents (before 08:00) to watch their little ones show off some work that they may be proud of, but we do ask that you leave by 08:15 to allow the class to settle into its routine. Bunny Group children must please be accompanied to their classroom using their own entrance on the east side of the building for the first two terms. In term three the children from the
Bunny Group are to use the entrance through the front doors. This paves the way for the transition from the Bunny Group to the Duck Group.

There is a 15-minute collection period and we would appreciate your cooperation in this regard. We cannot take responsibility for children on the property after 12:30 (unless your child is doing an extra- mural activity) and it is unfair on your child to be collected late. To the same end, please avoid collecting your child before school ends as this disrupts our story and can spoil this special time for the children. We ask that you remain out of sight until you see the teacher dismiss the children. The exit is monitored at home time and no child will be allowed to leave the school grounds unaccompanied. Please do not send your child to your car or to run an errand without you. Should you wish to chat to the teacher or to the other moms or dads, please do so within the fenced areas to avoid the children adopting a lax attitude about the ‘out of bounds’ areas (e.g. car park).

PLEASE NOTE: LIFT ARRANGEMENTS, HAPPENINGS OR EVENTS OUT OF THE ORDINARY must please be made known to the teachers. Should your arrangements change during the course of the morning, due to unforeseen circumstances, please telephone the school (Tel 010 228 0000).

Waiting Class and Aftercare:

A waiting class is available for siblings of Dainfern College students and for children waiting for an extra-mural class. Since the staff are involved in preparation activities after school, children will be taken to the Bunny area and will be supervised by the assistant staff members on duty. Children must be collected from the Bunny classroom by 13:30. We do have an extended waiting class from Monday through to Thursday. This applies to those children waiting for the aftercare or who have siblings at Dainfern College. We ask that you collect your child promptly by no later than 13:50. Waiting class on a Friday is only until 13:30. Antionette de Jong runs a private aftercare and holiday care service from Dainfern College. All arrangements are to be made with Antoinette directly on 082 887 7441.

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING APPLIES ONLY UNDER COVID-19 REGULATIONS, AS ACCORDING TO GOVERNMENT PROTOCOLS:

A parent/ legal guardian/ person designated by a parent or legal guardian is required to be present every day when the child arrives at school for the purpose of symptom screening. Please be aware that according to the Health Departments guidelines, parents are not permitted into the school buildings. Should a parent wish to enter the school, a prior appointment needs to be made. This is a further safety precaution and it is for this reason that we need to implement drop off zones. There will be a separate drop zone for each group. These zones are clearly marked for the Chicken Group, Duck Group and Bunny Group. Please remain with your child until their daily symptom screening has been completed. Please note that parents are required to wear masks at all times. In the case of parents and children having to wait for entry, please make use of the physical distancing markers on the floor to prevent over crowding and maintaining effective social distancing.

Collection time will be staggered amongst the three different groups (please see your child’s collection time for their group in the table below). Parents who have more than one child to pick up in different groups, must choose the collection time that suits them and their personal circumstances best, but please communicate your chosen time to your children’s teachers. In order to prevent crowding of parents and children at the entrances, we will be implementing a collection pick-up zone. All children will be seated on chairs underneath the CRS staff carports under supervision of their teachers and assistant teachers at their allotted time. The one-way drive through system through the CRS car park will be in effect, and on parents arriving at the carport your child will be placed inside your car. Please note lift arrangements out of the ordinary must be made known to the teachers. Should your arrangements change during the morning, due to unforeseen circumstances, please Whatsapp your child’s teacher.

To the facilitate the smooth running of the drop and collection procedures, please be prompt for your child’s arrival and collection time. We ask for your patience, co-operation and understanding through the initial stages of implementing our drop and collection zones.

WHAT TO BRING

Please supply your child with a small suitcase or bag (to fit inside the locker) in which to carry a lunch box and extra clothes for weather changes/toilet accidents.

Your child will need a labelled OUTSIDE HAT with his/her name clearly marked, to be brought to school each term and to remain in their locker. The sun hat is compulsory and must be worn at all times. Personalised embroidered sun hats can be arranged at Reception. The sun hats are R120 each. If you wish to order a sun hat, please complete the form which is also available at reception.

We also require a LABELLED FACE CLOTH which will remain on their hook in the cloakrooms.

Although not compulsory, the following items go a long way towards helping us with our budget and allow us to place our resources into more meaningful and worthwhile activities for the children. We would so appreciate receiving these items at the beginning of the first term:

• 6 boxes of tissues
• 12 rolls of toilet paper
• 2 bags of flour (for baking/playdough)

LUNCH

Please supply your child with lunch that may consist of a sandwich and/or biscuits and a fruit. Please do not send sweets. We do encourage children to bring their own juice that they are permitted to drink at lunch/snack break. Bees become a major problem if juice is left out and we have aqua coolers so that water is available during the remainder of the day.

BICYCLES

On Fridays, children may bring their own bicycles/scooters from home. Please do not send skateboards or roller skates.

LIBRARY

Each child needs a library folder to assist in carrying library books, newsletters and other correspondence to and from school. A small picture or photo placed on the bag as well as his/her name will help with identification. Library books are to be returned on a Monday and new books will be re-issued on a Tuesday. Children will only be allowed to take a new book when there is no other book outstanding.

Library is not only a wonderful way of introducing your child routinely to reading and the pleasure to be gained from books, but the first real opportunity to learn how to handle material on loan. Please do help your child to take this responsibility to heart.

CRS WEEKLY ACTIVITIES

SHOW AND TELL/WEEKEND NEWS

Bunny Show and Tell
Bunny Show and Tell takes place on a Friday morning. Please encourage your child to bring something interesting to show and discuss with the others. These items should as far as possible be of educational value and linked to the theme. We do encourage books to read from home, especially if they cover the weekly topic. Please label all items to be returned. The teacher will advise you if their Show and Tell is run differently.

Duck Weekend News
Weekend News takes place on a Monday morning. Please discuss your child’s weekend with them before they arrive at school on a Monday. Weekend News is an impromptu approach to public speaking. It encourages memory recall, expansion of vocabulary and confidence to speak in front of an audience. It is a valuable part of their language development and a less formal manner to encourage public speaking.

Chicken Show and Tell
In the Chicken class, we take a more formal approach to Show and Tell. We discourage the children from bringing toys but rather choose different themes for them to present to the class.
We encourage our parents to assist the children in their preparation for their special Show and Tell occasion.

BICYCLES

On Fridays, children may bring their own bicycles/scooters from home. Please do not send skateboards or roller skates.

LIBRARY

Each child needs a library folder to assist in carrying library books, newsletters and other correspondence to and from school. A small picture or photo placed on the bag as well as his/her name will help with identification. Library books are to be returned on a Monday and new books will be re-issued on a Tuesday. Children will only be allowed to take a new book when there is no other book outstanding.

Library is not only a wonderful way of introducing your child routinely to reading and the pleasure to be gained from books, but the first real opportunity to learn how to handle material on loan. Please do help your child to take this responsibility to heart.

MUSIC AND MOVEMENT

Music and movement ignite all areas of child development and provide integral skills for school development. Therefore music and movement in the pre-school classroom cannot be underestimated. Research has shown that different aspects of music activates different parts of the brain, thereby stimulating areas which are important for both language and motor development. Likewise is the importance of movement and rhythm which like music, stimulates the brain and reinforces language concepts.

Music and movement classes form a vital part of our curriculum, helping children learn the sounds and meaning of words while building motor skills. Music classes are thoroughly enjoyed by all, after all we know how much pre-schoolers love singing and are often eager to let their voices soar.

NEWSLETTER

These are sent out via email on Tuesdays and discuss any events that may be happening at school. Please take the time to read these. Tuesday is also a very good day to send out party invitations/special notices as these are all placed in the library folder. Our newsletter is also available on our website – www.crschool.co.za.

AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES AND PRIVATE LESSONS

The below table only applies under normal operations (i.e. not while the school is under COVID-19 regulation). During operations under COVID-19 regulations, all extra-mural activities are practised during the school morning, except for Audiblox which is conducted for children of the Chicken Group on Wednesdays from 12:30 to 1pm. Please note due to the nature of Taste Buddies, this extramural activity is not offered while the school is under COVID-19 regulation.

 * Bunnies only start extra-mural activities in the second term. 

Arrangements for private lessons are made directly with the instructors and to whom you appoint the responsibility of your child from the commencement of the lesson. Although the school carefully screens instructors, we cannot accept responsibility or take liability for any child during this time. The instructor taking the lesson is responsible for the children until they are collected.

AUDIBLOX

With Teacher Jenny

The Audiblox programme is only available to the Chicken Group. Classes are small with one qualified audiblox instructor and one assistant. Children are given a folder with examples of work that they can practise at home. We ask that the folder is brought to school with your child on Wednesdays. Each term consists of no more than ten lessons which have been thoroughly prepared for the term. Audiblox prepares the child with confidence, while learning, and lessons are fun. It teaches the child how to concentrate, cross the midline, eye tracking etc. Please note that this very worthwhile programme has limited space and we can only accommodate a small class of children. Children will be taken on a first come, first serve basis.