Teaching Resources
The Year Programme
43 themed weeks across the four school terms. Today falls in Week 25 — Small Creatures - Insects and Bugs. Every week gives you the ring time, the words, one activity per learning area, a story, a song, an outdoor game, what to watch for, and a message to send parents.
SELECTED WEEK
My Country South Africa
27 Apr – 1 May 2026
Week 15
Freedom Day week - the flag, our many languages and the feeling of belonging to one country.
Well-being
'All different, all welcome' circle: each child greets in their home language and the class claps and repeats every greeting.
Identity & Belonging
Class language chart: each child places a bottle top for the language(s) their family speaks - we are proud of every one.
Communication
Learn hello three ways - sawubona, avuxeni, hallo - and use a different one at the door each morning.
Exploring Mathematics
Flag maths: count the six flag colours; sort bottle tops into flag-colour groups and build the Y-shape pattern on the floor.
Creativity
Giant class flag - children fill a big flag outline with torn paper scraps in the right colours.
Physical & the World
Flag parade: march with home-made flags to a drumbeat and freeze at attention when the drum stops.
⏰ Morning ring
- Our country's name: South Africa - iNingizimu Afrika - Afrika Dzonga
- The flag and its six colours - where have you seen it?
- Freedom Day: long ago grown-ups could not choose; now everyone votes
- Many languages, one country - let us hear all of ours
📖 Story
Original: 'The Day Everyone Voted' - the bushveld animals queue to choose their waterhole leader; every mark counts, even little Tortoise's. Children queue and 'vote' with stones during the telling.
🎵 Song
'Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika' (Enoch Sontonga, 1897, public domain) - first line: 'Nkosi sikelel' iAfrika' - sung slowly, standing still.
🏃 Outdoor
Rainbow-nation ring dance: a simple circle dance mixing a Tsonga hip-shake, a Swati stamp and a clap sequence, to a shared drum.
💬 Words this week
South Africa flag country green gold black together proud
iNingizimu Afrika (isiZulu - South Africa)
Afrika Dzonga (Xitsonga - South Africa)
isizwe (isiZulu - nation)
👁 Watch and record
Record which home languages are in the class (update the register - it guides your teaching languages); note pride and participation in own language.
🎓 Grade R stretch
Make a class languages graph and count each column; learn that our freedom day is 27 April; write 'SA' and count the flag's 6 colours.
📱 Message home to parents
Theme: My Country. Monday is Freedom Day. Teach your child one greeting in your home language to share at school, and point out our flag wherever you see it.
The whole year
14 January - 27 March 2026 (11 weeks, 53 school days; unified national calendar - no separate inland/coastal clusters in 2026)
Myself and My World: settling in, separation security, my body, senses, family and home. Colours red/blue/yellow/green, shapes circle/square/triangle, numbers 1-5.
8 April - 26 June 2026 (12 weeks, 54 school days; public holidays: Freedom Day Mon 27 Apr, Workers' Day Fri 1 May, special holiday Mon 15 Jun, Youth Day Tue 16 Jun)
My Community and the Working World: the people, places, helpers and transport around us, farm life, and winter. Numbers to 10, shape consolidation, positional language.
21 July - 23 September 2026 (10 weeks, 46 school days; National Women's Day observed Mon 10 Aug; Heritage Day 24 Sep falls in the holiday)
The Natural World and Our Heritage: wild animals, small creatures, water, plants, spring, birds, and Heritage Month. Numbers to 10 and beyond, patterns, measurement.
6 October - 9 December 2026 (10 weeks, 47 school days; learners close 9 Dec, educators 11 Dec)
The Wider World, Big Dreams and Celebration: life cycles, storms, sky, sea, money, aspirations, summer safety and the year-end concert. School readiness consolidation for Grade R.
