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
Spring - New Beginnings
31 Aug – 4 Sep 2026
Week 30
Spring Day and Arbor Week - the bushveld wakes up and children learn to see and describe change.
Well-being
Class spring-clean: wash the toys, dust the shelves, sort the book corner together - the fresh-start feeling belongs to everyone.
Identity & Belonging
'I am growing too': compare January self-portraits with new ones and name what each child can do now that they could not before.
Communication
Blossom-walk reporting: find and describe signs of spring; collect the new words bud, blossom, sprout on the word wall.
Exploring Mathematics
Blossom counting: peg the right number of pink paper blossoms onto branches numbered 1-10; count flower petals.
Creativity
Blossom trees: fingertip or bottle-top prints in pink and white on painted branch silhouettes; bright Spring Day headbands.
Physical & the World
Spring dance-out with scarf and plastic-strip streamers; butterfly-and-flower partner dance - one still, one fluttering, then swap.
⏰ Morning ring
- Spring Day, 1 September - nature is waking up
- Hunt for the signs: buds, blossoms, new leaves, busy birds
- Arbor Week: trees give shade, fruit and clean air
- What can YOU do now that you could not do in January?
📖 Story
Original cumulative tale: 'The Sleeping Bushveld Wakes' - tree, bee, lizard, cuckoo and impala wake one by one for spring; children join in as each waking creature until the whole veld is dancing.
🎵 Song
'Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush' (traditional) with spring verses - first line: 'Here we go round the mulberry bush'.
🏃 Outdoor
Plant a tree (or large pot shrub) for Arbor Week - dig, plant, water, name it, and take the class 'tree birthday' photo.
💬 Words this week
spring blossom bud green new warm birds grow
intwasahlobo (isiZulu - spring)
luhlaza (isiZulu - green)
rihlaza (Xitsonga - green)
👁 Watch and record
Before/after comparative language; energy regulation as the weather warms - who needs more movement breaks.
🎓 Grade R stretch
Spring senses poem frame ('I see... I hear... I smell...'); write the date 1/9; label the parts of the class tree.
📱 Message home to parents
Theme: Spring. Tuesday 1 September is Spring Day - dress your child in something bright! Find one blossom or new leaf on the way to school and describe it together.
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.
