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
When I Grow Up
16 Nov – 20 Nov 2026
Week 40
A year of meeting helpers becomes personal aspiration - rural children naming big dreams out loud, and being believed.
Well-being
'I can' affirmations: each child completes 'When I grow up I will...' with the whole class cheering; talk about how dreams need daily practice.
Identity & Belonging
Career dress-up day: come as (or make props for) your dream job and introduce yourself in role: 'I am Doctor Bongani.'
Communication
Ring-time job interviews: the teacher interviews each dream worker - 'Pilot Rirhandzu, what do you do all day?' - stretching answers into sentences.
Exploring Mathematics
Dream-jobs graph: sort the class's choices into columns, count and compare; match worker-to-tool cards (builder-hammer, chef-pot, farmer-hoe).
Creativity
Make job props from boxes - pilot wings, builder hard hats, chef hats; paint one page each for the class 'Big Book of Dreams'.
Physical & the World
Worker-actions circuit: dig like a builder, steer the delivery route, march like a soldier, stir like a chef, hammer like a carpenter.
⏰ Morning ring
- All the workers we met this year: nurse, police officer, farmer, driver, teacher, shopkeeper
- What do YOU want to be? Every dream is honoured here
- School is the road to every job
- Girls and boys can do any job
📖 Story
Original: 'The Girl Who Fixed the Bus' - a Hazyview girl who loves fixing things grows up to be the town's first woman mechanic, and saves concert day when the school bus will not start.
🎵 Song
Original to the traditional Mulberry Bush tune with job verses - first line: 'This is the way the builder builds'.
🏃 Outdoor
Big build week: teams build a 'town of the future' in the yard from boxes, planks and crates - then give guided tours of it.
💬 Words this week
work job teacher driver farmer builder pilot dream
umsebenzi (isiZulu - work)
ntirho (Xitsonga - work)
uthisha (isiZulu - teacher)
umlimi (isiZulu - farmer)
👁 Watch and record
Self-belief statements; depth and length of sustained pretend play (a strong cognitive marker); reading the graph - most, least, equal.
🎓 Grade R stretch
'When I grow up' writing frame using invented spelling; playful big-number talk - how many years until you are twenty?
📱 Message home to parents
Theme: When I Grow Up. Ask your child what they want to be and answer seriously - then tell them about your own work and your childhood dream. Their dreams start with your belief.
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.
