Preschool in South Africa

The options for preschool in America are abundant and I would have to say there are just as many choices in South Africa, although navigating the system and finding them in South Africa can be quite difficult.  I mostly relied on word of mouth from other Black and Veatch moms then went and scouted them out.  Not all of the schools teach in English, some do half English and half Afrikaans, others are all Afrikaans.  Some are more formal than others, there are Montessori options and others that resemble more of a day care.  After some searching and interviewing we found a good English school for Adalyn.

Pre-Preparatory Entrance

The African school year runs January to December so Adalyn started at her new school, Tyger Valley College, 2 weeks ago.  Adalyn goes to the Pre-Preparatory school within the college which enrolls students from age 3 through high school.  The year you are in school is based on the age you turn that year, and since Adalyn will turn 4 this year, she is in the Triple Naught class.  Her school days run from 8-2, Monday through Friday with holiday breaks in between.  They are in school about 185 days a year so it is very much like American schools are set up only they do not have a large summer break.  They have 3 terms, split up with long holidays and it will be nice to have about 6 weeks off again around Christmas this year for Adalyn.

Tyger Valley is a private, Christian school that requires uniforms so all the little kids can be seen in green t-shirts and blue Umbro type shorts.  They have matching back packs and lunch bags, plus hats which are required if you want to play outside in the hot African summers.  The older kids have different uniforms that are more formal and their hair and shoe options are limited.  Adalyn was not thrilled one bit that she could not pick out her clothes, but after about 4 days she began to realize that her favorite pink outfit was never going to be an option.  So she picks out her shoes and her hair style every day and that seems to please her.

I think the school looks like a school you would find in Southern California with it's classrooms open to the playground/courtyard in the middle.  Prior to entering the school you pass by 2 different security guards and have to swipe your fingerprint to enter and exit.

Other than a Headmistress which is a new term for us, Adalyn has a teacher and a helper in her class which has 12 students.  Adalyn loves all the activities they are doing and I think the crafts she is brings home are creative.  Adalyn knew some of her classmates from her previous school so that helped and her teacher is just lovely, very warm and sweet.

On Mondays, Adalyn has music class, Thursday is ballet and Friday is gymnastics, all of which is included in the tuition.  Extracurricular activities at a fee are Drama, Math Club and Soccer.  I thought it was quite funny that they offered Drama for a bunch of 3-4 year olds.  Adalyn loves ballet, mostly because she gets to wear her tutu and ballet shoes.  I bet all those little girls are quite the sight to see pointing and twirling.  Adalyn gets about an hour and a half nap at school, though she debates whether she needs to sleep half the time.

Overall, I have been very pleased with her first couple of weeks.  The school has an Intranet so you can stay connected to what is going on and it's a great way to receive announcements.  I was quite discouraged with the process to find a school, always feeling like we were coming up short in one area or another, so to find a school that we all enjoy is a great feeling.  Adalyn will likely spend the next year and a half at Tyger Valley until she is old enough to attend Kindergarten at the American School.  We will see how well Tyger Valley prepares her and whether or not she will be in line with the other students, especially once we return to America.  Until then she can enjoy being a College Girl for now.