For the love of reading
Caroline Correia • March 9, 2021
This week we have celebrated Book Week and encouraged the children to participate in various activities in the English classes.
Prep Pulse
As parents we sometimes underestimate the power of a good book and the characters portrayed in the book and yet they make lasting impressions on our children. Children delight in the antics of Peter Pan and Tinkerbell, fight off villains and sail the seven seas amongst the pages of a good book.
It is imperative that children read a wide genre of books to develop their vocabulary which in turn helps them with sentence writing and creative stories. Reading fiction builds imagination and unfortunately, it is becoming more evident in the classroom that imagination is something that children lack these days. As little children, we could keep ourselves entertained for hours with a couple of stones, some mud and a few cars. Give those things to children nowadays and they will think that we have lost our minds.
Reading non-fiction improves their general knowledge and they feel comfortable enough to participate in subjects like Social Science and Debating when they have facts that are relevant to the topics being discussed.
I love to peruse the books at The Travelling Bookshop and take great delight in helping the children choose good books to read. There is nothing quite like the smell of a new book with crisp pages and the air of anticipation at what lies ahead. Reading is a skill that needs to be encouraged and instilled in our children. What a privilege it is to be able to pick up a good book and read the story trapped in the pages.
According to the latest statistics about 3 million people are illiterate. That is 3 million people that will never know the feeling of getting lost in a good book or the enjoyment of a good story. As an English teacher, this is a great tragedy for me, as I would be lost if I could not make meaning of the written print I find all around me everyday of my life.
I would like to encourage everyone to send in a book to donate to their class library. In this way the children will always have a supply of books to choose from and enjoy.
Twenty years of trusted education meets expanded opportunities, greater accessibility and future-ready learning from January 2027. Families across Hartbeespoort can look forward to an even stronger independent school offering as Pecanwood College becomes Pinnacle College Pecanwood from January 2027. The transition brings together two decades of local educational excellence with the academic strength, innovation and opportunities offered by the expanding Pinnacle Colleges network. Current and prospective families stand to benefit from a school that retains everything the community values while opening the door to even greater opportunities. Pinnacle College Pecanwood will preserve the school's caring culture, close relationships, boarding facilities, IEB curriculum, sporting tradition and vibrant co-curricular programme, while providing students access to a broader network recognised for academic excellence, future-focused learning and preparation for life beyond school. Pecanwood College has proudly served the Hartbeespoort community for 20 years, offering education from the early years through to Grade 12, including boarding. Dedicated teachers, a nurturing environment, strong IEB academic results and diverse sporting and cultural opportunities have established the school as a respected educational institution in the region. That solid foundation will now be enhanced through the wider Pinnacle Colleges network. Students and teachers will benefit from shared academic expertise, established operational excellence and opportunities to participate in broader academic, cultural and sporting initiatives across multiple campuses. Pinnacle Colleges equips students for tertiary education and successful careers through a balanced approach that combines academic excellence with innovation, career guidance, coding and robotics, technology-enabled learning and holistic personal development. Respect, responsibility and a strong sense of community remain central to every campus experience. Academic success already defines Pecanwood College. The Class of 2025 achieved an impressive 98.59% matric pass rate, a 94.36% Bachelor's Degree pass rate and an average of 1.9 distinctions per student. Pinnacle College Pecanwood will build on these achievements through strengthened academic systems, shared expertise and continued commitment to outstanding IEB education. The name Pinnacle College Pecanwood honours both the school's proud heritage and its exciting future. Twenty years of commitment by students, teachers, families and the wider community remain firmly embedded in the school's identity, while its new name reflects membership of one of South Africa's fastest-growing independent school groups dedicated to innovation, accessibility and student success. Hartbeespoort families can now enjoy the best of both worlds: a close-knit community lifestyle paired with access to a high-quality independent education close to home. Pinnacle College Pecanwood is well positioned to become the school of choice for families seeking exceptional academic opportunities, future-ready skills and an environment where every student can thrive.
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