BIG NEWS FOR LITTLE ONES

Hillcrest will soon welcome a brand new 80-pupil preschool located at Emberton Estate. The Emberton Preschool will open its brightly coloured doors to a growing community in January 2022, with two enthusiastic and experienced owners at the helm. Tracy Smith, an educationalist, and Estelle van den Berg, previous owner of Clifton Hill Nursery School and a credit analyst, have exciting plans. With one partner well versed in hands-on education, and the other having been in both banking and school management, children and parents will certainly be in good hands.

“We’ll both be involved in management. I’ll be involved in the administration and

Working parents will enjoy the benefits of a school which doesn’t close during school holidays

curriculum planning, and Estelle will oversee teachers and the daily operations. We intend to appoint a head teacher to assist in establishing and maintaining a staff with the right balance of empathy, qualification and work ethic. We can’t wait to get going,” says Tracy.

Emberton Preschool will be open to everyone in the Upper Highway area and beyond. Its location is super convenient – with great access from the M13 and Hillcrest’s Old Main Road. The school is situated just outside the main gate to Emberton Estate, making it easy for busy parents to drop off, pick up and head off to work, home or the shops.

The design of a school is always of major importance, particularly in terms of creating a dynamic and exciting environment which

WITH A FOCUS ON EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING THROUGH PLAY, THE BRAND NEW EMBERTON PRESCHOOL WILL BE OPEN TO EVERYONE

appeals to young children and responds to early childhood development needs. Together with Walker Smith Architects, Tracy, Estelle and their husbands, Andrew and Albert, rolled up their sleeves and added their experience and passion to the project.

Tracy’s a qualified intermediate phase teacher (Grades 4 to 7) and has taught for 25 years. She’s also taught remedial programmes at two senior primary schools in the area, so she knows what’s needed. So, too, does Estelle – and together they’ve created a building which combines

PERSPECTIVE VIEW

0488-01 EMBERTON PRE-SCHOOL DESIGN PROPOSAL, APRIL 2019 14 PERSPECTIVE PLAN

0488-01 EMBERTON PRE-SCHOOL DESIGN PROPOSAL, APRIL 2019 OPPOSITE: Dynamic and experienced duo, Estelle (left) and Tracy. LEFT & TOP: Emberton Preschool taking shape, ready to open its doors in January. ABOVE: The school’s design will offer an exciting environment with a focus on ECD.

practicality and play, with all the bright tools for fun and freedom.

A huge bonus is that although Emberton Preschool will be a full-service school, not a playschool, working parents will enjoy the benefits of a school which doesn’t close its doors during school holidays.The preschool will only close for the usual few days over Easter, and for three weeks over Christmas. Estelle and Tracy understand the challenges working parents face, so they are structuring their hours to assist with this. “We also want to open early and close later, so that dropoff and pick-up isn’t such a tightrope for parents,” says Estelle.

Another bonus is that school fees will

4 be all-inclusive. No hidden costs, no extra fees for aftercare or holiday club. Only additional fees for children who opt for specific extramural activities like ballet, which will be arranged on site. The school aims to hold as many activities on site as possible to expose the children to a host of opportunities – but without having to transport them off the premises.

Estelle and Tracy want the staff to fill parents’ shoes when they aren’t able to. “We know what sending a little one off to school can feel like. We want to create a welcoming environment where the kids can’t wait to get to school, and always feel loved, listened to, and cared for. We want the community to know that’s the goal here – we can’t wait to play a part in helping their kids develop into little human beings,” says Tracy.

Tracy and Estelle are firm believers in that young children learn best through play, so playfulness will be a major tool. “The building blocks, staff and educational spine of the school will be Christian,” says Estelle. “And I want my teachers to not just be a diploma, degree or certification – I want them to love what they do. That’s who we’re looking for.”

Estelle says that not only will they establish a warm, home-from-home environment, but they’ll make sure the children are at the right place in their development – so they can slip seamlessly into junior schools when they move on. “We’ll keep in close contact with other schools in the area to make sure we’re aligned with their standards and needs,” she explains.

South Africa is increasingly recognising the vital importance of Early Childhood Development (ECD). So an enthusiastic new team of ECD qualified teachers in a brand new full-service preschool in the Upper Highway area, an area fast becoming one of the most popular belts in KZN to put down roots and raise a family, is very welcome indeed. *

FOR MORE INFO embertonpreschool.co.za; info@embertonpreschool.co.za