An inspiring approach to education
The Capstone School
New independent school to offer a homely learning
environment on a piece of an historic farm in the
heart of the city.
The Capstone School will open the doors of its
new Heatherbank Farm campus in 2017. This
will mark 20 years since the school’s founder
and principal, Jacqui Zeelie, first established
Children’s World Pre-Primary School in 1997.
NEW BEGINNINGS
As the school is growing and will now also be
offering primary education, it is time for a new name
as well as a relocation from its current premises in
Walmer to the Heatherbank Farm. Over the years,
Children’s World has steadily built a strong reputation
based on the excellence of its programmes and
the character of its school community. Parents
now look forward to the extended offerings that the
Capstone School will provide and are excited about
the possibilities of an integrated approach to learning
alongside nature.
A REASON TO GROW
The decision to position the school as a provider of
both pre-primary and primary education came as a
response to ongoing requests from parents. The first
cohort of primary pupils was enrolled in 2016. These
learners will continue into Grade 2 at the Capstone
School’s new campus in 2017. This means that next
year, the school will offer pre-primary phase (Grade
00 to Grade R) and foundation primary phase (Grade
14
Jacqui and a group of children visit the
soon to be campus of the Capstone School
on Heatherbank Farm.
1 to Grade 2). Jacqui says “We plan to grow by
a new Grade 1 class every year, until we have the
full complement of 7 Grades, with a maximum of 18
children per grade.”
NATURE AND LEARNING
The Capstone School’s beautiful new campus is
enhanced by the abundance of trees, open spaces
and meadows where horses and cattle feed nearby.
The beauty, history and traditions of Heatherbank
Farm combine with the new to create a peaceful
teaching-learning environment where pupils can
grow their own vegetables and learning through the
natural environment is made possible. The school
will be housed in the original homestead, nestled
between giant fig trees and overlooking a pond.
RECOGNISING THE INDIVIDUAL
The school’s low student-teacher ratio will ensure
that the individual needs of each child is recognised
and nurtured. Jacqui speaks about the school’s
foundational values, “Our children, teachers and
administrators share a bond of acceptance, respect
and trust. Priority is given to the emotional needs
and self-esteem of our children. We encourage
children to work and play together in peaceful,
caring groups. Our children learn how to be good
friends.“
Teaching at the school is anchored in a loving,
Christian-centred approach and Jacqui emphasises
that each family who enrolls in The Capstone School
will receive dedicated attention from herself and her
team from the child’s first day in the pre-primary to
graduation from the primary phase.
Jacqui Zeelie with adopted daughter, Chante
(3). She is also mother to three biological
children who are 24, 21 and 18.
A REGGIO EMILIA INSPIRED APPROACH
The school follows the national curriculum with a
Reggio Emilia inspired teaching philosophy - an
innovative approach to early childhood education
originating from Italy. Jacqui explains, “Each child is
perceived as someone filled with potential, someone
who is competent and capable of building their
own theories. Within the Reggio Emilia approach,
teachers create environments that invite children
to undertake extended exploration and problem
solving, often in small groups, where cooperation
and debate mingle pleasurably.”
Jacqui is clearly passionate about children and
her approach to education is based on years of
experience and insights into how children learn best.
She refers to the discoveries of Maria Montessori in
the early 1900’s who found that learning is optimal
when children have long uninterrupted blocks of
work with lots of choices, “We have adopted her
philosophy of an embedded classroom structure,
with all the appropriate materials, for learning. This
results in a detail driven, tactile learning space.”
At the heart, Reggio Emilia is about believing that
each child is unique and thus valuing the image
of each child. Jacqui is serious about creating
an environment where this ethos influences the
everyday workings of teacher-learner interactions
and says, “In all our endeavours, children are
encouraged to observe, to question and to think
deeply.”
Parents who are inspired by the values and the
unique approach to education that the Capstone
School embodies will be pleased to know that
enrolments for 2017 are now being considered.
Phone:
084 556 1711
thecapstoneschool.co.za
A MESSAGE FROM JACQUI
I believe that each child is an individual with unique
talents, interests and aspirations. What inspires
one child may not inspire another and so I value
the philosophy of recognising these differences and
allowing children to grow and develop outside of
standardization.
My vision is to offer a small, caring environment
where children are encouraged to grow in an
exciting, creative and engaging way.
It is my view that the atmosphere in a school is a
key ingredient to success.
A child learns best when he or she is happy,
stimulated and supported. A partnership between
the child, parent and school is vitally important.
I warmly invite you to contact me to further discuss
our vision and passion for education at The
Capstone School.
Jacqui is a qualified Foundation phase teacher.
She is a member of the Reggio Emilia Alliance,
holds a Diploma in Montessori Education and is
the proprietor of a study skills programme. She has
attended a number of workshops, the most n