Pre Primary

Head of Pre Primary
Mrs A Hiestermann

I am Angelika Hiestermann and feel extremely grateful and blessed to be able to work with God`s most precious creation, “children”. I have always been passionate about working in the lives of these incredible little hearts and enjoy seeing them develop and grow, all with their unique personalities. Through the years, having worked with children and colleagues, my heart has been filled with so many little gifts of love and joy, and wonderful memories, which I cherish. I have been teaching in the Foundation Phase for many years, was the headmistress at Harburg School, until it closed, and the HOD of the Wartburg Kirchdorf Primary School, as well as the Grade 2 teacher there. I have been the HOD at the New Hanover Pre-Primary for 7 years and this has truly been the most memorable. Here our vision is to foster self-growth in the formative years. “SHAPING YOUNG MINDS & HEARTS WITH GOD`S LOVE & VALUES” is “KEY”, when equipping the child for the future. This forms the foundational structure upon which all other holistic development of the children rests. I feel exceptionally privileged to be able to walk alongside the children as they grow and develop. Watching them becoming more independent and confident as they begin to learn who they are, being equipped with social and emotional tools, gaining physical
strength and co-ordination, acquiring Numeracy and Literacy skills, as well as
creativity and imagination is remarkable. I am passionate to embrace and nurture the heart of each child in my care and provide him/her with the love, care and enjoyable quality learning experience so that he/she can reach their full potential. May God keep His hand over our precious school. God bless.

Grade R Teacher
Mrs T Schulz

My name is Tarryn Schulz and I am the Grade R teacher. I have been teaching Grade R for 7 years now. I love teaching Grade R, its just a privilege being part of the children’s lives, watching them grow, overcome challenges, learn and laugh. We,as a team, both parents and educators, need to prepare our Grade R’s for school readiness. In Grade R we focus on foundational numeracy concepts, such as
number concept development, problem solving, measurement and data handling. We are excited to have been able to implement the International Key 2 Learning curriculum for this learning area as well. The Literacy programme we follow is a South African programme called Time2Read. In this programme we focus on blending single sounds together to make 2 and 3 letter words, like, cat, on, men. In our knowledge and skills programme, the Grade R’s learn basic life skills like dressing and undressing themselves, packing their own school bags as well as taking care of their own belongings. They will learn personal skills such as demonstrating empathy, and care for others, resilience, being respectful and compassionate. We interact with the Prep school on a more regular basis, we do computer and music lessons once a week, as well as library and swimming lessons. Grade R is an exciting journey filled with lots of change and growth!

Grade RR Teacher
Mrs H Peckham

My name is Hannah Peckham. I am the Grade RR teacher. I have been teaching Grade RR for over a year now. I have a nurturing nature and I am passionate about teaching young as I want to be part of their important developmental stages. I love being outdoors and creative and teacher Grade RR allows me to do so. I believe children learn best through play. The children are able to experience different problem-solving skills which can help them in this fast paced, ever changing world. I enjoy creating a fun and comfortable environment for the children to learn new concepts and skills.

Grade RRR Teacher
Mrs K McCullough

Hi, my name is Karen McCullough, I am the Grade RRR teacher at New Hanover Pre-Primary School. I have been teaching this particular age group for the past 17 years and feel incredibly blessed and privileged to be able to accompany these children, for a little while, in their exciting journey of growing and blossoming in their own ,unique way.
In our class we focus on the development of the child as a whole, within the framework of the Christian faith and values. Learning independence and growing in self-confidence occurs naturally as the children practice their social and emotional skills in their interactions with each other. This is the developmental area I feel most passionate about, guiding the children in these basic but very important life skills.
Our curriculum also includes age appropriate Numeracy and Literacy concepts which are presented in a fun way, using concrete apparatus. Learning is fun, interactive and practical which allows room for creativity, experimenting and investigating. It is inspiring to watch how each child shines in their development, each in their own particular way.

Grade RRR Assistant
Miss M Bartels

Hello, I’m Michelle Bartels, a teacher’s assistant in Grade RRR. I am passionate about creating a warm and nurturing environment for our young learners. I care deeply for each child and take great joy in watching them progress and grow. Supporting and encouraging my students is my top priority, and I strive to make every child feel valued and confident. I look forward to fostering a love for learning and helping each student reach their full potential

Computer and Robotics Teacher
Mrs S Meyiwa

My name is Siyabonga Meyiwa, and I have been an integral part of the New Hanover Prep Family for the past three years. During my tenure, I have had the pleasure of working across various educational phases, including the Pre-Primary, Foundation, and Senior Phases.
My primary teaching subjects are Zulu (Second Additional Language), Information Technology (IT), Coding, and Robotics.I am passionate about education and thoroughly enjoy working with children, guiding them as they develop and grow. My experience spans teaching students from Grade R to Grade 7, where I have had the privilege of witnessing their journey to reaching their fullest potentials. At New Hanover Prep, we introduce computers, coding, and robotics from Grade R, ensuring that even our youngest students begin developing critical skills early on.
Computers:
Mouse Skills: Teaching students how to use a mouse effectively.
Keyboard Skills: Focusing on typing skills to enhance their digital literacy.
Coding and Robotics:
Spatial Awareness and Shape Recognition: Helping students understand space and
shapes, which are foundational concepts in both coding and robotics.
Design and Imagination: Encouraging creativity and innovation through design
projects.
Instruction Following and Giving: Emphasizing the importance of following and
providing clear instructions, a key aspect of programming and robotics.

Head of Academic Support
Mrs C Rutherfoord 

The Academic Support Department focuses on creating an engaging learning environment which fosters academic success. It aims to equip each child with academic tools and self-belief to help overcome their barriers to learning.
Academic Support is offered to learners from Grade RRR through to Grade Seven. Remediation focuses on the individual needs of the child. Teachers, families and community specialists work together in their pursuit to help the child. The services of a Speech Therapist, Occupational Therapists, Academic Facilitators and a NILD Instructor are available, utilizing the learning friendly venues in our Academic Support Centre.

Head of Sport
Mr R Robbertze

My name is Ryan Robbertze, a family man with a passion for sport and sport within the school environment, and the greater community. Over the years I have achieved success in all aspects of the sports world, and thoroughly enjoy looking to bring that experience into my work. I have served as a selector and convener for both boys’ and girls’ sports across various codes, both regional and provincial. I thoroughly enjoy running, and have done a number of both road and trail running events.At New Hanover Pre-Primary, our introduction to sport for children aged 3-6 is designed to foster a love for movement while supporting essential developmental milestones. Our program emphasizes fundamental physical skills and creates an early platform for children to showcase and refine their abilities with the help of the staff and Prep school interns we push for great progress.

We focus on the basic physical skills crucial for young children’s growth:
– Balance and Coordination: Activities that promote stability and fluid movement.
– Muscle Strength: Exercises that enhance both fine and gross motor skills.
– Agility: Games and tasks that improve speed and flexibility.

Our sports program also nurtures cognitive and emotional development:
– Critical Thinking: Strategic games that require planning and problem-solving.
– Independence and Self-Discipline: Encouraging children to take initiative and follow structured routines.
– Social Skills: Team sports and group activities that foster cooperation and communication.

Through diverse and engaging activities, we aim to instill a lifelong passion for physical activity. Our sports program is fun-filled and varied, ensuring that every child finds joy in movement. This enthusiasm lays the groundwork for a healthy, active lifestyle.

Our structured yet playful approach provides ample opportunities for children to display and develop their talents early on. By recognizing and nurturing these skills, we help each child build confidence and self-esteem. by making use of on-campus private coaching.
We offer on-campus private coaching available for all ages at New Hanover Pre-Primary. Our specialized coaching options include:
– Tennis
– Hockey
– Dance
– Playball
– Swimming

These private coaching sessions provide personalized instruction, helping children to further develop their skills and passion in specific sports.

At New Hanover Pre-Primary, we are committed to providing a supportive and stimulating environment where children can thrive physically, cognitively, and emotionally. Our sports program, complemented by on-campus private coaching, ensures that every child has the chance to develop a love for movement, achieve key developmental milestones, and explore their potential in various sports.

Music Teacher
Mrs E Wortmann

My name is Elisabeth Wortmann. I am the Music and German teacher at New Hanover Preparatory School. I teach in all phases from Gr RRR all the way up to Gr 7.

I started my teaching career as a Gr 1 class teacher and Music teacher at Wittenberg Laerskool many years ago. Since then I had the privilege of gaining a lot of experience in teaching both Music and German to younger kids (preschoolers and primary school) and older kids (Gr 11 and Matrics), and even some adults. I have always loved teaching young kids, who are still open to some fantasy and fun in the classroom. Both Music and German allow me to indulge in these aspects of teaching, and especially the Music Appreciation lessons that I do with the Gr RRR’s up to Gr R’s in New Hanover PrePrimary.

During these weekly half hour sessions with the Pre-Primary phase the children get exposed to music from various genres, including the old Masters. Through movement and short “work songs” they get introduced to the basics of music literacy, that is, note values, rhythm and beat, pitch as in high and low and the first intervals between notes using the Solfege (Do, Re, Mi, etc). Visually this is presented with simple pictures and accompanied by stories. The children play very simple rhythms and accompaniments on the percussion instruments. We also sing, move or dance to familiar children’s songs. All of this gets enhanced by a short trip into our “movie theatre”, where short video clips are used to introduce topics, demonstrate various instruments, including our voices, instruments of orchestra, songs, and the various components of music. It always amazes me how much these very young children are already able to learn and apply in music.

I am very enthusiastic about Music as a subject not only because it is such fun and allows for creativity, but also because of the added benefits it brings to the children’s development. Making music increases brain power and functionality, improves maths and language skills, boosts short and long term memory, it enhances gross and fine motor skills, it builds empathy and helps us to express our emotions, it is a natural stress reliever. Music promotes equity, inclusion and belonging, and at New Hanover PrePrimary the children already start being exposed to all these benefits from Gr RRR onwards. How cool is that!