“We are all meant to shine, as children do”“We are all meant to shine, as children do”“We are all meant to shine, as children do”“We are all meant to shine, as children do”

Nelson MandelaNelson MandelaNelson MandelaNelson Mandela

Introduction to Vista Nova

• Vista Nova School caters for children with Cerebral Palsy, Physical Disabilities and other barriers to learning.

• These disabilities preclude our learners from atten ding mainstream schools as these schools are generally unable to pr ovide for their particular barrier to learning.

• Vista Nova strives to provide learners with a quali ty education whilst catering for their specific needs.

• Vista Nova provides remedial education and therapie s to learners from the age of 3 through to Grade 12 (18 years of age).

• Learners come from across the greater peninsula are a and cover all socio-economic groups.

• The parents’ inability to pay school fees plays no role in a learner being accepted at our institution.

• Over 400 learners are enrolled and enjoy the attent ion of a large team of dedicated professionals who provide continual indiv idual assessment to ensure that the best personalised treatment is prov ided for each child.

• The ultimate goal is to provide those learners who can, with the tools to successfully reintegrate into mainstream schooling.

• Others are given the life skills and/or tools to pl ay a meaningful role in society in spite of their disability.

• Visa Nova is Latin meaning “a New Vision”

History of the Vista Nova School

• Established in 1954 by concerned parents in Roseban k, WC• Specifically focussed on children with Cerebral Pal sy• Government subsidies and generous financial aid led to acquisition of

our current premises (Rondebosch) with the official opening on 7 March 1968.

• At this time the school started admitting learners with specific learning disabilities as no other facility was able to cater for them.

• An annual increase in learner numbers and a growing waiting list necessitated the establishment of a High School ca mpus in 1989. This campus is located in Pinelands, WC.

• We operate our own bus service, across the peninsul a, that transports learners to and from school.

• This service is critical, providing support to pare nts and our wheelchair bound learners who would otherwise not be able to a ttend school

Phased approached to education

• At Vista Nova we believe in a phased approach to ed ucation and rehabilitation

• Key to the success of our philosophy is early inter vention, especially when dealing with physical disabilities.

• We have 4 learning phases namely:• Pre-Primary (3 years old to Grade R)• Foundation (Grade 1- 3)• Intermediate (Grade 4 - 6 and Grade 7)• High School (Grade 8-12)

• In addition we have an Enrichment section catering for those learners who require a more individualised, practical progra mme

1. Pre- Primary Phase

• Catering for children from as early as 3 years of a ge• Key is early intervention for those learners with c erebral palsy or severe

physical disabilities• Focus is placed on a the peculiar needs of a specif ic learner • A team of quality health and education specialists assesss the learner

and establish a customised programme to ensure opti mal development• This program may include:

• Physiotherapy• Speech and Language development • Perceptual skills• Fine and Gross Motor Co-ordination• Cognitive, social and emotional skills development

• By creating a solid foundation we greatly enhance t he leaner's ability to reintegrate into mainstream education and assist hi m/her to overcome their disabilities

2. Foundation Phase

• Grade 1 - 3• The phase in which most new learners enter our scho ol• The principle of early intervention is key.• We continue our individual assessment of learners a nd establish

attainable development goals for each child.• The learning programmes of numeracy, literacy and l ife skills become a

part of the formal school day.• We follow the mainstream curriculum and adapt it to suit the needs of

any particular child.• Learners are provided with further exposure to musi c, art and various

sports• These formal learning activities are complemented b y outings, visiting

speakers and community involvement activities.

3. Intermediate Phase

• Grade 4 – 6• Focus shifts to independent work, study and interpe rsonal skills• Further development of skills established during Fo undation Phase• The goal of reintegration into mainstream education for some children is

encouraged.• Learners are exposed to a variety of practical lear ning experiences such

as Science experiments, problem solving in Design a nd Technology as well as Entrepreneurial opportunities such as Marke t Day.

4. High School Phase

• Grade 7 – 12• Learners are now encouraged to achieve scholastical ly by focussing on

the setting of personal goals and the mastery of st udy skills. • Emphasis is placed on rounding off the development process and

preparing learners for the possibility of tertiary education and life in mainstream society.

• A range of subjects, depending on the physical abil ities of the children, are offered.

5. Enrichment section• Due to a variety of reasons such as the severity of their disability,

some learners struggle to cope with the pace and de mand of our classes.

• These learners could be placed in our enrichment cl asses.• The children in these classes enjoy individualised teaching methods

designed to allow the child to develop and progress at their own pace.• Their programme provides a great deal of practical activity and

vocational training.

Our Aims and Objectives• Provide the best possible care, therapeutic and edu cational

intervention for special needs children• Maintain and further develop an accepting, nurturin g and caring

educational environment• Provide support groups for parents wherever possibl e• Ensure sensitivity and tolerance on campus and prov ide equal

opportunity• Mainstream as many of our learners as possible• Create awareness of the variety of special needs th at can be catered for

in a special school.• Further develop our educational community outreach programmes• Play an active role in educational transformation i n our province• Expand our capacity without compromising our standa rds of education

Fundraising

• Increasing financial demand is a reality faced by a ll learning • institutions, but catering for learners with disabi lities and special needs,

places an even greater fiscal demand on institution s and parents.• At Vista Nova we strive to provide the best possibl e education, care and

rehabilitation facilities to our learners, creating a demand for financial assistance and/or donations from the private sector .

• The Vista Nova School Governing Body employs a full time fundraiser to assist in addressing this need.

• Friends of Vista Nova assists the school with fundr aising initiatives such as the annual auction and the challenging Cadiz Fre edom Swim, for the sole benefit of Vista Nova School, from Robben Isla nd to Blouberg.

• The Swim attracts large crowds with SA Olympic swim mer Natalie du Toit, a patron of the school, being a regular parti cipant (and victor!)

• In 2005 Friends of Vista Nova obtained full NPO sta tus with Vista Nova as its sole beneficiary

• Today the organisation has one full time staff memb er and relies heavily on parental / volunteer support for its fundraising efforts.