The ManicaPost
Morris Mtisi —
EVERYTHING else being equal, from a pre-school which is child friendly, new curriculum compliant and offering sound nursery first steps, First Steps Nursery rises above the rest. It goes the extra mile towards the production of a distinguished learner and child every parent is certainly proud of.
All ECD and junior school learners go on educational trips.
Thanks to all the effort put in by many of them. But how many have taken their children to the national airport, to board a jet plane and see all its interior décor and seats (never mind taking off)?
First Steps Nursery did it.
They took their children to Robert Mugabe International Airport on one of their educational trips. That is just one example of doing the same in a special and different way.
While some centres talk about a computer culture and age, First Steps assembles children three and four years old who can demonstrate amazing techno-savvy “tricks” with the computer. Indeed, these first steps are one step or two ahead of the rest.
What did First Steps Nursery exhibit on its Speech and Prize-Giving Day this year?
The little children’s drama was full of adult-like awe and understanding of stage artistic expression. If you looked carefully with an inner eye for detail and appreciation you saw future actors and actresses waiting to dominate future acting on film and in theatre performances. The children put up excellent stage acts the future is hungrily waiting to tap and exploit as probable sources of entertainment and income.
The novelty of the new curriculum is best realised in what children can do today. When you see children exhibiting skills in various domains of learning as we all saw, you surely get amazed by the newness, freshness and uniqueness of learning under the revised curriculum.
First Steps Nursery does everything every ECD does but does it in a special way or in a way a cut above the rest. The Physical Education is a cut above the rest. The little children love and enjoy physical training with an almost tangible passion. They speak and act in a way every adult instantly recognises to be far above what they know or went through in their old systems of learning.
Everything said and done, First Steps does what no other pre-school does, at least what this reporter has not seen in all the end-of-year festivities he has attended: PHILANTHROPY — A SENSE OF EMPATHISING AND SYMPATHISING WITH THE POOR AND DISADVANTAGED WHICH TRIGGERS A FREE WILL AND HEART TO GIVE.
Every year-end speech and prize-giving day, First Steps Nursery identifies a disadvantaged child around town and encourages First Step Nurse-arians to be little good Samaritans who feel pity on others and Dorcases who give generously.
And they teach the children not to give what they do not want or need anymore, but something new they love and cherish. Wonderful Ubunthu training at work! And obviously a tint of Christ-like generosity anchored on the part that stores good will on the human heart and mind.
Everybody present was deeply moved but inwardly heartened to see every First Step child donating a packet of some sort of food for Natasha Chemwanyisa, deaf and dumb girl who goes to school at Sakubva Primary School. It was clearly not the size of the gift that mattered but certainly the spirit behind each little gift and the ubuntu/hunhu demonstrated here by the donor-parents through their children.
What a lesson to teach children at such a tender age! Lovely Natalia Urayayi and Tanatswanashe Mavhunga, only two and three year olds respectively, were an angelic spectacle when they waddled and dawdled on the stage with little parcels in their little hands to present to Natalia. Talking to The Manica Post, First Steps Nursery owner and director Mrs Miriam Mataranyika said teaching children to give is excellent for moral and character building.
“Giving will teach your child to give to the poor, and God smiles when He sees that. When children grow up they will give you valuable gifts.
‘‘They will have learnt from you in their tender age that giving is Godly and it warmly cements relationships,” she said. “And it is important to teach them (children) to give what they treasure and love; not second-hand goods and rejects.”
It is an open secret that though First Steps Nursery is governed by common Ministry of Education policy and guidelines, it is carefully driven by serious Seventh Day Adventist education principles espoused by Adventist prophetic teacher, Ellen White, one of which is that a good education develops love and common compassion for one another.
Indeed life gains sense, value and meaning from what we do to others than what we do to ourselves! Mrs Mataranyika, a serious Adventist herself, does what the 21st century education system demands yes, but she does not depart from the teachings of the Bible.
It is the Bible which instructs all wisdom needed to develop worthwhile children for a worthwhile world.
Lest all schools forget!
What a bundle of educational joy!
