Junior School
Overview
At St Mary’s DSG, we care about the holistic well-being of the girls in our care – not only their intellectual and academic welfare, but also their emotional, social, spiritual and physical well-being.
In the Junior School, we follow a “conscious discipline” approach in our interactions with the girls. This evidence-based, trauma-informed approach allows teachers to integrate social-emotional learning, discipline and self-regulation so they spend less time policing behaviour and more teaching vital life skills.
To enhance the focus on social-emotional development, we incorporate a variety of topics and skills-development programmes to address broader societal trends and set our students up for success.
As part of our holistic approach, we also offer annual vision and hearing screenings for the girls.
Programmes
The Junior School programmes include, but are not limited to:
- Developmental support programmes run within the Grade 0 and Grade 1 classrooms by the speech and occupational therapists
- Grade-focussed social-emotional lessons speaking to topics relevant to the girls’ life stages and curriculum
- Social-emotional programmes aimed at supporting positive peer relations, developing problem-solving skills and enhancing relationships
- A protective behaviours programme (for Grades 0, 3 and 6), teaching skills and strategies to help prevent the girls becoming victims of abuse and violence, and helping them distinguish between safe and unsafe situations. The programme equips them with problem-solving strategies to use, should their physical and emotional safety be compromised
- Womanhood talks, addressing age-appropriate developmental challenges and questions to guide the girls through the various stages of puberty
- A yearly anti-bullying campaign, #SaferTogether, aimed at empowering the students and bringing awareness to issues around this social challenge
Various departments within the school collaborate to promote holistic well-being beyond academics, through a myriad of services, engagements and collaborative efforts.
The departments supporting the teachers in accomplishing this goal include the Centre for Growth, the sanatorium and the school chaplains.
Centre for Growth and Wellness
Our Centre for Growth and Wellness oversees the emotional and therapeutic care of all our students and supports their academic progress where necessary. The team consists of three educational psychologists, who are further supported by two private practitioners who offer their services within the school setting, a speech therapist and an occupational therapist.
This multidisciplinary team of professionals work closely together to provide a comprehensive therapeutic, referral and advisory service to the St Mary’s DSG community as a whole, in order to create an optimal learning environment for our learners. They engage with the learners in various ways and are dedicated to helping and engaging with individuals, groups or families who approach them for support.
The sanatorium
The Sanatorium (San) is a very warm, cosy environment where two qualified nursing sisters take care of sick or injured girls. Girls who are unwell are assessed and given any necessary medication with consent from their parents.
The nurses take care of minor ailments such as coughs and colds, as well as more serious injuries such as broken arms. They work closely with parents, teachers and other professionals such as doctors, dentists and hospitals. They also play an important role in the care of the girls in the boarding house.
Chaplains
St Mary’s DSG is a Christian school of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, within the Diocese of Pretoria. The school aims to deepen an awareness of the love of God and encourage spiritual growth.
Faith is important in the life of the school, with the “heart” of the school, the chapel, central to the school campus. The two chaplains take their roles and duties seriously and engage with girls and the larger DSG community on a regular basis.
The Junior School girls attend divinity classes in a welcoming environment, with engaging lessons and the opportunity to have discussions that further their spiritual development.
Although St Mary’s DSG is an Anglican school, girls from other denominations and faiths are welcomed and their convictions respected. Chapel attendance is compulsory and voluntary services, including mass, are celebrated regularly, providing ample opportunity for the girls and staff to worship and advance their spiritual growth.
The Sunday services are compulsory for boarders, but day girls and parents are also welcome to attend.
Head, Centre for Growth, Mrs Riandie Marais
