I personally started Once Upon a Time Nursery School in Harare 34 years ago.  It is now established as a flourishing pre-school; a wonderland of learning opportunities, complimented by cutting edge technology such as our newly acquired LED touch screen, which promotes interactive education.

We welcome children aged between 2 1/2 to 3 and 6 years of age, who are placed in one of four classes (Green, Yellow, Blue and Red) according to their ability and maturity, taking into account their chronological ages. Each class of 20 to 24 children has a fully qualified teacher and a Nursery Aide, with the exception of the youngest group (Green Group) which has one teacher and three nursery aides and the pre-school class (Red Group), which has two qualified teachers and one nursery aide.
 

We seek to develop our pupils in as many spheres as possible. Included in our timetable are learning skills, development of fine and gross motor skills, conceptual development, all forms of art and craft activities (sponge painting, printing, tracing left to right, eye training patterns on the blackboards etc.), numerical and shape sequencing, sand and water play, role play and dressing up in the ‘Dollies Corner’, ‘Traffic Awareness’, ball skills and mini-tennis, baking days, and feeding the animals in our ‘Animal Paradise’. Extracurricular activities under fully qualified tutelage include Ballet, Grasshopper Gymnastics (pre-school gym) and Acrobatic Dance, and Adventures into Music.

The youngest group in the school (Green Group) is less formal, with the emphasis on learning through play. The second and third groups (Yellow and Blue Group respectively) are more geared to their particular age groups and abilities. In the pre-school class, which is taught by the Principal, the children are prepared for their reading and writing readiness. This class is where the foundations are laid for preparing the children for formal school and entry into Grade One the following year. (This is Infant School in Zimbabwe - Grade One and Grade Two. The International School follows the same format.)

We delight in exposing the children to a wide variety of experiences, to help round them into enthusiastic and inquiring little people when they enter formal school. To this end, our annual events include a Teddy Bear Picnic, Treasure Hunts, a Sports Day, a Graduation Ceremony and Prizegiving, an Open Day, and a School Concert.
 

Our team of fully qualified teachers and nursery aides is dedicated to enlightening your children, as they share in their pure excitement of discovery. We encourage self-discipline as opposed to imposed discipline, but we do insist on orderly classroom behaviour and good table manners at tea-time.

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We are very sensitive to the fact that starting school is a daunting process for most children and it is with this in mind that we have compiled a 'Settling into School Routine' helpsheet for parents to try and encourage a positive initial experience and a first day without tears.

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We like children to be potty-trained prior to starting school, however, we have a fully equipped changing station for the youngest children in the school, some of whom may be late starters to the potty-training stage. 

If you are interested in enroling your child at Once Upon a Time Nursery School, please phone us on +263 (0)242 776470 or email rosyvzim@gmail.com to arrange a visit. A visit normally lasts about an hour and includes an interview with me, as the Principal of Once Upon a Time Nursery School, and a tour of the school. This gives prospective parents the opportunity to see the wide range of facilities we offer at the school, and to gain a ‘feel’ for it whilst walking through our 1 acre shaded garden and playground. It is during this meeting that you will be given our prospectus and necessary paperwork.

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- Rosy van der Westhuizen, Teaching Head