Important Info
What you need to know about us as a learning hub
Letter from the Principal
My heart desire was always to be a teacher. When I became a mom something inside of me came into existence.
I knew I was called to see children being touched by life that flows through me. I have been busy with children development for 28 years (2024). My children became Amiato which rebranded to Learn at Home. The passion and skills I invested in them taught me how to deal with the challenges that most kids battle with. My husband and my children made me who I am. Each child whose lives I touched made me who I am. To teach is not a work, it is a passion driving me to love your child unconditionally. To touch their life’s, to touch your life and to see life.
I have no teaching diploma or teaching degree. I became a “teacher” when I fell pregnant. I made sure my children were loved by me. They knew they were the most important possession I could have, and I treasured that. I made sure they were taught to love, to have empathy, respect and work discipline. I was always involved with my children at nursery school and Sunday classes. I became involved in formal teaching when Melandri was in grade 4. I taught Marco how to sound and read in gr R.
Melandri was 13 years old when she helped me to facilitate and she was exposed to teaching. When Melandri was 15 or 16 she was my partner in our first business URIB Planner. We did event planning. We had an office at Flora Farm, and she developed a great sense of work ethic. Melandri was not on any boxed curriculum until she had to write her matric. She is Afrikaans and she completed her Cambridge HIGSCE phase. She was 17 when she finished school. She left for Bloemfontein for a gab year at Creare. When she came back, we got involved in teaching again when we moved to Edenglen.
My son Marco has been homeschooled by me since he was grade 3. I taught him to be an entrepreneur. When he was 11, he had a very successful business selling Mala and chicken to the domestic workers. My son made interesting choices in life. He quit school. Did his Computer A+ and N+ and then he enrolled with Impaq again and had to do his FET phase gr 10, 11 and 12.
He completed it and helped out at Amiato as a facilitator. He took a gab year and he is completed his PGA Diploma at BSI Sports Institute, he is currently the Pro Shop manager at Randpark Golf Park.
I would NEVER mess with their future, and that is my promise to you. They always had to stand second in the row because I always made sure and till today make sure other parents children receive the best of me. Maybe it is because I knew they are strong enough.
We are not a registered school. Neither a registered independent school. If we register as a school, we cannot be what we are for your child. Then we will only copy the system. But we are a registered civil educational institute.
Your child is not in a Home school Centre nor a School when they are with us. Your child attends a learning Centre, Cottage school or Tutor Centre. You have to go to work, and you outsourced our facility to facilitate the curriculum. But your child’s education stays mainly your responsibility.
Discipline & Medical Conditions
We will handle day to day small issues, when your child shows no respect or place someone in danger or keeps on with matters we resolved, we will place it on record, and you will be asked to fetch your child. Please see the Discipline policy.
Fighting, swearing and bullying will not be tolerated. This will be treated as serious and it will be dealt with according to the student code of conduct and Anti bullying policy.
MEDICAL CONDITIONS WHERE YOU KEEP YOUR CHILD HOME
If your child has the following, please keep your child at home and take him/her to doctor
- High fever
- Diarrhea
- Vomit
The following needs to be cleared by doctor/clinic
- Lice
- Measles
- German measles
- And other childhood diseases
Respect Our Structure
How Our Structure Works
Each teacher will have their classroom to manage. I will manage my own classroom and any situation that cannot be resolved between parent and teacher.
Please note that every facilitator’s priority is children and meetings will be scheduled as suits facilitator’s or management.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation in this matter to ensure that students are not robbed of precious time.
Please note:
- Yolanda has always had an open-door policy for any child to come and discuss any matter, relating to issues with other students as well as facilitators.
Please encourage your child to make use of this opportunity.
- Any situation that arises from 8h00 until 13h30, Monday to Thursday, will be addressed and all incidents will be recorded and filed. If the situation repeats itself, you as parent will receive a formal letter informing you of the incident and will be asked to attend a formal discussion to resolve the situation or issue.
- Any issues after hours will be addressed as per the procedure explained above.
- All formal discussions will be conducted and addressed.
- Yolanda will manage the day to day matters at Learn at Home, all after hour issues must be done according to the procedure.
All matters and meetings arranged as per the procedure will be investigated and handled, any other issues not reported according to the procedure will not be addressed.
How to Communicate With Us
Please know we cannot answer any calls during class times. You are welcome to send an email to admin@learnathome.co.za.
Our new communication website is www.learnathome.co.za and you have access to all the important resources and information.
Our other website is www.learnathome.co.za.
Management structure is as follows:
Yolanda Venter, Owner and Principal
Cellphone: 0795996618
Email: yolanda@learnathome.co.za
Appointment Procedure
- Call before 8:00 or 10:00 – 10:30, 12:00 -12:30 and in the afternoon after 14:00or Send an email to info@learnathome.co.za
- Give a brief description who you would like to see and what you would like to discuss
- Please ensure that you give your name and number to the person
- I will discuss the matter/request with the relevant person
- A formal invite will be submitted via mail informing you of the date and time for the meeting as well as the duration. Remember that time is limited, and we only have the duration as scheduled.
- Please accept the meeting invite to confirm the scheduled date and time. Failing to accept the invite will be accepted as not a scheduled, thus you might drive all the way for nothing.
Note: No unscheduled appointments will be facilitated
Cellphone Policy
Introduction
Cell Phones are a vital tool in the communication chain. Y generation students are particularly dependent on them for communication and games. They are an accessory that most students possess.
We recognize the need for students to have a cell phone. However, we are deeply concerned at the use of cell phones to damage the self-value of learners. The easy availability of soft and hardcore pornography for cell phones, access to the internet, use of the camera function to take inappropriate images etc. make it a dangerous instrument in the hands of both children and adults.
Mobile phone use in schools by students has become a controversial topic debated by parents and teachers. Parents who support the use of cell phones believe that these phones are essential for safety by allowing children to communicate with their parents and guardians. Opponents of students using mobile phones during school believe that cell phones cause disruption and may be used inappropriately such as by cheating on tests, taking inappropriate photographs, and playing games. Rather than paying attention to teachers, students are spending more time distracted by their phones.
Cell Phone use in the Classroom
Students check their phones in the classroom an average of more than 11 times a day. That can add up to a lot of time spent distracted from schoolwork and when students are distracted, it’s a recipe for extra stress, frustration and catch-up time for everyone. With students spending up to 20% of their time in-class time texting, emailing and checking social media, it’s no wonder the debate about cell phones in the classroom is actually alive and well.
To prevent distractions some schools and institutes have implemented policies that restrict students from using their phones during school hours.
Software can be used to monitor and restrict phone usage to reduce distractions and prevent unproductive use, but this can only be implemented by the parents.
These days, more and more students are bringing cell phones to class and have it either in their pockets or backpacks.
This is a subject that has resulted in ongoing debates throughout the world, whether or not students should have cellphones in school. It also brings up the question of whether it’s possible for technology to exist in the classroom as a learning tool – rather than simply a distraction.
Starting immediately cell phones will be banned in Learn at Home during instructional time. The new ban means students won’t be able to use their cellphones in the classroom unless it is for educational purposes, confirmed and approved by the facilitator. How the ban is enforced will be up to the management and staff of Learn at Home.
By banning cellphones, we hope to remove distractions so students can focus on acquiring foundational learning skills they need.
A lot of parents agree that phones should be allowed during classes, but some parents and facilitators are left wondering: can cell phones ever really benefit students in class or are they best left tucked away and switched off.
The bottom line: Should students have cell phones in school?
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There is no easy answer, there are both pros and cons to students having cell phones in school. Although they can be used as a learning tool, this only works if and when students use them effectively.
This means that facilitators allowing the use of cell phones in class as part of their lessons has to set ground rules and keep a close eye on how they are being used.