WINTER ISSUE - JULY, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER 2018
AMAZING YOU! THE BODY ISSUE
13 CRAZY BODY FACTS FEET FORWARD
WALKING HOLIDAYS IN THE CAPE
MY BRAIN IS BROKEN!
DOES YOUR CHILD HAVE OCD? The Trinitonian |1 PLUS: KIDS’ GADGETS, TEEN TRIPS AND THE THE DISNEY CRUISE!
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FOREWORD
Last Friday my wife and I were delighted by the news that our youngest daughter is pregnant. “Our child is the size of a peanut,” they said. Every Trinityhouse parent knows that feeling and the wonderful conversations that arise from such news, whether it be your own child, a grandchild or that of someone close to you. What a blessing this is! I will never forget my own father’s firm opinions: “Children are a blessing from God.” For every Trinitonian, there was a day like this. The conversation that followed about this “peanut” is one that can only fill you with absolute awe. On the sixth day, God said: “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the earth. So, God created them – male and female – and He blessed them…” (Genesis 1:26-28). It is now many, many days later and still, this process continues: “…you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made…”, said David in Psalm 139:13.
the topic: the human body, referring to our senses, our hearts and our emotions, our brains and our bodies – hands and feet and abilities. Every human being gets to a point in their life where they ask the question: Why? What is the purpose of it all? At Trinityhouse, we see it as part of our duty to assist in answering that question and in helping our pupils, parents and teachers find their purpose. During the creation of man, God said “…so they may rule over the earth and all that live on it … God blessed them and said to them: Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish… the birds… and over every living creature that moves… God saw all he had made, and it was very good.” That is why. We have a place and a duty on earth. It’s a blessing and an opportunity and a responsibility. Let’s all contribute and make the very best of every moment. May God bless you and help you find your purpose. Andries van Renssen Managing Director
Why did God do this? Why does He still continue creating human beings? The magazine you have in hand covers
CONTENTS FEATURE ARTICLES
TRINITYHOUSE
LIFESTYLE
12/13 CRAZY BODY FACTS
05/TRINITOON
64/KIDS PAGES
16/TEEN FEATURE: HAVE A HEART, BYSTANDERS
07/SPOTLIGHT NEWS
66/TRAVEL: WALKING HOLIDAYS
25/SCHOOL SCOOP
70/GET OUT THERE: ADVENTURE, THE SPICE OF LIFE
20/PARENT FEATURE: MY BRAIN IS BROKEN
56/ALUMNUS: AMY SPIES 60/CAREER FILES: OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
73/MINI TRAVEL: THE DISNEY CRUISE 76/BUILD YOUR OWN FIRST AID KIT 78/ESSENTIAL HEALTH SCREENS 80/SPOTLIGHT PRAYER
Published by: Contact Media & Communications Publishers: Donna Verrydt / Sean Press Editorial Director: Marthie van der Wat (ADvTECH) Editorial Manager: Christelle Wolmarans (ADvTECH)
Editorial Assistant: Kumari Lewis (ADvTECH) Editor: Donna Verrydt (Contact Media) Head of Finance: Lesley Fox Sales: Contact Media Sales Team (011) 789 6339 info@contactmedia.co.za
Content: Design Director: Candice Masson/Quinten Tolken Copy Editor: Angie Snyman Writers / Contributors: Donna Verrydt, Laurel Pretorius Margot Bertelsman Printing: Kadimah Print
TheTrinitonian Trinitonian||11 The
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TRINITOON
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SPOTLIGHT NEWS
GLORY BOARD NEWS Daniel Brown – Trinityhouse High Little Falls Daniel Brown (Grade 8) has made us so proud at Trinityhouse High School Little Falls. Daniel plays both Ice and Field Hockey. He started his extraordinary high school Hockey journey by making the U14 D12 Field Hockey Team. He was also selected as a member of the U16A Gauteng Ice Hockey Team. His season culminated in him being chosen to represent Southern Gauteng as a Field Hockey goalkeeper. Daniel receives Provincial Colours in two sports at the age of 13. Well done, Daniel! Lisa Coetzer – Trinityhouse Preparatory Little Falls Lisa started playing Golf at the age of two. She loves the sport and has such a passion for the game! She practises 3-4 days a week with a round on the weekends. She has played in three international tournaments with the most recent being the US Kids Golf European Championships in Scotland where she came 8th. She’s currently the leading girl in the SA Kids Golf Girls age 8 category. Fabian Rodrigues – Glenwood House Preparatory Glenwood House is very proud to announce that Fabian Rodrigues (Grade 1) won the Under 8 category of the Toyota Dream Car Competition. Over 11 000 entries were received from all over the country. Fabian’s vehicle is called Toyota Green Life Maker – a dream car that “sucks up all the pollution, dirt and drought, as well as sadness and turns it into a clean, beautiful and green world with happy people”. Well done, Fabian! For more information please see the website article: http://www.toyota.co.za/articles/the-2018dream-car-winners
Milena Schmidt – Trinityhouse Northriding Milena Schmidt is a talented Grade 1 pupil with a passion for Gymnastics. She started doing Artistic Gymnastics shortly before her third birthday. Milena was selected to join the high-performance stream at her club, which is a team of gymnasts who are trained at a level that would one day allow them to compete at an international level. She’s a dedicated, hardworking athlete, training for up to 10 hours a week. She recently competed at the Central Gauteng District Competition where she received her Junior Half colours, and will be competing at the Gauteng Provincial Competition soon. Mogale Ramokoto – Trinityhouse Preparatory Randpark Ridge Trinityhouse Preparatory Randpark Ridge has been blessed to see many of our children achieve at provincial level over the years. It seldom happens though, that a child manages to achieve this in two successive years. It’s even more rare to see this occur in Netball. Mogale Ramokoto, a Grade 7 pupil at our school, is excelling in her Netball journey. She’s not only remained in the A-Team since Grade 3 but was also selected for the U12A Gauteng Netball Team in 2017. Once again this year she was chosen to represent the U13A Gauteng Team. Well done on your fantastic achievement, Mogale! Her gentle nature and kind heart have also left an imprint on the many staff who’ve worked with her over the years.
Ciana Chetty – Trinityhouse Preparatory Heritage Hill Ciana was diagnosed with a speech impediment and received speech therapy from Grade 3. In 2017, she participated in the Toastmaster’s Speechcraft programme at Heritage Hill. This year, Ciana (Grade 6) received the highest accolades (prestige, 98%) at the Alegretto Eisteddfod, for English prepared poetry. She is an excellent student in all areas! The Trinitonian | 7
SPOTLIGHT NEWS Shaun Jones – Trinityhouse High Randpark Ridge Throughout Shaun’s career as a Trinityhouse scholar and as an aspiring golfer, he has set the bar of standards extremely high and endeavours to meet and raise these standards with methodical consistency. His regular selection to the Central Gauteng Golf Union as well as the Golf RSA Junior Team is testament to his dedication and enthusiasm for the game. Shaun is ranked inside the top 10 of all juniors nationally. Genévieve Young – Glenwood House High School Genévieve Young, Deputy Head Girl at Glenwood House, received her Honore et Labore blazer in 2018. A silver in the SAGF (SA Gymnastics Games) and two gold medals at Talent Africa (Acro Gymnastics) placed her in the top 10 dancers, crowning her overall winner (15-17 years) and Best Performer. She qualified for the SA Team to compete in New York, a feat she repeated in 2018. At Nationals she received three gold medals, was named Most Promising Dancer, was one of three soloists to perform in the Showcase and placed in the overall top 10 dancers. Caleb Venter – Trinityhouse Pre-Primary Little Falls Trinityhouse Pre-Primary School’s Caleb Venter is Little Falls’ amazing Karate kid! Caleb recently came in 3rd place in the 12th Derrick Geyer Memorial Championships, Kata: Yoji Kata. Well done, Caleb!
Thandolwethu Mthembu – Trinityhouse Prep Palm Lakes Thando is extremely driven and passionate about everything she does both in sports and academics. She has achieved so much this year and will continue to grow from strength to strength. We are proud to have her as part of our Trinityhouse family. Her achievements in 2018:Illembe Hockey Team, Top academic in her grade, South Zonal Netball Team.
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Liam Hine – Trinityhouse Pre-Primary Heritage Hill Liam Hine is a Grade 0 Zebra Class pupil at Trinityhouse Heritage Hill Pre-Primary School. He starting riding a quad bike when he was 3 years old. He spent the day at the racing track with his dad one day and fell in love with the twowheeled Motocross bike. As a result, his dad bought him a PW50 bike which he enjoyed riding on the track, and his passion was ignited for this sport. Liam’s dad received a KTM 50cc from one of his colleagues which meant Liam, who’s a fast learner, was able to move to a faster bike and his dad entered him for the Inland Land Championships. He managed to earn his first trophy at the ERORA Cadet MX50cc race on 2 June 2018, where he won the race. To date, he has entered four races and has three medals and a trophy. Congratulations, Liam – we’re so delighted for you and proud of you! Sitara Harripersadh – Trinityhouse Pre-Primary Palm Lakes Using our superhero, Rory Research, Sitara Harripersadh researched butterflies with her dad. She was able to tell us about the different body parts and the life cycle they go through. Sitara even managed to tell us where her research came from, Google! The class thoroughly enjoyed this! Marina Viljoen – Trinityhouse High Palm Lakes Marina Viljoen is currently a Grade 9 pupil at Trinityhouse Palm Lakes. At the moment she’s striving to be the best in all her sporting fields as well as achieving academically in the classroom. She recently made the Ilembe Netball Team and is currently playing club Softball for a senior ladies’ team in Durban, called the Westville Warriors. She’s a perfect example of an all-rounder and works hard in the classroom too, coming third in her grade last term.
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Inscape in Partnership with Thru the Chair:
DESIGN MAKES A DIFFERENCE W
e have an opportunity every day to make a difference. This is the Inscape way. A new initiative called Thru the Chair has been launched in South Africa this year and Inscape signed up immediately to be part of this exciting and creative journey. Thru the Chair hosts the annual Chairman’s Dinner where several unique reinvented chairs are auctioned. All funds raised are allocated to sustainable projects and initiatives aimed at impacting education in South Africa. The aim is to expose 1000 unique individuals by telling 1000 visual stories through 1000 reinvented chairs to 1000 chairmen of boards resulting in 1000 opportunities to make a difference. Thru the Chair does this by: • Promoting storytelling and design thinking as a means to constructively communicating a message, uniting people and bringing about change • Activating individuals and groups to elicit empathy and action within our communities • Providing a platform to raise funds to solve the education needs in South Africa Inscape students at the Cape Town, Durban, Midrand and Pretoria campuses were the first group of individuals to take part in a Thru the Chair event. The students collected over 600 old broken chairs and then In March 2018 over a couple of days, the students engaged in storytelling workshops where they learnt how to craft a meaningful story about themselves, shared this with their peers and in the process learnt about each other. The workshop provoked empathy for one another and a unifying of a diverse student body. The developed stories were then applied to the old broken chairs in a process of reinventing them. The event was sponsored by Belgotex who provided the students with an unforgettable experience. The students received Thru the Chair goodies, lunches and refreshments to see them through the long and intense sessions. The students produced 580 reinvented chairs within two and a half days. The renewed chairs are currently being reviewed by Thru the Chair and selected chairs will be exhibited at Decorex, Gallagher Convention Centre from 8th -12th August 2018 where Thru the Chair will officially launch its initiative, showcasing the efforts of Inscape students. Chairs on display will be auctioned early next year in an attempt to raise as much funding as possible for beneficiaries of Thru the Chair.
LIFE AND DEATH Through my interpretation of the chair I attempted to describe ‘Life and Death’. The one half represents memories and events, life’s typical wear and tear mixed with bumps and bruises. The other half - Death is depicted by the fragmented and charred half of this classic chair. “I enjoyed the variety of techniques that I had to apply (e.g. saw, burn, cut, paint) to make my product. I also really enjoyed the vibe around the campus during the week of Thru the Chair – It reminded me of times when my brother and I have worked together at our workshop at home.” Theo Smit Inscape student FOURSQUARED Being born with Hirtchprung disease, meant that my intestines didn’t work. Surgeons removed parts of my large intestine. Having survived after about 13 operations, I discovered sports. Following these early setbacks, sport has enabled me to fight back. Competing in races often mirrors life’s hardships and yet I have managed to finish every race that I entered. “It felt good to create something that would make a difference in children’s lives. I am happy to be part of change in education.” Ruan Van Zyl – Inscape student
For more information about the Thru the Chair initiative please go to www.thruthechair.com 10 | The Trinitonian The Trinitonian | 10 or follow them on Facebook @Thru the Chair
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FEATURE ARTICLE
13 Crazy Body Facts 1. BRAIN The brain has a huge job to do for such a small organ and requires a lot of nutrients… 20%, in fact! When you consume calories during the day, just know that your brain is taking a large portion so feel free to go for seconds.
2. FEET
3. EYES Chances are you’ve had that awkward eye twitch where no amount of rubbing or blinking can make it stop. While it’s certainly irritating there are a few things that can be causing this. It can stem from stress, lack of sleep, or it can be a sign of a vision-related problem. Other theories blame caffeine, eye strain and allergies. And then there is the scarier possibility of having microscopic mites in your eyelashes causing the twitch.
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There are a few body parts that continue to change and grow as you age. Some people experience foot growth in old age because the tendons and ligaments begin to lose elasticity. This can cause the toes to spread out. The arch of the foot can also flatten. Some people can expect to go up at least a shoe size when they reach their 70s and 80s.
4. Intestines You know that feeling when riding a roller coaster or driving down a hill in a fast car? What you’re feeling is more than just excitement – it’s the actual shifting of your intestines. The good news is that although it sounds revolting, it’s completely harmless.
6. BONES You are born with 300 bones but as you grow, some of these fuse together as cartilage ossifies, eventually leaving you with only 206 individually counted bones by the time you have reached young adulthood.
5. PITS There are two kinds of sweat glands. The ones on your arms and legs secrete a mix of water and salt. But the glands in your armpits (as well as your groin) release an oily substance, which bacteria love. It’s actually the bacteria eating the oil that releases the telltale stench.
7. TONGUE You have a unique tongue print. Biometric scans can be done to compare the individual shape (long or short, wide or narrow) and texture (ridges, wrinkles and marks) with very specific details tracked and mapped by a “tongue imageacquiring device”. Of course, while it might be interesting, we can’t see you signing into your office by placing your tongue on the scanner.
8. FINGERPRINTS Why do we have fingerprints? Many experts think it’s to improve grip, but a British study recently suggested that a fingerprint’s ridges actually make it harder to hold smooth surfaces, like Plexiglas/ Perspex, because they reduced the skin’s contact area. Instead, it’s thought the prints might allow our skin to stretch more easily, which can protect it from damage and help prevent blisters.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
9. CELLS The largest cell in the human body is the female egg and the smallest is the male sperm. The egg is actually the only cell in the body that is visible by the naked eye.
11. HEIGHT We are about one centimetre taller in the morning than in the evening, because during the day, the cartilage in our knees and other areas slowly compress and we become slightly shorter.
10. Stomach acid The acid in your stomach is strong enough to dissolve razorblades. The reason it doesn’t eat away at your stomach is that the cells of your stomach wall renew themselves so frequently that you get a new stomach lining every three to four days.
12. Jawbone The hardest bone in the human body is the jawbone; while the strongest muscle is the tongue.
13. ORGANS Did you know that it’s possible for your body to survive without a surprisingly large fraction of its internal organs. Even if you lose your stomach, your spleen, 75% of your liver, 80% of your intestines, one kidney, one lung, and virtually every organ from your pelvic and groin area, you wouldn’t be very healthy, but you would live.
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TEEN FEATURE
Have a Heart: Bystanders Those who stand by in a fight have hearts of stone! By Donna Verrydt
The television series 13 Reasons Why explored the topic of accountability. Who was to blame for Hannah Baker’s suicide? Obviously, Hannah killed herself, but the story delved deeper into the roles other people had in Hannah’s demise. It works the same, for instance, in a high school corridor fight. It’s never just about the bully and victim (or two perpetrators in some cases), but it's also about the roles others played in the situation. Those “others”, who should, and increasingly will be, held accountable are known as the "bystander" and there are various versions of these cold-hearted beings.
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THE BYSTANDER Bystanders are those who stand by and watch acts of bullying, violence or assault, or even those that hear about such incidences or see video footage of such acts. Depending on how a bystander chooses to react to the situation is what determines whether the bystander contributes to the problem or the solution. There are various types of bystanders, they include: Instigating Bystander: These are people who encourage the bullying or violence to begin by verbalising the action. They say things like, “Hit him!” or “Teach her a lesson!” Comedy Bystander: These are people who make the serious and dangerous situation into entertainment. They laugh and jeer and pass jokes, all the while encouraging the bad behaviour. They say things like, “Give him a Bruno Mars… an oops upside the head.” Passive Bystander They’re the silent voyeurs who just quietly watch. These people provide the audience that a bully craves and the silent acceptance that allows the bully to feel more powerful.
Documenting Bystander: This is the person who whips out a cellphone in the middle of a fight and proceeds to film the whole event from start to finish. Usually, this footage is then shared with the other bystanders and other friends and come complete with the “Ooooohs” and “Yohs!” that come with physical blows. The Sharing Bystander: These are the people who weren’t even present at the fight, but who received video footage
or sound bites of the incident and who choose to comment and share the content to their network of friends and family. This keeps the bad behaviour alive and encourages more incidences of this nature, as the perpetrators are made to be heroes. All of the above bystanders contribute to the problem! In more and more instances, bystanders are now also being investigated and will be held accountable for their role in the event. Bystanders also stand a good chance of being prosecuted.
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P R O F E S S I O N A L S P O RT S S U R FA C E S
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TEEN FEATURE
Why don’t bystanders intervene? There are various excuses used by bystanders as to why they don’t intervene in bullying or acts of violence. They are:
• “It’s none of my business”: Oh, but it became your business the minute you stood by and did nothing! • “The perpetrator might turn on me!”: Yes, intervening may be scary but the more people who stand up for the victim, the less likely you’ll be next. Encourage collective bravery! • “I feel powerless!”: Can you imagine how powerless the victim feels? At least if you stand up to the bully there will be two of you. Trust yourself that your actions can make a difference. • “The victim deserves it!”: This is not about whether you like the victim or not; this is about right or wrong! No matter your feelings, be true to the human being you are. • “Telling a teacher or parent will make me a snitch!”: This is possible, but only to the perpetrator (and possibly a few Instigating Bystanders). Other bystanders may secretly also have a problem with the actions taking place and they will back you, and even look up to you as the voice of bravery. Who would you rather impress? Bystanders who don’t intervene or don’t report the bullying often end up grappling with their own shortcomings. They may lose respect for themselves and feel the following emotions: • Guilt • Anxiety • Powerlessness • Vulnerability • Fear
Become a Helpful Bystander There are three key actions to directly stopping the abuse. They are: discourage, defend and redirect (DDR). DDR occurs when a bystander uses their voice to directly discourage the behaviour, defend the victim and to redirect the focus by highlighting the consequences. A good example is the following: • “Hey! This is crazy behaviour and it has to stop right now.” (Discourage)
• The victim isn’t as strong as you. (Defend) • Do you really want this guy (the victim) to be the reason you get suspended and miss out on the rugby tour? (Redirect) Other bystanders don’t deal with the situation directly. They choose to rather get help from others. They do this by rallying support from peers to stand up against bullying or by reporting the incident to adults, such as parents or teachers.
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PARENT FEATURE
My Brain is Broken Does your child have OCD? By Donna Verrydt
W
hile travelling in France during our annual holiday, our 7-year-old daughter began to display some bizarre behaviour. We initially put it down to her being out of routine but the behaviour progressively worsened as we continued our journey. At first she would come to me, in a total state of anxiety, to confess that she had “by accident” damaged something. In one weekend, she told me that she had scratched a table, chipped a plate and drawn on a tablecloth, all of which was not visible at all. The “broke something” obsession then became anxiety about germs on her hands that she couldn’t wash off, no matter how she tried… and boy did she try! Then she had a meltdown when she saw a kissing scene on television, content she deemed to be inappropriate, and which left her with terrible feelings of guilt. What was going on? The final straw came when our daughter said the words, “Mom, I don’t have a nice life because my 20 | The Trinitonian
brain has bad thoughts.” It was then that I knew she needed professional help – but I had no idea what help to get her because I didn’t know what this was called. I Googled it! Word for word, phrase for phrase, our daughter was displaying the classic symptoms of OCD! A consultation with a behavioural psychologist confirmed this.
What Is OCD?
We have all made jokes about someone being OCD because they vehemently separate their colours or will absolutely NOT eat anything that has fallen on the floor, even in the “5-second rule” time. But OCD is no joke. In kids, OCD (ObsessiveCompulsive Disorder) is a condition that causes kids to have unwanted thoughts, feelings and fears which are called obsessions. These obsessions cause the child to feel extremely anxious. To relieve this anxiety, OCD kids do behaviours called compulsions or rituals.
Examples of obsessions
OCD kids worry that…
• They, or someone else, will get sick, hurt, or die; • They said a bad word, had a bad thought, saw something inappropriate or made a mistake; • They have broken a rule or done a bad thing; • They worry that something is clean, dirty, or germy; • Something is straight, even, or placed in an exact way; • Something is lucky or unlucky, bad or good, safe or harmful.
• Have trouble concentrating on schoolwork, or enjoying activities; • Feel and act irritable, upset, sad, or anxious often; • Seem unsure of whether things are true, real or okay; • Have trouble deciding or choosing; • Take much too long to do everyday tasks, like getting dressed; • Get upset and lose their temper if they can’t make something perfect or if the rules of the game are altered; • Insist that a parent say or do something an exact way.
Examples of compulsions?
Compulsions (rituals) are behaviours that kids with OCD do repeatedly to relieve the anixiety they feel. In the case of our daughter, her ritual is to “confess” her anxiety to me, her mom, and only to me! Once she tells me her worries she immediately feels better and so she needs to “talk” to me urgently… all the time! To kids with OCD, rituals seem to have the power to prevent bad things from happening and to relieve anxiety. Other rituals include: • Washing and cleaning; • Often erasing things, re-writing, re-doing, or re-reading; • Repeating a word, phrase, or question much more than necessary; • Going in and out of doorways several times in a row; • Checking to make sure a light is off, a door is locked, or checking and re-checking homework; • Touching or tapping a certain number of times, or a set way; • Having things in a specific order; • Counting to a certain ‘good’ number, avoiding “unlucky” numbers.
Why do kids get OCD?
Scientists don’t yet know why people get OCD but they know biological factors play a key role. It could be genetic or it could be due to a severe infection that may have included high temperatures. It is however certain that there are differences in brain structure and brain activity, but OCD is not the child’s nor the parent’s fault.
Red flags?
Many more kids than you think suffer from OCD and not all parents, teachers or doctors realise it because they don’t know what to look for. Besides the anxiety and the rituals, parents may see that their children:
What to do if you suspect OCD lives within your child?
There are no lab tests to diagnose OCD, so to do so, you’ll meet with a child psychologist or psychiatrist, who will interview you and your child to learn more details.
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PARENT FEATURE How is OCD treated?
OCD can be treated with medicine and therapy. For kids who need medicines, doctors give SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), like Zoloft, Prozac and Luvox. Therapists treat OCD with cognitive behavioural therapy – which is a talk-anddo therapy. Here kids learn about OCD and begin to understand it better and how to handle the symptoms. They learn that doing rituals keeps OCD going strong, and that not doing rituals helps to weaken OCD. Learning these skills helps stop the cycle of OCD. Part of treatment is coaching parents on how they can help kids get better. Parents learn how to respond to OCD situations, and how to support their child’s progress without giving in to rituals.
What can parents do? 1. Talk with your child Talk and listen to your child and show love and support. Say things like, “I notice you worry about you saw on television or that you think you broke something,”. Say that something called OCD might be causing the worry. Tell your child that a visit with a doctor can help find out what is going on. Reassure your child that this can get better, and that you want to help. 2. Make an appointment Look for a child psychiatrist or psychologist in your area… someone who specialises in Cognitive Behaviour Play Therapy would be beneficial. 3. Take part in your child’s therapy Overcoming OCD is a process. There will be many therapy appointments, and it’s important to go to them all. Learn as much as you can about the disease. 4. Get support for you There are lots of resources and support for parents and families dealing with OCD. Knowing that you’re not alone can help you cope. Sharing success stories with other parents can give you hope and confidence.
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SCHOOL PAGES
GLENWOOD HOUSE
PRE-PRIMARY HEART: This year Glenwood Pre-Primary supported the Sunflower Fund’s Slipper Day initiative. Little Glens and teachers arrived at school, some in warm, cosy slippers and others in weird and wonderful slippers, wearing their Slipper Day bands with pride. Our little people raised a total of R1 400. SPIRITUAL: The month of May is a wonderful time for us at Little Glens. Not only do we get to share and celebrate God’s amazing love as we remember Ascension Day, we celebrate examples of that same love by celebrating our moms. We enjoyed a wonderful skit on Ascension Day, presented by enthusiastic Children Church leaders from Hope Church. They blessed us with laughs, love and left us a very effective tool to spread the Good News of Jesus’s love to everyone. We enjoyed a wonderful time of fun and fellowship at our Mother’s Day picnic, and it was very special to see the moms spending this special time with their children. FEET: We love exploring our beautiful surroundings. Recently the Grade 00 classes went to the Botanical Gardens in search of birds. They saw some fascinating nests, frogs and other creatures, however, the birds seem to have gone off for the winter! The Grade 0s were treated to a delicious lunch, and they fed and petted the farm animals at the George Wildlife Park before experiencing the tigers and cheetahs at feeding time! 26 | The Trinitonian
Wildlife: Grade 0 boys climbing the rocks to get a better view of the tigers at the George Wildlife Park.
HANDS, BRAIN & SENSES: When you think of preschool, what do you envision? Children gain a lot from going to preschool because they become exposed to numbers, letters and shapes. But, more importantly, they develop social and emotional skills and learn how to get along with other children and to share and contribute. Bearing this in mind, Glenwood Pre-Primary staff hosted an evening
at school and invited the parents to show them the different areas of learning – how and why it’s done. The evening started off with cheese and wine tasting, kindly sponsored by Houtbosch Wines. The parents took turns in the tenminute sessions where they were introduced to the classroom activity and could explore the activities as their children would during a school morning. Classes were set up with creative, sensory play, gross motor, fine motor activities
Birdwatching: The children from the Hippo Class with their “binoculars” ready!
Engineering and designing at its best
Ayvah Saaiman and Willem Meyer having shaving cream fun.
Fruit salad colour wheel with the Meerkats A lovely picnic in the garden to celebrate our amazing moms!
Raine Hilbert and Rebecca Lewis-Houghting enjoying the messy play.
and an introduction to Time2Read and Global Competencies. Parents enjoyed socialising while moving between the classes and trying out the activities. The evening ended with coffee and brownies. The many parents who attended now have a better idea of what their children experience at school. Some of the comments from our parents: The Cheese and Wine Info evening was well organised and well structured, pitched at the perfect
level. It was interesting for both parents and very hands on. A perfect evening for parents to get to know each other, the teachers and the curriculum – even if just an introduction to the basics. – Grade 0 parent, Chandre Boschoff Thank you to Little Glens teaching staff and Houtbosch Wines for a most enjoyable yet informative evening. The Pinot Noir was particularly delicious – beautifully light. It was interesting exploring first-hand the multi-dimensional
areas of play our children are being exposed to on a daily basis to learn. As parents, we can be rest assured our children are in capable and caring hands. – Grade 0 parent, Ashleigh Farrel We really loved the idea. It was nice chatting to everyone in a relaxing atmosphere. We loved seeing what the children get up to, as well as meeting the teachers and participating in the activities. We cannot wait to go the next one. – Grade 000 parent. The Trinitonian | 27
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PREPARATORY Hormones – the potent messengers of life! “I am a little world made cunningly of elements.” – John Donne Our emotional, mental and physical systems are kept in balance by micronutrients that synthesise many chemicals in the body. One such group of chemicals often misunderstood are good old hormones! The endocrine system is a series of glands that produce and secrete hormones, the body’s “messengers” that travel via the bloodstream telling various tissues what they’re supposed to do. When glands don’t produce the right amount of hormones, diseases can develop.
Glenwood pupils working together.
Exploring the endocrine system.
Pupils producing life-size posters.
The Grade 7 pupils of Glenwood House produced life-size posters to profile various hormones and endocrine glands. This was done within the context of the Periodic Table of Elements, and hormones’ chemical formulae and molecular structure as chemical compounds. Most hormones are a combination of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. Highly notable hormones studied included: Thyroxine/T4 (containing a substantial amount of the element iodine) – produced by the thyroid gland and plays a crucial role in heart and digestive function, metabolism, brain development, bone health and muscle control, which means proper thyroxine levels are vital for health. 28 | The Trinitonian
The final product
Oxytocin, “the love hormone” – which caused enthusiastic discussions and, of course, customary giggles and nervous laughter! The humorous references to love chemistry and even Shakespearean love juices and potions are certainly not far off the mark, as these affect how we experience love and affection. Pupils were intrigued by how the
hormones of the body initiate puberty. The activity incorporated various Global Competencies in a fun and engaging way. The giant posters were displayed outside the Natural Sciences classroom to stimulate a sense of wonder and appreciation of the fascinating human body.
Amazing you. Isaiah 64:8. O Lord, You are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter. We are all the works of your hands. This Bible verse was the inspiration for a brand new outing in Grade 3. “God is the potter and I am the clay. He will mould me every day,” are the words we wrote in our books before we left school to use all our senses on this exciting day at The Pottery. First, we saw how worldrenowned Wonki Ware ceramics were formed, waxed, decorated, glazed and fired in a kiln. Watching the potter made us realise that God is constantly shaping and moulding us because He loves us so much.
Landa and Danië decorating their plates.
Potter Sydney hard at work.
Being creative is fun!
Outside The Pottery
After this, we were able to design and paint our own plates. Creating striking, unique plates that we’ll be able to use. We were also treated to delicious milkshakes and smoothies in beautiful Wonki Ware cups. The outing motivated us to be the kind of clay that God can work on so that we can be more like Jesus. Tantalising taste buds, the Gatsby way. The Grade 1s spent the first term focusing on the ADvTECH Global Competencies. Communication, self-management and social skills were the main competencies emphasised. Pupils were given the opportunity to put these fundamental skills into practice in a professional, yet fun environment. Mr. and Mrs. Kuhn, Grade 1 parents, of the Déjà vu Equestrian and De Hoft Restaurant pulled out all the stops, including a red carpet, to present a classy and elegant event.
An exquisite five-course meal was presented, with a detailed explanation of the table settings and meal arrangements.
Pupils and teachers showed up dressed in top-class attire for the morning.
Chef George Corbott created scrumptious meals beautifully packaged in an array of flavours and colours.
Pupils showcased brilliant table etiquette and manners.
An outing to Déjà vu Equestrian and De Hoft Restaurant was organised. The dining hall quickly filled up with a rich aroma of flavours and smells. The sights and sounds took us back to the exciting times of the Gatsby era. Good food is certainly all the sweeter when shared with good friends. An absolute ball was had by all!
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COLLEGE
A group of Geography pupils from Glenwood House let their feet do the work for three days on the Outeniqua Hiking Trail in March this year.
One of many river crossings during the hike.
Approaching the hut on day 1.
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Sometimes the feet needed a break!
The group snaked through the beautiful indigenous forest on day 1.
A refreshing river crossing on day 1.
The group took time on day 2 to enjoy the many streams. The longest day of the hike was day 2, a total of 20km.
Time to reflect at the hut at the end of what was a long day 2 for everyone.
Sometimes you had to use your head to keep your feet moving. Motivation was key on the tough climbs.
A little rest was needed during day 3. Two tough days had been accomplished on foot and they had to get through another long and tough day to reach their final goal.
Day 3 river crossings became a little more challenging...
Smiles all round as they got closer to end of day 3.
This outing made for good memories and good friendships. It’s amazing to see the places your feet can take you!
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PRE-PRIMARY HERITAGE HILL Grade 000 Owlets Our Grade 000 Owlets recently learnt about the importance of healthy living. Each child dipped their hands in a bowl full of glitter, and we then played Simon Says with our glittery hands. The class teacher asked them to find a “shoulder partner”. The little ones then followed different instructions, such as, “Touch your friend’s nose”, etc. Our Owlets were full of laughter and glitter. We concluded our lesson with “genius hour”, prompting them with questions on why they think everyone was full of glitter, showing that it’s important to wash our hands or else our germs will spread like glitter to ourselves and friends. Another activity was a collaborative art piece combining various materials we come in contact with on a regular basis. We included materials like paint, glitter and sand. Our Owlets had so much fun learning through play.
Rafael, Nkateko, Melodi and Adeline working on creating a flotation device for their superheroes. The Owlets with their finished artwork.
Grade 000 Penguins The Grade 000 Penguins love to be part of the community by taking responsibility in looking after both pets and wild animals. After reading Ricki’s Birdhouse by Monica Wellington, a book about a boy who constructs a birdhouse for the birds in his yard and proceeds to feed the birds throughout the year, the children were interested in making their own bird feeders for the birds. So this was our creative activity, where they each made a bird feeder which they took home to hang in a tree. The children really took charge of this project from start to finish and were so proud of their creations, which they delighted in sharing with the birds. Grade 00 Bees The Grade 00 pupils created colourful and creative art over a period of three days. First, they drew outlines on a blank A3 paper and were encouraged to think creatively and draw anything they desired. They were also reminded of the different types of lines, geometric shapes and writing Imogen Truluck in the strokes that were practised earlier busy Bee Class in the term. The following day the teacher demonstrated how primary colours are combined to create secondary colours. Pupils then painted inside of their outlines and proceeded to decorate their art with sequins, pom-poms and buttons. Geometric outlines 32 | The Trinitonian
painted and decorated.
Declan Lichtendonk using one of his senses to feel the seeds in the container.
Benlly Mothsegwa putting glue on the toilet roll.
Zimile Qina and Tiiso Diale busy working on their bird feeders.
Grade 00 Butterflies Twarisani Mabunda and Ty Abrahams in the Grade 00 Butterfly Class were inspired by their new unit, “Living things have unique features which help them adapt to their environment”, and decided to create artwork that portrayed their favourite animals. They discussed the various features of their chosen animal while planning their artwork, as well as their environments and why the animal was their favourite.
Grade 00 Ladybugs The Grade 00 Ladybug Class worked collaboratively in their Kagan’s group to create their given season on the tree. We focused on our communication, thinking and social skills during this art activity, by planning, discussing and working in groups to create this imaginative art piece.
Grade 0 Elephants The Grade 0 Elephants are certainly a creative bunch. This group of children love rolling up their sleeves and getting their hands dirty, especially when it comes to art activities. With this art piece, the children made use of a variety of techniques and mediums. They collaborated to paint the waves of the ocean by using ocean-inspired colours of tempura paint. While the children were working on this art piece, we were busy inquiring about how humans impact the environments that they’re a part of. The children then stuck litter items onto the waves to emphasise the impact of water pollution.
Grade 0 Lions During our inquiry of “We will understand that humans impact the environments they are part of”, we explored many different angles of caring for the environment. One of our focuses was on recycling and being aware that plastic is becoming a growing problem. We put our thinking skills to the test by exploring ways we could reduce plastic use. We got creative and used our hands in a collaboration piece to create a plastic recycled tree. Grade 0 Zebras The Gr 0 Zebra Class collaborated to paint and decorate a large branch. All the pupils participated enthusiastically and had the freedom to decorate as they wished. This activity encouraged problem-solving skills, as painting a wiggly 3D branch was a challenge. They also learnt perseverance as they tried to figure out how to tie the ribbons and how to twist the pipe cleaners to make them stay on the branch.
Lastly the children drew jellyfish using chalk pastels, which were cut out and placed amongst the waves. The result was a stunning piece of class art.
Grade 0 Giraffes The Grade 0 Giraffes used their communication skills with their peers when discussing how to create their own imaginary trees. They used a variety of materials including pastels and watercolours. They first created tree bark and tree branches. They were encouraged to use a variety of colours to complete the tree, and created the most beautiful trees!
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The Grade 2 Tag Rugby Team have had an exciting season. Along with ball skills, other valuable lessons were learnt on the sports field such as teamwork and sportsmanship.
The double-decker bus ride to the Grade 1 outing was an exhilarating and exciting experience. It definitely set the tone for the entertaining outing they had at the Rooihuiskraal Farm.
Grade 3’s outing was an enlightening cultural experience at the aha Lesedi Cultural Village. The pupils got a glimpse of a variety of African traditions. For World Maths Day the Grade 3 pupils did a “Maths is awesome” poster. They had to create questions that had to do with themselves.
Ascension Day was celebrated as a school. A creative activity was done in groups led by the Grade 7s.
Grade 1s use their sense of touch and sight to create words using play dough.
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The Grade 5s are expanding their musical abilities while learning to play the song Little Paper Hats on their recorders.
A beautiful and heart-warming moment captured as the U8 Sports Team prays before their match.
The Grade 1 pupils are constantly learning and developing new skills. They are thoroughly enjoying Chess and developing their strategic thinking skills. The Bridging Class made delicious, personalised chocolates for Mother’s Day. What a fun way to express their love and appreciation for their mothers!
The Grade 7 Netball Team has had a season full of adventures, including their Netball Tour to a number of away games. Many valuable lessons were learnt.
The Grade 3A Class in their Music lesson, with bells and blocks performing Dance of the Hours by Ponchielli.
The Mini-Netball Team has had a season full of new adventures, playing many matches and growing their love for the sport.
In the Foundation Phase, the pupils thinking is expanded using de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats. Their ideas never fail to amaze their teachers.
In Social Science (History) the Grade 6 pupils each presented a speech on Mapungubwe with the theme Mapungubwe ‘then’ and ‘now’.
The Intersen Phase children receiving their Top 10 Academic Awards.
The Grade 4s are making great progress with their amazing Zulu teacher, Ma Ndluvo.
The senior Tennis players have had a fun term improving their skills as well as building friendships and making memories.
The Grade 7s showing their support for the Groot FM jacket collection.
Ofentse (Grade 7) showcasing his talent at the Eisteddfod.
In Junior Art Club the pupils learnt about recycling and reusing materials. They had fun making ‘recycled buddies’.
During a Grade 1 outing, the pupils were taught how to handle animals with care and kindness.
Cultural activities at their best – Grade 6 pupils Cianna Chetty (category winner) and Dintle Machedi at the Eisteddfod. Their many hours of practising paid off.
To support the Reach For A Dream Foundation our pupils and teachers bought Slipper Day tickets and wore their slippers to school.
It was the first opportunity for many of the Grade 1 pupils to feed calves at the Rooihuiskraal Farm.
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PRE-PRIMARY LITTLE FALLS Integrated learning approach At the Pre-Primary we believe learning should be holistic, meaning that we ensure the development of all facets of our children. Of course, intellectual and academic development is important, but there’s so much more to a child than just brain capacity! Their creativity, spiritual and perceptual development is just as important in order to develop a well-rounded child. Spiritual development At our school, we’re overt about our Christian ethos. Prayer, devotions and praise and worship are a daily occurrence in every class. The Fruits of the Spirit are characteristics we actively inculcate in our children. They know that love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness and self-control are what they need to show each other and their teachers. Saying sorry (repenting) and forgiving is how we deal with conflict situations. The children can often be heard saying, “You need to have the Fruits of the Spirit in your heart.” What better foundation could you give your young child! Giving back is also an important part of our Christian values. It’s vitally important our pupils are made aware there are others less fortunate than themselves. A culture of giving and caring for others is reiterated through our monthly OPD (Other People’s Day) drives. Once a month we donate either money or items to various charities, whether it be adoption homes, underprivileged schools, old age homes or animal shelters, our children know exactly where they’re donating to. 36 | The Trinitonian
Show and Tell presentation Grade 0 Zebra Class – Grade 0 pupils love to make posters and present what they’ve researched for their weekly units of inquiry.
Spiritual learning – “God lives in our hearts and lives” – a collaborative group drawing
Perceptual development Children of pre-primary age learn primarily through the stimulation of all their senses. These include: • Taste (gustatory) • Touch (tactile) • Hearing (auditory) • Sight (visual) • Smell (olfactory) Our curriculum incorporates a variety of activities that provide this stimulation. Music rings, which include the use of various instruments and exposure to classical music, stimulate the auditory senses. Tactile senses are
Tactile Play Bushbabies 1 – God directs our little steps! Little Leia van der Sandt paints with her feet during a tactile lesson in the Grade 0000 Bushbabies Class.
stimulated through sensory play activities, for example, water play, squiggies, mud play, shaving cream, play dough, kinaesthetic sand, bubbles, finger paint, to name a few! Gustatory and olfactory senses are stimulated through baking. All day, every day children are exposed to various visual stimuli within the classroom environment. We pride ourselves on creating visually stimulating classrooms. Creative development Creativity is developed through art and craft activities, as well as art appreciation. Design is also an important part of creativity as it
Engineering challenge Gr 0 Zebras – The clever Grade 0 Zebras doing an engineering challenge using Jelly Tots and toothpicks.
OPD Have a Heart – Emmalee Dykes, Ogomoditse Mokoka, Morgan Klopper, Nolwandle Mkhize, Zara Auths and Ayanda Ngobese look beautiful in red with their hearts in the spirit of giving to Princess Alice Adoption Home from Trinityhouse.
Sensory Activity Bushbabies 2 – Zadie Zondi enjoys the sensory lesson in the Grade 0000 Bushbabies Class. Praise and worship – Our Grade 0 Zebras start the day with prayer and praise and worship. We love to sing, dance and praise the Lord through music!
Feeding the 5 000 – Jesus is the centre of our Pre-Primary School “body”. Pictured are brothers Riley and Zac Todd dressed to tell the story of Jesus and the miracle of feeding the 5 000, using loaves and fish. How cute!
requires creative thinking, planning and problem-solving. Our pupils are encouraged to do this through various construction activities. We don’t believe in colouring in books or worksheets as this stifles a child’s imagination and originality. We encourage children to draw their own interpretations. Every child’s artwork should be unique and different – an expression of themselves. Once a month children in the higher grades are exposed to a famous artist’s work and life, from Van Gogh to Kandinsky, Da Vinci to Andy Warhol. We also offer a music and drama class in the form of “Buzz” as part of our extramural curriculum.
Music ring Beetles Gr 00 class – We love to praise the Lord in music! Our Grade 00 Beetles enjoyed using the triangles during their music and movement lesson.
Intellectual development It goes without saying Trinityhouse is renowned for academic excellence. Mathematics and literacy remain the cornerstones of our curriculum. We also encourage STEM activities (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths). The children are given engineering challenges which need to be completed within a certain time frame. Our campus also offers Young Engineers as an extramural activity. They also do a Science ring once a week, Mathematics every day and digital literacy in Grade 0
Baking Zebra Gr 0 – A highly anticipated lesson of the week is when our little ones bake! Here are some of the Grade 0 Zebras baking.
once a week. The digital literacy programme includes how to use a laptop, tablet, online safety and coding. Coding is taught through apps like Bee-Bot and Purple Mash. Our literacy programme, Time2Read, is implemented from Grade 000. Children start off by learning compound words, syllables and eventually phonetic sounds and symbols. In Grade 0 children learn to decode simple three-letter CVC words. Of course, our Global Competencies: Communication, Research, Social Skills, Thinking and SelfManagement are what really set us apart from the rest! The Trinitonian | 37
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n term 2 the Bridging classes have been learning about the Armour of God and how we can apply each piece armour in our daily lives. They’ve had such fun using the green Creative Thinking de Bono Hat designing and making the Armour of God with various materials. This coincided with our theme of Healthy Living – keeping the body that God gave us healthy and pure. The pupils had an opportunity to use the five senses God gave them in a sensory activity. Five stations were set up, each using a separate sense. They each got to taste various foods, smell different smells, touch different textures, listen to two pieces of different music, and see different images. The sixth station was an inquiry station where the children needed to, without spilling water, get an apple out from inside a bowl of water using either bubble wrap, a paper clip or an elastic band. This was by far the children’s favourite station! By taking one of their senses away, being blindfolded at all the stations except the “sight” station, the other senses were enhanced. The vinegar smelt stronger, the lemon juice was sourer, the avocado skin felt like an animal, the semi-frozen jelly and Astros seemed colder. At each station, the children were asked: “How did that make you feel?” They needed to use the red de Bono Hat to express emotions they were feeling at each station. As a follow-up lesson, the children collaborated with their “shoulder partner” on how our five senses could be part of our relationship with God. Here are a few of the ideas:
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Our Grade 7 pupils used their feet to explore new territories and historical places of interest during their Durban tour. Loving God’s creation!
• Smell the pleasant aroma of flowers and marvel in God’s creation. • We need to speak words of love and tenderness and ask ourselves: “What would Jesus do?” • We need to touch hearts with warmth and kindness. • We need to see the good in our neighbours. • We need to listen to the word of God. While these lessons were specifically targeted for our Bridging classes, the main ideas and principles are those of Trinityhouse Preparatory Little Falls. If we put on the full armour of God, our lives will be totally immersed in Him and we will be under His divine care and protection. In our minds, we need God’s wisdom, direction, and His peace. In our bodies, we need to glorify Him by caring for the temples He has given
us and not harming them with dangerous habits or unhealthy living. With our hearts, we show love to our peers and especially to those less fortunate. With our hands, we worship the Lord and lift our hands to praise Him for His goodness and salvation! With our feet, we walk in His path and follow His words in the Bible. With our knees, we bow down and pray for our lives and those around us. With our lips, we speak encouraging, uplifting words and tell the world of God’s love and faithfulness. With our eyes, we see the beauty of God’s creation, we see God’s blessing and we see the promises of God come to pass. Our school under God is a beautiful, diversified “body” of believers who use our lives completely for His glory and honour. In everything we do, in academics, sports, art and culture, God is present with us and works through our “amazing bodies”.
A group of prefects brought joy and lots of teddy bears to Grace Hope Centre in Mooinooi, a house of safety for children who’ve been abused, abandoned or rescued from human trafficking. Trinityhouse Prep collected over 1 500 teddies to touch these little hearts.
The Prep School was recently treated to an “in-house visit” by Brothers in Beat, Rockstar Interactive Drumming. What an extraordinary musical experience that challenged the pupil’s strength and rhythm.
We combined Global Competencies with International Biscuit Day! Our students used their biscuits as part of their Global Competencies lesson. What a yummy day!
Using our hands and resources to touch someone else! Our prefects recently visited Grace Hope Centre in Mooinooi to bring gifts of love to their home.
“Taste and see that the Lord is good!” – Psalms 34:8, Trinityhouse Preparatory recently celebrated its birthday. Pictured are the management team with our Head Prefects.
Deputy Head Girl Jessica Nel holds one of the precious little ones at Grace Hope Centre in Mooinooi. “Get a slice of an education beyond expectation” – Trinityhouse is known for combining International Days and school days. We recently celebrated International Pizza Party Day. What fun!
Our students had a blast drumming during a recent visit by Brothers in Beat.
Superheroes with big hearts! Some of our Foundation Phase students dressed as their favourite superheroes for our Have a Heart OPD (Other People’s Day).
“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord!” – Psalms 98:4, we love to use our voices to praise the Lord in assembly, hymn singing and praise and worship. Pictured is the Foundation Phase Choir singing Above All.
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HIGH LITTLE FALLS The Trinityhouse High School hymn: A Prayer for Trinity embodies the emotional, mental, physical and spiritual well-being of our pupils. This prayer is a reflection of all we strive to achieve at our school. “O God, our Heavenly Father, we marvel at Your grace, That You sent Your Son to save us, to suffer in our place.” The Spiritual growth of our pupils is an integral part of our Trinityhouse ethos. Devotions given in assembly by staff members have been described by a past Matrics as being “meaningful, thoughtful and specially planned for the pupils.” The Drive-through Generation by Mrs. van der Westhuizen highlighted the importance of endurance in our fast-paced society and in the achievement of success with reference to the Bible. At Easter, Mr. Bown explained a selection of the many prophecies made in the Old Testament of Christ’s coming and how these prophecies are brought to fruition in the New Testament. On Ascension Day, Mrs. Davis highlighted the relevance of Christ’s ascension in the modern world. She focused on the meaning in the fact that although Christ’s earthly work as a man was completed, the ascension sets the pattern for His return. Mrs. Brett shared a devotion titled What I learnt about faith, patience and love from my six year old, in which she shared the importance of clinging to God like a child in all that we face in life. Important Christian events are celebrated with special worship assemblies in which the Choir and Worship Group perform. “Grant us feet to do your bidding and hands to show Your love.” 40 | The Trinitonian
The pupils enjoy the architecture at Prague Castle on last year’s international tour to Eastern Europe. Our pupils and their families have worked so hard to knit blankets which will be donated to the poor this winter.
Every winter, the High School embarks upon a major knitting drive. Teachers, parents, pupils and relatives all become involved in the project, which involves the knitting of strips which are joined into blankets for those less fortunate than ourselves. We continue our feeding scheme for our adopted nursery school and have great plans to show the love of Jesus on Mandela Day. Our pupils have also had the opportunity to travel and see the world. In October last year, 45 excited Trinitonians headed off to Eastern Europe for our second international tour. Every single day was a new adventure and an opportunity to learn more about
the world as the group explored the Czech Republic, Austria, Poland and Italy. “Grant us academic fervour and an ardent love of Art.” Approximately 11 474 learners from 250 schools across South Africa participated in the online Computer Olympiad in Round 1. In our school, 180 pupils participated, which is a remarkable number! The results were extraordinary with an abundance of silver and gold certificates. Fifteen of our pupils took part in the University of the Witwatersrand’s Mathematics competition. Twelve wrote the first round of the
Brigitte Larkins and Alicia van Blomenstein (Grade 8) progressed to the final round of the ATKV Spelkompetisie.
Ryan Snyman, Ethan Padoa, Connor Dale, Awande Mthembu and Daniel Brown made D12 Hockey Teams this term.
Rendré Greyling, Tafline Donaldson and Dylan van der Merwe participated in the Senior Afrikaans Olympiade.
The Worship Team lead the school at our Easter service on the last day of Term 1.
The Choir performs the song This is Me in one of our Cultural Assemblies this term. Simon Brits, Joshua Joseph, Connor Clay and Jordan Joseph were selected for the D12 Rugby trials.
Mathematics Olympiad with six pupils proceeding to the second round. Two of our Grade 8s, Brigitte Larkins and Alicia van Blomenstein, participated the ATKV Spelkompetisie. These two girls progressed to the final round, where the competition was very tough. Four pupils wrote the ATKV Afrikaans Olympiade. Our pupils are given multiple additional enrichment opportunities. In May, the Choir performed at their first concert, aptly named This Is Me. This celebration of their talents concluded in the Choir receiving a standing ovation for their energetic and vibrant
performance. Five-part harmonies and a range of music from gospel to pop saw the audience tapping their feet, clapping their hands and responding to a call to participate at the end. “Grant us sportsmanship and courage, alive in every heart.” Our pupils have shown the courage and heart of true lions during the winter sports season. The Netball teams ended second in their pool, after being victorious against Westridge High School, Allen Glen High School, De Adelaar, Florida Park and St Catherine’s. Daniel Brown was selected to represent the Southern Gauteng Hockey
Rendré Greyling, Jordan Joseph, Joshua Joseph, Sange Yenana, Rachel Ross and Lesedi Segapo made it through to the final round of the Mathematics Olympiad.
Association’s U14 Team as their goalie. Three boys were selected for the D12 Hockey Team. The Junior and Senior Hockey boys ended second in their pools in the Aitken and Boden tournaments respectively. The Hockey girls have been unbeaten in their league for the second year in a row and will play in the district’s play-offs. Five boys were selected for the Central West D12 Rugby Team. Our pupils engage the sights, sounds, heart and action of a Christian school. They give of themselves in all things and have had a truly successful and blessed second term. The Trinitonian | 41
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PRE-PRIMARY & PREPARATORY NORTHRIDING For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:13 Trinityhouse Northriding is a Christian school with traditional values where pupils are encouraged to become happy, confident and competent individuals. Our holistic approach to education allows each pupil to find their potential, in body, mind and spirit. Here’s a quick glimpse at our holistic approach:
Jamie McHugh, Devaj Naidu and Rebecca Keil using their senses to classify different types of leaves.
Mrs. B de Kock and pupils practising writing in cursive.
Dea Schutte building words using play dough.
Senses
Ndivhu Masia using his senses to explore his classroom with Teacher Elsie.
Research shows that sensory play builds nerve connections in the brain’s pathways, which lead to the child’s ability to complete more complex learning tasks. Sensory play supports language development, cognitive growth, fine and gross motor skills, problem-solving skills and social interaction.
Heart/spiritual
Nubia Nelson Majozi, Lufuno Tshabuse, and Alexandra Grant sharing a hug to show the value of kindness, friendship and Godly love.
Milena Schmidt is giving thanks to our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Dressing up as disciples on Ascension Day.
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Preschool sensory tray fun
Charity and the spirit of giving have been elevated to a new level at our campus. Especially after our extensive water drive for House Andrew Murray in Wellington at the beginning of the year. We believe that our pupils have to be communityfocused individuals by serving others as Christ serves us. As a staff, we seek to assist the pupils in making a deep and personal connection with God. We practice this by developing a deep and personal connection with each other.
Jews-for-Jesus explaining the symbolism behind the Passover meal.
We collected 2 870 litres of water for House Andrew Murray.
Preschoolers
Kianu Stander created a Math concept display and shared her knowledge/ learning with Isabella Dokavic.
Time2Read in action in Grade 0.
Brain
Alexia Baillie, Megan Hunt and Simran Ramdeen working collaboratively on a research project.
The technological revolution is going to change the world significantly, and we have to ensure we help prepare pupils for a future that our minds can’t fathom yet. Our learning is driven by the Global Competencies (Communication, Research, Social, Thinking and Self-Management Skills), where we aim not only to impart knowledge but the skills to do well in this evolving world. We aim for excellence in all that we do.
Brendon Baxtar-Kennedy exploring different strategies to resolve his Maths problem.
Angelique Cochlan getting ready for the start of the race.
Callum Jones is being a risk taker.
The Pre-Primary concert is the starting point of all drama, public speaking and other performing arts.
Lilitha Draai measuring the length of a doll.
Inquiry learning is about the soft skill/the ‘big idea’ behind the knowledge that pupils must know.
Mateo Smit
Feet/hands
Spending time with pupils on the sports field, during cultural activities or an outing or in-visit gives staff the opportunity to see each child from a different perspective. It gives us insight into each child that’s not always visible in a classroom situation. Pupils values and attributes such as perseverance, empathy and developing a growth mindset are developed optimally through working together towards the same goal. Mrs. M van der Watt, Kopano Manaka and Laylah Naidoo at Douglasdale Dairy.
Thara Futa is a Tiny Tutu ballerina.
Tshenolo Moeti learning to swim.
Grade 0 Chess develops critical and strategical thinking.
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PRE-PRIMARY PALM LAKES BY TAMMY GRANT DU PLESSSIS
O
ne of the highlights each term for the Trinityhouse Pre-Primary Palm Lakes pupils is most certainly the outings we’re so blessed to go on. Outings are such a vital part of learning because the pupils get to experience everything for themselves using all their senses... This term we marched out of the classroom cheerfully singing Old MacDonald had a Farm as we made our way down the road to the wonderful Flag Farm. The children experienced travelling on the school bus and could smell the farm when the doors opened. As their teacher, this smell always triggers nostalgia for my childhood visits to this same farm! The pupils’ vestibular sense is put to the test as they get the opportunity to ride on a pony and the tractor. Back at school, teachers often encounter amazed parents that can’t believe their child willingly got onto a pony. This is what’s so beneficial about outings – when children are away from their parents and around their friends, they’re often more willing to try new things. They learn how to cope with their fears. When asked to reflect on the trip to the Flag Farm, Ella very quickly told me “don’t be scared to feed the animals because you must just open your hand like this (flat hand) and not like this (closed hand) and then they won’t bite your fingers.” As soon as you step out of your usual environment you get to feel all sorts of new feelings – the feeling of your legs covered in dust from running around on the farm all day; the feeling of the cow’s udder and the realisation that thanks to Daisy, we get milk in our cereal every morning; the soft texture of the bunnies’ fur compared to the coarse texture of the horse’s tongue as it laps up the feed on your hand. And, after spending a very active day out and about, the learners and teachers climbed onto the bus, covered in dust and animal saliva, filled with brand new experiences that they would never have been able to get from the classroom!
Desana Naicker and Ria Hiralal feeding the animals.
Open hands when feeding the animals.
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The Pre-Primary teachers loved their surprise picnic packs in celebration of National Teachers’ Day.
Fascination on the faces of the brave Pre-Primary pupils as they get to feel the scaly snake.
Jared Marais also gets a turn to milk the cow.
Zyanda Ngema doing a great job!
Desana Naicker was so excited for her turn to milk the cow.
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PREPARATORY PALM LAKES Ephesians 4: 4 – 6 “There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to one hope when you were called – one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” The Grade 1s have been learning all about our five senses. Our senses are the only way in which we use our bodies to interact with the world around us and the children were fascinated to discover how each sense operates on its own as well as alongside the others. To illustrate this, we played the classic game, I Spy, which obviously focused on the sense of sight. We followed this with a touch and feel exercise that, through the use of blindfold feel tests, highlighted how powerful our sense of touch is. The same principle was used in taste and smell identification exercises. Our final exercise concentrated on possibly our most complex sense – hearing. We went outside and through cognitive methods, encouraged the pupils to focus on the intricate sounds of the outdoors and nature that we don’t always acknowledge. It’s always important to be aware of the heart of our school. The heart is what makes the body continue to function, to flourish and to grow. At the heart of Trinityhouse Preparatory Palm Lakes are our pupils. Their little hearts are moulded to care, love and blossom into responsible adults, prepared for the big bad world out there. But a heart can’t function alone. It needs support and a structure around it to support and protect it 46 | The Trinitonian
Thandolwethu Mthembu symbolising leaving her footprints behind.
A symbol of our footprints
Pupils painting their wood slices. Gugu Junior Tywabi and Asanda Zama. Group 4 using their hands to create shade over their eyes to look over the valley onto a beautiful sight that God created for us to see.
against the trials and tribulations of life. That support and protection is the Lord, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. These three form the Holy Trinity, which is depicted in the very name of our establishment. Trinityhouse prides itself on its Christian ethos and foundation of faith, but it also prides itself on having hearts that never stop loving, never stop growing and never stop learning. It’s so important to encourage children to use their hands, where not only their physical body benefits from the work but their minds do, too. As a class, the Grade 3s created a whale’s tail out of recycled products. Plastic bags, straws, string and bottles are just a few items that were used. In February, a sperm whale washed up on a beach in Spain that had 29 kilograms of plastic in its digestive
system. This was a simple but an effective project made with our hands but that also touched our hearts and will make us use our brains in future when we go to the shops and purchase a plastic packet. The fruits of the spirit are an important element of the values that we instil. When we think of each “fruit”, we should think of the function of our bodies. Each part of our bodies has an important purpose to make daily living possible and similarly, each fruit of the spirit has an important purpose in giving our lives meaning. • The heart represents love: God loves us unconditionally, and so we should love others in the same way with all our hearts. • The mouth represents joy: God’s wish is for us to not only smile on
The Grade 1 boys showing our five senses. Kairav Naidu, Arshavin Naidoo, Aryan Naidoo, Lonk’uthando Shabalala and Riley Mordaunt
The fruit of the spirit demonstrated by the Grade 4 pupils. Toko Nakakita, Liako Motsoene and Lerato Madlala. The Grade 3 girls hard at work as they create Liako Motsoene, the whale’s tail out of recycled Phakade Mchunu, Alwande Ngxongo products.
The Grade 1 pupils brainstorming by putting de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats together. Emma Morphew, Riley Mordant, Lerato Foxton, Ashlyn Scharneck, Kairav Naidu and Variya Pillay.
and Owen Govender with their completed whale’s tail.
The Grade 1 girls showing off their five senses artwork. Aleah Viramuthu, Saige Van Niekerk, Ashlyn Scharneck, Kamilah Peacock and Emma Morphew Showcasing the finished product.
Tessa Heafield
the outside but also on the inside. We will always find happiness through Him. • Our nose represent peace: when we get to k(nose)w God really well, through prayer and reading the Bible we will feel a complete calmness knowing that He forgives us for our sins. • The ears represent patience: sometimes it’s difficult to wait for God to answer our prayers. It’s important to understand and know that He is listening and in His time, he will answer those prayers. • The brain represents kindness: this stems from treating others the way you would like to be treated, if not better. Think of others’ needs and let them know that you care. • The back represents goodness: God needs to be able to depend on us to be honest and to turn our back on sin.
Aphiwe Mncibi loves absolutely everything about Trinityhouse!
• The lips represents faithfulness: the ability to speak only of things that you can honour and keep your promises even through difficult times. • The hands represent gentleness: no matter the circumstance, we should handle all situations with gentleness. Be soft in the way that you approach challenges. • The legs represent self-control: we must control the things that we say or do. If we walk into a difficult situation, we must always walk out knowing that we have dealt with the situation with integrity. The Grade 4, 5 and 6 learners have focused on using their hands to create amazing Kandinsky art for Ascension Day (the ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven, 40 days following his resurrection). They were each given wood slices,
Jayden Marais is very excited to share his love for Trinityhouse.
Diyajal Bedesi loves Trinityhouse Palm Lakes.
which would ultimately be used to create a “Kandinsky Kreation”. These wood slices are circular, resembling Christ’s love, kindness and provision for us having no end. The circular wood slices were painted with complementary colours to bring Kandinsky’s colour palette to light. The staff and pupils at Trinityhouse Preparatory Palm Lakes believe that we must always wear shoes of the gospel and peace. It’s all in the way we talk, do and share that we leave our footprints behind. Kindness, respect, responsibility, sociability and discipline are some of the prints we engrave in our pupils. Learning doesn’t end in the classroom with subjects – our pupils are built holistically too.
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he Trinityhouse Palm Lakes Grade 8 pupils had the opportunity of learning a necessary “heart” lesson. Each pupil had to perform a random act of kindness and record the event. The experience of learning to help others and getting nothing in return is a hard lesson for some but, OH so valuable! They got to experience the joy of helping others and selflessly giving their time, energy and talents. The Afrikaans pupils have been learning about healthy choices for their lunchboxes. Pupils enjoyed working in pairs finding out about each other’s daily schedules and activities and researching the diets of other people. They also experienced a few new flavours with a finger-licking picnic. During IT, pupils are encouraged to use their logical thinking skills to understand patterns and analyse data. It’s a special gift to have the opportunity to see logical flows in everyday life and to use their drive, desire and problem-solving skills to solve these issues for people. Every Friday morning during devotion, the Grade 11s get the opportunity to dance like nobody’s watching. We show our gratitude to God for our good health and ability to use our bodies to get down to the beat. One member of the class gets to pick the song of the week and it’s a time for self-expression where nobody is judged – just a bit of good fun. Reflecting on our own thoughts is how we gain insight into our feelings, needs and behaviours – and how we learn, manage and adapt to new experiences, 48 | The Trinitonian
Chrisstel Viljoen was first to walk through the doors at the Matric Dance. As you can see by the look on her face, the excitement was real!
Nolwazi Zaca made an elegant entrance with her date by her side.
Ruveshan Naidoo and his date in an incredibly beautiful red dress.
The Matric Class of 2018 enjoyed a fabulous evening, created especially for them.
challenges and emotional setbacks. This is known as ‘metacognition’ and studies are suggesting that pupils who are taught to use metacognitive strategies early on are more resilient and more successful, both in and out of school. Visual arts pupils develop this skill by constantly reflecting on who they are in the greater scheme of things. A Grade 12 pupil elaborates in an extract about her metacognition process: “Society crosses the line with its expectations specifically
from a woman and the role she is expected to play. To represent this thought, a drawing of a flower on wax paper was pasted on top of an image of myself almost drowning in water.” – Nolwazi Zaca The Matric Dance is possibly the most prestigious event on the Grade 12 calendar and it was especially so for Trinityhouse Palm Lakes this year under the theme of A Night with the Stars! Pupils and their partners looked dashing as they relished being in the spotlight and enjoyed letting their hair down for a night
“Society crosses the line with its expectations specifically from a woman and the role she is expected to play. To represent this thought, a drawing of a flower on wax paper was pasted on top of an image of myself almost drowning in water.” – Nolwazi Zaca
The Grade 11 girls getting down to the beat.
Tamyn Barnard, Seevani Kannigadu, Lillian Larsen and Sriantha Naidoo enjoying their healthy picnic since a healthy body gives you a healthy mind.
while taking a break from their academics. Their entrances were thoroughly enjoyed by the Grade 11 Matric Dance Committee, who applauded and cheered each Grade 12 through the doors. The tantalising buffet comprised delicious mini cocktail eats followed by delightful mini desserts. The dance floor was opened by the Head of School, Chrisstel Viljoen, and Deputy Head of School, Nolwazi Zaca, after their inspiring speeches and toasts were concluded. “Your imperfections make you
beautiful and they make you who you are, so just be who you are, love yourself for who you are and just keep going.” (Demi Lovato) This quote applies to most people who have self-esteem and body issues. Once you’re able to love yourself then everything shifts into place. Women in particular struggle with confidence, especially when it comes to their bodies and this, in turn, can become an issue in sport. For some girls and women, especially in competitive sport,
Nokulunga showing Mrs Heafield her moves.
not balancing the needs of their bodies and their sports can have major consequences, and this is referred to as the “female athlete triad”. This is a combination of three conditions: an energy deficit caused by unhealthy eating habits or excessive exercise, amenorrhoea (the absence of menstruation) and osteoporosis (a medical condition due to a lack of nutrients). It’s so important for girls and women to always remember that “Real women are fat. And thin. And both, and neither, and otherwise.” (Hanne Blank) The Trinitonian | 49
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PRE-PRIMARY RANDPARK RIDGE This second term has flown by with its usual business and excitement here at Trinityhouse Pre-Primary Randpark Ridge. There’s always much joy and adventure for each new day and we as staff get to be involved with our little people, in a very meaningful and precious way. The Bible talks about us all being “members of one body” and how we all play vital roles in order to allow the body to function to the best of its ability.
Baking day is always the best. We get to learn and eat yummy treats.
The Pre-Primary’s inspiring staff have highlighted three of these important areas that make up the “body” of our school and how these all work together: Amazing You – five senses, by Julia Martin We emphasise that our bodies and our five senses are an amazing gift from God.
Hannah waiting to purchase her treat from Laine, the Ladybird Buggy Baker.
Sensory play to support cognitive growth, language development, gross and fine motor skills.
We integrate all our five senses into our lesson plans as much as we can. We also ensure that the children are given ample opportunity to use their senses every day.
allow children to explore other tastes. We also conduct science rings where we allow the children to differentiate between the tastes of bitter, sweet, sour and salty.
different smells. We also stimulate olfactory experiences by adding things such as essence into our playdough or a science ring based solely on smell (not sight).
Sight: Every day is immersed in visual activities, whether it be identifying differences or similarities or looking at the different colours and shapes of objects around us.
Touch: Touch is also an integral part of every day. We have sensory pathways filled with a variety of objects that allow the pupils to feel different textures through their feet. Our sensory trays allow sensory play through using everyday objects to provide different tactile experiences.
Our pupils are exposed to holistic learning on a daily basis and they use all five senses all the time.
Hearing: Our daily activities are centred around listening and auditory activities, from listening to instructions to hearing different instruments in our music rings. Taste: Our pupils are exposed to different tastes with the daily snack and fruit provided. In addition to that, our weekly baking activities 50 | The Trinitonian
Smell: The sense of smell is explored in a variety of ways. The different plants and herbs in our sensory gardens provide a variety of smells. The activity of baking also introduces and exposes children to
Spiritual well-being, by Welma Vente For us as Trinityhouse teachers, it’s important to not only focus on teaching all we can regarding the academic curriculum but to also deposit Godly knowledge, principles and wisdom into their little hearts. It’s one of the privileges we have to openly and honestly share our faith with our precious pupils. Praise and
Imagination is a wonderful thing!
Spending time using our imaginations while painting to improve hand-eye co-ordination.
We love spending time celebrating all of our wonderful mothers.
Developing fine motor skills by sorting kidney beans into different numbers.
When reading a book, you can find magic wherever you look.
Having fun planting seeds to learn more about our farm theme.
We love to continuously show our pupils Jesus’s love for them and all that he has done for us.
worship is a very important part of our daily routine, as it’s during these sessions that children get the opportunity to have discussions about God’s kingdom, living with the fruit of the spirit and focus on naming things we receive by grace and that we can be grateful for, etc.
project an entrepreneurial spin by combining it with Buggy Baker. Each parent donates a fixed amount of money at the beginning of the year which allows their child to purchase a sweet or savoury treat from the Buggy Baker on a Friday.
I love laying my hands on my pupils and praying for them each individually and sharing God’s word with them as often as I can. By doing this, I pray that their faith will be built and that they will learn by example to become believers and followers of Christ.
Each week, one child is chosen to be the Buggy Baker for their class and brings the special treat to “sell” that day. The parents have been most supportive and creative in their efforts and the pupils wait excitedly for Friday to see what special treat is in store for them. Paper money is used to buy the treat from the Buggy Baker and the treat is eaten after snack time.
Charity Outreach, by Karen Hearn In Grade 00 we decided to give our corporate social responsibility
Nurturing our pupils love for animals by introducing them to the petting zoo.
Nurturing our children’s love for animals by introducing them to the petting zoo.
All the money from the Buggy Baker sales is given to charity. In the first term, we purchased groceries for Ithemba Labantwana, an organisation in Alex which cares for orphaned and vulnerable children. This term, we will allocate some of the money from the Buggy Baker sales to purchase toiletries for St. Gabriel’s Outreach programme to homeless women as well as coordinating the collection of secondhand clothing for St. Gabriel as well as Project Orient. The Pre-Primary also sold stickers in support of Slipper Day and Tekkie Tax Day. We thank God for our school and all we can do together through the “Body of Christ” to make a difference in our children’s lives and also in the lives of others. The Trinitonian | 51
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PREPARATORY RANDPARK RIDGE Fearfully and wonderfully made
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n Psalm 139:14 we read the beautiful verse: “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” The wonder of creation is so beautifully seen in the human body, with all its parts operating in unison. At Trinityhouse, our pupils have the opportunity to grow, not only in knowledge, but spiritually, physically and emotionally as well. This term, our Grade 4 pupils’ knowledge of business and marketing grew, as they enjoyed the opportunity to both market and sell products at the annual Markdag. The purpose of this event is to encourage conversational Afrikaans and entrepreneurial skills. The event comprises children working in groups, deciding on products, making or buying supplies, setting up a stall and selling their merchandise to pupils at our school. All the proceeds of the day are donated to various charities. This year, the benefactor is DroogtehulpProjek. Spiritual growth is an integral part of life at Trinityhouse. In addition to the various praise and worship experiences, weekly Hymn Singing focuses on children learning new songs of praise and worship to God. Hymn Singing is a highlight on the weekly timetable. As pupils sing hymns, they fill their minds with solid theology that will benefit them for years to come. Our pupils are passionate about sports and the arts and the extensive curriculum at our school provides a fun way to nurture physical 52 | The Trinitonian
It’s always great to celebrate with teammates!
There’s no doubt that a friend adds to the fullness of life.
Happiness is… netball, netball, netball!
growth. Through the sports and arts programmes, pupils enjoy the opportunity to travel on sports tours. this year, we have undertaken numerous tours including: • Commonwealth A Cricket Team toured to KwaZulu-Natal • Senior Girls and Boys Tennis teams toured to the annual Sun City Tennis Championships • U8-U13 Rugby teams toured to Konka Camp in Rustenburg • U13A and B Netball girls visited Knysna, • Blues Rugby 1st Team and the U10A-U13B Rugby teams toured to KwaZulu-Natal • The U10-U13 Netball teams tour to KwaZulu-Natal in June.
We also work hard at developing our pupils emotionally. This includes the pupils experience, expression and management of emotions and the ability to establish positive and rewarding relationships with others. Nothing is more rewarding than showing kindness to one’s fellow man. Our school theme for 2018 is Kindness Matters. The extensive social responsibility programme we provide gives pupils an opportunity to exercise their faith by engaging in various charity drives. Often, pupils as young as 8 years old have proposed new initiatives to make a difference in the lives of others. All these areas of development are linked and each depends on and influences the other.
Our Grade 4 Markdag made a profit of R46 592.35. This amount will be donated to various initiatives.
Marionette artist and theatre performer Alida van Deventer visited us for a Drama workshop.
While playing sports we aim to instil values of sportsmanship, humility and the desire to succeed, in all our pupils.
Outdoor learning leads to a better connection with nature.
A wonderful collaborative art piece, put together by our Senior Art Club.
Captains from participating schools with Julian Redelinghuys at the Captains Dinner for our U13 National Rugby Festival. Both our Foundation Phase and Senior Choir bring much joy to all those that listen.
Hymn singing provides our pupils with an opportunity to praise and worship God.
Teaching our pupils to use and understand Global Competencies to navigate and succeed in future.
There’s no doubt that a friend adds to the fullness of life.
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HIGH RANDPARK RIDGE Amazing You, by Farone Eckstein
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he body of our campus continues to thrive and grow from strength to strength. The heartbeat of Trinityhouse High Randpark Ridge remains its care and concern for others. At the heart of this concern is our vibrant Outreach programme including the Thandanani Project, which was recently launched for our Grade 8 group. It’s expected that every Grade 8 pupil starts their own business and contributes to this project either by providing a service or selling products. Examples of fundraising activities include selling sweets, baked goods, toys or providing services such as walking dogs, babysitting, washing cars, etc. The project will run for five weeks in the third term and hopes to raise between R100 000 and R200 000. The funds are used to fund the Thandanani House of Refuge, which currently houses 21 abandoned children. Items that are provided include food, clothing, gas, electricity, school fees, transport and computers. An added bonus is that our Grade 8s learn valuable skills in EMS (preparing journals and business plans), English (descriptive writing) and computers (sending business emails). Not to mention the valuable life skills they learn throughout, such as taking responsibility, accountability, preparation, planning, marketing and creativity. Our Prefects’ Assemblies that take place on a Thursday also cater to our spiritual well-being. The entire assembly is pupil-driven including the devotional and uplifting message and prayer delivered by one of the Prefects. The highlight 54 | The Trinitonian
Sisters are doin’ it for themselves, a magnificent Major Production performed by our High School cast.
of the Prefects’ Assembly is most certainly when the Trinityhouse High School Worship Band leads the student body in worship. This band comprises a group of talented musicians as well as a growing number of vocalists ranging from Grade 8 to Grade 12. These young people minister to the rest of the school through praise and worship songs. Many hearts are touched as a result. Our cerebral ability has had its opportunity to flex and prove its worth in the Mathematics competitions that we have been involved in. Our participation in the Tour De Maths competition has proved a resounding success with our team currently in 13th place out of 28 schools. The highlight proved to be the third leg of the competition where Daniel Mason and Ruan Rabbets managed to come fifth out of 267 participants. Our school’s feet have taken us to many interesting places in
the past and 2018 proved no different. Fifteen young ladies accompanied by four educators embarked on a Hockey tour to Belgium and the Netherlands in March. The exceptional standard of Hockey proved to be a real education and undoubtedly will serve as an inspiration to the girls to continue improving and developing their game. However, the real blessing came in the form of the cultural experiences, including newfound respect for bicycles and bicycle lanes in particular, a true appreciation of the local cuisine with Belgian chocolate and stroopwafels being top of the list, and a firsthand experience of the historical elements of Europe complete with canals, cobblestones, windmills and castles. We have no doubt that our school’s body remains blessed in terms of its cohesion, unity and vibrant activities.
We are passionate about developing exceptional young people through sports.
101 blankets were made by our Grade 10’s during their Blankethon which will be distributed by the Baragwanath Hospital Comforts Committee.
Our wonderful High School Choir.
Bringing light to the lives of the children in Kya Sands.
One school. One team. One pack. Wolves, we are one!
Friends make life a lot better.
Biology always equals super fun lessons.
Hockey tour to Belgium and the Netherlands in March
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THE BARE BONES - Forensic Anthropology
NAME: Amy Spies SCHOOL: Trinityhouse Randpark Ridge YEAR: 2011 CURRENT CAREER: Master of Science in Forensic Anthropology
First and foremost... what is foresic anthropology? Forensic anthropology is the study of decomposed or skeletonised remains. When bodies are very decomposed or have, for example, been burnt, forensic pathologists can’t use the soft tissue to determine any biological traits of the individual. A forensic anthropologist will then conduct a skeletal analysis of the remains and try to determine from the bones certain characteristics of the individual, such as age, sex, ancestry, stature, etc. This “biological profile” can then be used to aid in the identification of the unknown individual. We’re fascinated by your exhumation project of five political prisoners, can you please tell us a little about it? The Missing Persons Task Force of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) together with the Truth and Reconciliation unit have been conducting the Gallows Exhumation Project since 2016. The aim of this project is to exhume the bodies of political prisoners that were 56 | The Trinitonian
hanged during the apartheid regime between 1960 and 1990. The bodies of the hanged political prisoners remained the property of the state and families were denied the opportunity to bury them. Instead, the bodies were buried by the state in unmarked graves. Either a skeletal analysis or DNA analysis is conducted on the exhumed remains to identify them, and then the remains are returned to their families so that a proper burial can be done. Why is this project important? This is an incredible initiative that I believe brings healing and closure to the affected families. What was your role? I assisted in the exhumation of five United Democratic Front political prisoners who were hanged in the 1980s. The family members were present at the burial sites during the exhumations which made it a very emotional task.
Were you always into biology? I have always loved biology. I took it in high school and was passionate about it. I knew that I wanted to do something related to biology but I wasn’t sure what. I originally wanted to teach high school biology but didn’t want to do the education degree, so I did a bachelor of science specialising in biological sciences for my undergraduate degree. My plan was then to do a postgraduate certificate of education afterwards so that I could teach, but in my final year of my undergrad, I took a module in forensic anthropology and knew that that was what I wanted to do. I then did my Honours in Human Biology and am now finishing my MSc in Forensic Anthropology.
What is the best thing about your job? The best thing is that I know that in some way I’m contributing to identifying unknown individuals, victims of crimes, people who have families wondering what has happened to them. It is an incredible feeling knowing that I’m making a contribution to the justice system of this nation.
What is a typical day like for you? A lot of my time is spent lecturing medical and anatomy students or facilitating gross anatomy dissections. The rest of the time though, I am either conducting research in the skeletal collection, or I’m in the forensic lab at Wits University analysing cases.
What’s been the most exciting/freakiest thing you have worked on? The Gallows Exhumation Project was definitely the most exciting... but there’s something exciting about every case that we get in the forensic lab. It’s exciting to analyse the bones of an individual and get so much information just from the skeletal remains – you can almost learn a person’s entire life history just from their bones. That is pretty exciting!
Does it smell bad? On the forensic side of things, I work strictly with skeletal material and so there’s no bad smell or gross tissue that I need to work with. On the anatomy side of things, I spend many hours in the dissection hall, and this means that EVERYTHING smells – my clothes, my hair, my skin. At least I keep Dove soap in business! What is the worst part of your job then? The worst part of it would be that once we analyse a case and return it to the pathology services or police, we never hear about the outcome of the case. This is difficult since you put so much effort into building a “biological profile” of the unknown individual with the aim of leading to a positive identification, but you never hear if it does or not.
Do you love your job? I get to do what I love every day – working with bones and contributing to the field of forensic anthropology. And I get to attend conferences in some pretty exciting places with some pretty amazing people. What’s not to love?
Is forensic anthropology difficult to get into? It has been very difficult and very challenging. I couldn’t just wing my way through my degrees – it took hard work, endless hours of studying, and many sacrifices. Then once qualified, the hard work really began! Research is an extremely competitive and challenging field to be in – you always have to be developing new research ideas, conducting the research, getting funding, etc. It’s very difficult and can be extremely overwhelming at times, but there’s so much reward in contributing to your field through research.
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What makes you good at what you do? I’m very focused and an extremely hard worker, and that has helped me get to where I am. I also love bones, so that helps! What were you like at school? I was very involved in drama and music at school. I was part of the choir and took part in house plays, RAPS and the school productions. I also played firstteam softball and was very academic. I had a small group of friends that are still my friends today. What did you do straight after school? I took a gap year where I travelled and did some work with my local church. I then started my undergrad degree and haven’t stopped since! I have travelled quite a lot which has been great. I’ve also spent some time at Texas State University in the USA where I have done some formal training in forensic anthropology and spent time on the Freeman Ranch body farm studying decomposition. I now work as a part-time junior lecturer at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University and spend the rest of my time at Wits University. What has been the greatest lesson you have learned in your life? Hard work pays off! Sometimes you have to make sacrifices to get where you want to go, but it’s worth it. I’ve also learned, however, to be wise in the sacrifices I make. I don’t make sacrifices that will affect my relationships with my loved ones or that will affect my well-being. While I absolutely love what I do and want to excel in my field, I also know that family and friends are important, and time for myself and having fun is important. 58 | The Trinitonian
Who is your greatest inspiration, and why? My mom is my greatest inspiration. She has taught me to never give up and to always go after what I want. She has shown me how to live life with grace, dignity and passion. She has shown me how to treat people with kindness and respect. She has dreams that she is still pursuing and working hard for, which gives me the courage to do the same. She is truly an inspiration. What’s your favourite forensics show or movie of all time? My favourite forensics show would have to be Bones starring Emily Deschanel, even though only about 5% of it is accurate! It has humour, wit and of course, bones. What makes Trinityhouse such an amazing school? I think what makes Trinityhouse such an awesome school is the standard of education and the standard of teachers there. It was my biology teachers, Mrs Poole and Mrs Van Rooyen, who inspired me to pursue biology further. The standard of education definitely prepared me for university and for that, I will always be grateful. The school also has an awesome culture and there’s so much spirit and unity there. Do you still keep contact with your Trinityhouse friends? I am still best friends with my best friend from high school, and I am still friends with a few other friends from high school who I see regularly. Where do you see yourself in 10 years time? In 10 years’ time, I would probably like to be a boardcertified forensic anthropologist and working at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. I’d still love to be involved in research and teaching, and I’d like to be married with kids and travelling the world. The truth is, there are a lot of things I’d like to be doing – I have a lot of dreams!
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3D PRINTING PEN What is it? 3Doodler Create is the world’s first and bestselling 3D printing pen. How does it work? The 3Doodler works by extruding heated plastic that cools almost instantly into a solid, stable structure, allowing for the free-hand creation of three-dimensional objects. What’s the big deal? Replacing the original 3Doodler 2.0, the new 3Doodler Create is now smoother, faster and more reliable. No matter what you’re making, the 3Doodler set offers the perfect plastic for any look and feel. You can also choose from the selection of changeable nozzles, so you can doodle in different shapes and sizes. You can also download hundreds of projects for free at the3Doodler.com. Key features:
R1 899 - R1 999
• Sleek lightweight aluminium pen, the same size as a marker pen. • Simplified and more intuitive controls to get any new user up and running in seconds • New ambient light bar and transparent panel to watch the pen’s internal mechanisms. What’s included? Everything you need to start doodling in 3D, including the 3Doodler Create pen, two packs of plastic (25 ABS strands, 25 PLA strands), power adapter, unblocking tool, nozzle removal tool, mini screwdriver, quick start guide and user guide.
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CAREER FILES
WHAT’S YOUR OCCUPATION, THERAPIST? The power of the OT! By Donna Verrydt
E
veryone has the right to live a decent life and to earn a living, but not everyone is in a position to do either. This is where an occupational therapist becomes a superhero... What is an occupational therapist? An occupational therapist is responsible for helping people with a physical or mental disability to develop, recover or improve the skills they need to live daily and earn a living. As a result, the work an OT does is rewarding, challenging and fun. Some things occupational therapists do • Review a patient’s medical history, ask questions and observe;
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• Evaluate a patient’s condition and needs; • Develop a bespoke treatment plan for that patient; • Use physical exercises to help patients increase their strength and dexterity; • Use activities to help patients improve visual acuity; • Use computer programs to help clients improve decision-making, abstract-reasoning, problemsolving, memory, sequencing, coordination and perceptual skills; • Educate a patient’s family and employer about how to accommodate and care for the patient; • Recommend special equipment needed, such as wheelchairs etc.; and
• Record patients’ activities and progress to report to other healthcare providers. Why do people become occupational therapists? People who want to help others function at their full potential, both physically and mentally, will enjoy OT. What school subjects are needed? • Mathematics • Physical Sciences • Life Sciences • Visual Arts • Music What subjects or training do you need? A Master’s degree, or a more advanced degree, in Occupational Therapy is required to work as an OT. Biology, Psychology, Sociology,
Where can I study a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy? University of Cape Town www.uct.ac.za
Anthropology, Liberal Arts and Anatomy are all appropriate majors for those who want to earn a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy. Prospective students as well as qualified occupational therapists must register with the Interim Medical and Dental Council of South Africa. Why is OT not so hot? Some OTs say that the profession puts a lot of pressure on their family life because they become invested in the lives of the patients that they treat, and personal time and emotional investment can take its toll. Why is OT great? To know that you had a hand in a patient’s development and healing, and that they’re now able
to live a better life, is the best kind of reward. Best personality suited to this work? Occupational therapists need to have empathy, patience, good social skills, discipline, diligence, and the ability to extract the best out of anyone who interacts with you. Advice from an OT to people wanting to study OT “Make sure that you gain exposure and experience in all the different facets of occupational therapy. These include physical and mental rehabilitation, paediatric work, medico-legal work and vocational rehabilitation. This will aid you in making informed decisions as to which field you are best suited for.”
University of KwaZulu-Natal www.ukzn.ac.za University of Limpopo www.ul.ac.za University of Stellenbosch www.sun.ac.za University of the Free State www.ufs.ac.za University of the Western Cape www.uwc.ac.za University of the Witwatersrand www.wits.ac.za Where can I get more info? Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) – www.hpcsa.co.za Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa – www.otasa.org.za South African Journal of Occupational Therapy – www.sajot.co.za The Trinitonian | 61
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TRINITY
LIFESTYLE
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KIDS’ PAGES
s e g a P Ki ds’
NAME THE PART
The thigh bone is connected to the ear? No, it’s not! Label the body parts and help us work out what’s connected to what.
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Lost your heart? Help Mr Heart find his true love by guiding him through the inner tubes of the body.
Raspberry Sherbet Party Punch Ingredients
Instructions
• 6 to 8 scoops of flavoured ice-cream • 1 pineapple juice can, thawed in the fridge • 1 pink lemonade sachet or Naartjie Game will do • 2-litre bottle of Sprite or Sprite Zero, chilled • 2-litre bottle of sparkling mineral water, chilled • Pineapple slices, canned or fresh, for garnish • Fresh or frozen raspberries, for garnish • Some sherbet
• Pre-scoop ice-cream and place on a baking dish lined with plastic wrap. Freeze and add ice cream just before serving so it remains frozen in the punch. • In a punch bowl, combine pineapple juice and juice sachet. • Pour in the Sprite or Sprite Zero and the sparkling mineral water. • Add pineapple slices and raspberries if using, and top with ice-cream just before serving. The ice-cream will keep it chilled. • Add cold water or ice if desired to control how sweet your punch is. • Sprinkle with sherbet. Serve in a blood bag for an exciting effect.
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TRAVEL
YOUR FEET WERE MADE FOR WALKING... Two Cape walking holidays well worth setting foot on one of these days.
By Laurel Pretorius
Heritage Hike Cederberg, Western Cape Distance from Cape Town: 2.5-hour drive Reccommended Time: Various Difficulty level: Various What you’ll see: A large portion of it is a proclaimed Wilderness Area with World Heritage status. What makes the Cederberg Heritage Route so different is its series of six community-based hiking trails. Five of them are relatively short (anything between two and five days) and one – The Cederberg 100 Trail – is a long eight-night and seven-day trail. The various hiking routes wend their way through a dramatic mountainous landscape and some of the most stunning rock formations sculptured by nature itself. Look carefully and you’ll discover a history-load of pre-colonial rock art. There is also a remarkable botanical diversity in the region which explains why it’s part of the Cape Floral Kingdom of South Africa. While hiking the Cederberg trails you get to stay in a choice of comfy guesthouses, cottages and community-run homestays situated in the scenic Moravian mission villages. In fact, the Cederberg Heritage Route is all about developing its communities by involving the community members in various ways. Some offer accommodation while others act as guides on the hiking routes. They will even transport your overnight luggage in donkey carts from one village 66 | The Trinitonian
to the next while you get to enjoy a slightly easier slackpacking adventure.
Cape mountain Leopard lives in these regions but is shy and hard to spot.
You can arrange your own hiking holiday through the Cederberg but then you’ll be missing out on the full-on heritage experience. Plus, by using the services of the rural communities you’ll be providing them with a muchneeded income.
Reaching the picturesque mountain villages along the routes is always a pleasant surprise after a long day’s hike. Take some time to explore these sleepover destinations. They carry a history that goes as far back as the 19th century when Moravian missionaries from Bohemia established themselves in the region. Try visit a rooibos farm while you’re there. If you get tired of walking, you can always enjoy a ride on one of the donkey carts.
Your Cederberg walking adventure will provide you with a variety of unique and interesting features along the way. The impressive red sandstone cliffs will dwarf you in sheer size and grandeur. Gaze over the most incredible views of ravines and cascading waterfalls. Some two thousand sites are home to San rock art, depicting their days as hunters and gatherers. There’s abundant bird life and a wide variety of animals. The
The beauty of this unique walking holiday is that you get to experience the Cederberg from a completely different perspective, and one you’re unlikely to forget. For more information visit www.cedheroute.co.za.
Coastal Meander West Coast Walk, Western Cape Distance from Cape Town: 2-hour drive Reccommended duration: 4 days Difficulty level: Challenging What you’ll see: White sandy beaches and fishing villages The West Coast lends itself perfectly to a selfguided walking holiday. The West Coast Walk is along the coastline which means long stretches of white sandy beaches and pitstops in small fishing villages. Keep in mind to allow a full day of walking and exploring in each area. The best time to go is in the spring when it isn’t too hot, and the wildflowers are in full bloom. Stay overnight in Shelley Point and visit the lighthouse and the Vasco da Gama Nautical Museum before setting off in the morning for Paternoster. Stop off in pretty Britannia Bay en route. A pristine beach there offers little shell-strewn nooks and pools with sea life to explore among the rocks. On hotter days you can take a much-needed swim in the sea before heading on.
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TRAVEL Paternoster is a laidback fishing village which is well-known for its crayfish. Find accommodation in one of the numerous guesthouses or set up your tent at a camping site – there are a few in the area, some offering prime beach-side accommodation. Crayfish can be purchased directly from the fishermen on the beach and you can honour the Paternoster life by crayfish braai. The next morning, start bright and early to witness the sun coming up over the West Coast as you walk along the beach to your next overnight stop in Trekoskraal. Along the way you’ll pass the Cape Columbine Nature Reserve in Tietiesbaai, which is a kaleidoscope of colourful wildflowers from August to October. The rock pools there offer idyllic swimming. You’ll reach Trekoskraal ready for a decent meal and a comfortable bed! The last day of trekking will take you to Jacobsbaai. This will most likely be the most impressive beach walk along the West Coast Walk as you follow paths over dunes. Use the tops of these sandy mounds as lookouts to spot seals, dolphins and whales. Most sightings occur towards the end of the year but some even as early as July. While in Jacobsbaai, pop into the quaint little shop, Wille Magrietjie at 1 Beach Road and you won’t be able to resist buying a souvenir or two with the beautiful mosaics, pottery, jewellery, cutlery, hand-made decor accessories and clothing on sale. While the Westcoast walk may prove quite tough to people who aren’t used to hiking, this part of the South African coastline is quite remarkable and worth every aching muscle and blister. In fact, holidaymakers have been known to say it was their most memorable trip. While hiking the Cederberg trails you get to stay in a choice of comfy guesthouses, cottages and community-run homestays situated in the scenic Moravian mission villages. In fact, the Cederberg Heritage Route is all about developing its communities by involving the community members in various ways. Some offer accommodation while others act as guides on the hiking routes. They will even transport your overnight luggage in donkey carts from one village.
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As always, before heading out it’s advisable to thoroughly research walking distances and accommodation options. For more on self-guided and guided walks visit www.walkingholidays.co.za.
ADVENTURE, GET OUT THERE
THE SPICE OF LIFE old A new ride at G
Reef City!
The High Flying Maverick adds a 9/10 fear factor ride to Gold Reef City Theme Park’s already wide range of more than 30 rides, which include the famous Anaconda, Tower Of Terror, Miners Revenge and Jozi Express, to name a few.
with Face-to-mask seals the Cape fur The adventure junkies that run Cape Town’s Bucketlist Ocean Adventures now offer the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to snorkel with the ocean’s friendliest creatures, Cape fur seals. Snorkelling is a great way to observe our beautiful underwater life without all the extensive training and complicated equipment required for scuba diving. Bucketlist Ocean Adventures provides all necessary gear and, upon arrival at Duiker Island, offers a short training session to make sure you’re comfortable with the mask and snorkel and are ready to explore and play with these spectacular furry mammals. Choose from three options – Snorkel with seals: R750 /person Snorkel with seals + GoPro rental: R1 000 /person Ride along / viewing: R400 /person www.capetownbucketlist.co.za www.dirtyboots.co.za, email info@capetownbucketlist.co.za, 0824978797
Climb into the cockpit and strap yourself in with 23 other thrill-seekers in six, four-seater cockpits, and go through the pre-flight check with “ground control”, before experiencing the most exhilarating ride in Africa! Combining thrilling motion and spectacular visual effects, The High Flying Maverick takes you on an amazing journey which replicates the sensation of an acrobatic aeroplane flight, with banks, loops, dives and weightlessness that will test even the most experienced thrill riders. Online tickets can be booked at www.tsogosun.com/goldreef-city-casino/theme-park, call 011 248 5000.
A climbing workout at CityROCK The biggest indoor climbing gyms in Africa, CityROCK isn’t just a regular gym – it’s a world-class fitness facility complete with great coffee! The gyms boast high wall climbing with top ropes and automatic belays (clip in and climb system); bouldering, a well-stocked outdoor gear shop, a beautiful yoga studio, a cardio and strength training area, and a dedicated beginners’ climbing area for birthday parties, kids, and courses. If you’ve never rock climbed or seen the inside of a world-class indoor climbing gym, CityROCK is definitely worth a visit! The aesthetic design and sheer height of the colourful walls will leave you amazed and eager to jump onto a route. With branches in Joburg and Cape Town, CityROCK has become a popular climbing gym with regular visitors every day, and families and kids visiting on the weekends. A day pass or monthly memberships are available. For more info visit www.cityrock.co.za.
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frica Drone Racing A
We all know about the global rise of drone technology and people are finally exploring the world of flying quadcopters and multirotor machines!
Drone Racing Africa, sets high standards in safe and responsible non-commercial drone flight by offering a series of drone training courses in Gauteng and Cape Town, that’ll equip drone owners with the necessary skills and theoretical knowledge to pilot a drone competently. Whether you’re at school or an adult, there’s no limit to the amount of fun you’ll have learning to fly and they guarantee you’ll leave officially #quaddicted! Cost: 5-hour drone competency course: R2 495 (theory and practical) 5-hour kids’ drone racing course: R895 Online drone proficiency theory course: R250 – an online theory course that teaches the fundamentals of air law and flight navigation through video tutorials. Drone proficiency practical course: R950 – a practical course that touches on theory and then teaches you how to assemble and fly your drone. Where: Johannesburg: Navworld, 38 Langwa Street, Randburg Cape Town (head office): 12 Liesbeek Avenue, Observatory www.droneracingafrica.com / www.dirtyboots.co.za, email hello@droneracingafrica, call 081 340 0983.
und pro Become an all-ro oors... in the great outd
Climbing the walls in your day job? Not sure what to do after matric? Why not enrol in mountaineering school! Venture Forth is based in Cape Town but has operated throughout Africa since 1994. Part of Adventure Qualifications Network, they’re the largest formally accredited mountaineering school in Africa and have had thousands of students attend their various adventure courses. Although predominantly mountaineering orientated, they offer a wide range of adventure courses ranging from introductory beginner courses to fully accredited adventure guide qualification programmes for professional guides. Venture Forth offers introductory courses and advanced skills training in activities such as hiking, roped scrambling, sport climbing, traditional rock climbing, winter mountaineering, kloofing, paddling, sea kayaking, bushcraft and wilderness first aid. For aspiring outdoor professionals, they have a wide range of legally accredited adventure guide qualification programmes run by the most experienced instructors in the industry. Their courses are fun, thorough, interactive and all about you and your skills development. Courses start at R1 600 and generally cater for ages 12 and up. although younger kids can be accommodated by prior arrangement. Professional courses are aimed at 17 years old and up. Find out more and book via www.ventureforth. co.za / www.wildmedix.com / www.dirtyboots. co.za, or call 021 555 3864. Unit 3 Peter Park, 31 Montague Drive, Montague Gardens, Cape Town The Trinitonian | 71
Fly, stay, cruise, tour! We do it all! Let us make your dream holiday come true. Call 0877 50 51 37 Find us in: Centurion Mall, Clearwater Mall, Dainfern Square, Hyde Park Corner, Greenstone Shopping Centre, Menlyn Park Shopping Centre, Morningside Shopping Centre, Norwood Shopping Centre, Canal Walk Shopping Centre, The Point (Sea Point), Musgrave Centre and Baywest Mall (Port Elizabeth).
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MINI TRAVEL
All Aboard... The Mouse Boat!
Hey kids, so you guys want to have crazy fun at Disneyland, and Mom and Dad just want to relax by a pool! Wouldn’t it be super cool if you could do both at the same time? Well, you can. Welcome to The Disney Cruise – where Mom and Dad’s downtime won’t interfere with your need for off-the-charts fun!
For Kids! SLIDES Depending on which ship you’re on, here are some of the slides and waterparks that you splash into: The Aquaduck (on Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy) is a “water-coaster” that twists and turns off the side of the ship, then goes through the Forward Funnel and down four decks to give you the thrill ride of your life! Then there’s the AquaDunk Slide where they close you in a capsule and drop you three decks before you hit the splash pond at the end – heart-inyour-throat stuff! The Aqualab features pop jets, leaky pipes and geysers all going mad in this 1 800 square-foot water play area. If it’s waves you want then hit Donald’s Pool – cool waves and two whirlpool spas! The best part of all? All little kids will stay out of your way because they have their
very own Mickey’s Pool, with smaller slides and Nemo’s Reef, which is a water play area featuring the characters from the movie! DECK PARTIES
Dancing under the sun, the moon and the stars at Disney Cruises’ openair, music and dance festivals, which take place on the top deck! Themed parties include:
Star Wars, where you can celebrate the power of the Force during an all-day celebration; The Sail-away Celebration, which is a high energy dance party with your family, new friends and the Disney characters, which takes place the minute you set sail; and finally, Pirate Night where you can enjoy pirate antics and a buccaneer ending with a spectacular fireworks display! The Trinitonian | 73
TRAVEL
Introducing our new ship for 2018/19 season, MSC Musica, she’s in a class of her own!
MS C MUSIC A
Life aboard the MSC Musica is beautiful from the moment you step on. From the central foyer’s three-tier waterfall, its see-through piano and our designer venues. Venues like the Crystal Lounge, the Havana Club cigar lounge, the Sanremo Casino and the Kaito Sushi Bar. As with any MSC experience, it’s a magical world for adults, kids, and teens alike.
Contact your nearest ASATA Agent or 087 075 0852 74 | The Trinitonian
MSCCRU ISES.CO.Z A
MINI TRAVEL
Youth Clubs Children aged from 6 months to 17 years old can enjoy games, arts and crafts and character greetings at the various youth clubs, which are led by trained counsellors. There’s:
experiments in all kinds of educational activities amid distinctly themed rooms.
It’s a Small World Nursery (Under 3s) The daycare centre which provides a colourful and soothing environment for little ones.
Edge (11 to 14) Tweens have their own special place to meet and call their own at this hip hang out, fully equipped with flatscreen TVs, computers and video games, and featuring a full roster of excellent activities.
Disney’s Oceaneer Club (3 to 12) Character meet-and-greets, storytelling sessions, dressup opportunities, cool interactive games and largerthan-life playgrounds. This club even offers the Disney Oceaneer Lab, where kids are invited to perform wacky
Vibe (14 and up) Calling all teens: Chill out, watch TV, listen and dance to music, play video games and make new friends at this happening onboard hotspot designed with you in mind.
For Mom & Dad Nightclubs and lounges: Go wild… try the cocktails and then the dancing at the adults-only stylish nightclubs and lounges. • Quiet Cove Pool: A tranquil oasis where you can swim, enjoy whirlpool spas or simply soak up the sun… in peace. • Gym: Work out at the onboard gym or enjoy a toning class at our state-of-the-art fitness centre. • Spa: Pampering at it’s best! • Paolo: Enjoy the adults-only restaurant, Paolo, a northern Italianthemed restaurant. • Remy: Aboard the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, adults can also enjoy the elegant French dining experience of Remy (named after the Rat in Ratatouille). • All-Off-Board: Most itineraries also feature special adults-only Port Adventure excursions too. Cruise details Cruises depart throughout the year from Port Canaveral, in Florida. Aside from the Bahamas, the Caribbean and Alaska, Disney Cruise Line cruises also include the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. When you sail with Disney, so much is already built into the price. All cruises on Disney Cruise Line include, among other things, full-board rotational dining (all meals), unlimited soft drinks, tea, coffee and ice-cream served on deck as well as an amazing array of onboard experiences that sailors of all ages can enjoy together as a family or separately in their own dedicated areas. Call Thompsons For Travel on 011 770 7677 or email travel@thompsons.co.za or visit www.thompsons.co.za for more details about the Disney Cruises.
Build Your Own Home First Aid Kit By Donna Verrydt
If you answered “yes” to the question: is your home first aid kit a Tupperware filled with leftover, ageing medicines, crusty creams and the odd plaster here and there, then it’s only a matter of time before you come “unstuck” when disaster strikes at home!
If you’re wanting to build the best first aid kit for your household, then here’s a list of the basics that your kit cannot be without: Basic medicines • Throat lozenges • Pain and fever medication: paracetamol, ibuprofen and aspirin (Remember aspirin can make bleeding worse, so don’t give it to someone with a bleeding disorder or open wounds.) • Antacids for indigestion • Oral rehydration sachets containing electrolytes • Nausea and vomiting medication • Diarrhoea medication • Laxatives for constipation • Antihistamine and a topical cream for insect bites and stings • Decongestant for a stuffy nose • Saline eye drops for dry or itchy eyes. 76 | The Trinitonian
Basic equipment • Plasters (various sizes) • A thermometer • Gauze • Antiseptic cream for cuts and wounds • Disinfectants such as Dettol or TCP • Bandages • A topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory gel, cream or spray • Burn care • Scissors • Tweezers • Wound-closing strips
If you have no intention of building your own first aid kit from scratch and would rather buy a stocked kit and add to it, then Dis-Chem has it all. Dis-Chem offers a variety of medical kits including: • Dis-Chem Travel First Aid Kit • Dis-Chem First Aid Sports & Outdoor Kit • Dis-Chem First Aid Household Kit • Dis-Chem Car Emergency Kit • Dis-Chem Burns First Aid Kit • Dis-Chem Cuts ‘n’ Grazes First Aid Kit • Dis-Chem First Aid Vehicle Kit • Dis-Chem All Purpose First Aid Kit • Dis-Chem First Aid Factory Regulation Kit
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HEALTH FEATURE
TESTING, TESTING Essential health screens you need to have now. Margot Bertelsmann
You ache in places you didn’t know you had places and avoid bending down to pick up a dropped pencil until there are three other objects on the floor you can get at the same time. Oh, the glamour of ageing! It’s true getting old can be rather testing, but the best antidote is… more testing! Seriously now, submitting to even uncomfortable preventative health measures trump ending up in the hospital with an emergency every time. So do what you can to exclude health problems or detect them early. Your children will thank you. Here, then, are the ways you should be poked and prodded, and by what age.
Mammogram – breast cancer
Pap smear and/or HPV test – cervical cancer “If you’re going to use a pap smear as a screening tool for cervical cancer, then start at age 21 or at sexual debut, and have one annually if you are HIV positive,” says obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Trudy Smith. “If you are in a monogamous relationship, you can have a pap smear every three years, but go yearly if you have multiple sexual partners, which increases your risk of cervical cancer.” Keep being tested until you turn 65 (according to the World Health Organization), or if you have had a hysterectomy unless the hysterectomy was because of cancer or an abnormal pap smear result. “New South African guidelines would suggest that we abandon pap smears and rather do an HPV test,” says Dr Smith. Whichever test you have, follow your doctor’s or clinic’s guidelines. Consider the HPV vaccine for your daughters AND sons – since 2014 it has been offered to Grade 4 girls as part of the South African government’s vaccination campaign, but you can also obtain it in the private sector, and it protects both sexes against the human papillomavirus, which causes cervical cancer and others. 78 | The Trinitonian
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. South Africa’s uber-breast surgeon, Dr Carol Benn, says, “Breast health is for all women regardless of age. We see cancers in women that are in their 20s and 30s.” So when should breast health start for women? “You should do breast selfexaminations from the time you have breasts,” says Dr Benn. “And young women who present with breast masses must have breast ultrasounds done at specialist units.” But, don’t worry, you don’t necessarily need surgery. “Non-cancer lumps don’t become cancers. But the lumps must be monitored for growth and if there are concerns, a core needle biopsy must be done,” she says.
Even if you have been breast lump-free, you should go for your first mammogram when you turn 40 (international guidelines say by age 50. Start earlier if you have a family history of breast cancer.). A mammogram is an X-ray of your breast tissue and it’s not invasive and not particularly painful.
Colon – colorectal cancer According to the South African Journal of Medicine (SAJM), colorectal cancer is the fourth-most common cancer in South Africa. Gastroenterologist Dr Corné Kruger says: “A screening colonoscopy is recommended for anyone aged 45 years or older, and persons with a family history of colon polyps or cancer should be screened at an age 10 years younger than it was diagnosed in the family member.” A colonoscopy is done under sedation in hospital, and you will have to drink a bowel cleanser before the procedure.
Diabetes
Bone density – osteoporosis
This nasty disease is the biggest killer of women in South Africa today, so it’s another one of those tests people between 40 and 45 should have regularly, if they haven’t been tested before, and with extra precautions added if you are overweight, unfit, have high blood pressure or cholesterol, developed diabetes during pregnancy or if it runs in your family. Visit your doctor to see which of several sorts of diabetes tests is right for you. Diabetes can we well managed with diet, lifestyle changes and medication, but you need to take that first step and be correctly diagnosed.
Hormonal changes in women after menopause mean their bones lose density and can become brittle and prone to breaking. A bone density test is simple, non-invasive, takes about half an hour to complete and can test whether you have osteoporosis. If you do, this condition can be managed with vitamin supplementation, medicine, and lifestyle changes such as stopping smoking and taking up exercise. You should have a test if you break a bone after age 50, otherwise from 65 for women and 70 for men.
Heart disease Here we are at the lifestyle diseases of the middle-aged middle classes. High blood pressure or hypertension is the biggest risk to heart health, according to Dr Liesl Zühlke, president of the SA Heart Association, cited in an article in The Conversation Africa. Being overweight, underactive with a poor diet and lots of stress make you a walking risk. Smoking is a no-brainer in terms of contribution to heart (and lung) disease. Having diabetes or high cholesterol, in addition, add to your risk of having a stroke or heart attack. The best thing you can do for yourself is make better lifestyle choices, but also consult a GP annually for blood pressure, weight, and cholesterol tests. You may be referred to a cardiologist to do a stress test and/or electrocardiogram (ECG) on your heart. This is also a simple and non-invasive test, which could save your life.
HIV
Prostate – prostate cancer
No list of diseases that kill most South Africans is complete without mention of HIV. You may think, having made it to middle age without contracting the disease, that you are safe, but if you’re considering a new sexual partner – as sometimes happens unexpectedly at this age, after a divorce or death of a spouse – you must each be tested before having intercourse. Think carefully about the risks you’re exposing your partner to if you are unfaithful. Remember the threemonth window period since your last sexual encounter before the virus might be detected, and use condoms or abstain in the interim.
One of the “big 5” cancers, an aggressive sort of prostate cancer is more common in African men than others, so it’s important to protect yourself where you can. It’s the test that men dread, but once you’re over 45 you can’t avoid it: the digital rectal examination. This is where a urologist probes your prostate gland with his finger to check if it’s enlarged. “Take heart that this test hurts your urologist more than it hurts you,” jokes Dr Sean Doherty, head of urology at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Johannesburg. Jokes aside, doctors see this as a routine procedure so try equally to think of it as no big deal. “A strong positive family history (father or brother that got prostate cancer before they were 65) means you should get started at age 40, and have an annual digital rectal and PSA blood test,” says Dr Doherty. “Otherwise start at 45 with both tests. Perform it annually if results are normal, but more frequently if any abnormal results are encountered.” The Trinitonian | 79
SPOTLIGHT PRAYER While our culture is obsessed with physical beauty and sexy bodies, God has a lot to say about the importance of the body He gave you. It is talked about throughout the Bible. Dear God, Please intervene, Reunite my body with your blessings ‌ With joy and life and strength. Remind me what it was to be safe in my body, And when I cannot hear Your reminders, cradle me close and rock me, Until the pain melts into the comfort of your presence. Help me to leave behind: frustration, fatigue, bitterness, anger and sadness. Let me hear Your voice and accept Your guidance. Move me – mind, body and soul to a good place. One where I am inspired to gracious living. This is my day Lord, thank You for it. Thank you for taking care of my mind, body and spirit. AMEN
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# 22 An academic spectrum that spans from IIE higher certificates to IIE master’s.
# 98 1 out of every 2 IIE Vega graduates secured employment before graduating.
Ope n D ay | 4 A ug us t GRAPHIC DESIGN
DIGITAL DESIGN
COPYWRITING
GAME DESIGN
PHOTOGRAPHY
Vega is an educational brand of The Independent Institute of Education (Pty) Ltd which is registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training as a private higher education institution under the Higher Education Act, 1997 (reg. no. 2007/HE07/002). Company registration number: 1987/004754/07
FASHION DESIGN
INTERIOR DESIGN
DIGITAL MARKETING
BRAND COMMUNICATION
BRAND MANAGEMENT
The Trinitonian w w w.ve ga s c h o|o81 l . co m
Party platterS Fun & tasty for kids, quick & easy for parents.
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