SOCIETIES AND EVENTS
Staff Ice Bucket Challenge On 26 September several Rustenburg staff members accepted the infamous Ice Bucket Challenge, to raise further funds for St Luke’s Hospice, the charity supported by the school’s 2014 drama production of “HAIR RAISING”. R2800 was raised by the event. Pupils of the school were invited to bid, or pledge money, to splash cold water on their teacher of choice. Much fun and laughter was shared as the school gathered around the Main Quad for this highly anticipated event.
First in the Western Cape, Second in the Country
Bianca Rijkmans (Grade 9) was invited to attend the fourth annual Natural Sciences Olympiad Awards Function held in Pretoria in October this year. The Natural Sciences Olympiad (for Grades 7 – 9) was written on 8 May. There were over 37 000 participants country wide, including 60 entrants from Rustenburg. Ms Monika Brandt (Head of Natural Sciences) accompanied Bianca to this prestigious event which was attended by learners and teachers from all over the country. The day before the Awards Function, the excited group toured Pretoria’s National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, discovered fascinating scientific puzzles at Sci-Enza (the science centre at the University of Pretoria) and was amazed by the camera obscura (a pin-hole camera that allows one to see 360° of the surrounding area) located on the roof of the Chemistry Department at the University of Pretoria. At the actual ceremony, which had been preceded by much anticipation, it was announced that Bianca Rijkmans had placed second in the country, and first in the Western Cape. Bianca walked away with a tablet, a beautiful trophy and a Silver certificate.
Rustenburg’s own AstroTurf The construction of an AstroTurf playing field on the High School grounds was a combined venture on the part of Rustenburg High and Junior Schools, a gesture made even more poignant in light of the celebrations of the schools’ 120th birthday. Technological advances in the playing of hockey have made an AstroTurf field a necessity at school level and the Rustenburg teams have struggled to find time to practice on AstroTurf fields rented from other schools and clubs. Matches too, even home matches, have been played at venues far from the school for years. We are looking forward to being able to host crowds of spectators watching Rustenburg teams play sport on the Rustenburg campus on a Saturday morning. Hockey is the number one winter sport at Rustenburg, with High and Junior Schools having ten teams each, but it is not the only sport that would benefit from the new field. Having an all-weather surface available for the two schools to use year-round would helpful to netball and touch rugby, as well as the Physical Education component of Life Orientation lessons. RGHS MAGAZINE 2014
We had hoped to be able to construct the AstroTurf on the field above the swimming pool in time to be used during the 2014 season, but delays in obtaining planning permission meant that this was not possible. In the end, the Rustenburg Schools’ Astroturf was formally opened by WP Hockey President, Mr Feico Mulder, on 14 October. The fields were inaugurated by several informal hockey matches between High and Junior School teams, parents and their daughters, and past and present pupils. The field was constructed without floodlights as fundraising efforts are on-going to add this feature to the facility. A “Buy a Plot” campaign, whereby parents can sponsor metre-square plots of the new AstroTurf at a cost of R500 each, has been set up and sponsorship opportunities exist for the goal boxes and other high-use areas of the field, advertising hoardings around the field as well as naming rights for the field itself.
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