Hola MaHighSchool Volume 11, Issue 5, May 2022
ture u f the d an ortant t s p pa The ll so im a
Contents May 02 School Calendar 03 Poem for May 06 Editor’s letter 08 Contributors 10 Holler at us 11 Youth Day and Month 12 Overberg: What do we tell them? 14 TVETs and entrepreneurship 16 International Youth Day 22 ICT skills needed - everywhere 26 Soil - more than dirt and mud
Contents 2022 28 How to protect our soil - it is life 32 Lunar soil - good for growing? 38 How to get a writing contract 40 NASA trip to Uranus 46 Brexit trouble: Northern Ireland 50 Accountants against corruption 54 Youth and art: do we do enough? 56 It is Movie Time! 58 The Month of June 60 We need writers 62 Next Issue
Youth Month Youth Day and Youth Month are part of the school calendar. And all our lives for that matter. We may ask ourselves if it is more than just history or nice speeches and a day off. Youth Month can provide us with an opportunity to look at where we are in terms of supporting youth initiatives.
This issue will look at a range of things: Youth entrepreneurs in a TVET setting, youth involvement in art, the value of youth month and a lot more. We have not forgot the more ‘fun’ things: music, film and conspiracies (if I can find a new one). Of course we look at the international scene and also science. There are things happening on all fronts. We hear a lot about land issues, so we do something about it - but with a twist: soil! What is soil really, except creating dirt in the house and marks on the carpet? A different view indeed!. There is no way out of it: The UK elections! and that means Brexit again: a modern show-case of a nation breaking up. Good read!
Sybil Otterstrom Editor and CEO
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are the
Contributors
... and it is a good feeling to entertain and inform.
Masiziba Hadebe is doing her Master’s Agricultural Economics at the University of the Free State (UFS). She is driven to make a change and is a passionate volunteer for community projects. She loves reading and writing about science, agriculture and anything in between. She believes you can wear a smile whatever the weather! I am Marcia Ramodike from Limpopo Tzaneen at lenyenye. I am an author when not studying. I am passionate about writing and i live to give hope and wish to change the world. I love reading and in most of my time i write. My favourite book is ‘Her Mothers Hope by Francine Rivers. And we are honoured to also have industry-views from: Edith Wynne-Trollip: Curriculum Support and advise, Overberg District Ashalia Maharajh: Founder & Director, Sivuka Consulting (Pty) Ltd Thozamile Mvumvu: Communications Practitioner, Northlink TVET
Artvilla Dakamela, 22, another wizard from the literature world, he is an Accounting student at the University of the Free State. He has written for the Initiative for Creative African Narratives (iCAN) amongst others. He currently resides in Durban KZN - and is a very enthusiastic reader and writer.
My name is Molatelo Kate Kgatla, I’m 24 years old. I was born and raised in Lenyenye. I’m a grade 2 teacher at Vunza Teddy Bear Learning Academy, an author of a book titled her jouney as a young mother. I became a mother at 17. It influenced me to write about my personal journey to try and help someone that could be going through the same. I love writing and I love my 7 year old daughter and life. Lesly Malose Mahapa is a singer/writer/poet. He started writing at the age of 14 and has since been on a journey to pursue his music and writing career. Lesly is currently working with an indie group ‘MozSouth’ based in Ivory park, Midrand. Lesly is also a brand ambassador for a local clothing line “Boi Boi apparel”
HOLLER AT US
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Editor & Publisher Sybil Otterstrom sybil@romele.co.za Advertising sales Next level Management services cc 011 614 5046 076 360 1792 sybil@next-level.co.za Publishing Romele Publications cc 32 Eleanor street Troyeville 2094 011 614 5046/076 360 1792
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Youth Day – 16 June – something we should all be aware of. Of course there is a lot of history here. We have chosen to celebrate Youth Day also in remembrance of the uprising in 1976. It was remarkable insofar as it was by and large driven by students. Our youth. It shows something important: look to Greta who started change in Sweden. Her placards every Friday er – started a revoluYouth Day and more than just pretty see action on youth youth.
youth matters. We need only the youth focus on climate actions – sitting with her never mind the weathtion in thinking. Month should be speeches. We should issues, driven by
Let us face it; it is not easy to get an education and a job afterwards. However, by realizing our strength we can make a difference. Just as 1976 and Greta has shown us. … and if we look around, we could just see even more examples of this. It does matter.
Youth Month in South Africa The history of youth month stems from the June 1976 massacre of young people. Source. South Africa is fortunate to have a youthful nation. However, the recent unemployment statistics pertaining to young people is cause for concern. The 2020 fourth quarter Labour Force Survey found that about 8,6 million young people aged between 15 and 34 years are not in education and not in employment. In helping drawing more young people into the economy, government has under the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention initiated various youth development and empowerment initiatives to support young people. It ranges from formal education and training; learnerships and internships as well as support for youth entrepreneurship. Our initiatives provide the necessary support for young people to take on their challenges and win. Source. It is important for teachers to expose learners to the history of youth month in South Africa. Make learners understand the many
sacrifices that was made by the youth of June 1976 in order for the youth today to enjoy and participate in an equal and improved society. Teaching learners from a very young age to understand and appreciate the freedoms that they all currently enjoy and encouraging them to take full advantage of the many opportunities on offer. Understanding that they have a responsibility to leave this world in a better state than what they found it in. It is true that there is a culture of entitlement, extreme poverty and unemployment particularly under the youth in South Africa. It is therefore important that teachers guide them to realize their potential, creativity and power to re-shape the space they find themselves in. Not expecting from government but adding their own special flair and vibe to Entrepreneurship and development in society in terms of job creation and employment. Accessing funding and skills programmes as well as growth in terms of 4th industrial revolution skills. Source. Preparing learners for the next few years implies that teachers must also be ready to expose learners to much more than mere textbook information and knowledge that might be outdated already. It is also a fact that learners might be much more technologically advanced than the learners that they might be expected to teach. This means teachers need to be upskilled and ready to handle and manage the content and skills expected of them to deliver in the mediation of the curriculum that they are expected to teach.
Edith Wynne-Trollip (writing in her personal capacity) Curriculum Support and Advise Overberg Education District
Falsebay College Centre of Entrepreneurship Rapid Incubator (CfERI) The Falsebay College Centre of Entrepreneurship Rapid Incubator (CfERI also known as CfE) is situated at Westlake in the Western Cape. Its purpose is to encourage and nurture entrepreneurial ventures and improve socio economical standing of entrepreneurs/informal traders and their communities. This is done through creating sustainable local economies by improving growth and innovation. After attending the incubation programme, small businesses are able to help stimulate local economic growth by providing employment opportunities in their communities, in areas like Westlake, Masiphumelele, Khayelitsha, Vrygrond, Mfuleni, Mitchells Plain and others. The Centre uses the Growth Wheel tool for decision-making in startups and business growth. The Growth wheel tool helps entrepreneurs visualise their business objectives and plan their developmental path through a one-on-one consultation with a Growth Wheel advisor. Growth Wheel provides a simple checklist that helps advisors and
entrepreneurs have conversations about growing a business. Through the Growth Wheel business assessment process, the entrepreneur and the CfE advisor are able to identify gaps and areas requiring prioritisation which are essential for the business to be properly functional. Falsebay College CfE’s major focus is on entrepreneur development, encourage the development of new businesses and broad entrepreneurial thinking among local communities and South Africans at large. The Centre’s mission is to create a new breed of entrepreneurs by means of rapid incubation, starting with pre-incubation (transforming a business idea into a start-up business), Incubation phase (providing access to support services) and post-incubation (supporting graduate entrepreneurs). Enrolment in the Centre for Entrepreneurship programme is through responding to advertised opportunities, which are widely published on community newspapers, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Instagram platforms, including Falsebay TVET College website whenever they are available. Recently the Centre graduated about 50 of its entrepreneurs/informal traders and some are also taking part in the inter-college business pitching competition hosted at Westlake campus main hall. This is an initiative that began at False Bay College (CFERI) in 2021. This business pitching competition has now been rolled out throughout the country culminating in a national competition, now spearheaded by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET). The competition has become DHET’s strategic imperative to promote countrywide youth entrepreneurship and to ensure continued support for the development of youth-owned businesses. Thozamile Thomas Mvumvu CFE Programme Manager False Bay TVET College Thozamile is writing in his personal capacity
International Youth Day – 12 August True enough, we celebrate Youth Day 16 June in South Africa. However, the International Youth Day is 12 August. We thought it could be an idea to look at the international side of it in this issue. After all, this is issue is all about youth. I found an article here and also got inspired by Wiki. We may think that Youth Day should have been around for some time. Not so. Our Youth Day (16 June) was agreed upon by UN only in 1999 and the first International Youth Day was first observed in 2000. The UN objectives are for youth organisations, society and government structures to have a moment to focus on youth issues. It has developed from concerts and cultural activities to a more focused approach. The theme of International Youth day 2022 is “Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation For Human And Planetary Health “, focusing on
the issue and highlighting that no effort could be successful without the participation of youth. With the support of young people, all the world leaders can achieve their targets If we look at this theme we have inspired UN. This is activities and speechCan we push for should be inand in setting goals. After all, this planet sooner Unless youth in the agenda, the it.
may see that Greta surely must a lot more than cultural es. something? Youth volved in politics development youth will inherit or later. general can set world is poorer for
If we cast our memory back to 1976, it was a watershed in South Africa. According to Greta “we have to act as though our house is on fire … because it is”. This is the spirit of today and that is what the theme for 2022 can be used for. I quote: “2022 International Youth Day is started with an initiative to mainstream the young generations of age group between 15 and 24 years old and their major issues so that the world leaders could be able to solve and work for the betterment and prosperity of the youth. Every year on 12th August it is celebrated with great enthusiasm to work for the needs of the youth and their local and global issues.
NOT SURE WHAT TO DO AFTER YOU LEAVE SCHOOL? Read on and see why EEC TVET College could be your partner to a brighter future… “2022 could be an exciting time for you as you leave high school behind and start equipping yourself for a career, whether as a self-employed entrepreneur or nding a niche for yourself in the workplace!”
MARKETING DIRECTOR Mr Z Mbolekwa
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GOOD REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD CONSIDER ENROLLING AS A STUDENT AT EKURHULENI EAST TVET COLLEGE: 1. We offer a wide selection of programmes: You need to use the time after you leave school to equip yourself with the skills that will make you employable. EEC TVET College offers vocational training of a high standard in many �elds� ICT, Tourism, Accounting, Secretarial, Hospitality, Electrical, Mechanical and Civil Engineering, Wholesale and Retail as well as a wide range of artisan trades that are recognised as being in high demand, e.g. Fitter and Turner, Welder, Boiler Maker, Air Conditioning Services Technician, Melter etc. 2. You can enrol as a student at EEC TVET College with Grade 9, 10, 11 and Grade 12 or equivalent: If you have passed the above grades, you qualify to enrol for the NC(V) National Certi�cate (Vocational) which will give you a Matric Equivalent Certi�cate in vocational subjects after three years. If you have already passed Grade 12, you could enrol for a Report 191, (N4 – N6) Nated courses. Each level takes six months so at the end of eighteen months you could have completed the theoretical aspect of your training. In order to get a National Diploma, you would have to have a further eighteen months in the workplace as an intern (for Business Studies) or twenty-four months for the Engineering Diploma. 3. You will have real-life practical experience in the workplace and exposure to hosting companies: A crucial reason why you should think about doing your training at EEC TVET College is that we believe that students “learn best by doing”. Whether it is in simulation rooms or in the electrical or mechanical workshops or in the real workplace, the theoretical and practical components of a TVET College curriculum have to be integrated. Students have to complete a period of Work Based Experience (WBE). This gives them actual real-life experience in the workplace and the chance to apply the knowledge they have acquired in the classroom. Those students who approach their WBE period professionally with a determination to learn as much as they can, enhance their chances of becoming employable. Qualifying students are also selected on the basis of their academic record, to participate in learnerships where they divide their time at the College between their theory classes and the practical components in the workplace with a company. They often have the opportunity to take their trade tests with that company and make contacts in the industry which could be helpful to them in the future. Students are encouraged to be proactive in marketing themselves and looking for placement opportunities using their own initiative. 4. Financial assistance for prospective students available:NSFAS bursaries (not loans that have to be repaid) are available to �nancially needy students who are academically capable, pass their subjects and attend all their classes and practicals. 5. EEC TVET College is an accredited TVET College for programmesranging from Engineering, Business, ICT, Hospitality and Tourism to Occupational programmes. Occupational programmes will lead to apprenticeship and eventually artisanship. 6. In choosing your career you are making one of the most important decisions of your life:There are endless opportunities and possibilities that come with enrolling at EEC TVET College.
PROGRAMMES OFFERED Requirements: Completed and passed Gr 10/NCV level 4 Duration: Semester BENONI CAMPUS
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Prudence Mathebula: Founder and MD
ICT is the answer to South Africa’s Youth Unemployment While South Africa’s youth unemployment rate rampantly soars, the country’s digital skills shortage is bursting at its seams. Information Communication Technology (ICT) skills are the rarest ever on record, especially among women, but urgent intervention from the likes of Prudence Mathebula is helping stop things from getting a lot worse, before getting any better. Says Prudence Mathebula: As the founder and managing director of Dynamic DNA, a leading training and skills development company empowering Africa’s ICT generation, I know that addressing the country’s critical skills mismatch head-on is the only way of improving the future of young people and our country. I believe that by giving young people the right skills for tomorrow’s job market, they can secure their employment for the future. I am deter-
mined to upskill as many of the eight million underprivileged and unemployed 15-34-year-olds as possible. My passion for skills development came ablaze when I completed a degree in B-BBEE management at the University of Witwatersrand and joined Dynamic Visual Technologies (DVT). While implementing a skills development programme that I had single-handily secured funding for and registered with the MICT SETA, I was stunned to find so few black ICT professionals and especially women.
So, I spearheaded the concept of Dynamic DNA literally overnight. I saw an opportunity that other training providers were not doing seeing but which was desperately needed in the ICT sector and that was providing practical learning and mentoring components. It is certainly a step in the right direction yet there are some stumbling blocks that hinder hopes of meaningful progress. Most companies today require potential employees to have qualifications in the form of a university degree as well as specific work experience, but this is not always possible among the underprivileged. When my own family was unable to fund my university studies, I had to seek out every possible alternative. After diligently looking every day, I heard about a bursary being offered by MICT SETA, so I took a one-hour walk to their offices. It was worth it as I was accepted along with 30 other students out of hundreds of applicants.
Hard work and the right partner eliminate barriers to entry If you are digitally savvy and have the ability to consider a career in IT, you can get fully accredited, specialist courses that equip you for employment. Dynamic DNA partners with many companies in different sectors to sponsor students and help them build their ICT skills through learnerships. You can bridge the gender divide Perhaps an indication of just how uncommon it is for South African women to even consider a career in ICT, I myself completed a Vega diploma in marketing and advertising first and then began a successful career in sales before getting into ICT. Part of the problem is that statistics show South African women are grossly underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics at university level, which restricts the pool of skilled female talent available to fill essential jobs in the ICT sector. There is a gap for women to take on powerful positions in business, in the technology sector, and entrepreneurship and yet we see only a few successful women who have made it in the industry. Consider a career in ICT For young people to even consider pursuing a fledgling and long-term career in ICT, they need to first understand what the sector encompasses. If you are unsure if ICT is the right choice, if these statements appeal to you then you should consider it:
You enjoy solving challenging problems: If you want a career in ICT you will need to be good at maths. You are passionate about making South Africa better: A critical shortage of ICT skills is impeding South Africa from progressing and competing on the world stage. You want to get a better paying job and improve your future: South Africa’s ICT Skills Survey found nearly 10 000 hard-to-fill positions in the ICT sector in 2021, and the number is expected to be considerably higher this year. You don’t want to be a technical geek: There are a wide variety of non-technical jobs that require ICT skills but also high levels of creativity such as digital marketing. You want to seize opportunities to travel the world: There is a global demand for competent ICT professionals, not just in South Africa. Getting a qualification and experience in the ICT sector can be a ticket to an international adventure.
Submitted by Nadea Hearn Get-Published
What is soil? Soil is one of the characteristics of ‘the earth’: we grow food in it. It is always there. But how exactly do we define soil? Soil, as defined by Britannica, is a biologically active, porous medium that has developed in the uppermost layer of the Earth’s crust. Soil also serves as a reservoir of water and nutrients, as a medium for the filtration and breakdown of injurious wastes, and as a participant in the cycling of carbon and other elements through the global ecosystem. It has evolved through weathering processes driven by biological, climatic, geologic, and topographic influences. The soil we see is basically an evolutionary process over time and just like vegetation is different across the planet, from continent to continent; so is the soil. Soils therefore differ widely in their properties because of geologic and climatic variation over distance and time. Even a simple property, such as the soil thickness, can range from a few centimetres to many metres. Essentially, soil is therefore distinguished using ‘layers’ or ‘horizons’
The first horizon is the humus or organic layer. This layer is mostly organic matter such as decomposing leaves. It also often called the ‘O’ horizon and is thin in some soils, thick in others, and not present at all in other soils. The second layer is the topsoil also called ‘A’. The topsoil has mostly minerals from parent material with organic matter incorporated. A good material for plants and other organisms to live. The third horizon is the eluviated horizon, the ‘E’ layer. It is leached of clay, minerals, and organic matter, leaving a concentration of sand and silt particles of quartz or other resistant materials – missing in some soils but often found in older soils and forest soils. The fourth layer is the subsoil which is rich in minerals that leached (moved down) from the A or E horizons and accumulated. The remaining soil horizons are the parent material and the bedrock which are responsible for the deposit at Earth’s surface from which the soil developed and forming the parent material for some soils. The definition of soil is an ever-evolving process. Soil is diverse and it is just not dirt. It is important to keep track of the biologically ‘active’ porous medium. Moreover, there is a need to protect it; because there are aspects that can hinder the soil from fulfilling its functions. For instance, soil pollution, soil erosion, soil degradation and soil compaction.
Masiziba Hadebe
How to protect the soil Soil, even though it’s a biological medium that has evolved over time, has problems and challenges that can be mitigated. This is because soil is an important biological active medium that plays an essential role in the food we eat, the trees that absorb our carbon dioxide amongst many other uses. The question then becomes: how do we ensure that we protect such an important biological medium? Firstly, there is a need to identify the problems that are commonly associated with soil which prove detrimental to all the key functions that the ‘soil’ carries out. The problems are namely (the list is not exhaustive, and one must always be on the lookout for challenges); soil pollution, soil erosion and soil degradation Soil pollution/contamination is one of the biggest soil problems on the planet. Many different types of contaminants - heavy metals like lead, arsenic, and chromium, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pesticides, animal waste, industrial waste can find their way into soil. One of the prominent ways to mitigate soil pollution (especially since it is a complex problem that ought to be solved) is to reduce the use
of Chemical Fertilizers. This is a huge debate across industries. Often, the productivity of agriculture and use of chemical fertilisers is an ongoing discussion. Other proposed solutions are reforestation and afforestation, recycling and reusing products amongst many other proposals. Soil erosion, on the other hand, is water flowing across soil, especially when bare, carries soil particles and nutrients off-site. This can lead to the build-up of sediment in streams, ponds, rivers, and degrades water quality and degrades ecosystems. One of the keyways of mitigating soil erosion is to monitor all areas of your yard for signs of soil erosion.
Sometimes stormwater that is not able to soak into soil gets channelled and gathers force and can carry away unprotected soil. Additionally, keep soil covered at all times using groundcovers (from turf to trees), permanent non-plant cover (mulches), or cover crops.
Soil degradation is a problem where the solution is focused on one area: Agriculture. This is because soil degradation describes what happens when the quality of soil declines and diminishes its capacity to support animals and plants. Therefore, it is recommended that practicing crop rotation allows different plants to grow in an area of soil every year. This allows the soil to replenish itself of nutrients that are lacking after the growth of one type of plant. Agroforestry and Permaculture are also encouraged. It is clear that soil can be protected. However, there is still a long way to go. It is important to continually identify problems and not only propose, but also implement the solutions provided. Some solutions, like recycling and reusing, are practices that start with us and therefore we can play a role in implementing the solution.
Masiziba Hadebe
HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR CAREER Knowing yourself and your capabilities
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eer Car ice o ch
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Growing plants in lunar soil? We are going back to the Moon – soon. NASA has it in the plans for this decade. The moon base will be reality but how is not so clear yet. Of course we have all been living under this notion that to grow things on the moon is easy: we bring a bucket of water, spinach and carrot seeds from ‘home’ and off we go. After all, soil is soil? Not so, as we have learnt from Masiziba. It is complicated! To test this we could of course take some lunar soil and stick some spinach in it and see what will happen. The problem is: we don’t have too much lunar soil. What we have is from the Apollo missions a long time ago now. The next problem is what soil is it? Is it the dust from the surface? Or maybe top soil or from some other horizon? We don’t know what we have, but really: it is a scoop of the surface dust.
I found an article here. Tests have been done but have been limited to just dusting plants with lunar soil to see if there would be any harmful pathogens in the soil. The real goal would be to plant something in a fair amount of soil. Except…. We have not had a lot of soil. I quote: “The research team requested […] from Ryan Zeigler, NASA’s Apollo sample curator, [..]. [He] sent them a total of 12 grams (2.7 teaspoons) from lunar samples collected from the Apollo 11, 12 and 17 missions” The scientists planted a few seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana, or thale cress. The plant has already been to space aboard the shuttle and space station, providing the team with space data to use for a comparison. Arabidopsis seeds were also planted in a synthetic substance that simulates lunar soil, as well volcanic ash and other substrates from extreme environments. They all grew in lunar soil, but they were ‘stressed’. The plants had to adapt to something totally new and although not happy, they did sprout. As amazing as it is, it is only the beginning. Much more needs to be researched: do we add fertilizers? What does water do to lunar soil which had not seen water in billions of years? Should we dig deep to ‘find’ better lunar soil? And a ton of other questions. Conclusion? It is possible, but don’t bring out the spinach just yet
New Exhibitions
We added two new exhibitions to our collection on the floor. The 4IR and Mirror Maze exhibitions
4IR Exhibition The 4IR exhibition currently hosts the Humanoids (two small ones and the big one called Pepper), Virtual reality Station, Augmented Reality and the interactive displays integrated with of a number of TV screens. This concept is through the touch screen located at the entrance to the center. Interactive display section has been created where visitors are encouraged to use traditional touch screens to immerse themselves in games and content around Science Technology Engineering and Arts and Mathematics (STEAM).
Children are provided with the opportunity to play games to train their analytical ability, improve their ability to solve puzzles and chal-
lenges. They are also challenged to explore more traditional content style, such as exploration of subjects including how Artificial Intelligence works, Machine Learning, how data transfers over networks etc. Science Exploration While traditional science teaching has complex challenges around logistics, safety and costs. VR has none of these limitations. Experiments are done as often as needed with no physical costs of materials or safety concerns. Students can learn about physics and chemistry, life science etc. in a safe environment. Within VR learning occurs without any distract but with full immersion. Learning and understanding mathematics becomes easier and more fun inside of VR due to the nature of games and how they are designed. This is designed to make learning and exploration real fun especially for little ones. Wide learning opportunities exist through this exhibition, children have many prospects to learn on, e.g. google earth exploration experience. With Google Earth VR, children can travel to almost any place in the world. They can fly all over the world and explore any city, any monument and landmark anywhere in the world.The exhibition has two different types of humanoids the small one (called Sanbot Max and the Bigger one called Pepper). The Sanbot Max robot was designed to be implemented into numerous kinds of business scenarios, providing customers and staff members with intelligent and efficient services. Pepper is a semi-humanoid robot, which means that a human has to control it. It is designed with the ability to read emotions. Pepper recognizes faces and basic human emotion.
Drones and Mirror Maze Drones Pilots at the Clubhouse Did you know that the Clubhouse has three certified drone pilots? They also have 10 DJI Tell drones that they will used for their drone course. They are currently putting together content for the said course. In addition, the Clubhouse offers programmes such as Teach Fundamentals of drones, real-life applications of drones: namely surveillance using object identification and tracking to videography for commercials and other media use. This includes python programming that covers drone automation.
Mirror Maze Exhibit A mirror is an object that reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror will show an image of whatever is in front of it, when focused through the lens of the eye or a camera. Mirrors reverse the direction of the image in an equal yet opposite angle from which the light shines upon it. This allows the viewer to see themselves or objects behind them, or even objects that are at an angle from them but out of their field of view, such as around a corner. Natural mirrors prehistoric times, water, but people turing mirrors out rials for thousands metals, and glass. metals like silver often used due to applied as a thin cause of its natuhard surface.
have existed since such as the surface of have been manufacof a variety of mateof years, like stone, In modern mirrors, or aluminum are their high reflectivity, coating on glass berally smooth and very
A maze is a path or collection of paths, typically from an entrance to a goal. The word is used to refer both to branching tour puzzles through which the solver must find a route, and to simpler non-branching patterns that lead unambiguously through a convoluted layout to a goal. The pathways and walls in a maze are typically fixed, but puzzles in which the walls and paths can change during the game are also categorised as mazes or tour puzzles Mirror Maze The mirror maze itself is a pattern, combining several characteristics of geometric patterns: repetition, symmetry and tessellation using repeated equilateral triangles. These triangles fit together without any gaps or overlaps, creating a tessellation. Mirrored surfaces all around reflect the pattern so that it repeats and appears infinite.
How to get a writing contract Are you an aspiring writer and wish to be a published author? Here are few things you need to know in order to be safe and avoid your work being stolen. Before you send your manuscript to any publishing house you need to make sure that, the company is a registered company and not a scam. You do this because should you choose a company that is not registered, your work and ideas might be stolen or be used as another person’s intellectual property and not your own. Let’s say then you find a legit company. Then the first step is to check what they offer, then ask for a legal contract with what they offer and terms and conditions. Make sure that before you sign you read the document at least twice so that if you have missed something important you could catch it. Should you not understand something then ask for a proper explanation from the company or from the person who will be assisting you at that time.
raise the issue and let it be fixed.
Important things that you should check is, how much is it to publish with them, how long will it take, for how long will you be bound by that legal contract and what do they cover, are there any additional costs and so forth. If you want to include something, mention it and if you are against some of the terms and conditions,
The last important thing is to make sure you ask what the publishing house will be charging from your work (i.e. royalty). if you disagree there are a lot of publishing houses you can check but make sure that before you commit and agree to something you negotiate with that company. If you are self-publishing (you pay all of it yourself) make sure that whoever you work with is a good person. Copyrights in the book are the ones that protect your intellectual property. Make sure that before you start selling the book it is copyrighted. They are usually at the second page of your book. If you wish to publish your work you can email me at: marciaramodike@gmail.com If you feel lazy to write, here is a motivation: put that pen on a paper! who knows maybe that story will change your life.
Marcia Ramodike
A new mission to Uranus This is all inspired by articles I found on BBC and also Wiki We tend to be caught up in the Mars missions and a return to the Moon and the flyby of Saturn and so on. But lo and behold, there are other planets out there. The problem is that they are rather far away and it takes some years to get there. They are sort of overlooked a bit. That, however, does not make them less ‘interesting’. Thanks to our massive telescopes, we discover new planets nearly on an hourly basis. The majority seems to be in the likes of Uranus. Not as big as Jupiter and not as small as Earth and Venus. We are starting to have a fair idea of how the massive gas giants (Jupiter) got formed. And also Earth. But the mid-sized ones (Uranus) are a bit of a mystery. Therefore, the science community has recommended that NASA should focus on a Uranus mission. It is not like we are popping by on a regular basis. It has only ever been visited once before, in a brief flyby by the Voyager-2 probe in 1986.
The recommendation is made in a document published by the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS). Known as a “decadal survey”, it is the summation of what the American research community thinks are the big planetary science questions right now and the space missions required to answer them. Nasa has broadly followed the recommendations of previous National Academies reports. Uranus is an oddity compared to the other planets in the Solar System in that its axis of rotation is almost parallel with the plane of its orbit around the Sun. It’s as if it has been knocked on to its side, which may well be the explanation - scientists speculate that it suffered a massive impact with another body early in its history. Uranus has rings and plenty of moons. Indeed, the moons are quite a draw because a good many of them are likely to be “ocean worlds”. There are favourable launch opportunities in 2031 and 2032 that would allow a spacecraft to use a gravity slingshot around Jupiter to shorten the cruise time to Uranus to “just” 13 years. The spacecraft would go into orbit around the planet, which would preclude any observations at the more-distant Neptune. The eighth and outermost planet will have to wait its turn.
What is Uranus? Wiki says: It has the third-largest planetary radius and fourth-largest planetary mass in the Solar System. Uranus is similar in composition to Neptune, and both have bulk chemical compositions which differ from that of the larger gas giants Jupiter and Saturn. For this reason, scientists often classify Uranus and Neptune as “ice giants” to distinguish them from the other giant planets. As with gas giants, ice giants also lack a well defined “solid surface.” Uranus’s atmosphere is similar to Jupiter’s and Saturn’s in its primary composition of hydrogen and helium, but it contains more “ices” such as water, ammonia, and methane, along with traces of other hydrocarbons. It has the coldest planetary atmosphere in the Solar System, with a minimum temperature of 49 K (−224 °C; −371 °F), and has a complex, layered cloud structure with water thought to make up the lowest clouds and methane the uppermost layer of clouds. The interior of Uranus is mainly composed of ices and rock.
Like the other giant planets, Uranus has a ring system, a magnetosphere, and numerous moons. The Uranian system has a unique configuration because its axis of rotation is tilted sideways, nearly into the plane of its solar orbit. Its north and south poles, therefore, lie where most other planets have their equators. In 1986, images from Voyager 2 showed Uranus as an almost featureless planet in visible light, without the cloud bands or storms associated with the other giant planets. Voyager 2 remains the only spacecraft to visit the planet We hardly know anything about Uranus. We suspect that a proto-planet hit Uranus some 3-4 billion years back and that tilted Uranus. Maybe that also caused the internal ‘heat’ in Uranus to dissipate; hence Uranus is the coldest planet of them all and hardly radiates any heat. Sure enough, Uranus has a ring system (like Saturn) but the rings are very dark and consists of ‘dust’. So we don’t know anything really. Uranus has some 27 moons and those are theorized to contain liquid water below the surface. But we don’t know that. If we can get to Uranus, we should start knowing a bit more about our own solar system. But we don’t know that either!
What is NSFAS?
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is a government entity under the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET)
What does NSFAS do? Supports access to and success in, higher education and training for students from poor and working-class families who would otherwise not be able to afford the cost of studies at a public university or Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college. • Provides financial aid to eligible students who are studying or plan to study at any of the 50 TVET colleges or the 26 public universities in South Africa • Identifies students who qualify for the bursary • Provides bursaries to students
Who qualifies for NSFAS funding? • All South African citizens • All SASSA grant recipients • Applicants whose combined household income is not more than R350 000 per annum • Persons with disabilities with a combined household income of not more than R600 000 per annum • Students who started studying at a university before 2018 and whose household income is not more than R122 000 per annum
What does the NSFAS bursary cover?
• Registration • Tuition • Book allowance • Accommodation allowance • Transport allowance • Food allowance • Personal care allowance
Does the NSFAS bursary offer any additional support for students with disabilities? Yes, NSFAS further supports funded students with disabilities through an additional allowance that covers: • Medical assessments • Assistive devices • Human support to cover for the cost of a caregiver, guide dog, scribe or tutor.
How, where and when can one apply for NSFAS? The 2021 application season will be communicated through media, social media and the NSFAS website www.nsfas.org.za. Applications are submitted online through the NSFAS website: www.nsfas.org.za
To apply for NSFAS funding students must have a registered myNSFAS account. If you plan to study in 2021 and require support from NSFAS, you may open your myNSFAS account now to keep updated with the latest funding information.
Connect with us using the following channels: National Student Financial Aid Scheme
myNSFAS
myNSFAS
NSFAS Connect: www.nsfas.org.za and log into your myNSFAS account NSFAS Connect gives you access to quick facts and frequently asked questions. Applicants and students can also submit and track a query for further assistance.
The UK elections in 2022 The UK elections had many surprises – and some not so surprising things. Let us look at something else this time. Northern Ireland and Ireland. This is confusing, but let us start with a few facts. Actually recent history. The rest you can look up yourselves. We have two parties to look at really. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Fein. DUP was formed in 1971 during the Troubles (the Northern Ireland ‘civil war’). DUP has been described as right-wing and pro-Brexit. On top of, it is pro-British, seeing Northern Ireland as an un-dividedly part of UK.
ams (look him up).
Sinn Fein is coming from the IRA side of the spectrum. However, the focus changed to winning elections and being represented via the ballot through the 1980’s under the leadership of Gerry Ad-
It lead to the Good Friday Agreement, which is really power-sharing between the Protestant pro-British and the nationalist (Catholic) movements – in essence DUP and Sinn Fein. The Good Friday agreement specifies that the biggest party must provide the First Minister (PM) and the second-biggest the Deputy First Minister. DUP has been the biggest party for years, but that changed with the UK elections here in May 2022. Sinn Fein is now the biggest. The agreement also specifies that there must be no hard borders between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Remember, Ireland is an EU member. DUP is pro-Brexit and is against the Northern Ireland Protocol. That is the one governing the Irish part of Brexit. And here comes trouble: The DUP first minister resigned in protest against the Northern Ireland Protocol in 2022 and that of course collapsed the government. Sinn Fein is anti-Brexit, but also realizes that the Northern Ireland Protocol has got so many built-in problems that are not being solved. In comes the elections and now Sinn Fein is the biggest party – the first time a nationalist party provides the First Minister. DUP leader Donaldson has claimed he will not be a member of the Northern Ireland Parliament until the Brexit problems have been solved. Sinn Fein is claiming that DUP is letting Northern Ireland down as no new government can be formed right now without DUP. The thing is: can the Irish problem be solved at all within the current treaties and agreements?
Let us look at some of the inherent problems: The UK parliament (London) is proclaiming that Northern Ireland is an integral part of UK and there can be no laws that will be different in Northern Ireland compared to the rest of the UK. This is also what DUP is saying. The Good Friday agreement (1999) has as the most salient part the following: • that the majority of the people of Northern Ireland wished to remain a part of the United Kingdom; • that a substantial section of the people of Northern Ireland, and the majority of the people of the island of Ireland, wished to bring about a united Ireland. Does it sound like squaring the circle? The Good Friday agreement also had Republic of Ireland (Eire) to change its constitution to no longer claim to be the legitimate government of the entire island. That meant that Eire is a player in this game. Brexit made it worse. With UK (inclusive of Northern Ireland) out of EU, there had to be borders now between EU and UK. As Eire is a sovereign country and part of
EU, the logical outcome would have been a border across the island of Ireland. Such a border is against the Good Friday agreement. The solution? A special Northern Ireland Protocol that stipulates that there is no hard border between Northern Ireland and Eire, but that Northern Ireland will adhere to EU laws pertaining to some products and services. But that is against the stated intention of not separating Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK. EU’s main concern is that goods (like pharmaceuticals from US) that are banned in EU can be imported into UK (from say US) and then re-exported to Northern Ireland and then across the border to Eire and they are then in EU. EU is protecting its member states of which Eire is one of them. UK parliament (Boris Johnson) is protecting the integrity of UK. Sinn Fein may have anticipated all of this as they suggested a referendum on the reunification of the entire island. That would have solved all border disputes. More trouble in Paradise: The Scottish Nationalist party (SNP) gained so much ground that they are now talking about referendum 2.0 (a re-run on the Scottish Independence referendum). This is perhaps logical. Maybe we will see both Scotland and Northern Ireland leaving the UK in the coming years. instead of squaring the circle, we could destroy the circle.
Accountants in fighting against corruption Professional Accountants have the potential to play a major role in detecting and preventing corruption. Their accountancy skills and expertise make them well suitable for employment within the anti-corruption industry, as they can be of great assistance to the government, private businesses as well as the public in partnership with strong anti-corruption agencies. A few common types of corruption covered by the accountancy profession
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• Money Laundering – This refers to the process of converting money obtained from illegal activities such as the proceeds from selling drugs or human trafficking to clean money. • Fraud – Fraud involves the incorrect information presented to other parties for personal gains. An example of this can be the recording of ghost employees in a company’s payroll system, by a dishonest employee, in order to obtain the earnings of each fictitious employee. Bribery – This is the offering of money in order to influence the actions of those in positions of power. Bribery can be used to avoid company fines as well as allocating promotions in a company.
People who commit the abovementioned financial crimes often go to extreme lengths to camouflage their illicit transactions. However, Accountants are well qualified to actively contribute to discovering these illegal acts. Accountants ought to pay detailed attention to business transactions as it, together with their audit skills, makes them exceptional investigators and exceedingly valuable people in fighting against corruption. Why should Accountants fight against corruption? Besides the obvious fact that accounting professionals are bound to act in the public interest and with integrity, it is important for these professionals to contribute to tackling corruption as this will promote the country’s economic growth, equality, and fairness, and toughen our law enforcement thus preventing dishonest individuals from being corrupt. As mentioned above, Accountants play vital roles in preventing corruption, hence their accounting and audit skills are required in ensuring positive responses and sound investigations. Accountants are the first doorkeepers to ensure the reliability and validity of business transactions, and thus are often the first to identify corruption. And together with auditors, whether internal or external auditors, have a duty to protect the interest of the public and are bound to the SAICA code of professional conduct calling for the highest levels of integrity and objectivity.
Artvilla Dakamela
Hola MaHi We just created our whatsapp group! Why not join? The group name is Hola MaHigh-School and you can chuck me a whatsapp on 076 503 1282 and you will get added pronto.
igh-School What will you receive? We will have the monthly digizine in your hands via the link to Issuu. That is a quick way of making sure you can enjoy it in your own time. ` Info and more info We promise not to burden you with too much info, but if and when something great is happening (an article perhaps?) we will push it out to you. Can I post as well? Limited for now, but please feel free to whatsapp me on my office cell: 076 503 1282. If it is relevant, we wil ensure it gets out there.
Are we doing enough to get youth involved in arts? By Lezy de Yong My opinion is that we are not doing enough to get youth involved in the arts. I even feel we are actually neglecting the arts a little bit. Arts is a form of expression and if it is nurtured and taken seriously it could really benefit our youth and help them to be able to sustain themselves and can be a very fulfilling career. Art is important to any society. It is here to enhance our lives. Right now a lot of our youth are using social media to express themselves and to showcase what they are good at as that is the space that is given most attention. We see a lot of young people showcasing their dancing, singing and even acting on platforms such as Tik Tok, YouTube and Instagram which now has created a space for them to express themselves. One could say it is because of the effects of the pandemic and that is why things are they way they are, but I feel we are just not paying enough attention to the arts in general.
Art is just so many things. It spans from symphonic music and ballet at a real venue to graffiti and Tik tok videos. It is the variety that makes it exciting and enhancing the human aspect of a society. A career is not just about maths and science. It is really sad to see talented youth not succeeding because of lack of support and facilities where they can go to and share ideas and showcase their skills. Though there are some organizations and communities that try to give support where they can, it is still not enough and for as long as we still view arts as a hobby that will never make ends meet, we have a long way to go. On a positive note, I want to show my appreciation to schools, organizations and institutions that support the arts industry and that also encourages creative thinking and to artists that keep on pushing no matter how little support they get. It is truly inspirational and I urge our school system to give arts a chance as not all of us will be doctors, lawyers and accountants. There are kids out there who might not be academically gifted but are great artists and if we don’t support them, we will be failing them.
It’s mov All courtesy of NuMetro Welcome back to the big screen. I know what I will be doing! Popcorn - here I come Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 After fifteen years, someone’s knocked on the door again, and itʼs no ordinary spirit behind there: Manjulika can do black magic. Being raised among ghosts gives Rooh Baba the ability to see dead people, with some scary and hilarious consequences. Donald Trump’s tweets and a witch’s feet are always crooked, and everyone’s in danger, but the Thakurs never run from trouble, and the Randhawas flee at the first sign of it! Screening: 20 May 2022
vie time! - look them up and see!
Thor: Love and Thunder Thor is attempting to be on a quest unlike anything he’s ever faced – inner peace. But, his retirement is interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher, who seeks the extinction of the gods. To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie, Korg, and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster, who–to Thor’s surprise–inexplicably wields Thorʼs own magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor. Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcherʼs vengeance and stop Gorr before itʼs too late. Screening: 8 July 2022
This is it! within days we are formally into winter, although we are there already All is from Wiki - of course. World Blood Donor Day (WBDD) is held on June 14 each year. The event was organised for the first time in 2005, by a joint initiative of the World Health Organization, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products, and to thank blood donors for their voluntary, life-saving gifts of blood. Transfusion of blood and blood products helps and save millions of lives every year. It can help patients who suffering from life-threatening conditions live longer and with higher quality of life, and supports complex medical and surgical procedures. It also has an essential, life-saving role in maternal and perinatal care. Access to safe and sufficient blood and blood products can help reduce rates of death and disability due to severe bleeding during delivery and after childbirth.
Tourette syndrome is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that begins in childhood or adolescence. It is characterized by multiple movement (motor) tics and at least one vocal (phonic) tic. Common tics are blinking, coughing, throat clearing, sniffing, and facial movements. Tourette’s is at the more severe end of a spectrum of tic disorders. The tics often go unnoticed by casual observers. About 1% of school-age children and adolescents are estimated to have Tourette’s. There are no specific tests for diagnosing Tourette’s; it is not always correctly identified, because most cases are mild, and the severity of tics decreases for most children as they pass through adolescence. Therefore, many go undiagnosed or may never seek medical attention. Tourette’s does not affect intelligence or life expectancy. There is no cure for Tourette’s and no single most effective medication. In most cases, medication for tics is not necessary, and behavioral therapies are the first-line treatment. Education is an important part of any treatment plan, and explanation alone often provides sufficient reassurance that no other treatment is necessary
We need writers! Hola MaHigh-School is YOUR magazine. That is why we would love to see students writing for students about student life and everything of importance to a student in any grade10-12 across the country. What is required? That is easy: You have to be in grade 10-12 somewhere Impeccable in your preferred language-and that might not be English. We try to be more than just English. Passionate about your topic of choice - no dull articles here. Do you get anything out of it? Well, not money, sorrry. BUT if we publish your articles you will have: Your bio in a commercial magazine A photo of yourself You can put it all on your CV you can use us as a reference
Is it important? YES it is. Look what Rofhiwa said: My name is Rofhiwa and I love to write. I have used my skills to express my thoughts on international dealings of the world which have been published in Hola MaHigh-School. It has paid off, not only is my work printed for young people in the country to read, but it also contributed to me gettng a bursary from CNBC-Africa to do my post-graduate studies. Would be a lot harder to get by if I didn’t have a platform like Hola MaHigh-School.
What me on
to do?
ivan@ ro name mele.co.za : Cell n u m b e E-ma r i ... and l address we wi ll talk !
Next Time... Next time will be winter holidays. There are plenty of things to do beyond just preparing for exams (sic!). We have listed a few things that is worth it, even in the middle of winter. And it is not all indoor things. Of course at interthings a science this time .... serious.
we look national and also article, but nothing too
Holidays can also mean a break from all things school and home. That is why we will look at what other people are doing during holidays. Some of it could be surprising. Until next time!
Coronavirus
Protect yourself
Wash your hands with soap for 20 seconds How long is 20 seconds? Hum the first verse of our national anthem: Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika
thebreadcrumbs.co.za
More info: www.health.gov.za
CLEAN HANDS SAFER LANDS