Meliores June 2015 Issue by SacredHeartCollege

MELIORES

SACRED HEART COLLEGE MARIST OBS EDUCATION WITH HEART THAT KNOWS NO BOUNDS

JUNE EDITION 2015

Family Spirit | A Passion for Work | Simplicity | Presence | In the Way of Mary

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The Meliores, and our Alumni, now have their own logo! The logo has been designed by Kgomotso Mautloa, a 2003 Sacred Heart College graduate. The significance of the M in the logo is the word Meliores, which means more than simply ‘better’. It can mean ‘more fully’ or ‘to make better’. Meliora can be translated to mean ‘good’, ‘honest’, ‘brave’ or ‘kind’. Furthermore, the M represents the word Marist, which connects us as a family. The opening gates behind the M, traced from the school’s beautiful main gate, imply that our alumni are always welcome. Kgomotso and his team at Green Robot Design (greenrobot.co.za) created a truly timeless icon, one that shows true insight. “The most exciting and probably most thrilling part of my career as the Creative Director at Green Robot Design is that I create new work every day, no one day is the same. That’s what gets me up in the morning,” said Kgomotso, giving us a glimpse into his studio life, “the endless opportunity to give art life and to craft work that people will see and hopefully enjoy pushes me to do better“. See our November 2014 edition for the full story.

Who's Who ALUMNI COMMUNICATIONS Ellen Howell Alumni Relationship Manager

LAYOUT AND DESIGN Naomi Meyer Marketing Coordinator

THANKS TO

the staff, parents, learners and the alumni who contributed to this edition of the MELIORES Publication.

MELIORES

MELIORES is owned and published by Sacred Heart College. The authors and contributors reserve their rights in regards to the copyright of their work. No part of this work may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means without the written consent of Sacred Heart College.

Visit the MELIORES online, and share the link with friends and family:

Contents 01 | Messages from Our Team A Note from the Head of College | 01 A Note from the Alumni Manager | 01

02 | Bright Young Minds

Critical Thinkers are the Future | 02 Well done! | 03 Sacred Heart College Making Strides in Transformation | 05 Taking Dramatic Arts to Another Level | 06

07 | Connecting with Alumni

19 | Celebrate Sacred Heart Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Heritage with Us One Heart Music Festival | 23

Messages from our Team

A Note

from the

Head of College

Alumni Manager

Each time this magazine comes out, it serves as a reminder to us of just how remarkable those who graduated from the College really are. During our Open Day this year, Ellen put up a display, culled from the pages of Meliores and the truly exciting thing was watching how our current pupils avidly read those pages and found inspiration in them. I love hearing the stories our past graduates tell. I am delighted by their successes, both personal and professional. Even though I only personally know those who attended this College after 2002, I see the common thread of the Spirit of Sacred Heart running through each story. What sets the alumni of Sacred Heart College apart for me from alumni of other schools is their continued dedication to making life better for others, their families, their friends, their work colleagues and even random strangers. Keep striving for better things.

Welcome back to another year at Sacred Heart College. As I look out at the High School quad, I see the children around the fountain, reuniting after a long school break and sharing stories. Old parents and new parents watch as the students get together in the various grades. Then, a new parent approaches me wanting to know where her son needs to go. I introduce the new student to some of the pupils in his grade and, without any hesitation, our pupils introduce themselves to the new young man and welcome him with open arms, as if he was a long lost friend. This touched me. I also had the privilege of meeting two alumni who came back to visit the school for the first time after more than 30 years. One gentleman came all the way from Canada and the other from Switzerland. It was great hearing their stories of days gone by and seeing the nostalgia in their eyes as they walked the school grounds that provided them with schooling. Maybe soon they will write their stories for the magazine and you will also get to meet them. Again the Meliores is filled with interesting articles of past and present. So enjoy it and let me know what you think by e-mailing me on Alumni@sacredheart.co.za or Ellenh@sacredheart.co.za

2015 AND 2016 REUNIONS Get in touch with Ellen Howell if you would like to have or join a reunion: alumni@sacredheart.co.za

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CRITICAL THINKERS ARE THE FUTURE

acred Heart College is the first school in South Africa to develop critical thinking as part of its curriculum. “Sacred Heart College taught me how to think for myself, because of the critical thinking skills courses and the teaching methods,” says Darren Blanckensee, a 2014 matriculant who received 4 A’s at Sacred Heart College. “We learnt how things work, and were not simply taught to pass”. The College is working closely with the MindBurst Workshop. MindBurst is a company that developed critical thinking skills materials and activities for Sacred Heart College, and has used them in state schools in collaboration with the Piermont CSI. They realised that many teachers and schools need a simple entry point into the practice of critical thinking, one that does not cost much time or money.

In consultation with Sacred Heart College, MindBurst Workshop created a product called Rapid Gains Critical Thinking (RGCT). “We asked ourselves, what small, short-term interventions could have the biggest, long-term consequences?” said Andre Croucamp, founder of MindBurst. “What emerged from our research was a list of ten rapid gains. Each of these was divided

into five cards, making a pack of 50 cards.” The product is locally developed, economical, and can be used in any school, from a rural farm school to a highly technical, independent school.

The main purpose of the RGCT cards is to help teachers reflect on their teaching practice, and help school management reflect on their school’s culture. Without paying large fees, attending lengthy training courses or taking up precious curriculum time, teachers and schools can begin a journey of critical thinking skills, or enhance the one they are already on. The cards were designed to help teachers reflect on their own thinking habits. The staff members of Sacred Heart College were the first to work with the RGCT cards during their 5 day Professional Development Programme from 7 to 12 January 2015.

All over the world, educators are recognising the need to integrate critical thinking skills into curricula, teaching practice and school culture. Sacred Heart College and MindBurst are proud to be developing a South African response to this challenge.

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WELL DONE! SACRED HEART COLLEGE’S BOYS ARE TAKING CYCLING SERIOUSLY Congratulations to Cullen Hettema, a Grade 10 learner at Sacred Heart College, for finishing 20th in the A batch youth boys pool in the second race of the USN Mountain Bike Cup on 24 January. A fantastic effort considering there were over 400 riders that took part. On top of this Cullen and two other boys from Sacred Heart College, Mujahied Moses and Michael Lazarus, have been busy planning a Cycling Fun Ride to take place in October 2015. They are hoping to get many Sacred Heart parents and learners, the wider Sacred Heart College Community and the public involved. If you are interested in joining or assisting, you can get in touch with the boys by emailing petera@sacredheart. co.za.

SACRED HEART COLLEGE’S ECOFRIENDLY LEARNERS

Sacred Heart College’s Enviro-Club and Eco-Committee hosted the Generation Earth East Regional Schools’ meeting on Thursday, 12 February 2015. Sacred Heart College’s learners shared the goals that they achieved in 2014, as well as their 2015 goals, with the attending schools. Some of the schools that attended the meeting were King David Linksfield; Thuto Lesedi High and Dainfern College. “Ella Bella, the founder of Generation Earth, was very impressed with Sacred Heart College’s hospitality,” says Claire Steyn, High School Geography teacher at Sacred Heart College and head of the Enviro-Club, “Thank you to the Enviro-Club and Ecocommittee for being such superstars”.

SACRED HEART COLLEGE SWIMMING TEAM’S SPECIAL SEASON

The Sacred Heart College Swimming team has been performing terrifically this season. Training started in the second week of the term and the season has been eventful since. Sacred Heart College’s first league gala took place on Thursday 22 January 2015 and was hosted by Greenside High School. The College faced some tough competition, but emerged victorious out of the six competing schools. Over the weekend of 5 to 8 February 21 of the College’s swimmers completed

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the Midmar Mile, six of them were swimming the Mile for the first time. The league season continued the next week when Queen’s High School hosted the second league gala on Thursday 12 February. Once again, Sacred Heart College faced worthy opponents, and was placed 2nd. One of the most prestigious events of Sacred Heart College’s season is the annual inter-Catholic gala. For the past two years, the gala has been divided into two leagues, and the College has participated in the B league. This year’s competition was demanding, but the swimmers’ spirits never dwindled. Of the seven participating boys’ schools, Sacred Heart College placed joint 3rd, and of the six participating girls’ schools, the College placed 2nd. Out of the five co-educational schools participating, Sacred Heart College placed 1st. Glenvista High School hosted the penultimate league gala on Thursday 19 February, where Sacred Heart College placed 3rd out of six competing schools. The College hosted the final league gala on Tuesday 24 February 2015 and welcomed three visiting schools. The swimmers performed exceptionally well, and Sacred Heart College placed 2nd overall. All of this was in preparation for the most important event of the season, the inter-high gala at the JCE Pool (WITS Parktown Campus) on Tuesday 3 March. For this gala, the College participated in the ‘A’ league of division 2. Incentive to perform optimally at this gala lie in the fact that swimmers who were placed 1st or 2nd in an individual event and/or teams who were placed 1st in a relay event qualified to attend the Prestige gala. This gala was held at the Ellis Park Pool on Tuesday 10 March 2015. “I am incredibly proud of each and every swimmer and what they have achieved this season,” says Cindy Niken, the High School swimming coach.

WELL DONE! KIRA AND JESSICA GET SELECTED FOR THE JOHANNESBURG

YOUTH

ORCHESTRA

Debating Championships in Stellenbosch at the end of 2014. Lula was invited to participate in the trial for the South African National Debating team, which was held in April this year. “We are so proud of Lula,” says Claire Baker, High School English teacher and head of debating, “It has always been clear that she really enjoys debating, and having fun is a great start. She also shows us what is possible when you combine the love of something with the hard work, practice and commitment that is necessary to become truly successful at it.”

Kira Hanmer and Jessica Kow are currently in Grade 10 at Sacred Heart College. The two girls recently auditioned for, and were enlisted to play with, the Johannesburg Youth Orchestra.

SHANTI

ADAM

ACHIEVES

TWO

FIRSTS AT HORSE RIDING QUALIFIER

The orchestra caters for students under the age of 25 with a Grade 6 music qualification or higher. Kira and Jessica, however, were accepted with a Grade 5 qualification due to their excellent exam results and proficient violin playing. Under the baton of conductor Eddie Clayton, Kira and Jessica rehearse with about 50 other young people at the Wits Education Campus every week, playing a repertoire of popular contemporary, light and serious classical music, from Hans Zimmer’s Pirates of the Caribbean to George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Peter Tchaikovsky’s March Slav, Opus 31. The orchestra performs at various events and festivals around Johannesburg throughout the year. It is a fantastic opportunity for the young girls. Kira and Jessica have a bright future ahead of them.

LULA PAM-GRANT TO TRY FOR SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL DEBATING TEAM

At the end of last year, Lula Pam-Grant (a Grade 9 learner at Sacred Heart College) was selected to represent Sacred Heart

Shanti Adam, a Grade 4 learner at Sacred Heart College, represented Sacred Heart College at the South African National Equestrian Schools Association (SANESA) Gauteng Ekurhuleni Qualifier One on the 21st and 22nd February 2015. The competition took place at Sankt Georg Stables in the East Rand. Shanti achieved two firsts for level 1 dressage riding Lunah Dusk and a third for equitation riding Pixie Dew. Shanti competed against 12 riders for dressage and 16 for equitation. “We are very proud of Shanti’s achievements and hope that it will encourage more children to follow their dreams and to take up equestrian sport,” says Andre van der Merwe, the head of sport at Sacred Heart College Primary School.

College at the debating trials for the Gauteng Provincial team. At these trials Lula was

selected

for

the

Gauteng Junior Provincial team, which went on to win the Junior National Schools

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SACRED HEART COLLEGE MAKING STRIDES IN TRANSFORMATION

year

after

Sacred

Heart

the

1976

Soweto

College

uprisings,

Observatory,

Johannesburg, appointed its first African teacher. Since

then,

become

the

one

transforming

Catholic

South

teacher

independent Africa’s

and

school

Ridwaan Mia and the award-winning author Maria Phalime. “If

you

want

have

integrated

staff,

there

cannot be one dominant culture,” Northmore said.

has in

One of Sacred Heart College’s most popular teachers,

demographics.

Boitumelo Letho, 58, who has been at the school since 1991,

leading

pupil

Alumni of the school include leading plastic surgeon Dr

lights

said she liked teaching there because of the diverse pupil and Unlike many other schools that employ African teachers

teacher population.

only to teach African languages, the College’s 18 African teachers teach a variety of subjects including

Letho, a Grade 00 teacher, said many matrics praised her

maths,

IT.

in their farewell speeches because of her caring nature.

College head Colin Northmore said pupils at his school did

“Parents always say they want their child in my class. Even a

not regard the race of a teacher as important. “What they

parent from England e-mailed the school to say she wanted

worry about is whether the teacher is able to teach them.”

her child in teacher Buti’s class. She didn’t even know

accounting,

history,

technology

and

me, but must have heard about me by word of mouth.” Apart from the 18 African teachers, the Marist-tradition school has 47 white, four coloured and six Indian teachers.

The parent of a Grade 00 pupil said she was happy with the teacher demographics in the pre-primary section.

About half of the school’s pupils are African, 18% are white, 13% are coloured and 16% are Indian.

“There are quite a number of black [African] teachers for the pre-primary school, including the swimming

The school charges fees and levies of R30100 a year for

teacher and the most popular teacher, although I couldn’t

Grade 00, R50700 for Grade R, R69520 for grades 1 to 6,

say if there is a majority of any race,” the mother said.

R77493 for grades 7 to 9, and R87468 for grades 10 to 12. She described the racial and cultural diversity of the sponsoring”

children at Sacred Heart as remarkable: “You can’t say

the studies of seven university students who wanted

there is a minority or majority of anyone, and the so-

called racial tipping point doesn’t seem to feature.”

Northmore

05 |

become

said

the

teachers,

school five

was of

“fully

whom

were

black.

DRAMATIC ARTS TAKING CENTER STAGE

acred Heart College’s Dramatic Arts learners are being exposed to all avenues of the Theatre world, from acclaimed play writers and school festivals, to international collaborations. Sacred Heart College hosted Lara Foot’s play titled “Tsepang” in their hall from 13 to 16 April 2015. Accompanying the production, Foot held a post-show discussion with learners specifically looking at exam questions. “Tshepang is a Matric Drama prescribed text and an award winning play. Over the course of four days and six performances, 1300 drama students from schools in and around Gauteng attended the production,” says Roslyn WoodMorris, the High School Drama teacher. “The hall was transformed into a sacred performance space. It was a privilege to host Lara Foot who is one of South Africa’s most prominent theatre makers”. Following the excitement of Tshepang, Sacred Heart College’s High School drama learners entered their productions (titled Work in Progress and The Murderers in My Head) into FEDA (Festival of Excellence in Dramatic Arts) at the Joburg FRINGE Theatre. FEDA is the most prestigious High School One Act Play Festival, and was a fantastic experience for the Dramatic Arts learners.

The videoconferencing facility at Sacred Heart College has given learners the unique opportunity to be the only school in Africa to collaborate internationally in Performing Arts. A programme called TheatreLink run by the Manhattan Theatre Company in New York has made this a possibility. TheatreLink is a curriculum-based Web project that connects high schools around the world for a five-month period to create and study theatre together. In Term 1 the Grade 11 learners wrote a script titled My Blood Stranger, which tackles themes such as drug addiction, infidelity, brotherhood and salvation. In the 2nd term the Grade 11 learners produced a play written by Robert Morgan School in Miami, titled Truth. Truth revolves around love and the devastating effects that cancer has on a family. The learners decided to produce both plays this year: My Blood Stranger and Truth, which will serve as their performance examination for Term 2. “This was their first project as a Drama class,” says Roslyn, “and they are expected to manage all aspects from the script to the performance night.” It has been a busy and exciting year for Sacred Heart College’s Dramatic Arts department, and is just a taste of what is to come.

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CONNECTING WITH ALUMNI

acred Heart College's alumni are diverse, driven, fascinating, fun, and never afraid to be different. We have interviewed some of our past students from all walks of life. Here are their stories.

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Class of 1915

Samuel Kinkead A famous Marist Old Boy (Koch Street), at the time of the First World War. Look for the name T.C. Kinkead on the World War I memorial plaque at the back of our school hall.

To be called an ‘ace’, a pilot had to shoot down five enemy aircraft. Near the war’s end in August 1918, Sam Kinkead had shot down no less than 33 aircraft and he became the leading ace in his Squadron, which was then brought into the newly formed Royal Air Force. After the war he volunteered to serve with 47 Squadron in the Russian Civil War, where he downed three Russian fighters and won the Distinguished Service Order for a crucial attack against a Bolshevik cavalry division, thus saving the city of Tsaritsyn from capture.

In 1927 he was a member of the British Schneider

amuel Kinkead was born in Johannesburg

Trophy air-racing team, and his speed of 446

in 1897. He attended our mother school

km/h was the fastest biplane seaplane flight ever

in Koch Street, and after matriculating at

recorded. In 1928 near Calshot in England, he

the age of 18, trained as a pilot at Eastbourne in the

flew a Supermarine S.5 very low and very fast

Northern Cape. He then went to England where he

a few metres above the waves in an attempt

joined the Royal Flying Corps and was sent to the

to become the first man to travel at 5 miles per

Battle of Gallipoli. It took considerable courage and

minute. At over 480 km/h, disaster struck and

daring to fly those flimsy World War I fighters, but it

sadly, Samuel Kinkead was killed when his

was there that he shot down his first enemy aircraft,

aircraft crashed into the sea. There is a sequel

followed by two more in the next few weeks. He

to the story however, because the Supermarine

then received an enormous setback when his

was developed into the Spitfire, which was used

elder brother Thompson, who was training as

extensively in the Second World War and was

a pilot in the RFC, was killed in a flying accident.

instrumental in the winning of the Battle of Britain.

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Class of 1963 Why you should pay attention during Geography classes...

Dorian Ball

t was late 1963 and I was in the Matric class at

In 1993, under a contract from the Malaysian

Observatory. Spring was in the air and the end of

Government, we searched for and located the wreck of

the year and, in fact, of our school lives, were just

the “Country” ship DIANA. Owned and based in India,

a few months away. We were daydreaming a bit but

she made an annual trip to China laden with opium and

we should have listened more carefully. Brother James

returned with Chinese goods for Madras and Calcutta.

was our Geography teacher and, that afternoon, he

On her final voyage in 1817, her Captain fell ill and went

was speeding through the syllabus, preparing us for the

below. The less experienced officer on deck managed to

exams.

crash the ship into a hidden reef. Down she went. The Captain drowned – a terrible death of the kind forecast

That day, we were studying Malaya which then included

for all opium traders!

Singapore. The following year the two countries split and went it alone. Malaya became Malaysia. Independent

We located the hull, excavated 24,000 pieces of

Singapore was born. I remember Brother James talking

Chinese porcelain, made a song and wrote a book (THE

with authority about the Malay capital Kuala Lumpur,

DIANA ADVENTRUE – on Kindle). The Deputy Prime

known as “K.L.”

He obviously knew it well, having

Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim kindly inspected the

worked there during his career. I should have paid

cargo and authorized us to sell it through Christie’s in

attention because I would spend twenty years of my

Amsterdam. Anwar is still in the news today.

later life in that country and get to know that city very well.

So the next time your teacher is rattling on in class about a foreign country, pay attention. You may not

I came to Asia and the tropics in 1979 and became

know it now but you may have the chance to work in

bewitched by the island and reef-strewn coasts.

that country later.

Islands shield one from the ocean and the warm waters encourage the growth of coral and wild-coloured fish.

I hope that every Marist student is being prepared to

Beautiful above and better below so many people take

make some positive mark on the world.

up scuba diving to explore beneath as I did. Very soon one comes across shipwrecks and excavating them becomes a way of life.

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Class of 1968 Yachting and Life Insurance

Barry Mayes placed 2nd overall (all entries) for the regatta and 1st overall on handicap. Because of this, we received full Transvaal Colours and were able to enter the 1981 ‘World Mini Ton’ championships in Germany at a town called Langenargen on the Bodensee, which borders Austria and France.

fter school, I went into the Air Force for compulsory military training for a year in 1969.

I started sailing again shortly after leaving the Air Force in 1970. I sailed in a ’505‘ dinghy until 1979 at which stage I had been awarded Transvaal colours. I received half colours for dinghy racing. A friend of mine, who also sailed in a ‘505’, had a brand new ‘Mini Tonner’ designed and built for him (a 3 man crew) and asked me whether I would be interested in crewing for him. Our first regatta, which in those days was called Castle Week, was held at the Vaal Dam. At the time, it was the biggest inland keel boat regatta in the world. Boats were transported to the Vaal from all over South Africa. Bertie Reed, the man who had previously won an around the world race, was also one of the competitors. Manana was the name of our boat and we were

We had to pay for our own travel, accommodation, spending money and transport of the boat to Rotterdam, so we went on a fundraising campaign, holding discos, golf days etc. We flew to London, hired a car, went by ferry to Rotterdam, collected the boat and towed it to Langernagen via Holland. Prior to going, SA Yachting awarded us SAYRA (South African Yacht Racing Association) Colours. Only ten people have received this award. Because we came 5th overall, we were awarded Springbok Colours at Cape Town Castle in 1981. I am now 65 and happily married to my second wife of the last 26 years and am blessed with eight grandchildren, none of whom are interested in yachting! My daughter and daughter-in-law are both now pregnant, with babies due in late August. I am still in the life assurance industry and have been for the last 30 years.

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Class of 2001 Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital Project

Magdel van Rooyen (Fourie) Matriculating in 2001 at Sacred Heart College started me on my path into the BIG world after being part of the Sacred Heart family since Std 3, these days Grade 5. My journey kicked off with a year as an exchange student to Switzerland with the American Field Service. Returning in 2003, I started my BA in Fine Arts, after which I continued to complete my MA Fine Arts at the University of Pretoria. This allowed me to be a lecturer in painting, sculpture and printmaking at the University of Pretoria on a part time basis for seven years. I then made a turn into private tertiary education at Inscape Design Group as the Campus Academic Manager and Acting Head of the Pretoria campus. In 2014, on a March morning, a friend, Adrie le Roux and I decided it is time to start our own studio, and so, Blokhuiz Studio Collective was born. Blokhuiz Studio Collective is a creative space where we firstly practise our own art, with me predominantly painting and Adrie illustrating.

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Secondly, we teach painting, drawing and host short courses in illustration and, lastly, we are busy refining our workshops on creativity for corporates as team building or creative development. It was because of this last development that my path crossed again with Sacred Heart College. Blokhuiz were invited to tender for creative workshops as part of the creative development of the interior of the new Nelson Mandela Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital. We were awarded the tender to host eight creative workshops with children between the ages of 4-12 years. The purpose of the workshops was threefold: to encourage well-known South African artists to produce art, to utilise elements of the art pieces to form the interior design and, lastly, to use the original art pieces as framed pieces in designated areas. The hospital will be focused on South African as well as Southern African children, providing highly specialised

medical care. The workshop participants were representative of and reflect the voice of all aspects of our diverse society’s children. Sacred Heart fitted the bill perfectly. Having a pre-primary and primary school, Sacred Heart College was able to meet the age group requirements as well as having the diversity required to represent the voice of South African children. In conjunction with the Three2Six School, also at Sacred Heart, it was able to provide the opportunity for the larger Southern African children’s voices to be heard. After a meeting with Mrs Robyn Picas, Primary School Principal, and the Three2Six coordinator, Mrs Ester Munonoka, we were granted permission to host three workshops: one for the 4-6 year olds with the Pre-Primary team, the 7-9 year olds and the 10-12 year olds from the Primary School. Mrs Picas graciously organised the Primary School art room for the Three2Six School workshop, which included

the 10-12 year olds. These four workshops were combined with workshops with one other primary school in Kensington, a nursery school in Soshanguve, children from Ward 275 at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital and the Ronald MacDonald Family room at Chris Hani Baragwaneth Hospital. We completed the workshops at the end of April and now the process of refining, reworking and collaborating with the children’s art will start. The hospital will open later this year. So many thanks to Sacred Heart for their willingness to host to the workshops, and to all the staff involved in organising the children and places for our workshops.

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Class of 2007 Production Designer, Art Director, Stage Manager

Jo Glanville

y mum told me, at various points in my very young career, that any of the passion and enthusiasm for my work can be accredited to the education that I received from Sacred Heart College. Initially, this theory annoyed me enormously; I would like to stake full claim to my achievements! But with some careful thought I may have to agree with Mum.

Sue Baker, whom I still cherish as a friend and hunt down when I am in Grahamstown, taught me to do, without fear, what I loved. In 2012, I graduated cum laude in Production Design and Screenwriting and quickly started working at a design studio, JMD, and as a stage manager and props designer for Andrew Lloyd Webberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s musical, Starlight Express.

After leaving Sacred Heart College, I completed a BA Honours in Dramatic Art at Wits, a decision that many said would lead to insecurity, poverty and instability and, thus, a very dubious career. There was some truth in this. Working in theatre was exhausting and does not for a wealthy woman make! But Sacred Heart, and particularly our wonderful Drama teacher,

The clearest memories I have of Sacred Heart College are infused with ideologies of co-operation and respect between students, teachers and management. One of my favourite memories is sitting with Mr and Mrs. Marriot, arguing tirelessly about the state of the school, country, world.... (insert furious teenage rant here) while they listened patiently and tried to help

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me find a solution to my rage. The spirit of collaboration and patience that was always shown to me at Sacred Heart remains with me. After I graduated, I started a small theatre production company called The Juice Collective, with my incredible partner Neka Da Costa, aimed at encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration and assisting theatre students in gaining exposure and experience. We have produced, directed and designed a number of shows, including Marat/Sade, The Boy Who Walked into The World, Once on This Island, The Little Shop of Horrors, Julius Caesar, Dreams, Luke and Helena and Wretched, and continue to work with inspiring and passionate young artists.

design duo, JO&Who. We are currently the designers of a playground being renovated in Hillbrow for the Johannesburg School for Autism. We have designed a series of nodes and spaces intended to assist in the specific developmental needs of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, as well as differently abled children. The opportunity to work on a project with the potential for such incredible social impact is such a privilege and has turned my attention to developing a career in urban and social development. While lecturing Production Design at Wits this year, I am hoping to find tangible responses to community issues through a series of social and urban development design projects around Johannesburg.

My latest project is my most exciting to date as it encompasses some core values that Sacred Heart imprints on its students: passion, dedication and social investment. My brilliant, collaborative partner, Gawie Joubert, forms the other half our our

I have been incredibly lucky to have worked on the projects I have so far, and I can now very happily credit Sacred Heart for equipping me with the love of work, passion for change and a desire to take risks that encouraged me to tackle them.

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Class of 2011 Two Roads Diverged in a Wood

Jarred Thompson In 2011, when I first got the notification that I had received a full academic scholarship to attend Alabama State University in Montgomery USA, I was filled with both apprehension and excitement. I wondered what this adventure would have in store for me and how I would be changed by it. I remembered Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken” and thought how this decision to study overseas in the south of the United States was indeed a road diverging in a wood. Looking back on the three years that I have spent at Alabama State University, I have come to realize that my decision gave as much as it took away.

At the university, I have been able to meet people from all over the world. I have made long-lasting friendships with people from India, England, Germany, France and Australia to mention a few. I have shared in experiences of multi-culturalism that have expanded my mind and instilled a love for new and stimulating places. But it was not all sunshine and smiles. There have been days of extreme homesickness, and times when I grew intensely sick of the pressures of being on the Men’s Tennis Team and being an A student, and attempting to enjoy a meagre social life. But I have learnt in my time here that your lowest moments are often your most defining ones and if you keep your head to the ground and stay fighting, despite your body and your mind telling you to give up, you will come out on the other side at peace with the effort that you have put into making your life.

Being on the Men’s Tennis Team at Alabama State, gave me opportunities to travel to Houston Texas, New Orleans, Mississippi and Georgia and I have been able to find a family in the tennis team away from home. It has also been a pleasure to make friends with my fellow American students and learn from them about their culture, their lingo and the subtle differences between South Africans and Americans. One incident comes to mind: I was sitting with a group of

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American friends (we call ourselves Enigma) at dinner and, when I had divulged that I had a helper back home who cleaned my house ( as many South African middle-class homes have), I was surprised at how impressed my American friends were. Hearing this, they thought that I was tremendously rich back in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Africaâ&#x20AC;?. They even joked about me secretly being a prince of a tribe with many servants at my beck and call (much like the movie with Eddie Murphy, Coming to America, a staple introduction to Africa for most Americans). Alas, I had to inform them that I was not a prince but an everyday middle-class South African trying to make his way in the big USA.

When I look back at my high school days, I am grateful to Sacred Heart College for instilling in me a love of diversity and a love for knowledge that has enabled me to maintain high standards of academic excellence. Sacred Heart was the place where I struggled and succeeded and where I took my first tentative steps into self-actualization and, because of that, it remains hallowed ground for me. If I have learnt anything from being here in the States, it is that South Africans are one of the most driven groups of people in the world and that we can compete on an international stage with the best and the brightest that the world has to offer. Looking back, I am filled with a bittersweet feeling mainly because I left my closest friends in South Africa and because I have replaced a South African university experience with an American university experience but. despite the bittersweet feeling and the occasional longing for koeksisters on a Sunday morning, my experience in the States has been an intense and joyful growing-up phase for me. I have been pushed and challenged in all areas of my life and I believe this will stand me in good stead for many years to come.

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Passionate Teacher Wife and Mother

Melanie Trassierra My name is Melanie Trassierra, nĂŠe Warman, and I teach at Sacred Heart College. I have a long history with the school as my late husband, Eduardo Trassierra, was a pupil at the school from Grade 1 to Matric. He was born in 1957 and was brought to South Africa from Spain at the age of ten months when his parents emigrated to Johannesburg in April 1958. Eduardo started at Marist Brothers Sacred Heart at the Koch Street premises and moved to Observatory when these premises were built. He was known as Tossie at school and was a fairly good athlete. Many of the trophies in the display cabinet have his name engraved on them. He always spoke fondly of his High School Maths teacher, Gerald McGurk, who was the uncle of the principal, Brother Neil McGurk, whom he also spoke of fondly. I do not remember the names of all the Brothers and teachers who taught him but I do know many of them were well liked by him. Eduardo and I met when he was 13 going on 14 and were often at the same party with other Marist boys such as Oswald Field, late brother of Jennifer Field, who is a teacher at Sacred Heart, Dale Reilly, Pontiggio, Andrew ( Pops ) Paplawski, Robert Dold, Mickey Watts, Pierre Kourie and many others. We started dating in 1973, got engaged in 1981 and married in 1982. We have three beautiful daughters, Jaqueline born in 1985, Nuria born in 1987 and Natividad born in 1990. All three girls attended Sacred Heart, Jaqui from Grade 1and Nuria and Nati from Pre-School. I began teaching at the college in 1994 after doing a locum for Lee Williams in the Pre-School in 1993. I was asked by Brother Joseph Walton, Primary School principal at the time, and Heidi Tietjens, head of the Pre-School, if I would like a teaching post teaching Grade 0, now known as Grade R. I gladly accepted and taught there for eight years. During those eight years, we saw many eventful happenings, one of which was a double-decker municipal bus crashing through the wall of the school premises in Yeoville where the former Yeoville Convent had been, and landing in the sandpit where, fortunately, no children were playing. The bus driver had fallen into a diabetic coma and veered off the road, passengers and all. No one suffered any injuries and the passengers disembarked slightly flustered while we ran around taking the register to account for all the children. Imagine our relief when the bus was removed and no children were beneath it.

Another highlight during these first eight years was the building of the Pre-School in the orchard on the Observatory premises and the big move to our new buildings. In 2001, I was asked to move to Grade 1 where I taught for five years. Sadly, my husband, Eduardo, passed away in 2004 from a heart attack, but he

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had become a successful electronic engineer with his own company known as Redelec Electronics which designed and installed many of the top CCTV security systems for companies like Standard Bank, De Beers Mines and SA Reserve Bank. He and his partner sold their business to Siemens Electronics and he started a new business in electronics, dealing mainly with German companies. He also began a business handling coin-operated public cell phone telephone boxes and was in the throes of designing a solar powered public telephone system for use in the rural areas with no electrical power supply. Unfortunately, the stress was too much for him and he suffered his fatal heart attack, leaving me with three young daughters to look after. After one more year in Grade 1, I asked to be moved to Grade 2 where I taught for six years. Three years ago, I was moved back to the Pre-School where I taught Grade R for two years and Playgroup for one. I moved back to Grade 2 in 2015, making it my 22nd year of teaching at the school. My daughters have all qualified and have their degrees in Marine Biology, Zoology and Graphic Design respectively. Jaqueline, my oldest, lives in Grahamstown and works at Rhodes University. She is also doing her Masters at the moment. Nuria, my middle daughter, is living near Badplaas and working at a place called the Cradle of Life, a conservation and breeding centre for big cats, namely tigers and lions. She is the assistant game manager and was responsible for rearing their little tiger cub, Bismarck, who is now ten months old but who, at the beginning of his life, shared a room with Nuria who was responsible for giving him his four hourly night feeds. For her, it is a dream come true. My youngest, Nati, still lives with me and is hoping to find a job in her line of work in 2015. In closing, I would like to thank Sacred Heart for many happy years and, ultimately, for the part they played in my success and that of my family.

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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

On 24 September 2014 was Heritage Day, Sacred Heart College celebrated 125 years of legacy and excellence with the One Heart Music Festival, featuring artists who have shaped the heritage of music in South Africa. This year, Sacred Heart College is hosting the Sacred Heart Music Festival on 24 September 2015. Come and celebrate Sacred Heart Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Johannesburgâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heritage with us!

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THE ONE HEART MUSIC FESTIVAL 2014

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SACRED HEART COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL Tel: 011 648-1030 Fax: 011 648-1047 jenh@sacredheart.co.za

SACRED HEART COLLEGE

MARIST OBSERVATORY CONTACT US

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