The Blue Thread
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR To celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of our school's existence, we have decided to bring back the virtual magazine - but this time it's cooler... We decided to change the name, as "the Blue Thread" has become a prominent term used to describe the pride and togetherness in our school. We have tried to include something for everyone... from the music manics, to the jocks, to the health fanatics and even the nature lovers. We have a blast from the past with an interview with our first headboy (who is featured on the cover alongside our current headboy). Check out the humble beginning of our school on page 6. We hope to inspire future musicians to follow their dreams, using the advice given by Goldfish (yes, we have celebrity contacts) on page 12. David spoke about how he started out, life at school and living the celebrity life - we are incredibly proud of his achievements, especially since graduating from PV. La Voix and Blue Thread have joined forces, so make sure to flip to the back of the mag for the La Voix sections. We hope to make this mag for the students, by the students. I hope you enjoy it. Stay beautiful.
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"Never
give up trying to
do what you really want to do. Where there is love &
inspiration you cannot go wrong" www.magazinename.com
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Meet The B
"As a writer you ask yourself Page 2
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Busy Bees
to dream while you're awake" www.magazinename.com
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Mr Schenck says... By: Abigail Janse van Rensburg & Finn Adendorff Mr Schenck joined the Parel Vallei family in May 2014 and loves the view and tranquility that he now finds at his lovely home, Ledbury. He enjoys sitting outside with his family and just watching nature with a glass of wine in hand. He grew up in Rondebosch, Cape Town and moved to Grahamstown four years ago, to be Deputy Principal at Kingswood College, a private English boarding school. Some of his hobbies include: hunting and fishing. When he’s not busy being a principal, he’s being a family and outdoors man - The Schenck’s really love the outdoors! He is currently busy planning a family hunting trip to the Eastern Cape where he can enjoy relaxing and of course, hunting! Mr Schenck says he has hunted many trophy buck in his hunting career. He hunts for the meat provided and not the trophy; although if a big buck comes along that looks like a good trophy, he will seize the opportunity. His biggest hunting reward so far, has come from his son’s side. He took his eldest son, Nicholas, on a hunting trip up to the Eastern Cape, where they saw a big Mountain Reedbuck. He saw the opportunity and let his son take the kill.
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“The buck came and walked up along the fence line and Nicholas shot it. He shot it over my lap, because he was too young to hold the rifle properly - the buck ended up being a Roland Ward trophy! We actually just shot it for the meat, but it ended up being a monster of a buck so we had the head stuffed and it now hangs proudly in my house!” If there is one thing he could change in his life it would be to not have trained so hard when he was a young rugby player. He wishes he hadn't lifted such heavy weights at such a young age, due to him recently undergoing disk replacement surgery on his back. Rugby played a huge role in moulding the leadership and team work characteristics of our principal, and that is why he focuses on sports participation in the school - to teach team work, leadership, commitment and perseverance. Mr Schenck has many goals and objectives for PV in order to make us unique. Boys' schools and girls' schools each have their own traits, and he wants us to combine the best of both into a uniqueness that can only be found at PV, making us thee co-ed school of choice. Combining all the amazing talents of learners, good manners, neatness, academic and cultural distinctions along with the facilities the school provides as well as the committed educators, coaches and mentors, PV will become thee school in the Helderberg. Mr De Vries, PV’s first principle, built the school, Mr Gouws built the school up and put us on the map, and Mr Schenck is here to make us proudly unique. He wants to build tradition and mould us into the school that everybody wants to be in, by creating pride in our school. One dream which he would love to see happen in the 'not too long term' is to once again obtain a 100% matric pass rate as well as achieve a 100% bachelors pass. www.magazinename.com
What does it mean to be a true bulldog? Don’t judge a book by its cover - a true bulldog is loyal, committed, loving, caring and friendly and above all, a true bulldog never gives up. Being such a hands-on and strict principle you can't imagine Mr Schenck to be any different at home. He describes himself as a very principled man (excuse the pun) and he believes what he believes, but says there’s always room for understanding. Mr Schenck is definitely a family man and there isn’t anything he wouldn’t do to keep his family happy. He sees his students as his own children and gives his all to see us excel and be happy. As for the staff, they also fall under his family, and he would stop at nothing to see them receiving the much deserved respect and admiration. Hopefully next year his twin sons will be joining the bulldog family - they have applied, but obviously won’t be getting any special treatment... We are much anticipating their arrival!
"...a true bulldog is loyal, committed, loving, caring and friendly and above all, a true bulldog never gives up."
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The previous school vs. PV Kingswood College, is a private English speaking boarding school in Grahamstown, where Mr Schenck had the privilege of being deputy principal. His second son is currently in matric in Kingswood and loves it there. Mr Schenck describes the move to Somerset West and PV in particular, as “the best move I have made in my life!”. To Mr Schenck, Kingswood and PV are incomparable, “like comparing apples to pears.Kingswood is turning 125 this year and PV is only 30, so we are still building our own character and traditions whereas Kingswood already has that set. There are so many existing opportunities for PV which is so exciting!” The ultimate reward for Mr Schenck from a learner's side, would be the nonverbal thank you by showing pride, neatness, good manners in public and in the school- thus being a good image for the school, showing the good quality student that Parel Vallei produces. Mr Schenck is a very hard working, honest and loyal principal. He is the definition of a true bulldog and I believe he will lead PV to greatness and that we as a school will create many traditions and a rich history for generations to come. Page 5
A TRIP DOWN EXCELLENCE LANE - THE START OF SOMETHING GREAT
English, Afrikaans, Biology, Accounting, Woodwork and even Typing were some of the subjects offered. I asked him how Parel Vallei had equipped him for the future and he responded with a great sense of pride that he received a good education, given by well equipped and passionate teachers, some of which are still teaching. He also learned great leadership skills and a sense of wellearned pride.
Arvida Lincoln I sat down with Paul van Niekerk, the first head boy of Parel Vallei and the chairperson of the PVU, for a sense of our school heritage. When the school began, the numbers were small. It began with only grade eights and nines (with the '89 matric grade being only fourty students) and the facilities were limited with only the basic school building and tennis courts. Although the odds were stacked against them, they were "an excited bunch of kids getting together with a strong desire to start something new."
All sport was played at other schools as we didn't have grass, it was all mud. There weren't any sport derbies as we simply didn't have participants and supporters in numbers but we would occasionally play against the C,D and E teams of various schools for exposure and practice.
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When asked about being elected for head boy, he told me that it came as a shock and was completely unexpected. It was an easy ride for him, the legacy began with him and everyone wanted to get involved. Each year got better and better. "We were surrounded by great people who were all focused on achieving the common goal." The election system was similar to current days, with the students voting and the teachers having a say. The duties they had were to be ambassadors of the school, to help teachers and to get the students onto a level of commitment, and of course discipline. I asked him what he felt were good leadership qualities and his response was: "Personally I think a good leader works himself out of the position. When I say that, what I mean is that you should be able to unplug yourself from anything and everything below you should be able to operate quite normally without your input because you have to empower people below you." A leader should be able to create a self sufficient environment.
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His advice for future leaders as well as current leaders was that there are endless opportunities available anywhere. He also added a valuable point that in South Africa we are at a tipping point where entrepreneurial and management skills are needed to get involved and to plough back into the community. He went on to say: "I think we see so much negativity outside there, but amidst that negativity there are so many positive attributes where people can get involved in, and when you have that positive approach to your work environment, you'll certainly make a difference. That's the key: to go out and be the difference that you can be."
He is most proud of how the school had evolved and the way people are getting involved in the world around them. The hockey that excels and the diversification of the sport with new sports like golf and cycling being included and how participation is rewarded. The drama win last year was phenomenal and he described it as the school growing from "strength to strength". He described Parel Vallei as an "A level school", which certainly shows in the number of applications received every year. His vision for the school is for it to continue growing and getting to the next level of competitiveness in order to keep excelling.
He is honored to be involved as he wanted to and was incredibly surprised when he became the chairperson. They have defined goals: to improve the clubhouse and set up a solid database with a newsletter to celebrate ongoing success. The "umbrella organization" aims to connect students, past pupils, parents and teachers and involve them in the pride of Parel Vallei.
I asked him what the blue thread of the school was when he was a student and his answer was simple: participation. Pride, passion and participation seems to be the foundation for success,as Parel Vallei was built on it.
I had the opportunity to ask his son a few questions from the perspective of a grade eight. His experience of the school has been great and he found the differences his father has described to be mind-blowing. He feels it would be nice to follow in his father's foot steps and become a council member but he feels no pressure and only wants to be himself. He felt that the blue thread is the 'connected-ness' of the students and teachers which came down to participation, in helping each other and growing together. www.magazinename.com
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"I GOT ONE MILLION VIEWS..." Page 8
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What inspired you to start going into music? Growing up I was always surrounded by music, whether it was my dad playing his guitar and singing, or my sister practising the piano! Once I started playing myself, the bug really bit me quickly. Luckily for me I had supportive parents and lots of like-minded people around me to jam with. Did you take music as a subject at PV? I only started taking music as a subject in Grade 10, but caught up 8 and 9 in the first 6 months. Did you ever get into trouble in class for singing? Not in class, but it was rumoured that I did sing in my sleep on occasion.. What was the music programme like at PV?
GOLDFISH WRITTEN BY: ARVIDA LINCOLN AN EMMA RAMSBOTTOM David Poole: half of the world famous, South African based band that's slowly taking over the world. (But did anyone actually know that he is an old PV learner?) We sat down in front of our computer screens and had an interview with David, one-on-one, thanks to the wonderful thing that is the www.magazinename.com internet!
Mrs Dednam and Mr Combe were running things and we had a real crop of young rebellious musos running around jamming at every possible opportunity. There was a definite shift from the normal classical music education towards a more open-minded and modern approach, which definitely helped all of us at the time. Not sure what it is like now, but hopefully they have kept that vibe and built on it as there seems to still be a general gap between music education at schools and what is out there in the real world and what is required to get into university. How did you and Dominic start the band and how did you come up with the name? I met Dominic at UCT while I was studying for my Masters in Composition. We started a jazz band together called Breakfast Included. After a while we discovered that we both had a love for electronic music and started producing the songs that would eventually become “Caught in the loop” and Goldfish was born. The name comes from me making fun of Dominic’s legendary short term memory.
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What is your favourite memory about PV? Sitting in the first floor classrooms daydreaming, while looking out of the window at the wind washing through the big gum trees at the edge of the sports fields. (Or bowling someone out in the cricket net next to the one I was bowling in!)
What is your worst/most embarrassing memory about PV? Our whole class being paraded on stage during the prefects' assembly in the first week of Grade 8- I just remember being terrified!
What was your favourite event at PV and why? I remember playing background Jazz with Jacques van Wyk during the Home Economics evenings and getting to eat all the awesome food afterwards, it was one of the first tastes of playing jazz live for people and definitely set me on the right path. What was your first gig ever? Age 13, with “The Fauves” at The Brass Bell in Kalk Bay, opening for Robin Auld. The line-up of the band was myself, Albert Frost, Tim Rankin, Dylan Kemlo and Myburg Grobbelaar (All ex PV except Myburgh!)
What is life like now? Playing gigs all over the world (I’m actually writing this in the Lounge in Washington DC waiting to board a plane back to Cape Town!), making music, spending time with my wife and 2 kids when I’m home, surfing, mountain biking and just generally enjoying life.
What has been your best gig ever? It’s kind of hard to say as we have been on a run of amazing shows over the last 18 months. However, Kirstenbosch is always a favourite, as well as Submerged Sundays over the summer. We have been lucky to perform at incredible venues around the globe, but Cape Town still ranks up at the top.
How did Goldfish's sound develop? Basically our love for Jazz and electronic music was the initial inspiration, which lead to the “Goldfish Sound”, which I think is evident in most of our music.
Who is the most famous contact on your phone? Fedde le Grand.
Any interesting stories about meeting a really famous person? We had dinner with Sister Bliss and Maxi Jazz (Faithless) one night in Ibiza and my friend, Brian Veasey (also ex PV), called me on the phone. I answered and told him, “Sorry man, I can’t talk now, I’m having dinner with Maxi Jazz!” Brian then asked me to put him on with Maxi Jazz! I asked Maxi Jazz to please say hi to my friend and they ended up chatting on the phone for 10 minutes!
Did PV help in any way to shape your career? The music department was a great help in getting me into UCT so yes, definitely! Big thanks to everyone there.
Where was your first tour to, and what was special about it? Must have been one of the Dorp Tours around South Africa. They were extra special as I think we made R50 each from 3 weeks of shows!
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Who was your favourite teacher? Mrs Dednam for sure!
What is your favourite song? Depends on what mood I am in or what hat I am wearing! As a saxophonist: John Coltrane – Moment’s Notice
What was your favourite subject?
As an electronic producer: Super Flu - Fibi Maybe
Are you kidding me? Music! What are your hobbies? If you could meet and chat with any person in the world, who would you want to meet? I actually met my Saxophone hero, Joshua Redman, earlier this year in New York after his show at the Village Vanguard (which is a legendary NY Jazz venue - a must if you are ever in the Big Apple.) His music really changed my concept of Saxophone playing so this was a really amazing moment!
Are you and Dom best mates? Do you ever fight or disagree? One of the things that helps us spend so much time together, is that we have the same goals! To make the best music possible and to do the best shows we possibly can. If we fight it’s generally about stupid stuff like why he dropped in on me while surfing...
What is the idea behind your music videos? Why do you never appear in them? The animated music videos are cool as you can do pretty much anything you want to and you don’t have to be in them personally! Mike Scott approached us a few years ago with the opening segment of the music video for “Soundtracks and comebacks” and we were sold. I have always been a huge fan of animation, so this was the perfect match for us as we had been wanting to do something different to help our music stand out.
Love surfing, mountain biking and the odd bit of fly fishing when I get a chance. Strangely enough I am fitter than I have ever been, which definitely helps me deal with all the travelling.
Do you have any awesome party tricks? I can roll my tummy up and down...
What is your fanbase like in the US? We have done 3 major tours of the US in the last year which has culminated in us being booked for 9 major festivals in the US this Summer! We are actually currently on our way back to SA after playing main stage at Mysteryland USA, which was held on the Bethelwoods grounds which is where Woodstock ’69 took place. Our fanbase has been growing steadily in the USA and hopefully after the festival season things will blow up even more.
Do you have any advice for the kids on working hard in high school and dealing with stress and busyness? It’s worth working hard on everything at school as you never know where life will lead you in the future! I did typing at school and it’s definitely helped me do this interview in quick time! If things start to get too much take a step back and look at the bigger picture; often what it reveals relieves some of the panic that often threatens to take over everything when things get super busy or stressful!
What have been some of your greatest achievements in and out of PV? Meeting the late great Madiba is without a doubt the best thing I have done to date. I am just thankful that music has opened up so many amazing doors for me personally.
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Lights, Camera,
meeting the masterminds behind the m
6. What are your favourite memories from when you were in high school? 1. How did the idea of the theme Back to the 80's originate? Since we are celebrating our 30th anniversary as a school this year and that the school was founded in the 80’s, I went about ‘googling’ musicals and the 80’s and came across ‘Back to the 80’s… the totally awesome musical’ which is very appropriate …many of our learner’s parents were teenagers in the 80’s so the songs pull on many heart strings 2. How did you go about finding the script? I contacted DALRO which is a company that markets and sells the rights to musicals and fortunately they were able to obtain the rights for us from England to do the musical and once we had paid for the rights, they hired out the script and the score to us. 3. What was your favourite memory about the whole show? So many memories…but the buzz around show time is always my favourite. 4. What was your worst memory about the whole show? No bad memories…just many, many sleepless nights and that feeling of ‘exhilarating exhaustion’! 5. How do you go about organizing such an event? Planning, planning and planning and then sticking to your plans. It is important to get a team together with all the
Musicals, shows! 7. Do you have any embarrassing stories from when you were in high school or even during the show? During the show…yes, but can’t publish it! I am sure the main cast will remember my certain accidental description of ‘his shoulder’, while rehearsing ‘I had the time of my life’. 8. Did you ever get into trouble at high school for anything? If so, what? Yes…my wild imagination got me into hot water a few times. In Gr. 9 I told my class mates that the reason why our English teacher wears her hair a certain way is because she doesn’t have ears! A few days later, the English teacher summoned me, showed me her perfect ears and I spent detention writing a five page apology. (By the way, she did change her hairstyle after that.) 9. Do you have any advice for kids wanting to pursue a career in any of the jobs involved in creating shows like this? Have a vision, believe in it, get others to believe it and never give up, never give in!) 10. What will you take away from the Musical? I hold dear in my heart the growth that I saw in so many learners, how so many learners discovered great things about themselves, the confidence that they gained and the friendships made.
skills required, to get them to buy into the idea and to keep them informed of exactly what is expected. Regular meetings to plan and track progress is essential. Page 12
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Action!
musical!
By: Emma Ramsbottom
6. What are your favourite memories from when you were in high school? 1. How did the idea of the theme Back
When I was at school I did 15 extra mural activities. I
to the 80's originate?
played in the orchestra, sang in the choir and was on
We were asked to do a Musical to celebrate the
many of the committees for different clubs. I also
school's 30th birthday. Mrs Manthey got the brilliant
played sport! My most precious memories were the
idea to look for music from the eighties and she
times when we had concerts or went on netball or
found this Musical.
athletics tours.
2. How did you go about finding the
7. Do you have any embarrassing stories
script?
from when you were in high school or
To get the script we had to pay the copyright licence
even during the show?
fee from DALRO.
No, I cannot think of anything negative regarding this
3. What was your favourite memory
production.
about the whole show?
8. Did you ever get into trouble at high
There are many great memories, but the most
school for anything? If so, what?
outstanding to me were the boys who made this
I was a real "goodie". I never bunked classes as I was
musical their own by putting in their own words and
too afraid to get into trouble. A specific memory is: We
movements as well as the way they enjoyed doing
had this nerd in our class and when the teacher was
some of the more difficult dance moves.
not in class we would keep him busy while the others
4. What was your worst memory about
would hide his homework.
the whole show?
9. Do you have any advice for kids
My worst memory was the actors or main singers
wanting to pursue a career in any of the
who forgot to switch on their microphones in the
jobs involved in creating shows like
show!
this?
5. How do you go about organizing such
Follow your dreams! Life is too short not to enjoy what
an event?
you are doing. My passion, talent and hobby in life is
Mrs Manthey and I started a year ago with the
my work. No money can give me more satisfaction!
planning. Firstly, when the show was to take place
10. What will you take away from the
and then to set the dates for the auditions. There
Musical?
were almost 300 pupils who turned up for the
My memories are filled with the dedicated, energetic
auditions, but the script allowed us only 20 for the
and really talented Proclaimers, the band , the main
main cast. So we decided to extend the cast with
cast, chorus and dancers. It was a pleasure to see how
mostly seniors (seeing that this would be their last
they all took ownership of this musical to make it such
chance to be in a school production) ‌.and to give www.magazinename.com as many pupils an opportunity to take part.
a success. This will always be one of my highlights in Page 13 life. So to everyone, I salute you all!
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SPORT @ PA
As a member of the Parel Vallei family - a current scholar that is winter sport. This will not only keep you in shape (for that sum good sports
We offer athletics, chess, cricket, cycling, golf, hockey, netb sports. An exciting new addition is our mini gym, so our sport is pun)
Surely you are fit enough (be it physically or mentally) to ch talen
A highlight of the 2015 sport season is the annual De
As we come to the end of our winter season, we are excited and on trained - a proud Parel Vallei
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AREL VALLEI
s – you are expected to take part in at least one summer and one mmer beach bum) but encourage team participation, tenacity, and smanship.
ball, rugby, squash, swimming, tennis and x-country as school bound to continue growing from strength-to-strength (excuse the ).
hoose from the above sports and start showing off your hidden nts‌
erby Day against Somerset College on 14 & 15 August.
nce again determoined to take on the fourth term as we have been ier who never, ever gives up!
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MEET THE HEAD LEADERS OF PAREL VALLEI...
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JACQUE GERICKE
WRITTEN BY: CARLA SPIES
How did it feel when you were first announced as head boy?
When you’re not busy at school, what is your favourite thing to do?
It took a while to sink in of course. It is an incredible honour to know that the school trusted me with such a huge responsibility and that they believe I will be able to tackle such a big task.
To have a braai with friends with the smell of “braaivleis” hanging in the air. Have you ever met a famous person? I met the Springbok fullback, Willie Le Roux, in a restaurant and asked him to take a photo with my brother and me - he was quite stunned.
What is it like to be a head/ deputy prefect? It’s a huge responsibility. You are representing the school and sometimes it feels as if you’ve been placed under a magnifying glass, but at least I have my fellow council members who make my life easier. What does the head prefect do? You are the voice of the school. We are the channel of communication between the learners and the staff members. We are there to bring the ideas and grievances of the learners to the staff members' attention. Is there anything you’d like to change about the school? Attendance at home sports matches, to have the whole school standing on the pavilion, motivating the players. Do you have a funny fetish? Girls with red hair. What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s www.magazinename.com ever happened to you?
Who is your role model and why?
Last year during a debating competition, I completely forgot my words for the unprepared and ended up muttering and stuttering before every sentence! I don’t think my face has ever been that red before in my life! Have you ever gotten into trouble in class? Yes, I am still human. I enjoy a good joke and unfortunately I have an uncontrollable laugh that can be a bit over the top and the teachers don’t always enjoy that. Any idea of what you want to do in the future? I plan on studying Chemical Engineering at the University Of Stellenbosch and would like to have a career in the line of Polymer Sciences. I can’t see myself in the office environment.
My dad - he is the best example of what a man should be and how one should portray oneself. He has a close relationship with God and is always there for his family. He is never too busy to give me advice and will always lead me on the correct path. What is your favourite event at PV and why? PV’s got Talent. It’s always nice to see how talented the learners are and with what fantastic gifts God has blessed each one. Do you have any advice for the PV kids? It does not matter how great the challenge you are faced with may be, see it as an opportunity to grow. God gives you the strength to do anything.
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AMY WARD
WRITTEN BY: EMMA RAMSBOTTOM
How did it feel when you were first announced as head/deputy head?
become so tight due to the falling. I'm mostly embarrassed because it was a rather stupid thing to have done in the first place.
Honestly, I was shocked. I remember sitting there for what felt like an eternity before standing up. My name has never sounded as foreign as it did that night when it was called out. It took a while for the reality of the moment to sink in.
Have you ever gotten into trouble in class? What for? In grade eight Mrs Rossouw gave me writing out for drinking water in her class. I was petrified of her for quite some time and it was a while before I had the courage to drink water in anyone's class after that.
What is it like to be a head/ deputy prefect? It sounds cheesy and sort of expected for me to say this, but I really love being head girl. It is an exceptional honour and I have loved the platform that the position has given me. What does a head prefect do? I would say that my biggest job is keeping my ear on the ground to make sure that there is communication between everyone in the school. Understanding and companionship is the goal of constructive communication. Keeping the council active as a group is also very important to me. I have to make sure that council members are leading people in a positive way. The way the council acts as a unit sends out a very important message and affects people's feeling towards school, often without them even realizing it. Is there anything you’d like to change about the Page 20
Have you ever met a famous person?
I think it would be pretty cool if the LC held their own hearings. And aircons of course. I think we're all for air-cons. I also really dislike our lockers. Do you have a funny fetish? I go a bit crazy when people click their knuckles around me. What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you? I remember in primary school a few others and I decided to tie our shoelaces together so that we could walk around in break resembling some advanced form of a threelegged race. When the bell rang we all ran to lines, falling multiple times of course. We came to lines late and had to sit aside for a good dose of humiliation where we eventually had to cut our laces apart because they had
I once saw Candice Swanepoel in Somerset Mall, but I didn't meet her so that doesn't really count. I met Matthew Mole before one of his concerts last year. When I was eight I met Mark Boucher and Makaya Ntini at my uncle's wedding. Any idea of what you want to do in the future? I'm hoping to end up somewhere where I can care for people. I'm still figuring out in what way I'd like to do that. Do you have any advice for the PV kids? The most important advice I can give is to get into the habit of being positive. It'll make school (and life in general) much more pleasant for you and those around you.
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LIAM DE BLIQUY
WRITTEN BY: EMMA RAMSBOTTOM
How did it feel when you were first announced as head/deputy head?
Have you ever written on the bathroom wall or in the classroom?
Unreal! I was hoping for it, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up too much. It was one of those things one doesn’t really remember clearly because it gets announced in front of so many people – I just hoped I stood up at the right time.
I once had a month-long drawing competition with someone on a desk in Mrs Van Staden’s classroom. It was my design class twice a week so I drew a new picture (in pencil, mind) on my desk each lesson and the next lesson there’d be a new one from the other person.
What is it like to be a head/ deputy prefect?
What is your favourite subject? BiologyMathsAccounting– sorry, I couldn’t pick just one…
I love it. Working with the council, with teachers and all manner of other learners is just so exciting; there’s so much that happens at PV and it’s great to be part of it. What does the deputy prefect do? JAKKIE AWARD! That’s by far my favourite. Otherwise we help the head prefects make sure the council is working well (which they always are) and filling in wherever help is needed. Is there anything you’d like to change about the school? Let guys grow long hair? Facial hair? Longer breaks and loads of extra block days? Not much else besides small, personal opinions really. What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you? I once agreed to go to a school ball with someone, only to realise the week before that I was going away that weekend. Yeah, it was awkward… www.magazinename.com
Any idea of what you want to do in the future?
Do you have a funny fetish? I adore beards and long hair. #whenImdonewithschool #goals Who is your role model and why? As a Christian, I try my best to be like Jesus. Anyone with a positive, loving attitude is following His example and that will make them a role model to me as well! What is your favourite event at PV and why?
I want to study to be a doctor. If I don’t get in to study that, I just want to live! I’m not worried about my future plans too much. Do you have any advice for the PV kids? Make use of the opportunities you are given. Eventually you’ll be given fewer and fewer and you’ll have to learn to make opportunities for yourself. Do what makes you enjoy living and don’t stress about what others think too much. Don’t stress too much about your plans either. Don’t stress at all really! Enjoy life.
Drama productions and musicals (when it comes around). It’s amazing to see your friends and classmates performing on stage and even more amazing to be part of a production. When you’re not busy at school, what is your favourite thing to do? Sleep. Page 21
MICHELLE MARAIS
WRITTEN BY: CARLA SPIES
How did it feel when you were first announced as head/deputy head?
When you’re not busy at school, what is your favourite thing to do?
It was an enormous surprise to hear my name, but I felt extremely blessed and privileged to have been chosen to be deputy for such a special school and council.
Spending time with family and friends is probably my favourite thing to do. A few other activities include: mountain climbing, swimming in the sea, playing with kites on the beach and in the water, running, getting lost in a good book and relaxing with my favourite music playing in my ears.
What is it like to be a head/ deputy prefect? Comparing a roller coaster to my experience of deputy head girl will give you a good idea: it is very exciting, maintains a quick and steady pace, always on the go, even though it feels like you are going to fall off you always have the necessary support (and more), and for every down…there is an up! ;) I have learnt a lot of valuable lessons and skills during the past year and I have experienced the warmth and passion that my fellow students and teachers have.
community and last, but certainly not the least…the JAKKIE AWARD!
Jesus is definitely my role model. He had the power to rule and to do great things by Himself, but yet he used His knowledge to empower other people by showing humility. He inspired nations to live with hope, touched people's lives, never grew weary in doing good and set the perfect example for us to live by.
What do the head/deputy prefects do?
Is there anything you’d like to change about the school?
Any idea of what you want to do in the future?
Our first and most important role is to lead by example. As deputy heads, we support the head prefects and try and maintain the pace and positive attitude as best we can! We have to be aware of the activities in the school and support where we can. In general we help with decision making, meet up with the necessary people to try and incorporate new ideas from the schools side, address a few grey areas, reach out to other schools, promote PV in the
Coming from another high school, I was pleasantly surprised and satisfied with many aspects of PV. I would love the support on sports days or cultural activities to increase.
Although my dream of joining the army will not become a reality, I would love to study BSc Dietetics and use my knowledge to reach out to the people in need.
Who is your role model and why?
Do you have a funny fetish? Yes I do have one… my pillow! When I was about seven, I gave my pillow a special name, and ever since it travels with me everywhere. Have you ever gotten into trouble in class? What for? Yup… sometimes my love for power naps get me into trouble.
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Do you have any advice for the PV kids? Start every day with a good dosage of compassion, determination, initiative and laughter. Work hard, try new things, be consistent, embrace every moment, praise one another when doing well, remember to never take things too seriously and trust God - always!
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Hanging out with Hettie
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HETTIE ETTIKETTIE Written by: Belinda Naude Hello Hettie! So let’s start with you telling us more about yourself - mention the first 5 things that you think of, go! Good grief, lady, you’re so demanding! The art in your personality and developing yourself can make or break any man or woman. I think of: good manners, stylish,fashionable clothing, SHOES! Always being in control of what you say and do. Could you describe a perfect day in the life of Hettie. What would you do as soon as you wake up and how would your whole day play out? Hettie is a lady of tradition. She believes in a morning workout, a good healthy breakfast and sorting out administration before teatime. This includes emails and phone calls from fans and people with etiquette problems and questions. She always utilizes her lunchtime for business meetings and a good session of research and writing on her blog and Facebook page will follow. Dinnertime is always ‘n good opportunity for Hettie to spend time with family and friends. She also never works in the evenings and has a cup of tea with a good book and goes to bed early.
intervene and give Pres. Zuma a copy of her famous manual “Jou Ma se etiket", then have an "etiquette-off" with Emsie Schoeman and of course Hettie would win. Hettie will also receive the Nobel prize for phsycology, literature and etiquette peace. Meryl Streep would be the perfect actress... maybe just a bit younger. She is so tasteful. What is your fondest memory? Saying please and thank you to every person I have met. Ever. What are 3 things people would be surprised to hear about you? Hettie is a fan of very loud music, Hettie is not an animal person, Hettie cannot ride a bicycle. How can people get to know more about you and hear and see more of you? Listen to Hettie Etikettie on Radio Helderberg every Friday morning at 08h30. Hettie is also active on Facebook – add her : HETTIE ETIKETTIE and you can like her page to get all the latest updates.
Who would you say is your hero and why? Hettie is her own hero, because no one else has better manners. Except her mother. Hettie’s hero is her mother. As the younger generation of today is so consumed by social media, what is your view on social media and do you believe it is a good or bad creation? Why do you say so? Hettie believes that social media is an incredible means of communication and interaction, when used in the correct manner with the correct etiquette. Social media makes everything easier and more accessible but it can also expose people in terrible ways. Therefore it is a risky form of media, but it can be seen as a saving grace in this dangerous time and age we are living in. If you had to choose to be one type of social media, which one would you choose and why? Hettie believes Facebook is a tasteful way to communicate with friends and family - so she will definitely be on Facebook. Also because Hettie will tastefully portray the "face" of Facebook. If there was a movie made about your life, what would be some of the main happenings and who would you want to play you, and why? Hettie would be present in all the very important events in her country. She would have a business lunch with Madiba and he woul d give her a tour of the prison on Robben Island. She would then Page 24
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"'n Stukkende dame is allesbehalwe mooi`'
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"Science is the poetry of reality" Page 26
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THE LEAKY TEST TUBE
I am certainly not the fittest, most intelligent or most diligent learner at Parel Vallei. But, what I do have is curiosity. That’s all that matters. For when we are curious, our brains better assimilate new knowledge. For this reason alone, I have an abundance of knowledge about cars, computers and science. And when I say science, I am not referring to Lewis Structures, Newton’s Laws or Dichotomous Keys. Rather, I believe science should tell us why the world is the way it is. There must be a reason for every observable phenomenon, right? Surely. Then why is it that toothpaste’s fluoride content is advertised so strongly? It is likely that you subconsciously accept that it is good, but never knew or questioned why. How could it even be, if Chlorine and Fluorine are two of the most reactive and dangerous elemental gases? It is actually quite simple. First-off, Fluoride in toothpaste is not lethal. Similar to Sodium forming salt when added to Chlorine, it mitigates the reactivity of Fluorine when forming Sodium Fluoride, the actual key ingredient. Its usefulness was actually not discovered until 1901. When dentist Frederick Mckay relocated to Colorado Springs in the USA, he found that the locals had yellow teeth with brown stains. Their teeth were, however, in excellent health.
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In a “light-bulp” moment, the dentist studied their drinking water and found abundant naturallyoccurring Flouride compounds. In 1945, drinking water was first intentionally fluoridated in Michigan. In the next two decades cavities dropped by 60% in children! Not much later, dentists discovered that bacteria feeding on residual sugar in the mouth produce acid which dissolves the Hydroxyapatite in tooth enamel. The resultant calcium and phosphate and ions can be converted to Fluorapatite, which is reincorporated into the tooth enamel and strengthens it. When Flourine levels are kept low enough, they offer said protection without staining teeth! We practically beat bacteria at its own game. Indeed, my interests lie in the smaller manifestations of our wild world. A short while ago, I observed a left-handed person in class. The swiftness and accuracy of his script is unmatched by my ‘dumb’ left hand. You may have heard that less than 10% of all people are ‘Lefties’, but why does one hand have dominance over the other (unless you’re ambidextrous)? It is indeed a peculiar phenomenon, as our closest evolutionary relatives, like the chimpanzees and gorillas, do not typically favour one hand over
BY: EDUARD ZEHRT the other. It has been suspected that a dominant hand is determined by genes, but this has yet to be proven and seems unlikely as identical twins sometimes have different dominances. The most commonly accepted theory is that is that hand dominance is linked to the hemispheres of your brain. You see, the left hemisphere controls movement of the right side of the body and the right hemisphere that of the left side of the body (Contralateral is the scientific term). Therefore it seems to be only logical that the side of the brain that processes language and speech should control the hand that writes text. Typically, language is processed in the left hemisphere, causing the prevalent Right Hand Dominance. This theory is further backed up by observation that ‘Lefties’ process language in both hemispheres' sides of the brain or even in the right side only! We therefore don’t inherit hand dominance, but rather a less biased brain. These were only two (technically three) hopefully interesting Science facts. There are many more, soon to be leaked by The Leaky Test Tube. Be certain to get your hands on the next issue of The Blue Thread and be Page 27 prepared to be enriched!
S E F I L
The all-in-one super-foody-healthy-fancy-nature-alidocious section
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E L Y T S !
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HOW TO SAVE MONEY WHILST SHOPPING By: Sasha-Lee Jooste
Obviously sometimes there are real bargains along these racks, but usually they sell the goods that aren’t selling well or trends that have failed. There is no problem with buying these goods, but if you have to justify your purchase to yourself by telling yourself, ‘maybe I can sleep in it’, then rather leave it. Rather invest in something you truly love than just buying something, because it is a “bargain”.
Overdressing will cause frustration in the changing room, as no one enjoys changing out of 5 layers every time you want to try something on, and this may lead you to buy things that you haven’t tried on to avoid changing. In reality, those purchases probably won’t fit you and may not suit your body type. Also, it’s a battle to avoid the horror of buying a random new outfit to change into and ditching the original one. A comfortable in-between is ideal.
Avoid catching up with a buddy on this shopping trip. Bring a frugal friend, dedicated to helping you save money and if she/he has a bossy side it’s a bonus, as they are always ready to refocus you. Going alone won’t allow you to get that brutally honest opinion you need. Avoid bringing the reluctant friend for this event.
Having cash on you will save money in the long run, because a debit/credit card will lead to impulsive decisions. Instead, have a budget for your shopping by drawing cash. When having a budget you tend to buy things you really love, instead of blowing all your money on items that you will hardly wear.
Sometimes an item just needs a simple hemming or shortening to turn it into that favourite skirt or shirt. Next time you find jeans too long for your legs that were actually an amazing deal, ask your grandma if she wouldn't mind hemming the bottom.
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
By: Sasha-Lee Jooste
NEW THEORIES OCCURING THAT TRANS-FAT MAY WORSEN MEMORY As a teenager, memory is key when meeting new people, studying for exams and basic learning. Someone shouldn’t turn a blind eye when hearing that a food, which is a part of many people’s daily diet, is directly involved in your memory and even depression levels. Trans-fat is knowingly bad for one’s physical health because it has been shown to consistently be associated with the risk of coronary heart disease, the worldwide leading cause of death. It may come as a surprise that it can also affect your mental being. An explanation for what the link between Trans-fat and memory is, is that Trans-fats increase inflammation and interfere with the production of hormones. In addition Transfat may disturb the body’s production of Omega-3 which plays a pivotal part in the functioning of the brain.
Commonly consumed foods often containing Trans-fat are: microwave popcorn, packaged pies, crackers, frozen pizza, margarine and coffee creamers. It is better to avoid consuming these products in general or find a healthier alternative, especially for school learners as it may affect your current school performance and deem risks on your In a study done by Dr. Beatrice Golomb, a professor at the University of California, San cholesterol in the long run. Diego School of Medicine, he proved this association theory. Basically, he tested men on Manufacturers have indeed cut out these types of fats by a massive 86% in the last memory ability by showing them cards and 12 years, however they do still make up testing if they could remember what was on 2-3% of the average diet. Dieticians and the cards. Men that had Trans-fat in their even scientists don’t usually recommend diets got a visibly lower score compared to cutting out a food entirely from a diet, even men who ate healthier. small amounts of saturated fats are On average men whose daily diet contained 16 necessary in sustaining the human body. grams of Trans-fat recalled 12 fewer words Although it is agreed upon that one should correctly. It may be difficult to distinguish which type of food fall into each sub-section consume foods with Trans-fats in them, as it opposes nothing but a negative impact on of a food group. health.
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Although the tests were done on men, there is no reason for the same result to apply to women. In conclusion, Trans-fats should be avoided and should be eaten sparingly, as they deteriorate the body physically and mentally and are just a waste of time to consume.
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By: Teneille Nel
ESSENTIAL OILS
What are essential oils? Essential oils are concentrated extracts from the roots, leaves, seeds, flowers or plants. They were used by the ancient Chinese, Indians, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans for their therapeutic (both physical and emotional), hygienic and ritualistic purposes, as well as cosmetics, perfumes and drugs. Peppermint oil
Benefits of common essential oils Eucalyptus Treatment of respiratory problems
Pain relief esp. headaches Reduces inflammation & spasms Hair & skin care Aids brain health
Combat mental exhaustion
Clears congestion in respiratory system & liver
Dental & skin care
Aids digestion & reduces nausea
Treatment of wounds & muscle pain Beneficial to diabetes patients Fights fever & intestinal germs
Regulates menstruation Reduces fever Rosemary
Frankincense
Hair, skin & dental care
Fights infections
Combats anxiety & depression
Reduces swelling
Pain relief from headaches & rheumatism
Promotes cell regeneration Aids digestion, urination and regular menstrual cycles Soothes anxiety
Reduces bronchial asthma symptoms Aids digestion Antibacterial
Lavender Combats insomnia Pain relief Skin & hair care Blood circulation
Tea tree Antibacterial, antifungal, antiseptic & antiviral Promotes absorption of nutrients Heals scars Combats coughs & colds
How are essential oils used?
Cleansing of body systems
Since essential oils are so concentrated, most are diluted in water (they evaporate quickly in hot water) or used in ‘carrier oils’. Common examples of which are jojoba, sweet almond, avocado, coconut and calendula. Undiluted essential oils may seem expensive, but their high concentration mean that very small amounts are used making them last. Page 32
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#trending www.magazinename.com
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Listen up! OF MONSTERS AND MEN: BENEATH THE SKIN This new record from Of Monsters and Men is somewhat unexpected. It is seemingly different from their previous hit album, My Head is an Animal (released 2011). On the contrary, it is a deeply personal album, and I suspect that they released the album as something for themselves and not to be so commercial. They took this opportunity to connect their emotions to their music and the result is rather different. Fans of their previous fun-loving, hipster-yet-mainstream folk tunes wiill either be pleasantly surprised or somewhat disappointed. But I assure you, you’ll grow to love it eventually. Just know that this isn’t a feel-good record. It deals with some heavy topics, which will force you to think and feel a little deeper. The album’s success is really in the eye of the beholder, since it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. But it’s definitely some good music!
FLORENCE + THE MACHINE: HOW BIG, HOW BLUE, HOW BEAUTIFUL After a hiatus of nearly four years, Florence + The Machine has returned. This British indie rock band, led by frontwoman Florence Welch, has at long last released their third album. This one takes a break from the band’s previously whimsical and theatrical sound, and has a more sober feeling. “Ceremonials [their second album] was so fixated on death and water,” says Florence Welch, “and the idea of escape or transcendence through death, but the new album became about trying to learn how to live.” The album kicks off with the surprisingly upbeat ‘Ship To Wreck’, with frustrated and desperate lyrics that could contribute to the album being seen as a “breakup record”. The whole body of work is earnest, and each line is masterfully written.
MUST READ: THE HISTORY OF THE RAIN by Niall Williams “I’m an incurable romantic, according to Vincent Cunningham. Incurable anyway, I said.” These are the words of Ruth Swain, the quick-witted 19-year-old main character in The History of the Rain. It is set in the rural Irish village of Faha, where each resident is stranger than the last, and narrated by a girl who is left bedridden by an undiagnosed blood disorder. Accompanied by Ruth’s blunt humour and endless volumes of references and comparisons to classic works of literature, we are given an exciting, even absurd, although largely unconfirmed history of the Swain family, salmon and Ireland itself. The History of the Rain is a novel that is imaginative both in its story and its writing. It is far from the sort of sappy sentimentality that easily comes with a story about someone with a mysterious, incurable illness. It goes beyond a historical book, or a love story. With honesty and vulnerability this novel captures grief and hope and whimsy, with downright breathtaking descriptions. It is one of those precious books that forces you to stop reading every now and again, simply to savour how wonderfully a particular sentence was written, and should delight any fan of
Page 34 literature. beautiful
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Parks and Rings (parksandrings.tumblr.com)
For fans of the Lord of The Rings and Parks and Recreation, this blog is a must. Parks and Rings unites these two cinematic opposites in one of the internet's more successful collaborations. Quotes from the comedy series with a great cast including Amy Poehler and Chris Pratt, placed over screenshots from the Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit movies, result in surprising hilarity. The ever-grumpy Thorin is the perfect mouthpiece for Ron Swanson quotes, while Ann and Leslie's friendship gives a whole new level to that of Legolas and Aragorn.
humansofny
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After being fired from a boring career in Finance, Brandon Stanton had an epiphany that would lead to this inspiring and wonderful website. It started as a goal to photograph 10,000 New Yorkers and plot their photos on a map, but after a while Brandon began to interview his “models” in addition to taking photos of them. Their wise words became the captions of his photos and together it formed this inspiring, vibrant blog. If you follow this blog on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter you will get a quick glimpse of the daily lives of some of New York’s most interesting characters. And if you enjoy the blog so much as I do, you can also buy Page 35 the book.
WHAT ON EARTH IS HAPPENING? When the sun sinks down behind the sea, and a golden path is formed, with sea-gulls screeching above and waves glistening beneath, it radiates a sense of peace and joy, but under the ocean great turmoil and destruction is being caused. I just heard the other day what an impact it would have if we were to buy one box of prawns, because of the way they are fished. Prawns are, for example, being caught on the coasts in the east – shorelines of China and Japan- by casting large nets, over a kilometre long and just as wide. For a second, just think how big that is. Once the vast nets with tiny holes (so that the prawns can’t slip out) are thrown, fishermen drag it across the ocean floor until they think it’s heavy enough, and then pull it on board their ships. You don’t have to be clever to realise that there will be a lot more in those nets than just little prawns. Coral, sea-turtles, all the fishes that live on the ocean bed, small sharks, and even bigger fish are trapped in the net with no chance of escaping. The fishermen try to save them, but releasing a wounded shark or struggling turtle busy being strangled is no joke. Hundreds of sea creatures die, not to mention the coral on which so many sea creatures depend. For every 50kg of prawns that is caught, there is 1 ton of waste. 1 ton of other sea creatures and coral are caught and suffer or die for absolutely no reason what so ever. This made me feel like I would never eat prawns again, but sadly, this is only one example of how nature has to suffer in order to satisfy our wants.
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I looked at many problems of the world: A shortage of food in some countries, Global warming and pollution, the growing number of new and stronger diseases, crime due to lack of jobs, the destruction of rainforests and animals' habitats, and the extinction of animals. I could go on, but I came up with the same, simple conclusion: Over-population! There are too many people for the world to handle. The right number would be about 4 billion, and there are now about 8 billion. That’s twice as many! Between 200 and 250 000 children are born every day and that results in about 90 000 000 people each year for earth to accommodate, and this means more suffering for nature. All this makes me upset, because as an individual there is nothing I can really do about it, except the usual. There will always be people who won’t care about what I’ve just mentioned and who will continue to live so recklessly. It makes me think about what will actually happen in about a hundred years’ time or so, when there might be no prawns to eat and few animals to admire. After all of this, I just want to ask you one question, (95% of the people who were asked said no): If there was a button that would cause some of the human population to be wiped out and therefore guaranteeing the continuity of a wonderful life on this earth, with none of these heart-breaking stories like the one I’ve just told you, would you press that button? www.magazinename.com
RASPBERRY COCONUT CAKE Sponge:
Topping:
4 eggs, separated
200g raspberries
200g white sugar
2 tbsp water
50g finely grated coconut
1 tbsp icing sugar
250g plain (all purpose) flour
300ml cream
Decoration: Shaved coconut Icing sugar
1 tsp baking powder 120g melted butter
Sponge:
Icing:
1 –Heat the oven to 160 C. Grease a 20cm
1 –Put half the raspberries into a pan with the
spring form deep cake tin and line the base
water. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently
with non-stick baking paper.
until soft. Mash the raspberries in a bowl to
2 –Whisk the egg whites with 2 tablespoons sugar until soft and fold in the finely grated coconut. 3 –Whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until creamy. Sift in the flour and baking powder and gently stir into the mixture. Fold in the coconut mixture until blended, followed by the melted butter.
make a raspberry puree (sauce). 2 –Whisk the cream with the icing sugar until stiff, then whisk in the coconut syrup. 3 –Spoon the whipped cream on top of the cake and decorate with the remaining raspberries and the raspberry puree. Arrange the shaved coconut on top and sift a little bit of icing sugar over it.
4 –Spoon into the tin and bake for about 1 hour until cooked through. Insert a skewer into the centre of the cake; it will come out clean when the cake is baked through. Once taken out, let it cool in the tin for about 5 minutes, then place the cake on a wire rack to cool completely.
This Cake is perfect to win over the heart of any coconut lover, and it's also just a great treat for 'cheat day'. It's easy enough for anyone to make- even the most undomesticated people! *raspberries can be substituted with strawberries or blueberries if so desired.
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LA
La Voix, the quarterly ne end of every term, has jo in their own
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VOIX
ewspaper, that is released at the oined forces with us and now stars n section of this mag!
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LIFE ORIENTATION
by Teneille Nel
There's only so much orientationg we can take! The bell rings. You take out your timetable. LO. Is it highlighted in blue, because it’s your “off” period? Perhaps it’s red, because you always forget to bring your sport clothes. Maybe it’s yellow because you can’t stand the endless discussions about religion, BEE and gay rights. Learners can recite the topics to be covered yet again for the coming year without even opening their textbooks: democracy and human rights, religions, study skills, physical health, development of self in society, decision-making, selfesteem… Every year as girls draw closer to being called women, they feel increasingly foolish for having to caper around swinging rugby balls, throwing bats and inventing demeaning dance/spaz/pseudotraditional routines and sadly obstacle-less courses. Let us not even mention the attempts at inventing games using recyclable materials.
Schools with fewer privileges do benefit from working through certain issues covered, so it is fairly understandable that the subject is compulsory, but surely, if Matrics have to attend extra classes when final exams draw near simply to finish the syllabus, more students would prefer to use LO periods to complete homework, study, or even have actual lessons for other subjects? Some pupils enjoy the socialising and the sporting fun. But finishing important work during LO periods would give them more time to enjoy these activities after school, without the restrictions of school uniform and the supervision of teachers. In conclusion, having to do LO homework and go through the hassle of sport periods diminishes the efficiency of the educational system, as well as personal time management of students. Life Orientation should be a self-study subject. One wonders whether selfscanning mightn’t be a more appropriate term.
Place of Interest
by Megan Vermaak
Just off the bustling Main Road of Somerset West is a tranquil oasis, Chelsea Village. In the centre of this village are the classic and intimate Chelsea Café and the contemporary coffee shop Chelsea Bean, where a unique “pasture to plate” experience awaits. Both venues are ownermanaged by Marle Jacobsohn and partner Fran van Tiddens, who invite you to take a break, unwind and recharge your batteries while enjoying the solid food philosophy behind their delicious offering of tantalizing eats and coffees. The menu offers a wide variety of farm-to-table eats which are freshly prepared on the premises and include delightful breakfasts, home-baked cakes and confectionary, aromatic freshly ground coffee, gourmet sandwiches, burgers, salads, pastas, curries and bredies. The menu reflects a fad-free approach to cooking and eating that emphasizes fresh nutrition-dense food. “Real food” is what they call it. Retail products that are for sale at Chelsea Bean include home-made jams, granola, cordials, chutney, preserved fruits and coffee beans. So come and enjoy a peaceful and relaxing experience at Chelsea Café with friends and family. I promise you that you won’t regret it! Page 40
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for the bookworm...
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THE MASTER OF THE TOWER by Ashleigh Baker
The screeching of the old black kettle inside the cottag woke me from my cosy slumber. I gingerly poked my nose out the small hole in my home and felt the heavy dew settle on my whiskers. I, Horatio, am the gracious mouse that has the pleasure of residing underneath the poppy pot outside The Master’s door. I wriggled out of my nest of unwillingly donated swan feathers and quickly nibbled a bread crumb I had collected from The Baker down the street. The Master would leave soon. Sure enough, the colossal boots stomped out of the front door. The excitement that these earthquakes bring has never quite left me. I scurried out from underneath my pot, tripping over forgotten trinkets I had collected on my way. The Master looked up at the sky, sighed, stretched out his back and let loose an almighty groan. Mumbling to himself he set off on his routine and I, narrowly missing his walking-stick, followed him. The houses on either side of the road loomed towards us, as if scolding us for interrupting their dreams with the ‘clack’ of the stick and the murmurs of The Master. I have never been able to fathom the meaning of his mutterings but I have always been sure they were of the utmost importance. It was early morning, and the night’s rain still clung to the air. Some chimneys had already lit their pipes and were sleepily puffing away into the sky. The sky, oh, the sky! I had once visited a circus, and spied a carriage unlike the others. The sky resembled this carriage today. What was once the beautiful colour of royal blue was now dirty, faded and peeling away from the grey wood underneath in great patches.
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Although the grey took dominion, hopeful patches of faded blue still peeked through. Breaking out of my reverie, I scurried after The Master, who was now hunched over against the cruel river breeze. Before us stood The Great Clock Tower which was silhouetted against the weary sky. Its giant golden face gave the setting moon reason to hide its own face in shame. The awe-inspiring stateliness of this tower never fails to leave me breathless. I thought of the warmth of all the candles and the light bouncing off the countless mirrors and thanked my lucky whiskers. Few mice have ever been up there before. The Master swooped down and softly lowered me into his coat pocket. Once we reached The Bell he carefully placed me on an old cog. I watched as he checked all the springs and polished the well-oiled pendulums, nurturing them as if they were his own children. He checked his pocket-watch and flicked a small lever to the side. Cogs turned and seconds later a deafening ‘GONG!’ filled The Tower, setting my fur, nerves, even my delicate ears on end! The Master turned to me and leaned closer. In the silence between two gongs he smiled and whispered, “Good morning www.magazinename.com Horatio.”
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