Photo courtesy of Trevor Ball. See Pg 27.
Groundswell of Good in the Cape of Good Hope Salvation doesn’t come to us from the top. It isn’t handed down to us by our leaders and government, though many of us spend our lives waiting for just that... for life to improve because of policy changes made by ‘major’ players. Over the past few months, I watched with a growing fascination and sense of wonder as the Hout Bay Facebook community, individual by individual, began helping each other. I’ve seen attitudes change and understanding born, I’ve seen that the ‘major’ players are the people in your life who have a direct impact, the ones on the ground, who make a difference. Be it Positively Hout Bay, Hout Bay Organised, Hout Bay Massive or any other group, people out there are communicating with, and learning about, each other. Dialogue goes back and forth, politics raises it’s head and one can almost hear the predicted group sigh, but from that comes open discussion. Instead of tempers being allowed to overrun a meeting, digitally, we are able to follow a thread, absorb what each member is saying and contribute if the urge arises. Oftentimes, I find myself agreeing with both ‘sides’ because I haven’t been forced to pick one. And in most cases the discussions end in an offer of help that leads, yet again, to positive change in Hout Bay. Big or small, favours are crisscrossing the valley almost constantly: a helping hand, legal advice, employment, an elusive recipe or a fancy car on loan for a special occasion, the people of Hout Bay are reaching out to each other in innumerable ways, and no matter the size of the favours or the amount of your time that you offer, it is all life changing.
Sales & Marketing Fiona Mills fiona@thegoodtimes.co.za 084 555 7999
A bold statement, but think about it? In every positive interaction we build community. In each caring moment, someone who felt alone and hopeless learns that there is a community out there who cares about what happens to it’s members, a community who wants the best for everyone. For too long now, we have lived divided, isolated and afraid. And in fear, we remain cold and disconnected, strangers in a town of thousands. By being disconnected, by not knowing the people we all share space with, we feed fear.
Just smile and say “Hi!” Yet this gentle bubble, this slow growing, luscious groundswell of communication and goodness that is percolating right here amongst us, gives us good reason to hope for a better tomorrow. A kind word, gratitude for a kind service, eye contact, the gift of one’s time and meaningful interaction build us a community of people who care about their neighbours. Positivity breeds positivity (the same can be said for it’s opposite) so, instead of keeping your head down and trying to make your way safely through your life without too much disruption or chaos, fearing the ‘what ifs’ and bemoaning the ‘why me’s’, lift up that chin, smile at the world, make eye contact with a stranger and just say ‘Hi!’. You MAY make a new friend, you WILL improve someone’s day. Keep it real, join the groundswell and enjoy Issue 2. Oh, and don’t forget: we are unapologetically “Ra-Ra!”
Content & Layout Jess Morgan jess@thegoodtimes.co.za 082 777 3024
Advertising Brooke Irving brooke@thegoodtimes.co.za www.thegoodtimes.co.za
Published by Fiona Mills & Jess Morgan
Silikamva High School
Siphiwo Ngcipe - A Hout Bay Super Hero! Siphiwo now trains both children and adults at the Hout Bay Library as well as being a driving instructor. During his interview with Tom, Siphiwo, laughed self-deprecatingly, saying much had been made of a small incident with a cellphone. Tom however was right in asking him to walk us through what he was thinking when going to all this trouble to return a phone. “I got to the phone, tried to see whose it
Speaking of social media, I watched in fascination in early August when local Remax estate agent, Hadi Ertinger posted a heartwarming story on the Hout Bay Organised Facebook group. While viewing a house in Ruyteplaats one morning, Hadi realised that her cellphone was missing. Panicked, she retraced her steps all the way back to her car but her Blackberry was nowhere to be found. With a sinking heart, Hadi returned to her office, readying herself for the task of building up her lost information and renewing her sim card and all that goes with it.
“The real deal!” However, waiting in her inbox was an e-mail with a difference. Hadi writes, “One of my e-mails is from a Siphiwo, who says he thinks he picked up my phone outside Ruyteplaats, it was lying in the road and it seemed like a car had nipped it because the LCD was broken. He said he had this repaired at a cost of R850.00 to be able to see who the phone belonged to and hence his e-mail to me with his cell number. Well, I thought what a scam, but I need my phone more, so I called Siphiwo, who promptly came to my office, showed me a receipt and my old LCD.” Siphiwo Ngcipe, much to Hadi’s delight, turned out to be “the real deal”. So much so, that Hadi shared her experience on Facebook, a post that garnered 206 likes and 89 comments and led to an interview with Tom Purcell on our awesome local station, Republic Radio. On the Saturday morning, following the incident on the Tuesday, Tom invited Siphiwo to join him in the studio for a chat. Seven times undefeated South African Wushu (Kung Fu) champion, Siphiwo has earned South African colours three times, representing South Africa at the World Championships in Hanoi,Vietnam in 2005, Beijing, China in 2007 and Toronto, Canada in 2009, coming in in fourth place twice. Growing up in the Eastern Cape, in a selfconfessed “rough neighbourhood”, Siphiwo wanted to learn to defend himself. At the young age of 8, he began Karate, then tried Judo and various other disciplines, until at the age of 15 he “found Kung Fu...and never looked back.”
to its owner. So I thought I’d take it a step further, why not?” At the shop where he had the phone repaired they advised him to rather keep the phone, as he had paid for the repair and had no guarantee that he’d get the money back, but he declined. “I gave it some thought and I thought, you know what, this is what I would wish for someone else to have done, I know what a hassle it can be and it was a Blackberry and
“Behaviour is something you adopt from your surroundings. Probably 90% of people out there would have done the same thing I did. This is the norm for me in Hout Bay. I’m surrounded by like-minded people, I’m surrounded by angels...” was, but it wouldn’t switch on. I thought maybe it’s flat, I put it in the charger, still no response, then I looked at it closely and I could see that the screen was a bit gone. I took out the sim card, put it in my phone to see if I could see any of the contacts, you know, but it had a password. So I took out the memory card to see the pictures, to see if there’s anyone I recognised. Nope. It looked like friendly people in the pics and stuff, but nobody I recognised.” He laughs and continues, “A few thoughts occurred to me, you know, leave it the gate with security or drop it at the police station, but there are no guarantees it’s going to go back
most Blackberry owners have their whole lives stored on their phones! I said to the guy just make sure you give me a receipt and the old screen so it’s at least believable because I wouldn’t have believed it myself, but still I need to do it you know?” He laughs as he remembers the guys looking at him as if he was crazy, “Look, I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do, I’ll sleep better at night.” In response to all the comments made by people on HB Organised, Siphiwo felt that some of the credit should go back to them. “I am a product of Hout Bay. I came from PE 10 years ago with my own personality,
Tom Purcell & Siphiwo at Republic Radio
but behaviour is something you adopt from your surroundings. Probably 90% of people out there would have done the same thing I did. This is the norm for me in Hout Bay. I’m surrounded by like-minded people, I’m surrounded by angels you know...So Hout Bay can be proud, and thank you Hout Bay.” A quiet and unassuming hero, he earlier this year apprehended 5 youths who had broken into his car. He retrieved all his goods from them and in the ten minutes they waited for the police to arrive, Siphiwo invited them to come to his martial arts school. “I’ll introduce you to a new way of life, I’ll teach you a skill, teach you a thing or two about how to be. And I could see it in their faces, they got it!” he said. A good man making a difference one “small” deed at a time! Should you wish to learn the ancient art of Kung Fu or simply meet a real life hero, Siphiwo, the current South African Wushu Champion, can be contacted on sandaking@gmail.com or www.liwu.co.za
Winner of the Sanshou King Competition in Johannesburg in 2009 organised by the South African Wushu Federation - photo by M Hough.
The Underdog Project - Hout Bay The Underdog Project is an animal assisted therapy organization that brings together atrisk Hout Bay teenagers and shelter dogs for after-school dog training activities, humane education and life skills workshops. Underdog’s mission is to inspire and educate vulnerable youths and, at the same time, to help shelter dogs get adopted. Founded in 2011 and based at DARG, Underdog harnesses the therapeutic power of animals to create “soft spaces” where teens can grow in self-confidence and build skills that can help them to actively engage with their futures. Some of their key goals: • Equip school leavers with the emotional intelligence to cope with life’s ups and downs, and the skills to tackle challenges head on. • Motivate learners to stay in school, not to turn to violence or substance abuse. • In stil humane education in the learners and their community, promoting responsible and kind pet ownership. • Prepare shelter dogs for their new homes and accelerate their adoption. Underdog’s Youth Builder course provides a safe, stimulating extra-mural activity,
as well as hard and soft skills training for school leaners. Each teenager on the course is paired with a shelter dog for basic dog handling activities. Reward-based, force-free dog training techniques ensure the well-being of the shelter dogs and develops in the students patience, compassion, empathy and responsibility. What’s more, the skills that learners teach their canine partners assist these abandoned dog in finding and keeping forever homes. Underdog’s Youth Builder courses draw on a combination of dog handling exercises and life-skills workshops, facilitated by volunteer professionals and students. Underdog Youth Builder courses cover: • Goal-setting • Career planning • Communication and anger management • Leadership • Trust, boundaries and self-esteem • Creative thinking • Dog fighting • Humane education Some of the things the teens learn with their shelter dog partners:
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Basic obedience training, such as sit, down, stay • Fun trick training like roll over and give paw • Navigating agility courses • Walks and games • Hiking • Clicker training • Grooming • T-Touch workshops Each course ends with a Graduation ceremony, after which keen students are invited back onto the programme as peer leaders for the next course. The Underdog project has been working with Hout Bay High School since 2011, and is excited to be starting a pilot project with Silikamva High School in the fourth term this year (2013). Support The Underdog Project! The Underdog Project has the advantage of helping both dogs and children, and they are passionate about what they do. Underdog is always looking for volunteers who can provide ongoing coaching and mentoring of learners and assistance with their school work and projects during the day and after school.
Tonia Jacobs with Midas - Photo: Matilda Söderström
To see The Underdog Project at more schools in Hout Bay, reaching out to more at-risk teenagers, you can back their crowdfunding campaign on Thundafund, which is raising the funds to employ a full time social worker in 2014. Visit www. thundafund.com/underdogproject to find out more.
Jason Fisher with Winston - Photo: Matilda Söderström
Only In Africa - Home Heroes
Hout Bay High Graduation Day - Photo: Leonie Mervis
On Wednesday 18 September, The Underdog Project celebrated Hout Bay High School’s Class of 2013 Graduation Day. Each of our 8 Underdog students received a certificate and a small gift. Three of our graduates received special prizes for their outstanding achievements in training shelter dogs. We were (and are) so very proud of them. Guests were then treated to a demo of dog handling skills by Jason, Lorenzo and Tonia with their shelter dog partners, followed by ribbon cutting and a feast of cakes and sandwiches. Thanks to ALL who made this day possible – DARG, Hout Bay High School, Hills, Home Heroes, our “anonymous” classroom donor (you know who you are!), FNB, the Mervis family, Pronature, Server-Admins and to every single one of our volunteers past and present who have given of their time and expertise to impact and inspire this group of teenagers.
This magnificent creature (above left) was spotted in Camps Bay by Home Heroes’ Operations Manager, Cryson Nhamoyobonde. Only in Africa! On another note, Jeremy Elson and the Home Heroes Team received the following from Jenna da Silva Pinto, Founder and Director of The Underdog Project: “Our Hout Bay High School Class of 2013 celebrated their graduation last week, and we took this beautiful photo (above right), capturing the joy of their achievements. On behalf of all of our Underdog students I’d like to say a huge thank you for your support. Next term we begin a course with a new school in Hout Bay, called Silikamva. Without your support and donations we would not have been able to reach out to this new school. I am really excited for what the future holds for The Underdog Project. Together we can create safe spaces for teens to be inspired and educated, alongside their shelter dog partners.”
Where were you born? Cape Town. Where did you study? Cape College. What was your favourite subject at school? Biology.
Judith Ferguson, Ambleside School of Hout Bay. Where were you born? Caledon in the Overberg Region Where did you study? University of Stellenbosch and UWC What was your favourite subject at school? English & Geography Who was your favourite teacher? Miss Hans (English) Which is your favourite day of the week and why? Everyday! It’s a blessing. What star sign are you? Scorpio A special moment while teaching? I always strive to get the best out of my pupils and in 2009 I received my first Departmental Certificate for obtaining 100% pass rate in English as a First Additional Language. I felt elated, knowing that my dedication paid dividends. With the support of my colleagues I have grown into a confident educator.
Mrs Boezak, Hout Bay Secondary School
Where were you born? Vredenburg. (Some of my kids are convinced I’m an alien.) Where did you study? University of Stellenbosch. Who was your favourite teacher? Ms. Lochner. Grade 3. Which is your favourite day? Is that a trick question? I like Friday because it is Friday. What star sign are you? Aries. A special moment while teaching? There’s been so many, but one that still makes me laugh was the cheeky response of one of my grade 3’s on my enquiry as to why she is working so fast today when only yesterday she couldn’t finish anything. She said with mock astonishment, “I don’t know teacher.” She held up her right hand, looked at it and paused for effect. “It’s my hand! It is writing fast today!”
Where were you born? Madeira Island. Where did you study? UCT; UNISA and Stellenbosch University. What was your favourite subject at school? French. Who was your favourite teacher? Sr Kathleen Keary - Science. Which is your favourite day of the week and why? Saturday - when I can sleep late, read for hours on end, go for long walks and listen to Fine Music Radio. What star sign are you? Aries. A special moment while teaching: When all our Deaf learners pass matric and whenever a profoundly deaf learner finally understands a difficult concept.
Marike Pienaar, Disa Primary School.
Maria Kerbelker, Dominican-Grimley School.
Where were you born? Worcester Where did you study? Headstart Montessori What was your favourite subject at school? Home Economics Your favourite teacher? Mrs Barnard - Biology What star sign are you? Cancer A special moment while teaching: I have special moments every day, and I love the look of excitement on a child’s face when they start reading for the first time.
Nicky, Hout Bay Montessori
Grant Ruskovich, Deputy Principal International School of Hout Bay: High School
Denise Michel, Deputy Principal
Where were you born? Johannesburg Where did you study? Johannesburg College of Education What was your favourite subject at school? History and English Who was your favourite teacher? Mr Eslin (History) Which is your favourite day? Friday of course. It is the end of the work week and I know that I can sleep late on Saturday. What star sign are you? Cancer A special moment while teaching? When you are explaining something to a learner and they have what I always call a “light bulb” moment. You see the understanding bloom in their faces, the wonder and joy at finally being able to understand what the teacher is saying. That moment never gets old!
Where were you born? Port Elizabeth Where did you study? Stellenbosch University & UCT What was your favourite subject at school? Biology Your favourite teacher? Mrs Elfrink (Biology) Which is your favourite day of the week and why? Friday as it is the start of the weekend. What star sign are you? Libra A special moment while teaching: My most recent special moment was when little Nicolas Puglia stood up for me when the class was being noisy and said, “Everyone I think we must be quiet, because Juante is special, and she makes us clever, so we must listen to her.”
International School of Hout Bay: Primary School
Marion Ives, Kronendal Primary School.
Juante Wall, Llandudno Primary School
Where were you born? Cape Town Where did you study? UCT What was your favourite subject at school? Science Who was your favourite teacher? Mr Green (Science - and confidence!) Which is your favourite day? Friday especially when my goals for the week have been realized and I have earned the weekend. What star sign are you? Taurus A special moment while teaching? In 1982 when many matriculants decided not to write their finals because of political disturbances. Learners innovatively structured the Biology lessons as an International conference and presented papers. Their work was of an exceptionally high standard. There were 16 learners with A’s in Biology with 8 in the top 20 in the Province….memorable !
Where were you born? Cape Town Where did you study? Plantation Primary School and Wittebome High. I completed my diploma at Wesley College & part time at Hewat College of Education. What was your favourite subject at school? Mathematics & Art Which is your favourite day of the week and why? Every day of the week is precious. So today is always my favourite as I can look forward to new experiences. What star sign are you? Scorpio A special moment while teaching: Always the one when a student walks up to you and reminds you of a special moment, that moment when they come back to the school to plough back. At Sentinel I have experienced many for which I am thankful.
Where were you born? Cape Town Where did you study? UCT What was your favourite subject at school? Reading in Primary, Biology in High Who was your favourite teacher? Mrs Brey (Reading), Miss Scarola (Biology) Which is your favourite day ? Wednesday because I was born on a Wednesday. The poem states that “Wednesday’s child is full of woe” but I always believed they meant to say “…full of Woah! You are AWESOME!” What star sign are you? Virgo A special moment while teaching: When a learner approached me and told me I was her hero and that she wanted to be a science teacher like me one day.
Mackie Kleinschmidt, Oranjekloof Moravian Primary
Claudene Overmeyer, Sentinel Primary School
Cristi Little, Silikamva High School
The World’s First College of Magic
Performers at a Charity Show for James House.
As I approached the front door to the College of Magic, I heard raucous laughter coming from inside. The door flew open and about 20 pre-school children and their teachers came out. The look on their faces said it all. They had just had a “magical” time. It was a Wednesday morning and I had arrived to talk to Marian Williamson, who has been with the College for as long as she can remember, in many different guises. At present she is in charge of Fund-raising. One thing is certain, Marian is passionate about the College of Magic and what it has to offer. The College is based in Lansdowne Road, Claremont, in a fantastic house dating back to 1898. It has had a face lift or two, but has kept the original character and is the ideal venue for MAGIC! Started in 1980 by David Gore it has gone from strength to strength and is a “one off” in the world. In 2010 they opened a branch in Kimberly where they currently have 70 pupils. Two teachers fly from Cape Town to Kimberly every week to give classes. In Cape Town there are classes ranging from children (10 yrs) to adults. In fact, for
Kathy Bodmer is a well known personality in the Hout Bay community. She and her family have been involved with Voluntary Emergency Rescue for years. But when her domestic worker resigned very suddenly, it was a personal “crisis” with a difference! “My work as a CPR trainer is really hectic. With my sons, my father, a tenant and two big dogs at home, I really do need help on the domestic front! Luckily I knew about DreamWorker and was able to get my much needed help quickly. Nomaphelo Masekwana has been a breath of fresh air in my home. She cleans beautifully, moving cupboards and cleaning on top and underneath! She communicates well with me about whatever is happening in my home. And she has such a happy and
everyone who is young at heart. There are full time and part time courses, teaching everything from magic, mime, juggling, ventriloquism, puppetry, clowning, lighting, theatre production and many more. Saturday is a very busy day and some children arrive at 9 am and leave at 1 pm, spending time doing as many activities as they can. Should they get hungry, the tuckshop fills the need. Once they move on to Entry level 2, the students are all expected to wear black and white. Our grandson, Scott, really looks the part in his black suit, white shirt and black tie. He carries all his “magic” in his black briefcase. Even the caretaker, Isaac Gama, who greets us with a smile every Saturday morning, is suited out. He is also learning to juggle – well done Isaac! Once attending the College, a child’s confidence and self belief grows visibly, and according to Marian, that is the most rewarding aspect for those who work or volunteer at the college. One young man, Olwethu Dyantyi, started
at the college when he was 10. He is now 20 and because of his Magic training, he has travelled to Italy and England, finally taking on a “magic” contract in China. Not only is his magic fantastic, he has the courage and confidence to travel, by himself, to China, to fulfil his contract. Olwethu’s magical journey was made possible by FISM, The Federation International des Societes Magiques. They hold a conference every 3 years where 50,000 magicians from 32 countries around
Graduation day for the young magicians. Photographs courtesy of The College of Magic.
loving disposition, cuddling my dogs and giving my ageing dad a kind word and a gentle touch”. Nomaphelo is also delighted with both DreamWorker and her employer. “When I arrived at DreamWorker I had no work. I had been unemployed for a long time but did not know where to find help. My husband is a fisherman and the work is very unreliable. DreamWorker found me two days of work as a char, then one more and finally, my last two days with Kathy. Now I am the breadwinner in our family!” she beams. Nomaphelo has her dreams too. To have a better education and a better life for her child. For herself, she dreams of getting her driver’s licence and becoming an au pair. She recently passed her learner’s licence first time and is hugely proud of her achievement!
DreamWorker was founded in 2008 by Hout Bay locals Tania and Ronald Bownes. It has grown considerably with a central office based in Observatory, an office in Atlantis and one in Port Shepstone and fieldworkers in various areas, including Hout Bay. Fieldworker, Darylene Sherwood, can be seen interviewing candidates at the local Tobi office or the Library several mornings a week. “Our aim is to help the unemployed in the lower end of the economic sector. People who do not have easy access to newspapers and the Internet in their job search. We do not believe in just putting names onto databases, although we do have a highly sophisticated, personalised database system. All our candidates are personally screened, mentored, reference checked and copies of identity documents kept on file. This is a people business and the unemployed need guidance and inspiration during their time of crisis. Our service is
the world compete for “Best Of”. Back home, just down the road, our youngsters have a chance to shine! School groups are most welcome, in fact, encouraged. The College has a programme called “Magic Class Room” and for R25.00 a child can enjoy a few hours of magic, which explains the excitement when I arrived. Not only is Magic taking place inside the stunning building, but also outside, in the garden. There’s a thriving vegetable patch of potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, spinach, radishes and a beautiful lemon tree. The “green team” are also actively involved in a recycling project. The College also has a “Sponsor a Student” programme. It is a fantastic initiative for young folk who would not normally attend the College. If you are interested in contributing, visit www.sponsorastudent. co.za or for more information, visit the College website at www.collegeofmagic. com. By Margerett Macfarlane free to employer and employee and relies entirely on grant and donation funding. We really want to make it easy to get people to employ!” says Tania Tania and Ronald are tremendously proud of the work being achieved by the DreamWorker “DreamTeam”. August 2013 was another record month, with over 16 000 days of work being achieved for the previously unemployed (Full time and part time work). DreamWorker’s subsidiary programme, Link of Love, is all about Job Creation. The public and corporate are encouraged to make their contribution towards alleviating unemployment. A day of work can be purchased for an unemployed person to go out and work in their own community for R100 a day. Work such as helping in the schools, cleaning at aged homes or tending the sick. For details visit www.dreamworker.org.za. All donations are fully tax deductible as DreamWorker is a registered PBO. Please help us to get South Africa working! 021 696 4048 or info@dreamworker.org.za
Reflections with Maggie Believe it or not, we all talk to ourselves. Maybe not out loud, but in our minds. Combine the beautiful sounds of a music festival with the wonderful goods of a market, add the spectacle of a circus and you’re still only half way there! And, the festival prides itself on being 100% childfriendly. The second FamFest will take place on November 30th and December 1st (Sat & Sun) at the Constantia Sports Complex, in Constantia (next to Virgin Active). The festival gates open on Saturday from 10 am until 9pm and on Sunday from 10am until 6pm. FamFest, staffed by child minders, offers an abundance of fun activities and entertainment for the younger children. Artjamming will be there pumping creativity, imagination, & colour to a chillout beat as well as sporting achievement and personal development group, Sporting Chance. The UPliftment Programme, a not-for-profit arts for health humanitarian organisation, committed to bringing UPliftment and extra care to sick & traumatised children in communities, homes & hospitals will also be with us throughout the event as will DRUMKiDZ (interactive drum sessions as seen on SABC3).
JellyBean Events will be working on dance routines with the kids. Dances will include Gangnam Style, Cha Cha slide, Party Rockers and a few more fun and popular songs for the kids. M’Africa will be doing an interactive theatre show to bring JOY to the kids! A wide range of drinks and mouth watering food will be on offer, not forgetting the Halal and Vegan attendees, and there will also be a retail element to the festival. There will be a specific area with a magnificent market feel for those attendees wanting to purchase an early Christmas present, with good old-fashioned products that align with the FamFest brand and ethos. Grown ups will also get ‘bang for their buck’. On the main stage, as well as having great music provided by K, Ray and the Bird, The Rob Thompson Trio and The Cape Doctors, The Rockerfellas, fresh from headlining Rocktober, will be our main act on Saturday evening. Me and Mr Brown, the recent headline act at The Wacky Wine Festival, is our main act on the Sunday afternoon. For more information go to www.4leafagency.co.za. Tickets can be bought online at Quicket. To win tickets to FamFest, see our Competitions on Pg 10!
Have you noticed what you say to yourself? If you have, you will know most of our self talk is negative. We say things like “I’m stupid, I’m no good, I can’t do that, I’m useless” and many more. Stop right there! Every time we repeat these words to our selves they become more entrenched and we start to believe them. Now it’s time to be kind to yourself! I bet you would not say these unkind things to your best friend. Guess what, we are our own best friend, at least, we should be. Who do you trust with a difficult task? Who can you rely on in a tricky situation? Who knows you better than anyone? The answer to all these is “YOU”. As such, you need
to show kindness and love to yourself. Give yourself a small treat when you have done well, even if its just a pat on the back! Appreciate your good qualities and tell yourself so! What is most important, if you have kids, grandchildren or any little person in your life, once you get the idea of this “positivity” and it starts to come naturally, you can pass it on. Notice when a “negative” comes to mind and smartly change it to a positive. It will feel strange at first, but believe me, once you get the idea, you will start to feel good about yourself. What greater gift to give a child than to build their self esteem. Teach them at an early age to change “negative” to “positive”. Get them into the habit and you will have done them a huge favour for the rest of their life. As Louise Hay says “ I am encouraged to take an active part in my healing. I practice loving myself, and I feel radiantly alive”. Good Luck!
Maggie, (Margerett Macfarlane) was born in Cape Town, and has been in business most of her life. She won the “SA Business Woman of the Year” award in 1992, when she was Managing Director of a company involved in electronic manufacture and export. She is trained as a Bereavement Councillor for St Luke’s Hospice. She oversaw the “Look Good, Feel Better” imitative in Cape Town for a number of years. (They provide make over workshops for cancer patients at various hospitals.) She qualified as an Image Consultant and firmly believes that we all need some colour in our lives! She gives motivational talks and is trained as a “Life Skills” coach. She has been happily married for 46 years, has 2 children and 2 wonderful grandchildren, all close by. These days she take it a bit easier and enjoys the moment. She exercises at least 3 times a week and hopes to start drumming soon. She will be contributing to “The Good Times” on a regular basis. Welcome and thank you Maggie!
Workspace - A Playground of Creativity
Workspace is a shared DIY Workshop where members enjoy the facilities of the fully equipped 500m2 space. The facility includes, but not limited to, machinery and tools for woodwork, metalwork, metal forging, pottery kiln, sewing machine, spray painting booth, miniature tool system, 3D printing, auto mechanical bay, sand blasting. The facility also includes multi - purpose areas which are used for training, recreational and team building activities. The public area of Workspace boasts a small gallery space where members can exhibit and sell their work. Situated at the Harvest Centre, 31 Harbour Road, Hout Bay, (just before the Bay Harbour Market and opposite Sentinel Coachworks) Workspace is open 7 days a week. Membership is available from a minimum of R100.00 for a 4 hour slot to R500.00 per month. Alternatively one can buy a DIY Project kit, such as “Build a Table” which includes plans, materials, membership
and mentorship. Also on offer are fully inclusive courses ranging from an hour to a few days, on a variety of different arts, crafts and trades. Workspace is primarily a commercial, for profit, venture but the difference is that it is built on the B4D (Business for Development) model. With this we mean that we aim to facilitate the transfer of skills and resources from those fortunate people who want to help, to the under privileged who want to be helped. To this end, Workspace is aligned with two NGO’s, Dreamworker and Community Cohesion, who assist with identifying those in need. We have created a home from where artists, artisans, crafters and tradespeople can work together, sharing space, skills and knowledge. Exciting news for parents and children is that from the first term of 2014, Workspace will be offering weekly Workshop classes for kids from 12 years upwards. This will include activities such as woodwork and metalwork. For more information: www.justdiy.co.za.
Issue 1 Winners Congratulations to our competition winners from Issue 1 of The Good Times. The winner of the Star Dot Toys prize of LEGO to the value of R1 100.00 was Ryley Kruger, of Llandudno Primary School. Well done Ryley!
In the Yearn2Learn brochure competition, the 1st prize winner of the Yearn2Learn course, valued at R750.00 and a R150.00 voucher for Bay Bookshop was Sentinel Primary pupil, Nombuso Frepu. Congratulations!
The two winners of the Poetry Competition who each won a personally signed copy of renowned wildlife presenter, Michaela Strachan’s, ‘Really WILD Adventures’ are International School of Hout Bay Primary pupil, Hannah Labouchere, aged 7, with her poem titled Lions.
Win a family package to a fabulous family festival kicking off the festive season! We have two family packages to give away for the 30 November and 1 December FamFest weekend. The family package consists of 4 tickets for 2 x adults and 2 x children, valued at R240.00
With tons of entertainment for both children and adults, a wide range of food and drinks to cater for all tastes and wonderful stalls filled with beautiful ideas for Christmas pressies, FamFest is the perfect way to kick off a family festive season!
How to Win 1. Go to our facebook page at: www.facebook.com/ TheGoodTimesSchoolPaper 2. Like us 3. Message us an 8-16 line poem about your weird, wacky and wonderful, freaky, funny and fabulous family! 4. Moms and Dads posting for their children please include their name, age, school and a contact e-mail. Alternatively, e-mail your name, age, school and poem to competitions@thegoodtimes. co.za. Under 18s only. The competition closes on 15 November 2013. The judges decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into regarding the winners.
It’s To Dine For! Mmmmmm, check out the restaurants in our H’out & About feature - who wouldn’t want a great meal out at any or all of these special Hout Bay eateries? Well, now you stand a chance to win a voucher from any one of these Hout Bay gems, just follow the procedures below and wait for us to contact you...you may just be taking your family and friends out for a scrumptious and memorable meal! How to Win 1. Go to our facebook page at: www.facebook.com/ TheGoodTimesSchoolPaper 2. Like us 3. Message us a review of any of the Hout Bay restaurants
featured in H’out & About. Include information like: • Which is your favourite dish? • What you choose off the menu to really treat yourself? • What appeals to you most about the restaurant? • What is the service like? 4. Moms and Dads posting for their children please include their name, age, school and a contact e-mail. Alternatively, e-mail your name, age, school and review to competitions@thegoodtimes.co.za. This competition is open to all ages. The competition closes on 15 November 2013. The judges decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into regarding the winners.
Hout Bay Eisteddfod And, Lwazi Mjodini, of Oranjekloof Moravian Primary, who wrote Wild Animals.
Wild Animals Carnivore, herbivore and omnivore All living in the same sphere. Catching, growling and running In their daily life, Wandering and searching In their way of living. Hunting and poaching Is shaking up the world.
Lwazi, Grade 7
Held in September at Disa Primary, the inaugural Hout Bay Eisteddfod produced amazing results from our multi-talented children of the valley. Held over two days, hundreds of children from many of the local primary schools took part in the event, impressing the external adjudicator, Johan Vermaak, with their high standard of presentation. Pictured here is one of the top achievers, Joel Adonis of Sentinel Primary School, for excellence in Afrikaans poetry. Thea Chaplin, (right) of Llandudno Primary School, also achieved top honours for her Afrikaans poem. The event was a great success and we look forward to 2014!
1 Pam Arlene Place Main Road Hout Bay
Bookings: 021 790 3462
Wild Creature of Secrecy I can see you, I can hear you, when you’re black and white. I don’t need to show off your light, you already have beauty and perfection. I can never sit beside you, Wild Creature of Secrecy, All I can do is admire from afar, splendid wild horse. I long for you as I see you gallop in freedom on the hot plain, Bravely! Living by voices only you can hear! That which brings my heart to fear, splendid horse, stay! Wild Creature of Secrecy! Sarah Teich, aged 14 Ambleside School of Hout Bay
Snake Trying to Fly
E xtremely big and noisy L etting people see them E arly at the water hole P laying in the mud. H urrying to places A nd pushing over trees N osing for peanuts T easing us you see. Ethan Reynolds, aged 9 Llandudno Primary
The snake loves to lie in the sun and bake To do this is a piece of cake. Once there was an elephant He loves to slither around a lot Who wanted to get high, And curl up like a jelly tot. He tried all sorts of things He’s as long as your grandpa’s stick To get into the sky. And can be as thick as a great big brick. Once there was an elephant So whenever you walk passed a long, long snake Who climbed into a tree Please make sure you’re wide awake But he came down rather quickly Or else you’ll become its delicious bait! When the branch snapped into three. Once he tried a mountain, But that wasn’t any good, A boulder rolled and flattened him And nearly broke his foot. Next he tried a helicopter, Then he tried a plane He even made his own fake wings, But fell to earth again. His last attempt, a tall palm tree, Which dropped a coconut, Scratched his tummy on the way down Before he landed on his butt. Finally he realized His place was on the ground Now he pushes trees over Wandering happily around. By Sebastian Reynolds, aged 7 Llandudno Primary
Rebecca van Wyk, Grade 8 Ambleside School of Hout Bay.
Hot Hot is like very red. Hot is in bed before The fire that’s higher. Hot is like tea inside me Where everything is free, Except me. Naomi Gunnel, aged 12 The Underdog Project
Wild Animals Carnivore, herbivore and omnivore All living in the same sphere. Catching, growling and running In their daily life, Wandering and searching Lion lying low and vain In their way of living. With a pretty flowing mane Hunting and poaching Looking at the leaping lioness Is shaking up the world. Who’s in the mood to get some food
Lions
Lwazi Mjodini, aged 12 Oranjekloof Moravian Primary
But the food is faffing round With its front legs on the ground So run food run, get away quick Or the lioness will get you in a nick. Hannah Labouchere, aged 7 International School of Hout Bay
Sketch by Paul van Duyn, Grade 5, Ambleside School.
Class-Work Poster for Mandela Day, Disa Primary.
Picture by Kelly Opie, Grade 3, Dominican-Grimley.
Mosaic Art for the Enviro Quiz, Hout Bay High School.
Art by Benjamin Rideout, IGSCE 2, ISHB High School.
Collaborative Art, Year 4, ISHB Primary School.
Picture by Anesipho Mashalaba (6), Hout Bay Montessori.
Sketch by Tristan Simpson, Grade 3, Kronendal Primary.
Sketch by Joshua Harford, Grade 7, Llandudno Primary.
Pottery by Sima Gogogo, Grade 6, Oranjekloof Primary.
Drawing by Nombuso Frepu, Gr 6, Sentinel Primary
Poster by Buchule Mabenu, Grade 9, Silikamva High.
Ambleside: Educate for Life
The Ambleside Method is based on the thought and practice of English author, philosopher, and educator Charlotte Mason (1842-1923). Mason recorded her thoughts in 6 volumes, but distilled its essence into the foundational principles below. Children are born persons — neither good nor bad, but with possibilities for good and for evil. Principles of authority and obedience are natural, necessary, and fundamental, but they are limited by the respect due the personhood of children. This personhood must not be encroached upon, whether by the direct use of fear, love, suggestion, or influence, or by playing on a child’s natural desire. Teachers, thus, are limited to three educational tools: atmosphere and environment; the discipline of habit; and the presentation of living ideas. Education is an atmosphere does not mean bringing the world to a child’s level. It means considering the educational value of his atmosphere —both the persons and the things in it. Education is a discipline means developing the discipline of habits of mind and body, formed definitely and thoughtfully. The brain is shaped by habits. Education is a life means that children need intellectual and moral — as well as physical — nutrition. The mind feeds on ideas; thus children need a generous curriculum. Education is the science of relations. A child relates to many things and thoughts; thus we train him in physical exercise, nature lore, handicrafts, science, art, and many living books. He requires much varied knowledge that piques his curiosity. Children are taught, when they can understand, that their chief responsibility as persons is to accept or reject ideas. To help them choose, we give principles of conduct, and offer a wide range of knowledge. These principles should help children avoid some of the loose thinking and heedless action that cause us to live at a lower level than we need.
The people themselves begin to understand and to clamour for an education which shall qualify their children for life rather than for earning a living. As a matter of fact, it is the man who has read and thought on many subjects who is, with the necessary training, the most capable in handling tools, drawing plans, or keeping books. The more of a person we succeed in making a child, the better will he both fulfill his own life and serve society. - Charlotte Mason We allow no separation between the intellectual and spiritual life of children. Rather, we teach them that the Divine
Spirit has access to their spirits, and is their continual Helper in all interests, duties, and joys of life.
Perhaps the chief function of a teacher is to distinguish information from knowledge in the acquisitions of his pupils. Because knowledge is power, the child who has got knowledge will certainly show power in dealing with it. He will recast, condense, illustrate or narrate with vividness and with freedom in the arrangement of his words. The child who has only got information will write and speak in the stereotyped phrases of his textbook, or will mangle in his notes the words of his teacher. It is easier for us to deal in this direct fashion with knowledge because we are not embarrassed by the necessity of cultivating faculties; for working purposes the so-called faculties are sufficiently described as mind; and the normal mind is, we find, as able to deal with knowledge as are the normal digestive organs with food. Our concern is to give a child such knowledge as shall open up for him as large a share as may be of the world he lives in for his use and enjoyment. “I think that it is a joyful thing to be said about anybody, that he loves knowledge; there are so many interesting and delightful things to be known that the person who loves knowledge cannot very well be dull; indoors and out of doors there are a thousand interesting things to know and to know better. There is a saying of King Alfred’s that I like to apply to our school - “‘I have found a door,’ he says’”. That is just what I hope your school is to you - a door opening into a great palace of art and knowledge. But you will remember the school is only a ‘door’ to let you in to the goodly House of Knowledge, but I hope you will go in and out and live there all your lives - in one pleasant chamber or another, for the rich people are they who have the entry to this goodly house, and who never let King Alfred’s ‘door’ rest on its hinges, no, not all through their lives, even when they are very old people.” Charlotte Mason. The Story of Charlotte Mason (245 and 96-97)
Mandela Day
New Preschool Facility
Sponsored Run On Friday 26th July we had our annual Sponsored Fun Run. The whole school participates in raising funds for our athletes to compete at the SACCSA National Athletics in Pretoria in September. Each student is encouraged to get sponsorship for every lap they run. Despite the freezing windy conditions our students ran 4414 laps, which is 883km all together! We raised an impressive R19 000.00 towards the athletics tour.
On Thursday, 18th July, the school congregated in the quad and joined hands for 67 seconds of silence and prayer in honour of Nelson Mandela. It was a very meaningful moment in the life of the school.
• • •
4yrs and up 16 children per class Two teachers in the class
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Aftercare facilities Loving, caring, mentoring environment
“The first proposition of Charlotte Mason’s philosophy is that Greening Our Gardens children are born persons. Do not look at your little one as something to prune, form or mold. This is a human being whose strength lies in who he is, not who he will become. If his choices now and in the future are to be good ones, this person must understand reality and see the framework of truth.”
Ambleside’s Alien Hack
Our new Yellow Wood tree.
Ambleside School is the privileged custodian of a section of the wetland between the school and the river. The
Alice in Wonderland!
A much-loved classic returned to the stage at the end of August in Ambleside’s musical production of ‘Alice in Wonderland’. Under the keen and witty directorship of Debi Hawkins, the Ambleside cast (drawn from Grades 4 – 7) delighted audiences of all ages with this quirky production in which a bewildered Alice found herself in a world where nothing, and, indeed, no one, made any sense at all. The principal roles of Alice, the White Rabbit and the Red Queen were played respectively by Juliette Scheffer, Kiana Klette and Alexandra Brown and a strong support cast was headed by Alistair Batley as the enigmatic caterpillar, Michael Hunter as the zany Mad Hatter and Gary Johnson as the manic March Hare. This enthusiastic and fun-filled production lightened the hearts of all who watched it and prompted the curious among us to ponder exactly why, ‘a raven is like a writing desk’?
Ambleside School Print Run Sponsored By Riaan King Optometrist:
wetland is home to many birds, frogs and plants. We are starting a project to rehabilitate our section as best we can by removing the invasive alien species and planting indigenous plants that will encourage wildlife. Our long term goal is to build a boardwalk and outdoor classroom on the wetland. This will greatly enhance the educational experience of our children and be an asset to Hout Bay as a whole.
The first step was an Alien Clearing morning (hack) held on 7th September. Wearing tough shoes and gloves, with industrial weed eaters, saws and pangas in hand we began clearing the Giant Reeds.
Fathers’ Day at Disa Primary At Disa Primary School in Hout Bay parents are made aware of the vital link between education at home and education in the school, therefore parents wish to be involved in those activities that will promote their children’s success at school. In addition to the weekly Parent empowerment and Support program with regular Parenting skills workshops on a Wednesday and Saturday, regular community events are organized on a Saturday morning. On Saturday 15 June, 150 men attended a Father’s Day event at the school. Research studies show that fathers’ involvement in school improves children’s grades, improves the learners’ attitudes toward school and reduces misconduct by learners. The attention and interest shown by fathers in children’s schooling can strengthen family interaction and ties. It was truly exciting and very encouraging to have 150 distinguished looking, and interested men connecting with each other through the common purpose of having their children succeed in life by supporting their education. In her opening address to the men, Gerda van der Westhuizen, principal of Disa
Fathers socializing around the tables.
Primary, mentioned how safe she feels in the presence of all the fathers and in the knowledge that she has their support in the task she and her team have taken on - the task of educating the future leaders, innovators and achievers of our country. Next on the agenda was Sylvester Gasana, a laughter yoga coach. He does not tell jokes but inspires his audience to ‘laugh without a reason.’ He explains that laughing comes naturally to children as it is good for our health – it gets the stale air out of our system and enables us to take in fresh air. As life happens we lose that natural ability, and in some cultures, like his, it is actually encouraged that men be serious and stern. Thereby they demonstrate their significance and importance. However it is this significance and importance that has us disconnect from life and people and that is why he got interested in this methodology to better health and relationships. At the beginning of a session there is always a bit of embarrassment and nervousness, but then, like petrol thrown on fire, the fathers caught the mood and the school hall exploded with laughter. It was a beautiful experience to see and hear a hall full of men laugh like children, reach out to
each other and let go of all their concerns and stress and just be connected to the moment. After ‘laughing for the sake of laughing’ fathers eased into the process of Ronald Bownes workshop. Ronald represents Dream Worker and his, as well as his team’s vision is to have everybody that is employable in South Africa to have work. Ronald inspired and challenged the men to live their dream life on purpose through inspired contribution. He gave them the opportunity to share what is important in their life, what they want to contribute and get involved in and how they are going to make this happen and make it a reality. During his workshop it became clear to everybody that nothing happens by itself, it only happens when we have a dream, as passion to contribute and when we take the required actions. The essence of the Dream Diamond process- creating your Magnificence from within - is that it is a journey of creation, creating your life purpose, creating your life dream and creating your magnificent contribution. The purpose of this event was to give fathers the opportunity they deserve and need – to
Laughing Coach Mr Sylvester Gasana
provide different ways in which fathers can become involved and participate in school related activities. Increase involvement of fathers in schools has a positive effect on society – by improving schools society becomes more stable, with less violence, addiction and crime.
Laughing Fathers
Disa’s Planet Warriors
Elzane Bezuidenhout in Grade 3 A crochet a circle
Six Grade 3 children from Disa Primary School were invited to Kronendal Primary School to attend the Planet Warriors Environmental Awareness Programme. It was an exciting workshop spanning four weeks and run totally by volunteers involved. The children started with small bean and pea seeds and covered them in cotton wool to enable them to grow over the following 3 weeks. They were shown how much water to give them and were asked to return them at their final lesson. They also had a lesson on how to crochet, which they found extremely difficult and challenging. Many of the girls decided to ask their grandmothers to show them how to crochet. They were allowed to take the crochet needles home for much needed practice. Although crocheting was challenging it certainly was enjoyable. The final two weeks were spent decorating recyclable containers with paints, glitters and stickers to accommodate their fledgling plants. The older children made musical instruments from cardboard boxes and containers. The last lesson was all about compost heaps, how to make one and what should contribute to making one. Finally, the children were able to plant their happy plants with good, healthy potting soil, a scoopful of school cultivated compost and some basic information on how to further care for their plants. The children loved the creative and informative aspect of this programme and most of the plants are flourishing under the watchful eyes of our new little gardeners!
Pot plants from Khonaye Hans in Grade 3L
Mandela Day at Disa Primary “The world remains beset by so much human suffering, poverty and deprivation. It is in your hands … to make of our world …a better one for all.” -Nelson Mandela Disa Primary School celebrated Madiba’s 95 birthday with gratitude for what we have and compassion for those for whom the prospect of a better life seems out of reach. All the learners and staff gave 67 minutes of their time to make the world a better place, to honour Madiba, and to ensure that his legacy lives on.
Madiba Display
Grade 1 learners quoting Madiba
Youth Quilt Challenge 3rd Prize Winner: Lokombe Lotoko
Disa staff serving soup in Imizamu Yethu and Hangberg on Mandela Day.
Red Cross Children’s Hospital accepting book marks made by Disa learners for Mandela day.
A warm cup of soup on a cold and rainy Mandela day
U9 Soccer Team Making History
On Thursday, 01 August, the Under 9 Soccer team of Disa Primary won our first sporting match ever played since the opening of the school in 2012. The Under 9 and Under 11 soccer teams will be participating in the local soccer league during Term 3. They played their first match of the season against Kronendal
We would like to congratulate our 10 Young Disa Ladies and their two mentors, Mrs Hettie van Zyl and Mrs Antoinette Greyling, who participated in the 2013 Youth Quilt Block Challenge. The winners’ quilts will be exhibited as “Kwilts innie Bos” at Blaauwklippen Wine Estate from 07 – 09 November 2013. Disa Winners in the Junior Challenge: Lokombe Lotoko (3rd Prize); Lisa Mandamane (HC); Lateefa Swabu (Merrit); Silindokuhle Hojisi (Merrit). Lethiwe Shadu, Olona Mdatyulwa and Zona Zazele’s work were also chosen to be displayed at the exhibition. Well Done Girls!!! You made us proud.
Disa Primary School Print Run Sponsored By Gypsy:
Primary School, and won 3 - 0. The team looked like real soccer stars in their new soccer uniform and were wearing it with pride! Well Done Under 9’s! You have made Disa history by playing the first match in any sporting event since the opening of the school, and made us extra proud by winning it! Under 9 Soccer Team Back row from left to right: Mr B Mhambe (Coach), Mr K Loggenberg, Mr T Mkoyo (Coach) Front row left to right: Kamva Somciza; Nasar Ebrahim; Lolwethu Maxaulana; Waylen Jones; Gabriel Samuels; Ovayo Nodilinga; Sfzseko Ngwaba; Wayne Marimbi; Litha Tshemese; Zeek Lewis; Ambroise Plaatjies; Uviwe Mahobe; Atandile Kantso.
150 Year Anniversary Celebration On Sunday 8 September at 3pm, all the Dominican schools gathered together at the Cape Town City Hall to celebrate being 150 years old. The pupils performed a concert telling the story of how the first sisters arrived in this country in 1863 and how the schools began. This is a very important and rich part of our Dominican school history and great excitement surrounded the event.
Lihle Ndude, Grade 1 art work for 150 year celebration. The theme is Truth and Light
Zintle Gili, Grade 2 art work for 150 year celebration,
Celebrating Madiba Day Hout Bay Fire Station
Sive Takata, Grade 1
Mduduzi Masina, Grade 2, writing about Mr Mandela.
Athi Siceshe Grade 7
Our Hout Bay firemen are the best! The Grade 1 to 3 classes went on an outing to our local fire station where they were taught all about fire drills and the role of the fireman in our community. The children got to spray water out of a fire hose as well as ride in the fire truck. Great fun was had by all.
Angel Nayamombe in Grade 1
Rudy Nordien in Grade R
Nutrition & Nourishment A Necessity Hello…. My name is Lynda Thomas and I am the Clinical Social Worker at DominicanGrimley. I have worked here for the past 3 years on a part time permanent basis. I work with children from grade R to grade 12. Deaf or hard of hearing children at Dominican-Grimley are taught using the oral method so they have the language to communicate well and are able to express themselves adequately during sessions. Children very often never get the opportunity, particularly in the case of trauma, to express and identify emotions related to the event. Young children are especially vulnerable because of their limited life experiences and immature cognitive, emotional and social development. Children need to process the traumatic experiences they have witnessed or have been a part of. They need a professional to guide them through this process or else they become “stuck” in the trauma which leads to psychological problems which in turn affects their educational and social activities. Children between the ages of 7 and 12 are developing their cognitive, moral, affective and social learning skills. Being witness to the disturbing effects of violence, they will experience feelings of anxiety, anger, denial, fear and helplessness. The meaning the child will attach to these events will play a critical role in their
Grade 5 art for 150 year celebration. The theme is Truth and Light
Dominican-Grimley School Print Run Sponsored By Cathy Bell:
understanding of the situation; this is where a professional needs to validate these feelings either in an individual interview or in group work. Children who witness violence often develop a range of physical, emotional, cognitive and behavioural difficulties characterized by the giving up of play, avoidance of closeness, lack of trust, fear of adults, shame and isolation. Their behavioural symptoms may include somatic conditions, such as headaches, stomachaches, eating and sleeping disturbances, and bowel problems. When the above symptoms are ignored, children’s sense of basic trust, autonomy, and initiative may be compromised, and their risk for emotional and behavioural problems increases. As well as working through the emotional needs of our children at Dominican-Grimley, another huge area of my work is helping relieve the huge financial needs of our learners and their families. As one can imagine the travelling costs for our learners to get to Hout Bay every day is enormous. Absenteeism is often very high entirely due to the fact that learner’s families often do not have the finances available for their children to travel to school. Many families are also so destitute that the school provides small food hampers that learners take home on Fridays. May I take this opportunity to appeal to you, the reader, for any assistance you may be able to give, to ensure that learners are able to attend school every day with a full tummy…… Warm regards Lynda Thomas
Annual Eskom Science Expo
On the Academic Front
The Grade 11 English classes were asked to create a storyboard on one of their Prescribed Short Stories (THE VENDETTA by Guy de Maupassant) and this is what some of them came up with. Teacher involved: Mrs Boezak
Mathius, Mrs Julius and Melikhaya pictured here with their certificates.
Mathius Makumba ( Gr.11 ) and Melikhaya Mdubeki ( Gr.10 ) participated in the annual Eskom Science Expo and received Bronze for their scientific investigation – THE WONDERS OF WATER: How does the salt content in water influence the evaporation rate? The science expo is held annually throughout South Africa and hundreds of schools all over the country are represented by either individuals or teams of two from their schools. The golden award winners will then represent their schools at a national level in Gauteng. These two boys are very inspired to enter again for next year’s expo and they hope to do much better. They set their eyes on going to Johannesburg in 2014. In the end, it doesn’t matter whether one wins or loses – the mere fact that they have participated is all that matters. These guys did not only walk away with the Bronze Title – they have been exposed to various and interesting challenges in their quest and thus gained an immeasurable amount of practical experience. It has indeed been an enriching experience for them and they now see the world as their oyster!
Partners with After School Care Projects (PASCAP)
I am now well into the second half of the year with PASCAP. PASCAP provides a safe and emotionally supportive environment for learners to spend their after school hours. This semester we are revamping the program based on the most important needs identified from the first half of the year. We
now have a maths tutor twice weekly who is working with the learners to help improve their maths results; this has led to an increase in attendance which is wonderful to see. We are in the planning stages of introducing a music program and have initiated a literacy program to assist in improving the literacy
levels of the learners. These programs will run until the end of the year. On Mondays we have a new social worker who assists me with the counselling of the learners and ensures that we offer adequate social support to assist the learners with the daily environmental stressors which may arise. PASCAP continues to provide excursions to the learners to broaden their awareness of cultural events. Recently we went to the Baxter theatre to watch the one man production of ‘Skierlik’ which was lots of fun and we celebrated Women’s Day by having a fully catered for event where we did beading, manicures and pedicures with the learners. This was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. In closing off, I would like to put a call out to any volunteers from the greater Hout Bay community who would like to or are able to offer their skills and/or time to these learners as more than any of the skills we can offer them. It is the relationships with diverse people which truly inspire the learners to see past their everyday circumstances. It is the quality of emotional support and guidance which can be offered
by people who are willing to take the time to assist which truly makes all the difference. If anyone would like to volunteer with us please contact me on ruthdruiff@gmail. com. It is those who are able to see beauty in humble places, where others see nothing, who are truly blessed. Report by: Ruth Druiff ( PASCAP )
Lalela Students in New York Enviro Club’s Awesome Results
Simamkele and Melikhaya in Times Square
Two of Hout Bay High School’s students had the opportunity to visit New York City in August with Lalela Project. The two students, Simamkelele Benani (Gr.11) and Melikhaya Mdubeki (Gr.10) are part of Lalela Project’s leadership programme and were chosen to attend a Fundraiser for the project in the Hamptons. They were accompanied by Lalela project COO, Cat Rieper during their 6 day trip of New York. Report by Cat Rieper (Lalela Project)
With the actor, Andile Gumbi who plays the lead in The Lion King on Broadway.
With renowned American Artist, Chuck Close
Soccer: The Under 16 Boys-team, coached by Mr Matiza, has been preparing for The Metropolitan League which started in September. Our school’s Under 18 Boysteam, coached by Mr Botha, was announced the official winners of their league, thus, immediately qualifying for The Motshepe Cup which started in September. Netball: Coached by Nomushle, the girls have played two games thus far with a loss to Livingstone HS and a win against Zwaanswyk HS Rugby: Mr Sampie, who was the code convener and coach, bid us farewell in August. We would like to take this opportunity to wish Mr Sampie well with his future endeavours. We have started with two new sport codes at school, i.e. Volleyball & Basketball.
Our Cricket season started in September. These three codes will be our main focus for this term. We invite all interested and enthusiastic young boys and girls from our school to join our team. Report by: Ricardo Phillips
A Change of Season
Mr Botha with the Under 18 Soccer Boys
Hout Bay Secondary School Print Run Sponsored By FamFest:
The Annual Enviro Quiz which took place on the 7th of June this year was once again a huge success. Spectacular art was at the order of the day. One particular creation that left everyone awe-struck, was our very own handmade RHINO. Mrs Julius and her team walked away with the 2nd prize in the senior quiz and they won the 1st prize in the Senior Art section for their RHINO.
Getting Ready for Grade One One of the unique aspects of a Montessori School is a mixing of the age groups. A mixed-age class usually comprises a threeyear grouping corresponding to the planes of development, so our pre-school classes all comprise a 3 to 6 year old grouping. Within these classes our Grade R pupils are almost all in their third year in the preschool, so get the wonderful experience of being the oldest and most responsible, with extra academic enrichment in the form of EXTENDED DAY. This term, they have focused on OUR EARTH.
ART!
The parent and teacher community got together to celebrate our children’s amazing creativity at a Cheese & Wine Art Exhibition. They loved showing their parents their masterpieces!
The VIRTUES Programme at HB Montessori
The VIRTUES programme at HBM is the very unique and special part of our curriculum that supports the moral and spiritual growth of our children. The aim is really to help children to grow up with a well-developed sense of self, able to filter out the negative influence of the world around them and to be strong and confident in their own uniqueness. The programme is built into the way we are with your child every day – modelling the behaviour we expect, and recognising as many teachable moments within
their school day as possible as opportunities for learning. Today’s child is exposed to more stresses and challenges than ever before. They need to be taught the life skills they need to choose tolerance, cooperation, empathy, kindness, positive conflict resolution and love. The junior primary class has developed their own code of conduct contracts, signed by both parent and child to ensure a safe and happy environment for all.
80s Prom Night
The Virtues in Me!
On a wet Saturday morning, September 14, our children put on an amazing show in the Ambleside School Hall. Their glowing faces and colourful costumes lit up not only the stage, but warmed the room as well, keeping us entertained for ages with their delightful performances. Well done and thank you to all involved.
upcoming talks upcoming talks
The “VIRTUES” programme : 13 June The “VIRTUES” programme : 13 June
15h00—16h00 15h00—16h00
A beautiful and comprehensive curriculum we use at A beautiful and comprehensive useof at our Hout Bay Montessori to bring outcurriculum the best inwe each
Hout BayThis Montessori to bring out the best in each ofwho our children. talk is aimed at any parent or educator children. talk is aimed at any or educator who like This to support their child inparent developing a culture of Hout Bay Montessori recently heldwould their annual fundraising dance at Suikerbossie would likeintotheir support their child in developing a culture character homes, classrooms and families. restaurant. The theme was ‘80’s prom’ and everyone let their hair down and danced the character in their homes, classrooms and families. night away - parents, teachers and friends! Hout Bay Montessori would like to thank all the loyal sponsors, parents and friends who so generously contributed to a 15h00 to 16h00 fantastic evening.
of
The “MONTESSORI LANGUAGE” programme : The “MONTESSORI LANGUAGE” programme : August 22 22 August
15h00 to 16h00
A presentation by the HBM staff on how children acquire A presentation by at thereading HBM staff on how(ages children language and excel and writing 1 to acquire 12).
Celebrating Our Montessori Peace Garden language and excel at reading and writing (ages 1 to 12).
The “MONTESSORI MATHS programme : The “MONTESSORI MATHS programme :
24 October 15h00 to 16h00 24 October 15h00 to 16h00 A presentation by the HBM staff on the beautiful and A presentation by the HBM staff on the beautiful and12). unique Montessori Mathematics curriculum (ages 1 to unique Montessori Mathematics curriculum (ages 1 to 12).
“The land where our roots are. Building Autonomy inisour children: 14 November The must bein taught feel and live harmony Building Autonomy our to children: 14 in November 15h00 to children 16h00
with the Earth.” - Maria Montessori 15h00 to 16h00 A brief glimpse into the positive discipline approach used AHBM brief glimpse intoindependence the positive discipline approach used to nurture and self-esteem—how Our at PEACE GARDEN nurtures each child’s appreciation and understanding of the natural world by involving them in the processes of planning and maintaining a sustainable, ecologically-friendly garden. Everyone is involved at teach HBM to nurture independence and self-esteem—how we conflict andthem engage cooperation the younger children crush egg shellsresolution from home and sprinkle in the garden to keep the snails atposibay, whilst the older children weed and harvest! Maintenance of the garden keeps them busy on sunny days. All the herbs and we teach conflict and engage cooperation positively 1 our toaftercare 12). resolution veggies grown (ages are used in lunches or sold to raise money for our social development programme.
tively (ages 1 to 12).
Hout Bay Montessori Print Run Sponsored By Dunes Beach Restaurant:
Cambridge Learner Awards Our 67 Minutes of Service
Two of the International School of Hout Bay’s students excelled in this year’s Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards. Emma Torr was awarded the Top in South Africa award for French and High Achievement for International Mathematics. High Achievement is given to the top student nationally in those subjects that are not so widely taken in South Africa. Robbie Sadler was awarded High Achievement for Drama. The Cambridge IGCSE is the world’s most popular international qualification for 14 to16 year olds. It is taught in over 2600 schools in more than 140 countries. Robbie and Emma are now focussing on their International Baccalaureate Diploma studies. ‘We are immensely proud of them’ said Principal Andy Wood, ‘this is both a recognition of Robbie and Emma’s diligence and the quality of teaching at our school.’ The International School of Hout Bay is a Cambridge Examinations Centre, an International Baccalaureate World School, a member of ISASA and the International Schools Association. It is one of the International Education Systems group of schools. Seen here are Robbie Sadler and Emma Torr of the International School of Hout Bay who received top results in their recent Cambridge IGCSE examinations.
On the 18th of July, in celebration of Nelson Mandela’s 95th birthday, the IBDP2 students undertook the challenge of completing 67 minutes of service for the community. They came prepared to make sandwiches containing delicacies such as cheese, peanut butter, honey and chocolate spread. After spending a happy and rewarding time preparing over 10 loaves worth of sandwiches, a group of the students had the privilege of taking the produce of their labour across the road to the Oranjekloof Moravian School and presented the sandwiches to the teachers for them to distribute. It was a truly gratifying experience enjoyed by all the IBDP2 students and hopefully by the children at the Moravian School.
Anti-Bullying Workshop Joel Huckle Wins Gold!
On Friday, 19th July, Ms Eloff and Mrs Trull attended an anti-bullying workshop hosted by Ikhaya le Themba and presented by the Jag Foundation. We were blown away by their simple, effective strategies. Our school has zero tolerance toward bullying but we will implement these strategies, if required. As part of an initiative of the Jag Foundation we wore something purple to school on Friday, 26th July, to raise awareness of this issue. The power to stop bullying lies with us – you and me! By Sandy Trull
Congratulations to Joel Huckle who was awarded a gold medal for his performance in the U17 Wushu (formerly known as Kung Fu) championships held in Johannesburg during the holidays.
IBDP1 Annual Leadership Camp
Once a year the IBDP1 class travels past the city and through the mountains to arrive in the beautiful town of Montague in the Klein Karoo. The goal was a leadership camp and some class ‘bonding’. The journey to Montague is a little over 200 km. However to start our trip we had: The Slowest Bus in the World! What was normally a two hour journey, stretched out to around the 4 hour mark. For the students it was excellent: it allowed for a full two hours extra of taking thousands of pointless photos, incessant gossip and praying for the nearest toilet. For the three teachers who accompanied us (Mr Wood, Mr Ruskovich and Ms Krynauw) it meant spending another two lifetimes aboard a metal tube with what seemed to be 24 howler monkeys fighting over a megaphone. When we arrived the light was just beginning to leave, however this did not stop us and after a thorough packing of fridges it was time for all of the diverse nationalities who
had joined us from across the planet… to learn the ways of the Braai Master! There were many cries of “ But!?... it’s just meat over a fire!” which were quickly responded to with: “How dare you! Wash your mouth out with soap before you Blaspheme in front of the glorious Braai again!”… we’re a very melodramatic bunch. But with much help and encouragement everyone ended up with a nice healthy slab of protein they could call dinner. That night my cabin of 5 almost froze, and early the next morning (during the hunt for a hairdryer) we discovered our rooms’ heater. On the Saturday we were split into two groups, the first group was to go Rock Climb before a trip to the Hot Springs, whilst the other group did the inverse. Standing at the bottom of the rock face and watching Mr. Wood glide up led to the thoughts: ‘Pfft, look at how easy it is! If
my principal can do it, I can do it without hands!’. Only when half way up the face –fingers clawing, hands aching, calves cramping and teeth clenched – did we begin to remember that THIS is what people in mountain rescue do! Later that afternoon we took a soothing dip in the hot springs pool and let most of the agonies of our climb soak away. On the Saturday night, I am proud to say that everyone -regardless of race, creed, age or nationality- stood over the braai arguing about who went first, where the hottest parts of the fire were and the correct placement of marinade. It brought a tear to my eye. Early the next morning we were given an inspiring talk about our own personal vision statements before heading out to do some teambuilding activities so devious, so evil and so terrifying that they had to have been created by Mr Ruskovich!
First we were blind folded and told to erect whatever was placed in front of us (it was a tent!). Next all but one person in the group was blindfolded before being scattered in a field littered with obstacles, the goal was that the one person who could see had to guide the others to safety by only communicating with a whistle (needless to say there were some sore heads). Lastly we were gifted with the opportunity to get every member of our team to blow a whistle that was suspended from a tree about 3 meters off the ground. Following this we had a debate on leadership at the school and the legacy that we would like to leave behind. That afternoon after some of the fastest cleaning I have ever seen, we boarded the Slowest Bus in the World, and began our journey home. It was a slightly quieter trip than the first one. By Robbie Sadler, IBDP 1
Gauteng History Field Trip South African Maths Olympiad
The IBDP2 History class accompanied Mr Ruskovich on Monday, 19 August, on a twoday trip to Gauteng to experience the sites and sounds of Johannesburg and Pretoria! As part of their studies on features of democratic states in the IBDP course the students used South Africa and its turbulent history as a case study. They visited The Voortrekker Monument, the Ou Raadsaal, the Union Buildings and today, Tuesday 20 August, they will visit the apartheid museum, Mandela’s house and the Hector Pieterson memorial in Soweto, culminating in a visit to the highest court in the land - the Constitutional Court in mid-town Johannesburg!
Every year the South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF) organises the South African Mathematics Olympiad (SAMO) in order to identify budding young mathematicians, and also to evoke more interest in Mathematics. Three rounds of papers are written, with only the top 100 junior and top 100 senior students writing the third and final round. This year, Nan Guang Mei (Anna), an IBDP2 student of our school, is one of the top 100 senior students who will compete in the third and final round in September. This is a remarkable achievement, seeing that more than 80 000 learners took part in the 2013 Olympiad. Our best wishes go to Anna and we wish her luck for this important event! Ms A Krynauw, Teacher of Mathematics
International School of Hout Bay: High School Print Run Sponsored By Unitrans Automotive Western Cape:
Celebrating Nelson Mandela, Our Hero Kitty French, Danitsa Davis, Year 6
Nikita Damast, Year 2
Hana Parfett, Year 4
Rock ‘n Ride 4 Rhino Astounded by Philanthropy Challenge Success We had great pleasure to welcome back Jason and Damian, from the Rock ‘n Ride 4 Rhino team to celebrate the amazing effort our primary school students showed in the philanthropy challenge. Despite the chilly Cape Town weather, we enjoyed the morning listening to the adventures of the team and the stories the children shared, about their philanthropy experiences. We handed over the astounding amount of money raised, R35 416.00, by the 90 odd children that took part in the challenge. Well done to each and everyone that participated. A special mention to Finn and Luke in Year 6, who went above and beyond what was expected and contributed a substantial amount of money from their website initiative - they certainly took action! A very successful event that helped raise money and spread awareness for this very worthy cause - to help protect our rhinos from poachers. Well done everyone! By Leanne de Waal
How We Worked on our Philanthropy Challenge by Finn Ratcliffe & Luke Glass We took a long time to think about how to make a difference for Rock ‘n Ride 4 Rhino. We thought about aiming too high, aiming too low, what would work and how we could get people to understand why it was so important to give. Eventually we set a target that we thought might be achievable though would be a real challenge. We set our
goal on R50,000. To raise that amount of money we needed to make sure we had some credibility behind us to make people give – to let them know we were for real and their money would actually get to the rhinos. We had to use all the contacts and networks that we had – including those that our parents could give us. We also had to get a message out there so we would have to use social media and have to talk far and wide.
We therefore attached our campaign to a credible non profit organisation, The Impact Trust. Through that connection we set up a “Wildlife Protector” page on the GivenGain charity website with an easy link at www. givengain.com/wildlifeprotector. This told the public what we wanted to achieve. We made a video to talk about our campaign and we emailed everyone we knew (and a whole lot of people that our parents knew). We tweeted to many different wildlife and nature conservation accounts, we published photos of rhino that we saw ourselves in the wild, we engaged Cape Talk who helped us get the message out there and at every opportunity we went back to our donors to tell them of our progress and get them to spread the word further. So far we have raised R24,300. We would very much like to get to R25,000 at least and have also now written to Cape Union Mart to see if they would match our overall raise to meet our target of R50,000. Even if the challenge is over, you can still give to this cause! Do it today!
Herzlia’s Annual Schools General Knowledge Quiz Year six pupils Zak French, Kitty French, Danitsa Davis and Jaime Farara took part in the Herzlia’s General Knowledge Quiz on the 2nd of August, representing the International School of Hout Bay. We tied fourth place with Llandudno out of five teams. The crowd was impressed with the way we were dressed, how much enthusiasm we showed and how much fun we had during the quiz.
We had great sportsman ship and enjoyed every moment and even though we came fourth and a few questions were tricky, we are proud to have represented our school. Mrs Fisher said that we were excellent ambassadors for the school. We had loads of fun and would love to do it again! Written by Kitty, Danitsa and Zak
Using Fractions for Collaborative Art - Y4
Congratulations in Order!
Mimi Harris (Year 4), above, recently competed in the regional finals for the Western Province Inter-schools equine competition in George, representing the ISHB for the region. She qualified to go into the Western Province Inter-schools team for the national finals in Johannesburg in September in all the disciplines she competes in which
are dressage, Equitation, show jumping, working hunter, working riding and performance riding. Her sister Ophelia (Year 2), will also compete and represent the school in the new-comers challenge in which, although not part of a regional team, she will represent the School and the Province as an individual.
Caitlin Vaz Y4S
Cameron Back Y4S
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A Tribute to the Humble Book Kronendal Primary School paid tribute to the humble book in August with a series of fun activities, designed to inspire a love of reading in children. Foundation Phase children decorated their classroom doors drawing creativeness from their favourite story or author. Learners carried books on them for Drop All and Read Friday’s and raised funds through the school Read Off, where they were sponsored for each minute that they read. Second hand books were sold from the library and parents and Hout Bay residents were invited to donate children’s books they no longer needed for the sale. As part of Kronendal’s Outreach programme, Grade 6 and 7 learners pop across to Kronendal’s feeder school, Valley PrePrimary, in order to read to the children. The bookish celebration closed on August 30 when Kronendal’s learners came to school dressed as their favourite storybook characters and enjoyed a performance by Hooked on Books. Kronendal Primary is a co-educational, WCED school, which has been nurturing enquiring minds and happy hearts since 1901. By Kerry Seymour
All the Grade 7’s collaborated to create an artwork to be auctioned at our annual dinner dance in September. They wrote the words “dream” and “believe” on a piece of wood, nailed in some small nails along the outline of the words, painted the whole thing white and then used various colours of cotton to thread in amongst the nails until the thread had reached the top of the nails. The Grade 7 learners in the photograph below are from left: Lisa Bango, Abby Anderton, William Johnson and Reshen Frieslaar.
A Portrait Poem Below is a portrait poem written by Luca Avondo in Grade 7. A portrait poem is a way of drawing a picture of someone with words.
The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton, The Owl Who was Afraid of the Dark by Jill Tomlinson and Paul Howard, The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler,
I am the Queen of Egypt. I see my cake is not here. I wonder if my servants are frightened. I am very curious. I can be stern some of the time. But, I do see cakes in the sky. I like things to be on time. I WANT MY CAKE!!!!
Celebrating Madiba’s Day The Omo/Skip Challenge To honour former president Nelson Mandela and the 67 years he gave up to fight for the rights of South Africans, the children at Kronendal Primary school held a “Knit-in” in their school hall on Friday, 14 June 2013. Learners, parents, grandparents and school staff came armed with knitting needles, blankets and a variety of colourful wool. The aim of the Knit-in was to spend some/all of your 67 minutes knitting as many squares as possible, which would
Back row: Naomi Taljaard, Lance Metrowich, Tashlyn Jacobs, Zade Van Rooyen. Front row: Ella Jackson, Shakila Africa, all in Grade 3.
later be joined together to make warm colourful blankets to be donated to Cotlands. A cosy atmosphere, warm hot chocolate and lots of sociable chatter, ensured that a fun but productive afternoon of knitting was had by all! To celebrate on Madiba’s actual birthday on the 18 July, the entire school gathered together and sang a hearty rendition of “Happy Birthday Madiba” while the school and South African flags were raised.
Kronendal Primary is taking part in the Omo/Skip liquid competition. This campaign encourages parents to switch their washing machines to a cold wash cycle, and help the environment. Please drop your empty 400ml or 750ml bottles at our school, and help us to win R25 000 for upgrades at our own school, and enable us to give R25 000 to an underprivileged school in Hout Bay. Seen here are, from left, back row, Kayla Kohn (Grade 4), Ethan Holtman (Grade 6), Fungile Ralana (Grade 7), Carlton Ndlovu (Grade 7), Ethan Marais (Grade 1) and Max Venter (Grade 1) with some of the bottles Kronendal families have already collected.
Rugby: Serving up a Scorcher of a Season Kronendal played 3 rugby matches against SACS on Saturday 27 July in extremely wet and muddy conditions. Seen here, the under 13 team that beat SACS under13C team by 56 points to 0. The boys stand proud, having only lost one match so far this season. The under 9 team won 15 – 5, while the under 11 side were beaten 34 – 7.
From left to right. Back row: Conrad Vermeulen, Charles Turnbull, Lyle Johnson (coach) Ronan du Plessis,Oliver Jacobs, Joshua Miller, Luc Laubscher, Siyamthanda Hans, Ayabonga Mgope, Tarique Thompson, Mark Jebens, Justin Trautman, Warren Hill (coach)In front row: Tyresse Coetzee, Michael Mercer, Quaid Pearce-Biani, Keagan Marx, Daulton Pawley, Jared Wild, Ryan Ball, Tristan Fagg
Entrepreneur Market Day
On Thursday 29 August, Kronendal held its annual Grade 7 Market Day. This day is a huge undertaking by the Grade 7’s, whereby they learn the skills of entrepreneurship by creating, budgeting for, marketing and selling their goods/ services to the rest of the school. The Grade 7’s have spent the last few weeks vigorously preparing for the big day. They advertised their products/services by performing “jingles” during Monday morning school assemblies and placing attention grabbing posters around the school. The learners were given the choice to work on their own or team up with a classmate. Some of the goodies on offer were cinnamon buns, bookmarks, dream catchers, hand made jewellery, corn dogs, hamburgers, waffles, decorated pencils, hot chocolate, pot plants and lots more!
Cole Human and Doulton Pawley selling cinnamon buns and hot chocolate.
Snowy Takane selling flapjacks and necklaces.
Kronendal Primary School Print Run Sponsored By Hout Bay SuperSpar:
Chelsey Moolman & Jordyn Scholtz selling book marks, mini chalk boards, chocolate moustaches etc.
Oliver Jacobs and Quaid Pearce-Biani selling necklaces, waffles and wallets.
Our Llandudno Super-Star Competitors This term has been a busy one for Llandudno pupils, many of whom have taken part in different competitive events, both in the sports arena and within the academic realm.
We’d like to congratulate our General Knowledge Quiz team who took part in the second General Knowledge Quiz at Westcott Primary and did us proud.
Gym Wizards held their 16th Annual Winter Inter-schools Competition in June at Sunningdale Sports Center. This was their biggest competition yet, with almost 500 participants from 15 different clubs. We had a large number of talented members taking part, and won a total of four trophies. Congratulations to Kristin Frayne - 1st Red Beginner Girls, Shaina-Lee West - 2nd Yellow Beginner Senior Girls, Jessie Munton - 3rd Yellow Beginner Senior Girls and Ethan Reynolds - 3rd Yellow Advanced Boys (pictured above). A special thanks to our dedicated and much loved coach, Ruwayda “Ruby” Isaacs.
Zara and Megan Goslett took part in the WP Trials for Cross Country and we wish to thank them for their hard work and dedication.
To our Maths Champs who participated in the Mathematics Competition, we
say a big thank you and well done for representing your school.
South African girl home, with only 1 point separating her and the 1st SA girl.
On Sat 24 Aug three Grade 7 pupils participated in a Science Quiz at Oude Molen Technical High School. Matthew Kelly, Kelly Blomerus and Joshua Vaughan took part and won Gold, coming in tied 1st Place with Pinelands North Primary School. Well done!
In early September, a large number of Llandudno pupils participated in the first ever Hout Bay Eisteddfod hosted by Disa Primary School. We were well represented across all the grades at a fantastic event, with all our children receiving either silver or gold certificates.
Elsje Dijkstra’s week of sailing at Langebaan, representing South Africa in the African Optimist Championships, ended fantastically. She came 43rd out of 80 overall. She was 8th girl and 2nd
We are so proud of Western Province gymnast, Eva Scholtz, who came first in tumbling taking the gold medal in the inter-provincial competition in Uitenhage! Here’s looking forward to an equally triumphant fourth term!
Bingo Night & The Dinner Dance Quiz Along with hard work comes rewards, and this term Llandudno has had a two social events for both pupils and parents. Our senior pupils had a wonderful evening at their Bingo Night which was spent with friends playing games, and the parents were invited to join our dinner dance evening at Suikerbossie. Beautiful art works created by our pupils were auctioned off, and a fun quiz was arranged as well. Thank you to all who were involved in making these events such a success. A special thank you to Marquerithe Schreuder, who managed the dinner event for us, and to Suikerbossie for allowing us to use their beautiful venue.
Pyjama Day For Readathon Inter-School Sports Days
The Readathon is a National Annual Event in all schools. It takes place over a twoweek period and the child’s reading is recorded. Each year we see the children’s reading capabilities and enjoyment of reading grow and blossom. To introduce the Readathon to our younger grades, children came to school wearing their comfy pyjamas and brought along their teddy bears. We also had the fantastic “Hooked on Books” drama group come and perform to all the pupils which was such an enjoyable morning. We continue to delve into the world of words and literature as we perform our ‘Sound of Music’ musical and have had the privilege of watching The SA National Theatre’s production of “George’s Marvellous Medicine” by Roald Dahl.
The Sound of Music!
On the 16th & 17th September 2013 the Llandudno school hall was filled with the sound of music as all the grade 4,5,6 and 7 classes performed the well-known and much loved musical “The Sound of Music”. What with nuns, a governess, the Captain, his seven children and a pre-WW11 tension, the show promised to be vibrant with singing, dancing, many dramatic moments as well as some good laughs, and on this, the cast and crew really delivered. It was a vivid production that entertained the audience at every turn. This was a great team effort by all the Inter-Sen teachers; Mr Thys for his musical direction, Sally de Villiers for her Drama direction, and Alice Mihal for her choreography. Well done to everybody involved!
Llandudno Primary School Print Run Sponsored By Amici di Massimo’s:
This term we had three big sporting days arranged against our fellow coastal schools. The first event was at the Camps Bay Derby Day which was a fun-filled afternoon. Next we ventured over the mountain to play against two schools at Kommetjie Primary. It was our first derby day against Kommetjie Primary, a fellow small family coastal school. Our netball and soccer teams did their very best and many of our players won player of the match awards. The U11 soccer team managed a 4-1 victory and the U9A team also won. Our U13 netball team played very well and were victorious against their opponents too. Our last big sport event of the term was hosted by Kronendal Primary. The soccer tournament held in September, was a great success, with the U11 section being won by Llandudno. A total of 24 teams took part during the event in near perfect weather conditions and great fun was had by all teams involved.
A Spectacular Send-off and a Sad Farewell
The values and lessons you taught us will forever remain in our hearts.
On Thursday, June 6, the quiet Hout Bay valley hummed with an energy of expectation. The much anticipated Farewell lunch for beloved principal, Mrs Enid Davis, was finally underway. The Drummies led Mrs Davis up to the Recreation Centre in Hangberg where she was greeted by VIPs and family. The morning proceeded with singing from the Oranjekloof Choir led by Ms Kwazi, dancing by the Jikeleza dance group, a presentation by The Lalela Art Project, musicians, guest speakers and bursts of spontaneous singing and praise from the full audience who had arrived to show their appreciation. Small in stature, giant in reputation, Mrs Davis will be sorely missed by her pupils who had written farewell letters and speeches honouring her efforts and thanking her for her enormous contribution to their lives and futures. We wish Mrs Davis good luck for the future and we thank her for all that she gave us!
I will always remember what you used to say: “God helps those who help themselves.� Ongeziwe Jako
The way you carried yourself made us proud to be represented by you.
Thank you for everything you have done for us, and may God Bless you in abundance!
Oranjekloof Moravian Primary School Print Run Sponsored By Oakhurst Spar:
A Place to Call Our Own The students of Sentinel Primary don’t visit Hangberg Library or Hout Bay Library so frequently anymore. You may wonder why this is happening. Could the reason be that they are not interested in reading anymore or they do not want to complete their assignments? Nothing could be further from the truth. If you should come to Sentinel after school on any day, you would find that the school library is packed with learners reading, some doing research, others completing their homework or some just simply relaxing watching a movie after a hard day of school work. This is all thanks to a motivated young lady, Ruth Oppelt, who had a dream and a vision and made it her mission to reorganise the library and breathe some life into it so that it could take up its rightful place at the educational institution. The reason why the learners could not use the school library for 6 years was that we had the Grade 8 and Grade 9 learners at our school as there was no accommodation for them at Hout Bay High School. Therefore the library was turned into a classroom. A person can just imagine the state of the mat, blinds shelves and even library books after 6 years when Sentinel became a Primary School again (losing the grade 8`s and 9`s).
Volunteers- A dream come true This is where Ruth Oppelt comes in. Her company is Hout Bay Isangqa Sobomi – Circle of Life. Her mission is to work with the handicapped, the elderly, the homeless, struggling communities and children. She started volunteering at Sentinel in 2011 and introduced homework classes after school. Together with 6 other volunteers they assisted 120 learners ranging from grade 4 to grade 9. In January 2013 when she saw the state of the classroom-library it was quite shocking, but because she had a vision of a dream library for the learners at Sentinel Primary she immediately gathered a few volunteers Murieda Samuels, Marilyn Moestafa and Shamiela Samuels and together they worked for 5 months to get the library up and running. Even though it was tough and hard work, the 4 ladies persevered because they wanted to achieve their goal. They swept, scrubbed, hammered, painted, sorted books, made posters and changed the whole atmosphere of a once classroom into a place where learners flock to if they need to complete assignments, do research or just to relax with a book or watch a movie. Some of the learners go to the library just to sit
and chat with their “Aunty Ruthy”. Any future plans? When Ruth was asked how she feels about her project, she answered with a smile: “Well I am still very excited because new things are happening in the library. Social Services and the SAP will be having workshops with students in the library educating them about their bodies, how to live a healthy, happy and safe life as well as issues related to abuse.” During the day in the library: Some teachers visit the library during their reading sessions, weaker learners are sent to the library during Language
lessons where Ruth assists them with teaching of sounds, phonics and sentence building. Some learners use the library during intervals as well as after school. Ruth says: ”I am very thankful and I do feel blessed to be of service to the learners and teachers of Sentinel Primary School. Although we still need a few more things to assist learners like computers, a printer, a photocopy machine, educational movies, etc. we make do with what we have. With the limited resources we have in the library, the students are proud that they have a place to call their own.” By Doreen Vizant
Our Super Successful Blanket Drive
We have been planning and practising for our blanket drive and finally we did “it”! The prefects of Sentinel Primary School, kick started their blanket drive presentation on July 24. We welcomed all the elderly people from the Hangberg community, sharing a cup of tea and biscuits, and love and kindness with them. The school bus picked the elderly people up at their homes and brought them to school. After their cup of tea, we entertained them by doing a role-play. Each of the prefects had a chance to say a speech about how most elderly people are treated in most households in the Hangberg community. They were very happy and excited that there are still children who care and love elderly people. Then we sang and danced for them. The dancing that Joel and Kaitlin did
made them feel young again. The song that Larian sang, they reckoned it was the most amazing part of all. Some elders even got emotional when Larian sang, because each and every lyric she sang was true and it was reality. We then ended our presentation by handing out the blankets to the elderly people to keep them warm in this cold winter. One of the elderly folks then blessed us with a prayer, and the funniest part of all was when they said “if you respect elders you can live for 100 years.” They said to the prefects that on your way to becoming a leader you must respect yourself before you put the effort into respecting and caring for others.
Also do good and good will follow you. It was such an amazing day with the elderly folk while spending time and interacting with them. By Nombuso Flepu, Grade 6E1 On the 24 July we as prefects had a Blanket Drive. We invited the elderly people to join us. It was very nice. We opened with a cup of tea and a biscuit for them. Then one prefect Joel and his partner did a ballroom dance to take them back to their younger days. After Joel and his partner we as prefects did a roleplay about young children treating their grandparents wrong/ badly. It was fantastic.
I sang a song for them. All the people were crying. At the end Joel and his partner Caitlin did another dance to end up our show. It was a pleasure to have them there. They enjoyed themselves and everything went well. Before they left we gave them a blanket and a box with lovely things in it so, that they can enjoy themselves at home. We as prefects enjoyed it having them here at our school, Sentinel Primary School. By Larian Volkwyn, Grade 6 The prefects of Sentinel did well, they did us proud. Once again they described the blanket drive as an experience which they will never forget. They aspire to do more for our community. Thumbs up prefects of Sentinel Primary School! By Ms Davids
Making Madiba Day Memorable
On July 18, 2013 the learners, teachers and parents of Sentinel School celebrated the 95th birthday of our great former president, Mr Nelson Mandela by dedicating 67 minutes of our time to serving the community. The day started with learners and others signing their names on the Madiba Banner which was prepared by the two Mrs Abrahams’ who teach at the school. Each learner could write his or her name on the beautiful banner and it was then displayed on the school fence at the entrance to the school. The rain did not dampen the happy spirit.
The whole school then gathered and sang ‘happy Birthday Madiba’ and Mrs Cloete shared some memorable facts about our great leader. Each grade chose their own activity and was led by their teachers. Activities included serving soup to the homeless, washing school walls, cleaning the school’s embankment, helping shoppers carry their bags to the car, reading to pre-school children, etc. The important message was clearly put across: we are here to serve others and make a difference in our communities. It was really a happy day for all.
Celebrating With Our Partners Save our Embankment - Dig In 1 On the 3rd of August the embankment at Sentinel Primary School was a hive of activity as Sentinel and the Thrive Hout Bay Team played host to an army of learners, teachers, volunteers and community members who came to plant more than 80 trees on the newly terraced embankment. Part of an Edu-plant initiative and mentored by the Thrive Hout Bay team the Eco-Team at Sentinel started on the vision of making their embankment a piece of landscaping history. This vision was made possible by the help Livingscapes landscaper who volunteered his services. The Principal, Mrs. Engelbrecht, started
June 13, 2013 was cold and wet, but the excitement level at the school was high. We had invited all our partners and friends to the school for a special celebratory evening where the school could say thank you to all the support that we continuously get from the community and organisations. Two big fires were lit and the school’s marimba bank and some parents made the music which created a happy atmosphere. Partners and friends who attended were amongst others Oceana, ABC for Life, all the volunteer readers, the SAPS, Rotary Club, Chicmama, Thrive, Ruth Oppelt, Murieda Samuels, Marilyn Moestafa and Shamiela Samuels who revived our library plus many more. Without support and friends, Sentinel Primary cannot be successful and provide the quality of education that we want to provide to our learners. A big ‘thank you’ again goes to all our friends. You are making a difference. Sentinel Primary School Print Run Sponsored By MODE hair & beauty:
off the day by planting the first tree, then everybody else jumped in to get theirs into the ground. She was helped by the Sentinel Eco-Team learners in orange bibs, Mr. Davids, a community member, members of the Thrive team and the landscaper, Mark Kretzman. The Eco-Team, under the direction of their Thrive volunteer Mark (pictured in green), worked diligently to ready the embankment Dig In 2, held on Saturday the 7th of September. The Thrive team worked up a storm promoting the planting of seedlings and cuttings to stabilize the embankment around the trees and stop erosion from destroying the topsoil.
Working Towards Our New Resource Centre
The Resource Centre has been a big project for us this term. We are in the process of renovating one of the outside school buildings with the hope of turning it into a Resource Centre. Our vision for the centre is to have a library, a homework room as well as a computer lab that learners would be able to access in the afternoons. We would love for this area to become a safe environment in which learners will be able to relax, do school work or enjoy a good book in the afternoons – ideally with a kitchen that provides some hot soup in winter or some cool refreshments in summer.
Many organizations have come together to help get us started on our dream. Teachers for Africa have provided volunteers to help plaster and paint, and have also pledged shelving and security for the library. Rainbow Dreams Trust has a homework club that runs every afternoon where learners from a number of schools come together for some guidance and tutoring. Private citizens have donated money that they raised independently and other companies are interested in getting involved and we are excited by the prospects. Once Teachers for Africa had painted the base colour on the walls, the learners got
to work, eagerly designing, planning and painting a Wordle on the wall. This creative word design incorporates a number of words that describe what the learners think of the library space. If anything, this project has shown how keen the learners are to get into the space and make it their own, dedicating many afternoons towards it. Ultimately, we would like to open the centre up to the community as a place to attend Adult Skills workshops in the early evening or have a Boerie braai over the weekend. If you’d like to help out call 021 790 3514.
www.silikamvaschool.co.za Our Uniform - Our Future We are proud to announce that our school name – Silikamva High School (meaning “We are the future”) – has officially been accepted by the Western Cape Education Department. For us, the next step was finalising a school uniform. Being a new school, we have the chance to design our uniform from scratch. We also wanted to give the learners an opportunity to be as involved in the decision making process as possible. We underwent a 3 stage voting process involving all learners, staff and governing body members. The result is a uniform that we certainly are proud of. The uniform consists of a cherry red coloured blazer, grey school trousers for girls and boys (or a grey skirt if the girls prefer), a white shirt, grey socks, black school shoes and a grey school jersey. Learners will also have the option of purchasing a black school beanie with the name of the school embroidered in cherry red letters on the front. The tie will come once the blazers have been manufactured. We are hoping that the uniform will be ready mid-way through next term, with full uniform roll-out in 2014.
Silikamva Teachers for Positive Change Silikamva’s website is now live and active! Please visit us and have a look at some of the activity going on at the school. Still new and fresh we are continuing to populate the site with content, but please take a look to see what we are about. We would like to express our thanks to Raymond Olivier from Red Rhombus Design Works who has kindly designed and posted the website. Thanks also to roomsforafrica.com for hosting the site.
The teachers of Silikamva High School have all completed a course during the third term in Positive Behaviour Management. As part of the school’s commitment to developing and changing our learners entire approach and attitude towards school and learning, the course has aimed at providing a framework to understand and interpret children’s behaviour in their context, and respond appropriately. Building healthy self-esteem through creating a space where children feel safe and able to express themselves in a respectful manner, is an important part of our school ethos and one which we are committed to promoting. As a new school Silikamva High has a unique opportunity to raise the expectations of our learners from the outset. The teachers of the school continue to show their commitment to this through the time, effort and energy that they have put into training themselves as they look to teach independence and responsibility to their students.
Our Green Club Silikamva High Keeps on Growing Drum Majorettes
June 2013
August 2013
The Silikamva Green Club is actively involved in creating a garden that can support learners with vegetables and the greening of the school. The Green Club learners are busy acquiring knowledge and skills through workshops based at Hout Bay schools. These workshops equip them with knowledge around planting and environmental issues. The school Green Club has a worm farm that contribute towards making the soil fertile in order to produce healthy food. Learners are actively involved in competitions such as the Environmental Quiz and making recycled models around the area of Hout Bay. This makes them feel proud about their school and they get exposure to other learning environments. Although we are still growing, we are proud of the progress we have made and look forward to future opportunities.
Sivuyile (Siv) Ngesi Visits Silikamva High
This term we had the pleasure of hosting actor and comedian, Sivuyile (Siv) Ngesi during an assembly. The news of his impending visit quickly spread and by the time Siv arrived, the learners were very excited to meet this local celebrity and listen to what he has to say. Siv inspired us all. Encouraging us to
identify our dreams in life and own them. “If you can’t even share your dreams with your school friends,” he said, “how can you hope to achieve them?” By the end of the talk, many of the students were jumping at the opportunity to proudly announce their dreams to the assembly. The learners were particularly taken with the fact that Siv had come from a similar background as many of them. Siv shared personal stories describing how he only had one pair of shoes growing up, and they functioned as his school, church and even soccer shoes. The message for the day was that you shouldn’t let where you are now impede where you would like to be. The old saying of “if you can believe it, you can achieve it” is certainly true, and is evidenced in Siv’s success today.
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I feel so very blessed every morning when I wake up and give thanks to God for being part of Silikamva High School. In ten years of teaching I’ve been trying to start a group of girls’ drum majorettes, thank God, at Silikamva we (teachers) have been given the chance to start any extra mural of our choice. I happened to have passion for drummies. When I started I had 11 girls, in term 2. By term 3 the number of girls increased to 21. The girls are so passionate and really enjoy what they are doing. We started off practicing every Thursday for an hour, however, the girls loved what they were doing so much, they decided to add additional practices to their schedules. Wow! It is amazing how a group of learners can make a change and create a sense of belonging by committing themselves to doing something that they love and enjoy. We are now busy getting quotes for the uniform. I’m inspired by the girls’ commitment as well as taking ownership of their sport. We are looking forward to getting full gear for the girls very soon. Viva Silikamva Girls’ Drum Majorettes! Viva! We are looking forward to competing with other schools that offer drum majorettes, just for fun. I would like to extend a word of thanks to Mr Duffet, our school principal, who is really supportive and encouraging all of us to make Silikamva a success. Enkosi Nxununu Duffet. Educator CM Mongwe
Anti-Littering Campaign In 1st Place (left) Buchule Mabenu, Grade 9. In 2nd place (below), Olwethu Maqoko, Grade 9. And in 3rd place (below right), Sive Tuku, Grade 8.