Wynberg Boys' High School Magazine 2020 by Wynberg Boys' High School

2020 VISION

2020

REFLECTION

ANNUAL MAGAZINE 2020

The depictions herein are for illustration purposes only and are subject to change without prior notice.

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WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL ANNUAL MAGAZINE 2020

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Design: Mike Dallas Design Editor: Courtney Wallace Photography: Chris Merrington, Peter Catzavelos and contributing parents Printed by: Rob Print – Rob Gomm 082 465 0379

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

CONTENTS Editor’s Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

STAFF 5

Life Sciences Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Mathematics Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Music Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Natural Sciences Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Principal’s Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Physical Sciences Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Interns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Visual Art Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Staff Welcomes & Farewells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Hostel Amidst a Pandemic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Secret Santa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

TERM 1

Grade 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Chess Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Cultural Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Pipe Band Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Athletics Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Things that should have been... Cricket Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Hockey Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Rugby Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Soccer Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Squash Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Water Polo Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Interhouse Sports Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Grade 11 Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

1st X1 Cricket Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Valedictory

Squash Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

COVID Tie Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

Swimming Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Special Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Tennis Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

2020 Prefects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

Water Polo Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Prefects: Lessons that we have Learned . . . 126

LOCKDOWN 69 Reflection...

Valedictory - Matric Breakfast . . . . . . . . . . . 128 Valedictory - Principal’s Address . . . . . . . . . 130 Valedictory - Head Prefect’s Address . . . . . . 132

Accounting Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Valedictory - Ceremony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Afrikaans Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

2020 Matric Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Civil Technology/Construction Reflection . . 72

EDF Reflections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

Creative Arts Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Commerce Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 EGD Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Electronics Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 EMS Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 English Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Geography Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 History Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

LOCKDOWN ESSAYS

141

Lockdown Essay Excerpts . . . .21, 30, 31, 39, 47, 54, 55, 65, 68, 76, 78, 81, 85, 89, 99, 100, 110, 111, 119, 160, 161 (inside back cover) Matric GBV Protest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

IsiXhosa Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

EDITOR’S reflection far as saying that we survived, against all odds, and came out stronger in the end. 2020 Vision became 2020 Visionary.

Courtney Wallace Editor 2020 Vision: having the ability to see clearly and sharply at a distance. As 2020 opened, “2020 Vision” echoed through the halls of Wynberg and through the passages of Social Media as the unspoken motto of the year. Little did we know in Term 1 that it would prove exceptionally challenging but also exceptionally apt in the year to follow. Teaching and learning in a Pandemic is no joke. It takes hours of planning, which is made more stressful when you only get a couple of weeks to plan. This becomes exponentially more tense when Plan A switches to Plan B switches to Plan Z all within just a couple of months. 2020 vision was so necessary. Teachers and boys alike needed to focus on the goals and reremind themselves of the clear vision that they had set out for themselves…and all at a distance. Classrooms relocated to bedrooms, lounges, dining rooms, and teachers who had tried to limit the overwhelming use of social media and the digital world, had to embrace it. That is what we became teachers for after all: to adapt our vision to meet the needs of our children. We do it for them – 2020 proved this more than anything. As the year went on, the teaching and learning (as important as it is) became less of the focus. We were fighting Covid-19 with weapons not equipped to make us victorious: mental health decline; fatigue; burnout and fear. Yet, in true Wynberg style, Supera Moras carried us through. We survived. As we always have. I will even go as

Hindsight is 2020: it’s easier to analyse and evaluate situations when we are looking back on them in the past, than when we are in the present moment. 2020 taught us…and ironically, probably more than we taught this year. We have come away with knowledge that is unique and tailored to our experience. Our learners have gained invaluable information and have had a look at the ‘realworld’ before actually being immersed in it. I hope and pray that they are more resilient and have more courage as adults as a result of this trying year. I hope and pray, too, that we can take these lessons with us; continue the things that worked and improve on the things that did not. Last year, the theme of the magazine was “Superheroes” and this heroism was truly put to the test this year. Our vision may have been blurred this year, by Covid-19, and I know that the path ahead did not always seem as clear as we had hoped for but through the trials and tribulations, I think our glasses turned to mirrors – our vision changed to reflection – and thus, the theme for this magazine was born. I hope as you read through it, that you too can reflect on the crazy year that was 2020. I hope that when you are reading this years from now, when possibly another enemy threatens this institution, that you can learn from its lessons. I hope for us all that the pages allow you to reflect on what was and what can be as a result. Our eyes must, of course, always be on the future, but this is only strengthened and advanced by looking back.

“It’s on the strength of observation and reflection that one finds a way. So, we must dig and delve unceasingly.” Claude Monet WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

STAFF

2020 VISION | 2020 REFLECTION

STAFF SENIOR EXECUTIVE Principal

Vice-Principal: Boarding and Admissions

Mr Jan de Waal

Mr Roland Rudd

Senior Deputy Principal

Mr Larry Moser

Vice-Principal: Academics

Mr Ben Thompson

Deputy Principal

Mr Peter van Schalkwyk

Vice-Principal: Sport

Mr Michael Engelbrecht Vice-Principal: Service

Mr Rodney Inglis Vice-Principal: Business Operations and Quality Assurance

Mr Cliff Hull

Governing Body Chairman Mr Edries Burton

Parent Representatives Mr Andrew Bearne Mrs Georgine Borgström Mrs Louise Friester-Sampson Mr Mark Sangster Mrs Stephanie Sieberhagen Mr Damascene Taylor

Learner Representatives Mohammed Zayd Louw

Educator Representatives Mr Larry Moser Mr Peter van Schalkwyk

Non-Educator Representative Mr Jeremy Petersen Mr Jan de Waal

Mr Larry Moser

Mr Peter van Schalkwyk

Ex Officio Mr J de Waal (Principal)

Co-opted Members Mr Glen Cassells Mr Adrian Larkin Ms Melissa Schultz

Mr Roland Rudd

Mr Ben Thompson

Mr Rodney Inglis

Mr Cliff Hull

Mr Michael Engelbrecht

Mrs S van der Rheede (Minuting Secretary) Mr Matthew Thompson (WOBU)

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

STAFF

EDUCATORS Mr Joshua Bassett Mr Justin Biggs Ms Lisa Brady Mr Peter Catzavelos Ms Lauren Cleophas Mr Jacobus Coetzee Mrs Mandy Colman Ms Jocelyn de Mink Ms Laura Diedericks Mr Neil Eddy Mr Joel Erasmus Mr Visser Gildenhuys Mr Adolf Groenewald Mrs Roxane Groenewald Mr Richard Haigh Mr Zaid Hendricks Mr Jean Holton Ms Cayleigh Huggett Mr Graham James Mr Mouton Joubert Mrs Natalie Karg Mrs Dané Kleinhans Mrs Krystle Kustanovich Mr Mike Leresche Mr Pietie Loubser Dr Marcus Melck Ms Bulelwa Mhlomi Mr Nicholas Mlotshwa Mr Chris Moore Mrs Prisci Naidoo Mr Stefan Potgieter Mr Jason Pretorius Mr Stephan Pretorius Mr Blake Rimmer Mr Chris Rushby Mrs Rukeya Samaai

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

Mr Gareth Searle Mr Patrick Smith Mrs Renette Spammer Ms Karen Swart Mr Julian Taylor Mr Russell-John Theunissen Mr James van Bosch Mr Estian van der Merwe Mrs Geraldine van der Westhuizen Mr Riccardo van Niekerk Mr Justin van Winkel Mr Ben van Wyk Mrs Melanie Wentworth Ms Courtney Wallace Mr Ben Wiley Mrs Juanita Wilson

DIRECTORS OF SPORT Mr Craig Childs Mr Bryan Punt Mr Devin Stanton Mr Andrew Wylie

Internships 2020 Mr Andries Bezuidenhout Ms Melissa Davids Mr Raees Davids Mr Caiphus Dlamini Mr Dylan Grobler Mr Sheldon Norris Mr Taahir Samaai Mr Nicholas Scott Ms Jamie Snoek Mr Josh Stevens

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Mr Mariano Badiali Mrs Robyn Clark Mr Enver Hassim Mrs Lisa Lawson Mrs Christelle Lefson Mr Andries Louw Mrs Lyn Makinson Mr Chris Merrington Ms Jeanette Muller Mrs Lynda Niddrie Mrs Samantha Petersen Ms Simphiwe Qabaka Mrs Carol Ramsay Mrs Cheryl Smith Mrs Shireen van der Rheede Mr Christiaan Venter

COUNSELLING Staff Mr Imraan Adams Mrs Catherine Kelly Mr Wandile Nxusani

Support Staff Mr Jeff Adams Mrs Tessa de Klerk Mr Jeremy Kellerman Mr Eugene Marinus Mrs Sera Matthews Mr Colin Menne Mr Clive Minnies Mr Prospur Nduku Mr Dale Opperman Mr Jeremy Petersen Mr Andre Saunders Mr Ian Smith

STAFF PRINCIPAL’s Report

Jan de Waal Principal There can be little doubt that in the 180-year history of Wynberg Boys’ High 2020 will go down as one of the most challenging we have faced. In my opinion the very fact that we are able to put out a 2020 magazine and are able to celebrate so many memories is nothing short of a miracle. Never before has our school motto of Supera Moras been more evident than in the months from March to December 2020 and I use this opportunity to pay tribute to our student body, their parents and our wonderful, hardworking staff for jointly ensuring that 2020 was not a total disaster. Over and above the challenges posed by the COVID Pandemic we also suffered further disruption due to the loss of a number of highly experienced teachers who left the employ of the school during the course of the year, mainly to pursue their careers abroad. There can be no doubt that the parting of Mr Thompson, Mrs Naidoo, Mr Searle, Miss Huggett, Mrs Wentworth, Mr Smith and Mr Biggs affected virtually every student in the school in some way and had an impact on our ability to effectively deliver the curriculum.

I want to thank Mr Badiali, Mrs Kleynhans, Mrs Samaai, and Miss Bruce as well as our teachers who picked up additional classes to cover the gaps for the fantastic effort they made to make sure that the standard of academics at Wynberg did not suffer. The Wynberg Community owe these people a debt of gratitude. I also want to pay special tribute to the Senior Management Team, the school finance team and the Governing Body for all their hard work and guidance during the year. Planning for the unknown and governing a school under these circumstances proved to be challenging on an almost daily basis and required innovative thinking and meticulous planning. The term of office for the current Governing Body comes to an end early next year and I want to make use of this opportunity to record our gratitude to them for outstanding work and loyalty to the school over the past three years. The ability to be flexible, adaptable and remain positive and motivated in times of uncertainty became the norm in 2020. Online teaching and learning rapidly moved from being an exciting option to pursue sometime in the future to a necessity. Fortunately our previously implemented policies of installing Wi-Fi throughout the school buildings, going paper light and insisting on all students having an electronic device enabled us to transition to the so called “New Normal” relatively easily. Nevertheless we all learned valuable new skills which will stand us all in good stead in the future as well as improving our standard of lesson delivery and the ability to learn effectively in the future.

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Sadly 2021 is destined to start off very much as we ended off in 2020 and there is already talk of further disruptions in the future. At Wynberg we believe that we have equipped our teachers and students with the necessary knowledge and skills to cope with virtually any scenario.

Undoubtedly those who missed out the most this year are our Matrics. I thank them for remaining positive and for their unwavering support throughout the year. I wish them well as they embark on a new chapter in their lives. They have set a new standard for all Wynberg students present and future to aspire to.

INTERNS

Juanita Wilson Head of Interns

Caiphus Dlamini

Bryan Punt

Dylan Grobler

Josh Stevens

Nick Scott

Sheldon Norris

Taahir Samaai

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

STAFF Staff Welcomes & Farewells Courtney Wallace 2020 saw some new faces in the staffroom. Among these faces were: • Lisa Brady into the Commerce Department to teach both Accounting and EMS. She joined us from Zwaanswyk High School and also moved into the Subject Head role of both Accounting and EMS. • Jacobus Coetzee joins us from Namibia. He moves into the Afrikaans Department and will assist Hockey with training the goalkeepers, having been a goalkeeper himself. • Graham James joined us from Bergvliet High School and became the Subject Head of Physical Science. He also added valuable service in the Timetable and Engage departments and will step into his role as Trovato House Head in 2021. • Natalie Karg stepped in in the midst of Lockdown in Term Two and joined the Music Department. She comes from teaching at Reddam House and also helped out in the Drama department. • Dané Kleinhans stepped in to help out the Afrikaans and Mathematics department during COVID. This was mainly due to teachers having co-morbidities and having to stay home. She added immense value during her short stay.

• Siobhan Bruce stepped in to assist us as she completed her PGCE. She joined the English Department and looks forward to a permanent position next year. • Wandile Nxusani joined to become our new Counsellor. We look forward to the input he will certainly make in many boys’ lives. We also welcomed many new interns to our extensive Internship Programme. They are: • Andries Bezuidenhout into the EMS department. He also stepped in to the Soccer department. •C aiphus Dlamini (old boy) became a permanent fixture and helped out in the Visual Art and Dramatic Arts department. He will also move into the Sound and Lighting TIC role next year. • Sheldon Norris steps into the Technology department and has helped with the EGD as well. He has added value in extramural activities, such as Rugby and Water Polo. • Jamie Snoek moves into the Marketing and Media department. She has helped capture many moments which will now live on forever. Her input to our social media pages has been invaluable as well. • Josh Stevens (old boy) moves into the Natural, Physical and Life Sciences departments. He also adds lots of value to our Athletics and Cross-Country sports.

• Rukeya Samaai joined us to help once Gareth Searle had left the Natural and Life Science Departments. She will be staying on in 2021 to help out more. • Ben van Wyk joined as a full-time Music teacher. He also stepped in to help with Tennis and other Music-related activities.

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

STAFF WELCOME & FAREWELLS

Sadly, we also had to say goodbye to far too many people this year. They included: • Our academic head, Ben Thompson, left us to take up a new job opportunity in Italy. • Rodney Inglis, our head of service, retired at the end of the year. He leaves the History and Afrikaans department and is firmly concreted in the list of Wynberg Stalwarts. • Lisa Lawson left the Finance Department at the beginning of Lockdown. Her input will be sorely missed.

• Dr Marcus Melck has traded boys for girls as he moved to become Head of History at Rustenburg Girls’ High School. We will definitely miss having our Doctor around and the boys will miss his Calisthenics extramural. • Prisci Naidoo vacated her role as Oude Wijnberg House Head and Subject Head of IT as she moved to the UK mid-year. Her service to Wynberg is appreciated and she will be difficult to replace.

• Carol Ramsay left her post as WOBU Secretary to go and live in Stilbaai with her husband. The school feels a lot emptier without her cheery smile and chatter. She will be difficult to replace.

• Gareth Searle moved to Sweden mid-year and left our Natural Science and Life Science Departments. This was a great loss as he headed both departments. It is also sad to see him leave as his input into the Sustainability Pillar was second to none.

• Justin Biggs left us to take up a job opportunity in the UK. He leaves a rather large hole as he was involved in multifarious activities, including Steel Band, Timetable, Engage, Reports and being a Silverhurst Tutor.

• Patrick Smith left for the UK shortly after getting engaged to Laura Diedericks. He left a void in the Sport and Cricket Departments as he vacated his role as of Sports Administrator and 1st team coach respectively.

• Neil Eddy took his leave for the second time. He truly was part of the furniture and it will be very odd not seeing him around next year.

• Melanie Wentworth left suddenly at the end of the year after the tragic passing of her husband, Ashley. She left Trovato without a House Head and also left a hole in most of the school staff’s hearts.

• Visser Gildenhuys took up a job at Bishops and left our Afrikaans Department. He leaves his post as U14A cricket coach and U16A rugby coach. • Cayleigh Huggett moved to Zimbabwe to be closer to her partner but also to take up a job opportunity at St. Johns. She left the English Department and her role as Co-TIC of Hockey and TIC of Water Polo. • Krystle Kustanovich left us to further her Life Coaching career at the end of the first term. She was set to direct the Major Production but COVID put a halt to this. Hopefully we will see her again soon in this role. WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

• Raees Davids left our Internship Programme to take up a job at Rondebosch Boys’ High School. • Imraan Adams left the counselling department to finish his studies. • Catherine Kelly left officially at the start of Lockdown. She was helping Wandile Nxusani have a smoother transition into the school. Her long service to the school is appreciated and she will be sorely missed.

STAFF Farewell Ben Thompson

Ben Thompson

by Mike Engelbrecht Anyone who has seen old photos of Ben will quickly work out that he was quite the adventurer. Dreadlocked and hedonistic no doubt, he clearly did not have his sights on settling down in a small country village in England. I know where he hails from – while on cricket tour in 1995, I played at the quaint coastal town in Devon called Ilfracombe where Ben grew up. His horizons were always wider and brighter than this though and it was no surprise that he found his way to Singapore in some or other roundabout way once he had graduated from uni. It was from there that he applied for the Wynberg job in 2007. I remember Ben telling me that he was setting his sights on South Africa for 1 year only. This turned into 12 years. As a younger, less encumbered man, Ben was an avid hiker. I remember him climbing the mountain every single afternoon after school. When not on the mountain, he was walking his dog, Pepper, around the grounds – always smiling; calm; always keen for a chat. A most amiable character is our Ben – so different from most of the whinging, moaning, cranky poms I have met and worked with over the years. He left Wynberg briefly at the end of 2012 to take up a position at the ISCT. I remember thinking at

the time that this was a very big step and one that Ben had thought through long and hard. Anyone that knows Ben will know that he is extremely discerning. That is the nice way of putting it. The derogatory way would be to say that he is fussy – fussy about what he eats; how he opens doors in an OCD way with handkerchief wrapped around the doorknob; a wine snob of note – except during Lockdown where he was willing to lower his standards. Being a very discerning guy, I assumed that Ben had eyed the International School as a conduit for him to direct his teaching expertise and innovation in a more focused environment. It made sense – but it did make me feel slightly disappointed about Wynberg and what we were doing here to lose him for those reasons. Yet, he was back 6 months later – and with a renewed vigour; positivity about Wynberg and loyalty to the brand. This once more made me feel good about all that we do here. The Ben Thompson version 2.0 had his sights on bigger things at Wynberg. Neil Eddy had vacated the Head of Academics role in 2012 at the same time that Ben had left us. Larry Moser took it over for a year and a bit, but clearly could not hack the job, so Ben applied and got it. The rest is history. The walks up the mountain stopped abruptly. Ben threw himself into the role in a massive way. He will be remembered for being extremely efficient; visionary in his thinking and passionate about fostering good working relationships with people. He is very empathetic and always has time to listen to people’s problems – his manmanagement will be sorely missed as this is clearly something that I will not be doing. More recently, his management of the COVIDadjusted academic programme was extremely sensible and soothing to staff that were at breaking point at various times during Lockdown. WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

FAREWELLS

I have made notes and hope that I can follow in his footsteps. It is one of the perversions of life that we have to say goodbye to people that have had an impact on our lives. We do not get to throw a tantrum or demand a change of plans to suit our selfish needs. Someone that was part of our lives and who added meaning for so long can suddenly decide to up and leave – with the very real possibility that we will never see or hear from them again. It is a difficult thing to fathom. But we can comfort ourselves in the knowledge that what they did while they were around is what will live on far longer than the flesh. Ben has left a massive legacy at Wynberg – not only in his furthering of our creative spirit; improved work ethic and the fostering of good relationships between people, but he was instrumental in driving the project that is the Engineering and Design Faculty – that building and all that it achieves in the future will always have Ben’s hallmark of vision attached to it. There are two things I will always remember about Ben – well, there are many things but I will single out two – first, on a staff pub crawl around 2009 or 10, Ben showed his creative, if not overtly sissy side by choosing to drink a cocktail of Kahlua and Milk. Not his finest hour to be fair, but it sticks with me, nonetheless. Secondly, I mentioned his loyalty to Wynberg and the Wynberg brand earlier. Many foreigners that I have worked with over the years have never fully embraced their adopted country or its culture. Ben certainly has. He has lived and breathed SA in a way that made me realise that he really loves this country. I have seen the same love for Wynberg. He has been fiercely protective of what we do here and has never allowed anyone WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

to compare us unfavourably with other boys’ schools. In fact, he has loved dissing Rondebosch and SACS at every turn. I have never seen a more ubiquitous supporter of Wynberg sport than Ben. Although not required to coach, he has always been out supporting our sports teams. I will miss the sight of him walking his young children around the campus. In the school magazine of 2012, there is an insert bidding Ben farewell as he left to the AISCT. It made mention of the fact that he had his eyes set on a teaching job in Italy one day. So, he was clearly focused and driven to achieve his goal and we can celebrate with him that he will now be living out his dream.

Staff COVID Duty - Juanita Wilson

Staff COVID Duty - Karen Swart

STAFF Farewell Rodney Inglis

Rodney Inglis

by Larry Moser Just before the turn of the last millennium, Wynberg acquired the skills of an energetic History and Afrikaans teacher who was passionate about cricket. Rodney Inglis burst onto the Wynberg scene at a time when massive changes were happening in South African society in general and in education, in particular. My initial work with Rodney came at the end of 1999 when he, Eric Lefson, and I were tasked with producing a timetable that would function in 2000 – the year of the Y2K bug. Eric and I were able to do the mathematical manipulations and permutations of allocating different teachers to classes and getting the DOS based computer programme to run (while watching South African cricket test matches on a TV hidden in the back room of D32 which was my classroom at the time) but we were novices at Excel. Enter Rodney Inglis! Rodney was a master at playing around with the end data and supplying it in an Excel format that made it easy to read and manipulate. How he had learned such advanced skills in those early days of Computers was beyond me, but he dutifully produced his work of art, earning my instant admiration. When I mentioned earlier that Rodney was passionate about cricket, I need to mention that Rodney didn’t just watch cricket like I did

– he actually knew everyone personally who was involved in WP Cricket. This was a massive benefit to Wynberg in those heady days of transformation where clubs and schools were beginning to explore an uneasy relationship of playing cricket with “the others”. In fact, back in 2000 there were no Google Maps, and so Rodney became our Google maps person every time we needed to find out where in Mitchells Plain a particular school was situated. Rodney knew every school in the Cape Flats and beyond and was generous with his time, assisting us to plan our weekends. In my early days as a deputy, I had to deal with some teachers who were really struggling in their personal life and it was affecting their work and their relationship with the boys at school. Rodney is an incredible people-person and he drew alongside, helping me to support these teachers as they struggled to find their feet. Those difficult conversations are always easier when there is someone supporting and strengthening you. Rodney is the proverbial man who will give you the shirt off his back. He does not have an evil bone in his body and is always looking to help. This is why he was always involved in service and, as a House Head of Lorie (now Trovato), he emphasised service so much that we began to recognise the value of the Service Pillar more. Rodney eventually took over from Sue Lindsay as the Head of Service and grew the Service Pillar into one which saw him promoted to a viceprincipal. I began to see the impact Rodney had had on people’s lives when I spent some time visiting him in hospital – he spent a few months in hospital years ago at death’s door, but made a miraculous recovery. He received visitors by the hundred; all

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

FAREWELLS Farewell Neil Eddy people who knew him well and wanted to show their support and their concern for his situation. One of the other memories I have of Rodney’s sociable nature is the staff weekend we had at Houw Hoek Inn. Rodney stayed awake the entire night playing cards with a group of us who seldom get to play bridge and darts and who made the most of that weekend – getting to know each other better. At the end of his time at Wynberg, Rodney can look back at a career where he has made significant contributions in the area of teaching History and Afrikaans, Timetable work, Cricket, Service, House Head, and being a wise voice on the Executive. He always made us think through our decisions carefully as we navigated the choppy waters of the new South Africa. Rodney, we wish you a long and successful retirement as you get to spend more time with your wife, Ursula, your grandchildren, and your Darts Association. You are a key part of our community and have became an integral part of our community through your warm-hearted involvement. Thank you for all you have taught us, and the many ways that you have enriched our lives.

Neil Eddy

by Geraldine van der Westhuizen Please note that during the course of my paragraph (or 2 or 3...) about Neil, I will be using the word Mathematics rather than Maths as I know that this will be so pleasing to him that the rest of my speech and my poor writing will fade into insignificance. Although I had met Neil before I started teaching at WBHS, I have only had the privilege of working with him as a colleague for the last 5 years. In the year that I arrived (2014), Neil decided to take a sabbatical and I have always wondered if this was truly a coincidence…even more so as he was part of the group that interviewed me. Was it a case of “definitely do not appoint her” and then he decided to take a year off when my appointment was confirmed? Neil is leaving a bit of history at Wynberg Boys’. Last year (when life was still normal), our Mathematics Department had, as usual decided to get together for some end of year “spoils”.

Rodney Inglis and his family at his farewell function.

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

I decided that it was time for the Mathematics Department to have their very own “sorry” award but had to come up with a more creative name so, being the immensely creative person that I am (just remember I am a Mathematics teacher and am probably a bit depleted in the right brain area), I decided to call it the “Nutty Professor” award. Neil had the “privilege” of being the

STAFF ...continued from previous page

first recipient of this prestigious award…who would ever have thought? Nonetheless, he very graciously accepted it. I presented him with this award with much satisfaction and then some more! Let me explain further: Neil was allocated Grade 8 Paper 2 to set for November 2019. As you all know, Neil has this amazing gift of producing exciting and storytelling Mathematics papers. Yes…the word exciting and Mathematics can occur in one sentence. Of course, the moderator for this paper was indeed expecting this amazingly creative paper to be handed to him (unlike me, Neil has been blessed with a very active and well-developed right and left brain) and the moderator was somewhat taken aback when he received the paper but knowing that Neil had far more experience than him, decided not to comment (the 5th amendment and all that!). The paper had the appearance of what 90% of the Mathematics Department papers look like. The word “expectation” is what comes to mind here and we all know how disappointed we feel when expectations are not met! However, to cut a long story short, two Paper 1s ultimately emerged, one looking very creative and picturesque, and then the other one. Neil had set Paper 1 instead of Paper 2 and although it was a lot of extra work for him, we were all very relieved to discover that Neil had not lost his touch! Of course, he was then extremely wellprepared for November 2020 exam setting! I must admit, when I was doing the setter allocation for the final exams this year, I did for a moment contemplate making VZ the setter and ED the moderator for Grade 8 Paper 1. The Nutty Professor’s first home was thus C12 where he spent a very happy year in a vibrant environment and a perfect first home but he has now moved on.

On a much more serious note… Neil has been an absolute stalwart in the Mathematics Department over the past 6 years and I find it difficult to picture the Mathematics C-corridor without him. The first thing that comes to mind when writing this is the absolute passion that Neil has for Mathematics. This is probably one of the greatest necessary factors (I believe) that turns a teacher into a super-teacher and Neil has this in abundance. His input into the Grade 8 group every year has been truly phenomenal. Not many would choose to teach 3 or 4 classes of Grade 8 boys, however, the first year in high school Mathematics is such an influential year for the boys and it has been very comforting to know that so many boys have been so well-prepared for years to come. Not only is he such a dedicated teacher in the classroom, but his love for his subject extends to writing material and producing amazing geometry and other topic workbooks (not just for Grade 8 but for all grades). I often wonder if he realises how privileged we as a department are to have these made available to us. One of the limitations of using textbooks or e-books in Mathematics is that the boys cannot work on the diagrams and the time taken for them (and us, as teachers) is so frustrating. To teach a topic like Geometry (which is very much sketch-based), having your very own workbook makes an immense difference. We simply open our laptops and there are beautiful sketches which we can project, saving us masses of time. Of course, it would be just like Neil to ensure that these workbooks are printed for next year…when he informed me about this, he can be grateful for Lockdown protocol, as he would have received the biggest, all-smothering hug! I could really go on ad infinitum about his teaching methods; his classroom management; WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

FAREWELLS the aesthetics of his classroom; his caring nature with his tutor boys; his prowess and dedication on the sports field, and all that he has brought to the teaching of Mathematics at Wynberg Boys’ but I know that you all know this. I must however make mention of the afterhours junior enrichment program. This has hugely contributed to our amazing results in the SAMO and UCT Mathematics competition over the past few years. How are we going to find a replacement? And, much more importantly, who is going to bring me those left-over doughnuts? As teachers we very seldom see each other in action. We, as a Mathematics Department, have had the privilege of often seeing Neil in action at our various Mathematics evenings. His presentations were, as his teaching and exam setting, always so interesting and always drew the crowds. So many teachers and learners from other schools have learnt so much from his presentations and he has truly been an inspiration to many. Here are a few topics that he has presented on: • “Happy New Year! Or Why Julius should beware”. • “On the Edge - Teaching Chaos Theory” • “Mundane to Insane – Mathematics leading somewhere” Presentations with topics like these always ensured the element of surprise which left one wondering “What will this be about?” and thus drawing one to the evening. A number of colleagues would chat to me afterwards and ask the question “Where does Neil find the time to put together such an interesting presentation?” Of course, the answer always comes back to: if you are passionate about something, you will find the time. On another note, I am not sure if those of you who invigilate in the hall often start looking for things to keep your brain functioning (like WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

working out the relative frequency of left-handed writers in the group that you are invigilating – of course while still keeping a vigilant eye). If you find yourself reading the Head boy/ Academic of the year on the prestigious boards, then you have probably noticed Neil’s name appearing there! Clearly, an overall talent and achiever already in his school days! I could go on with so much more to say about Neil but I also know that too long a speech often does more harm than good! However, it would be amiss of me not to mention Neil’s constant companion over the past few years. Titan became synonymous with the Mathematics C-corridor and I had a regular visitor every morning. Everybody in the Mathematics Department believes that this was due to him receiving a little treat on arrival in the Mathematics office but Neil and I of course know otherwise. What a sad day when Neil arrived one Monday morning in August last year announcing that Titan had passed on that weekend. However, he now has a gorgeous new companion, Jano, and we wish them many happy years together. To sum up (which is quite difficult), Neil has truly been blessed with so many God-given talents. It is, however, one thing to be given so many talents but to use them so effectively for the benefit of so many others is truly remarkable. Neil is one of the most selfless people I have had the privilege of working with. His rational and analytical thinking at all times were integral to the functioning of the Mathematics Department and his infinite patience, together with an exponential quest to always learn more, knows no limit. I trust that his passion for Mathematics will live on in the Mathematics Department and I am truly hoping that he will keep in touch with us next year and miss us all just a little bit.

STAFF Farewell Catherine Kelly

Catherine Kelly

by Larry Moser In the late 1990s, at about the same time we changed to our vertical system with eight houses, believing that the Pastoral system of caring for boys was the way of the future, Keith Richardson decided to employ someone who he believed might be useful to us. He asked John Gilmour to spend 2 hours a day at Wynberg as a school Counsellor, hoping that boys would pluck up the courage and actually go and speak to someone about their problems. John’s office was the one next to mine, where Shireen currently lives. The first sign to me that something was very different was that John decided he needed to decorate and paint his office to make it a brighter, more welcoming place – as if the boys would notice! John only stayed for a year or so before starting the LEAP schools, but he was replaced by Monica Robinson, whose office became the little one next to the library where the current IT office is. Monica was a fulltime staff member but left a while later to start her own practice. Pat Rogers (who had also been our Librarian and a House Head for Sunninghill then known as ‘de Waal’) took over from Monica, but the baton was finally handed to Catherine in 2010 – the year of the South African Soccer World Cup. Catherine had taught Economics for a few years prior to this and had seen her son matriculate at

Wynberg. She comes from a very sporting family, with a husband representing South Africa and her son playing first team Hockey and Cricket, so she really understands boys, and what makes them tick – even the ones that don’t live for sport. In fact, I would say that Catherine is one of the teachers who is the greatest supporter of our winter sports teams – she seldom misses a home match and regularly attends all the big derby matches at the other boys’ schools. However, she had wanted to make a difference in ways greater than she believed she could through classroom teaching, so she studied further and qualified as a professional counsellor. When she re-started at Wynberg, she had to assist in creating a new counselling area. The current Support Centre used to be a Museum and was transformed over a period of about a year into the current suite of rooms comprising three offices, a boardroom, a help-desk area, and a storeroom for confidential files. Moreover, like John Gilmour’s office, it didn’t look like a cave, but inside, it was actually quite inviting. Catherine grew the Counselling department to the point where we eventually appointed a second person, Michelle Ireland, an Educational Psychologist, and finally, last year she began finding interns to do their practical work at Wynberg. The number of boys seeking help had grown to where it was no longer possible for one person to handle. Catherine, over the years, became a key partner in the development of many of the boys who depended on her, as the bridge with supporting organisations such as Spirit Foundation, Students for a Better Future, Fine Family Trust, Telkom Foundation, Bright Start, and others. She taught the boys many life skills and coping mechanisms, and the Support Centre became a safe-haven for

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

FAREWELLS

many boys who needed to escape from the harsh difficulties they were experiencing for a while. The job soon took on a life of its own, and Catherine’s nurturing nature responded to many heart-wrenching situations by giving her time to individual boys in times of crisis. She began to educate staff about the realities of ADHD; substance abuse; the Southern Suburbs’ staggering alcohol abuse among teenagers; how to deal with difficult situations; how to respond to calls of help from boys who were victims of family abuse, and many others. Unfortunately, the paperwork and administration required became overwhelming. She was coordinating assessments for boys requiring special dispensation for assessments; language exemptions; Career Evenings; support at Disciplinary Hearings; WCED “training sessions” for scribes and readers; organising speakers and co-ordinating events, such as parent evenings dealing with substance abuse; and providing help on LO days. She became a valuable partner with House Heads, walking the fine line of imparting information to help us assist a boy while not betraying confidences.

I would put forward as the number one person on the staff to trust, it would be you. Thank you for what you have done, and for who you have been in your time at Wynberg. You have enriched the lives of many boys and given many of them a toolkit to survive the harsh realities of life. We will probably never know the full impact you had on countless lives. Thank you for the hours you dedicated to one-on-one counselling – making a difference, one life at a time.

Farewell Carol Ramsay

Mr Cedric Poleman, Mrs Carol Ramsay, Mr Jan de Waal

At the beginning of this year Catherine wanted to ease up, but agreed to stay on in a part-time capacity to help Wandile find his feet as our newest Support Centre staff member, but at the start of the Lockdown in April, Catherine decided to call it a day. She leaves Wynberg after a decade of growth and was instrumental in changing our collective mind-set in learning how to teach boys and how to help them develop into responsible young men. Catherine – you have taught us much about how to deal with boys, but the greatest thing you have taught me is integrity. If there was any person who

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

Mr Graham Ramsay, Mrs Carol Ramsay, Gareth Ramsay

STAFF Farewell Prisci Naidoo to surprise us (but not Prisci) with a 60+% pass, I am speechless. (I am not allowed to reveal the names of these boys for fear of victimisation from their parents).

Prisci Naidoo

by Larry Moser Prisci started at Wynberg in 2015, and I remember her interview very well. She is the only person that I know of that tried hard to make the interviewing panel feel relaxed – as if they were on trial. That is her true nature – always thinking of others and trying to assist them. Over the past six years it has become abundantly clear that Prisci loves teaching; she loves travel; she loves Wynberg and she loves people. She has transformed the IT department – over the past six years she has increased the number of students taking the subject from fewer than 15 to above 50. (In fact, for the past three years we have had to turn away about 10 boys every year who wanted to choose IT as a subject at the end of Grade 9). The final examination results have gone from averaging below 60% to above 70%, with approximately half of the boys scoring distinctions. She has spent countless hours (both early-morning and late afternoons) assisting her boys to both catch up, where they were behind, and excel where they showed promise. She has been a caring mother to many boys doing IT, many of whom were floundering and thinking of giving up. When I think of some of the boys that she has coddled through IT in order for them

Prisci has modernised the IT labs into a stateof-the-art facility, with soundproof, glass sliding doors between the two teaching venues; high end graphic designs and posters – which she designed herself – all making for a stimulating environment for boys. She has run an IT EXPO every year with boys producing programmes that make Bill Gates look like a beginner, and it all started with Prisci’s belief in every boy, making them believe in the impossible. Always leading from the front, during the COVID Lockdown, she produced a set of world-class Youtube videos on the teaching of programming. These have become invaluable teaching resources for both students and teachers. Prisci started out as a tutor but very soon was promoted to House Head, where her caring nature shone through. On top of running her House she has also been involved in an outreach programme with Wynberg boys at a nearby children’s orphanage; taken on the onerous and time-consuming role of running our International Exchange Programme which has links to schools in eight other countries; been the teacher in charge of the Muslim Students Association; and run the Social Cohesion Committee. Despite all this, I will remember her for her amazing cooking – which many of us were happy to partake of. She is an amazing woman and it will take someone with big boots to fill her role.

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

FAREWELLS

LOCKDOWN ESSAYS excerpt...

excerpt...

“The one thing that I must say has been a downside to learning under lockdown is the lack of collaboration. The collaboration between students on doing work in class and finding out different ways to solve the same problem through discussions with peers in class. This has definitely been missed during lockdown. A similar effect could be achieved through the use of the internet and YouTube in particular, but collaborating on problems in class with students and teachers in real time will unquestionably be missed. Many times, I sit on a question/ problem and think, “I wonder what so-and-so did to get their solution”. At times like these, you appreciate the significance of in-person learning/ collaboration. Largely, I would say that learning under lockdown has been a blessing in disguise. It has brought about many new opportunities to alter the way we see conventional education and gives pupils the chance to uncover a new way of studying/ learning which they may find more beneficial to them. Although it does have its negatives, I believe we will all come out the other end of lockdown a lot more responsible, tougher, and wiser in our pursuit of knowledge.” Muaaz Kasker (Grade 12)

LOCKDOWN ESSAYS

“Overall, I don’t think that online learning is a bad thing. One could consider it a necessary evil. It has to be done; the academic year must go on. We, as students, must step up and put in the effort required, as difficult as that may be. We must push forward and overcome the situation we have before us. We can only hope that the plans they have for when lockdown ends don’t put any more pressure on us than we already had during it.”

“Lockdown has been an eye opener for me. Never have I received so much benefit from a force that has taken so much. To me, it has exposed just how privileged and put-together I am in the backdrop of this broken country There is something I must stress before beginning: Many of us may be safe and cosy within the small boxes of concrete we call our homes. The comforts so many of us take for granted distract us from the crumbling pillars that hold up our delicate society outside. For us, these disasters are unfolding outside, beyond our metal fences, in the jungle of streaming roads and towering trees of glass and steel, where so many work to give life to the cycle of our dying economy. In this, I merely speak for those like me, whose homes are truly places of love and warmth. For many, their “homes” can quickly become prisons. Those metal bars surrounding them can trap them in as much as keep the lepers out. The only comfort they may find is in their cell rooms, but are subject to beatings by their fellow inmates upon leaving. That being said, lockdown has provided me with the breathing room I’ve needed for some years now. It is shocking to look back and reflect how I’ve developed as a young man. “Reflect” isn’t even the correct word to use because these two people look nothing alike. This hasn’t come without any drawbacks. Many of the activities that brought me great satisfaction before no longer fulfil me to the same extent.” Michael Buckingham (Grade 12)

Mika Wyngaard (Grade 12)

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

STAFF In memory of Cecil Malan Keith Richardson It came as somewhat of a shock when the news came through in September 2016 that Cecil Malan (whom I knew as Cecil Brewis) was not well. He had always seemed part of the structure of the building – ever-present and solid. He joined the staff in 1992 in the tenure of Headmaster, Rowan Algie, eventually ending up as caretaker, a post in which he served for over three decades. He was responsible for opening the school for the early arrivals at 6.00am and would reliably lock and alarm the school after the final event of the evening. It was because of the lateness of his hours that in 1999 a section of the area below the old metalwork room (now the new Engineering and Design Faculty) was converted into a flatlet for his family. This arrangement was favourable to all parties - Brewis family and the school - and it certainly paid dividends on the night of the 2016 fire where he was able to raise the alarm and call the fire brigade. If the fire had not been caught in time, the damage would have gone way beyond the four classrooms which were destroyed. Generations of schoolboys after rehearsals, as well as teachers and parents after a variety of functions, will recollect Cecil Brewis standing unobtrusively at one of the doors in the hall, suggestively rattling the school keys, which was his way of saying that that it was time that everyone went to bed. Before the advent of picking up the school admin system on my computer at home, I would frequently work late in my office. Often, he would wait for me, nodding off quietly on the couch in the foyer. He would fob off my protestations

that I was more than capable of setting the alarm and locking the front door. I never worked out whether he was just being felicitous or whether he considered me to be totally untrustworthy. Outsiders who rented the hall or the Fish Bowl would always remark how helpful and accommodating he was. All this was to his advantage of course, when at the end of the evening he would be invited to take home all the leftovers! Cecil Brewis had a wicked and sharp sense of humour which endeared him to all as no malice was ever intended. Many were subjected to his chippy sense of humour. Boys who were in detention regarded it as a bonus if they were put onto his detail. They revelled in their status on the back of the trailer carrying rubbish bins to the collection area usually subjected to a steady volley of abuse at the other end: ‘Hey, White Boy, is that all you can carry?’ He loved talking to the boys and was always ready for a chat. He knew more pupil names than most teachers. Returning old boys would invariably be recognised and often greeted by name and a quip or two about some barely remembered escapade in which they had (supposedly) been involved. No matter what age they were, the old boys beamed - it was a recognised badge of honour to be remembered years later as ‘Reprobate of the Year’. He was a loyal, cheerful, and effervescent member of the support staff. He would regularly support the boys at sports’ fixtures where he doled out a steady stream of advice, mostly unsolicited and always amusing. He seldom missed a staff function and would always make a point of popping into my office on the following day to express his appreciation for the invitation. WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

His stroke in 2016 left him partially paralysed and unable to speak. He was invited to the Sunset Concert at the John Baxter Theatre in March 2017, an event that coincided with his birthday, where Larry Moser paid a worthy tribute to him. During the show I went to speak to him in his wheelchair under the palm trees. Unable to speak, he responded to my reminiscing with nods, smiles and the odd tear. He was one of the legends of Wynberg around whom our school is built. Our condolences go to his wife, Frances; his daughter, Gillian, as well as his three stepsons. He was a popular icon of Wynberg for many years who will undoubtedly be remembered by hundreds of Old Boys and teachers.

Staff COVID Duty - Geraldine van der Westhuizen

Jerusalema Challenge

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

STAFF SECRET SANTA

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

TERM 1

2020 VISION | 2020 REFLECTION

TERM 1 Grade 8 START TO SCHOOL Grade 8 Challenge

Estian van der Merwe Grade 8 Head

Induction Week The new Grade 8s of 2020 arrived on the 14th of January, the day before the official start of school. This was to acquaint themselves with the layout of the school and to meet the teachers, peers and House Prefects before the rest of the school arrive. They also had a workshop on how to manage their tablets and plan accordingly.

Buddy Braai / Grade 8 Camp On Wednesday, 15 January, we had our annual ‘Buddy’ Braai. The purpose of this braai was to welcome the new Grade 8s to the school. The mix of completing games and activities which requires teamwork and non-stop soccer created the perfect environment for the new boys to unwind and get to know their Matric buddies. They were also privileged to see the first rugby team train for the season and see how the boys who would (sadly not) represent them throughout the season train. The boys got their sleeping bags ready on the Hawthornden field for a night beneath the stars. For some of these boys it was the first time they slept underneath the stars without a tent or roof. The boys chatted well into the night. The boys also slept in their houses with their house prefects telling them stories and answering all the questions the boys had.

With very little sleep, the boys woke up very early on Thursday morning, 16 January, to prepare for their hike up the mountain. The boys received their lunch-packs from the Fish Bowl and, together with their Matric buddies, started the walk up the mountain. This is where friendships are made and the character and perseverance of every boy is tested. As they come down from the mountain they ring the school bell, which marks the start of their Wynberg career. The next time when they ring the bell it will be in five years time at their Valedictory.

Tie Ceremony We also had an informal tie ceremony on the Friday morning, 18 January, where the Matric buddies helped the new boys knot a proper tie. Mr De Waal also shared some history on the different ties of Wynberg.

The Blazer Ceremony On Monday, 20 January, the new Grade 8 boys were formally accepted into the Wynberg family during the Blazer Ceremony. Up to this point, the boys are not allowed to wear their blazers. Only once the boys have completed the Grade 8 challenge can they wear their blazers. It is therefore fitting that we celebrate with them as they wear their blazers for the first time. The boys were called up onto the stage in houses to receive their blazers from their Matric buddies The blazer symbolises the history and tradition of the school and it is therefore fitting that the senior boys pass on custodianship to the new generation. WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

GRADE 8

The event ended on the tuckshop steps where the Matric and Grade 8 boys sang the school song and school cheers, much to the delight of the assembled guests. It was awesome to welcome the new Grade 8 boys into the school and see the excitement on their faces.

This Grade 8 group of boys promise big things for their five years at Wynberg and it was a great pity that they did not get as much of the foundation that we had hoped for, as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic. We hope that this will not affect their influence over the school in later years.

Grade 8 Induction

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

TERM 1 Grade 8 - Bell Ringing Ceremony

Glebe

Hawthornden

Littlewood

McNaughton

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

GRADE 8

Oude Wijnberg

Silverhurst

Sunninghill

Trovato WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

TERM 1 LOCKDOWN ESSAYS excerpt...

LOCKDOWN ESSAYS excerpt...

“There is no more motivation to do anything. At school, if I didn’t do my work, I would just get a detention. You waste the school’s time; they waste yours. That was the motivation at Wynberg. That’s not the thing I miss about Wynberg though. I miss playing soccer and games on the field. I miss the small breeze the trees made every day, even if it wasn’t windy. I also miss how the school would interact with one another; how all the teachers would greet the students in different ways; the yearly timetable that decides which day is my favourite, and which day I hoped wouldn’t come around the next week. Now, every day is the same. I wake up and play games, and eventually I stop procrastinating and do my work. It’s weird, but I miss the sadness and anxiety, because there was a good chance that joy and excitement would follow. I should probably stop thinking about that now though – I still need to finish this work. Then again, I have got time... Procrastination can win this time, but I promise this will be the last time.” Adam Trupp (Grade 10)

“Although all of this is great, I am still a true Wynberg boy and miss the family that came with that. Wynberg Boys’ is not your ordinary school where you just have lessons and go home. It’s much more than that. You build relationships with the teachers and they become friends who guide you to be your best self and succeed in the best way possible. Therefore, I am hopeful that whatever is to come from this pandemic, our teachers will be able to help and nurture us through the work until we are all able to sit together in a classroom and enjoy the journey we have overcome.”

“It is day 64 of Lockdown. I haven’t left the house in 9 weeks. I see the same boring faces every single day. They haunt me. However, although I see the same faces every single day, I am grateful that I can still see them, where others can’t. Each day starts the same; an alarm that wakes me up with its constant moans, waiting for me to put it back to rest and piles upon piles of messages of the workload for the day from both teachers and confused students. From then onwards, an avocado on the kitchen counter greets me. He stares at me with fire in his eyes. I wait for the toast to pop as I dissect my oddlyshaped forest-green ally. Each day is a reminder of how this global pandemic ruined my hopes, dreams, and goals for this year. This was supposed to be my year; the year in which I was chosen to be in the Beau Soleil Orchestra, Senior Band and Woodwind Trio, the year in which I would lead our Pipe Band out of its former grave, the year in which I would triumph in our Jazz Band, the year in which I would take part in various competitions and exams for different genres of music. Everything has been put on hold.” Anthony van Eyssen (Grade 10)

“All in all lockdown is just another obstacle in the great scheme of life which we have to overcome, and it comes down to everyone doing their part, from doctors and scientists who are working on a cure, to the garbage disposal team who collect our rubbish every week, to the future leaders of the world, the students sitting now in lockdown and battling hard to keep up with the daily inflow of work.” Caleb Pryce (Grade 10)

Mika Scott (Grade 12)

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

LOCKDOWN ESSAY EXCERPTS

LOCKDOWN ESSAYS excerpt...

“In these dull days, I’m happy to have schoolwork as it gives me something to do. We get different work each day, so the days don’t feel as repetitive. I do struggle to learn at home as there are just too many distractions at home, and no matter how much I try to distance myself from everything, my ADHD gets a hold of me time and time again. Add the fact that everyone has different styles of learning, and that online learning does not fit what I need at all. I find it harder to retain information if I can’t ask the teacher small questions here and there, to get a clearer picture of the topic in my head. I think a big part of it is not being able to see my friends every day. I miss them a lot and not being able to talk about small things that happen in class or something that happened during breaktime makes the conversations with people become boring and repetitive. The only topic being discussed is how they are finding their online schooling. I miss sport practices and what it brings out in me. I miss walking through the front entrance of school, saying “Hi” and throwing out high-fives to the people around me. I miss my teachers. I miss all the small things like the sun rising on my way to school; the clang of break bell. I miss standing hushed in the fish bowl, waiting to pour into the hall and hear Mr. Moser talk about chess being the superior sport. I never thought I’d see the day where I’m disappointed to have finished my schoolwork, as the only things I have to do after my work are becoming exponentially stale as more time goes by.”

“Lockdown: this seems to be the new normal of my life. I am confined to my house – lucky for me we have a good-sized family home and a large garden and pool, but for many others this is not the case. I have spent many an afternoon in my yard, thinking of how I could be playing rugby with my teammates; having fun at break time with my friends; having class with my peers – I even missed Tuesday and Thursday tests. My life feels out of place. This does not feel normal to me. I find studying from home very hard. I am bored. I want to go back to school. I never thought I would say this, but I miss the pressure of a normal school life. I miss interacting with my peers and my teachers. I find it a lot easier to learn from a teacher standing in front of me as I am an auditory learner. I pay attention in class and learn by listening and remembering how the teachers explain the work. I don’t find it difficult to work online as my computer skills are good. I do however prefer a classroom environment as I find that I am easily distracted and find all kinds of excuses to delay completing my work. This said, I am very grateful that I am in the situation that I have online teaching available to me. There are many kids who aren’t that fortunate, so whenever I feel a bit down, I remind myself that I am still healthy and learning and I should be grateful for my blessings.” Michael Wichman (Grade 10)

Sam O’Connor (Grade 11)

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

TERM 1 Grade 8 - Hike Departure

Glebe

Hawthornden

Littlewood

McNaughton

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

GRADE 8

Early morning view

Oude Wijnberg

Sunninghill

Trovato WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

(regret, no Silverhurst group picture)

TERM 1 Grade 8 - The Hike

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

GRADE 8

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

TERM 1 Grade 8 - Camp

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

GRADE 8 Grade 8 - Sports

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

TERM 1 Grade 8 - Cheers and Societies

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

GRADE 8

LOCKDOWN ESSAYS excerpt...

“To be blunt, I’m sick of being at home. I have little to no motivation and seeing the same things every day, all day is really starting to take its toll on me. Nothing out of the ordinary happens. The days are always indistinguishable and that leaves me empty: empty of ideas, creativity and almost everything one needs to live efficiently and effectively. I feel like I’m trapped in my head, imagining all of the fun things that could be happening, like derby days and cheering on the boys playing rugby and hockey for the last few times as a schoolboy. I miss playing sports and having the freedom to go out and train whenever I felt I needed to. I miss school. After putting in the work for 11 years I was ecstatic to enjoy my final push to the end and celebrate accordingly with friends and family, but alas those aspirations will have to wait. There are bigger problems at hand which have to be dealt with. All I hope is to be back to “normal” as soon as the world allows us to be.” Daniel Judge (Grade 12)

“This brings me to my conclusion, which I would say is confusing because we are in confusing times. I am concluding this by saying that I do enjoy doing schoolwork at home, but that I miss school. It’s as if I’m happy and sad at the same time.

“I am forced to say that this experience has so far been a mixed bag. I agree that there is some merit to giving us the freedom to do work on our terms, and yet I have to acknowledge that (at least at WBHS) the culture of learning that is instilled into us is one that best thrives in a school environment. While begrudgingly on some parts, I think that this is the view of the majority of the student body. While some may be completely comfortable with the way things are and others might desperately yearn for the structure of a school once more, many of us are simply stuck on the fence. With all the aforementioned points in mind, I would like to pose a few questions for all schools as well as the general public. Within your own school community, is the resounding mentality one that wishes to return or one that wishes to stay at home? Beyond the psychological insight this gives to leadership that shows them where their respective schools are currently, it will allow them to critique the school environment in order to get their schools where they need to be. Whether it be to bring out certain aspects of school life like our own Wynberg brand or simply for the sake of a better learning experience for the future of this country.” Ashiq Faardiel (Grade 11)

I just keep reminding myself what my friends and I say, “Kap aan tot kap om” which means that we will keep on going and keep giving until the day we cannot give or go anymore.”

Luke Rossouw (Grade 11)

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

TERM 1 Chess report Larry Moser

The following boys received awards for Chess: Matric Award: Rameez Davids and Justin Cheney.

Chess, as with all extramural activities, was sharply curtailed this year. However, we did manage to play a round of fixtures in the first term and the first three teams enjoyed a successful tour to Bloemfontein. We played in the 17th Annual Grey College Invitational Chess Tournament, entering two teams in the A section for the first time. Surprisingly, our B team beat our A team at the Tournament and ended up with a higher placing than the A team. The A team finished 15th while the B team finished 10th. The C team were the unsung heroes and finished a credible 5th. Over the past few years the interest in Chess has grown to the point where we were able to field 10 teams in the local leagues in the first term. Some highlights of the year: • Cole Abrahams with five wins at the Grey Tournament, a result which won him the board prize for Board 3 – a first for a Wynberg boy. • Kevin Karengera won four and drew one of his five matches playing at Board 1 in the A section of the Grey Tournament. This is the best result of any Wynberg number one ever at this Tournament, as the top boards in the A section consist of nationally ranked players. • Having a SA U15 representative. Hasan Smith was chosen to represent SA at an international Chess Tournament in Panama; unfortunately the Tournament was called off because of COVID-19. • The second team winning their league and being promoted to the A league:

Junior Blues: Kevin Karengera and Hasan Smith. Special thanks to Andrew McInnes, the coach, who spent time with every boy after every match, analysing their games and assisting them to improve their general play.

Boys who represented the various teams (no. of matches in brackets): FIRST TEAM Kevin Karengera (10), Justin Cheney (8), Rameez Davids (8), Dante Benting (6), Brennan McCormick (4), Connor Manuel (2), Ashton McCormick (2).

SECOND TEAM Fayyaaz Harnekar (10), Ashton McCormick (7), Brennan McCormick (6), Connor Manuel (6), Dante Benting (4), Cole Abrahams (2), Justin Cheney (2), Tanweer Chiktay (1), John-Bruce Noad (1), Ross Petersen (1)

THIRD TEAM Daniel Weaver (10), Ross Petersen (9), Tanweer Chiktay (8), Cole Abrahams (6), Eli Abreu (1), Tomas Cupido (1), Rameez Davids (1), Brooklyn Fry (1), Damian Hetherington (1), Connor Manuel (1), Caleb van Staden (1)

FOURTH TEAM Brooklyn Fry (4), Caleb van Staden (4), Tomas Cupido (3), Ryan McBain (3), Lindokuhle Madlokazi (2), Cole Abrahams (1), Benjamin Badiali (1), Tanweer Chiktay (1), Steven Lang (1)

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

CULTURE

FIFTH TEAM

EIGHTH TEAM

Stephen Lang (5), Eli Abreu (4), Benjamin Badiali (4), Tayyeb Abrahams (2), Ryan McBain (2), Caleb Engel (1), Lindokuhle Madlokazi (1), Liam Storey (1)

Jake Trupp (4), Byron Wiesner (4), Aiden Harris (2), Michael Taylor (2), Reece Benting (1), Connor Brown (1), Amien Gierdien (1), Hasan Smith (1)

SIXTH TEAM

NINTH TEAM

Thomas Burke (5), Lindokuhle Madlokazi (3), Nathan Semple (3), Romain Soula (3), Tayyeb Abrahams (1), Orion Barker (1), Benjamin Badiali (1), Connor Brown (1), Jared Godfrey (1), Stephen Lang (1)

Orion Barker (2), Alto-Nicolo Braga (2), Caleb Engel (2), Damian Hetherington (2), Zaafir Rahil (2), Hasan Smith (2), Reece Benting (1), Connor Brown (1), Gabriel le Roux (1), Xaylon van Rensburg (1)

SEVENTH TEAM

TENTH TEAM

Thomas Coutts (4), Daniel Heatherington (3), Tayyeb Abrahams (2), Aiden Harris (2), Gabriel le Roux (2), Michael Taylor (2), John-Bruce Noad (1), Nathan Semple (1), Romain Soula (1), Jake Trupp (1), Caleb Voskuil (1)

Reece Benting (4), Liam Storey (3), M-Saalih Tasriet (2), Gabriel le Roux (1), Daniel Budge (1), Amien Gierdien (1), Ryan McBain (1), John-Bruce Noad (1), Zaafir Rahil (1), Thomas Roberts (1)

SUMMARY OF RESULTS

TEAM

PLAYED

WON

LOST

DRAW POSITION

STATUS

1st Team

(A League)

Remain in A League

2nd Team

(B League)

Promoted to A League

3rd Team

(B League)

Demoted to C League

4th Team

(C League)

Remain in C League

5th Team

(D League)

Remain in D League

6th Team

(D League)

Remain in D League

7th Team

(E League)

Remain in E League

8th Team

(F League)

Remain in F League

9th Team

(G League)

Remain in G League

10th Team

(H League)

Remain in H League

Total

TOUR TO BLOEMFONTEIN ANNUAL GREY COLLEGE SCHOOLS’ CHESS TOURNAMENT TEAM

PLAYED

WON

LOST

DRAW

FINAL POSITION

1st Team

(A Section)

Final position 15 out of 24

2nd Team

(A Section)

Final position 10 out of 24

3rd Team

(B Section)

Final position 5 out of 37

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

TERM 1 CULTURAL report Laura Diedericks

Shakespeare Festival This year marked the 10th Anniversary of the Shakespeare Schools Festival South Africa. The annual festival took place in March at the Fugard Theatre, one of Cape Town’s most iconic professional theatres. A total of 34 schools participated in the showcase with Wynberg Boys’ High School being one of them. The Shakespeare Schools Festival is defined as an educational programme aimed at improving language and social skills through the performing arts thus strengthening the link between the arts and education. Schools taking part in the festival prepare and perform a thirty-minute abridged version of a Shakespeare play of their choice. This year Wynberg Boys’ High School staged an abridged version of Macbeth. The play was directed by Grade 11 student Thomas Hugo and included cast members across Grades 9 to 11. The cast also included five actors from Wynberg Girls’ High School. The lead role of Macbeth was played by Grade 12 student Thomas Coutts, who delivered a powerful performance in his final year. Through the festival the cast of Macbeth received the wonderful opportunity to stage a Shakespeare play in a professional theatre. Prior to the performance the students were taken through for a tour of the theatre and they were given the opportunity to work with employees of The Fugard Theatre on sound, lighting and staging. After a successful dress rehearsal on the day of the performance the cast were eager to perform to a live audience. Wynberg Boys’ High School’s

interpretation of the abridged version of Macbeth was relished by a packed audience at the Fugard Theatre. They put on a gripping and humorous performance of Macbeth from the first line to the final bow.

Cast List Thomas Coutts Shakeerah Meyer Linga Chigona Erin Thornhill Lulibo Fula Hannah Scott-Gaertner Ameer Janodien Liyema Mandla

Eli Abreu Madellin Brogden Nasr Ackerman Hanah Jade Smith Mikail Maneveld Jason Fourie Christopher Kleinhans Thomas Hugo (Director)

Sound and Lighting Thurston De Kock Daniel Erasmus

Matthew Price

Concert In The Quad (CITQ) Wynberg Boys’ High School’s rendition of The Greatest Show from the hit musical The Greatest Showman was the song that opened the night on the 23rd of February for CITQ 2020. Staged in the Jowell quad with trees surrounding a stage built over the fishpond. The concert ran for four performances from the 20th of February through to the 23rd of February. Audiences could choose from a concert night atmosphere or a summer picnic concert depending on the performance they attended. The set list included something for everyone, with a range of hit songs through the decades. After weeks of rehearsals the performers and crew put on a truly great show for their audiences. CITQ 2020 had thirty performers across Grade 9 to 12. The performers ranged from experienced musicians who are no strangers to the Wynberg stage through to singers and musicians making

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

CULTURE

their debut performance on stage. CITQ is a show put together by the students with some guidance from staff. The students hold auditions, decide on the set lists and run rehearsals. This year’s core committee of students included Zayd Louw, Luke Heath, Hayden Engel and Thurston De Kock. The concert provided boys the opportunity for some to showcase their musical skills and for others to try something new. Through the experience of CITQ, students are able to work together in a creative and energising space where they are allowed to collaborate freely throughout the process. The weeks of rehearsals culminate in the four memorable performances for both the audience and the performers involved. This year a group of our CITQ performers went on to perform at Bandslam at the V&A Waterfront. The group put on a thoroughly entertaining and lively performance of their new set list for the crowd at V&A Waterfront.

List of Performers: Aaron Philander Anthony Van Eyssen As’ad Salie Ashiq Faardiel Connor Davids Daniyal Kemp Diamante Mdadane Ethan Piper Ewan James Ghumaid Jaffa Hayden Engel Hishaam Lagadien Hyeonwoo Lee Jared Benn Jared Jutzen Jeane Louw

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

Keanu Van Staden Keenan Collison Layton Abrahams Linga Chigona Liyema Mandla Liyema Sondlo Luke Heath Marco Palvie Mika Scott Nick Horn Seth Wagner Thomas Salter Yas’aa Davids Zayd Louw Ziyaad Solomons

Sunset Concert This year’s Sunset Concert was due to take place on grass and stage of the Baxter Theatre where audiences could enjoy the fresh air, view and sunset while listening to the performances of our various bands. Unfortunately, due to the unpredictable Cape Town weather the concert had to be moved into the Clegg Hall for an indoor picnic and concert. The afternoon was still a thoroughly enjoyable one with excellent performances from our Pipe Band, Jazz Band, Steel Band, String Ensemble, Concert Band and a guest performance by the Rod Connolly Big Band. With the variety of music on offer, friends and families in the audience soon forgot about the grey weather outside as they were transported to a colourful afternoon filled with entertaining music. Our Jazz Band was also invited to perform in front of a new audience at the Springfield Festival in February this year. The band performed a dazzling set which grabbed the attention of the festival goers. Prior to the Sunset Concert some of our new and some more experienced music students put on a small and intimate Quarterly Concert for their parents in the Nussbaum. The concert provided some of the younger musicians with some performance experience.

TERM 1 PIPE BAND report Mike Leresche 2020 was a year of transition for the band: from a group of learner drummers and pipers to a band that could begin to appear in public with increasing degrees of competence and confidence. The year began with an invitation from Knysna Pipe Band to join then at their Burns Night Evening, our debut. A lot was learned from playing with an experienced band. There followed in quick succession: the Open Day for Grade 7s, WBHS annual Prize Giving and the WBHS combined music evening and the Sunset Concert, easily our best effort. The band was seen and heard by a lot of people and earned much praise… …and then came COVID. As the school went into Covid lockdown we switched to one-on-one lessons online and did not meet as a group or play together for many months.

November presented the opportunity for some marketing when all the Grade 7s coming to Wynberg in 2021 arrived to see their new school to be welcomed by the pipes and drums. The finale of the year was an End of Year Concert for the Principal and the Pipe Band parents on Hawthornden Field. It was a great success and announced to all the arrival of the Wynberg Pipes and Drums. The boys had a difficult and disjointed year, but they persevered and emerged magnificently in the November finale. Most difficult for them is that they are pioneers in this band – they are ‘seniors’ whilst still juniors. They have had no Matrics with 5 years’ experience to look up to, to copy, to imitate. That is a challenge! The band’s task for 2021, COVID permitting, is to build the range and quality of the tunes in their repertoire, and take on new recruits, and in so doing, grow into a mature, competent group of performers.

Later in the year the concept of online piping and drumming solo competitions evolved, both on the practice-chanter, pipes and on the drums. Several bandsmen entered with Anthony van Eyssen earning a 6th place (of 25 entrants) in a 24 March event.

Those boys whose commitment to the Band has continued through to 2021 are: Anthony van Eyssen, Callum Lawson-Smith, Matthew Southgate, Sam Taberner, Dean Richardson, H Hamza Joowlay, (pipers) and Mathew Adams and Nick Horn, (drummers). Two groups of learner drummers and pipers have signed up in 2021 with high hopes for the future.

By Term 4 we were meeting again: carefully – bagpipes and drums can be played at a social distance apart! The band was invited by Nelson Mandela Artillery Pipes and Drums to join them in a Saturday morning practice session at the Castle of Good Hope. A special day! Again, the opportunity to play with an experienced band, (and at a spectacular venue) was priceless.

I wish to acknowledge the tremendous support of the Principal and the Music Department towards all the Pipe Band is trying to achieve. The parents of the bandsmen have waited to collect their sons after numerous practices, and have arrived en-masse to support their lads at the November concert. To them go our thanks with the hope for more to come.

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

CULTURE

Last, but most certainly not least, I wish to acknowledge the immense contribution by Ms Jenette Reitsma, my colleague, drumming tutor – both snare and tenor/bass – and part-time piper. She brings enthusiasm, technical skills, new ideas and connections with her other band affiliations, all-in-all a priceless combination. Jenette and I, along with the Wynberg community look forward to future growth of Wynberg Pipe Band, numerically, technically and musically.

Anthony van Eyssen Noah Harrison

Gabriel Firer

PIPE BAND TEAM PHOTO

L-R: Mr J.de Waal, (Principal), N. Horn, M. Southgate, M. Adams, G. Firer, H. Joowalay, N. Harrison, A. van Eyssen, C. Lawson-Smith, D. Richardson, Ms J. Reitsma, Mr M.Leresche. Absent: S. Taberner (ill). WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

TERM 1 MUSIC

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

CULTURE

LOCKDOWN ESSAYS excerpt...

“‘Everyone must choose between two pains: The pain of discipline, or the pain of regret.’ This was the motivation that kept me going during this lockdown. ‘Learning during lockdown’ is very ambiguous. Not only have I learnt to cope with the stress of school, but I’ve also learned to appreciate the things I take for granted, for example, domestic workers. I feel as if this job title is the most underrated occupation. One mandatory attribute of these workers is diligence. You do the same type of work day in and day out, although when you’ve been doing it for long periods, you start to form a rhythm. You need to be thorough so you don’t have to redo tasks and you need to learn to take instructions from others (more particularly parents).” Matthew Sampson (Grade 11)

“A major problem during the situation is that there is no classroom. A classroom filled with learners and a teacher, is a place of collaboration and creativity. Without a classroom there is no means of collective problem solving and investigation. It is a shame not to be able to physically see our teachers. Teachers are the ones that drive and inspire us. It is a struggle for them not to be face-to-face with us. It is much easier to raise your hand and your teacher coming to your desk rather than sending an email or message every time you need help or want to ask a question. This predicament has taught us to really appreciate our teachers and how much they do for us. ‘A teacher is like a candle – it consumes itself to light the way for others.’ - Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.” Mika-eel Rylands (Grade 11)

“‘Excellence is not being the best; it is doing your best’, and being in a classroom at Wynberg Boys’ High, reminded me daily to strive to do my best. Learning under lockdown has been very challenging for me. People might say that it is easier than being in school but to me, being in a classroom with dedicated and hardworking teachers is something I really miss, but a Wynberg boy never backs down and (just like our motto teaches us) never gives up. I am grateful that I can still connect with my teachers via technology. They are supportive, advantageous, valuable and very helpful. They have patience with the work I submit which makes it known to me that mistakes are okay, and this adds to my personal growth. It would be a privilege to see my teachers again and to experience that teacher-student interaction. There are days when I genuinely feel like I am just going through the motions because I am stressed on that specific day and I just want to get the work done by the due date. However, I try my best to have patience with the task and remain calm, and when I am, I learn very well. I take every day as a new opportunity to learn; increase my knowledge and better my education. It makes me feel good that I can selflearn and challenge myself as it is something that I have never done before. I miss school very much. It is one of my biggest blessings; not just being at school and receiving an education but being a proud and dedicated Wynberg boy. Regardless of the challenge our country and education system face, I am always reminded that everything you put in, every small task you complete and submit, all adds up to your end goal. They are all small steps I am taking to end up at my destination: matriculating at the finest school, Wynberg Boys’ High.” Luke George (Grade 12)

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

TERM 1 Athletics report Estian van der Merwe MIC: Mr E van der Merwe Sprint Coach: Mr S Potgieter Middle/long distance coach: Mr D Grobler / Mr J Stevens Discus & Shot Put: Mr E Van Der Merwe Hurdles: Ms J Petersen Long Jump: Ms J Petersen Captain: Phil Masango

Zonal, Zonal Semi Finals & Western Province Champs Zonals is the first round of the premium athletics competition in the Western Cape. We entered just over 40 athletes for the first round which was at Green Point Athletics Stadium. Our athletes’ performances were amazing and, together with Wynberg Girls’, we finished in the top 3 of all the schools who participated. We won 8 gold, 10 silver and 7 bronze medals.

Our annual Sports day was a great success. It is always a pleasure to see the boys participate and perform for their respective houses. Well done to Littlewood for being crowned the winners for 2020. Ebenezer Tshimanga (Littlewood) also broke the Sports Day record for Discus. Well done to him! We look forward to 2021 to seeing the boys bring the ‘gees’ for their houses.

19 boys qualified to compete at the next round, the Zonal Semi Finals. 18 boys made the Southern Zone team that competes at the Western Province Champs. This is an amazing achievement! At Western Province Champs we had amazing performances and the athletes were clearly driven by competing against the best in the province as two boys qualified for the Western Province athletics team. Well done to Dayle Gertson and Dylan Rudolph for making the Western Province team. We hope to see more boys compete at a high level in 2021.

Paarl Athletics

Quadrangular

We took over 30 boys to Paarl for the annual athletics event. Wynberg achieved 2 gold, 3 silver and 8 bronze medals. A special mention goes out to our gold medallists: Liam Makinson in hurdles and Thaaqib Ryland in long jump. I also want to congratulate Euwyn Liberty for breaking his personal best in discus!

We took part in the annual Quadrangular event against four other Southern Suburbs Boys schools for the first time in 2020. The other schools are Bishops, Rondebosch and SACS. It was a historic event as we took buses and lifts from parents and friends to fill our side of the track at Bishops. The whole school was there to support our athletes and to cheer their hearts out. Our athletes managed to win 10 gold medals! We also won a few silver and bronze medals. Well done to our athletes and supporters for making it a special day. Thank you to Bishops for hosting the event and we look forward to the Quadrangular in 2021.

Sports Day

Our prefects, house captains and other supporters were superb on the night. They cheered with ‘gees’ and showed tremendous support. We hope to see even more athletes and supporters there in 2021, as we continue to compete against some of the best schools in the Western Cape.

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

REPORT - BASKETBALL

BASKETBALL report Mike Leresche Wynberg Basketball once again led the way in the Western Cape by fielding teams from A through to D at each age-group. Each year brings increasing involvement from a growing number of players, leading to the upgrade of our facilities to four courts and the requirement for more and more coaches. Though it was challenging this year, we managed with all the outside coaches that assisted us to get through the training programmes and ensuring that practices and games went smoothly, making it fun for the kids and also making it more competitive for them to improve on their skills. Let’s congratulate all the coaches inside and outside for their efforts. Our coaching staff included Ms. Brady and Ms. Wentworth with Messrs. Dlamini and Rushby, with Wynberg Old Boys: Nyasha Gwanyanya, Warona Mbothwe, Mark Opedun and Seth Scheepers, students Langa Mhlongo, and Buni Bokopa, with Tony Konya at the head of the group. Congratulations to Tony on his appointment as Director of Wynberg Basketball for 2021. All-in-all, a great sign for the future of the sport.

First Team (Tony Konya) The first team had a very tough season all due to the transition experienced by progressively moving up some of the U16 players to the senior team ranks. But a bright future is looming ahead for the first team with the likes of Matthew Bassett, Lungi Mafuya, Ethan Faraday and Joshua Jansen expected to anchor the team in 2021. They won 3 of 8 matches in the Cape Town League. WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

St John’s College Festival (Tony Konya) It has become the tradition each year to take part at the SJC Basketball Tournament, which brings together many different schools in the country even those from outside the country and Africa. WBHS was the only school representing the Western Cape province, despite the reduction of entries from 32 to 24. Our reputation preceded for us to be selected, knowing what we do offer each time we play in the tournament. WBHS was drawn in group F with the likes of St John’s and St Alban’s, from Gauteng, Michael House and Clifton from KZN, and Enjabulweni College from Eswatini. The lads won only 1 of the 5, amassing 106 points. This was not enough to go through to the next round, but we were proud to showcase our team’s fighting spirit in every game. The most important thing was that our boys enjoyed the games and are more than willing to experience the excitement of game days again. For the next tournament the boys will be more than ready for the challenge and fully committed to improve on last year’s results and overall standing in the tournament. Overall, it was a great experience and discovery with the likes of Joshua Jansen blossoming with Lungi Mafuya, Emihle Benya and Ethan Faraday also showing much improvement. From me, a huge thank you to Ms Melanie Wentworth, who managed the tour, and coach Nyasha Gwanyanya and Head Coach Tony Konya for their input in making this trip a success.

TERM 1 ...continued from previous page

Player Profiles (Nyasha Gwanyanya) Daniel Judge: Team captain. Daniel has become a well-rounded team player. Great basketball I.Q. and a sure bet on the fast break. He has performed consistently at provincial level of play and has the makings of a national level player. Ethan Faraday: Ethan has a high scoring output. Handles his game with effortless finesse. Good outside shot. The team will look to him for leadership. Ethan Welby-Solomon: Has good basketball I.Q. and is technically sound and has an ability to make plays for himself as well as his teammates. Jesse Cheung: Good all-round game. Possesses a good 3-point shot which adds a different dimension to his game. Once he applies himself, he will realise his potential and become one of the best players in the league. Thomas Burke: A player who personified the school ethos throughout his playing career. A true player’s player. With better concentration he can develop a consistency to his game.

Emihle Benya: A team player and underrated passer of the ball. An exceptional defender and is always the first to bleed for the team. Once he adds more post moves to his arsenal, he will become a dominant force in the league. Joshua Jansen:  Josh possesses good ballhandling skills and is an ambidextrous finisher around the rim. He punches effectively above his weight and makes his teammates better at point guard. Once he develops a consistent shot, he will have defenders guessing at every turn. Tyron Crowie: Has a keen basketball sense. Possesses many ways of scoring efficiently. With more consistency and experience he will develop into an exceptional player should he choose to continue to play. Josh Lawrence: A player with a lot of natural ability. A crafty playmaker with an unlucky run of injuries this season. Easy to coach as he has a holistic understanding of the game. Aiden Harris: A player who always gives 100% for the team. Dives for loose balls and hustles on defence. Has great offensive awareness and with work on a direct drive to the basket, he will be a greater offensive threat.

Lungi Mafuya: Athletically sound. He imposes his presence on both sides of the court. Makes his teammates better. Uses his strength and athleticism to gain an advantage over his opponents. A player to watch.

Lenrique Lodewyk: A team player who became a quick-witted high energy part of the offense. Lenny showed an exemplary attitude and took his opportunities in his stride. He has a high celling, and with more experience he can reach this, should he choose to continue to play.

Matthew Bassett: A player who always gives 100% effort. Good all-round game and a defensive juggernaut. Once he works on his shot selection, he will be a great two-way player.

Ryan Marle: Has a good 3 point shot and was one of the consistent performers in the 1st team. Dangerous on the fast break and uses his vertical sense to beat taller players to rebounds.

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

REPORT - BASKETBALL

Under 16A

U16B

(Tony Konya)

(Langa Mhlongo)

The boys played 6 games in total against some of the top schools in Basketball in the Western Cape, winning 4 (Rondebosch, SACS, Westerford, Herzlia), and losing 2 (Bishops, Heideveld). In the process the team performed well with the likes of Marcell Oliphant, Gabriel Hawkins and Matthew Adams showing great leadership to carry Wynberg’s Basketball to new heights. The team is heading in the right direction and the boys are looking forward to more challenges to come.

The U16B team basketball is a bunch of special boys. From receiving some players who haven’t had much time to play competitive basketball to receiving some who were comfortable with the level of competition we faced, this season was definitely one to remember from a coaching perspective and I’m sure for the boys too. Our season was reliant on our captains, Ryan Jansen and Asaph van Niekerk, coming through for the team in closing moments of tough games on offence and as well as defence. Our offensive anchor, Asaph van Niekerk, kept the team composed as point guard while Mivuyo Mapukata and Keaton Haupt kept the team ahead with their domineering post-game. The team’s most improved player was Naeem Parker whose tireless effort was easy to note when the team needed it most.

U19B (Langa Mhlongo) Having been able to coach some of these great young boys for the second time, the rise in level of intensity and mental strength is clear. Our towers down in the post, Keagan Stotesbury and Michael Uphill, kept us in many games with their domineering sense of defence in tight games. In times of panic we could count on Naeem Parker who served us as a quality sixth-man and did so with raising his game for the betterment of the team dynamic.

I wish the boys the great success I know they can have in their coming seasons.

With some of the newer players not too sure whether Basketball was their sport or not, I’m thankful for the efforts coming from our sprinting wing, Vogt, who was a menace to keep off of the free throw line. I’m happy with our season’s results as they show the determination I was trying to develop in the boys from the beginning of the season. I wish them success in their future seasons.

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

TERM 1 INTERHOUSE SPORTS DAY

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

REPORT - INTERHOUSE SPORTS DAY

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

TERM 1 LOCKDOWN ESSAYS excerpt...

LOCKDOWN ESSAYS excerpt...

“COVID-19…the pandemic of the century (literally): establishing its presence in our world, controlling our norm and destroying our year; demolishing the plans of those who hoped to make 2020 their year. But no. It was not to be because even though we thought we were free, we forgot that History always finds a way to repeat itself. Now we all find ourselves in our various national lockdowns, at first to accept defeat but eventually to force a retreat. Vaccines will be the only cure, for we cannot destroy the pandemic that roars. Lockdown…the restriction of our norm, the enforcer of new rules but the chance to face the natural world yet again… Education is an example of what we have had to adapt to during these unprecedented times. The huge implementation of E-learning – something that was thought to be just a small aspect of education but has now probably become the leading use of the learning world. Thanks to the great minds in the past, present and those to come in the future, technology continues to exceed expectations.” Daniel Judge (Grade 12)

“For the most part school was something I had mixed feelings for, but I did not realize how good it was until it was gone. I miss walking around the Wynberg campus and admiring its beauty and the classroom banter, break times were extremely fun and I really miss that. I miss having a nice game of football at break or just having a chat. The organisation of the school is also something I miss greatly; I miss the overall structure of a day and most teachers.”

“The thing is with school you are busy while at home you can do whatever at any time, meaning if you have my attention span it can be a little distracting. Listening out for the occasional car lets me think about what happens in life a bit more. The tyres brushing along the road and the wind crashing into the aerodynamic chassis causing that wonderful humming sound. Bellowing through the night sky sitting out by the garden contemplating life and the meanings behind it. The sounds of the birds chirping, singing their melodic sounds of pure bliss. It’s hard sitting here and trying to live life while others’ entire lives are crumbling right before their very eyes. I’m a very glass half empty person so this makes me see the world slightly differently. The new work just goes through my ears. I still feel as if I’m an eternal cog forcing myself to continue turning without any cracks nor teeth chipping away at my mental state. The reason I would bring something as important and personal as this in is because I think it’s important to mention how this could affect the way students, like myself, are working. The air rushing past the windows cause the vibrations of peace on the train to tranquillity. Its calming engine having the murmur of a stunning piece of machinery developed to help the ordinary make their life easier and a bit more extraordinary. The night sky with its chaos everlasting aeonian peace like the eye to the storm. It helps me realise that the glass really is half full and that lockdown, despite how hard it could be to live in, is what I needed to learn about myself.” Tristin Zeelie (Grade 10)

Raees Fortune (Grade 11)

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

LOCKDOWN ESSAY EXCERPTS

LOCKDOWN ESSAYS excerpt...

excerpt...

“It hit me halfway through this lockdown. I realized my struggles with staying motivated were no longer there. I thought about it, and came to a conclusion: the boring routine of waking up; getting ready for school; going to school; coming home; doing homework; getting ready for the next day, was the reason behind my lack of motivation. It is ironic that this lockdown – staying home all day every day, is the source of my newfound motivation. I have come to realise that lockdown, although constraining me in some aspects, has allowed me much more freedom with my academic work.” Daniel Denton (Grade 12)

“5 AM. Wake up. Eat breakfast. Start my cycle at 6 (maybe a bit earlier to get some more precious minutes of freedom). Get back home at 9 (or later if I’m feeling rebellious). Get my schoolwork over and done with. Watch some Netflix. Eat dinner. Sleep. Repeat. This is what my life in lockdown is like. Same thing. Every. Single. Day. Like clockwork. It’s tough, and I don’t even have it hard. I’m lucky enough to have a roof over my head and enough money to buy food. Many of the citizens of South Africa do not have these things. While not seeing my friends has been tough, we have managed to ‘accidentally’ bump into each other during our daily freedom and have had a quick conversation. Technology has also made it easy to communicate with friends. Sure, all these things make lockdown look like a holiday rather than a war against a pandemic, but it’s the constant repetition that makes it tough. This could be a good thing, by teaching us to follow a schedule and to be punctual and independent, but it could also drive us crazy. Only time will tell.” Dylan Payne (Grade 12)

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

LOCKDOWN ESSAYS “A day of eLearning can take any time between thirty minutes to six hours depending on how seriously you take it. Some days you might learn something important while other days you simply type out some unrelated words and then boom, you have history homework. While at home you have less academic assistance, the only people who can help you are your parents who I personally have started to use. While eLearning you teach yourself how amazingly smart your friend Google is, this is not all good as it makes us more lazy as we now assume that we don’t have to work for an answer and we can simply look it up. It is going to be quite funny to see how many students used this approach and then are struck with the first test once lockdown is over. I must be honest, I thought this lockdown was going to be the best schooling experience I would ever have and for the first few weeks I really enjoyed it but now it seems just as tedious and boring as the normal school way. I have, however, learnt some new and unexpected things such as I have an uncanny ability to fall asleep on any surface. Overall, I would not say this lockdown has been easy and there have been a few challenges and ultimately, I think people who make it out will make it out stronger. On a more serious note, this lockdown has given me the time to really think about my current position and allowed me to formulate some sort of future. I am grateful for my school and teachers as well as the time quarantine has given me to think about life. I am excited to return to school as soon as needed.” Cameron MacDonald (Grade 11)

TERM 1 1st XI CRICKET Report Andrew Wylie & Patrick Smith

Cape Peninsula Festival What initially promised to be an exciting year for Wynberg Cricket began on 7 January as the inaugural Peninsula Festival got underway. Four top schools from the Northern reaches of our land journeyed south to take on the best the Southern Suburbs has to offer. Pretoria Boys’ High, Waterkloof, St David’s Marist Inanda and Jeppe played matches in various formats against Wynberg, Bishops, Rondebosch and SACS with some high-quality cricket on display. Wynberg fared relatively well in the festival winning three of the five matches. The win by an innings and 92 runs against Waterkloof was certainly the highlight of the week and proved just how devastating our bowling unit could be. The disappointing losses to Jeppe and Pretoria Boys’ in a T20 highlighted the areas in which we needed to improve and valuable lessons were learned during these humbling experiences. Results aside, the festival was the ideal start to our year. The players enjoyed some excellent preparation for the season to come and I learned a great deal about them as people and the skills they had to offer. The festival was run extremely well by the Local Organising Committee and proved a great experience for all the players involved.

Marlborough College On 19 January we welcomed Marlborough College from England to the JK Oval. Marlborough won the toss and elected to bowl first. This proved to be the right decision as the visitors’ bowling

attack proceeded to dismantle out batting lineup. Wickets lost at regular intervals meant no meaningful partnerships could be built and in the end we were fortunate to end up with our total of 165. Extras made the most meaningful contribution with 40, which certainly tells a story. Despite our very much below par score, we backed our bowlers to get us over the line as they had done on many previous occasions. And toil hard they did, making scoring difficult for the Marlborough batters. Tension built as the required run rate climbed steadily as the match went into the final few overs. In a brilliant finish, the visitors just scraped over the line off the penultimate ball of the match to win by 2 wickets. A brilliant finish to a match between two fairly evenly matched sides.

1st XI vs Bishops As the players descended on the JK Oval, a feeling of nervous excitement began to fill the crisp Cape air. Matches against our familiar Southern Suburbs foes always engender this fervent anticipation. There is no doubting the importance of local bragging rights. This year, the Bishops and Wynberg First Elevens are evenly matched, which only added to the tension. An early morning fog left the outfield damp to the touch and the pitch, a touch underprepared, had a green tinge to it and accepted a key with ease. It’s always tempting to bowl first in these conditions at the JK, but skipper Zayd Noor after winning the toss backed his batters to get through the tricky first hour and post a decent total. The opening pair of Sebastian Volans and Nicholas Govender put on 41 for the first wicket before Volans was out bowled for 25. Jesse Prodehl WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

REPORT - CRICKET

joined Govender at the crease and the pair took the score to 110 when Prodehl became the second man out, bowled by ex-Wynberg player Fayaad Domingo for 33. Young middle-order batter, Juan James looked good for his 45 as he looked to get the team past the 200 run milestone. Reaching a 200-plus total looked unlikely at the lunch break, but Liam Lawrence had other ideas as he produced a sparkling cameo of 31 off 39 balls to push the total up to a competitive 228-8 in our 70 overs. Bishops got their chase underway in steady fashion before two wickets in quick succession put the brakes on. The visitors quickly got back on top through a third wicket partnership of 69 between their premier batters Travis Norris and Ethan Kieffer. Zayd Noor made the important breakthrough, dismissing Kieffer for a well-played 31 which precipitated a see-saw battle between the two teams. The mainstay of the Bishops innings, Norris, was able to build promising partnerships with his middle-order teammates, but just as these partnerships looked to take the game away from Wynberg, the home side battled back and wrestled themselves into the contest. Norris looked to be cruising his way to three figures when bowling attack spearhead, Dom Miles finally burst through his hitherto resolute defence, castling the opener for an excellent 84. This proved to be the decisive moment of the match as, despite a lower-order cameo from Seb Allison, Bishops were bowled out for 215. Miles (4-49) and left-arm orthodox bowler Prodehl (3-40) were the pick of the bowlers as Wynberg notched up a 13-run win.

1st XI vs Durbanville and Grey PE Last weekend saw the 1st XI involved in a doubleheader as we hosted Durbanville on Saturday in a WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

declaration match and Grey High School on the Sunday in a T20. On Saturday, skipper Zayd Noor, won the toss and elected to bat first on a deck primed for batting. It proved the correct decision as openers Seb Volans and Nic Govender put on an impressive 94 runs for the first wicket. However, they then committed a cardinal cricketing sin, and both lost their wickets in quick succession. Durbanville had their tails up and thought they got themselves back into the contest. Unfortunately for the unsuspecting fielding side, they had not taken the skills of Jesse Prodehl and Juan James into account. The pair put together a commanding partnership of 145 for the 3rd wicket, scoring 77 and 71 respectively. The team’s superb batting performance was then rounded off in sparkling fashion as Keanan Thyssen and Liam Lawrence put on a quick-fire 45 to take the total to a daunting 302-4. The Durbanville batting line-up, overawed at chasing a 300-plus total, failed to get going and eventually capitulated for 52. Jesse Prodehl, showing plenty of skill and guile was the pick of the bowlers once again picking up 4 for 14 in his 6 overs to set up a win by 250 runs.

Grey HS T20 Despite the comprehensive victory the day before, the boys arrived on Sunday focussed on the new challenge offered by Grey High. This one would be tough and Grey, having despatched Bishops and Rondebosch in the two prior games, would be full of confidence. Our bowling attack was largely disciplined and managed to put the Grey batters under pressure. After 17 overs it looked as though we would restrict the visitors to a sub-120 total. However, some poor fielding in the final three overs meant Grey set a target of 134. Despite their

TERM 1 ...continued from previous page

late flurry, this remained a very gettable score and we were probably in a better position at the change of innings. After an assured, if unspectacular, first 10 overs we looked on course for victory. Unfortunately, we were unable to score quickly enough off their deadly accurate triumvirate of spinners and pressure mounted steadily on our batters. This rendered our run-chase impotent, and we fell short by 20 runs in the end. This damp squib of a result is particularly disappointing as we had gotten ourselves into winning positions with both bat and ball, only to see them slip from our grasp. This group of players will learn from this and will improve over the course of the season, of that there is no doubt. They are hardworking and will put the result behind them as we prepare for our visit to Paarl Gimnasium this Saturday. Playing out there is never easy and we will be up against a quality outfit determined to claim another Southern Suburb scalp after knocking Bishops over a fortnight ago.

1st XI vs Paarl Gimnasium Match Report The 1st XI made the journey up the N1 to the picturesque Winelands town of Paarl on Saturday to take on an ambitious Paarl Gimnasium outfit. The talk in the build-up week was that we would be up against a tough, determined side in sweltering conditions on a thick outfield. Unfortunately, these red flags went unheeded, and we were uncharacteristically nonchalant in the warm-up. This mind-set was transferred into the middle and, coupled with a handy 90-run fifth wicket partnership, saw us having to chase

down 221 for victory. Taking the heavy outfield into account this total was worth about 270, which would be more than tricky in our allotted 55 overs. Our batting line-up failed to get going and we couldn’t muster any meaningful partnerships of our own, with wickets falling at regular intervals. Eventually the call was made to ‘shut up shop’ and look to avoid being bowled out. This, however, was easier said than done and our batters were put under massive pressure by some attacking fields and colourful language. Kieron Adams and Umayr Davids managed to quell the threat for a decent time-period and, along with the assistance of Simon Schultz, saw us stand firm to get the draw.

Wynberg Stayers vs Churchie On Tuesday 14 January, Wynberg continued a long-standing tradition by hosting Brisbanebased school Churchie Grammar School on the Jacques Kallis Oval. This is Churchie’s seventh cricket tour to our shores, and they have never not played against Wynberg which is testament to the strength of the relationship between the two schools. Our captain on the day, Kieron Adams, was the consummate host and lost the toss after which Churchie elected to bat first on a pitch primed for batting. Our young bowling attack made some early inroads into the Churchie batting lineup and managed to take wickets at regular intervals, looking likely at one stage to restrict the visitors to a sub-150 total. However, a gritty, typically Australian, partnership of 27 for the 10th wicket meant we were set a tricky target of 167 to win. Abdul Gakeem Abrahams, a promising offspinner, was the pick of the bowlers with figures WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

REPORT - CRICKET

of 3 for 19 in his 8 overs. He was supported well by young seamer Cullan Larkin who snared two victims of his own. The Stayers’ innings took some time to get going after the loss of two early wickets, but a third wicket partnership of 72 between Nicholas Govender and Juan James set us a solid platform. James managed the chase exceptionally well and ended unbeaten on 70 to get his side over the line for a comfortable 5-wicket win. Govender looked good for his 35 and Keenan Thyssen also chipped in with a well-played 33. While we’re obviously satisfied with the win, tour matches such as this one are about so much more than the result. Connections between coaches and players alike are formed, lessons are learned and ties between two like-minded institutions strengthened. We look forward to Churchie’s next visit in 2022 and we live in hope that we will one day be able to embark on an overseas tour of our own.

Affies

It is easy to point to ifs, buts and maybes but our batting remains a cause for concern. Some hard work and sacrifice will be required in the months and years ahead to build technical and tactical skills in that part of the game. There is no doubt there are talented players in the group. The key is to find a way to unlock that talent.

Pinelands This match versus Pinelands came the day after out disappointing loss to Bishops in the T20 semifinal so the boys had the opportunity to put that result behind them immediately. Pinelands won the toss and invited us to make first use of the pitch. A top innings of 83 by opener Seb Volans put us into a good early position, after which disaster struck. A batting collapse of epic proportions saw us on the verge of utter embarrassment at 130 for 9. Luckily, Simon Schultz and Hishaam Lagadien had other ideas. The number ten and eleven hung around together in a partnership that yielded 63 runs off 66 balls to lead us to a total of 193 and something to bowl at.

On 29 February we welcomed Affies from Pretoria in our annual fixture against the northern powerhouse. After being asked to bat first we stumbled and stuttered our way to 131 all out. An innings that encompassed our season with the bat. Failure to build partnerships and batters failing to push on to three-figure scores meant we were never likely to amass large totals.

That turned out to be more than enough as bowling attack spearheads Dom Miles and Simon Schultz ripped through the Pinelands top order picking up three wickets a-piece. The visitors were eventually skittled out for a paltry 40 runs and some of our lost confidence was restored.

Our exceptional bowling unit has managed to bail us out on several occasions, however this was unfortunately not one of those. Despite the best efforts of Simon Schultz (three wickets) and Hishaam Lagadien (2 wickets) and the rest of the attack, Affies managed to sneak over the line to win by 2 wickets.

For some ineffable reason, matches against Rondebosch always tend to have a bit more spice to them. The boys arrived at the match focussed and intent on making it two from two on the Cricket A field at Bosch. The hosts won the toss and had no hesitation in batting first. This suited us as our quality bowling attack were itching to

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

Rondebosch

TERM 1 ...continued from previous page

get in amongst the Bosch batters. Dom Miles and Simon Schultz bowled the spell of the season, destroying the Bosch top order, leaving them reeling at 7 for 3 and then 18 for 4. Unfortunately, we failed to make that early advantage count fully as their tail enders put up a fight to push their total up to 114, which is 20-odd more than they should have gotten. Even so, we fancied our chances of chasing down a seemingly paltry target. Our batters experienced similar issues to their counterparts as we lost wickets at regular intervals – a disease that plagued us all season. We were totally out of the contest with the unbelievable score of 34 for 7 when Dom Miles joined youngster Umayr Davids at the crease. They proceeded to put on 43 for the 8th wicket before Davids was trapped in front, although replays suggested the ball was drifting down the legside. Schultz then joined the composed Miles and the opening bowling pair put on 22 for the 9th wicket. Schultz showed trademark Wynberg grit lasting an incredible 60 balls which gave us a sniff. It was not enough, however, as we were finally bowled out for 94, falling 20 runs short. The courageous Miles ended on an unbeaten 41 off 135 balls, showing exactly the type of fortitude required in that situation.

National T20 Campaign Our national schools T20 tournament campaign got off to an excellent start with a procession of three straightforward wins over Fish Hoek, Khayelitsha Hub and Newlands Cricket High School. Star performers with the bat were Tristan Perez, who smashed 59 off 29 balls against Fish Hoek and Seb Volans with a well-crafted 34 versus Newlands Cricket High School. The bowlers performed well as a unit bowling all three sides out for very little by sharing the wickets around.

These victories meant a showdown with Bishops on the Frank Reid Oval in the regional semi-final. Bishops were certainly looking for revenge after our victory over them earlier in the season. After losing the toss, we were invited to bat first. A horrifying top order collapse meant our innings just never got going. Top-drawer rearguard action from Dom Miles and Jesse Prodehl gave our total a sense of respectability and the team a sliver of hope. Unfortunately, Bishops had other ideas. Their lynch pin Travis Norris threw his giant bat at everything, smashing all and sundry to all parts of the Frank Reid. Despite clawing our way back into the contest with a few quick wickets, our relatively low total was never going to be enough, and Bishops won fairly easily in the end.

1st XI Cricket Representatives (Caps) Sebastian Volans (22) Nic Govender (22) Kieron Adams (22) Hishaam Lagadien (21) Dom Miles (21) Jesse Prodehl (21) Juan James (20) Zayd Noor (Captain) (19) Simon Schultz (19) Keenan Thyssen (15) Tyler Williams (14) Liam Lawrence (13) Tristan Perez (8) Michael van Schalkwyk (7) Umayr Davids (7) Fawaaz Allie (3) Cullan Larkin (2) Ryan Coetzer (2) Shane Dade (1). WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

REPORT - SQUASH

SQUASH report

Seth Flisberg, Liam Peffer, Imraan Haron & Nicholas Fourie playing doubles

Liam Peffer, brothers Ross & Martin Lötter playing a friendly game WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

Squash Boys at the Western Province Ladder Tournament

TERM 1 SWIMMING report Jocelyn de Mink Our swimmers showed amazing commitment in the first term of 2020, displaying enthusiasm and perseverance, even when we did not have a full team. We attended 6 Inter-School galas, 2 of which we hosted. It is always such a pleasure to have the other schools in our district here for this event, which is usually a noisy and exciting affair. This year was no different.

The Interhouse gala was an exciting and competitive event. I am always inspired by the sights and sounds of this annual gala. The floodlights at dusk, with the sun just setting creates an atmosphere second to none.

Our captain and vice-captain, Connor Theron and Sven Borgstrom, did a marvellous job in keeping the swimmers motivated, ensuring they attended every fixture and getting them riled up ahead of their races. This year, we were very fortunate to have the services of 2 coaches as well. Stephen McCullum and Luke Altmann, both old boys and amazing swimmers, took the initiative by arranging early morning training sessions. Their expertise and commitment were obvious, and their presence at the galas was invaluable. I have never seen such “gees”, despite the team being short of enough swimmers at most galas.

The results were as follows:

The team, with coaches Luke Altmann and Stephen McCullum

Littlewood 282

Hawthornden 232

Glebe 227

Silverhurst 220

Trovato 197

Oude Wijnberg 175

Sunninghill 172

McNaughton 163

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

REPORT - SWIMMING

Age Group Champions: U14 – Ziggy Reimer (Littlewood) U16 - Joshua Brown (Oude Wijnberg) U19 - Connor Theron (Silverhurst) We look forward to seeing what our swimmers can do in the upcoming seasons.

PHOTOS: RAMEEZ MANUEL

U19 Age Group Champion (and swimming captain) - Connor Theron

U16 Age Group Champion – Joshua Brown WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

U14 Age Group Captain – Ziggy Reimer

TERM 1 TENNIS report James van Bosch MIC: James van Bosch Coaches: Tim Armstrong & Chris Potterton Managers: Courtney Wallace, Lauren Cleophas, Caiphus Dlamini This year, 8 teams played in the league against Southern Suburbs schools, and the players who were not in the league took part in an internal WBHS league. The Grade 8s took part in the Grade 8 league. Our top teams played against some of the top players in the Western Cape and managed to hold their own in many of these matches. Our first team was captained by Jared Godfrey and comprised of Joe Hawthorne, Romain Soula and Leo Flisberg.

Lastly, a special thank you to the Wynberg staff that have spent many an hour accompanying the boys to the matches and cheering them on next to the court. SUMMARY OF RESULTS

TEAM

PLAYED

WON

LOST

DRAW

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

6th

7th

8th

The first team played in the premier league during the season and were fortunate enough to have played all league matches to finish off the season, placing sixth overall out of the 12 schools entered into the league tournament. Our first and second team then had the opportunity to play against a touring team from Johannesburg, and both teams won their matches. Special thanks to Pro Coach Tim Armstrong for his continued contribution to Wynberg Tennis and his continuous support of the players, especially the coaching of the first and second team, as well as developing of a strong Grade 8 group. We would also like to thank Wynberg Old Boy Chris Potterton for the coaching and assistance he has provided to the other teams. Thanks to the following Grade 12 learners for their continuous contribution to the sport during their time at Wynberg: Jared Godfrey (captain) and Romain Soula.

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

REPORT - TENNIS

LOCKDOWN ESSAYS excerpt...

“After days on end, of not doing all the work but at the same time evaluating myself and the systems I had in place to work, I finally started to change around; a turning point. I slowly but surely started to change my bad habits and began to pick up positive momentum. I started to get the ball rolling and that helped me internally in some way because saying that you are going to do something, and then not completing it, surely hits some part of you internally. Things began to flow. I believe that if you put something in, you will get something out that is good. Even though it could be something small, at least it’s something. It’s a building block. I am now in a great state, doing things relating to school has become so much easier. Once you fail something continuously, if you maintain the proper mindset, you will eventually turn that failure into growth and that happened to me. After evaluating myself continuously I turned my flaws into good fortunes. This pandemic has caused some nasty things, but I believe that you can always take something positive from something negative and that’s what I have done, I’ve used this time to sort myself out, and I truly believe that if this situation did not happen, I would not be ready by the end of this year to attain certain qualifications required for the university of my choice. This time off has helped me immensely. After saying all that, this pandemic is truly a blessing in disguise to every student. ‘Tough times never last, only tough people do’ – Bo Demi Demi.” Noah Bennett (Grade 12)

Being in lockdown is a big thing to adjust to, especially knowing that it is probably going to be like this for a couple more months at least. It can be difficult to be productive as some days you just feel like lying in bed all day, in comfortable clothes, watching Netflix; or scrolling through social media or even being sucked into watching YouTube videos all day. However, there are things I like to keep in my daily routine such as exercising and reading. I have even started cooking my own supper and have enjoyed learning to make some interesting meals; I have also baked quite often as a nice treat for my family and me. During my free time, I just relax and/or spend hours on video calls with friends or my girlfriend during my free time. I think it is safe to say that everyone will at some point in time during this lockdown experience a roller coaster of emotions – some may already have. I have made more peace with the fact that this lockdown may last even longer than anticipated but I know it is for the greater good. Thus, this whole lockdown has been an experience and a half. It has definitely taught me to appreciate the privilege of seeing my friends or visiting my girlfriend, or even just getting some take-out food. I have gone through different emotions, contrasting from being super motivated to train super hard with this time on my hands, to binge eating and staying in bed all day. Overall, I do miss my friends and being at school. I know how serious these times are and how sad it is too, especially for a lot of families that this pandemic has affected. I also know that things will not be the same after this but hopefully this ‘bad’ brought out the ‘good’, and maybe gave the planet a deep breath of fresh air.” Kyle Coetzee (Grade 10)

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

TERM 1 WATER POLO report Bryan Punt Water Polo in 2020 was looking promising with all our teams throughout every age group playing some really competitive polo; even though we lost games the score line was often very close. It is unfortunate how the rest of the year turned out and I feel we would have had some very good tournaments at the end of term 3 (RBHS U14 tournament, Ian Mellier U15 tournament and SACS U19 tournament). I see some good results and competitive Water Polo to come in Wynberg’s future. Special mention to the U14A team who finished 2nd in the Mazinter Cup this year. 2021 is going to be a good year! SUMMARY OF RESULTS

TEAM

PLAYED

WON

LOST

DRAW

U19A

U19B

U19C

U19D

U19E

U15A

U15B

U14A

U14B

U14C

Words on Water Polo Unfortunately, Wynberg 1st team is in a rebuilding phase with the boys being made up predominantly of juniors. The side only managed to pick up 1 win playing in the hardest league in the country. - 1st Coach

1st team Water polo this season started well with a pre-season camp showing how much potential we had this year. Many of the team members were young and it was their first time playing in such a physical and competitive Western Cape League. I think the whole team saw that throughout the season. The scores do not reflect how hard the team has worked and I’m confident next year we will be a competitive team against the big Water Polo sides of the Western Cape. - T.Tattersall Water Polo in Term 1 was not the best, results wise, for our 1st team. We didn’t play bad Water Polo; we just had a very young and inexperienced team with no Matrics. Regardless of this, we tried to build for 2021. - A. Kolle The 2nd team had a lovely display of polo this year, ultimately drawing to Rondebosch 2nds – think the only senior team to not lose to them that weekend – and doing really well against SACS again a formidable foe. We were drawing by the end of the 2nd chukka and then fitness came into play. Again, we were the only Wynberg side to do really well against SACS. The 2nds do well in terms of playing a very good defensive game and scoring smart goals going up, playing as more of a team than relying on one or two individual players. They will do well next year. - Jonan Bowers The development made in the short 2 months that I spent with the 3rds has been amazing. My main focus was to make consistent improvements instead of having inconsistent results. The team made it very easy to achieve this through their hard work and determination. Although most of the results were unfair depictions of the work put in by the boys, I have full faith that had they come back in Term 4, an immense change in results would have been seen. I am sure that the Matrics have laid the foundation for next year to be the best one yet for this team. - Quinton Green WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

REPORT - WATER POLO The Under 19 D and E teams were an absolute pleasure to coach. They truly embody Supera Moras as a whole! Every training session was always filled with laughs and fun which is what the U19 D and E teams are all about. Our sessions took up the entire pool which was always a pleasure to see and we had little or no hassles when it came to attendance. Coach, Ron Roos, and I always challenged these gentlemen whether it was drills in the pool or fitness. They always took on the challenge and even managed to get a joke or two in while doing them. When it comes to results we always remained competitive even when faced with massive adversity and after every game we took away something to work on as well as something that we did really well. - Sheldon Norris The U15A side had a very mixed set of results finishing 5th at the U15 Grey PE invitational Tournament and coming home to compete in the very competitive Cape Town league where they once again unfortunately finished 5th in the league out of 6 with some very good performances that didn’t reflect in the results. Overall, the boys won 7, lost 5 and drew 1. - Cameron Samuel The U15Bs started the season with a lot of potential. They showed good knowledge of the game and put up a great fight in most of their fixtures. As a team that gelled well and showed great sportsmanship, they however lacked focus at times during training sessions. All in all, they are a team of quality players and with a little more effort and focus they can look forward to a successful time in senior Water Polo. In their first game they showed good knowledge of the game and put up a great fight against SACS. - Layne Lawrence The U14A team had a great season started off a little rocky with SACS as their first game. We, unfortunately, took a fairly big loss in that game.

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

After that game, we went on to play RBHS and narrowly lost to them. Already, improvement was seen. We went into Pitcairn Tournament with high hopes. After having 2 great games where we drew against Hilton and beat St. Andrews, we went into the games against Paul Roos and Reddam overconfident and lost to them. We matched up with Hilton again and clinched a win after being 3-0 down, then coming back to 3 all and wining in penalties. Overall, it was a great tournament, finishing 7th. We then went on to beat Paul Roos and Reddam in the league games and drew to Bishops taking us to Mazinter cup semi-finals. We played against an overconfident SACS side and claimed a 5-3 victory allowing us to go through to the finals. The boys felt very tired but gave it their all in the semi-final against SACS but just could not match, ending second in the province – a great leap forward in Wynberg Water Polo and I cannot wait to see how they do in the future. It is unfortunate that we didn’t get rematches this year but there are good things to come with this team – keep an eye on them. - Bryan Punt The U14 B & C team this year came in with so much enthusiasm and excitement which was really energising for Coach, Ethan Hains, and me. Seeing their enthusiasm and excitement really drove us to make sure that we gave them our absolute best when it came to practices. The pool was always filled with happiness and the boys had fun in every session we had. For some of these boys, this was the first time they had ever played this sport but by the end of the season they all looked so comfortable in the pool. Both teams were incredibly competitive and they really worked well as a team. - Sheldon Norris The U14B team had a tough start to the season but nonetheless was filled with boys who showed passion and dedication to the sport and to each other. It was a pleasure coaching them. - Sheldon Norris

TERM 1 LOCKDOWN ESSAYS excerpt...

excerpt...

“In a way the term ‘learning under lockdown,’ is not completely foreign for us Wynberg Men. Sitting back, with the copious amount of time on our hands, and just putting things into perspective, we realise how privileged we are to be in a school like Wynberg during these tough times, where digital learning is already a form of education and is a learning system which can be seen as second nature for the Berg Brothers. We have been adapting from the moment we walked through the Memorial Gates for the first time in Grade 8. One of the major issues with the lockdown is missing the general environment of our boys’ school. Being in my final year at the Berg, a memorable year is slowly slipping through my fingers. As an outgoing cheerleader, it is heartbreaking to see the major school events pass as the weeks fly by. As one sporting match is missed it equals one less time that I will be able to raise my blue and white stick and chant the boys on until my voice goes hoarse. Without a doubt, we are faced with harsh, tough times, living in a moment in time that will forever be remembered for many years to come. It is times like these where our true colours shine bright or struggle to even gather light. We will in turn get through this, but only if we work together. Supera Moras.” Yas Davids (Grade 12)

LOCKDOWN ESSAYS “I feel like a prisoner jailed in my own thoughts. The rut of my daily schedule in lockdown seems to be never ending and never changing. Schooling now just seems to be another household chore that needs to be completed. Self-motivation and the occasional followups from teachers are the only things that keep you going. The retainment of facts and information has become increasingly difficult as the weeks continue to roll by at a snail’s pace. The knowledge gained on one day seems to be washed away by a flood of uncertainties the next. One of the biggest positives of being schooled under lockdown is that it has given me an opportunity to see how I often take my schooling for granted. I miss the social interactions with friends and the connection with teachers who thrive to improve the lives of each student they teach. I have realised that teachers do more than just teach, they inspire others to better themselves. Mark Twain said: “I never let schooling get in the way of my education.” I am not a boy that necessarily loves school, but I have realised that what we gain from going to a mainstream school is more than just learning different subjects, but we are educated for life far beyond school.” Justin Sangster (Grade 11)

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

LOCKDOWN

2020 VISION | 2020 REFLECTION

LOCKDOWN Accounting reflection Questions, of exam-type quality, were used as all class activities. These workbooks are the first step in moving away from traditional textbooks.

Lisa Brady

Lessons were taught and recorded, compressed and uploaded to Teams / Moodle. Now as our boys prepare for end-of-year tests, they have lessons and digital resources to which they can go back for revision.

2020 will be known as the year of many changes and challenges. The start of the school year marked the first big change as I joined the incredible team at WBHS and took over as subject head.

Boys who were unable to attend school or class, were able to use the functionality of Microsoft Teams and join lessons live in class. This way they were always connected to their class and had the valuable teacher contact time.

The first term was filled with excitement and promises beholden to a new adventure. Then lockdown happened and what a rollercoaster it has been. In my opinion the Grade 10s suffered most under lockdown. Navigating the massive divide between Grade 9 and Grade 10 is a daunting challenge for all new grade 10s. Doing so under lockdown was not for the fainthearted! I am extremely proud of how the Grade 10s dealt with this challenge and how they are demonstrating perseverance and grit in their study of Accounting.

Accounting demands mastery of theory, abstract concepts and a ton of practical experience. I asked some boys for their opinions on the experience they have had with the subject this year. Here are some of their responses:

I could bemoan the many ills of lockdown and the impact on education and the subject, but I would prefer to highlight the unexpected positive effects. The abstract nature of Accounting forced us to be very creative in lesson planning, design and delivery. The learning curve was steep, brutal and time-consuming. However, at the end of the day, we have created so many resources that will serve us for years to come. Workbooks and answer books were designed for each section of work. The workbooks contained the most important theory and key concepts.

• “I am finding Accounting very different to what I thought it was in Grade 9. It isn’t as easy, but I didn’t enjoy it in Grade 9. I do now. I feel that Accounting is like Mathematics. It takes time and practice, especially the homework.” • “Accounting has been good. The workload is a lot, especially compared to Grade 9.” • “Accounting in Grade 10 was a step up from Grade 9, where we dealt more with journals. Grade 10 is more interesting.” • “It is a challenging subject, but I enjoy it because it challenges me. We do completely different work in Grade 10.” In closing, I would like to celebrate the matric cohort for their outstanding performance in prelims. Seven young men achieved distinctions in their prelim exams and nine have accomplished a distinction for their year-mark. Gentlemen, you have left a legacy you can be proud of. WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

SUBJECT REPORTS - AFRIKAANS

Afrikaans reflection LOCKDOWN ESSAYS excerpt...

Renette Spammer Subject Head Toe tref COVID-19 ons! Die inperking van ons Wynbergmanne en Afrikaans opvoeders saam met ons gesinne in ons huise, waarvan ’n groot deel in die klein ruimte van ons kamers of studeerkamers was het vele uitdagings aan ons almal gebied. Die ritme van opstaan en skool toe gaan is nou anders. Ons leef ’n nuwe ritme en probeer nog sin maak uit alles. Naarstiglik skarrel ons opvoeders rond om al ons leerders op WhatsApp groepe te kry. Die Afrikaans opvoeders raak vindingryk en gryp hierdie nuwe uitdaging van onderwys aan. Opvoeders werkskaf en beraam die bes moontlike lesplanne om ons leerders in hul eerste addisionele taal op ‘n totaal ander wyse te onderrig. Die leerders spook en spartel om die mas op te kom veral die graad agt leerders, ons rou nuwelinge. COVID-19 laat almal tans deur ’n landskap reis waar nuwe ervarings opgedoen en onbekende ritmes beleef word. Wat die woorde ook al gaan wees om hierdie landskap mee te karteer, dit kan ons nog nie weet nie; wat wel seker is, is dat die ervarings en die ritmes nou van belang is om dit sinvol te kan doen.

“Life has been normal up until now, but now things have changed, people have changed and just the way we live our everyday lives has changed. We went from spending hours in the outdoors with our friends to being stuck at home day in and day out. Life itself has come to a pause as we all need to get through this struggle together. Not being able to see your teachers and friends every day really has an impact on you. You feel lonely and your social status has had a huge decline. The vibe that you get from being at school with all your brothers every day will never live up to the same standards as spending quality time with your family. I am two years into my high school career and school for me has become a second home. I work from 8:30 up until 13:00, depending how much work has been given to me on the day. Every day is a different day but every day is a day without your friends and teachers. At the beginning of this lockdown experience I was so thrilled to be at home and not go to school, but like I said before, school has become a second home and now I am home sick from school. I am enjoying this online schooling as much as I can, but I miss actual school learning with the boys and the teachers. This has been one long roller-coaster ride which I hope comes to an end soon.” Matthew Price (Grade 10)

Ons het die uitdagende 2020 COVID-reis oorkom en is slaggereed vir 2021 en al die duister uitdagings.

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

LOCKDOWN Civil Technology/Construction reflection tanding of the theory behind this. The fact that our students can visit an actual construction site, in the EDF building project, just a couple of metres away from them, makes all the difference.

Stefan Potgieter Subject Head

To summarise 2020 for Civil Construction, we learned a lot. We look forward to applying everything we learned to our new intake for Civil Construction in 2021.

Learn: this is what we expected in our first year of introducing Civil Construction to Wynberg Boys’ High School. Needless to say, we learned more than we had bargained for. As we were preparing to spend more time in the lab area on practical learning, COVID-19 hit, and we went into lockdown. Our approach this year was to be as practical as possible in all our teaching and learning when it comes to Construction. Unfortunately, this was made impossible for a long period of time. Therefore, we focused on the theory aspect of the subject as teachers and learners were at home, without access to the Construction Lab. Making use of videos, PowerPoints and quizzes we attempted to still expose the learners to a sort of ‘practical’ experience. We always knew that this would fall short of physically doing the tasks with their own hands. Thus, when we were given the go-ahead to return to school, we were elated. We were now able to spend much more time on practical tasks as the students started working on their PAT: a Concrete Planter box. One example of this is that students were able to mix their own small batches of concrete and assemble their own formwork. Only seeing these tasks and actually doing them yourself are worlds apart. We were reminded that in a subject like Construction our focus must always be on the practical component, with a healthy unders-

Students in the workshop WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

SUBJECT REPORTS - CIVIL TECHNOLOGY/ CONSTRUCTION Construction students on site

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

LOCKDOWN Creative Arts reflection

Laura Jo Diedericks Subject Head Teachers: Laura-Jo Diedericks (Subject Head), Mrs Amanda Colman, Mr Richard Haigh, Mrs Natalie Karg, Miss Courtney Wallace, Mr Taahir Samaai This year, for the first time, Wynberg Boys’ High School has offered all four art forms for learners to choose from in Creative Arts. These four art forms include Visual Art, Drama, Music and our latest addition Dance. Creative Arts is taken by all learners in the GET phase with further specialisation in Visual Arts and Music offered in the FET phase. The arts is as an important part of the holistic education for all Grade 8 and 9 learners and we are fortunate to offer the full spectrum at Wynberg. In Creative Arts learners are not only given the framework to create, communicate and collaborate but to also perform and problemsolve. Through all four art forms, learners gain the discipline and work ethic that allows them to practise and learn new skills in order to develop and grow. The skills they gain in Creative Arts are skills that can easily be transferred to many areas of their life outside of the specific art forms. Creative Arts is mainly a practical subject with some theoretical components that ground the practical work. Being a mainly practical subject, the Lockdown period was challenging as that

much-needed one on one interaction became impossible. The teachers in our department therefore had to adapt to teaching a practical subject from a distance by implementing a variety of different mediums in their teaching. From virtual performances to photographing artwork, learners also had to adapt to a new way of working. As artists, musicians, dancers and actors in the industry have had to pivot to exhibiting online or streaming performances, so did our Creative Arts learners. Implementing socially distant dramatic and dance performances as well as virtual music performances, the Creative Arts learner was challenged in a new and different way this year. In Drama, learners were given exposure to performing in groups and as individuals. They were also taken on a journey to understand the fundamentals of staging and challenged to step out of their comfort zone in improvisation. Themes of Protest Theatre, Theatre in Education and Epic Theatre were also introduced. In Music, learners honed in on their general music knowledge through an exploration of musical timelines. Learners have worked through theory, aural training and the elements of music. With a focus on visual literacy learners were encouraged to comment on this time-period through Visual Art. Learners had to develop strong documentation and presentation skills during the Lockdown period, whilst still creating. Learners were asked to explore, problem-solve and experiment with limited art materials at home from upcycling tasks to experimenting with non-traditional mediums. In Dance, learners were taken through the evolution of dance styles, the fundamentals of movement and the intricacies of choreography.

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

SUBJECT REPORTS - COMMERCE

Dancers were tasked with learning choreography as well as choreographing their own pieces. Over the year learners built the confidence to perform and move as part of a group as well as in front of others.

In all art forms, emphasis is placed on a creative and explorative mindset where learners are encouraged to express themselves and their ideas in art, music, dance and drama.

Commerce reflection

Justin van Winkel Subject Head Contrary to popular belief, the subject of Economics is not the study of money; instead it’s a social science that focusses on the decisions that are made in an attempt to solve the scarcity problem. Most of the economic models and theories that our boys learn about were formulated many decades ago but it is a living, breathing, current affairs subject that plays itself out on our news screens, in our suburbs and in our daily lives. This has never been more evident than during the Lockdown as the breaks were slammed on trade, free-movement and the decision-making process. As the world economies came to a complete halt to curb the transmission and limit the death rate as a result of COVID-19, our Economics syllabus played out in real time.

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

Our teachers and learners connected using various tech platforms, to learn the theory and then monitor the approach of the state. Fiscal and monetary policy came alive, allowing our boys to connect the dots, gain insight and develop sound opinion on the approach President Ramaphosa was taking, instead of hopping on the loudest social media bandwagon. The magnitude of the COVID crisis on humanity has been monumental but our Economics learners have accelerated their progress by a number of years and are equipped with more than just a theoretical overview. They proved that they are also resilient, scoring academic results that aligned with their pre-COVID marks. Technology assisted us in staying connected to our learners and making sure that content was being fed in manageable and palatable formats. This was sped up because of the “Paper-Lite” approach we have embraced for a number of years now. With this being said, returning to a classroom with a passionate group of boys who have opinions, funny habits and a passion for life cannot be replaced by any tech platform…not just yet, anyway.

LOCKDOWN EGD reflection (Engineering Graphics AND Design)

Stefan Potgieter Subject Head This year the EGD department envisioned exposing our students to more design, CAD and model building. This would have been incorporated into our yearly PAT (Practical Assessment Task). These plans were stopped in their tracks as COVID-19 hit our shores. The Lockdown prevented invaluable class time and, as with all other departments, we had to adapt to the circumstances. Being a skills-based subject, we agreed that the best way forward would be to make instructional videos using our Document Viewers, screen recordings and PowerPoints. Although this was much work, our department took the challenge by the horns and we were able to produce various instructional videos for our learners to access at their convenience. Our workbook suppliers, JPEGD, kindly gave us permission to record their copyrighted PowerPoints during the lockdown. This meant a lighter workload for our staff and a higher quality instructional tool. Returning to school raised challenges of its own, having to now take a blended approach to learning. We decided to use all contact time for instruction and fielding concerns, while all

submissions and checking of drawings were done online. The lockdown highlighted areas in which we can be more effective in the future, such as having a bank of instructional videos and the use of Microsoft Teams as a brilliant platform for communication, recording and feedback to students. Although we will take many positives out of this experience, we have once again realised the importance of in-class contact time.

LOCKDOWN ESSAYS excerpt... “During lockdown I have learned a lot; not only schoolwork but life lessons as well. I have learned that you cannot take anything for granted and that school is not as bad as we sometimes all think. During lockdown I have also tried to pick up a few new hobbies. I am learning how to play the piano, which I am enjoying a lot now. At the end of the day, I do miss school. I miss going to school in the mornings and being able to see my friends and spend time with them. The part I miss most about not going to school is not being able to play sport. As mentioned, sport plays a big part in my life and has a big impact on me. I miss the team interaction; the physical aspect of it; as well as the mental part of the game. I cannot wait to go back to school and see all my friends. However, I am not looking forward to getting back into a strict sleeping schedule and work schedule. At the end of the day, Lockdown has taught me a lot and what I can take away from the situation we have been placed in is that you should never take anything for granted and to always take care of the people you love.” Sebastian Lorenzen (Grade 11)

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

SUBJECT REPORTS - ELECTRONICS

Electronics reflection exposed to new ways of delivering content and using new platforms for assessment and learning.

Stephan Pretorius Subject Head This year marks the first group of Grade 12 Electronics’ students to write their final exam. In a year of COVID, this made it particularly tricky. A few changes were made to subject content for Electronics, as the amount of contact time was reduced. The Grade 10 group, who began this year, had only two terms of exposure to the practical aspects of Electronics – namely in Term 1 and Term 4. Much of the content was shifted online when South Africa went into Lockdown, as well as the circuitry practical simulations. I was able to access programmes that greatly assisted in this regard. The Grade 11 class also completed their practical simulations online, while the Grade 12s were under more pressure to complete their Practical Assessment Tasks (PAT) and cover the necessary content, knowing that these would be assessed in the final exams. The Grade 10s and 11s were able to build for fun, rather than the goal of assessment.

I am looking forward to the results of the Grade 12s in their final exams. They worked hard and delivered excellent PATs. The current Grade 11s are looking forward to the projects and content to come, as they find Electronics more and more interesting. All the boys have learnt some handy skills, including drilling, sawing, sanding and etching on a printed circuit board (PCB). Although it has been a challenging year, we have thoroughly enjoyed it. I look forward to more lessons in the workshop and seeing the joy of discovery in the boys’ faces.

Electronics had to move online quickly and this presented a few challenges; the hardest part being unable to build simulations or circuits in person. These had to be completed with software, which did a great job in explaining concepts, but meant our students lost out on the ability to build their circuits in class. The major benefit Lockdown had was in teaching the boys to manage their time effectively and learn more about themselves. I, as a teacher, was WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

LOCKDOWN EMS reflection (Economics & Management Sciences)

Lisa Brady Subject Head Subject Teachers: Miss Lisa Brady (Subject Head), Mr Justin van Winkel, Mr R.J. Theunissen, Mr Andre van Vuuren, Mr Andries Bezuidenhout The EMS department has been through a whirlwind of change since the beginning of the year, even without the impact of COVID-19. At the start of the year, the school bid farewell to Ms Zeeman and welcomed Mr. De Villiers and me. Term 2 marked the departure of Mr. De Villiers and the arrival of Mr. van Vuuren amidst the level 5 Lockdown and the biggest change to schooling ever. During term 3 we bid farewell to Mr. Smith and welcomed Mr. Bezuidenhout to the ranks. It has, without a doubt, been a tumultuous period. Much has been demanded of our juniors, under the worst possible conditions. However, even with all they have weathered thus far, I am pleased and encouraged by their determination and courage in facing these obstacles. I think the junior boys struggled tremendously during Lockdown. At their age they are just beginning to learn to organize themselves and their work; they are learning what it means to be disciplined and they are discovering how challenging it can be to stay focused and on-task.

The level of creativity and dedication shown by the EMS teachers over this time has been commendable. So many quality resources were created to keep our boys engaged, interested and on-task. Technology was embraced and the entire learning experience was redesigned. Our plans to create digital resources and redesign the curriculum have taken a massive leap forward. I may even dare to say that had it not been for these challenging times, the strides made may have been smaller. 2020 has given us the springboard to create the type of interactive, learner-centric curriculum we have always envisioned. We will take the lessons learnt into our planning for 2021.

LOCKDOWN ESSAYS excerpt... “A comforting fact about working from home is that my family are experiencing something similar but to varying degrees. My siblings have also been tasked with learning from home and my parents too in a similar vein. Another advantage I have discovered while cooped at home is that I alone can manage how much time I spend working. There is no bell and there is no timetable, so the range is limitless. Staying in touch with friends during this time has been key during this time and prevented insanity from creeping in. Learning under these conditions has been a rejuvenating and eye-opening experience that should not be negative and gloomy. The hurricane will eventually pass and even though there may be damage there is no doubt that we will come out stronger than before. Remember: tough times never last, only tough people last.” Khaka Nyiba (Grade 12)

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

SUBJECT REPORTS - ENGLISH

ENGLISH reflection

Jocelyn de Mink Subject Head Subject Head: Jocelyn De Mink Teachers: Mrs Charmaine Kendal (AP English – Grade 12), Mrs Juanita Wilson, Mr Christopher Moore, Ms Cayleigh Huggett, Ms Lauren Cleophas, Ms Courtney Wallace, Mr Blake Rimmer, Mr Chris Rushby, Mr Taahir Samaai (intern) Phew! What can be said about 2020? It has been an unprecedented, chaotic and heart-wrenching year for staff and students alike. The word “challenging” does not even begin to describe what we faced this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As subject head, I thank my lucky stars every day for the amazing team of English teachers on our staff. Teaching under lockdown proved to be gruelling. “School hours” became a thing of the past as teachers spent long days setting work, arranging Teams meetings, checking work submitted (the rushed, the untidy, the sideways, the upside

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

down, the blank) and following up on boys who had gone “absent without leave”. Initially, the idea of teaching (and learning) in lockdown was quite exciting. WhatsApp groups, Teams and email lists were set up. New technology was forced upon us. Boys were excited at the prospect of seeing their teachers and classmates online. There was lots of banter on the WhatsApp groups. Teams meetings were a huge success, with lots of hard work as well as giggles when someone inadvertently forgot to switch off his camera. Yes. It was really exciting…at first. Then the days started merging and things began to get blurry. We lost track of time and days, and spent many hours and innumerable late nights glued to our computers. Many boys settled into a pattern that is typical of teenagers – wake up at noon; spend some time on social media; stay awake into the wee hours and then decide to do some schoolwork. Teachers were on a different “time-table” – we realised that we needed to maintain some semblance of normalcy – and so tried to stick as far as possible to “normal” school hours. The WhatsApp banter whittled away. More follow up was required. The excitement and enthusiasm slowly faded, as lockdown stretched on interminably. When would the madness end? Fortunately, as is the case with most things, this too passed. In direct contrast to the rushed manner in which lockdown was enforced upon

LOCKDOWN ...continued from previous page

us, everything is ever-so-slowly going back to normal. All grades eventually returned and the all-round relief was gratifying to see. I think we all have a newfound appreciation for our students and the valuable face-to-face interactions we get to have with them. The boys have been absolute super stars in dealing with the obstacles that 2020 presented.

English Olympiad Before 18 March, when we were unceremoniously sent off campus and into our homes, we did manage to have the boys write the 45th De Beers English Olympiad. The theme for 2020 was “Consequences” and the Anthology was entitled “Aftermath”. 54 brave, young Wynberg men sat this threehour exam. The results were a somewhat mixed bag, with boys awarded a range of categories. Congratulations to Tomas Cupido (Grade 12) on achieving the highest award – Diamond – and doing the English department proud.

Learning Under Lockdown In the absence of our other “regular” competitions and noteworthy activities, I felt it incumbent on me to have the boys enter a competition initiated by Professor Jonathan Jansen. The task was to submit one typed page on their lockdown experiences. After wading through hundreds of essays, 15 were selected and submitted to Professor Jansen and his team. I am proud to announce that 13 of those essays made it into the book, Learning Under Lockdown, which was published in September. What an amazing feat for our wonderful writers! They are now published authors. Congratulations to Ben Boulle, Caleb Voskuil, Chris Kleynhans, Kian Scholtz, Kieron Adams,

Lezane Davis, Liam Peffer, Muizz Khan, Stephen Lang, Tanweer Chiktay, Uzair Savan, Panashe Magwere and Anthony Van Eyssen. Your words have been immortalised!

Matric Prelim Results Despite the challenging year, 16 of our matriculants have managed to secure A aggregates in the subject. This bodes well for the final results, which will be available at the end of January 2021, if all goes according to plan.

Staffing We bade a sad farewell to Ms Cayleigh Huggett, who left us at the end of Term 4 to pursue her career in Zimbabwe. Her professionalism and infectious energy will be missed by boys and staff alike. We welcome, on a more permanent basis, Mr Taahir Samaai – old boy and English intern. He has taken over Ms Huggett’s classes and will be with us in a fuller capacity in 2021. We look forward to an exciting 2021 and hope and pray that we will have returned to normal by then. WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

SUBJECT REPORTS - GEOGRAPHY

Geography reflection LOCKDOWN ESSAYS excerpt... “The thing I’m missing the most is some simple human interaction.

Josh Bassett and Chris Rushby Geography has proven to be the most relevant subject in the world thanks to the outbreak and subsequent fallout of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. The study of humanity and its relationship with the natural world and built environment has never been more appropriate. Every aspect of the subject has application to the world we now live in: from GIS to climate; urbanization to deforestation and all of the complex interactions in between. Everything we cover in Geography found growing relevance and application through the pandemic and proved to be more than theory on every front. Daily updates and statistics on the spread of the disease; the impact on human migration; health policy changes and reading maps and choropleths were no longer just pages in a textbook, but real-time, relevant and personal in many instances. As a department, boys and teachers were forced to adapt to the very dynamic and ever-changing reality. This is something which was navigated deftly and has only made us better teachers and the boys, better learners. The world has changed and us along with it, but the need to understand ourselves and the world we live in has not – and this is at the heart of Geography as a subject.

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

“Happiness keeps you Sweet, Trials keep you Strong, Sorrows keep you Human, Failures keep you Humble, Success keeps you Glowing But Only Friends Keep You Going.” This quote from Nishan Panwar really shows the missing part in many people’s lives in this current state of the world. Even though friends are missing in our lives right now, I think I can speak for people all over the world by saying we feel closer than ever to our families. Keeping up with close friends is easy with the 21st Century’s abundant source of apps for video chatting. The video chatting still doesn’t compete with face-to-face interaction but in this time of solitary confinement it will do. Even though this is hard times for those you have lost to the coronavirus, this is what the earth has needed. This has given us the time we need to step back and look at what we are doing to the earth and in our mild absence the earth is slowly rejuvenating. If people do recognise that we are learning something from this virus and that things need to change hopefully we can better ourselves and the earth by building a better tomorrow together. I think learning under lockdown is not only curriculum work but more about understanding why these extreme events are happening and learning what we can do in our everyday lives to prevent them.” Alexander Clarke (Grade 11)

LOCKDOWN History reflection

Marcus Melck Subject Head The idea that history repeats itself is a common adage, so much so that we in the WBHS History Department have used it as the premise for the Grade 11 History research assignment for some years running. Yet how were we to know that the relevance of this statement would be so accurately amplified by the events of 2020? Indeed, where the study of history may offer relevant context to the understanding of the present, it does little to comfort us when we find ourselves among the actors who have been recruited into the unfolding dramas of current events. It is with this in mind that 2020 began as a year of significant promise for History at Wynberg. Not only had it achieved successive years as the school’s best performing subject in the National Senior Certificate Examinations, but its department boasted the continued services of its experienced educators (Mr. Erasmus, Mr. Joubert, Mr. Inglis, Dr. Melck and Mr. van Schalkwyk). Furthermore, based upon the consistency of its faculty, the department had taken on the project of restructuring the Grade 8 curriculum with the launch of its new introductory course, “A Journey Through Time”, that introduces students to the context and span of world history. Beginning with the origins of humanity in Africa, the course journeys across the globe to investigate civilisations including those of China,

Rome, Meso-America and the Arab Caliphate, before returning to Africa, to the pre-colonial empires of trade that flourished in the citadels of Mapungubwe and Great Zimbabwe. However, with its plans set and the first term concluded, the COVID-19 pandemic struck forcing the department, as indeed the school, into the scramble of rapid online content development. Where the first months of the COVID-19 lockdown proved to be an unmitigated challenge for all concerned as teachers, parents and learners adapted to the new and uncomfortable circumstances, it soon became clear that the disruption also offered a host of unexpected benefits by virtue of the creativity that it engendered. Across every grade, the History staff devoted countless hours to the revision of content and the creation of new and refined teaching materials, this all the while continuing to apply themselves to the rigours of intensified personal contact with both students and parents. As a result, it would not be too much to suggest that the months between April and June of 2020 represented a significant paradigm shift for the way that History will be taught at Wynberg in the years to come. Now, as the year 2020 draws to its close, history teaches us that the novel coronavirus will not suddenly disappear and that further challenges, whether specifically medical, or associated political and economic upheavals certainly await. Yet, as we struggle to adapt to these new and often unsettling times, we may be encouraged that through our struggles we too will have written our own significant chapter in the evolving narrative of human history.

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

SUBJECT REPORTS - ISIXHOSA

isiXhosa reflection Additional learners. The great influence of the use of the “Slang language” instead of the official language also hampers progress. Learners are finding it difficult to separate the two.

Bulelwa Mhlomi Subject Head IsiXhosa is one of the Nguni languages, widely spoken by the Eastern Cape descendants. It is one of the official languages in the Western Cape. It is a tonal language and has a high and low pitch used to express emotions and convey emphasis. Due to its use of consonants in word formation, it is regarded as one of the most difficult and complex languages to learn. The expectation is that students already have the ability to speak the language, with instruction in Xhosa. Students learn language structures at a higher level than would happen at third additional language levels and different forms of cultural and traditional language links are taught. The rich idiomatic phrases of the Xhosa language are also covered. Teaching IsiXhosa nowadays is a huge challenge. There is lack of appropriate resources for First

In 2020, there was a curriculum change for internal grades where the Department of Education phased out the mid-year exam for Paper 3 which covers creative writing. This was a major blow to our learners who already do not have the basic skills of IsiXhosa and have challenges in constructing proper sentences. The outbreak of COVID-19, which led to the country’s Lockdown, was another major setback for isiXhosa as learners constantly need a dayto-day interaction with the teacher for their understanding and grasping of concepts. Challenging as it was, we had to adapt to changing times and incorporate e-learning for isiXhosa. It has not been an easy journey with lack of online resources as well as the social dynamics of our learners who were faced with challenges of accessing work online. The highlight for isiXhosa is that I utilised the time during lockdown to produce a study guide for the Grade 12 drama book, which the WCED has approved to be used as a resource provincially and nationally to equip learners.

MASIZIQHENYE NGOLWIMI LWETHU LWASEKHAYA! LET’S TAKE PRIDE IN OUR HOME LANGUAGE!

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

LOCKDOWN Life Sciences reflection We resorted to video presentations of the experiments that would’ve been done in class.

Lauren Cleophas Subject Head Subject Head: Lauren Cleophas Teachers: Ms Melanie Wentworth, Mrs Rukeya Samaai, Mrs Roxane Groenewald, Mr Gareth Searle, Ms Melissa Davids (intern)

“Heroism doesn’t always happen in a burst of glory. Sometimes small triumphs and large hearts change the course of history.” – Mary Roach The teachers of the Life Sciences department, although they received curveballs from various directions, persevered and got through the year victoriously. We have watched colleagues go; removed the highlights from the Life Sciences department and adapted to what was expected of us as teachers. Although a lot has changed for the Life Sciences department, we have developed important skills that we will utilise in the future. Our teachers took to WhatsApp groups and Microsoft Teams as if we have been using these platforms for years. We said farewell to Mr Gareth Searle, the head of the Life Sciences department, this year. The department will miss his ground-breaking ideas of teaching content and his industrious way of implementing all our ideas. We could no longer have our practical experiments, a fundamental part of the subject.

Another loss was the cancellation of the annual Science EXPO. We were meant to compete in the national Science EXPO but decided not to put any extra pressure on our learners. Instead, we opted to allow our boys to submit online Science EXPO ideas, as a choice rather than as a requirement. Unfortunately, we also did not compete in the annual provincial Life Sciences Olympiad. The event took place in April which was during Lockdown. As a department, we have learned that 2020 prepared us for the necessary paradigm-shift in our teaching methodologies. We have new skills of recording lessons which our learners can refer back to when they are studying. These videos are invaluable resources that we will continue to use and modify for years to come. The next generation of teaching and learning forced us to try innovative ways of getting hefty content matter to our learners in more concise ways. A highlight we wear as a feather in our hats is that we are an all-female department. This has not happened at Wynberg Boys’ High School before. The sciences have always been a male-dominated field. It is an honour to play such a crucial role in our perception of sciences especially at a single-sex boys’ school! Lockdown was a time in which we were learning new skills and when other factors such as mental health and quality communication took the fore. We are proud of how we have adapted and managed to deliver our content freightage with poise and dignity.

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

SUBJECT REPORTS - INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

LOCKDOWN ESSAYS

excerpt...

“Despite having struggled at times to get into a productive mental space regarding my schoolwork, I have never been more motivated to train for my sport. Exercise has been a saving grace, as a productive way to prevent boredom. What first started as a few push-ups and lunges to keep fit while in quarantine has become a daily, hour-long training schedule to make me stronger, faster and hopefully one step closer to being able to achieve my sporting dreams after school.

“My experience of South Africa’s lockdown has made me realise that I am capable of more than I realise. With schools being closed, we had to adapt to online schooling. Learning under lockdown has been tough but rewarding. I say that because lockdown has taught me, school wise, that I don’t appreciate my teachers and school enough. The teachers really help us to understand our work better and help us to build a future for ourselves. As they say, we don’t appreciate the things we have until they’re gone. Learning under these conditions have been tough but manageable. I’m really enjoying the fact that I can wake up a bit later than normal and still can get my work done. With our subjects being assigned to a specific day, it has made it ten times easier to get work done and do other things I enjoy, such as playing video games or just chilling and talking with my mates on my phone.

Ultimately, learning and even life as a whole in lockdown has been a major adjustment for everyone. This is uncharted territory and humans are having to adjust to new ways of doing things and new norms. I hope that doctors and scientists are able to find a cure/vaccine for this soon so that we can return to some kind of normality.” Cullan Larkin (Grade 10)

In conclusion, learning under these conditions isn’t ideal, but it’s what we have to deal with. I’ve learnt many new things about myself and I’ve managed to learn new skills and take up new hobbies. It will be one thing in the history books, and at least we can show our children and grandchildren and tell them, “We lived through that!” We must just remember that we are doing this for the greater good.”

“It is ironic to think that all I ever wanted to do is stay home all day every day, because now that I must, going to school sounds like a vacation with all my friends. At first lockdown seemed like an extended June Holiday, but as it continues, it gets more and more scary. My mind has started to wander: Will I matriculate this year? Will I do worse than I should? Surely, they will make the exams easier. That is probably too far a stretch. All we can do is trust what the teachers say and put our heads down do the work.

Josch Paulsen (Grade 11)

I think, ultimately, that the lockdown has provided us with an opportunity to really evaluate ourselves and help us see our strengths and weaknesses. It has come with many challenges, but how are we to grow without any?” Life Sciences DNA Experiments

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

Jared Jutzen (Grade 12)

LOCKDOWN Mathematics reflection Adaptation to the Lockdown situation:

Geraldine van der Westhuizen Subject Head Mathematics Staff: Mr Neil Eddy, Mr Dylan Grobler; Mr Zayd Hendricks, Mr Cliff Hull, Mrs Dané Kleynhans, Mr Pietie Loubser, Mr Mike Leresche, Mr Nicholas Mlotshwa, Mr Larry Moser, Mr Jason Pretorius, Mrs Geraldine van der Westhuizen, Mr Ben Wiley, Mr Ra’ees Davids (intern) Mr Adam Daniels continued to run the GEMS program which are after-hours support classes for the Grades 8 and 9s. His input into the teaching and administering of this program was greatly appreciated and we are very grateful to him for all that he has done in supporting the relevant boys. Sadly, this program only took place in Term 1 due to the Lockdown. Once again, WBHS was extremely fortunate to be a recipient of an annual financial grant from the Epoch and Optima organisation this year. The Trust is focussed on creating ‘centres of excellence’ in Mathematics around South Africa. The funding this year was used in a variety of ways to further develop and extend on the learning of mathematics. A large portion of this Grant enables us to employ an extra mathematics teacher, thus keeping class sizes manageable.

The initial lockdown came upon us very quickly and caught us all off-guard. At this stage, we realised that we had to set up structured online lessons so that we could continue to work through our year planners and not get behind with the work content. We were very fortunate to make use of teaching videos that were made available by Advantage Learn. Every grade used the same template to set up the topic for the week, which consisted of firstly, listening to the video of the topic being taught then having a reference to the textbook with worked examples followed by a worksheet or textbook work for the boys to complete based on that topic. These lessons were placed on Moodle by the Mathematics’ Grade Heads, making it easily accessible to every learner in the school. Teachers were in daily communication with their classes via WhatsApp groups or emails and boys were told to communicate with their teachers regarding any queries that they may have. As teachers become more comfortable with online teaching, the Wynberg maths teachers then progressed to using our own Grade Heads to record and place the videos directly onto Moodle in order to make the whole process more data light. Short weekly quizzes were also set up by the Mathematics’ Grade Heads using Microsoft Forms and boys could attempt these quizzes as many times as they liked in order to ensure that they had got to grips with the content for the week. On return to school, Knowledge Audits were written which covered the Lockdown work in order for both the boys as well as the teachers to get an idea of where their classes were at. Support sessions for those who needed extra help were timetabled in to the school day in order to help those who most needed it. WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

SUBJECT REPORTS - MATHEMATICS

Using this process, we have been able to complete most of the work set out in the usual curriculum which will hugely benefit us going forward into 2021. The Lockdown process has certainly resulted in us teachers hugely upgrading our online skills and we are all now very comfortable with teaching our classes via Microsoft teams as well as receiving work from the learners. The Grade Heads were instrumental in ensuring that lessons were placed on Moodle timeously and a huge thank you goes to them for taking the time and effort to set up well-structured lessons with necessary work requirements. Most of our Mathematics events that take place annually were cancelled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Despite this, we were able to continue with a few events: • The Grade 12 mathematics parent information evening where Mr Hull and Mrs van der Westhuizen were able to go through some guidelines as well as the nuts and bolts regarding the matric mathematics year. It was also an opportunity for parents to connect at the end of the meeting and to settle any queries or concerns. • The “Wynberg Maths Experience” is for teachers and top pupils in the Southern Suburbs. This took place on Thursday 5 March with an attendance from surrounding schools. A guest speaker as well as our own Mr Neil Eddy gave informative presentations showing us different perspectives from the usual mundane mathematics. • South African Maths Olympiad. The South African Mathematical Olympiad is the biggest Olympiad in the country with almost 100 000 learners participating annually. All our Maths learners wrote the first round in March. The junior division consisted of separate papers WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

for grades 8 and 9 and the senior division of one paper for grades 10 to 12. Each paper consisted of 20 questions with multiplechoice answers and learners had one hour to complete the paper. Learners who attained 50% or higher in the first round qualified for the second round which was written in May. This time the grade 8 and 9 learners wrote the same paper. Learners had two hours to complete twenty questions. This year 311 learners in total progressed to round 2 which is an excellent achievement. The Wynberg Mathematics Department has some of the finest and experienced staff. Every member of the team brings with him/her special strengths, which all result in a cohesive, productive and skilled department. As we continue to move into the world of e-textbooks and to develop technologically, so the wealth of tests, quizzes, past exam-papers, tutorials, lectures, powerpoints and videos is expanded. All of this material can also be accessed online from home as well. I would once again like to end off by mentioning that a learner’s Mathematics results do not define them as a person. Mistakes and some disappointing test results are all necessary in order to learn and grow mathematically. It is what you do with these results and how you move forward that will determine ultimate success.

SAMO

LOCKDOWN Music reflection Steel, Jazz and Concert Bands as well as the Rod Connelly band, our guests. It was a treat to see Mr Catzavelos, a member of the band, taking solo trumpet leads – an inspiration to his pupils!

Richard Haigh Subject Head The year started with much anticipation of things to come.

Certain pupils represented the school at the Waterfront Band Slam. Their slick and polished performances flew the flag high and displayed the versatility of their abilities. An honorable mention to Ms Arianna Carini, our guitar teacher, who mentored the boys exceptionally through much of this preparation.

We welcomed Mr. Ben van Wyk as a full-time member of staff specializing in woodwind teaching and oversight of the Jazz Band. We welcomed Mr. Brian Botha back to cover the first term in anticipation of the arrival of another new full time member of staff, Mrs. Natalie Karg, who had a peculiar start to her teaching career at Wynberg by having to start teaching during the Lockdown having never met any of her pupils in person! Mrs. Karg has taught piano, voice, subject music and drama this year. Next year she will take oversight of the Vocal Ensemble and assist with the choir. Mr. Justin Biggs moved to the UK halfway through the year. Justin, while an IT teacher, led the Steel Band with aplomb. His passion for this ensemble came through in the excellent arrangements of music he created for them as well as in his sensitive instruction of the band, which was seen in its ability to play with accuracy and musicality.

The Lockdown hit and we were all thrown for a loop! Certain staff members frantically installed WIFI at home and online lessons using Microsoft Teams, Whatsapp Video, Skype and Zoom became the order of the day as music lessons moved online.

Performances in the first term ran as usual, hearing the Vocal Ensemble and Concert Band at Prize Giving; a successful Concert in the Quad in the third week of February; auditions were had for the musical Little Shop of Horrors which would have been performed in July; the Sunset Concert (moved to the hall on account of the weather) was a great success and featured our String, Pipe,

All that work and nowhere to perform! However, the novelty of online concerts had started appearing and our boys joined that trend: recorded themselves performing at home, sent in the videos which were then strung together by Thomas Hugo and formed into two online concerts! Thank you too to Mr. van Breda for editing solo lines of the string ensemble members

“The sound is behind your fingers, let me call you again”; “Please ask your brother to turn the TV off while you’re having a lesson”; “I’m changing the fingering on bar 5 in your left hand… sending you a picture of what I want on Whatsapp, please check your phone now and copy the new fingering onto your music”… Phew! What we did to make things work! We noticed an immediate rise in the standards of preparation for lessons as many of the commitments our boys were used to having had disappeared allowing them a lot more time to practise!

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

SUBJECT REPORTS - MUSIC

LOCKDOWN ESSAYS

and producing an ensemble item. Ms Carini did the same and we had a band item!

excerpt... “I always think of the guys at hostel and that makes me want to go back to hostel. I do miss hostel and school.

During the gradual return to school we were faced with many requests to start up the choirs and ensembles again. This was not allowed due to the potential of spreading the virus through singing and through the playing of wind and brass instruments. Sadly, we have had to hold off on regrouping our ensembles – which would also have been compromised by boys coming to school on different days and having differing break times. We look forward to rebuilding in 2021.

I am enjoying the online schooling because I get to spend so much time at home but there are some days where I feel like not doing any work at all because I just want to watch TV, play outside or play Xbox with my brother. It’s a whole different experience and it has helped me with time-management and getting my priorities straight. There are some days when I don’t have data and find myself falling quite far behind and when I’m behind I really don’t feel like catching up or doing any work at all but I have to do the work – no questions asked.

Our Matric pupils have had the unique experience of performing their mock and final practical examinations to three video devices and not to the usual examiners. On two Saturday mornings the drilling and building work at the E block ceased and we recorded these examinations for the WCED. Mercifully, these occurred without any hitches and were successfully uploaded to the WCED site. I would like to thank our Matrics for everything they have contributed to the music department over their years at Wynberg. They have had a very trying final year of school with many of the rites of passage denied them.

I really wish I could just go to the cricket nets with Juan, Liam and Lesly. All I want to do is be at hostel and practise cricket. I prefer being in class with my friends and listening to the teacher. I feel that I learn better by listening to a teacher and taking notes. I miss Maths and English class the most. I don’t often speak to my friends from school but when we do, we speak for long periods of time.”

Lukanyo Metu (Grade 10)

A big thank you to the full time and part time members of staff for their often long-suffering perseverance to achieve the standards we aim for.

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

LOCKDOWN Natural Sciences reflection Jason Pretorius The aim of teaching and studying Sciences is to encourage and enable students to develop inquiring minds and curiosity about science and the natural world around them. Nothing was different at the start of the 2020 academic year, as our teachers geared themselves up for yet another exciting year. Then, all things came to a sudden halt as COVID-19 hit our shores and we went into Lockdown. This was a new chapter for the Natural Sciences department and the school, as teachers, had to adjust and learn the art of online teaching. Credit when credit is due, as many of our teachers came up with new and exciting ways to bring the classroom to life in the homes of our young scientists; an example was a diffusion experiment where boys were asked to spray some deodorant in a sealed-off room and see how long it would take the particles to transfer through the air into other corners of a room. Other teachers had our

boys build model atoms, to represent sub-atomic particles. As we came out of Lockdown and returned to school, the syllabus was adjusted and so were our teaching plans. The cancellation of our Science week was a great disappointment as this week provided our boys with much enrichment from outside service providers. Our yearly Science Project was cancelled as well. With that being said, COVID-19 has taught us many things, most of all to be adaptable and bring new teaching strategies to the table. The Natural Science department will be better off in the future for this experience. The Natural Science department also experienced a different loss during the pandemic with our Head of NS, Mr Gareth Searle leaving the school to take his family to Sweden to further his career. Mr Searle was instrumental in reviving the subject over his five-year leadership and the impact he had on his learners in the classroom will be remembered for years to come. The school and the Natural Sciences department will miss him greatly.

COVID-19 Blood-drive

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

SUBJECT REPORTS - PHYSICAL SCIENCES

Physical Sciences reflection Graham James

the slightly more flexible restrictions in 2021 to do more than just what is required.

A practical subject like Physical Sciences took strain during the very uncertain year. While most subjects were able to switch easily to online teaching, it was more difficult for the practical subjects like Physical Sciences.

The Matric results at the end of 2020 were disappointing and we believe that our SBA marks were ignored which were the only explanation for the drastic drop in the final results. Unfortunately, we have been unable to get any clarity on this issue from the powers that be.

We utilized online simulations where we could, and we will continue to use them to enhance the teaching of the subject. Many of the boys who choose the subject do so because they enjoy the tactile nature of Physical Sciences. With COVID an ongoing obstacle throughout the year, our ability to do practical work was severely curtailed but we managed to do most of our prescribed practicals and will make the most of

Our top boys again excelled with 12 boys obtaining distinctions (Tayyeb Abrahams, Isa Ahmed, GT Bang, Orion Barker, Noah Bennett, Kyle Bleksley, Furqan Booley, Michael Buckingham, Adam Budge, Zachary Carstens, Justin Cheney, Jared Godfrey and Uzayr Chilwan). We plan to improve all practical aspects of the subject to give the subject more relevance to the real world.

Ben Thompson Remote Teaching WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

LOCKDOWN Visual Art reflection

Mandy Colman Subject Head Ms Diedericks and I form the team in the Visual Art department at Wynberg Boys’ High School. Visual Art is a subject that incorporates all levels of the Bloom’s Taxonomy Pyramid. Creating is most of the thinking and conceptualising done in the fine arts; Evaluating and analysing comes from art criticism; applying is using the conceptualisation and technical skills of what you learn in your art; Understanding is understanding the various art styles, periods, and using that in your art. Finally, remembering comes in the form of learning the art elements and principles of design and facts of history. This is the subject needed for a cutting-edge thinker of the future. The year of 2020 began with ‘business as usual’. The excitement of the Grade 10 intake was palpable as the young men went to work buzzing with enthusiasm for their chosen subject. The Grade 11 Artists moved up a level with the bar of expectations raised as they began preparation for the foundation of their matric portfolio.

this year. Learning agility was crucial for academic well-being when the COVID pandemic struck. It impacted immensely on all aspects of our lives. I am proud to say that all of our Wynberg men rose to the occasion, embracing the change to an online learning platform. Supera Moras could not have been a more apt school motto as so many of our young artists did not give up on delivering of their best despite the many challenges which they faced. The Wynberg Grade 12 Visual Art class of 2021 was fortunate to have the opportunity to hang a short but impressive Art Exhibition in October this year. Individuality is a quality which Wynberg as a school celebrates and this was clearly brought to bear in our art exhibition. Ronin Henry was nominated the deserving winner of the Bob Adshade trophy for having the strongest art portfolio of the year and showing progress. From the shelter of its branches, year by year go forth again All the heirs of its traditions – Brothers in an endless chain. Joined by pride and linked by honour Wynberg boys they all remain. The final verse of our school song sums up the art department at Wynberg: we grew in our support of each other during this time; our chain of connections was not broken; the young men, who experienced what seemed to be overwhelming challenges, were carried by their peers.

The Grade 12 Learners eagerly embraced their first practical project of the year, exploring the topic ‘Water’. They were anticipating a wonderful year of creativity and camaraderie which would culminate in their final exhibition in the Clegg Hall, however this was not to be. Critical and creative thinking was put to the test

Sibu Mlunguza’s artwork WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

SUBJECT REPORTS - VISUAL ART

Aaron Philander

Ben Boulle WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

LOCKDOWN

Ethan Piper

Thomas Burke

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

SUBJECT REPORTS - VISUAL ART

Vaughan Rademeyer

Yusuf Kathrada WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

LOCKDOWN Hostel amidst a Pandemic Roland Rudd In January of 2020, we welcomed back our Littlewood family to what would be one of the most challenging years the world has ever faced: the year a pandemic swept across the globe taking human life; crippling the world economies, and testing our resolve to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. During January and February, we became increasingly aware of a crisis unfolding over 12 000km away in Wuhan, China, whilst life as we knew it

continued both at hostel and school. The year started with welcoming the new Grade 8s and their families to the school and hostel with our welcome dinner, followed by the Grade 8 Camp and Challenge with a hike up Table Mountain with their matric buddies. The Littlewood boys enjoyed our annual Cokes from Joe’s Milk Bar in anticipation of the Sports Day Athletics event. As always, the Littlewood boys came through in fine-form ending up winning the Sports Day. What struck me most was the unfailing passion and support for each other and the sheer joy of being part of the Littlewood and Wynberg family. The Littlewood athletics team would go on to form the spine of the athletics team that took part in the first ever Quadrangular involving the four Southern Suburbs Schools. Our hostel prefect body, led by hostel head boy, Phillip Masango, went about making positive changes to the ethos and traditions at Littlewood. I would like to commend Phillip and the leaders for their unfailing perseverance to hold on to what adds value to the life of others and change that which does not. On the 23rd of March, our President, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa, announced the Lockdown in South Africa, to curb the spread of the COVID-19 Virus. It was by this time that we had become increasingly aware of and concerned about a hidden threat that was drawing closer and closer to home. The result was that boys immediately left to be at home with their families. The next time we would see any of the boys back at Littlewood was on 1 July, when we welcomed the Matric boarders, to what would be a changed environment both at school and the hostel. The biggest change to the hostel was the new social distancing measures implemented – measures

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

Hostel Life amidst a Pandemic

designed to keep people apart, when the boarding house by its very nature is a social environment. The staff and the boys underwent training with regards to safety protocols and self-monitoring measures. The Matrics were separated and spaced out, one per dorm, throughout the boarding house. Mealtimes were characterized by individuals occupying their own area in the dining room. I took great hope from the way the Matric boarders responded with the resolve and courage displayed by these boys during unprecedented times. The return of the boys to the boarding house marked a return to the spirit and life of the boarding house. The way the Matrics connected with each other and supported one another just once again highlighted the way the human spirit can overcome obstacles and difficulties. The laughter and spirit brought an immediate sense of relief to the pandemic unfolding around us, and this provided a sense that things would get better. Even with these measures in place, it proved to be only a short while before we experienced a minor outbreak in the hostel, with some of our Matric boarders testing positive and experiencing only mild symptoms and thankfully, recovering fully. The Littlewood family experienced several tragedies throughout the year. Long time staff member, Edward May, suffered an unfortunate accident injuring his toe while at work, and due to health complications, had to have his leg amputated. Edward recovered from his amputation and was in good spirits at home and was looking forward to a blessed retirement, and many happy days with his grandchildren. We were saddened to hear about the loss of family members of respective boarders due to COVID-19. WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

Mr and Mrs van der Merwe, lost their son, through complications during birth. To all the Littlewood families who were impacted by loss during this time, you are in our thoughts and prayers and we pray that you will be blessed with the peace and mercy of God. During the year we also celebrated Victoria Beukes giving birth to a happy and healthy daughter whilst Mr Julian Taylor, adopted a baby boy. The return of the Matrics, laid the foundation for the return of the rest of the boarders to Littlewood, who were introduced in a phased manner. Throughout this period, we had to manage social distancing protocols and the result was that boarders in different grades would be accommodated on different days at the boarding house. The Littlewood families rose to the occasion and supported us in managing the new-normal as we gradually worked our way back to being able to accommodate a full complement of boys for the first time in October. The return to the boarding house in October, shifted all attention to providing a safe academic environment for the boys to work towards salvaging their academic year. Our new House Prefect, Tyler Williams, was elected through our first ever virtual election. He and his team of Littlewood leaders planned for their Matric year, in a team building activity and leadership day at Imhoff Farm in late October. I would like to thank all the Littlewood staff, the boarders and the parents for their support, cooperation and understanding in what has been an unprecedented year and one that will surely not be repeated. I was blown away by how the Littlewood family came together to support one another in these tough times.

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Littlewood welcoming new hostel members

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

Hostel Life amidst a Pandemic

LOCKDOWN ESSAYS excerpt...

excerpt...

“A common discussion we had at school was, should teaching and learning be managed by robots? I feel this online learning has given us a grasp on what that would be like. As a student experiencing this, I was and still am against the idea of automated teaching/learning. It is just; receive the assigned work, complete with in due time. That is it! Nothing more, nothing less. That is what it has been like for the past seven learning weeks. I would not call that learning. Contact with fellow learners and teachers has become a whole new mission during this time. Instead of raising your hand up in class or a quick whisper to your friend next to you for answers, emailing is the only option. Most of the time teachers are managing another class/session or your friend is still sleeping so you can’t exactly get an instant response like in the classroom. Therefore, you zone out and are distracted waiting. I see this style of learning as inefficient. I find myself and others just spitting out random information in most of the tasks. The Internet is at our disposal as they say. However, it is so vast that we as students do not know which is the right source of information. Oftentimes I find myself just reading and rewording the information on the document. You really enjoy appreciating the way teachers would curate information for you. I truly miss school because I know it is not all about academics like E-learning. There is the music department and there are fields for a reason. I miss the actual learning where there is some sort of noise whether it is talking, shouting, banging on the desks or laughing. Where the teacher gives personal experiences to back the content, something automated learning cannot surpass. Although it is like a factory space, I miss the system forcing you to work within a certain time. I seek having contact with friends whether through calls or games. I understand that there is a broader picture of why we are not in school and therefore will remain patient till the virus is contained. Until that time, I’ll wait.” Linga Chigona (Grade 10)

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

LOCKDOWN ESSAYS “Lockdown officially started on 27 March 2020. Many of us may have thought that once the three-week period of lockdown was over, we would be back in the classrooms teaching and learning. We would only lose a few days of school, which would not be too difficult to catch up, and the year would continue as normal, except for a shorter June/July holiday. This was not the case and now on 19 May 2020, we are still under lockdown and not back at school. The year is not normal in any sense and the uncertainty of it all can scare anyone. Learning under lockdown is a new experience for everyone, teachers and pupils alike. We, as the students, have had to learn how to have selfmotivation, self-control and just learn how to learn at home rather than in the classroom. We, as a matric group, will always be known as the Grade 12 group that lost half a year of classroom time due to the Coronavirus. This comment could be used negatively, but if all goes well at the end of the year, it could be used positively in the sense that we achieved our goals even though we had less contact time with our teachers, lost out on June exams and had to try and adapt to the new world that we found ourselves in. My self-motivation and learning on my own, has found me absorbing more information during lockdown than I possibly would have at school. With no friends distracting you while the teacher is talking, you do manage to focus a little better. There are the other times though that you do miss the chat and the buzz at school; the voice of a teacher in the classroom and the fun during extra murals. Lockdown and COVID-19 was a bolt out of the blue. The way we take this once in a lifetime experience is up to us. Are we the ones that postpone work because we can or, are we the ones that do everything to the best of our ability even if nobody is with us checking? Learning under lockdown is new and I have tried to bring out the positives of it in whatever ways I can.” Jared Godfrey (Grade 12)

LOCKDOWN LOCKDOWN ESSAYS excerpt...

excerpt...

“Another problem that has come to light whilst learning in social isolation is the issue of mental health stability. For this topic, I used my Instagram account as a platform to ask other students, around the same age demographic as me, about how doing schoolwork at home has affected their mental health. In an Instagram poll I held, in which 94 people voted, 74% of the voters claimed that working in social isolation has had a negative impact on their mental health. Personally, working at home has improved my mental health as the workload has been greatly reduced, I get the privilege of working on my own schedule and have had far more sleep than during normal school. A few people had taken the time to share their personal experiences with doing schoolwork from home.

“The situation we find ourselves in currently has proven to be an extremely fascinating experience. It is ironic as I feel lucky to take part in such an historical time that will definitely be remembered for years to come, even though this period of the virus is the origin of deep fear within many people. Not many people will be able to say, “I went through that pandemic and I came out stronger”, yet I believe not one person will come out “weaker” despite their circumstances.

Many people said that it is a major plus that they are able to sleep a full 8 hours every night and have the freedom to do their work at whatever time during the day they want. Joshua Ferreira, a former Wynberg Boys’ High School student, said that ‘There’s perks to both. If you can focus and work in your own space, then online school is ideal and saves time in your day from avoiding issues such as travelling and traffic. If you can’t focus, you should be in a class on campus as you’re encouraged to work as you are in a workspace’.

Although there seems to be panic everywhere we go, working allows me to break away from that and acknowledge the things we never noticed pre-lockdown, such as the birds chirping; the squirrels prancing about and the stillness in the air. Nature has flourished and it rewards us with peace in return.

There have been very mixed opinions about working at home during these uncertain times. Personally, I have somewhat enjoyed it as it has given me an opportunity to work on myself, physically and psychologically. I have found that by working on my own schedule I have been able to get more exercise done, sleep longer hours and put more effort into school assignments. However, this isn’t the case for the vast majority of learners who have reported that working in social isolation is crippling for their mental health and stability.

This time brings independence which is so vital for the younger generation. We are forced to be hard on ourselves and hold ourselves accountable in this “free” setting we call home, although I am aware that many people feel as if they are stuck in a cage like an animal at a zoo.” Tristan Burnell (Grade 12)

In conclusion the fact is that the education department was not prepared for such a global health threat and neither was the outdated education system that has been used for hundreds of years. The truth is, schools and the education department will learn from this experience and there will most likely be dramatic changes to education as we know it.” Chris Ten Velden (Grade 10)

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Things that would have been - CRICKET

CRICKET reflection U19A v Bishops

U19B v Bishops

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LOCKDOWN CRICKET reflection U17A v Aldenham

U15A v Grey High

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Things that would have been - CRICKET

U14A v Grey High

U14B v Rondebosch

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LOCKDOWN Hockey reflection Courtney Wallace

my greatest thanks to Landi for always backing our boys and sacrificing her time to keep our boys on the (fitness) straight and narrow.

At the end of 2019, the Hockey department found ourselves saying, “Watch this space” to whoever asked…and we really meant it. 2020 was lined up to be one of the most stellar years that Wynberg Hockey had ever seen. Not only were we coming off the back of a not-so-hot 2019 season, we knew that we had some heat in the teams to come.

The boys returned to school ready and raring to play…but sadly this was not to be. All that continued was extensive and intensive gym sessions – socially distant, of course – to maintain the good work that was put in during Lockdown. I am sure that 2021 will benefit as a result of all of these hours; blood, sweat and tears included.

Thus, we started 2020 with intensity. Our A-squads started almost as soon as they walked through the gates with a focused pre-season programme. This included strenuous gym sessions and goal-oriented skills development. The more senior squads especially sacrificed three afternoons and a Saturday to improve themselves for the Winter season ahead.

We are blessed to have boys who not only constantly and consistently seek to play Hockey but also improve their Hockey. We once again saw a large majority of our boys entering the Sportways’ High Performance Programme with our very own director, Devin Stanton, and 1st Team coach, Mouton Joubert as HP Coaches. I must thank these two men, as well as our diligent boys, for putting in these hard yards.

We managed to get in some friendly warm-up games against SACS which heightened the season’s promise as we saw better results than the previous season. Our 1sts, in particular, shone, just missing out on a win. Our 14As also demonstrated grit in their first ever ‘match’ for the ‘Berg. We were invited yet again to the prestigious Nomads Festival and we signed up our 14As, 16As and 1st team. Our 14Bs and 16Bs also enrolled for the Somerset College and Rondebosch Festivals respectively. The March holidays were looking to be packed with good quality Hockey… …and then COVID stopped it all: no training; no gym; no tours; nothing. Thankfully, as a result of being equipped with the gem that is Landi Haumann (nee Cilliers), our cause was not completely hopeless. Painstakingly, Landi created at-home fitness and training programmes that the boys could follow during Lockdown to ensure that they could still hit an astro at full capacity should we be able to return. I must give

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We can continue to be proud as many of our boys were chosen to take part in the first ever CPL (Cape Town Premier League). This was a blessing in disguise as our boys got to dust off their Hockey equipment as they hit an astro again, ready to bring all their newfound skills and exhilaration back home to Wynberg. At the end of a very challenging year, I am left in awe of our coaches who have continued to motivate our boys through the year and kept their (the boys’ and theirs) sights on Hockey. I, too, am proud of our boys for their tenacity and their willingness to involve themselves in whatever form of Hockey we were allowed. We truly saw Supera Moras spirit in them. Lastly, I am left once again with the words, “Watch this space” in my mouth. Just this time, I mean them so much more than at the beginning of this year. WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

Things that would have been - HOCKEY

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LOCKDOWN RUGBY reflection Chris Moore ‘Setbacks have an upside; they fuel new dreams.’ Wynberg Rugby in 2020 was on track for what would have been our biggest year to date. With over 20 rugby teams, 50 passionate coaches and managers, and 380 players, one was expecting memorable Saturday mornings of schoolboy rugby ‘neath the mountain. Our rugby calendar started with preseason training and conditioning and the focus and determination from our players set the tone for what would have been a promising year. The boys and coaches alike, sacrificed many hours in the gym and on the training fields to ensure they were ready for 2020. The global pandemic, COVID-19, was a setback no one could have predicted. It was anti-climactic to the success of the 1st XV beating Paul Roos 15-10, at the last Newlands Schoolboy Rugby Day. It begs the question of, “What if?” What if there was no pandemic? How would the U14A season have turned out after dismantling Drostdy, 45-5, away at the Farm. It was a setback for most of our Grade 8 pupils, who have yet to don the blue and white hoops of Wynberg and play on the Silverhurst fields. It was a setback to the Matric class of 2020, who could not enjoy their final year of school rugby with their peers.

The U14A and U15A Kwagga’s Festival, in George, was cancelled. The U16A would have partaken in the Nowan Cornelius Festival, in Hermanus, and the 1st XV would have made the flight to Johannesburg to play in the KES Easter Rugby Festival. These were opportunities and memories of one’s high school career that have gone a begging. But with every setback there is a comeback. Our boys have used this time to get even fitter, stronger and hungrier for the game that one can take for granted. I trust 2021 will see a more excited and determined Wynberg Rugby. I would like to thank the Director of Wynberg Rugby, Craig Childs, his coaching staff, the Matrics, boys and loyal supporters of Wynberg Rugby. May the setback of 2020 fuel new dreams amongst all in 2021.

Wynberg Rugby was set to host its bigger and better Standard Bank Rugby Festival. Spectators would have seen over 2000 players in action, from all across the country and Namibia. Rugby under lights, on the Hawthornden, would have been a first for Wynberg as well as opening the festival to junior schools from across South Africa. It was not to be.

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Unofficial 1st Team Photo - unmasked and masked WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

Things that would have been - RUGBY Newlands Rugby Day

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LOCKDOWN SOCCER reflection

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Things that would have been - SOCCER

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LOCKDOWN SQUASH reflection

LOCKDOWN ESSAYS

Roxane Groenewald

excerpt... “At first, I was very worried about finishing my Matric year, but luckily my school had the capability of remote learning unlike many other schools in our country.

We have had a successful Summer Squash season and our numbers continue to grow at Wynberg. During the preseason build-up our players were committed and working hard setting themselves up to be competitive in the Western Province Schools’ Squash League and they had a good chance of doing well against their rival schools.

Wynberg decided to give us less work in the day which I was very skeptical of at first but realised soon that different people learn at different paces and will take longer than I usually did which was about 5 hours a day.

Unfortunately, we were unable to play in the Western Province Schools’ Squash League and Wynberg Squash Festival this year due to COVID-19.

I became grateful for my current situation after seeing a quote on Instagram. I took it as motivation to do my tiny amounts of schoolwork every day. The quote is as follows, “It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop” – Confucius.

Our boys, however, did amazingly in the Western Province Ladder Tournament which happened pre-COVID.

The one positive thing Lockdown has done to my Matric year is help me identify with the protagonist, Pi, of my set work book, Life of Pi. At the beginning of the year when we would read it in class, I usually would lose interest within the first half an hour but after reading further and the deeper we got into Lockdown, I could not comprehend the suffering Pi went through. It made me realise how little I have to go through compared to be stranded naked at sea for 227 days with no one else besides yourself, some equipment on a boat and maybe a Tiger. Despite all his struggles, he still remains faithful and is sometimes optimistic about his situation and that helps me identify with him. I read it more passionately now, with genuine interest. I also take this motif from the book, when Pi realises by seeing the vast sky and sea, how small his situation is in the grand scheme of things and that makes me feel better about my current situation, even though the book is fictional.

Results: Christopher Cresswell U19 (1st) Seth Flisberg U16 (1st) Reece Cooper U16 (2nd) Imraan Haron U16 (3rd) Michael Cresswell U16 (4th) James Potter U16 (5th) A special thank you once again to our squash coaches for all their hard work on and off the courts. The coaches are: Mr. Lionel White, Mr. Terry Cooper, Mr. Ruan Olivier, Mr. Adolf Groenewald & Mr. Stephan Pretorius.

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That is how my lockdown is unfolding now. Despite my situation I have decided to take a page out of Pi’s book and try to be grateful about everything I can be grateful for. However, I cannot wait for June when I finally get out of these four walls and speak to someone other than my family and dogs, face to face.” Aiden Harris (Grade 12)

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Things that would have been - SQUASH

LOCKDOWN ESSAYS excerpt...

excerpt...

“We live in a worrisome time. A time in history where our medicine is better than ever before, yet our species is threatened by disease. A time where placing the entire world under house arrest is our best option for survival. Our lives are on hold. Work, education, and the entire economy is no longer the top priority, survival is. The threat of COVID-19 is large enough for our governments to put the economy on the line for our safety. As a result of the nationwide lockdown, school cannot occur in the traditional sense. All our education has to take place from home. Fortunately for our school, we already had mechanisms in place that allow us to do work from home. And while it is true that we can do work from home, saying that we are learning from home is debatable. Each of us is being assigned work from each of our teachers, but I wouldn’t say that I have learnt much during the lockdown. The argument could be made that the internet provides us with unlimited learning opportunities, but it can never match a physical classroom. Being able to talk to a professional educator is far more effective. Being able to ask a question, and receive a precise, tailored answer to that exact question is not often possible in online learning. In my experience, I am being taught almost anything. We will have work given to us, but not have it explained. This is particularly apparent in subjects like mathematics or physical sciences. We are being introduced to new concepts via worksheets and exercises, rather than having them taught to us. What is a teacher without the teaching? While I do think that this new style of school is inferior to standard school, there are some obvious positives about the new system. I find myself feeling far less tired, as I do not have to wake up at 5:30 AM to go to school. I can work from the comfort of my bedroom; and have the freedom to work and take breaks at my leisure. It is more difficult in some ways, but in others it makes life easier.

“Throughout all this uncertainty, there was a blessing in disguise. In this experience, I was given the time I needed to get rid of all my anxiety and stress from the previous term. I took the time to have breakdowns to get it out the system allowing for more positive flow of energy through my mind. Lastly, I was given time to catch up with my family after sacrificing many things to get through Term 1. This allowed for me to convey all my emotions and feelings to them to help guide them about what to do to help better my circumstances. They were given the responsibility to maintain my stability at all times while constantly questioning me about whether my condition was worsening or getting better. Through this ‘lockdown’, I have experienced many things that make me grateful for who I am. I have realized: how lucky I am to be in the position which I stand in today; the effect all people around me have had in my moulding; and lastly to express myself to those that are close to me. This has given me confidence, gratitude, and motivation to help get me through my matric year while finishing with excellence.” Uzair Gire (Grade 12)

Overall, I do think that the standard school system is superior, but this new system is certainly not without its up-sides.” Thomas Rutherford (Grade 10)

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LOCKDOWN WATER POLO reflection U19B

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Things that would have been - WATER POLO

U15A

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LOCKDOWN Grade 11 Leadership 2021 Prefect Induction

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GRADE 11 - LEADERSHIP

2021 Prefects

Head Boy 2021 - Ben Currie WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

Deputy Head Boy 2021 - Kieron Adams

Prefects 2021

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LOCKDOWN Grade 11 In-house Leadership Camp Stefan Potgieter At Wynberg Boys’ High School we believe that our Matric group leads the school in a significant way. Therefore, we endeavour each year to do what we can to equip our future leaders with knowledge and leadership skills for the year to come. This year was no different – in fact it was probably more important to equip the Matric group than ever before, considering the challenging time we were (are still) in with COVID-19: Gender Based Violence, and racial tension globally. In this year’s In-house Leadership Camp, they were able to start working on their vision for 2021. This session was led by Roger Moult. Each future Matriculant was able to add his voice to the vision which will be presented and then carried out by our 2021 prefect body. Our very own Mr Larry Moser also led a session on respect at Wynberg Boys’ High School and

earning respect as a Wynberg Matric. The guidance given by Mr Moser, who has years of experience at Wynberg, were insightful and helped the boys to see the bigger picture around respect and particularly, respect in our context. Finally, Dr John Eliastam led a session on masculinity called Leading from your Core. The boys had a look at different archetypes of masculinity and how they can be lived out in a good or bad way, ultimately asking the boys to consider what good they could do in the world if they choose to live out their masculinity in a good way. For day two of the leadership camp, the House Heads took their Grade 11s on an outing. Here they had fun, built relationships, and possibly even started talking about a house vision for 2021. This day included scenic hikes, paintball, eat-outs and kayaking, depending on which house the boys were in. Overall, the two days were a success and we are excited to see how our leaders of the school will lead us to new heights in 2021.

Leading From your Core with Dr Eliastam

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GRADE 11 - LEADERSHIP

Littlewood Day two Paintballing

Respect at Wynberg with Mr Moser

Vision 2021 with Roger Moult WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

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LOCKDOWN VALEDICTORY COVID TIE AWARDS With the effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic leaving our fields and classroom void of extra-curricular activities, an opportunity presented itself to award the Matrics, who would have been part of a First Team or the equivalent in the Cultural pillar, with a once-in-a-lifetime (hopefully never to be repeated) tie to acknowledge them. Stephen Matthews, who was the Grade 8 Prefect when the boys started in 2016, was present to do the handover.

Herewith the list of boys who received ties:

Golf Morton, Matthew Mulholland, Reece Sasman, Jordan Whittaker, Ricky

X-Country

Steel Band Heath, Luke

Chess

Vogt, Caleb

Davids, Rameez Cheney, Justin

Squash

Debating

Cresswell, Christopher

Abrahams, Tayyeb Buckingham, Michael Daniels, Ikraam

Concert Band Abrahams, Layton Byrne, Connor Heath, Luke Krantz, Adrian Louw, Zayd Osler, Daniel Van Staden, Keanu

Choir / Vocal Ensemble Abrahams, Layton Collison, Keenan Gelderblom, Keanu Heath, Luke Jaffa, Ghumaid James, Ewan Kenyemba, Enrique Kombora, Akha Louw, Zayd Mdadane, Diamante Miles, Dominic Ngiba, Khaka Piper, Ethan Vallie, Mikhail van Staden, Keanu

Jazz Band Abrahams, Layton Heath, Luke

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Jutzen, Jared Krantz, Adrian Louw, Zayd van Staden, Keanu

Refs / Umpires Allan, Tyler Mulholland, Reece Perez, Tristan

Rugby Adriaanse, Zac Davis, Lezane Dyonase, Sipho Glintenkamp, Noel Hayes, Daniel Jaffa, Ghumaid Mabele, Hlanga Magiet, Amaar Masango, Phillip Mgope, Mhlali Sadien, Yaseen Swart, Nicolas van Schalkwyk, Mike

Hockey Mungul, Tyrell Scott, Mika

Soccer Dollie, Imtiyaaz Gelderblom, Keanu Mlunguza, Sibulele WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

VALEDICTORY - COVID TIE AWARD

COVID Tie Recipients

LOCKDOWN ESSAYS excerpt... “At the early stages of lockdown, I had a very positive attitude as I could occupy myself with many distractions such as the daily use of Xbox, Netflix and most importantly WIFI. I soon realized that these were not a great combination of things as work just kept on pilling up and my mood changed from 100 to 0 in an instant. Self-discipline and control are the most important factors when it comes to working under lockdown as without these traits, you will soon realize the plethora of work that you need to catch up on. I am not perfect at mastering these traits and of course I have let these distractions get the better of me but I keep setting goals in my mind and that has helped me an excessive amount of times during this isolation. One of my favourite lines during this crisis is “Yes, I’ll do it later”. I soon realized that I was only shooting myself in the foot if I didn’t complete the work in time. It took me days trying to create an effective schooling schedule where the balance of work and

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free-time was equal. I am slowly getting the hang of working under these challenging circumstances. The thing I enjoy about working under lockdown is that I can work at my own pace, meaning I can finish work faster than I do in a normal school day. My parents also play an important role in my learning as they encourage, motivate and help me with work when needed. They always offer a helping hand when encountering difficult tasks and will always take a small portion out of their day to check if I am working efficiently and feeling okay. One of the biggest challenges of this lockdown is not being able to see my friends at school. I’ve become used to seeing them on a day-to-day basis and now not seeing them for 2-3 months feels like a big part of my life is missing. The constant jokes (or as we like to call it “banter”) being passed around the school is the thing I miss the most. No other school has a brotherhood like we do. I commend every single teacher during this lockdown as every single one of you has tried your utmost best to supply each student with a considerable amount of work and are always there when questions need to be answered.” Josh Koff (Grade 11)

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LOCKDOWN SPECIAL AWARDS Epworth Music Prize

Mark Schäfer Cup for Multilingualism Phillip Masango

Luke Heath This boy has faithfully served Wynberg in a variety of ways over his tenure at the school. He has been a member of the Choir, Concert Band (of which he was the leader in 2019), Jazz Band and Steel Band at Wynberg. In addition to playing in the Concert Band he has also conducted it in public as well. Besides his contribution to our ensembles, he has also performed in Concert in the Quad, the Baxter Steel Band Festival and the Waterfront Band Slam. Outside of Wynberg’s walls, Luke has served with distinction as a member of the Cape Philharmonic Youth Wind Ensemble as a clarinettist. It is largely because of the depth of his involvement in music that he was elected the Cultural Prefect for Wynberg in 2020. It is without a doubt that he would have continued to make a significant contribution to the life of the music department this year were it not for the interruption of the lockdown we have experienced.

Old Boys’ Mathematics Prize Tomas Cupido Awarded to the boy who performs the best in a Mathematics Competition run by Prof. Webb (UCT).

PricewaterhouseCoopers Award Christopher Cresswell Awarded for the joint top percentage in Mathematics and Accounting.

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In the prize-winner’s words: My name is Phillip Ntlantla Masango and I can speak and understand 7 indigenous languages. Blessed to be born to parents of two of the indigenous ethnic groups, isiNdebele and Sepedi, I was well versed in language from a young age and to top it all I became fluent in English and Afrikaans. Growing up in a home where Sepedi was the medium I adapted pretty quickly as my Mother instinctively speaks Sepedi and I would reply in isiZulu and my dad became accustomed to replying in Sepedi. My Grandparents could also fluently speak Afrikaans and always urged me to learn as many languages as possible that way I can speak to an individual in a language that they are most comfortable in. Because as Mandela said “if you speak to someone in their language, you speak to their heart and soul”. These words drove me to diverse myself, that way I can educate and inspire others to try and do the same.

Labia History Prize Mohammed Zayd Louw Digging into South Africa’s recent past, the Grade 12 History Research Assignment requires learners to conduct a thorough analysis of the Angolan Civil War, as well as an independent evaluation of the disputed claims that still revolve around the climactic battle of Cuito Cuanavale, that took place between 1987 and 1988. Proving himself equal to the task, this year’s recipient produced an assignment that was not only meticulously researched, but communicated with a mature appreciation of the complexities surrounding one of Africa’s longest running WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

VALEDICTORY - SPECIAL AWARDS

conflicts. In doing so, it is notable that the research included an impressive selection of published sources and oral testimonies, all the while, maintaining a clear and nuanced argument that helped to distinguish it from start to finish. In all these respects the recipient was not only able to prove himself thoroughly knowledgeable, but also able to condense this knowledge into a readable and excellent historical summary.

Stephen Doidge Business Award Stephen Lang Awarded to someone who demonstrates economic prowess and savvy.

Vincent Grainger Memorial Award Christopher Cresswell Awarded to a boy who performs excellently in the Maths Olympiad.

Old Boys’ Award Yashveer Ramklass Awarded to the DUX of the school

Life Membership to WOBU Mohammed Zayd Louw Awarded to the Head Boy

Rotary Good Fellowship Award Michael van Schalkwyk Michael has been an outstanding leader amongst the prefects, and he is passionate about ensuring good relations and inclusivity amongst all students at Wynberg Boys. Michael was one of the key organisers of the Gender based violence march in 2019, which left a long-lasting impact on boys at the school. The traditional boys’ schools in the Southern suburbs received some negative WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

press on social media due to claims of a lack of inclusivity and transformation. Michael took the initiative to run an inclusivity workshop with his fellow Matrics during lockdown. He facilitated this workshop with his peers and ensured that constructive feedback was provided to the school. These workshops were carried out with the Grade 10 and 11s upon their return to school.

Friedlander Memorial Award Reece Mulholland For numerous service certificates over five years; for his involvement in achieving a Presidents’ Award – Gold class; for planning the referees at Wynberg over a number of years; for his sterling role as service prefect in co-ordinating numerous service projects.

Wynberg Old Girls Union Trophy Bunty Joubert Award Reece Mulholland Mr Inglis had this to say: In a COVID-disrupted year, I had to rely on history and had no hesitation in recommending this boy for the award. His enthusiasm for service is infectious and he has managed to maintain the same level of passion from Grade 8. During his Grade 10 year, he participated in all but two of the myriad service events; only injury prevented him from being involved in every single project this year. He has engaged in too many service projects to list and has often been the sole WBHS representative at events such as Uncle Paul’s Christmas parties which he worked at every year since Grade 8. Another event that he enthusiastically supported was the annual One-to-One where it gave him great joy to actively engage with the guest beneficiaries, especially from seeing them smile or clap in excitement.

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LOCKDOWN ...continued from previous page

David Heidmann Prize Mkhuseli Mkeyiya Mkhuseli has overcome difficulties from the start of his life after having lost his hearing due to early illness. My introduction to MK was him joining water polo in grade 9. MK was unable to swim at that stage, but would arrive daily at the pool, and work on his swimming, holding onto the wall and pulling him himself along. MK played his first matches for Wynberg in that first term in grade 9, barely able to swim and unable to hear the call of the referee. He would watch my mouth for instructions so as to lip read what the instructions were. He showed dogged determination in his water polo. His desire to improve in water polo meant that MK would be at the pool at 5am on occasions swimming laps with me so as to improve his swimming ability. Similarly, MK applied the same determination to all he did. His humble beginnings and challenges with illness could not keep him down. He was identified as a learner with promise and found that many people were willing to invest in this special young man. His schooling at Wynberg presented a challenge, as not only was English not his first language, but he had the added barrier of having to lip read in conjunction with using his hearing aid. MK never shied away from difficulties and today we celebrate MK as a young man who has persevered and achieved in the face of many difficulties.

Wiegman Cup Ziyaad Solomons Ziyaad was voted by his fellow prefects for the Wiegman cup because of his dedication and willingness to assist wherever he could to ensure the effective working of the prefect body. Ziyaad

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was elected as sports prefect and he took this portfolio to new levels. He used his passion for media for promoting the Wynberg brand through his well edited videos. These videos were watched by old boys around world. These videos took hours of editing yet he did it with excellence and without complaining. His duties did not only fall within the field of media but he served the prefects with volunteering wherever he was needed. He served the prefects and the school with his gentle and mature nature.

Abelsohn Cup Mohammed Zayd Louw The job of a head boy is never an easy task but it is made ever more difficult in the face of a pandemic. Despite this though, Zayd stood up and welcomed the challenge. Through his leadership and guidance, the weekly lockdown assemblies were born. These truly were a beacon of hope through the tough times and showed the true strength of Zayd’s influence. This influence and his compassion for others was felt beyond the school gates though as he gave back to the community by delivering food packs to the lessfortunate during lockdown. Meeting a young man with such a firm hand on what others are feeling and what they are experiencing is a rare occurrence and yet we truly have seen it shine in Zayd - and all of this with the utmost humility too. Above and beyond this, Zayd has kept the boat afloat during 2020’s turbulent seas and he can be exceptionally proud of making the most of a year that was practically taken from him and being a true role-model of the Supera Moras spirit. Not only has he served the school in every pillar over the years through rugby, concert in the quads, service projects and his constant striving for excellence academically, he has managed to

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

VALEDICTORY - SPECIAL AWARDS

keep a school connected in a time where we were all very far apart and that is where his true power can be felt. There is simply no-one else who would be more deserving of this award.

SPECIAL AWARDS WINNERS

Friedlander Shield Glebe When the competition was suspended in April and Term 4 2019 Academics and Term 1 2020 Academics had been added, Glebe were the leaders and they are therefore being awarded the Friedlander Shield this year. 3 Hawthornden 2 Littlewood 1 Glebe

Western Cape Blood Service Blood Drive Awarded to WBHS

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

Christopher Cresswell

Luke Heath

Michael Van Schalkwyk

Mkhuseli Mkeyiya

Phillip Masango

Reece Mulholland

Stephen Lang

Tomas Cupido

Yashveer Ramklass

Zayd Louw

Ziyaad Solomons

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LOCKDOWN 2020 PREFECTS

Adam Budge

Alex Borodin-Sleigh

Corbin Ras

GT Bang

Jack Johnston

Keanu Gelderblom

Keenan Collison

Luke Heath

Michael van Schalkwyk

Mohammed Zayd Louw

Noel Glintenkamp

Phillip Masango

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2020 PREFECTS

Reece Mulholland

Riyaaz Martin

Sipho Dyonase

Tomas Cupido

Uzair Chilwan

Uzair Khan

Yusuf Kathrada

Ziyaad Solomons

2021 PREFECTS

2021 Prefects - Masked up and ready for duty! WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

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LOCKDOWN Prefects: lessons that we have learned Mohammed Zayd Louw – Head Prefect “2020 has taught me to appreciate the little things and be grateful; to not only seize the moment but to let the moment simultaneously seize us; to be more caring and kind towards others as we can’t even begin to understand what others are going through; to not try to control Time, but to use it as a simple reminder of the life we are living; and finally, to live in the ‘Spectacular Now’ and appreciate the moment - by looking into the past we will always be reminded of the moments we “lived in” and by looking into the future, we need to look forward to the moments that we will “live in.”

Michael van Schalkwyk – Deputy Head Prefect

Reece Mulholland – Service Prefect “Appreciate the small victories.”

Ziyaad Solomons – Sport Prefect “In the midst of struggle and uncertainty a clarifying question one has to ask one’s self is: ‘what is the next right move?’ The full path may be unclear but with a series of small, wellthought-out steps, the seemingly impossible task of moving forward becomes possible.”

Alex Borodin-Sleigh – Sustainability Prefect “2020 taught me to think outside the box. People get caught up in the narrative of doing the “right” thing and that holds them back from their true potential.”

GT Bang – Ed-Tech Prefect

“In 2020, I learnt how to adapt and overcome unforeseen obstacles.”

“I learnt to stay positive and have a balance during one of the most stressful schooling years (COVID included).”

Tomas Cupido – Academic Prefect

Sipho Dyonase – Matric Prefect

“No matter how unachievable the goal may seem at first, if you set your mind to it you can achieve it.”

“Perspective drives performance every day of the week. The way you view what you do is essentially going to affect the way you do what you do.”

Luke Heath – Culture Prefect “It is important not to take anything for granted. 2020 showed me that I should be grateful for all I have.”

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Corbin Ras – Senior Grades Prefect “Have a plan but also be willing to adapt.”

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

PREFECTS: LESSONS THAT WE HAVE LEARNT

Keanu Gelderblom – Junior Grades Prefect

Uzayr Chilwan – Oude Wijnberg House Prefect

“Appreciate what you have before it turns into what you had. 2020 has taught me to not take even the smallest things for granted as you will never know when it will no longer be there.”

“2020 taught me that life isn’t always fair and it’s up to you to decide whether you are going to use tough circumstances as an excuse for not achieving your goals or to put in the extra hours and achieve your goals regardless of the obstacles put in your path.”

Yusuf Kathrada – Head of RCL “One thing I learnt from 2020: adversity creates opportunity: either to start new ventures or it gives us the opportunity to reflect on how we run things.”

Noel Glintenkamp – Glebe House Prefect “ – .”

Reyaaz Martin – Hawthornden House Prefect “There is so much more to the book, than the page you think you’re stuck on.”

Phil Masango – Littlewood House Prefect “I learnt that online learning can be toxic if you have ADHD.”

Daniel Hayes – McNaughton House Prefect “Boys rallying together and supporting one another became the highlight of the year.”

Keenan Collison – Silverhurst House Prefect “I learnt how to adapt under difficult circumstances and be able to take positives out of a negative situation.”

Adam Budge – Sunninghill House Prefect “For me, because it was forced online learning, it forced us as students to take ownership of our own education because we didn’t have a teacher to watch over us or hold our hands anymore.” Everything was independently run by ourselves which helped us mature much quicker and I think help set the building blocks for university in years to come.”

Uzair Khan – Trovato House Prefect “I’ve learned, from 2020, that you don’t always have to go through challenges in life on your own.”

Josh Johnston – Matric Buddy Prefect “Don’t slow down; don’t get comfortable and just keep the pedal on the gas all the way through.“

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LOCKDOWN VALEDICTORY - Matric Breakfast

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VALEDICTORY - MATRIC BREAKFAST

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LOCKDOWN VALEDICTORY - Principal’s Address empathetic way they responded to the GBV crisis last year and the BLM crisis this year. Taking on these issues and discussing how they affected you showed tremendous maturity.

Jan de Waal Principal Good morning special guests, staff, parents, the Grade 8 and 11 classes but most particularly, the WBHS 2020 Matric Class, who are the focus of my address today.

We have all heard of the negative effects of the pandemic such as corruption, unemployment, poverty, travel bans, etc. There has also been widespread confusion around issues related to COVID-19 such as actual death rates; whether Lockdowns, wearing of masks, closure of public places etc., are effective; and even more disturbing stories that the entire pandemic is in fact a cover up for the roll out of more sinister agendas.

When we attended our Leadership Seminar in October last year, who would have guessed what lay ahead for us in this crazy year? In fact, thinking back, you young men have had a crazy high school career: a fire in 2016 (two fires if you were in Littlewood); a storm that forced the closure of schools in 2017, a drought in 2018 and a Pandemic in 2020. You certainly have seen it all! It is not necessary to spell out the details but what is important is how we responded. I came across this quote recently from Robert Jordan:

So, the question is whether amongst all this negativity, there is anything positive we can take out of this year. I thought this anonymous quote might give us some encouragement:

“Humankind is made for uncertainty, struggle, choice and change.”

I asked my friend, Google, for assistance and here are a few positives:

You certainly proved this to be true and I want to pay tribute to you as a collective for the amazingly positive and constructive way you have coped this year. Despite overwhelming odds, you have managed to cope remarkably well academically (possibly, because you had fewer distractions this year). Use the next two months wisely by staying healthy and doing the necessary preparation. Do not get yourself lulled into a false sense of security based on your prelim results. Although it has been mentioned earlier, I also want to congratulate this class for the mature and

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“Sometimes it is hard to see the hidden sunshine behind the dark clouds, but, with firm conviction of hope, faith and time, the sunshine will brighten the world all over again!

1. Strengthening of personal and family relationships 2. Positive lifestyle changes (personal hygiene and stopping spread of disease) 3. Innovation 4. New cost-effective ways of doing business 5. Development of new software 6. Revolutionised education 7. Environmental benefits (reduction of air and water pollution/fewer cars on the road/etc.) 8. Changes in personal behaviour (less waste, saving, self-discipline and self- reliance) WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

VALEDICTORY - PRINCIPAL’S ADDRESS

It might be a good thing for us all to sit quietly and draw up our own list of how we personally benefitted from this pandemic (I hope you can all find at least something positive). To me there is however one key negative that has occurred this year which is going to affect you, your families and future generations if you are not aware of and act against the dangers it entails. We all know about the historic ongoing struggle waged by people all over the world, including SA, to acquire our basic human rights. These rights are enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the UN in 1948 and in SA the Bill of Rights (Chapter 2 of the SA Constitution of SA) adopted in 1996.

I conclude by wishing you all the best of luck in your final examinations. I also wish you a safe and happy future in which you and your families are able to fulfil your dreams in peace and freedom and live as sovereign beings. Supera Moras.

Valedictory 2020 meeting the Chairperson of the WOBU

My concern is that during this Pandemic, throughout the world, we have seen these hardfought rights surrendered to central governments without a whimper. Now, it is common knowledge that once citizens surrender their rights and freedoms to a government, it rarely gives these rights back voluntarily. Today you will be charged by the school and the WOBU to make certain undertakings governing your behaviour and actions in the future but I want to end off my address to you with a charge of my own:

I charge you to use every opportunity available to petition for the return of the rights and freedoms the citizens of our country and the world have surrendered to global and national governments. I charge you to oppose in every way lawfully possible the further impingement of our basic human rights and freedoms. WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

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LOCKDOWN VALEDICTORY - Head Prefect’s Address Mohammed Zayd Louw Head Prefect “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

‘That Day’ that we spoke about has finally arrived. Our time, at this place, has come to an end – and I Om te beklemtoon the ‘this place’ – because it is not the end of the journey. Wynberg, through many different situations, has taught me many lessons and has instilled deeprooted values undoubtedly in me and you. Before embarking on your journey, I would like to share a few lessons with a few stories.

Lessons: 1. Before we even came to Wynberg, many of us had the opportunity of having an interview with Mr. Richardson. During the interview, he asked us: “If you had a Magical Wand, what would you do with it?” I can tell you, we all thought that that was the question that would get us accepted into the high school or not. We were not going to be selfish – so we said things like, “Solve Poverty, world hunger, crime – eradicate it all” – we never really meant it. We were actually thinking, “a brand-new house or phone or Ferrari or some fancy drip for our wrists.” But then we asked Mr. Richardson – “Sir what would you do?” and he simply said, “Make every boy know how lucky they are to come to a school like Wynberg.” We knew then to recognise the privilege that we have and appreciate it.

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2. Some of you do not realise it but we walk past a commandment every day. Those gates at the top read: “Men of Wynberg, enter the gates with humility, aware of the privileges and responsibilities which this school bestows upon you. Determined to avail yourselves of the opportunities on offer so that you too in time may enhance its reputation.” The school commands us to take every opportunity and make this place better than it was before we arrived. We need to realise that thousands have come before us, and there will be thousands who will come after us. Take every opportunity with both hands. My grandfather, before passing, always used to ask me, “Do you think my Suitcase is full?” – I never understood what he meant until now. He was talking about all the opportunities, good deeds and unregretful things he did. Make sure that your suitcase is full after doing anything. 3. Touch Rugby is never Touch Rugby. There is some level of fighting, verbal abuse, breaking of necks and ankles; some people even become politicians and lawyers, like Hishaam, Salie or Yaseen. Friendships sometimes even need repairing after a good game, like the time Josh Thomas close-lined Daniel Judge right where you are sitting, and when myself and Connor tackled Josh so hard that he did not speak to us for 3 days. However, there is one specific story I would like to recall. It was in the early winters of Grade 9, we decided to come in early and play some Touchies. It was getting quite competitive and the bell was about to ring for the start of the school day. My team was losing, and no, this is not a winning story – we still lost in the end. There was a certain individual that I had on my team, Juan Sargeant, who would not pass the ball, losing all our touches. There was a lot of gnashing of teeth and foul language that came from me. What I did not know was that Mr. Eddy was watching the whole time and called me over. Being a Grade 9 WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

VALEDICTORY - HEAD PREFECT’S ADDRESS

and knowing Mr. Eddy, I feared for my life. But what I learned that day has impacted me for the rest of my life. Mr. Eddy asked, “Do you know what you’re saying to the world when you say words like that?” He said, “You’re saying “I am Common”. That has partly shaped me into the person I am today. Be different. Be better. Do not be common. 4. If you have been taught by Mr. Taylor, you would know that his most common phrase and rule of thumb is that “People are the worst”. However, they can also be the best. I may not be the best Head Prefect Wynberg has ever had and this might not be the best speech Wynberg has ever heard, and that does not bother me because I am privileged to give this speech as a Head Boy to the best bunch of guys I have ever come across. Always try and see the best in people. 5. Do not look for an argument where there isn’t one but fight for what is right. As young teenagers, we often think that most of what we do is right, and when told that we are wrong, we throw a tantrum. Mr. Moser is an individual who has developed a skill where he can make you understand that what you have done is wrong. We as the leaders of the school use it all the time as a step-by-step process known as the MoserMethod. We even use it as a verb – for example – “Did you Moser Method Him?” Brilliant”. What I am trying to say is: pick your fights and know the difference between right and wrong. We live in a world where social media has become dangerous and made our eyes the masters of our brains and not the other way around. We need to see past this and think with our heads alongside our hearts. We need to be better men in our societies; stand up for injustice and what is right; stand up for women; stand up against racism and stand up for the environment. Be better men; something that Wynberg has coached you to be. Live with the WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

words of Mr. Richardson in mind: “Everything you do sends a message.” 6. You can survive anything. Anything in this world is survivable because you are as invincible as you believe yourselves to be. This year of COVID-19 has taught us so much: it has tested us; torn us apart, but more importantly, it has taught us to appreciate everything more and that if we can survive Corona, especially during Matric, we can literally survive anything after this. I have so much faith in this grade, in every single one of you. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my mother Ruwaydah, who has been through it all, the ups and downs and all the rounds; my father; my brother; my grandparents; my friends – you know who you are - who have undoubtedly moulded me into the person I am today; their parents who acted in loco parentis through my high school career; the hostel boys; Mr. Taylor, my Mentor; the teachers who have made a massive impact on my life and who have invested their time in shaping me and lastly, Uncle Jannie and his wife, whose doors were always open and whose advice I could always seek – even though Mike and I would skip class time, especially Mrs Spammer’s class time on a Monday Morning. I thank you all. Motho ke Motho ka Batho Babang (A person is a person because of other people). Many of you don’t realise it but there are people sitting here today who you will never see again for the rest of your lives. For those who do have the privilege of seeing each other again, may we meet again as different characters of the same story. I cannot wait to hear your stories of success. Make sure that your Wynberg Tog Bag is truly full when you leave this place. Thank you, my brothers. The world awaits the extraordinary class of 2020. Supera Moras.

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LOCKDOWN VALEDICTORY - Ceremony

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VALEDICTORY - CEREMONY

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LOCKDOWN 2020 Matric Results After a difficult year in which the national pass rate dropped 5%, for the first time in years WBHS cannot claim 100% pass rate, but there’s still much to celebrate with our Matrics of 2020 delivering an 84% Bachelor’s Pass, with some sparkling individual performances:

8 Distinctions Yash Ramklass – 7 of which above 90% Reyaaz Martin – 5 above 90% Jared Godfrey

Top Twenty 1. Yash Ramklass 2. Tomas Cupido 3. Reyaaz Martin 4. Jared Godfrey 5. Theolan Marimuthu 6. Uzair Gire 7. Mu’aaz Kasker 8. Furqan Booley 9. Sebastian de Klerk & Stephen Lang

7 Distinctions

11. Ayoub Rawoot

Furqan Booley Tomas Cupido – 5 above 90% Uzair Gire Mu’aaz Kasker Theolan Marimuthu Ayoub Rawoot

12. Jed Mouton

6 Distinctions Uzayr Chilwan Sebastian de Klerk Adrian Krantz Stephen Lang Jed Mouton

13. Aiden Harris 14. Uzayr Chilwan & Yusuf Kathrada 16. Tristan Burnell 17. Adrian Krantz 18. Rushdi Magiet & Jordan Sasman 20. GT Bang

Special mention must also be made of Tristan Burnell who returned 100% for History.

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MATRIC RESULTS

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LOCKDOWN EDF reflections Jan de Waal Principal

I also thank everyone who has supported the project financially despite the difficult times in which we find ourselves. The ongoing Fund a Brick campaign provided a much-needed cash

As we approach the end of 2020, with the academic year behind us, I take this opportunity to bring you up to date on the progress of the Engineering and Design Faculty. Despite the difficult financial times and disruptions caused by the COVID pandemic, I am pleased to report that we have managed to complete phases 2A and 2B of the project. This means that the building will be fully operational for the 2021 academic year and that the two beautiful new academic spaces will be used for teaching and learning from January. This is a remarkable effort by the contractors and the professional team who have worked tirelessly since permission was granted to resume construction in May. My thanks to the School Governing Body, and in particular Mrs Georgie Borgstrom, for their support for the project.

injection at a vital time and I thank all of you who so generously supported us. There have also been significant donations of products and materials enabling us to stretch our limited financial resources even further. We now look forward to the contractors returning in July 2021 to complete the final phase. This will include fitting out of the top floor which will house the Technology and Visual Arts department, the construction of the much needed ablution and office blocks, the lift, the bridge, and other finishes. The commencement of this phase is dependent on us raising the final R3.5 million needed to complete the project. Thank you to you all for your support this year. You have helped create a unique learning space that will benefit generations of Wynberg boys.

Architect’s Rendering

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WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

EDF EDF Opening

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LOCKDOWN EDF Opening

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WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

LOCKDOWN ESSAYS

2020 VISION | 2020 REFLECTION

LOCKDOWN ESSAYS LOCKDOWN ESSAYS Danté Benting (Grade 11) My octogenarian great-grandmother is afraid of death, and she’s not the only one. Whenever there are visitors (and there are visitors even during lockdown) she keeps a frightful and unfamiliar distance between them. Ma is right to be afraid – the virus is everywhere, but somehow from outside the window people walk freely and unsuspectingly, even though last night a family that lives just three doors down from me was taken by the police for isolation. That’s the thing about people who ignore the circumstances of the world today; it allows for the virus to pounce on them as swiftly and as unsuspectingly as the holy ghost himself and the only goat’s blood they can smear on their front doors is their prayers for mercy that seem to fall on deaf ears, and no one lives forever. My brother is a picky-eater, and for it I sometimes regard him with disappointment, because many times we can’t afford to cater to his uncharacteristically royal palate, and yet I will always forgive him. He has this subconscious, relentless tendency towards happiness that transcends the ignorance of youth and makes me wish myself younger – even though I’m just sixteen. He and my father look very similar, and I am told that I could have been my mother’s twin – although I don’t want to look at any pictures to find out if it’s true. Yesterday my father told me that an uncle on my mother’s side has the virus and I considered crying – not out of love or the possibility of his death, but because of the fact that I wouldn’t cry if he perished. From the news; every death is apathetically diminished to just a number on a screen or a cross on a tally, I almost forget that

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each person used to love someone and was loved, they each had ambitions and regrets, and they all died too soon. I find it facetiously humorous whenever people speak of the virus we can’t see, like the myth of a man who kills you in your sleep. When you live in a township like I do, you’ll find death as common as a blade of grass. The worst thing that happens isn’t when you become desensitized to your environment, it’s when you don’t care that you have. Every night the incongruent sound of gunshots usurps the screams of beaten women and I do nothing but count. Malnourished stray dogs bark at the ghosts of gangsters long forgotten by the newspapers as victims try and remember the last time they heard a police siren. And yet, every day when the sun subsides behind Table Mountain - the most expensive view is beheld. The mountain’s silhouette cascades effortlessly and juxtaposes with the blushing clouds, allowing for what I call a padparadscha sunset. People tell me I have a future outside of Bonteheuwel, and I believe them, which is why I only go outside to buy milk and bread, or to get shot in the face, but I’m not inside either. I spend most of my time reading, and therefore I am both within and without – simultaneously entranced and alienated by the worlds I live in. I was the head librarian of what once was my high school’s library, and for it, here at home I keep seventy-one books eager to be read. These days everyone is reading either “The Stand” or “The Plague” as if there is some sort of anti-philistine movement going about in literature circles, but I read whatever I want to most times. Many authors have generously uploaded their books online for free, but I already get all my online books for free from a website with no name. WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

ETHAN PIPER

Today I had my sixth cup of coffee while conversing with my father and for a split second I saw him for everything he was. He is tall and still has a youthful colour in his hair, and is the biggest reason for who I am and ever will be. Like a knife to the heart I realized that someday even my father will die.

Ethan Piper (Grade 12) Sunlight filters through my gentle curtains and rests on my bed. My eyes flutter, and I check my phone. 8:00 it screams at me. I roll out of bed, the sunlight catching my skin as I move out onto the cold wooden floor of the morning. Today was like any other day, except today was a culmination of soft pencil scribbles, the lapping of paper turning over in the book, and the flurry of tiny key taps as I toil away on my laptop. Today, was a learning day. I move down the old staircase with pencil case in hand, eager to get to the dining room table that’s always basking in the early morning light. Upon reaching the table I set down my pencil case and remove the pencil set I use for my art along with the many black pens begging for more ink. My art book, as big as the Black Sea, opens with a flick of my hand, exposing the bare parchment of which I have yet to write my story on. I take my pencils and begin to elaborately plan out my story, each scratch of my pencil an addition to the plot, every delicately shaded area a reason to keep reading. As I sculpt out my graphite, a beautiful, small, toned body appears on the page. My story, my dedication, my art. Time has now moved swiftly, and I find my attention drawing ever further away from me. I decide on a break to WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

help clear the fog that’s now entered the room. By 10:00, the sun has moved to just the corner of the dining room table. The heat still reflecting off the surface of the bronze-like wooden table. I shift myself closer to the light, the only thing that seems to give me any motivation these days as I can’t draw off anyone else’s. As I soak up my motivation, I find my books and start to tap away at my laptop. My new work has been placed elaborately all over different platforms. I spend some time excavating the work for the day, and I find it hidden right in front of me. Maybe I want to waste the time of day because there’s nothing better to do. I find joy in taking an eternity to find the instructions yet as they are found, I no longer have the same joy to follow them. Something holds me back, the sunlight is fading, my motivation has left me. The deadlines persuade my participation and I grudgingly begin to finish my work with more fear than motivation. It is now 17:00, and my motivation is beginning to sink lower into the horizon, and my world begins to feel the darkness that seeps in. My work is now complete. I eat for a moment, as the now brilliant light of our light fixtures now coat the dining room table in a cold glow. I move up to the warmth of my room as I seek sanctuary from the cold of the downstairs. As I move up my old staircase, I can hear the groans of a day gone past and can’t help but think that I could’ve done better. In the confines of my room I find the warmth I’ve missed since the morning. I leave my gentle curtains open, in hopes to find the last remains of my motivation from earlier. I catch a glimpse of early stars in the sky, and the fading warmth I found on my dining room table earlier resting just behind the mountains. I find myself tapping away at the sight of new light in the sky, new

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LOCKDOWN ESSAYS ...continued from previous page

motivation, but it doesn’t last for long. As exhaustion creeps up on me as I try to finish up the last of the work that I had previously taken an eternity to find, I find myself questioning why I would make it so hard for myself. Why would I stress myself out more than I needed to? Why would I take more time than I needed to finish the small amount of work that was required from the day? Why do I find myself needing something else to motivate rather than being able to motivate myself? The answer lies in my motivation always coming in the morning and shining gently through my curtains. It lies on my dining room table as I come downstairs. It lies on the warmth of the horizon, as it starts another day.

Ethan Welby-Solomon (Grade 12) The experience of learning under lockdown, along with every other situation, is completely dependant on your environment and your outlook on it. The following perspectives are necessary in order to create a visualization of learning under lockdown. You wake up refreshed, with another full night’s rest. Your workday begins whenever you choose. This can be before breakfast or after lunch. You create your own days. When you decide to work, you expect your tasks to be conveniently laid out by your caring teachers. Everything is seamless. If there’s anything that you want to know, your abundant collection of resources are just a few clicks away. For you, learning is efficient and working is frictionless. However, many overlook the struggles endured on a daily basis.

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Learning under lockdown can easily become a demanding and burdensome process. Distractions are prevalent. Your two parents conversing, phones or TV’s can easily steal your valuable attention. Food can quickly become an issue. Eating the same 3-4 meals every day becomes repetitive, and generally, a challenging experience. Another difficulty that you will likely encounter is the workload. The 2 hours of assigned work can quickly overwhelm you. Every day is a battle against Parkinson’s Law. This, along with the fear of a possible extension, creates immense amounts of stress, oftentimes requiring a break or even a day off, to regain your energy. These are only a few of the problems faced by many throughout the world. You’re woken up by the sounds of your mother getting home from work. You try not to wake your siblings as you get out of the bed, you don’t want to disturb them. Mornings are the best time of day. You finally get to talk to your mother before she leaves for her next shift. It’s also your best opportunity to get some work done. Today, you decide to study the subject that you have a textbook for, hoping that the information sticks this time. If there’s a concept that you struggle to grasp, you simply add it to your list of questions to ask when you get back to school. Soon your siblings begin to wake up. They depend on you. Learning is a challenge, but you make it work. However, many overlook the struggles endured on a daily basis. Learning under lockdown can easily become a demanding and burdensome process. Distractions are prevalent. Sharing a room with 6 other people, a sleep-deprived body, and an empty stomach can easily steal your valuable attention. Food, or the lack thereof, can quickly become an issue. Days can go by. You can’t WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

JORDAN CRIDLAND

remember when your last proper meal was, let alone the periodic table. Another difficulty that you will likely encounter is the workload and maintaining a work-life balance. A balance between single-handedly raising your 6 siblings on top of a matric education. This, along with the pressure of being your family’s only hope of a better future, creates immense amounts of stress. However, your mental health does not make it onto your list of priorities. These are only a few of the problems faced by many throughout the world. In conclusion, the quality of a learner’s lockdown education is based both on a combination of the objective environment and the learner’s internal outlook on the situation.

Jordan Cridland (Grade 10) If you had told me as a 5 year old, that one day, the government required me to stay away from school, in the interest of my safety, I would have been over the moon! However, I would soon come to realise that it would not be an easy road as I once thought. A higher discipline would have to be implemented and a schedule would have to become Gospel, in the form of 2 hours of work a day. But, of course, it took longer, more like 4 to 5 hours of work in reality. This was because of the wasteland of distraction and its name was Netflix. Despite this beast of a website, I was able to connect to the teachers of wisdom who would provide daily bread in the form of “read chapters 4 to 7 and do exercise 8”. These were the guiding lights in times of WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

distracted darkness. However, my Excalibur came in the form of #CrashCourse, straight out of the river known as YouTube. This channel provided enlightenment to travellers on the journey of education in the form of lessons, ranging from Thermodynamic laws to the Mongol empire. From then, the great mentors provided training for the battle of foreseen exams in the time of June. The training had to be intentional, many criticised the warriors as ‘going through the motions’ however, I saw this so called ‘motion’ as a mere digging of the pit for the foundations of what would soon be a great castle of knowledge on the physics of waves and writings of Shakespeare. In order for the castle to remain in working condition, the teachers of wise would meet in the realm known as MS Teams in order to make sure the castles that were being built were of good working order. It was good to have these meetings as it allowed the warriors to maintain sanity in facing the plague. The realm of MS Teams however, was not the only round table, for the round table of Zoom was where fellow knights would chat and catch up, talking about the goblins that shook the Earth. These goblins were the sons of bats, from the markets in the lands of the far East, where they ruled in secrecy. Thus, spreading the goblin’s reign of plague to ‘Rome’, where it hence had spread further, causing the warriors to not touch their face, nor shake their fellow’s hand. But their meetings at the round table of Zoom became the binding knot, holding and preserving fellowship. The “elders” of these warriors were those who were concerned that their warriors be on top of their castle building, making use of the weapons from ‘Waltons’ in pen swords and paper shields,

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while being reminded to be ahead of the other warriors’ castle progress. The building of this castle was a process that only its builder could undertake with guidance from manuscripts sent through the “Outlook” as to what building materials and instructions were to be used. Though it was hard work there was still a sense of freedom to enjoy the spoils of labour by sending news of their progress back the council of wise who resided in Moodle land. However, controversy surrounded this realm in that many wanted to return to the Land of Lovers Walk with memories of better castles, where the wise could teach more directly and the many battles commence on the rugby field. The warrior wished to return the Lovers Walk Kingdom. However, he still sat there, building his castle. With the minimal support he had in building it, he fought for better understanding and comprehension which was sometimes hard to express through the messenger. This was his burden that the goblins, sons of bats had brought upon him. It was at this time he wondered how he would remember the goblin plague with its ups and downs of distraction, its difficulty in workload and freedom. He would bestow all he learned at Lovers Walk Kingdom to build up his great castle so it would be remembered as the best of times and the worst of times.

Joshua Perrin (Grade 10) I examine the face in the wooden frame. A face with a large toothless grin, a slightly freckled nose, and a blond lock of hair cascading over

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my eyes, smiles back at me. I am dressed in my well-worn spiderman suit and I am heroically dangling from the monkey bars. I think back to those carefree preschool days, when one sunny dateless day rolled into the next. Where Thursday is Tuesday, and Monday is Friday and Wednesday is the day after that. I glance into the mirror. Ten years on my face has changed. My jaw is more angular, minus the puppy fat. My hair although darker in colour still flops over my eyes. These days during lockdown feel like those I experienced in pre-school. One long sunny day, ungoverned by time merges into the next. Throughout my life at school I have always wondered what it would be like to be homeschooled, slightly envious of the kids that got to wake up late, wear no uniform and grow their hair out. Who got to stay home and surf every day during their breaks. I may not have gotten to surf, at all! But I did get to experience what it was like to be home-schooled and be a part something nonmainstream and out of the ordinary. School days where I could wake up late, wear boardshorts, long hair and jammies. My days are now like the ones of a decade ago. I am warmly woken up by the mid-morning sun, a feeling that plays a part in having an enjoyable stress-free day. As I check my work schedule I am not bombarded and intimidated with mountain like sizes of work, but welcomed by the smaller amount, which motivates me to get it done in time. My sense of responsibility and time management is tested and impacts the amount of time taken. School during lockdown is like an oxymoron. Freely restrained. I am able to walk to the beat of my own drum. I am free to manage my own WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

JUSTIN CHENEY

time, my own schedule and yet we are not free, we are confined and governed by a strict set of rules and regulations. It also strangely feels as though I am schooling in two opposite eras. Fast, advanced modern day, against the slow, simple way of life long ago. I have found the experience to be somewhat educational, in a sense that it has brought me a new sense of responsibility but also given me opportunities to try new things and distant interests. It has given us all the opportunity to step and slow down our busy schedules of life Unfortunately, I have long outgrown my Spiderman suit, but schooling in lockdown has allowed me to re-experience life during my preschool days.

Justin Cheney (Grade 12) Suddenly and abruptly life was stopped. We were forced into our cages and told we may not leave under any circumstance. With sharp bright blue eyes, they patrolled around us, as a way of showing their distrust in us. Time passed and we all wandered around aimlessly in these tight cramped spaces. Even as it had many gaps in which to see and breathe, this cage suffocated me. With glimpses of what life had been stolen from us, we drained on. While some tried to seize this as an opportunity for development, others looked at the bars of their cage and fell into hopelessness. After a strenuous wait, we patiently looked out for our verdict. What would the future hold? The answer was a lightened sentence, the cage doors were opened and we were finally able to feel WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

freedom, if but for a limited time. Unfortunately, while others can now go out and walk in between the isles of man, I am stuck in captivity secured with technological shackles. I have chains grasped to my widening ankles; they are wrapped around the base of my working surface. These binds can only be released once the day’s work has been done and my wardens are satisfied. These unanimated wardens, try to show compassion yet it is lost. Its signal is scrambled leaving me uncertain if they really are there or just a figment of my psychosis as I slowly descend due to this isolation. I miss their direct interactions with us when we were free and able to explore our landscape as we pleased. As time continues new routines must be formed to adapt to this life. Meal and sleeping times affect me most, they govern when I will be locked into my shackles once more. The way in which the wardens communicate has also affected the way of life. A process that was perceived as long and tiresome has found a way to collect the important details and then transferred to us. The prisoners that are stuck within these bars with me try to assist in any way they can. Each expends numerous amounts of energy to create a liveable environment. Each meal I eat is like that of a plate you would receive at a restaurant and I question how this is possible. The problems I face in deciphering foreign dialects are also assisted by the other prisoners, helping to lighten my load. The hours of labour tedious, with each task occupying a good portion of the day. Interaction with others outside of my cage is limited to that of the wardens and on rare occasions others that are facing similar tasks.

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Time progresses differently in captivity. Unlike when we were free, all tasks can change the way we view time. Hours can turn into minutes yet seconds can turn into days. Each task affects you differently and the amount of knowledge that is gained within each task may differ. However, what will always remain constant as we journey forward is the longing that I experience to be once again free, free to journey to new places to meet wardens face to face, and to develop new skills. I long for the day when we will be free of our cages that we are currently trapped in. To go back to life with a newfound meaning of the value of freedom and new knowledge I have gained during captivity.

Liyema Mandla (Grade 10) I’ve spent the past four hours wondering how I was to write this essay in a way that could make it appear more interesting for the reader. Well… in actual fact, I was just procrastinating which seems like it’s a bad thing, but it actually inspired me to simply be honest. In a perfect world, I would have loved to say that not having to go to school every day and having 24 hours in a day to do absolutely anything and everything I want is amazing and that I’ve been so productive. The first couple of weeks that didn’t make me feel like I was living in a neverending cycle of loneliness and self-pity, I was what my therapist describes as “mentally stable”. But unfortunately, it’s the complete and utter opposite. It feels as though time is moving by so quickly that even waking up and sticking to the same singular routine I had always conformed

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myself to, seems exhausting. My school has been trying to give us students a sense of stability of normality during this lockdown period by making sure we are doing the necessary work to make sure that our brains don’t turn into mush and that we can somehow salvage the academic year, which I’m not entirely opposed to. As much as I hate to admit it, being home for all hours of the day (even though I have kind of lost the meaning and concept of time), has not been a complete disaster, I’ve taught myself how to make candles, I have experimented with different mediums for art, I have baked so many different baked goods that at this point I may be eligible to open a bakery and yes, I have done some work during this time. I was on the phone with a friend when I was telling him how I didn’t feel motivated enough to do anything whether it was homework or even my skincare routine because at some point all of the days began to intermingle. And in a not so subtle way he made me realize that motivation is an emotion and when we start to do or not do certain things based on them, we are giving them power over us. I took this advice to heart because I was also experiencing that I couldn’t tell the difference between being “productive” and blindly doing work for the sake of doing it. I was sleeping at really late hours, usually going to bed at 3 a.m sounds fun but it starts losing its thrill when it becomes a daily occurrence and also when it’s fuelled by the anxiety of whether I forgot to reply to a teacher’s email or if there was a live video chat I had missed because my phone was on silent. As someone who enjoys being out and about doing everything I possibly could be doing in the eleven hours that I used spend at school, having nothing to do sometimes starts to let you ponder WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

LUKE HEATH

a lot of things, for example, your existence and whether or not you haven’t been suppressing your emotions and feelings to make life more bearable for those around you. If you were, in any case, wondering, the answer is yes. See, even though the majority of the day is spent doing academic learning; I seem to have managed to find the perfect time to do some spiritual learning as well. Before lockdown, if I had felt anything that was “joy” or “happiness”, either I would pretend to be over it or I wouldn’t acknowledge it at all. So being trapped inside the same four walls really does something to your state of mind. Before this, I would “work out my problems” by going to the gym, which isn’t possible as well but we can’t all get what we want. I do feel bad for the teachers if I am being honest because as students we don’t actually consider how they might be feeling during this time. We say that they’re giving us “too much work” but they’re just doing their jobs. So instead of complaining, I’ve learned to sympathize with them as well because sometimes we don’t see teachers as humans. Imagine having to deal with us every single day and not wanting to breakdown. We didn’t appreciate them enough when we had the chance and honestly, I regret taking them for granted as well. At some point, I think my parents just sort of expected me to be responsible for my own workload, which has been great because it has shown me that they actually trust me more than I thought they did, my entire family dynamic changed as well since both of my parents are still working. It takes me roughly six to twelve hours to complete a single assignment because trying to not just grab the remote and just watch Netflix has been difficult but we manage. I had always said that I wanted to be homeschooled and I did WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

not realize that being forced to be inside would make me desire it even more. It’s the freedom of seeing people outside of a screen that I miss dearly. When someone asks me to put my phone away, I will not even hesitate. This may be a broad generalization but, even when we complain about the long lines at the Fishbowl or the extended assemblies because people refuse to keep their mouths shut or the sometimes terrible Wi-Fi connection or the somewhat toxic social hierarchy. But what I do know is; we wouldn’t change it for the world. No school is perfect but the fact is it doesn’t have to be. I miss the different personalities I got to interact with on a daily basis, I miss complaining about my marks to teachers and I miss them telling me to calm down and accept that no matter how much I begged, it was not going to be changed. I miss being late to class because I was filming TikTok’s with friends and I miss walking into tutor every morning five minutes late with a coffee in hand and the miserable look I had on my face when I remembered that I had Bio homework due the period afterward. I’m ready for this to end so my friends and I can sit in assembly once again pretending to listen to the speaker only to ask our tutors what was said at the end for the day. Oh, how I miss it.

Luke Heath (Grade 12) A parrot that stretches its elongated wings. A mouse exercising endlessly. A snake shedding its skin with the comforting heat lamp. These animals can maintain productivity and prosper within a closed environment with the right tools.

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Yet this is not how some students are able to see themselves when given this amazing opportunity to spread their wings in tough times like these. Let us start at the beginning. The excitement of not having school. I remember like it was just yesterday, eagerly waiting for the email stating that we will not have to go to school for a while. Today I can say that I wish this outbreak never happened. I miss my people. I miss my school. I miss the stress that commends me to work. I miss my teachers. I miss my sports. I miss the Friday assemblies that ascends my spirit, filling my soul. Emotionally, I feel incomplete. I feel that my musical instrument was not the only thing I left at school. Half of my heart was left alongside it. I miss break-times either spent in a meeting tactically plotting the school’s prosperity or spending my time in the matric quad talking banter with my mates and fooling around. Playing touch rugby, stretching my legs as I catch the air flowing through my hair. Now, the only drift of wind I catch is through my open window. This has turned into the highlight of my day other than learning a new song on the guitar and having a small interaction with my clarinet teacher bi-weekly. As an optimist I try see everything in the good light. I finally have time to work on my self-image and create a confidence within myself. I am doing a focused workout every day. I am learning a new instrument. I can focus on strengthening my weaknesses and evaluating my strengths. Most importantly I can complete my work comfortably and sufficiently to do these things. I have been gifted with the one thing that I have wished for since I started my high school career: time. Unfortunately, Time is not the same when you do not have the things that keep you going.

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When I have those things, I am able to complete my school day and complete two after-school activities coming home at seven. Still able to study for a test the next day. Now I can barely find motivation to sit down for four hours and do work. Therefore, I keep myself busy and see the sun smile whilst I am not. I believe that this whole situation is a curse. This year was supposed to be my year. I have made a connection that has been disrupted by this pandemic. What is going to happen with my Matric Dance? Will I ever be able to play sport again? Will I be able to attend Stellenbosch University if the educational year does commence? Will I ever be able to catch up the time that I have lost with my fellow classmates? It is quite ironic as only Time will tell.

Marko Maric (Grade 12) Wynberg is not a place. It is not a school. It is not an institution. It is a lifestyle. A lifestyle, I choose every single day I wake up and every single night I go to bed. Lockdown is an obstacle and a vast one at that. It is a test of character, maturity and a true challenge not just in the eyes of education, but that of lifestyle for many. When I got assigned this topic I could have written an extensive essay of 12 pages or more because there is so much to elaborate and describe what “Learning Under Lockdown” has been like in my experience. To truly speak from the heart, I must go off topic and speak on what truly this whole experience has been like for me. At times, it may have been difficult to keep up WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

MOHAMMED ZAYD LOUW

with the workload and deal with all the external and internal issues of online education. It has been a struggle for many but in reality, this is a task that could be accomplished easily by the privileged students and people such as myself. We have access to internet, data, electronic devices, and so many resources we can use to further our knowledge not just in the work that is assigned to us but the work we choose to further our knowledge on voluntarily. There is so much time and such little worry for a person of privilege such as myself. There are students who are worrying about their next meal or if they will be able to stay in school. There are students who are worried about their parents losing their jobs, marriages and relationships coming to an end and poverty increasing on the daily. These are the real-world problems some of our classmates are facing. The scary reality of what life is becoming and what is to come in the future. “Learning Under Lockdown” is something that has been challenging at times but, to be honest, it should be a breeze for students of privilege such as myself. There is no reason that I (or any student of privilege) should be under large amounts of stress and anxiety. Everything we do in our online education is always within reach. I miss my classmates and the corridors of my second home, Wynberg Boys’ High. I even miss my teachers and the long and stressful days that I would have at times. It makes me grateful for the life of privilege that I live and the minimum amount of stress I am under. I am pushing myself mentally and physically every day. This lockdown and the strange events going on in the world have made me appreciate life so much more and all that it brings. Life is beautiful and the future will be great. It is possible for most of WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

us to further our education and learning online but it is a challenge and impossibility to many students in South Africa. It breaks my heart to know that lives will be lost, educations ruined and hopes broken. This is what we face now. A harsh and true reality of what life has become. I worry about the underprivileged and the poor. I worry about my classmates who are suffering and aren’t seeking help. “Learning Under Lockdown” is an experience that has taught me so much. Not just in education but life itself. Life is never guaranteed and we don’t know how much time we have. I make the most of what I have now and the goals I want to achieve. I will forever be in pain knowing my fellow brother or sister is suffering and doesn’t have the privilege I do. I believe in my school’s motto Supera Moras. It pushes me every day. The days I don’t want to work or exercise. The days I feel no motivation. Never giving up is the lifestyle Wynberg has instilled in me.

Mohammed Zayd Louw (Grade 12) A zoo: a place, a situation marked by confusion and restrained behaviour... I sit between four corners, interfacing with my laptop while its light reflects off my iris. Time has passed in a blur. It has no purpose now; it comes, and it goes. Eight weeks’ worth of impairment! Wild animals are not meant to be chained, held captive. Why do I feel like I am being held captive? It is odd having to reconstruct my thoughts and think of being caged, held hostage in a place once known for its freedom, its comfort - a place I call home.

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When us, “wild animals” are taken out of our natural habitats, our ideal learning environments and placed into cages, our survival instincts take effect, immobilising our capability to learn effectively. Our focus lies on escaping these enclosures in search of the idea of having a “normal” life again, in search of the freedom we once had. That idea of “normalcy” will never be the same. Learning is now of little relevance and has become secondary. Online learning in lockdown is like being tamed and shackled in captivity. No zookeeper can tame a wild animal if that animal refuses to be tamed. Our true teacher is nature, the wild, our ideal learning environment. Those who we perceive as wild animals are the “humans” observing, monitoring and analysing us in captivity. They operate as normal, walking between the enclosures, looking from the outside inward. That which we have lost made us human. We find ourselves romanticising about the life we had, instead of coming to terms with the life we have now. With a pessimistic outlook of what is to come we are unable to recognise the good that comes from our situation. We do not fear the unknown, we fear what we think we know about the unknown. It is in our nature to be social beings. One looks at Matric as being the highlight, the peak of your high school career. I am seventeen and what I had planned and dreamed of this year is agonisingly being stripped away from me. Anything in this life is survivable because we are as invincible as we believe ourselves to be, but it is because we are fixated on making ourselves more invincible that we start valuing the wrong things. Only in times of change do we realise what we truly

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need to survive. COVID-19 has been challenging but it has taught us lessons we could never have learned or experienced before, giving us skills to survive in situations that we are unable to predict or control. However, we will come out victorious.

Saeed Ebrahim (Grade 11) Wake up, work, go back to bed. It was a simple process. It was all that there was to do but, why was it so difficult to cope with? I mean, it’s the life that every student once wished for. However, they were unaware about the mental strain it would lash upon their weak mindset. Ai Yoshteru peered at the bottom right corner of his computer screen “19th May 2020, 13:38pm”. “Just for a bit.” he whispered He turned around and plopped onto his bed, pulling his phone out of his back pocket, as he hit the soft mattress which was a relief to his back. “That was enough now.” He quietly thought to himself. Ai often spent periods of time blankly staring at the work on his screen. The work that 6 different teachers pounded onto his home-dwelling workplace, which was to be his academic profile for the next few weeks, or even months … Maybe years? It was experimental to say the least. This was the first time they have gone through this. Going on his mobile phone was a momentary break for him; and for many others in a similar position. “Momentary.” After endlessly scrolling on social media and WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

SAEED EBRAHIM

talking to his girlfriend whom he missed dearly, he eventually escaped from the digital distraction to go to another, and got out of bed to walk over to his computer. “A game of Rainbow 6 perhaps?” he said, not seeming bothered by the work at all. He proceeded to play video games, ignoring the work completely – not because he didn’t want to do it, but because he thought that he could not do it. The work was always intimidating to him, only eventually completing it because of its deadline. Whenever he was presented by a question he could not answer, he always looked for a quick way to escape. To distract his mind, he let himself loathe in laziness – no one was there to stop him so why not? Sometimes however, he had a burst of serotonin which boosted his creativity and made him muster up the motivation to complete his assignments. He quickly realized that learning under lockdown hindered his ability to learn and retain information. His work ethic had been completely thrown out the window. 2020 was supposedly the year where he’d improve his academic performance; and he did this in the previous term by increasing his average which sat like a crown trophy on his report card, but now… who knows what lay ahead in the future. After a couple of games, Ai’s eyes were drawn over to his phone screen which lit up on the desk next to him. He peered over at it, his eyes suddenly filling with worry. He stumbled over to his bag which had his drawing equipment. An assignment was soon due later that day. He had just received a helpful reminder from his teacher. He was grateful for these. Communication with teachers was always ideal. They were always friendly and understanding, WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

with kind reminders and always offering help. However, he did feel the need to be present in their class to fully immerse in the learning experience. But more often than not, he always felt that he could complete work at home, instead of in class where there were distractions around you, eventually ending up not doing the work at all. In the end, he did wind up learning a couple of concepts, but this was, of course at an extremely slow pace. Nevertheless, work was completed. [16:58pm] “Aaai?” Ai’s mother called him from across the house. He usually helped preparing the food for the night. Time management during lockdown was key. With time moving so quickly, Ai managed to master this aspect of quarantine, always having a daily process of doing things. He made work a priority so that he could rest and enjoy himself for the rest of the day… most of the work that is. “Done!” Ai let out a sigh of triumph. “Coming now Mom!” he replied. Two minutes left to submit. He heard his Father’s car pull up in the driveway as well. After feeling that weight lift off his shoulders, he quickly rushed inside prancing into the kitchen with the wave of worry washed off his face. The sunset usually marked the end of his school day. Everything was to be complete before then, so that he could ease his way into the night without pressure from school which he usually spent 3 – 4 hours of his time on (if it was interesting enough). As Ai sat at the dinner table, the thoughts of the future pondered his mind – How long was this going to last? Will we have exams? What will happen to the Matrics and final year students?

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This was a routinely process he always had. Thinking back on his classmates, he didn’t really maintain contact with any of them. The only ones being where they asked him to send answers of the work. Ai got up from the table and made his way to his room where his light was shining dimly. He loved this – the ease of being relaxed and doing things of his own accord. If he was to fix his work ethic and be able to go out and see friends, as well as some exercise, he really would not mind Lockdown at all. School was perhaps… missed marginally – the teachers that is.

Seb Lanz (Grade 12) For all children the closing of schools is a dream, a chance to break free from the structure and authority that schools represent. From this dream the idea of home-schooling is planted in a child’s brain, it grows into a tall, beautiful tree only to be cut down by the child’s parents once they are shown the tree. They reason that the child will miss school, the child of course scoffs at this and insists they would never miss school, but the parents, being parents get their way and the child stays in school. The child may never fully realise this, but being kept in school is the best thing for them. How do I know this? Well, I was once that child, begging to be home schooled, but my parents, being parents, kept me in school. This period of ‘lock-down learning’ made me realise that they were right to do so, for essentially, this period is very similar to home-schooling. At first the idea of ‘lock-down learning’ was

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exciting. It offered everything that child had dreamed of, the ability to structure my day in a way the worked the best for me, a flexible structure with room for freedom. If I felt like sleeping in on Thursday morning I could, or if by the time Wednesday came and I was feeling overwhelmed I could take a day off. It allowed me to work at my own pace, focus more on the subjects I struggled with and still only spend a few hours working each day. In theory it was the perfect way to learn. However, like the theoretical gas law, once brought to reality it often does not work as well as it should. Sure for the first few weeks the gases behaved as they should, but soon the flexibility and freedom became an excuse and the gases started to behave strangely. My planned few hours of daily work soon became half a day, then a full day. The most peculiar thing was that the workload had not actually increased and I came to the conclusion that the different subjects had started to blur together, there was no definite distinguishing thing between them. At school there is change. Each subject has a different teacher and class. Each teacher brings about a new style of learning and each teacher has their own personal quirks that make their lessons unique. This is what I was missing. The last-minute rush to complete homework before the teacher arrived; the way the science labs smelled after an experiment; the way Mr Moser greeted us each lesson with a test; the daily calls for a half time break being relentlessly shot down by Ms Wallace; the complying and pleading of the boys at Friday morning polo practices; the hype before a rugby match. This is what I was missing. It was, I am ashamed to say, the very thing I once dreamed of escaping. It was school I was missing. It was the boys and staff who made each new day different. It was my WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

THEOLAN MARIMUTHU

boys at break; my boys in the pool; and my boys on the field that I was missing. With the extension of lock-down my hopes of soon returning to the school I so dearly miss are dwindling and with that so is my spirit. I have to find a way of bringing what I missed to my room. Luckily, I am fortunate enough to have that. I am able to watch and re-watch some of the great sports fixtures from the past seasons – the celebratory cries when we scored the winning try against Paul Roos once again send shivers down my spine. Teachers’ video lessons and calls with the boys bring a small bit of what I am missing to me. I hope that the time to put the child dreaming of this to bed soon arrives so that I can return to what I miss fully. I have however no doubt that a few weeks into school that child will once again awaken and the dream of no school will once again flit through my head.

Theolan Marimuthu (Grade 12) Albert Einstein once said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results. That is what learning under lockdown feels like. Waking up every morning knowing that you have to sit in the same place, look at the same boring wall and try and study for hours without even knowing when you are going to be tested. I spend about 2 hours a day trying to convince myself to study for the next three hours. The motivation to get work done by a certain time and understand each section so that you can do well is lost, as there are no test dates, no due WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

dates for projects and no schooling structure to enforce punishment for not completing the work. The unknowing fuels my procrastination and encourages me to go through the motions of learning. So, I begin questioning if my goals in life are right for me, am I choosing to pursue a career for myself or for someone else? This uncertainty helps me justify my poor choices to do something else rather than work. It changes my idea of good work from being memorising an entire section to memorising a single page. The stress of whether you are preparing yourself well enough for your final exams is intensified by the fact that you do not know when these final exams are. In lockdown, I am left to deal with this stress by myself as my parents are both working. My mom being a doctor and risking being infected every day also adds to the stresses in my life. Stress in lockdown is like having a little person in your head that kicks your brain to remind you that there is always schoolwork to do and never lets you relax. You end up feeling guilty for relaxing for even a split second. These contrasting ideas running through your mind of ‘what’s the point of working’ versus ’you are wasting time, you need to work’, leads to an endless mental battle with yourself where ultimately there is never going to be a winner, so you end up in a sort of intermediate state where you work without purpose or direction. I do this repeatedly, day after day, with the expectation of a different result. On a positive note, however, there is no constant fear of needing to cut my hair or shave my beard. I am allowed to grow my hair out and look like a shaggy dog if I want to. There are no teachers controlling the way I look or see myself. Comfort in clothing has become more important than

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appearance. I can wear whatever I want and even do my schoolwork in pyjamas. There is no rush to pack things up and go to a different class through corridors flooded with people. There is no risk of and having to deal with the red blushes of embarrassment for arriving to class late because I was trying to put things in order in my bag. I can take my time to organise everything and make everything I need easily accessible Although learning in lockdown feels like insanity, it has helped me learn organisational skills. Now that I have learned to declutter my workspace, I just need to learn to declutter my mind and end the war between procrastination and motivation.

Thomas Burke (Grade 12) Lockdown came to many of us as a slight annoyance at first, whereas to others it came as a long holiday. Now, it’s become a reality. The “long holiday” turned into a new learning experience and the “slight annoyance” disappeared as actuality made itself clear. For many adults working during lockdown has been harder since they don’t necessarily have all the resources they need. I’ve seen this first hand. However, education has taken a toll on many students that don’t have the resources to back up their studies too. To be honest, it’s even taken a toll on those that do have the resources to back up their studies. In both cases the wrath of uncertainty and mental apprehension reign supreme. They rule as fiercely as the Gods of Olympia and we have no control over them. All we can do is somehow work with what we have to

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overcome them. Despite, the seemingly constant battle some of us have been fighting we must remember that we are not alone. As the future of the nation our younger generations must rise up and help one another with motivation raging within our spirits and knowledge growing within our minds. The knowledge that we acquire from our learning, as we continue to allow wonder and interest, embraces us through the use of books, websites and speech. Lockdown may have brought a certain darkness with it but that darkness only remained evident within those that embraced it. Others let their candles grow stronger as their strength grew vaster. No one and nothing should ever negatively affect the growing desire of knowledge, courage and will that lie within the chasms of young minds. These desires lie dormant, for the most part, until they are challenged. They awaken and spring from their darkness with fierce might and glowing eyes. Thus, a new level of determination arises. Determination creeps within our starving minds day in and day out. It doesn’t falter and it doesn’t waver but it does understand that sometimes patience is needed for success. Thus, patience and wisdom accompany determination to prevent a lack of moderation. It’s during times like these that we realize how much good and potential we harness. It is also during these challenging times that we realize that we aren’t as strong as we thought. In fact, we’re stronger than we could have ever imagined. It’s been rough, tough and mentally challenging but it’s also been eye-opening and somewhat life-changing. We now more or less know what we want from ourselves and those around us during our life and its travels. We, the youth, feel the abrasions of this time and allow them to WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

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motivate us. We turn negative, derogatory energy into positive, enlightening energy for our own benefits and the benefits of others.

Thomas Coutts (Grade 12) We are severely discouraged from leaving our homes during this time. Stuck in my house day in, day out, I feel like I’m beginning to see White padded walls. You feel a lack of freedom, but that is exactly what learning under lockdown has helped me with. Every day I am assigned a measure of work that I am required to spend time on. The amount of time ranges from 2-6 hours, which is small when compared to the amount of time I would spend at school on a normal day. The work is structured in such a way that I know exactly what I need to do, but I have complete freedom in how I go about it. If I wanted to wake up early and start working on the material as soon as it is assigned, I can do that. If I wanted to wake up, spend time with my family, work out, do some housework, and then finally complete my work, I have that option. Even if I wanted to sleep in until noon and then complete my work when I wake up, I have the freedom to do so. I feel free as a bird even whilst trapped in a cage The only requirement is that the work be completed on time and to the best of my ability. I am given instructions on how to do so, further reading on the subject such as YouTube videos or online quizzes/ tutorials, and work that will test my understanding. If after all this I am still confused in any way, I need simply contact my teacher and convey my questions. WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

There is no wasting time, no waiting on teachers to explain things slowly for the students who were not listening, no stopping while the class quietens down. There is only work that needs to be done. The teachers assign that work and keep tabs on how you are progressing. If I come across something that I don’t understand I simply stop and go back over the instructions and the examples until I can continue unabated. If there is something my family requires help with in the house or if my friends need help over messages or calls, I can stop, and return to the work when I am ready. If I find myself struggling to focus and my mind wandering, I can take a break and continue when I am focused. It is this freedom that helped through these especially tough times When hard times struck and I was plunged into mourning, I received support from my teachers. They encouraged me to take a break from the work and to take things slowly. They told me that there were no expectations of me during this tragedy, and that if I needed support they were there, and for that I am extremely grateful. However, despite the removal of expectations I still received the work, and when I had worked through my grief, I was able to tackle the backlog of easily accessible work. I had the support of my teachers and my mother, who had mourned with me. And when the day’s work was done, I booted up my PC and logged on to play games with my friends as we discussed our situations and the work we were doing. Throughout this period of hardship I have felt an incredible sense of community. This event has levelled the hierarchy, we are all confined to our homes, and we all still seek companionship and comradery. It is now easily found, and should

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tragedy consume you, you may find solitude just as easily. All this from a time when freedom is something you would least expect to find is miraculous. When this pandemic passes, I hope that the those in charge will learn from this.

Tyrell Mungul (Grade 12) Anxious gazes stared at the television as the President addressed the nation. 21 days of lockdown. Stay home and stay safe. I imagined staying with my family for 3 weeks without going anywhere as a bore, since I am extremely social and spend most of my time at the homes of my friends. The first week felt intolerable. I was going out of my mind. In all honesty, Lockdown had brought my family closer as well. Among our constant arguing, we found solutions to problems that we haven’t resolved for years. Bonds had been re-formed and I actually started enjoying the company of my younger siblings. Instead of shouting at each other like we normally would do, we laughed at silly jokes and spoke more often. We watched late night shows together, and played board games. I missed my friends though; the weekly gettogethers and the funny banter that would always arise when all of my closest friends were together in the same room. Thankfully, due to technological forms of communication, we managed to stay in touch . The workload seemed never-ending and I longed for a break, only realising afterwards that lockdown was a form of vacation itself. It really seemed that I had more work to do at home

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than I have ever had at school, and in times like these, this just made me appreciate my teachers even more. The lessons and extra-explaining that I usually took for granted, I now longed for. By the second week of lockdown, I had settled into a routine of doing most of my schoolwork during the day, with frequent breaks in between. The government doesn’t choose our future; we do. Reality is hitting us, knowing that school isn’t everything out there. People work so many years preparing to live life on their own terms but now don’t have an alternative. I have learnt more about myself than ever before. I guess before, I never really had the time to skim through my thoughts, pick them apart and analyse them but with all this free time on my hands, every day has become a process of figuring myself out even more. I have refocused my goals, and what is most important to me: my family. So, in many ways, this lockdown has proven to be a massive eye-opener. And our nation might not be the same after this but it has made me and everybody else appreciate everything that we usually overlooked, such as being able to hang out with friends; going to the mall just to browse and even just being able to see distant family. It’s all the little things that matter when you’re sitting at home, with nothing to do.

Yashveer Ramklass (Grade 12) The journey through high school is an arduous one, made along an ever-changing landscape. We must endure steep declines into deep valleys and emerge, reaching the summits of high WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

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hills. We must bear witness to our dynamic environment, taking in experiences and learning as we wander, guided only by the vague footprints of those who have walked the trail before us and the teachings of those who walk alongside us. This year, as I reached the final segment of my 5 year voyage – with the footpath laid out in front of me and its end in my sight – I was greeted by a disheartening sign. It conveyed a brief, but life-changing message: “Detour”, alongside a red arrow. Forced to follow the arrow’s target trailhead, I hesitantly changed direction, with the hope that the original path would one day be restored for future expeditionists. Without a single footprint, the alternate route was untraveled. I started down it, seeing nothing but horizon ahead. The dirt-based avenue became monotonous, with nothing to discern one section from another, but my own prints in the dirt and sheer time passing. With the caverns and peaks of prior reduced to mere molehills, I was drowned in my purposelessness. My trail guides from beforehand took the form of spectres, appearing infrequently and providing their guidance only for short periods, before disappearing again. I was alone. In order that I would remain sane and content, I had to take control, manifesting the intense topography that I had become accustomed to. After facing the unintimidating external challenges of each day, I would create my own, pushing my limits and becoming stronger in the physical, mental and spiritual capacities. Along the way, I caught glimpses of an array of recognizable, but metamorphosed, plant life. Picking the sweet-smelling flowers of independence, self-control, discipline and selfmotivation as I walked, I realized that they had bloomed early. The alternate route had given WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2020

me the opportunity to harvest the magnificent, pulchritudinous blossoms before their season had rolled around. Continuing to trek, I marvelled at the scene before me. I could once more see the trail’s end, its clarity escalating as I approached. I was ecstatic, but decided I would take my time. In order to properly experience the denouement of my journey, and the world beyond the trail, I would need the most wondrous, mature bouquet I could possibly constitute.

Ziyaad Solomons (Grade 12) We are stuck in a confusing time; a time in which we’re forced to let go of the normal lives we once lived and enter into an age of renaissance. The lockdown period has been described as “the great realization” the period in which humans realize the fast-paced lives we’ve been living is not one fit for our fragile society. Our life before this global pandemic is one that can only be described, as we look back now, as one of the astronomical proportions. Waste and wonder, Poverty and plenty filled our lands. People built buildings that towered to the heavens and dug tunnels to the depth of our planet. Contaminated air and polluted water became a topic well discussed but rarely acted upon. In biological terms, we have become the parasite affecting the only thing giving us life, our planet. Then along comes a pandemic that I describe as god-sent. You see us humans consider ourselves superior and justly so as we have rooted our societal theory of existence into our superiority. A virus that causes a human to be totally vulnerable is, in my perspective, out of this world.

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This virus has come to guide us back onto a path we’ve strayed away from. In saying so I do not suggest we return to our normal lives without a change because after all, normality was the problem. Humans have become so used to our world being corrupt and unjust that we’ve understood it as this is just the world we live in. In the words, of Charles Darwin – “To kill an error is as good a service as, and sometimes even better than, the establishing of a new truth or fact.” This pandemic hath shone a light on what is the greatest error of the 21st Century. The error that we cannot see the injustice of our ways. We, humans, have within us the capacity to live a life in a world far greater than the one we live now. A world where poverty is eradicated, where no man goes hungry and where every child has the gift of going to school. These “theories” of a greater world may seem unachievable, but this thought of achievability is directly the point in question. We have stopped dreaming, clung to our ‘normal lives’, and accepted defeat. All it takes to achieve this attainable reality is to let go of our previous selves and our unjust world. In the words of Piscine Molitor Patel in the novel Life of Pi – all of life is an act of letting go, but what hurts more than letting go, is not taking a moment to say goodbye. So now I encourage you to let go say goodbye to normalcy and say hello to a new brighter future.

LOCKDOWN ESSAYS excerpt... “The COVID-19 virus has caused one of the worst economic crashes since the Stock Market Crash of 2008, but it has also impacted the lives of our country’s students and teachers. The Schooling system has had to make some urgent changes to the way it functions that were long overdue. Going online has been one of the breaking points between ‘Old School’ teaching and the modern world we find ourselves in today. Coming from a privileged background compared to many South African students has made the change from a textbook-style learning to a selfdisciplined and modern style of learning far easier. Although the change has been somewhat exciting it has also caused many to lose that motivation to work every day. Wynberg’s way of learning is something that has been working extremely well because of its recent changes. The given subjects per day allow for learners to space out their work and sometimes even have free days depending on their subjects and grade. Although many miss the social aspect of school, I feel that moving online has made a breakthrough to our education system that was long overdue.” Jason Beckman (Grade 10)

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LOCKDOWN ESSAYS excerpt... “On the surface, I would say I am enjoying the experience, but look deeper and you would find the experience’s flaws. Living in isolation, no matter how peaceful, is not fun for any teenager. We are stuck at home, no friends, no parties, no sports and worst of all…we do not get told about the green and red decisions we are making. I know I would not be speaking just for myself when I say that I miss the normality of the good old days of January and February. I miss wearing my blazer. I miss making sure blazer buttons are done up. I miss the Feedem staff. I miss seeing my teachers. I miss playing cricket and most of all I miss walking through the Memorial Gates every morning. It is my final year at Wynberg, a final year that has been spoilt by a virus. I know I will never get this year back and it hurts. In seventeen days, I would be picking up my suit, getting a fresh haircut and picking up my date to my matric dance. The only matric dance I will ever get. In just over five months I should be ringing that bell for the last time. Imagine a grade that rings that bell when they enter but may not ring it when they leave. Two weeks ago, I would have been on one of those buses that was travelling to Grey. It would have been the last time I set foot on those school grounds as a Wynberg Man.

All these events trigger emotions. Emotions of anger, hatred and sadness. I am a matriculant of 2020 and I have been robbed. To be honest, this may have been a great learning experience for the entire world in hygiene and cleanliness but all it has taught me is how to be angry; angry at the things I never got to do, or to say. Angry at not being able to do what I love. Angry at the fact that I may never get to plant a tree on the Jaques Kallis Oval. Angry that I cannot put my cheering jersey on and cheer with pride and passion. With the anger, however, came the realization that I am lucky. There are people out there that I can see from my bedroom window that have it harder than me and I need to be grateful for what I have. Grateful that I can learn; that there is always a hot meal at the end of the day; that I can talk to my friends; that I have people who love me surrounding me and that I know I will be okay. There are some people out there that say school isn’t necessary and that people can learn at home. That may be true, but in saying that, those people should know they are robbing a child of what should be the best part of their childhood. It should be filled with memories of joy, happiness, success, defeat, pride and those children should look back and say, “Those were the best years of my life.” Sebastian Volans (Grade 12)

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At morning and evening, we will remember them. www.wbhs.org.za