Term 2 2015 - Epworth School

Term 2
2015
Events & Features
New Head chosen to lead Epworth
Ms Laura Bekker has been
named the fourteenth Head of
Epworth School and will take
over from Mrs Liz Klug at the
beginning of 2016. She is
currently the Principal of
Rustenburg High School for
Girls in Cape Town, and boasts
a distinguished 33-year career
in education, with over 14
years’ experience as a
principal.
their profits to this worthy cause.
“We are proud to assist with CANSA’s fundraising efforts
and are honoured to be making an impact in our community,” said the Mudman organising committee.
CANSA’s mobile clinics reach people in outlying areas who
would otherwise not have access to screening. Their staff
walk the road together with cancer patients from the
screening process through to the treatment phase,
providing on-going support and counselling.
Ms Bekker is an accomplished English teacher who also
has hockey coaching skills and vast experience in producing and co-ordinating musical productions and concerts.
She is respected for her pioneering spirit in the areas of
curriculum methods, leadership and management of
schools and is well poised to lead Epworth into the next
chapter of its continued success.
Ms Bekker is an active member of the Kirstenbosch
Rotary Club and is an avid “birder” who enjoys nature and
the outdoors. Some of her other interests include theatre
and reading.
According to Ian Ogilvie, Chairman of the Board of
Governors, Ms Bekker has been carefully chosen from a
dynamic selection process which attracted applications
from some of South Africa’s most qualified education
fraternity.
aQuellé Epworth Mudman supports CANSA
The aQuellé Epworth Mudman was very proud to hand
over a cheque for R20 000.00, as part of their fundraising
efforts, to the CANSA Foundation in support of their mobile-screening clinics in and around Pietermaritzburg.
For this year’s Mudman event, the aQuellé Epworth Mudman team partnered with CANSA Active to assist in giving
back to the community. They elected to donate 10% of
Pictured at the official hand-over of the cheque for R20 000 to CANSA
are (from left): Epworth Mudman Committee organisers, Gavin
Dundas-Starr and Sharryn Middleton; CANSA representative, Lisa
Strydom; aQuellé representative, Suzelle Stegen; Head of Epworth
School, Liz Klug and Principal of Epworth Preparatory School,
Reynard White.
Epworth Foundation stages successful event
The newly-established Epworth Foundation treated a soldout audience to a Forever Young supper-theatre concert
by renowned singer and past pupil, André Hattingh (Class
of 1971). Together with her sister Jenny, André brought
alive some of the well-known songs of the 60s and 70s
which she interspersed with anecdotes and reminiscences
relating to her life and the memorable times she spent at
Epworth. André was delighted to be able to re-connect
with some of her school friends who were part of the
audience. She commented on how rewarding the event
was for her: “It was wonderful to be singing at my old
school again. Thanks for the wonderful reception and the
Events & Features
audience participation. Fantastic!”
The event also featured an auction, conducted by
professional auctioneer, Mark Hols, of several items that
were kindly donated to the Foundation. This proved a
great success and together with the concert, the proceeds
were in excess of R35 000.
André Hattingh (right) and her sister performing at the Forever Young
Concert
Director of the Foundation, Ingrid Roberts and
auctioneer, Mark Hohls
with two of the artworks,
kindly donated and painted by Epworth Prep
School Parent, Colin
Mutomba, that were up
for auction.
Moving thousands of books from one place to another
and back again was accomplished using a human chain of
pupils, who played “pass the parcel” with piles of books.
Packing the beautiful new grey and red shelves was a
highlight of the process, seeing how the colours of the
books as they filled the rooms created a new atmosphere
of readership. The computer wing of the Library with the
Seminar Room, is home to 16 brand new wireless computers and all the non-fiction and reference books. Funky
chairs and tables allow pupils to work in groups or alone
at the workstations.
If you ask any Epworth girl, we are willing to bet that her
favourite spot in the new Library is the Fearnhead Room,
commonly known as the Chill Lounge. The cosy couches
and amazingly comfortable bean bags, the big screen TV,
with DSTV or computer access, as well as the career and
magazine area in which to browse, constantly has pupils
vying for a part of it! Clocks with interesting cities’ time
zones add a geographical and historical element, while
the amazing steps in the form of five significant book titles
make everyone think a little as they enter the “universe of
knowledge” – the “new” Epworth Library!
Librarian, Mrs
Marion Kroukam,
with some of the
girls in the newlyrefurbished Library
Epworth celebrates a “new” Library
What started off as a plan for redecorating, with a few
new chairs and computers here and there, burgeoned
into a Board-approved, full renovation that involved
knocking down and rebuilding the entire space.
As the “warehouse”, as it became fondly known, took
shape, all the books and functions of the Library moved
to the Team Teaching Room, where it looked like a book
sale for a year.
Girls enjoying a
relaxing English
lesson in the Chill
Lounge
Events & Features
Grade 12’s enjoy a “Starry, Starry Night”
The Matric Dance can be counted as one of the highlights
of Grade 12 and it certain ranks as the most anticipated
events in any girl’s high school career. This year’s Grade
12’s reflect on this special occasion:
“I felt the whole night was magical.
The Grade 11’s
had decorated everything amazingly well and the
entertainment blew us away” - Emily Latt
“Being around my friends was very special to me
and dancing the night away is what I will always
remember” - Emma West
“Our night under the stars is one I will never forget”
- Jocelyn Bowmaker
“The entertainment was truly mesmerising as it
showcased the talents of the Grade 11’s as well as a
wow factor with the new and creative way of using
fairy lights” - Rebecca van Rooyen
“I thoroughly enjoyed the entire event and even
waited right until the end and had to be kicked out!”
- Rhea Morar
Mr and Mrs Klug greeting the girls and their partners at the start of
the Matric Dance
Cultural residency features Luna Page
Celebrated South African singer-songwriter Luna Paige
spent a week in the High School as part of this year’s
cultural residency programme. She ran a number of
workshops which included an interschool song-writing
workshop, lyric-writing workshops for the Grade 10 and
Grade 11 Afrikaans pupils, and a hands-on session with
the Grade 10 subject Music pupils, working on a song they
had been writing. Her informal and conversational
performance style was well received by the Grades 8-12,
who listened to her sing in a lunchtime concert, and by an
adult audience in a supper-theatre performance in the
Haley Hall. This performance also showcased the
Cantabile Choir which sang several items with Luna.
“This year the Grade 11’s outdid themselves with
their fantastic organising of the Matric Dance in
many aspects” - Micaela Kriel
“Thank you for putting together something so beautiful; it was very special for all the Matrics”
- Emma Muskett
Luna Paige with members of the choir and music staff at the end of
the lunchtime concert
Events & Features
Dance Company in 16th Funk performance
Thirteen girls from Epworth’s Senior Dance Company
joined pupils from 11 other schools and an adult dance
group at the Funk dance extravaganza held at the Hilton
College Theatre. Each school performed a six-minute
piece of dance choreography and all of them joined together at the end for a mass group finale. “Each school
brings a different style of dance and performance which
makes the show so unique. There are powerful, funny,
sad and interpretive dance pieces that just make Funk,
Funk,” said Head of the Dance Company, Emma West.
This year Epworth took a stand by calling their piece, “We
are the Revolution” which included hiphop and flawless,
demonstrating that, contrary to popular belief, Epworth is
not just about ballet and contemporary dance.
Reaching out to SOS Children’s Village
As part of Epworth in Community (EPiC), all the girls in
Grades 8-11 participated in an outreach activity at SOS
Pietermaritzburg Children’s Village. For a morning, everyone was involved in work aimed at creating a better
environment for the children who live in the village. This
entailed working in the garden, cleaning, helping to
renovate the library and playing with the children. Led by
Chaplain, Rev Frenchye Magee and the Heads of Outreach, Jocelyn Bowmaker and Emma Muskett, the event
marked the start of what will hopefully be a long and
successful relationship between the two organisations.
Girls getting down to some hard work at SOS Pietermaritzburg
Children’s Village
Epworth hosts Independent Schools’ Sports Festival
The Epworth Dance Company performing their piece at Funk
Epworth dancers participating in the finale of “freaks” which saw
them transformed into zombies
This year it was Epworth’s turn to host
the Independent Schools’ Sports
Festival, an annual event for independent girls’ schools in KZN and Gauteng.
Six hundred of the country’s top sportswomen in hockey, netball, squash and
tennis from 17 different schools descended on the
campus for a celebration of sport from 12-13 July. This
event was started by Epworth sports staff in 1998 to
commemorate the school’s centenary. Since then, it has
grown in popularity to become a firm favourite on the
sporting calendar. It provides an opportunity for teams
to compete and hone their skills in a relaxed and nonthreatening atmosphere.
Events & Features
Earth Active Club
members at
Butterflies for
Africa
Team Epworth - all the ISSF players and staff
Focusing on the environment
The Earth Active Club’s main focus for the first half of this
term was preparation for the interschools’ Enviro Quiz.
This included a visit to Butterflies for Africa where much
knowledge was gained, especially for the section on insects. Two teams entered the Enviro Quiz where pupils
tested their knowledge on topics such as plant, animal
and bird identification, current affairs, terminology and
general environmental awareness.
The Club also did an investigation and a report on waste
disposal at Epworth. The girls were pleasantly surprised to
find that the food waste from the kitchen and dining room
re:creation - an Epworth and Maritzburg College
collaboration
The term ended on a high note with a memorable night of
music in the Epworth Chapel, performed by Epworth and
Maritzburg College pupils together with professional
musicians. This public concert featured 110 voices, solo
soprano, strings and organ alongside ambient lighting,
visuals and interpretive dance. The programme showcased
the work of three well-known greats of classical music:
Bach, Mozart and Hayden. “The title re:creation reflects
our desire to honour these composers while presenting
their music with an experimental edge which invites young
people to engage in the creative process of themselves,”
said Mr David Orr, Head of Music at Epworth.
A view of the lit-up
Chapel from the
transepts
is now being efficiently managed. The school is using
anaerobic bacteria to decompose the food and a coating
of bran is placed together with the food scraps in sealed
drums. This process is odourless and does not attract
rodents. The remains are then added to the school’s
compost heap and are used on the grounds. The girls also
discovered the vegetable patch next to the compost heap
where the resident staff
produce healthy food
crops.
Girls in the school vegetable
patch
The Epworth Choir
performing with the
String Orchestra
Achievements
Dancers selected for youth ballet company
Eleven Epworth High School ballet dancers will form part
of the newly-formed KZN Midlands Youth Ballet Company
led by artistic director of the Cape Town City Ballet, Robin
van Wyk. Chosen through a demanding audition process,
the pupils will have the privilege to perform in Pietermaritzburg’s first full-length ballet, Thumbelina, during the
July holidays. They will share the stage with nine
professional dancers from the Cape Town City Ballet.

Donna Hutton and Kayla de Beer excelled at the SA
Canoe Sprints at Roodeplaat Dam: Donna placed first in
five events and Kayla came second in two events.

Kelly Fell was sixth at the Junior National Athletics
Championships in the long jump and she competed for
the KZN A team in the SA Surf Lifesaving Championships. Kelly won gold in the beach sprint and flags
events.
Epworth ballerinas selected for the KZN Midlands Youth
Ballet Company.
National-level achievers (front, from left): Noël Lee, Sarah
Mayne, Alani Ferreira, (back, from left) Kelly Fell, Donna
Hutton, Anele Ngubane. Absent: Kayla de Beer
Sportswomen excel at the national level
Epworth top of KZN squash
During the Easter holidays, seven Epworth girls proved
their worth on the sports field by achieving at the national level in a number of different sporting codes.
The KZN Top Schools’ Squash title belongs to Epworth
who convincingly won the girls’ tournament, beating St
Anne’s 4-1 in the final round. The Epworth team only lost
one match throughout the competition and it’s top two
players, Noël Lee and Anele Ngubane, did not drop a
game. Epworth will represent KZN at the SA Top Schools’
tournament in August.

KZN tennis player, Sarah Mayne, was selected for the
South African Schools’ tennis team at the number two
spot. The team will be touring England in June/July.

Noël Lee and Anele Ngubane made the South African
U18 squash team which played in Malaysia in May.

Swimmer, Alani Ferreira, achieved three gold and four
silver medals at the SA Senior National Aquatics Championships. She also won eight gold medals in the
Nedbank National Swimming Championships and received the Best Youth Swimmer of the event award.
KZN squash girls
(from left) Noël
Lee, Jessica
McDonald, Anele
Ngubane, Olivia
Langford.
Absent: Genna
Bennetts
Achievements
10th consecutive SA canoe sprints title
Epworth was head and shoulders above the rest of the
competition at the SA Schools’ Canoe Sprints. Epworth’s
final point score was 319.5 and the next school attained
110 points, a clear indication of our girls’ prowess on the
water. Donna Hutton (U18) and Amy Peckett (U14)
claimed Victrix Ludorum awards in their respective categories. In addition, Donna Hutton and Kayla de Beer were
selected to represent the South African Sprint team in
Portugal in July. It will be the first time that Epworth has a
double boat in an international competition.
KZN Canoe Marathon team members (from left): Cayleigh Shaw,
Christie Mackenzie, Cana Peek, Donna Hutton, Brittany Eayrs, Amy
Peckett, Hannah Shrives
Epworth dominates cross-country league
The cross-country season ended with an overall victory
for the senior A girls, for the third consecutive year, in the
Inter schools’ Midlands league. Epworth’s seven other
teams (B - H), also won their sections. The Junior A team
came second in their division.
All the High and Prep School pupils who took part in the SA Canoe
Sprints. The Epworth junior girls were also victorious in their division.
Success in marathon canoeing
Epworth’s paddling success extended to the marathon
discipline with seven girls making the KZN Canoe
Marathon team that competed at the SA Canoe Marathon
Championships at Camps Drift in Pietermaritzburg. Donna
Hutton and Cana Peek were selected for the SA Canoe
Marathon team that will compete in Hungary later in the
year. A number of other Epworth girls participated as
individuals and produced excellent results, many of them
winning or placing second in their age groups.
Cross-country girls running at Cascades mountain-bike park
Achievements
Snippets
Squash
The following girls have been selected to represent KZN in
their respective age groups: Emma Green, Gemma Reed,
Nadia Dippenaar, Chloé Gearing, Shraya Moodley, Jimmie
Avila, Julia Whitby, Tracey Oellermann, Olivia Langford,
Quné Kleynhans, Rochelle Green, Jessica McDonald,
Rebecca van Rooyen, Noël Lee, Anele Ngubane
Gymnastics
Michaela Sandalls was chosen for
the KZN Gymnastics team
Debating
Several pupils have been chosen to represent
Pietermaritzburg Debating teams:
Senior team: Shaniaé Maharaj and Laurian Polkinghorne
Junior team: Kimberley Gemmell, Josie Makkink and
Samira Rajaram
KZN Youth Choir
Nine girls are part of the KZN Youth Choir that will
represent South Africa, together with another South
African choir, at the 2nd European World Choir Games in
Germany. The Epworth pupils, who form the 3rd largest
group in the choir are: Nafas Agha, Nozibusiso Buthelezi,
Minenhle Teba, Sethabile Mkhize, Abigail West, Daniela
Klee, Ruth Pons, Awande Zuma, Sindisiwe Mathe
Epworthian News
News from the Mel Metcalfe Cottage
Epworthian Day on 9 May saw Epworthians from all over
the world returning to celebrate decade reunions. Classes
from 1950 to 2015 were represented. Ladies travelled
from Australia, New Zealand, UK, USA and the Netherlands
to see friends face-to-face and to immerse themselves in
nostalgia.
The Epworthian Executive Committee rallied and their
teamwork resulted in a memorable day. The Library revamp, as the main attraction, led to a book theme for the
lunch tables and recycled book-page flowers were used in
the corsages. One hundred and forty people sat down in
the dining room and Janine O’Connor 1977, battling with
flu, managed her MC task very well. Ingrid Roberts
(Bredenkamp) 1980, Director of Epworth Foundation, did
not allow Eskom’s intervention to deter her from sharing
her message for Epworth’s future security.
This year some interactive activities, Skype in the Library,
cupcake icing, marimba playing and dancing, provided
something a little different. The hockey match against St
Anne’s, school tour ably led by Mrs Cynthia Dibben, and
the Matric Dance-Dress Fashion Show, compered by
Amanda Low (Crabtree) 2005 (Mrs SA finalist), were other
highlights.
The day started with a chapel service led by our Chaplain
Rev Frenchye Magee and once again the singing of the
school hymn brought out the tissues. It was Mrs Klug’s last
Epworthian service as Head, next year she will be joining
us as part of the Epworthian congregation. We were
happy to see non-decade ladies and parents joining us at
chapel and tea, hopefully this will become the norm in
future.
Margaret Rodseth (Forsyth) Class of 1942 Dux from
Gauteng was our oldest Epworthian with young
Epworthians from the Class of 2014 adding to the mix.
Thank you to Cathy McDonald (Dicks) 1988 the
Epworthian President and the Committee who, with the
Epworthian News
various energetic class coordinators, contributed to
creating a red letter day!
On Friday evening the Library /Media Centre was reopened following a renovation. Mrs Klug named the two
rooms Polkinghorne Room and Fearnhead Room in
acknowledgement of these family benefactors. Mesdames Val and Trish Polkinghorne were presented with
posies by current pupil Laurian Polkinghorne. The
Epworth Music Department provided an impressive
programme.
Away reunions on 9 May – the suggestion for same-day
reunions was taken up by two groups. In the USA, there
was a home lunch - thank you Michelle Maguire (Floyd)
2004 and Sonia Martins (Cardiga) 1967. In New Zealand,
nine ladies attended a lunch at Eden Park, Auckland.
Class of 1975
Class of 1985
Put up your hand if you can suggest a venue and date for
similar gatherings anywhere!
Class of 1990
Well done and thank you to everyone who returned,
rejoiced and loved Epworth.
Renée Alcock - Epworthian Liaison Officer
Class groups pictured at Epworthian Day
Class of 1950
Class of 1965
Class of 1995
Class of 2005
Epworthian News
Diseko (Nono) Sekoto 1999 has been elected as a youth
member of the Presidential Youth Working Group.
Jen Thorpe 2002 has added Mail and Guardian Blog to her
list of achievements.
Sanani Mangisa 2005 is SA ladies’ hockey team goalie
Sarah Kelly 2009 exhibited at 2015 Art in the Park.
Brittany Petersen 2012 was selected for the South African
ICF U23 Canoe Sprint World Championship team paddling
in Montemor-o-Velho, Portugal from 23-26 July.
Gina Coetzee 2010 is an Honours student at UKZN’s Centre for Communication, Media and Society (CCMS) and is
taking part in the Linnaeus-Palme student exchange between CCMS and Högskolan i Gävle (HiG). She will be
attending a Swedish university next semester.
Sam Herbert (Kassner) 1992 is ranked 12th in SA for
squash and will be playing in the KwaZulu-Natal Squash
Exhibition Match on 4 July at the Westville Country Club.
Abby Solms (Adie) and Alex Adie 2007 placed 3rd in K2
Senior Ladies Canoeing Marathon Championships. Abby
was also 3rd K1 senior lady.
RIP:
Ingrid Schlosser 1962
Condolences to family and friends
Please remember to send us news of happenings in your
life and ensure that you keep your contact information
current.
Fun Fact:
Did you know that Epworth initiated and hosted the first
Independent Schools’ Sports Festival in 1998 as part of the
Epworth Centenary celebrations?
Prep School Highlights
Parent talk addresses dangers of digital world
On Tuesday 16 June (Youth Day) Pietermaritzburg Counselling Psychologist Floss Mitchell spoke to Epworth parents in the Haley Hall about the detrimental effects of the
rampant and unchecked use of digital devices, social media and e-mail on young people, especially in relation to
developing empathy and a sense of connectedness.
Raising awareness of Lupus
Teachers and children in the Prep School celebrated Lupus Awareness Day or Put On Purple Day to spread
awareness of Lupus, a debilitating and unpredictable disease that afflicts adults and children. The teachers all
dressed in purple and Mrs Sam Williams made purple ribbons for the children. The Grade 4’s also created purple
butterflies as the butterfly is the Lupus emblem.
Grade 7’s embrace 12-hour challenge
As part of their “Hands and Feet” Outreach Challenge for
the year, the Grade 7 class participated in a 12-hour endurance challenge which involved running or walking as
many kilometres as possible around a set course on the
school fields. They were sponsored for the distance they
covered and the funds they raised will benefit the
Unakelelo Crèche in Sweetwaters
Epworth wins junior canoeing championships
For the first time ever, Epworth Prep won the SA Sprint
Canoeing Championships in the girls’ division, finishing
streaks ahead of their nearest rivals. Jodi Fuhri claimed a
Silver award in the U10 competition.
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