st dominic`s senior school newsletter
Transcription
st dominic`s senior school newsletter
7 AUGUST 2015 ST DOMINIC’S SENIOR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER Dear Parents Maya Angelou wrote: “I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels…” Much educational research that is now being published suggests that girls do better in a single sex education. There are a number of reasons for this: one is that boys and girls think differently; another is that girls will do things in a girls-only school that they would not do in a co-ed school. The latter is something in particular that I have noticed at St Dominic’s. Quite simply, our girls get “stuck in”. Be it jumping into and swimming across the icy waters of our swimming pool to raise money for the Johannesburg Zoo, or recreating the splendor of Elizabethan England and reciting Shakespeare - our girls rise up to the challenge. There is a healthy balance between the emphasis on academic excellence, sport and fun which contribute to the well-rounded individuals we want to grow. These past few weeks the school has been busy with the elections of the new executive body and I am proud to say that every current grade eleven girl has pledged to become involved in at least one of the various committees serving the school and greater community. This is the essence of servant-leadership as Bill Gates says: “As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.” Thank you to the staff for their unstinting dedication and hard work this term, and to the Ethos team in particular who lead a wonderful staff retreat last week. Saturday, 8 August is the feast day of our founder St Dominic’s. To commemorate this occasion all the girls were given sticky treats today. To all who are part of our St Dominic’s family, have a wonderful break and safe travels till we see you again in September. Sharon Fitzgerald Inside this issue: Tribute to Mrs Ross 2 Headgirl Report and Marimba 3 & Steelband News 2015 /2016 Executives 4 English Alive & the Elizabethan Evening 5 Polar Bear Plunge Dignity Dreams 7 8 Klipriviersberg Hike Geography Tours 9 10 11 Savannah Esteves Rational Pi Day, Tour de Maths 12 Dates to Diarise 11 One School, One Family, One Spirit Page 2 A Tribute to Mrs Melanie Ross Mrs Ross joined the Staff of St Dominic’s in 1991. Now after 25 years of dedicated service it is time for us to say goodbye. During her time at St Dominic’s Mrs Ross has taught HISTORY to Grade 7, 8,9 and 10 learners and ISIZULU to Grade 5 to 9 learners. The number of learners who chose to take HISTORY as a MATRIC SUBJECT is testimony to her passion for the subject and her excellent teaching skills. As a HOMEROOM CLASS TEACHER every year she has always had an exemplary class and this is due entirely to her excellent organizational skills, strict discipline and ‘no nonsense’ attitude which is also clearly evident in her subject teaching. She is loved and respected by all her students. Mrs Ross was also the SENIOR HOCKEY COACH and overall HOCKEY ADMINISTRATOR for 13 years. She still regularly attends Hockey matches to support and encourage her students. Mrs Ross was responsible for organising the MATRIC FAREWELLS IN 1995 AND 2000 and both these Farewells were very successful events which will long be remembered by the Grade 11s and Matrics in those years. Every year our Grade 10 students are privileged to be able to visit Babanango Valley in KwaZulu Natal on a HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY, BIOLOGY and ISIZULU excursion. These tours have been organised and managed by Mrs Ross for the past 18 years. I have accompanied Mrs Ross on at least 10 of these tours and have witnessed the learning which has taken place “outside the classroom” and the fun, laughter and camaraderie evident on every one of these tours. The success of the tours is due to the passion that Mrs Ross has for educating her students in and out of the classroom. Mrs Ross has always assisted the MATRIC CHARITY AND ETHOS COMMITTEE in all their various endeavours. For the past 5 years she has also been involved in organising teams of girls to pack meals for the ‘STOP HUNGER NOW’ PROJECT on Saturday mornings. They usually pack in excess of 20 000 meals in a morning. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs Ross most sincerely for her dedicated service and invaluable contribution to the St Dominic’s Family over the past 25 years not only as a passionate teacher and exceptional organiser but also as an enthusiastic supporter of the learners in their various activities. We wish Mrs Ross and her husband, Grant, God’s richest blessings and everything of the best for the future as they re-locate to their new home in the beautiful Natal Midlands. MRS G GOUS Headgirl Report Back Page 3 And the journey comes to an end I reflect on what an amazing year it has been. I started off leading a group of 19 ladies as the future leaders of St Dominic’s and we have now formed a bond so close and so very dear to my heart. The executive committee have been my sidekicks, my guardian angels and my best friends through this past year and I strongly believe that we have made changes within this school. From the spirit and attitudes of the girls to the physical difference we have made in people’s lives by all our successful charity drives as well as the improvement of the overall support and attendance at functions. This year has had its fair share of ups and downs but I am pleased to say that it is an experience I will not be soon to forget. The St Dominic’s family has a very special place in my heart for now and forever. A year like this would not have been possible without the help of a few very special guardian angels that I have been privileged to work with. So a huge thank you goes out to Mevrou Jacobs, Mevrou Van Zyl, Mrs Fitzgerald, Mrs Haw, Mrs Bossert, the teachers and staff, my executive committee as well as every single young lady who I have come into contact with over this past year. This school has taught me lessons that extend far further than the four surrounding walls of each of my classrooms and I hand over my position with the greatest pride and honour and I thank the school for trusting me with this position over the past year. I hope I have made you all proud and I look forward to the years to come as a St Dominic’s old girl. We truly are one school, one family, one spirit. Amy-Sue Lithgow Headgirl 2014/2015 Marimba and Steelband News On 1st and 2nd August over 70 St Dominic’s Marimba and Steelband girls went to take part in the International Marimba and Steelband Festival, held at St Benedict’s. Our girls played beautifully and learnt much from other groups, particularly in areas such as song presentation etc. It was also a good opportunity for connecting with schools / institutions all over South Africa. Over 80 institutions were represented at this Festival. Thank you to Ms Olivier, Ms Masanabo. Ms Bembe and Mrs Notice Reminder As per contract conditions, a terms (3 months) written notice is required should your daughter be leaving at the end of the current year. Failure to do so will result in a term’s notice being charged in lieu thereof. School fees are due monthly in advance. Please ensure that accounts are kept up to date monthly. All accounts for the current year to be settled in full by no later than the 15th of December 2015. Should you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact Lynn Stewart or Iris Kruger on 011 917-0133; fax 011 917-8081 or Penny for making it possible to [email protected]. attend this event. Thank you. One School, One Family, One Spirit Page 4 ST DOMINIC’S EXECUTIVES 2016 Abena Osei-Fofie Bianca Costa-Tré Candice Potgieter Cassidy Langton Daniela Weyers Danielle Dry Dayna Waghorn Given Mpotu Jamie-Lee Du Plessis Jenah Fell Jessica van der Spuy Khumo Molokomme Marcela De Olim Michaela Rees Michlene Pedro Nabeela Lambat Savannah Barman Shannon Fourie Tanisha Ravjee Tumi Malukeke Zama Buthlelezi Zandile Gando One School, One Family, One Spirit English Alive Congratulations We are delighted to announce that two of our St Dominic's students were selected from entries across South Africa to be published in ENGLISH ALIVE, a prestigious English Journal. The students are: HEIDI DAVIS (grade 12) for her essay, THE BIG BAD WOLF DIDN'T BLOW THE HOUSE DOWN and SAMANTHA JOHNSON (grade 10) for her poem: DIFFERENT IN THIS WORLD. We offer heartfelt congratulations to these students for keeping the St Dominic's flag flying high on the national front for English. Elizabethan Evening 2015 If I asked in a whispered tone would you let me take you by the hand and take you on a journey through history? A journey back to about 400 years ago to when the Renaissance man himself walked the earth. Will you let me take you back to meet…………..WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE!!! The Elizabethan evening of 2015 proved to be nothing short of magical. Despite living in the 21st century the matrics managed to transform our netball court into a 1600s Elizabethan market. We saw every Shakespearean character from Hamlet to Juliet and got to meet Shakespeare himself in the flesh. We were even treated to a very special visit by Queen Elizabeth the 1st and her successor King James the 6th. The market saw peasants, jesters, witches and aristocrats alike. We even saw a duo of mimes who proved to us that talking is certainly a privilege. The atmosphere was created by fashion, soliloquies, food stalls and even a tavern. William Shakespeare himself introduced over 1600 new words into the English language and we were fortunate enough to hear examples of these when we were taken on a trip through the ages. Our experience of Shakespeare was brought to life in a way we will always be grateful for. Thank You are two simple words that cannot begin to express the gratitude we feel towards the fact that this Elizabethan Evening was a reality. A huge thank you goes out to Mrs Fanucchi who made the evening happen and without whose passion we wouldn’t truly appreciate Shakespeare. Thank yous must also go out to Mrs Carlstein and Ms Reindfleish who helped judge the evening and Mrs Adams who worked the sound. Multiple other teachers made appearances and we also thank them for coming to appreciate our efforts. Mrs Fitzgerald’s trivia truly proved to be enjoyed and appreciated by all. Shakespeare himself once said, “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” This evening proved to us that Shakespeare created characters that fulfilled all these and we saw them brought to life by our very own classmates. We did our part to be a part of the world of Shakespeare and for that we thank the man himself. Heidi Davis One School, One Family, One Spirit Page 5 Page 6 On July 21, we were lucky to have Daniella Snyman come and speak to the girls at assembly. Daniella is a 19 year old cancer survivor. She is a former student of Boksburg High School and was diagnosed with leukaemia just before her Grade 12 prelim exams. She was forced to leave school to undergo cancer treatment, which was successful and she is now in remission. She spoke with great passion and enthusiasm and encouraged the girls to donate blood. The SANBS blood bank was at school the next day and we had an overwhelming response from our students. Usually we manage to donate about 25 units of blood per drive, and this time we achieved 38 units. We had an additional 10 girls who were not allowed to donate blood for various reasons, but did come out and try. We have to congratulate all these donors, especially the many ‘first time’ donors, many of whom were very nervous about it. I am hoping we will be able to have Daniella come and speak to us again, and she has indicated that she is happy to do so. The next blood drive at the school will be on Wednesday, Oct 7 in the Ballet Room. Looking for a plumber? Polar Bear Plunge One School, One Family, One Spirit Polar Bear Plunge A polar bear plunge is an event held during the winter where participants enter a body water despite the low temperature. Normally the polar bear plunges are held to raise money for a charitable organisation. Worldwide polar bear plunges are usually held on New Year’s Day, some participants having to break the ice before entering the water! St Dominic’s started plunging in 1995 and all monies raised from our entrants was used to sponsor the Polar Bears at Johannesburg Zoo. Unfortunately “Gee Bee” and “Lang”, our bears have passed away. The news is that there may be a possibility of seals returning to the Zoo! So it will still be a Polar Bear Plunge, keeping the international trend, but hopefully we will sponsor some seals! Our “Plunges” are part of an exclusive worldwide club! One School, One Family, One Spirit Page 7 Page 8 Dignity Dreams Project Each term, the Ethos and Charity Committee of St Dominic’s holds the responsibility of encouraging their peers and the St Dominic’s family to get involved as much as possible in the good work to help our surrounding community. As a committee they raised money for this very special project to make a difference in young women’s lives. On the 21st July our girls went with Mrs Van Zyl, Sandra Miller and two social workers from Child Helpline to Keketo Primary in Katlehong. We spent the morning with the principal, teachers and Gr 7 girls. Our girls handed over the sanitary bags to the Gr 7 girls and experience an unforgettable event. Thank you Robyn Mooney Mev Van Zyl and your committee for running this project in a very professional way. Mrs Van Zyl Robyn Mooney One School, One Family, One Spirit St Dominic’s Mountain Goats Page 9 Klipriviersberg Hike On Sunday 2nd August we went on our firs day hike in 2015. St Dominic’s and what a beautiful place it proved to be. We were blessed with lovely weather on a typical Highveld Winter’s day. We followed a number of the 9 hiking trails in the reserve. The aloes are in full bloom and we were lucky enough to see springbok, blesbok and wildebeest on the trail. The 14 girls really enjoyed the day. Our thanks to Mr Fraser for or- gansing the hike and Mr van Zyl for driving the quantum. Another fun filled hiking day was enjoyed by all. One School, One Family, One Spirit Mrs Gous Mr. Kevin Fraser Klipriviersberg is a Nature Reserve about 25 minutes away from Page 10 Jennifer Haw and Teagan Lubbe were invited to play in the Boksburg Schools Golf League over the past weekend. The girls played well and St Dominic’s ended in fourth position. Congratulations to Jennifer Haw (2nd left) who was awarded her School League Colours for finishing in the Top four. Well done Jennifer! Teagan Lubbe came 2nd in the Women’s Open Championships which was played at Wanderers. Geography Tours 2015 Everything in the world is geography. This is certainly evident in all the tours that occurred in July. The Grade 8s went on the Johannesburg hop on/ hop off bus broadening their historical and geographical insight to the establishment of Johannesburg. The grade 12s spent an afternoon studying the greater Johannesburg area in terms of the layout of urban land uses. Both the grade 11 and 12 geography groups enjoyed overnight tours into Golden Gate, Drakensberg and Clarens areas including a visit to the Drakensberg Eskom Power Station. In September the Grade 9 learners will be enjoying a week long trip to the Blyde River Adventure Camp, visiting environmental centres and geological formations. The best learning takes place outside the classroom. All these tours / outings have enabled the learners to ‘see’ the world they live in, as the quotation in my classroom reads: “Without geography, you are going nowhere.” Mr Craythorn One School, One Family, One Spirit Page 11 Savannah in the Spotlight Congratulations this week must go to our Grade 10 learner Savannah Esteves and her Ballroom Dancing achievements. Savannah and her partner were recently invited to compete in Germany at the Bad Homburg Open Championships were placed in 4 th where they position. On the th 27 Of June Savannah and her partner not only competed at the Western Coast Super Series Championships in Cape Town, but they won and have been dubbed the Western Coast Latin Champions. Savannah was also awarded the prestigious ‘Queen of the Lain’ award which is based on Quality Performance, Attire and Presentation. She has also performed on Strictly Come Dancing Season 8 as a guest act with the Idols Winner Mr Lloyd Cele. Savannah and her partner Sean are currently training for the WDC Al Porto City Open Championships which will be held in Portugal in September this year, and in December they will be competing in the World Championships in Paris. Congratulations on all your outstanding Ballroom Dancing Achievements Savannah. We are very proud of you. RE Teachers Retreat On Monday 3 August the High School RE teachers led RE teachers from the Pre-school and Primary School on a special Pilgrimage Retreat. The general consensus was that: “It was just what we needed”. After the Pilgrimage Retreat the teachers enjoyed a tea. Thank you Mrs Geier for our sheep cupcakes. RE Teachers Pilgrimage Retreat One School, One Family, One Spirit Ms Rindfleisch Page 12 “Rational” Pi Day On Wednesday, 22 July tuck-shop vouchers, in the form of a circular disc were placed strategically all over the school, associated with a circle of course. Knowing that each Maths teacher had hidden one in her class, never have learners been so enthusiastic to get to a Maths lesson. It did not take the girls long to reveal the hiding place of each disc. The most observant or the hungriest girls are as follows: Kelsi Swiegers, Jessica Green, Ntsoaki Choma, Tshego Ratale, Jenna Whiting, Jessica van der Spuy, Danielle du Preez, Katya Berimbau, Savannah Oelofse and Ashlyn Lee. Congratulations to the girls who found the tuck shop vouchers. Tour de Maths This is a voluntary Mathematics competition held approximately 6 to 7 times annually. It is applicable to mainly grade 9 and grade 10 learners and is usually held at a prestigious Johannesburg school. Often up to 200 enthusiastic participants descend on the host school and each team of 4 learners vehemently tackle a thought provoking, non syllabus based, set of Mathematical calculations. Two learners from 2 different schools form each team of 4. At the 4th leg, held at Roedean on 14th May St. Dominic’s took 12 grade 9 and 10 volunteers. We proudly returned home with 2 of our learners, Samantha Johnson, Gr 10, and Ange Kinunu, Gr 9, having clenched 2 nd place. A proud moment indeed. Several other spot prizes were also given and 2 of our girls won top Casio calculators. Samantha Johnson Ange Kinunu Mrs. Donly One School, One Family, One Spirit Our annual music picnic will be held on Saturday 19 September 2015, from 12 until 3pm. This year we are going to hold it on the hockey field, celebrating the new grand stands, so be sure not to miss it! But also please make sure to bring your own umbrella or Gazebo, as there are NO trees on the hockey field. Ms Olivier Our students will be performing as usual, with musical items varying from songs to instrumental items. We have also invited outside guests to perform, so do come and enjoy this special day with us. Bring your picnic, blankets and sun umbrellas and have fun! Ms. Olivier Dates to Diarise 7 August Handing Over Ceremony School Closes at 12:00 8 August St Dominic’s Day 9 August Women’s Day 29 & 30 August Drummie Provincial Trials 07:00 to 17:00 30 Aug to 4 Sept Sun City Tennis Tournament 31 Aug to 4 Sept Winter School Grade 12s 6 & 7 Sept Grade 11 Geography Tour 8 Sept School Reopens Day 1 12 Sept Drummie Annual Prize Giving and Social Inter – Catholic Golf Day 14-18 Sept Grade 9 Tour to Mpumalanga 17 Sept Choir Festival / Workshop at Holy Rosary 19 Sept Music Picnic 12h00 to 15h00 Drummie AGM 21 Sept Summer Uniform 22 Sept Sports Dinner 23 Sept Heritage Day Celebrations 24 Sept Heritage Day 25 Sept School Holiday One School, One Family, One Spirit
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