iMfolozi Wilderness Trail by David Smith
 

Imfolozi Wilderness Trail, 5-9 August, 2017
 
During the first week of the August holidays, twelve Grade 11s and four staff members headed for the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, the oldest proclaimed game reserve in Africa, for a five-day, four-night primitive Wilderness trail. This is the third year that groups of Grade 11s have undertaken the Imfolozi trail and the experience once again proved to be unforgettable. In a world where it is so easy to become disconnected from our natural surroundings, the trail provided the ideal opportunity to disengage from the insular and passive world of cell phones, screen games, TV and social media.

The trail is aptly called “the primitive wilderness trail,” as participants experience basic living, with a minimum of sophistication in equipment, shelter and food.  The boys and staff carry all their food and equipment, with all four nights spent sleeping out in the bush, under the stars, at a site chosen by the rangers. The boys were required to prepare meals, set up camp, collect water, bath in the rivers and spend time alone on watch at the fire nightly. I cannot compliment the boys enough for their positivity, sense of humour, and the spirit and manner in which they approached the adventure. They were a credit to themselves, their School and their parents -  they were an absolute pleasure to be with.
Imfolozi is Big Five country and the trail group certainly had many encounters with a wide variety of flora, fauna and birds of the African bush. Highlights were encounters with wild dogs chasing an impala through a campsite, which the dogs subsequently caught and devoured; having a very close encounter with a white rhino and its calf; frequently watching elephants and buffalo drinking and socialising just meters from camp; lion roaring throughout the night; a full moon in the African sky; and the incredibly cacophony of noises that frogs and toads make in the African night – the boys naming them “the Imfolozi Boys Choir.”

I’ve little doubt that all the Grade 11s and the staff who experienced the Imfolozi trail all now see our world from a new perspective. The harshness, beauty and fragility of our natural world is something you will never forget; the importance of meaningful and genuine friendships is highlighted; and the realisation that you can survive with very little, including cell phones, is brought home! The trail was a fantastic week of meaningful activities that lead to a sense of satisfaction and connectedness in so many ways. A big thank you to the staff who accompanied the boys – Mrs Linda Deetlefs, Mrs Suzette Richard, Mr Kyle Biller and to our wonderful driver, Mr Meshack Malete: you are all great company and wonderful role models to the young men you teach.


 
Back: Alex Lategan, James Macindoe, Westley Van Der Spuy, Leo Michael, Chad Oertel, Faadhil Mohamed.
Middle: Mr D Smith, Mrs L Deetlefs, Mr K Biller, Mrs S Richard.
Front: Robert Pfister, Michael Lowings, Ethan Simpson, Kyle Da Costa, Bradley Morris, Reyhan Ismail.

 

Independent schools Athletics meeting
 
On Wednesday the 13^th September 68 Athletes left St David’s Marist Inanda in the hopes of reversing the 2016 result in the Independent Schools Athletics Meeting. There was a positive vibe in the team and the boys arrived at Germiston Stadium focussed and ready to perform at their best.
The day started well with Inanda taking an early lead after the first 20 events. The boys performed incredibly well pushing themselves beyond what even they thought they were capable of with roughly 60% of the team achieving personal bests. It was a busy day with fast tempo on a hot Germiston track and the boys were up to the task. As the day wound down and we took stock waiting for the scores to be tallied, the boys were tired but proud of their performances knowing that they had done their best on the day and there was nothing more they could have done.
The final results were read out with boys waiting in suspense
5^th St Stithians Boys College 155 points
4^th St Albans College 185.5 points
3^rd St Benedicts College 188 points
Down to us and St Johns 2016 last and first place respectively.
2^nd St Johns College 199 points
1^st St Davids Marist Inanda 250.5 points

Having worked so hard the boys were elated at the final result one which was well deserved and hard earned. With a 114 point turnaround from 2016 the 2017 Athletics team has done extremely well to win this trophy for the first time ever with 16 first places 21 second places and 16 third places.

Special mention must be made of the u17 Relay Team (Connor Ivins; Luca Venditti; Westley Van Der Spuy and Kieran Wrightson) who broke the existing school record of 45,7 seconds set in 2005 setting a new time of 45,2 seconds. And Jack Juds who equalled the u15 400m record again for the second time in 5 days. Running one lap in 53,9 seconds.
 
The following 1^st places were achieved:

Boys u15
J. Juds                   400m                   53.9s ***Equalled record***
L. Lawson            800m                     2:22,1
K. Nagele             1500m                   5:09,3
J. Okonkwo        Shot Put                  12,9m

Boys u16
B. Till                      800m                     2:21,00
J. Daly                   1500m                   4:58,1
 
Boys u17
K. Wrightson      100m                     10.9s
                           200m                     22.5s
C. Ivins               400m                     54,1s
W. v d Spuy        Discus                   50, 98m
                           Shot Put                14.85
4x100m Relay                                  45.2  ***New Record***
(K. Wrightson; C. Ivins; L. Venditti; W. vd Spuy)                                

Boys open
T. Longwe          100m                     10,9s
M. Koyabe          200m                     22,4s
                           400m                     53.6s
N. Minnie            Shot Put               11,69m 

LITURGICAL
Sunday 17 September - 24th Sunday of the Year
Ps 103, 1-4. 9-12
Mt 18, 21-35