Copy
We trust you will enjoy reading this week's newsletter.
 
View this email in your browser
Celebrating our 76th Birthday and the Bicentenary of the Marist Institute and 150 years of Marist in South Africa and Africa.

From the desk of Mr David Smith: Senior Deputy Headmaster 
There is much to celebrate about having your son in a boys’ school. 
What follows is an outline of the content of a book titled ‘The World of Teaching Boys: Get Beyond the Myth and Enjoy It’ by Joe Cox, Headmaster of the Haverford School, a private boys’ school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. 
Joe Cox writes: 
Most teachers will agree that boys and girls interact differently to their educational environments. 

  • Boys respond to role model: Boys need male role models as they grow, and they need to see a wide range of masculinity to pattern their lives after. At boys' schools they are exposed to a wide variety of men who model their masculinity in different ways. Importantly, boys also need women teachers and coaches who appreciate the unique learning needs of boys. Boys need strong female role models as much as they need male role models. 

  • Boys are social and love humour: They want to be part of something larger than themselves. Life is about relationships, being part of something bigger than yourself, and loving those around you. Boys are joiners and boys make great friends. It is exceptional to see the bonds of friendships that form in the all-male class, where boys are not competing with one another for a girl's attention. They are bonds of friendship that last a lifetime.

  • Boys are competitive: When confronted with intellectual, artistic or sporting challenges boys rise to the trial. They like to compete with one another, and they like to test themselves against their limits. If handled correctly, competition in an all-male environment is a strong motivator and can be a positive force in the learning dynamic. 

  • Boys are active:  Anybody who has been around boys knows that they can't sit still. They like to push when in a line. They respond to big-muscle, active-learning challenges and thrive on physical challenges. Their boundless physical energy can sometimes be at the root of behaviour and discipline problems if not appreciated and directed in more positive directions. Boys love hands-on projects, making things, building things up or tearing things down. 

  • Boys are great leaders: They can handle responsibility from a very young age and respond in direct proportion to the trust shown them. Compared to levels of self confidence in girls, boys are overly confident, even when the evidence for such confidence is not there. In the hands of a good teacher, this built-in can-do attitude can be a wonderful incentive to academic achievement, leadership success, and self-esteem. 

Girls and boys move through their developmental stages in markedly different ways, and often quite out of harmony with one another. Girls acquire language facility sooner, comprehend concepts earlier, and develop small motor control at a younger age. There is fastidiousness to the work of girls that many boys never acquire. We continually need to encourage all of our boys to blossom, and most importantly, never stop celebrating the joy that is the wonder of boys. 
No doubt you will recognise many of the qualities mentioned above in your boy.

1st Combined Mass 2017
Combined Mass for the closing of the Week of Prayer
Click here to read: Mini Marist Prattle
College News
GRADE 8 WELCOME MASS & FUNCTION: The Matric Mentors were introduced to their Grade 8 Mentees’ parents before accompanying them to the Welcome Mass in the Chapel of Mary last night. Mass was followed by an informal social function in the Champagnat Hall. The evening was well attended which bodes well for a great year!
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE PHOTOS ON FLICKR
Boys' Winning Materials Science Poster Award by Glenda Dell
 
Last year, the University of the Witwatersrand invited our Grade 10 Science students to enter a competition. They were required to submit a poster that explained the properties and uses of a material that would be of great use in the future. The boys were required to research different materials until they found one they felt was unusual and new and had interesting uses for the world of tomorrow.

Mohamed Fayaaz Cassim, Loyiso Zinzombe and Valerio Vernetti produced an interesting poster on Liquidmetal, a substance much like plastic but made of metal. Wits University has awarded them a prize for producing a poster with an excellent explanation that showed good scientific understanding of how the material is made, what its properties are and what it can be used for. It can be viewed in Lab 5. They were presented with certificates and a gift voucher each.
College Sport
The Grey Water polo Tour by Dean Whyte
The 1st Team Water Polo boys departed on Wednesday the 25th of January to Bloemfontein to compete in the annual Grey College u18 Tournament.
The boys made a phenomenal start to their campaign beating the rivaled St Albans in a classy display of the game. The end score 5-2 to St David’s. Later in the day they kept their good start with a triumphant win over Kingswood 17-1.
The next day would be the toughest game to battle for top pool position against Grey High (PE). St David’s were most unfortunate hitting the bar or skimming just over to end the game 2-2. Our first team was the more dominating force that game and were unlucky to not clench the “w”. This put us in a most unfortunate position as St David’s was pushed from the top spot due to the number of goals scored in a previous game as we were tied in goal difference.
The boys managed to keep their spirits high beating Affies comfortably to advance to the quarter finals against a very formidable Reddam outfit. Losing the quarter finals 5-2 with many shots blocked, stopped by the wood work or saved by the Reddam goalie.

St David’s went through to lose their next two games against Grey College and also to Stirling in a penalty shootout not having a goalie due to illness.
I would like to thank Mrs B Stewart for all her assistance this tour in helping achieve its success and, mostly to the boys in the manner that they conducted themselves, and the effort that they put in. Intensity and team work was key to the team’s success which Richard Lehane and his team managed to achieve.
 
This tour gave great indication of the team’s potential and what the future may hold for water polo at St David’s. With continued perseverance and the will to succeed to the very end, I have no doubt that we can achieve all we set out to do.     
Crawford Under 14 Inland tournament
 
The U14 Water Polo A team has had a flying start to the 2017 season. Just one week into the season, they participated in the Crawford Lonehill Inland tournament. It was a very successful tournament for the side, despite losing 1 player to injury a day before the tournament began. The team cruised through the pool games beating Pretoria Boys’ High School 24 - 0, Grey Boys’ Bloemfontein 9 -1 and Jeppe High School for Boys’ 12 -1.
 
The success in the pool games left the team at the top of their pool facing a quarter final against St John’s. They won this game with ease, 17 -0.  The semi-final would have made for a nail biting final. As it was a closely contested match against St Stithians. The final score was 5-4. The team went on to meet Jeppe High School for Boys in the final and again and repeated their score with another 12 – 1 win.
 
Mention must be made of how well these young men worked in every game. They maintained their structure in the water and kept their composure when facing some tough opposition both in stature and skill. At all times they were respectful of the opposition and referees and were a great example of what a Marist sportsman is like. This does not come without hard work. The boys in the team have played together since U11 and each year their focus and determination gets better. Every one of them plays for a Gauteng side.
 
Thank you to the parents for their support of the boys and we look forward to a successful season.
 
Grant Ramsey: U14A Coach
American International School of Johannesburg's Basketball Tournament
by Elvis Ukpong

Both our u16A and 1st Team participated in the basketball tournament at AISJ. For our u16 boys, it was their first time playing in a tournament. Boys were excited as they opened the tournament in sterling performance. At the end of round robin, St David's was placed second in the pool which pitched them against St Benedict's in a tough semifinal matchup which they lost.
St David's finished the tournament placed 4th overall out of 10 schools in the u16 division and 9th of 12 in the u19 division.
Despite the ups and downs, our boys had fun playing and interacting with boys from across the region. Things can only get better for these boys as they put this valuable experience to use in future tournaments.
COLLEGE WEEK AHEAD
COLLEGE SPORTS RESULTS
PREP NEWS
SPORT

It has been an exceptionally busy start to the 2017 summer sports season and it will only get busier from here. It has been exciting to see the Grade 1s enjoying their first full week of extra murals and beginning to become real St David’s boys in every facet of their school life. Thank you to those parents who registered their sons for their respective summer sports before the deadline and apologies to those who had some technical difficulties with ADAM. However, with  over 78 of the parents using this platform, it is certainly something we will modify, perfect and use going forward. The aim is to create greater accountability for the boys, and also allow the staff to perform register and sports admin more efficiently.
 
As we embark on an exciting 2017, I ask all parents to remember that being involved in extra murals for staff at St David’s is voluntary, thus some of those teachers you see out there giving of their time to enhance your son’s school experience is done for the love of it and nothing else. Please let’s all buy into this and aim to make the sporting experience an enjoyable one for boys and coaches alike. We will endeavour to do this on our side and I would appreciate your support in this regard.
 
See you all out there!

GARETH KOLKENBECK–RUH
Senior Deputy Headmaster: Preparatory School
PREP WEEK AHEAD
 
Saturday 04 February Cricket vs St Peter’s (as advised)
Open Day
Family Mass at 17:30

Monday
 
06 February PTA meeting
Saturday 11 February Cricket vs Pridwin
 
GENERAL NOTICES
One of the privileges of being in Gr 11, is that you host the Matric Dance. Which is of course a collective verb for a whole range of responsibilities that you assume, ranging from working in a committee, fundraising for the event, meticulous planning and execution, all of which has to be squeezed in between schoolwork for the boys and day jobs for the parents and staff.  Last week Friday saw a first for St Davids’ on two fronts with two hugely successful and exciting events:  in the afternoon the MDC boys held a Bubble Soccer Tournament and the parents hosted a Quiz & Auction Night.  From preparing budgets (and being very aware of how many tickets sold represented a breakeven position), negotiating with the bubble ball supplier for a fair price, designing and printing marketing material, convincing you co-learners that this novel idea is loads of fun and worth parting money with, developing the Tournament Format for 16 teams, selling food and drinks on the day and to keeping the show on the road, it turned out to be a very useful learning platform in entrepreneurship for the Gr11’s.  And best of all, they finally have an appreciation for the agony that teachers go through when the bus is ready to depart for a sports or cultural event, and 50% of the indemnity forms are still outstanding!  As can be seen from the footage of the event, no Soccer Talent Scout would have selected any player for the Premier League based on their performance, because the participants spent more time with their bodies upside down, bouncing one another, than scoring goals.
 
The Quiz & Auction Night was a festive affair.  From early on in the afternoon, representatives of the 25 teams wafted into the hall, decorating their tables according to their chosen theme (little modesty there with names such as Smartypants, #always right, 50 Shades of Grey Matter, the Gin & Topics, The Boffins and Red Hot Quizzy Peppers).  What was blatantly obvious, is that the St Davids’ parents have a healthy competitive streak, are very creative and are able to have fun in spite of some rather dismal performance if their Quiz Scores are anything to go by!  Once the quiz master commenced with the game, teams huddled over the answer sheets, whispering responses to often tricky questions.  For some, it was a lesson in humility – one of the St Davids’ values – parents may be accustomed to their sons occupying the first academic position in his grade, and yet their team came stone last, earning them a humble party pack.  Prior to the final set of questions, Craig Rheeder, a Gr11 parent, successfully auctioned off a number of donated items such as art, holiday accommodation, tablets, a professional wine tasting and even a ride with Dakar motorcar racer Geniel de Villiers to an enthusiastic audience.  The MDC boys were waiters, helped to clear the hall at the end of the evening, and after a long and at times stressful afternoon at the Bubble Soccer Tournament, they all recognised what hard work felt like. 
 
Both events went extremely well - as fundraisers, but more importantly as events that brought the St Davids' Marist Inanda community together having loads of fun.   The MDC wishes to thank all who were involved, who donated prizes and supported us to make these events such a success.

Katinka Schumann - MDC mom 
Come and support our Basketball boys tomorrow at St Benedict's! and remember to follow us on twitter for sporting results.
MUSIC DEPARTMENT

We offer lessons in the following instruments:  piano, guitar, drums, saxophone, trumpet and voice. Currently we have seven teachers, who are here on certain afternoons on a contract basis.
The cost for these lessons this year is R195 per 30-minute lesson.
Many parents contacted us towards the end of last year. These boys’ names are on our waiting list. Our instrument teachers are in the process of organising lessons with their current students. Once they have completed this process, they will be able to look at new students.  We thank you for your patience.
If you have any queries, please email Mrs Susanne Human (humans@stdavids.co.za) or Mr Chris Luke (lukec@stdavids.co.za).
Reflection for the week:
 
BENEDICTION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
by Fr. William Saunders
Director of the Notre Dame Institute
Unfortunately, the lack of familiarity with exposition and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament is not uncommon these days. I remember when I was "growing up" in the 60s that on special occasions my home parish had exposition and benediction. Then, for whatever reason, this beautiful ritual disappeared. I never remember encountering the practice until I went to the seminary in 1979, where we had exposition and benediction for Sunday Vespers, Wednesday Holy Hours and 40 Hours Devotion. Nevertheless, when I was assigned as a college chaplain, I met several college students who had never witnessed exposition or benediction, or even understood what the terms meant. A sad commentary indeed.
Exposition and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament is not only a very old devotion in our Church, but one that highlights the fundamental mystery of the Holy Eucharist that our Lord is truly present, body and blood, soul and divinity, in the Blessed Sacrament.
In his holy Thursday letter to priests, "Dominicae cenae" (1980), Pope John Paul II wrote, "Since the Eucharistic mystery was instituted out of love, and makes Christ sacramentally present, it is worthy of thanksgiving and worship. And this worship must be prominent in all our encounters with the Blessed Sacrament" (No. 3).
While emphasizing the importance of the Mass, the Holy Father recommends various forms of Eucharistic devotion: personal prayer and periods of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, exposition and benediction, Forty Hours devotion, Eucharistic processions, Eucharistic Congresses and a special observance of the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. All of these devotions, which focus on the Blessed Sacrament, aid in out spiritual union with our Lord. As Jesus said, "I Myself am the Bread of Life. No one who comes to Me shall ever be hungry, no one who believes in Me shall ever thirst" (Jn 6:35).
The ritual for exposition and benediction as presented most recently by the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship (1973) basically follows this ritual: The priest places the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance or ostensorium on the alter for adoration. (A ciborium containing the Blessed Sacrament may also be used, but the monstrance allows one to view the Holy Eucharist.)
At this time, a hymn of praise (such as "O Salutaris Hostia") is sung as the priest incenses the Blessed Sacrament. During the period of adoration, the faithful may pray in quiet and foster a deeper spiritual communion with the Lord. However, the adoration period should also include prayers, such as a novena or Liturgy of the Hours, and readings from Sacred Scripture accompanied by a homily or exhortation to increase the understanding of the Eucharistic mystery.
At the end of the period of adoration, the priest again incenses the Blessed Sacrament as a hymn of praise is sung (such as "Tantum Ergo"), and then blesses the congregation with the Blessed Sacrament, making the sign of the cross. After the blessing, the priest reposes the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle.
This ritual seems to have arisen around the institution of the Feast of Corpus Christi by Pope Urban IV in 1264. On this feast day, the Holy Eucharist was carried in procession in vessels similar to our present day monstrances, which allowed the faithful to view the Blessed Sacrament, Eventually a custom arose, especially in Germany, of keeping the Blessed Sacrament continually exposed to view in all of the churches.
At the same time, members of guilds began to gather to sing canticles in the evening after work in honor of the Blessed Mother. In particular, the singing of the "Salve Regina," composed in the 11th century, became popular in these devotions. These evening services were called "Salat" in France.
Over the next two or three centuries, these two services seem to merge. The faithful would gather, usually in the evening, for chanted prayers, particularly in honor of our Blessed Mother. The Blessed Sacrament would be exposed, more prayers would be chanted or recited, and the service would end with benediction. Interestingly, benediction is still known in France as La Salat.
2017 SWOP SHOP TIMES
Day Time
Monday 07:15 - 08:30
Tuesday 13:00 - 15:00
Wednesday 07:15 - 08:30
Thursday 07:15 - 08:30
ST DAVID’S MARIST INANDA 2017 CALENDAR 
 
TERM 1
Start Wednesday 18 January
Close Saturday 8 April (After sport)
Half Term CLOSE Thursday 23 February (After school)
RETURN Tuesday 28 February
School and Public Holidays Monday 20 March (School Holiday)
Tuesday 21 March (Human Rights Day)
 
TERM 2
Start Wednesday 3 May
Close Friday 4 August
Half Term CLOSE Friday 23 June
RETURN Monday 3 July
Public Holiday Friday 16 June (Youth Day)
 
TERM 3  
Start Tuesday  5 September  
Close Tuesday 5 December  
Half Term CLOSE Thursday 19 October (After school)  
RETURN  Tuesday 24 October   
Public Holiday
 
Sunday 24 September (Heritage Day)    
Monday 25 September (Public Holiday)  
 
Share
Tweet
Forward
Copyright © 2017 St David's Marist Inanda, All rights reserved.


Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list