The term is finally drawing to a close and I can sense that our girls are getting tired and restless as the holidays approach. An examination term is always busy and can be stressful for some, but I congratulate you for the relaxed manner in which you have approached it as parents. While we want the girls to do their best and have an opportunity to practise their skills at formal examination writing, we need to be quite clear that matric is still a far way off!

For our Intermediate Phase girls, this has been the week of examination feedback. I do hope they have absorbed and learned important strategies with which to tackle future assignments. My letter, concerning assessments, was written with much thought and input from the staff. I do hope you take the content to heart.

Reports will go out via Blue Sky at the end of the term. While teachers will be asking to meet certain parents to discuss their daughters’ progress, any concerned parents may make appointments with their daughters’ teachers for next week. Email the teacher directly to set up a suitable time.

As written in Mrs Redelinghuys’s newsletter last week, the Preparatory School is starting the next exciting phase of building development. This project will proceed with the minimum disruption to learning and any noisy construction will be done outside of school hours. The Grade 3IP class will be moving to the refurbished Nussbaum Centre as from next term. Grade 6SH will be moving to the Art block upstairs and Mrs Hall will continue to run the science laboratory from there having much more space and light. The Haggie Hall classrooms will be renovated in stages. Gr 5BRM will move to the French Block and Gr 5LN to the upstairs classroom in the Library from the start of next term. This will be a temporary measure until they return to their beautifully renovated classrooms at the end of the term. At the start of the fourth term, the other Haggie Corridor classes will follow suite and hopefully, by the end of the year, the entire block will be finished, sporting six brand new classrooms which lead into a shared Discovery Den. This space will be used for breakaway groups, individual research or combined Grade projects- a real twenty first century initiative. Together with additional technology and new furniture, the completion of this project will be worth the wait.

This term has been an interrupted one, especially tricky with the numerous holidays and short weeks. Despite this, the girls have kept their focus and generally continued to display a solid work ethic, hence developing a rather lovely reputation for hard work and excellence. I have also seen the generous heart of this community. The girls collected well over 200 litres of milk for Good Hope Seminary’s Breakfast Club in celebration of Earth Day.  On Monday I received the following letter:
 

Our heartfelt thanks for the overwhelmingly generous donation of milk that you made to our Breakfast Club.  Over 200 litres was delivered to us last week.  We were overjoyed. 

The milk you have sent will allow us to make up E’pap for over 420 learners for TWO WHOLE WEEKS!  Thank you so very much.
 
You are aware that most of our learners get up as early as 4 am in their homes in Delft or Khayelitsha, to catch transport around 5am, and to come into the city to school.  The journey can take over 2 hours, depending on the traffic.  Even if they have eaten before leaving home, they are hungry before lessons start at 8am.  That’s not the right way to start learning.  Their breakfast of E’Pap and fruit increases alertness and raises energy levels for a day at school.
“
Our annual Winter Woolies collection and Knitting Challenge commenced today and girls are asked to bring to school clothes, old and new, and especially men’s socks that will be given to organisations supporting the homeless this winter. We have also asked them to knit squares that will be sewn together for distribution. Instructions for the size of the squares, can be found on Blue Sky.

As well as generous hearts, I remind you of the incredible spirit enjoyed by our community this past term. Tickets for our Bingo Evening were sold out in just one day. It was an evening enjoyed by all and the girls enjoyed making artwork for the evening, as well as dressing up in their Chinese finery. The Lunch Club for parents, held in the Voorkamer, was also well attended. The guest speaker, Greg Bertish, told the inspiring story of his tenacity in life and autographed his books on sale. The PA has become renowned for their excellent, well- organised fundraisers. On that note, our Annual Golf Day takes place on Friday, 20 October 2017.  More information will be distributed via our Class Liaison parents and Blue Sky. If you are a keen golfer, do not miss this event. If you are keen to help the committee with preparations, do forward your name to your CLP.

The girls have enjoyed numerous interesting lessons outside the classroom this term. The Grade 6s visited the Heart Museum, the Grade 3s spent a morning on the beach after visiting the Hout Bay Museum, and the Grade 5s were entranced by the movie Beauty and the Beast at the Labia. A brave group of Grade 6 and 7 dads and daughters enjoyed a camping experience at Bonamanzi. After Assessment week, the Foundation Phase had a BFF Day- blankie, fluffy toy and food day, especially enjoyed in the cold, bracing winter weather after the storm. Every class has participated in an orienteering programme during their PE lessons which we hope to continue next term.

Our Grade 7 parents and girls ran two successful fundraisers helping the school celebrate Mothers’ and Fathers’ Day in style. In the Foundation Phase our girls treated “someone special” in their lives to a most entertaining concert. Not to be outdone, the Grade 7s showed snippets of their self-written and produced plays. There is certainly serious talent in this school!

Next week promises to be busy and entertaining. The Music Department has organised an Eisteddfod Day on Thursday, 29 June, in which all girls who play musical instruments will have an opportunity to perform to the school. A programme of events and venues will be forwarded to parents on Monday. The day finishes with our annual Inter-House singing Competition in the hall. The Intermediate Phase is presently practising for this exciting event and this has to be one of my favourite events of the year!

On Tuesday, girls in Grades 6 and 7 will be participating in the Public Speaking Competition. I am always surprised by the confidence, and poise of the girls at this event, as well as the interest, understanding and depth of debate elicited by them for the subject.

On Wednesday the Intermediate Phase holds their Celebration Assembly in the hall. Girls who have excelled in academic work will be honoured, as well as those who have shown personal growth in a certain area or lived out the values that our school holds as so important. Perhaps this one assembly reflects what we try so hard to do: develop the brilliance in each girl and show them that, in the words of Kurt Hahn,” there is far more in them than they imagine.”

I would like to wish all our Muslim families 'Eid Mubarak' for either Sunday or Monday. 

Next term will bring a new start and create new possibilities for our girls.  One of our teachers will also be starting a new season in her life as she leaves us after ten years at St Cyprian's School.  Mrs Sampson has accepted a teaching position in Abu Dhabi to start in mid August.  Her quiet and methodical ways have been much appreciated and she will be sorely missed by staff and girls alike.  We wish her exciting adventures and happy teaching moments in a new country.

School closes on Friday at 10h30 for the Foundation Phase and 11h00 for the Intermediate Phase. As you can see, it has been a busy, but productive, term. The staff are committed to the school, work hard and best of all, love teaching the girls. My grateful thanks to them always for their support. My best wishes for a warm and relaxing holiday and safe travels to those who are going away.
 
Warm regards
Carol te Water
 
 
 

We are proud of our piano students who excelled at the Cape Town Eisteddfod this term, pictured here with their teacher, Mr Claasen.