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WBJS News, 25 May 2023
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Today we celebrate Africa Day! Boys and staff came to school dressed in colours representing the African Union: Green, Red, Gold, and Black. They were also requested to bring a packed lunch that showcases any African culture, allowing them to explore the diverse culinary traditions of the continent. We had an assembly scheduled as an opportunity for us to come together and celebrate the rich heritage and cultural diversity of Africa on this special day, at which we were delighted to welcome the Xhosa Choir from Camps Bay - a big thanks to them for joining our celebrations.

This evening we need your support (much like we received for the Grey Launch) as we will be hosting a talk by Mandy Herold on Conscious Discipline, which we have adopted as a school. I can not express how important it is that you attend as you will gain valuable insights into how to implement these principles at home thereby enhancing your children's overall well-being and success. If you have not yet RSVP'd, please do so by clicking
here

Thank you to all who joined us at the City Hall on Tuesday for the spectacular Wynberg Campus of Schools Choral Concert. The evening turned out to be an extraordinary celebration of talent and community, and it wouldn't have been the same without your presence. The performances by all the choirs were nothing short of amazing even though we may be biased towards our boys. Our learners presented their exceptional vocal abilities with passion and skill, leaving the audience in awe. The hard work and dedication of all the Wynberg Boys’ and Girls’ schools and their incredible music departments deserve credit and acknowledgement. 

On Monday evening I had the pleasure of attending the Shakespeare Schools Festival at the District Six Homecoming Theatre to witness our young Wynberg thespians on stage. They were absolutely outstanding in their acting and I marvelled at the ability to deliver some very difficult lines from Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. Well done to the Drama Department under the leadership of Ms Fourie. We look forward to their future growth and success. 

On Saturday we host our first home rugby fixture against Rondebosch. Last year we had some unpleasantness diminishing the legacy of these fixtures. It is essential for us, as responsible adults, to ensure that this day is enjoyable for all involved, particularly the boys. The well-being of the boys from both Wynberg and Rondebosch remains our primary concern, and it is crucial that we create an environment that fosters positive experiences and fair competition. We have had a year-long engagement with Rondebosch to ensure good relationships at all levels. The planning that goes into hosting a Saturday morning is significant and we attempt to control the environment as best we can so that it is a good experience for all involved. My appeal is that we do not create reasons other than the quality of rugby and the enjoyment of the experience for all the boys to be the focus of the day. Please see the insert below from our Head of Rugby. Spectator behaviour at school sports events needs to be appropriate to a learning environment.

Mr Cedric Poleman
Headmaster 
Term 2 Formal Assessments
The formal assessment programme for Grades 4 - 7 has commenced. Please make sure that your son spends time studying so that he can produce a sound set of results at the end of this term.

Absence
We have noted a spike in our absentee rate over the past few weeks. We have also noted the presence of Swineflu, Scarlet Fever, and mumps among our learners. Please note that only a Doctors note will excuse a child from writing a formal assessment allowing us to use his, or the class average, for that assessment.

When boys are absent for long periods of time, a doctor's note must be sent to his class teacher once he has been to the doctor. This enables the teacher to plan and arrange for work to be collected so that your son does not lag behind with the content other boys are working on. The onus is on you to collect the work and to work with your son to ensure a minimal loss of content. Boys will be given an opportunity to complete any missed SBA or formal assessments if it is at all possible when they return. This is of course time-sensitive, we cannot expect a teacher to go back and teach work that has been lost for long periods of time due to your son's absence, but the teacher will be there to support him if he requires any explanation or assistance.
Grade 5
The Grade 5 boys were tasked with making their favourite sandwiches in class and presenting them in the form of Afrikaans "Mondelings". Some delicious and interesting "toebroodjies" were made!
Book Donation Drive
Next week is the final week for book donations as the Book Donation Drive ends on Friday, 2 June. Learners who would like to donate a book/s to the book drive can place their donations in the boxes outside our school library. We are looking for fiction or non-fiction books for learners aged 6 to 13 years old. It would be highly appreciated if the books donated are still in fairly good condition. 
Africa Day Assembly
Thursday 25 May: Special Assembly to celebrate Africa Day - grateful thanks to the Xhosa Choir from Camps Bay High School who joined us, and to our Music Department for providing a wonderful African sound track to the event! 

View the photos on Flickr
Wynberg Campus of Schools Choral Concert
The Wynberg Schools held a breathtaking concert at the prestigious City Hall, leaving the audience in awe of the choirs’ exceptional talent and artistry. Under the guidance of our Choral Directors, the choirs captivated the audience with classical masterpieces and contemporary hits.

The choirs’ versatility was on full display as they flawlessly performed soul-stirring ballads, vibrant African melodies, and even ventured into popular modern songs, infusing them with their unique charm and musicality.

WBJS performed “This is Me” and “Why we sing” with genuine emotive enthusiasm, bringing many to tears in the audience. 

Outstanding solo performances from Brandon Faasen, Mason Fourie, and Zachary Holland. Thank you to Mrs Scheepers for her incredible dedication and ability to elicit such a fine performance from our boys. Thank you to Mr De Windt for his capable support as piano accompanist to our choir.

The evening culminated in the combined choir pieces with about 250 singers on stage. Each of these pieces was magnificent:

Va Pensiero conducted by Mrs. Sharon Statham
McCartney Medley conducted  by Mr Richard Haigh
The National Anthem conducted by Jill Scheepers

It was a resounding success, leaving the audience standing in thunderous applause. The memories of this unforgettable night will linger in the hearts of both the performers and the audience for years to come.
Cape Town Big Band Jazz Festival
Don't miss this big band jazz highlight - join us on Thursday 1 June, when the Wynberg Boys’ Junior and High School Jazz Bands perform at the Baxter Concert Hall, along with Bergvliet High School Junior Jazz Band, Rustenburg Girls’ High School Jazz Combo, DSK Jazz Band, and Bergvliet High School Senior Jazz Band.

Tickets available on WebTicket.co.za
Madrassah Charity Drive
The Wynberg Boy’s Madrassah will be launching their annual charity for the community of Vrygrond in Capricorn, do support if you can!
Cross Country
Thank you to the boys who came to jog the route at the Military Base last Friday. This week’s race at Camps Bay Primary School and will feature amazing views of the Atlantic Ocean and excellent running routes.
Hockey
Last week was a busy week for our hockey boys with fixtures scheduled against The Grove, Paarl Boys’ Junior, and some matches against SACS. Our matches delivered a mixed bag of results overall, but there were some great wins by our U10 age group as well as the U12 A & B who won all their matches against The Grove. A special mention must also be made of the great wins by the U12C and D teams against SACS. Our U13A team braved the cold and the rain to beat The Grove 4 - 0.  

On Friday some teams travelled to Paarl Boys’ Junior School and even though the results did not all go our way, we enjoyed our hosts' hospitality and we hope to make this fixture a permanent one on our calendar. We also hosted two of their teams together with their staff and families and we would like to thank our parents for their generous donation of eats for our visitors. Thank you also goes to the parents who drove to Paarl to support our boys.
This week our fixtures are against Sweet Valley and next week sees us play against Rondebosch. A reminder to please check the Senior Hockey Google Classroom for match information. There are still a number of boys who have not been attending practices regularly or who do not arrive for matches.  Please note that a register is kept and we will be following up on those boys and the necessary disciplinary action will be taken.
A reminder to please excuse your son from a practice or match by emailing the teacher in charge timeously.  
Rugby
What started off as being icy cold on Saturday morning turned into a lovely morning/afternoon of schoolboy rugby at Paarl Boys. It is the first time in 15 years we have travelled to Paarl, and we were welcomed and greeted with open arms. The results on the day were also competitive and we must congratulate all our boys who took the drive out and played - especially our little U9s who were barefoot at 07h30 on the freezing, cold ground.

Although the majority of the morning was an enjoyable one, it is regrettable that we still have some unsavoury behaviour on the sidelines from WBJS parents. Abusive comments hurled at referees are unbecoming and unacceptable coming from our community. As we prepare to host Rondebosch this weekend, we cannot and will not tolerate any of this behaviour on the side of the field. As a school, we have signed and agreed to a supporters' code of conduct and we need to ensure that everyone from our community abides by that.


Please click here for the match letter vs Rondebosch. Please take note that all fixtures are being played at Wynberg Boys’ High School and entrance to the school is only via Herschel Walk. No entry is allowed through Aletta Walk. The digital programme including fixtures can be found here (please note the U10D game has been cancelled as per the match day letter). We would like to encourage all rugby players to stay and watch the U13A match on Saturday to show our visitors the famous Wynberg “Gees”. The cheerleaders will be out in their numbers ready to get the crowd going. 
Photos: U10A Rugby vs Paarl Boys' Junior || Photos: U10B Rugby vs Paarl Boys' Junior
Squash
While we had two confirmed fixtures for Friday, Sweet Valley unfortunately cancelled due to the number of learners being sick. The A team fixture continued at Bishops and our boys played very well, defeating Bishops in a closely contested match. This week, both teams have fixtures against Rondebosch at VOB. 
My Ninja VIP & Me
You only have ONE MONTH to book your tickets, hurry before time runs out!
The Allan Gray Entrepreneurship Challenge
The Allan Gray Entrepreneurship Challenge (AGEC) has launched a Primary Champions Young Business Mind game which promotes positive life skills that will help children adapt. Access is free for learners who have access to a computer or smart mobile device and an internet connection. Click here to access.
Calendar of Events
26 May: Cross Country, Camps Bay, 14h30 - 17h00
27 May: Rugby v RBPS, WBHS
29 & 31 May: Grade 1, Save our Seas, 09h00 - 12h00
30 & 31 May: Grade 3 - World of Birds
Canterbury Online Store
To purchase Wynberg Boys' Junior School sports apparel, click here. To view how to navigate the website click here.
 The following information will be sent to parents: 

Returns/Exchanges: 
  1. Parents who wish to return/exchange Canterbury items should inform Canterbury via email: enquiries@kingdomandco.co.za, please note that there will be an 8-day waiting period for exchanges. 
  2. Parents are to return items to the school's Arnold Lorie Hall from 07h30 - 08h00 on a Monday. 
  3. Parents who are exchanging items are to expect a return the following week Tuesday/Wednesday. 
  4. Please note that there will be no cost for this service.
MY SCHOOL CARD:
EVERY SWIPE MAKES A DIFFERENCE!

A big thank you to all our Wynberg Families who continue to use their My School Cards as a passive fundraising tool for our School! 

Need a card? Follow the link!
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