Prep Newsletter No 6 2011

8/6/2019 Prep Newsletter No 6 2011

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10 June 2011

St Johns Preparatory SchoolSt Johns Preparatory SchoolHoughton

Tel: 011 645 3100/ 087 550473 Newsletter Number 6

14/06 Hair Inspection

Football vs St Benedicts

Jan Cilliers Music Evening

15/06 Extraordinary Evening

16/06 Public Holiday - No School

17/06 School Holiday

21/06 Senior Inter-House Quiz

23/06 Tennis vs The Ridge

24/06 UIII Music Concert

GSL Primary School Competition

History Assessment LIII - UIII

27/06 LIII Music Concert

28/06 UII Music Concert

29/06 LII Music Concert

Rugby vs WHPS

30/06 Grahamstown Arts Festival

Tour Departs

UI Music Concert

Tennis vs Pridwin

Sports Quiz

01/07 Geography Assessment UIII - LIII

Hist/Geog/Sci Assessment LII - UII

Reminders from theDiary

From the HeadmasterIntroduction

Communication 101

I cannot stress the importance of healthyrelationships and good communication skills

between parents, sons and teachers alike. Abreak in any of these links more often than notleads to a boy experiencing difficulties in his en-vironment be it in the school setting or in his

home surroundings.

Our study skills evenings held a couple of weeksago emphasised the need for parents to try andunderstand how best their children learn andfor this to be effective, there has to be goodcommunication between the parent and son, as well as between the teacher and boy, and inturn, the teacher and the parent.

What is the key to creating these relationships?We all like to think we are excellent parents andteachers, but do we really know and love ourboys in the right way and do we really know howto connect with them? Are we blinded by thenotion of how we expect them to behave, whatresults we want them to get, what team we want

them to make or are we more interested in theoutcome and forget about the process? Do weknow what they are doing on their cell phones,

It is with great sadness that we have to inform you that Jill Arnold died peacefully onSunday June 5th. We extend our sympathies to Father Michael Arnold, Sarah-Anneand Jonathan.

We are saddened by her death, yet inspired by her courage and remain forever gratefulfor her significant contribution both professionally and personally in the lives of many

staff and boys in our community.

A Requiem Mass for Jill Arnold will take place on Monday (13th June) afternoon at

14h30 in the Memorial Chapel.


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Page 2 St Johns Preparatory School

blackberrys and computers in school and after hours? This is the time when we needto lay solid foundations for good and open relationships and positive communicationskills. Spotty, hormonal teenagers are just a short way away, and these channels arenot put in place while our boys are young, a long and difficult journey for all partiesconcerned might lie ahead.

I believe that we have to get down to the level of our boys and communicate withthem,not talk tothem. The quality of our communication makes a difference. Good communi-cation helps our boys shape positive attitudes about themselves, allows a parent a win-dow into their sons thinking and actions and quite naturally progresses into goodrelationships.

Here are some ideas that may be of interest:

Meals are great social occasions more than just refuelling stops. They provide a wonderful opportunity for families to get together and talk. Talk about eachothers day the highlights and the lowlights. Share your own day with yourchildren.

If you have a conversational clam in your family, try talking over a snack, or while doing an activity. Boys, in particular, tend to open up more while their

hands are busy. Relax, go for a walk and watch how their tongues loosen up.

If nah or yep are the only responses you get from your son, consider askingquestions that begin with What? Where? How? or Why? Ask interesting

questions that will spark more than a one-word response.

Talk with your son on his turf. Many boys will open up in the privacy of theirown bedroom, particularly when they are relaxed and feel secure.

Respect your sons boundaries. There are times when a good listener will know

when to keep quiet. Boys will often divulge information when they are ready.

Some turn-offs for boys:

Lecturing children: When I was young

Shouting: Using a quiet voice is a more effective way to get a point across thanusing a raised voice.

Put-downs: They lower boys self-confidence and they turn boys off listening toyou.

Good luck and like most things that require a bit of effort on our part, its so worth it!

I trust you all have a wonderful and communicative long weekend with your families.

Patrick Lees

Headmaster


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4CTea

20th May

Brendan Thomas - Won both Chess matchesTimothy McPherson - Natural Sciences Expertise

Michael Boyce - Maths

Justin West - Helping in Chess


27 May

Won both Chess Matches

Sachin Modi Gregory Thompson

Matthew Berger Emil Yilmaz

Jason Batzofin Lodewijk Volkersz

Brendan Thomas James Arthur

Daniel Harding Nikhil Haripershad

Kavish Govind

27 May

Selected for Johannesburg North Area Soccer

Lodewijk Volkersz

Nicholas Hallendorff

Jordan King

Ross Bentley

27 May

Defend a friend

Sebastian Nassel-Henderson

Matthew Monteith

10 June

Excellent English Results

Justin KoevortMerlin Love

Matthew Robinson

Jordan Williamson

Jack Gnodde

Aidan Quinn

Matthew Collins

Numan Koor

10 June

U11A Soccer team were placed second at Wade Foster Tournament

Ethan Chilvers Keir Mantzios

Dale Hallendorff Stefano Cavalieri

Michael Mackie Thamsanqa Mtizira-Nondo

Bradley Dunbar Travin Bouwer

Luca Allasio Brandon Vermeulen


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Chess Results

23rd May 2011

St Johns A vs Trinity A

Seniors lost 14 - 18

Juniors lost 11 - 21

Overall lost 25 - 39

Well done to the following boys who won both their games:

S Modi, O Kieser, D Louw, C Williamson, R Ramokgopa, S Gaffney.

30th May

St Johns A vs St Marys A

This was a social evening for enjoyment only. No results were recorded. The boys of St

Johns and the girls of St Marys had an entertaining evening playing friendly matches,first against their own team members and then against the opposing school. Thisevening proved to be a lot of fun as all boys and girls socialized with no competitive

pressure.

Soccer

Ross Bentley and Nicholas Hallendorff have been selected to play in Inter-ProvincialTournament. Well done, boys!

Four very eager teams and a very enthusiastic audience of UI-UII boys took part in the Junior Inter-House Quiz on Friday. The categories of questions varied from currentnews and sporting events, South African trivia and Ancient Egypt, to famous hounds,disasters in 2011 and knights and castles. The boys keenness to answer the questionsand their general excitement at the event was wonderful to watch. The results show

what a closely fought contest it was.

Darragh 54 Bousfield 56

Carter 57 Cullinan 60

Junior Inter-House Quiz

St Johns B vs Auckland Park A

Seniors won 21 - 11Juniors won 11 - 5

Overall won 32 - 16

Golf

Kian Rose, UID, competed in the South African Kids

Junior Open and came second. Well done, Kian.


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UPPER IL

The Upper Is are exploring different Feelings. The had to write a sympathy letter to

Mr and Mrs Majola who had lost their daughter in a snow storm. These are some of

the letters they wrote.

By Aidan Stride


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UPPER IL

By Spencer Russell Clarke


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UPPER IR

By Vladimir Ionescu


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UPPER IR

By Fraser McLardy


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Upper ID

By Dino Koutromanos


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Upper ID

By Matthew Chow


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Lower II

Following on the Knights theme, the Lower II classes made castles, which arenow on display in the library


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Upper III

Hard at work and deep in concentration in the D & T class


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Peter Godwin Visit

Award winning author Peter Godwin entertained the Lower and Upper III boys with

tales of his childhood in Zimbabwe and his university years at Oxford. The boys were

fascinated by his account of a trip overland from the UK back to Zimbabwe, as well as

the story about how his father had to be cremated on a Hindu funeral pyre. He spoke

briefly about the three books he has written about his familys experiences in Zimbabwe

and about the present crisis facing the country. His books are: Mukiwa, When the

Crocodile Eats the Sunand The Fear.

By Nicky Sulter


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Notices


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Notices


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St Johns Preparatory SchoolPage 17

Assertiveness

Trainingby

Jo Hamilton

Educational Psychologist

Is your child often bullied, Is your child too aggressive

picked on or excluded? and disliked by others?

PRACTICAL SKILLS AND ADVICE FOR

CHILDREN WHO STRUGGLE TO HANDLE

SOCIAL SITUATIONS EFFECTIVELY.

Involves: 7 x 70 minute sessions (25 May - 29 June 2011)

including 1 hr evening address to parents (24 May)

Ages: 6 8 years and 9 12 years

Max group size: 6 children

Where: Parkhurst Wednesday afternoons

Cost: R1800 Early Bird (Medical aids reimburse percentage)

Go from this . ..to

this!!!

PHONE 083 792 7207


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St Johns College Shop

New opening times:

Monday & Thursday 7am to 3pm

Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 10am to 3pm

Stationery and Labels as well as all your sports clothes, jerseys, bags and

socks

Notices

Make my day, enter thecomic competition. Find

entry forms in theLibrary.


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Notices

Art club and extra classes

From the beginning of next term, Mr Poco is starting an Art Club (for LIII and UIII boys) and extra art classes for juniorboys. Senior boys are encouraged to join the Art Club on Tuesdays from 14h00 -15h00 or Thursdays from 15h00-

16h00. Juniors may arrange extra art lessons with Mr Poco at alternative times and on alternative days.

We hope to see the senior boys joining the Art Club to create various exciting art works with mediums they do notnormally use in class, such as print making, photography, oil painting and many more. This will be a fantastic opportunity

for any boy who wishes to develop his art skills.

For further information e-mail Bruno Poco on [email protected]

ItalianLanguage

LessonsSmall age appropriate classes and individual tuition

offered outside school hours at St Johns.

Experienced mother-tongue graduate teacher usingcommunicative method of conversation, maintaining

cultural ties for solid IEB foundation.

Contact Lisabetta on 082 682 2859 or

[email protected]

EXTRA ZULU

LESSONS

Lower III and Upper III boys.

Every Thursday 13h45

Upper III Mrs Mashele

All Welcome

Hair Dee-Lite 082 462 6813/011 648 6367

Dee offers excellent work for the whole family,

competitive prices and the added

convenience of being on campus.

Modern cuts, colours (from R300) and hi-lites.

Kids R50

7 Elm Street (Opposite Rice Field)

Open Tuesday to Friday

08h00 - 17h00

Saturday 08h00 - 13h00

EXTRA MATHS

LESSONSLower III & Upper III boys in Mrs Jean Clarences

classroom

Every Thursday 13h45 All Welcome

Extra Math Lessons

Individual tuition offered

Mrs M Hauptfleisch

Call 011 442 1854

083 256 7714


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If I had my life to live over

Id dare to make more mistakes next time.

Id relax. I would limber up

I would be sillier than I have been this trip.

I would take fewer things seriously.

I would take more chances.

I would take more trips.

I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers.

I would eat more ice cream and less beans.

I would perhaps have more actual troubles but

Id have fewer imaginary ones.You see, Im one of those people who live sensibly

and sanely hour after hour, day after day.

Oh, Ive had my moments and if I had it to do over again,

Id have more of them.

In fact, Id try to have nothing else. Just moments.

One after another, instead of living so many years ahead of each day.

Ive been one of those people who never go anywhere without a

thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat and a parachute.If I had it to do again, I would travel lighter next time.

If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier

in the spring and stay that way later in the fall.

I would go to more dances.

I would ride more merry-go-rounds.

I would pick more daisies.

Nadine Stair

Prep Newsletter No 6 2011

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