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WYNBERG GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL
NEWSLETTER NEWSLETTER
Also available on our website : www.wynghs.co.za FEBRUARY
2010
A new society has been started at WGHS – the Athena Society.
Athena, the ancient Greek goddess of wisdom, is an appropriate name
for a society consisting of young women who are top academics. The
thinking behind this new society is that WGHS offers a lot in the
way of academic support but needs more opportunities for top
achievers. The function of the society is to stimulate, extend and
nourish our top 12 girls in Grades 11 and 12. The Grade 12's will
be able to leave the group in the third term and be replaced by the
top Grade 10's. Girls in Grade 11 who qualify in June will also be
invited to join the group. At a later stage, a junior group - top
Grade 8's and 9's will also be started.
The society's first meeting was run by Mr Neil Eddy of WBHS. He
challenged the girls to think and also to think about their
thinking. The society will be going to the opera 'Carmen' on
Monday, 7 March. Before that, our very own trained opera singer, Ms
Opperman, will speak to the girls about the opera and what to
listen for in order to get as much out of the experience as
possible. Congratulations to the very first members: Tarryn
Beattie, Farha Cassim, Khadija Brey, Meghan Daniels, Saarah
Coenraad, Christine Forbes, Julia Cosentino, Alexandra Hendricks,
Nina Esterhuysen, Arifa Kamroodien, Nikita Hadskins, Melissa Kube,
Katrina Lehmann-Grube, Kristin Niewenhuys, Laylah Ryklief, Kelsey
Peters, Kim Schilder, Elaine Petersen, Kim van Aswegen, Tessa
Suttle, Kristen van Graan, Ange Uwase, Nadine Veldsman, Leslene
Wiseman.
athena society
Congratulations to Jaimie de Klerk and Ashley
Kay-Hards - the 2011 Hostel Head and Deputy.
hostel leaders 2011
Jaimie & Ashley
Dear Parents
I was fortunate to spend some time with the girls at the Grade
11 camp in Simon's Town and the Grade 9 camp at Grabouw, and was
struck again by the emphasis on and importance of teamwork in the
achievement of goals. Both camps have separate reports in this
newsletter and both mention the learning experienced through being
part of a team.
Teamwork exists in every part of WGHS, from the tutor group and
house, to the sports, cultural, service and academic teams. There
is no doubt that the team that obeys the rules of teamwork is the
one that wins – not always coming first, but winning friends, a
sense of belonging, self-esteem and pride. Here are some useful
rules for teams:1. Help each other to be RIGHT - not wrong.2. Look
for ways to make new ideas work - not for reasons
why they will not work.3. If in doubt - Check it Out. Don't make
negative
assumptions about one another.4. Help each other Win and take
pride in each other's successes. US, WE, OUR, TOGETHER, not they,
them, their, those girls.5. Speak Positively about each other, help
those who make
mistakes learn.6. Maintain a positive attitude. Work to improve
the situation
no matter what that situation is.7. Act with initiative and
courage as if everyone depends on
you.8. Do everything with Enthusiasm for nothing is as
contagious
as success.9. Whenever you can, remember to Give things away
rather
than take them away: Give Respect, Recognition, Power, Support,
Compassion, Help.
10. Never give up.11. If you want to look good, forget about
yourself and make
your teammates look good.
Well done to the Wynberg girls who have shown their commitment
to these rules, at these camps and in the many other school teams.
We are so proud of you – you are the winners! For those who did not
always remember rules of teamwork – stop and think, learn from the
experience, be positive, and next time, be the best team member you
can possibly be.
Thank you to all the staff members who are part of these teams.
We would not be able to enjoy these powerful learning occasions
without them. Together, parents and teachers, let us continue to
teach the rules of teamwork and encourage our girls at every
opportunity to represent their family and school in an exemplary
manner.
Warm regardsShirley Harding
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Over 800 exhilarated learners and staff sang along and danced to
renowned SA band, The Parlotones, in the school hall on Valentine's
Day. As always the Parlotones’ performance was out-standing - a few
of our junior school neighbours came across to see what all the
excitement was about and left feeling rather jealous. The concert
was followed by a much enjoyed autograph and picture session where
Wynberg girls got to meet and chat to their music icons. The event
raised funds for our music students to attend an inter-national
music festival in Beijing later this year. Thank you organisers,
and thank you PARLOTONES !
the parlotones !
Front: Ms B Franke, Stacey Walker, Tatum Fortune, Jaime Floris,
Ye-Eun Jung, Sam Burnell, Helen Slater
Middle: Jessica Davids, Yeji Jung, Georgia Bailey, Mikayla
Duminy, Robyn Lassen, Christine Forbes
Back: Glen Hudgson, Paul Hudgson, Kahn Morbee, Neil Pauw, Mr J
Saayman
A very special event was organised for Grade 8 parents early in
February. Rather than a meeting with speakers and presentations, it
was BACK TO SCHOOL for them!
Upon their arrival, parents were registered and given timetables
and maps. During their ‘day’, they had an assembly, two lessons and
a house meeting. At their assembly, they were told a little about
each of the four pillars, and were encouraged to join a brand new
society. Then they learnt a war-cry and were sent off to lessons:
English, Afrikaans, Maths, ICDL, Ballet, History and Art among
others. They moved swiftly from one lesson to the next, collecting
merits and demerits along the way. Finally, at their house
meetings, they were given guidelines to "surviving high school" and
fridge magnets with important phone numbers.
Certainly the ‘Back to school’ evening provides parents with a
clearer idea of some of the transitions their daughters have had to
make. Information and fun at the same time - perfect.
back to school for grade 8 parents
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Congratulations to new Grade 8 RCL members: Ashleigh Thompson,
Sara Bell and Saabira Swart.
grade 8 rclms pienaar gets married
Wynberg was approached by Nina Zani from the Nina Zani
Found-ation to perform at the V&A Waterfront, with Heathfield
High, Alexander Sinton and Bergvliet High, the other schools going
to Beijing. Each school had 15 minutes to perform the same pieces
that they will be performing in Beijing. Wynberg’s
Flute & String trios, the Sax Quartet and the Vocal Ensemble
performed.
wynberg at the waterfront
Ms Annique Pienaar married Michael Dabrowski on Satur-day 5
February at St Georges Cathedral. WGHS was well represented amongst
the wedding guests and by the choir, who, conducted by Ms Opperman,
sang beautifully for the young couple. All at Wynberg wish them
much happiness and a long and happy life together.
Luli Callinicos is credited with putting forward the often
neglected history of 'ordinary' South Africans. In 1992, she was
commissioned to write Oliver Tambo’s biography, which was published
as Oliver Tambo: Beyond the Engeli Mountains. Callinicos has also
written The World that made Mandela (2000), which identifies the
people and places that shaped this iconic figure. Callinicos has
been involved in a number of committees that made decisions about
changing the names of places in South Africa after 1994.
The Grade 12 History classes at Wynberg are doing a Heritage
Project on changing the street names in Cape Town. They were
privileged to meet Luli Callinicos, the well-known social
historian, who made a special trip from Johannesburg to come to
speak to, interact with, inspire and motivate the girls. Ms Barbara
Johannesson, one of our history teachers, worked with Luli on the
development of the new history curriculum for schools, to be
introduced next year. The girls raised many pertinent and nuanced
questions, and Luli was impressed with the level of their
historical critical skills.
history
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On the 9 February the Grade 11’s set out on their long awaited
and much anticipated Grade 11
Camp. Starting off with an amazing drumming workshop, energies
were high when we finally
drove off to our destination: Rocklands, Simon’s Town. What
happened at the camp was a
mixture of teamwork activities and leadership sessions. Both
incorporated a sense of fun which
allowed us to bond as a grade. The highlight was the performance
of the house plays. Our
enthusiasm plus the theme “Discovery”, lead to creative and
sometimes crazy ideas. The night
was very entertaining, filled with laughter and unforgettable
characters. The “Best Play Award”
went to Constantia for a creative, funny play. We were exhausted
but extremely content on the
bus ride home, knowing that this camp will be one we will always
remember.
Laylah Ryklief
grade 11 camp
grade 9 camp9–11 February : Back2Basics, Grabouw
3 days, 72 hours, 195 Grade 9 girls, 6 teachers + loads of
fun
The Grade 9's of 2011 really showed everyone how to have a good
time, whilst competing to see which team would be the overall
winner. Teamwork and communication were vital for the girls to
complete all the rotations, many of which were extremely physically
challenging. Encouragement was needed, and was heard in the form of
team war cries which echoed throughout the campsite all the time.
The heat made some tasks even more difficult, but water fights and
cloudbursts of rain cooled things down and made life bearable. All
in all, Grade 9 Camp 2011 was a truly memorable experience, with
girls achieving things that they initially thought were impossible.
They made many new friends and learnt new skills. However, none of
it would have been possible without the support of our amazing
teachers and the camp facilitators.Vega de Vries, Laura Martin and
Delia Rutherfoord-Jones
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As a result of y husband, Greg, is a C5/C6 quadraplegic, which
means that he is paralysed from the chest down. He has use of his
arms and limited use of his hands. In June 2010, I had a call from
Grant, an old school friend of Greg’s, who wanted to know if I
thought Greg would manage to swim the Midmar Mile. Grant made sure
that someone with such a severe disability would be allowed to
enter and we checked with Greg’s doctors. All gave the go-ahead and
the excitement began.
a motor vehicle accident 12 years ago, m
greg’s midmar mileas told by his wife, Ms glover
Virgin Active sponsored Greg while he train-ed. Temba, a Navy
Diver swam with him two or three times a week, and by January he
was comfortably swimming 1300 metres.
Our air tickets were booked. Greg was motivated and very excited
at the prospect of swimming the Midmar Mile with his
Not a dry eye in the house when Greg and David meet!
Greg with his two buddies under the watch-ful eye of the Navy
alsatian rescue dog!!
two best friends s. Then about four weeks before D-day, I had a
call from David, Greg’s younger brother who lives in London. He
wanted to swim the Midmar with Greg but wanted it to be a complete
surprise. Many secret phone-calls and sms’s later, we had organised
David’s entry into the swim, booked his accommodation and organised
his flights to coincide with ours. It was all too good to be true.
I was so anxious that the secret would get out or that flights
would be delayed.
The day dawned. Our flight was on time and we arrived in Durban
safely. Lie number 1: Greg Y and Grant are late - we’ll have to
wait an extra hour for them. We had lunch and Greg kept commenting
on how antsy I was. Lie number 2: I need to pop up to the “1 Time”
office to check our return flight. I rushed off to meet my
brother-in-law. I went ahead and his brother, David, walked up to
Greg and said ”Are you ready for your swim?’ Greg froze in shock
for about 20 seconds and then the brothers had a very emotional
reunion.
What a wonderful weekend! The boys swam on Saturday morning and
Greg completed his first Midmar Mile in 1 hour 16 minutes and 36
seconds, his two best friends and his beloved brother beside him
all the way. He arrived at the finish to a heroes welcome with
crowds chanting his name and Admiral Robert Higgs from the SA Navy
giving him a personal welcome.
We wept, we laughed and we were surrounded by love. Only later
did we realise just how massive and emotional our weekend had been.
His brother had
from Potchefstroom Boys’ High days, Grant and Greg Youens
Admiral Robert Higgs, Greg & SUPER proud wife, Penny.
flown to South Africa for 48 hours, two old friends had proved
what love and friendship is really about, and a man who twelve
years ago (at the time a sub-mariner and Navy diver, super fit and
healthy) was told he would never walk again, had swum a mile across
a damn in the world’s biggest open water swim.
This year was the 38th Midmar Mile Event - the largest open
water swimming event in the world. This was Mrs Bristow’s 37th
“crossing”of the Midmar Dam, which is a record number of swims by
any female. She missed just one year when having her son, Stuart. A
total of over 15 000 swimmers took part this year, in many
different categories. Mrs Bristow finished 2nd in her category, in
a time of 25 minutes. She even managed to come in ahead of Charlene
Wittstock, a former Olympic swimming Champion and the future Queen
of Monaco. Mrs Bristow said: “ It was great to be part of a ‘royal’
event this year! I will return next year as it is such a fantastic
event. I would encourage everyone to take up the challenge of
swimming the Midmar Mile.
the midmar mile
Mrs Bristow with her medal
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CONGRATULATIONS to the 1st Waterpolo team who, in a closely
contested match last night, held off the much favoured Reddam team,
beating them 6-5. This result, combined with their convincing win
over Springfield earlier this term, shows just how much the team
has grown under the guidance of Coach Alan Footman.
CONGRATULATIONS to these players who have been selected to
attend WP U18 trials by participating in the WP Hockey Union's
Pro-Series event throughout March 2011: Kim Mentor,
hockey waterpolo
Carli Alexander, Cassie Taylor, Quanita Bobbs, Belinda
Plaatjies, Micaela Diedericks and Lizl Everts.
palmiet hikeMs O Petersen, Lihle Ndita, Robyn Luden, Mymoenah
Davids, Revana Moodley, Josie McCann, Jenna Busse, Sarah-Lee de
JonghFront: Thabile Myeza, Sara Abrahams
Matric class of 1982 30th Reunion
Date:- Friday 14th September 2012Venue:- Vineyard Hotel and
SpaTime:- 18:00 – 20:30Menu:- Cocktail PartyPrice:- R250.00
(Includes venue hire, menu, tax, gratuity and wine and soft
drinks)Contact:- Robyn van Oudtshoorn
021 657 [email protected] Tel:
teachers fromour UK twin
school,DevonportSchool for
Girls and Boys, have been visiting
WGHS.
spirit team’s new look
Janet Rowbury & Elspeth Wiltshire,
devonportschool for
girls
Back: Bianca Okkers, Sinako Bovana, Chelsea Oliver, T’nielle
Haupt, Tyla-Jade Spike, Maxine Marais, Alycia Pearson, Emma
Fairlie, BBianca Hey, Sstephanie Farmer, Morgan Farmer,
Belinda PlaatjiesFront: Kertrice Martisa, Cynthia
Arnold, Michaela Schiava
The Spirit Team wowed everyonewhen they appeared in theirnew
outfits at the Interschools’swimming gala.
(Lab 2)