28 October 2020 Newsletter 33/2020

Dear Parents, and Friends of Michaelhouse

Please click on the headings below to navigate around the eNews.

Rector’s Message ...... 1 Congratulations and Individual Achievements...... 2 A Block Applications for Tertiary Education in the UK & USA ...... 7 B Block Careers Assessments – Mr Tim Jarvis, School Counsellor ...... 7 End of Term Arrangements ...... 8 Term Dates: 2021 & 2022 ...... 8

Rector’s Message

One of the greatest living philosophers and most brilliant of public speakers, in my opinion, is AC Grayling. Here is a man with deep African roots who grew up in present day Zambia and Malawi and has published over 30 books on a range of topics, one of which is The Heart of Things, Applying Philosophy to the 21st Century. In this volume of essays, AC Grayling dwells on a variety of topics, including the notion of happiness and how this is attained. Indeed, this is something on which we all ponder from time to time as we wonder what will take us to that utopian sense of things being in perfect harmony for us. For most of us, there seem to be a few more steps to be taken to get to that point.

As a starting point, AC Grayling reflects on the basic principle that everyone, except a few who bizarrely want to be miserable, wishes to be happy. Seneca (4BC – 65AD), an exponent of the Stoic philosophy, considers the happy life as being ‘a life that is in harmony with its own nature’- he says the best life is one lived by those who have learned wisdom from experience, are steadfast in action and always curious and considerate towards others. Seneca says that to be courageous, energetic, capable of fortitude and attentive to the good things of the world without being their slave is the recipe for happiness.

From the mid to late Twentieth Century there have been polls or questionnaires on any number of different topics and the percentage of people in various parts of the world believing in or opposing certain activities or views or thoughts have been identified and commented on. One such area is the notion of happiness or what is called ‘satisfaction’ in the polls. From 1995, the World Values Survey has made periodic comparisons of international ‘satisfaction’ and, according to Grayling, the ‘most satisfied’ people live in Western Europe and both Americas with the ‘least satisfied’ living in Eastern Europe. He goes on to consider that we are very much a product of our cultures and that this shapes expectations. There are cultural contrasts, for example, between people living in Japan and the United States: in the former, satisfaction in life is gained by meeting family and social expectations, maintaining self-discipline and having a friendly and cooperative attitude. In the latter it is gained by ‘self-expression, by feelings of self- worth and by material success’. The corollary of this is that people who care particularly about income and status could be more dissatisfied and tend to suffer more from illness, depression and stress than those who place less weight on these things: if an individual feels he compares unfavourably with the ‘target group’, he will be unhappy. So the issue in such societies, he says, is not to compare yourself too much with others, but to develop an inner sense of self-worth and

1

28 October 2020 Newsletter 33/2020

purpose. He goes on to say that happiness is a by-product of other things: enjoyment of leisure, of friendship, of beautiful things and places, of success, all of which help to create happiness.

Grayling suggests that some of the major religions look to happiness being attained in the afterlife, away from the human lifetime of struggle and that, for some, happiness is bound up in self-denial. For others, the celebration of their religion has greatly influenced their happiness; this is why the two countries where happiness is recorded as being in the highest in the world are Nigeria and Mexico, both of which have a high proportion of people following a religion. He also alludes to the notion that, through the sub-text of advertisements in magazines and similar vehicles of the mass media, a person from outer space may assume that happiness belongs to those who are thin/muscular (depending upon their gender) and buy things. Of course, this is facile and the suggestion is that the thinking emanating from classical antiquity and promoted in the Renaissance that autonomy is the basis of a good life is what may create happiness ahead of all other things.

In the South African context, we experience highs and lows, possibly to a greater extent than elsewhere: our power supply is interrupted, the economy declines by 50% in a quarter and a friend is mugged in a shopping mall. However, equally, South Africans have many of the qualities referred to by the Stoics such as resourcefulness, a love of nature and the capacity for making and retaining friendships. Perhaps this is so to a greater extent than in many other countries. If one adds to this a religious dimension which, in some respects, is lacking in some of Western Europe, then there is every reason to believe that the ingredients are here to make us happy. Like many of you I have been fortunate to have been able to travel extensively throughout the world and so, before one makes the assumption that things are better in other countries and that one would be happier elsewhere, it might be good to focus on just how much there is here in to enjoy and to make us happy.

Congratulations and Individual Achievements

House Prefects 2021 There will always be those who narrowly miss out on being elected House Prefects after the considered opinion of the staff throughout the school as well as in each House and the support of boys in each House has been taken into account, along with the Housemaster’s evaluation of their capacity to lead. This evaluation begins formally at the time of the C Block Journey and further evidence is gleaned through B Block portfolios, and the effectiveness with which duties are performed.

A maximum of six boys in each House have been elected House Prefects for 2021, though it is possible for additional matric boys to be promoted in the first quarter of 2021. There are also Rector’s portfolios which may be taken up by those wishing to demonstrate leadership who are not House Prefects; these relate specifically to aspects of charitable fundraising and marketing, and a reference from the Rector specifically relating to such activities would accompany a boy’s CV.

2

28 October 2020 Newsletter 33/2020

We congratulate those who have been elected prefects for 2021 and in whom the importance of serving others must be paramount:

SENIOR PREFECT: Kwande Dhlomo

FOUNDERS EAST HEAD OF HOUSE: Alexander Vermeulen HEAD OF HOUSE: Connor Sesink Clee Campbell Houston Tristan Baker Dominic le Sueur Matthew Gibson Ross le Sueur Maqhawe Hoohlo Robert Pickard Luke Hooker Joseph Price Arden Scholtz

WEST FARFIELD HEAD OF HOUSE: Hilton Giles HEAD OF HOUSE: Sedipa Ramokoto Nicholas Holt Max Latter Kyle McCoy Matthew Marx Okuhle Mndebele Aiden Mason Drew Reynolds Siyabonga Ncube Tshepo Sono Jaden van der Merwe

TATHAM PASCOE HEAD OF HOUSE: Callum Porrill HEAD OF HOUSE: Jason Makhele (SECOND PREFECT) Thomas Nel Gustave de Villiers Junior Ntiyane David Ferguson Zubin Randeria Jadin Jordaan Sello Stone-Mboweni Joshua Samuels Joshua White Jason Williams

BAINES MACKENZIE HEAD OF HOUSE: David Acres HEAD OF HOUSE: Adrien Fisher Nhlanhla Dlamini Ryan Baker Joshua Elliot Ayanda Cele Connor Oellermann Scott Kirk Keemal Ramnath Jason Morby-Smith Joshua Stevenson Anthony Turner

RALFE McCORMICK HEAD OF HOUSE: Luke Larsen HEAD OF HOUSE: Joshua Naudé Matthew Doyle Alexander Brits Graham Hoal Chase Michaux Daniel Johnson Karl Rindfleisch Owami Mokoena Kurt Williamson

3

28 October 2020 Newsletter 33/2020

BAINES EAST FARFIELD

FOUNDERS MACKENZIE

MCCORMICK

4

28 October 2020 Newsletter 33/2020

PASCOE

WEST

TATHAM RALFE

Debating The annual Debating and Public Speaking Dinner was held on Friday 23 October, and the following prizes were awarded:

Most Promising Junior Speaker: Seth Segal Most Improved Debater and Public Speaker: Ross Keep Coyle Debating Prize, for exceptional accomplishment and for demonstrating Skill and Effort: Kwande Dhlomo The Truda Public Speaking and Debating Award, for outstanding Performance and Commitment: Jadin Jordaan

The Committee for 2021 was announced and we wish the following success in their leadership roles: Chairman - Jadin Jordaan Vice-Chairman - Kwande Dhlomo Captain of Debating - Ross Keep Captain of Public Speaking - Jason Makhele

5

28 October 2020 Newsletter 33/2020

Canoeing The annual Canoeing Dinner was held on Friday 23 October, and the following awards were made:

Senior Paddler of the Year: Sam Butcher Junior Paddler of the Year: Jack Shooter

Some canoeists also went to the KZN Sprints at Shongweni Dam, and the results are as follows: U18 – 1st Matthew Millward and 3rd Chase Leisegang.

Golf On Sunday 25 October we had an informal golf day with an Old Boys/Staff team taking on the 1st Team at Bosch Hoek. The Old Boys/Staff beat the 1st Team by 56.5 points to 51.5.

Tennis The Senior Champion for 2020, and for the second successive year, is Joshua Heath. Well done, Joshua.

Cricket Michaelhouse held friendly internal matches over the weekend and the results were as follows: The U15A beat the Staff pretty convincingly in a T20 match on Friday afternoon, with Murray Baker starring with the bat making an unbeaten 72. Then on Saturday there was a senior mixed friendly and a junior mixed friendly. In the junior team Murray Baker was once again on the score board with an unbeaten 50 and Kyle Walker also made a half-century. In the Senior game, Jem Foss got a 50 and Chase Michaux 34 while Oyama Ntshona shone with the ball, taking 3/30.

Squash On Tuesday 27 October the final of the inaugural Michaelhouse Junior Squash Championship was held

The final was played between Ben Harper and Anesu Nduru. The match was played on a hot court which meant the ball was pliable and difficult to kill. The boys were also able to retrieve everything which meant the points were long and strenuous. Anesu made a few unforced errors at vital times during the match which allowed Ben to stay one or two points ahead in each game, with Ben winning 3-0.

6

28 October 2020 Newsletter 33/2020

A Block Applications for Tertiary Education in the UK & USA – Mr Tim Jarvis, School Counsellor

If your son is in A Block and is applying to colleges and universities in the United States or the , it is important that this is done both in good time and very carefully. Accordingly please can you ensure that you inform our Guidance Counsellor, Mr Tim Jarvis, by e-mail at [email protected] by Friday 6 November if this is your intention for your son. Once you have done so you will receive an e-mail outlining the process further. This deadline exists so that the appropriate planning can take place before the end of term.

Please also note that the boys must then have finalised the details of their applications with Mr Jarvis before Wednesday 25 November. There is a high demand for references and academic transcripts at this time of year and so appropriate time is needed to process these before school closes on 2 December. Given that there is a lot of material required from the school in support of these applications, late notice requests, or requests made during the holidays, will only be dealt with in the New Year (sometime after the start of the new term in 2020). As a general rule, the earlier such universities receive applications the better the outcome for the applicant.

B Block Careers Assessments – Mr Tim Jarvis, School Counsellor

This year it has been very difficult to run the normal career assessments with our usual service provider. In an effort to remedy this, Michaelhouse is partnering with Bryce Dekker and his company, ‘DirectionDD’, to make sure that we are supporting the process of decision making ahead of university applications next year. Collectively we want to help your son make the most appropriate choices for himself whilst playing towards his unique strengths and talents.

The initial assessments with Bryce will be performed on Wednesday 4 November during the afternoon, followed by a 1-hour feedback session sometime during Thursday 5 November. During the feedback time Bryce will meet with your son one on one to unpack the assessment results, identify possible careers and provide options relating to tertiary choices and entrance criteria.

The cost of the package is R1 850. The feedback portion of this amount (R900) is based on medical aid rates and can be claimed from savings if required. At this stage we only have a very limited number of spaces (8) available so places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Please e-mail Caryl Balance [email protected] before Friday 30 October to request an assessment for your son. Please note that due to the limited spaces his place is only confirmed once you have received an e-mail to this effect in reply. If we cannot place your son for an assessment this term we will put him on the waiting list for the next available opportunity. We will be running further assessments early next year ahead of university applications which open in March/April.

An e-mail with this information and further details of the assessment has also been e-mailed to all B Block parents.

7

28 October 2020 Newsletter 33/2020

End of Term Arrangements

It is important to remember that the Michaelhouse term ends on Friday 27 November at 10h00. In keeping with this, only exceptional allowances will be made for boys wishing to depart before this time. It is also important to note that there are no buses to , Bloemfontein, or on this day. The only School transport available is to take boys who are flying home, to the airport, bearing in mind that all possessions must be removed from the school for the holiday period.

Term Dates: 2021 & 2022

Term Dates: 2021 LENT QUARTER : Tuesday 19 January – Friday 26 March (New Boys arrive on Sunday 17 January) Half-Term : Thursday 18 – Monday 22 February

PENTECOST QUARTER : Monday 19 April – Friday 18 June Half-Term : Thursday 20 – Monday 24 May

MICHAELMAS QUARTER : Monday 12 July – Friday 17 September Half-Term : Thursday 12 – Monday 16 August

CHRISTMAS QUARTER : Monday 04 October - Wednesday 01 December Half-Term : Nil

Term Dates: 2022 (Provisional) LENT QUARTER : Tuesday 18 January – Friday 25 March (New Boys arrive on Sunday 16 January) Half-Term : Thursday 17 – Monday 21 February

PENTECOST QUARTER : Tuesday 19 April – Friday 18 June Half-Term : Thursday 19 – Monday 23 May

MICHAELMAS QUARTER : Monday 18 July – Friday 16 September Half-Term : Thursday 18 – Monday 22 August

CHRISTMAS QUARTER : Monday 04 October - Wednesday 01 December Half-Term : Nil

The first date of each term reflected above is the day all boys are expected back for Evening Service.

8

28 October 2020 Newsletter 33/2020

Please note the following: 1. Should there be changes to dates of the State schools we may reassess our dates. 2. We await the dates of ISASA Three Term schools i.r.o. half-terms and sports festivals. This may also necessitate appropriate changes to the dates.

With my best wishes

ANTONY CLARK RECTOR

9