Ghsnews-Vol 4-June2015
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
GREENSIDE HIGH SCHOOL Newsletter VOLUME 4: June 2015 Dear Parents, Students and Staff The academic pressures of Term Two have been significant, but in true Greenside style, we have nonetheless achieved a number of notable extracurricular honours. Inside Volume 4, you will find news of rugby triumphs that just a few years ago appeared entirely out of reach; of GHS’s reputation for notable performances at the annual plays festivals being upheld and celebrated; of an individual sporting victory in the international arena by one of our Grade 10s; and plenty more. With the pace of Term Two feeling little short of relentless, the next few weeks mean a highly anticipated, well-deserved break has arrived. Remember as part of your holiday to celebrate Mandela Day on 18 July by giving sixty-seven minutes of your time in service to others. The RCL will be facilitating an event on the school’s behalf early next term. Enjoy, stay safe, and see you all in Term Three! Dates to Diarise (Times TBD, unless stated) Monday, 20 July Start of Term Three Friday, 24 July Inter-house Athletics Tuesday, 28 July 18h00-21h00 Grade 12 Parents’ Evening Wednesday, 29 July 17h30-19h30 Grades 10 & 11 Parents’ Evening Thursday, 30 July 17h30-19h30 Grades 8 & 9 Parents’ Evening Thursday, 13 August to Senior Leader Camp Saturday, 15 August Monday, 17 August National Eisteddfod performances GHS Plays Festival Tuesday, 18 August GHS Plays Festival Wednesday, 19 August Grade 9 Subject Choice Evening Friday, 21 August Senior Leader Induction Ceremony National Eisteddfod performances UParty Social P A G E 2 Staff News We are very sad to say goodbye to Ms Pringle as she heads off to Abu Dhabi for her next big adventure. Not only is Ms Pringle a beloved subject teacher, she has contributed significantly to extramural life at Greenside. Thank you! You will be missed. Best wishes for the fast and Eid We wish our Muslim families all the best over Ramadan and Eid. E: Embrace with open heart I: Inspire with impressive attitude D: Distribute pleasure to all. EID MUBARAK Jared de Vries, Grade 10, wins in Leipzig! While most of us were plodding along with the hum-drum of exams, Jared de Vries was competing in – and winning in his category at – the Lipsiade festival, celebrating 1,000 years since the establishment of the city of Leipzig, Germany. Jared was one of 5,000 competitors across twenty-five sports’ disciplines to be invited to participate in the festival, Jared’s invitation being extended by the Leipzig Police Sports Federation. Apart from the achievement and thrill of winning Gold in his discipline, Judo, in Group 4, competing mainly against boys older than himself, Jared got a taste of local life, being hosted by a local Leipzig family for the duration of his visit. He was even introduced to the city’s Mayor! In an extraordinary gesture of generosity by the Leipzig town council, almost R40,000’s worth of bus and tram tickets were sponsored for visiting competitors, thus enabling them to explore the city. And Jared did not have to worry about communication barriers, with learners in Germany required to take English as a subject through to Grade 12. Congratulations, Jared! PAGE 3 GHS Excels yet again at the Johannesburg Schools’ One Act Plays Festivals This year yielded a very exciting, rewarding, and admittedly challenging season of the RAPS, EADS and FEDA plays festivals respectively. Auditions for our two plays, Ruined by Lynn Nottage, and Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, were held early in Term One, with rehearsals starting in earnest as soon as the plays had been cast. Rehearsals stretched over many an afternoon and weekend. Very hard but fruitful work was done during full-day rehearsals over the April holidays, continuing to fill what seemed to be the cast and crew’s every available moment once Term Two kicked off. The learners remained excited and motivated throughout, but both productions faced tough challenges at times. From having to replace actors, to learners losing loved ones, yet persevering to the end, and working many hours, we ultimately reaped the awards! Apart from the typically impressive lists of nominations and wins, teachers and learners alike have grown through the challenges and process. Congratulations to all cast and crew of both productions! You have done us proud Festival of Excellence in Dramatic Arts (FEDA) Ruined Best set (Nomination) Best Costume (Winner) Best Sound (Nomination) Best Supporting Actress (Nomination: Zowa Ngwira) Best Actress (Nomination: Kim Forbay) Best Actress (Winner: Melissa Kabongo) Waiting for Godot Best Actor (Nomination: Kirstin Johnson) PAGE 4 GHS Excels … One Act Plays Festivals cont. Edenvale Acting & Drama Society (EADS) Ruined Best Set (Winner) Best Production (2nd Runner Up) Best Actress (Winner: Kim Forbay) Best Supporting Actress (Winner: Abigail Christmas) Best Supporting Actress (Nominated: Melissa Kabongo) Best Costumes (Nomination) Best Backstage Crew (Nomination) Best Set (Nomination) Best Supporting Actor (Nomination: Mhlawenjabulo Khumalo) Waiting for Godot Best Actor (Winner: Kirstin Johnson) Best Supporting Actor (Winner: Austin Le Roux) Best Actor (Nomination: Branden Mpateni) Best Supporting Actor (Nomination: Ryan Makoni) Best Costumes (Nomination) RAPS Schools One-Act Play Festival Ruined Best Actress (Nomination: Kim Forbay) Best Actress (Nomination: Melissa Kabongo) Best Sound (Nomination: Chorus) Best Set (Nomination) Best Costume (Nomination) Best Ensemble (Nomination) Best Supporting Actress (Nomination: Abigail Nkosi) Those involved in Waiting for Godot were commended for making a brave choice, and for managing to rise to the occasion demanded by Becket’s material. Ruined, in addition to garnering the above nominations, went through to the semi-finals of RAPS, giving the cast the opportunity to perform on the stage of the John Kani Theatre at the Market Theatre. We look forward to participating in the respective festivals again in 2016, with Greenside students’ benefiting hugely from the privilege of performing on a professional platform , as well as continuing the school’s proud and long-standing involvement; an involvement which was commended by adjudicators this year as being of a consistently mature high standard. Once again, congratulations and thanks to all! PAGE 5 RCL Capacity-Building Workshop As in 2014, the Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership and Governance, as the training unit of the Gauteng Department of Education, ran a capacity-building workshop for members of the Representative Council of Learners. The timing of last year’s workshop was tricky in that it coincided with final Eid preparations for many of our students, but this year’s was in many ways even more of a challenge, coinciding with sports tournaments as well as the plays festivals, as well as falling very close to exams. However, as with last year, a group of dedicated learners committed themselves to the process, and once again, were a credit to GHS, especially notably because the majority of those who attended on our behalf were in fact ‘juniors’. The content of the course was again well worth the time sacrifice, looking at a vast range of skills and knowledge useful to student leaders in South Africa. The dynamics around being, and being labelled as, the only ‘privileged’ school in attendance by other schools, made for sometimes tricky interactions, but, as with last year, Ms Faull who accompanied the students as the RCL’s Teacher-Liaison Officer, was very impressed with the way Greenside’s learners conducted themselves in at times delicate situations. As the RCL becomes more and more the means whereby GHS nurtures both its and the country’s (future) leaders, we can rest assured in the integrity, values and commitment of those who are being elected as representatives. While we are still on a steep learning curve, it is a pleasure to see that GHS’s students used their votes thoughtfully, electing a body of whom the greater school community can be proud. Thank you especially to Khotso Langa (Grade 11), Katiso Tsotetsi and Humairaa Khan (Grade 10), and Cleo Bingle and Wami Mthethwa (Grade 8) for giving up a four full weekend days running, and for doing us proud! PAGE 6 Our Star Rugby 1st XV As difficult as it may have been for some to believe just a few years ago, GHS rugby is continuing to move ahead in leaps and bounds! The 1st XV’s 2015 season was close to perfect. They went the whole season, in two different leagues, losing just one game in the group stages. On Wednesday, 3 June, they were crowned champions of the Buffalo League as they beat rivals, Roosevelt, by an astonishing 45-10. They also made the final of the Kudu league, but narrowly lost to Glenvista, 13-6, and finishing as league runners. Well done, boys! And with strong players coming up the ranks, as can be seen from the results that follow, GHS rugby will no doubt continue to go from strength to strength. PAGE 7 Term Two Sports Results Rugby Fixtures Term 2 – 2015 League Under Under 1st XV Date Day Opponents Venue 14 16 18 March Wednesday The Hill High Home Buffalo Won 27 bye Won League 27-5 36-7 23 March Monday North Riding Home Buffalo Won bye bye 22-15 15 April Wednesday King David Victory Home Kudu Lost57-0 bye Won Park League 47-7 17 April Friday Midrand TBC Buffalo Lost bye Won 24-19 34-0 22 April Wednesday Reddam House Home & Kudu Lost Lost Won Away League 22-7 29-0 7-5 25 April Saturday Willowridge High Home Kudu cancelled cancelled cancelled League 29 April Wednesday Roosevelt Away Buffalo Lost cancelled Won League 24-19 22-3 6 May Wednesday Marist Brothers Away Kudu Drew Lost Linmeyer League 24-24 26-12 cancelled 9 May Saturday Sandown High Away Buffalo Won Won Won League 19-0 12-5 29-7 13 May Wednesday Saheti Away Kudu Won Lost cancelled League 38-10 21-16 15 May Friday Sandringham High Away Buffalo Won Lost Won League 22-0 31-0 27-5 20 May Wednesday Mondeor High Away Kudu Won won Won League 12-10 27-3 22-7 27 May Wednesday Glenvista High Home Kudu cancelled cancelled Lost League 18-10 3 June Wednesday Buffalo League Mark’s Buffalo Didn’t Won Won FINALS Park League qualify 27-14 44-10 6 June Saturday Kudu League Kudu Lost vs FINALS League Glenvista 16-7 PAGE 8 Term Two Sports Results cont.