P R E P N E W S

Issue 1 www.bridgehouse.org.za 15 January 2016

Grade 1H class visiting the Prep Office with Mrs Colette Hinds on their very first day of BIG SCHOOL!

- 2 - Happy, smiling faces across the playgrounds! - 3 -

- 4 - Wishing all our pupils a wonderful term 1, 2016!

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A warm and hearty congratulations to all our recipients at the Senior Primary Awards evening of 2015.

Our Prestigious Senior Primary awards were as follows:

The Good Fellowship Award went to Lloyd Phillips. He was voted as the Grade 7 pupil, who in the opinion of his Grade 6 and 7 peers had been a true role model in his demonstration of the qualities of friendship, kindness and helpfulness throughout the year.

The Leadership Star was awarded to Emma Wainwright for her consistent and positive leadership throughout her year as a senior in the Prep School.

The Founders’ Shield was awarded to Demeye De Leeuw. This award recognises the qualities of initiative, independence of spirit and self-motivation, and is presented to the pupil in whom we have confidence that the qualities of humanity are developing.

The evening saw the introduction of a new alignment with the College in terms of awards in Grade 6 and 7: the Highly Commended Academic Award for pupils who achieved an aggregate of 75 – 79% for their year’s work. This complements the Academic Merit Award which recognises achievement from 80% and above. The introduction of the new award affords us an opportunity to acknowledge a greater number of our hard-working pupils at the Awards Ceremony.

As always, the Senior Primary Awards Ceremony 2015 was a beautiful celebration of our children’s success in sport, academics, creative arts and personal development.

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Happy New Year to all of you! 2016 is a year of change and as we move into this new chapter of our school’s growth, we extend an especially warm welcome to those joining Bridge House for the first time.

2016 is the year in which we have stepped into new territory by introducing a more digitally enhanced learning experience. With individual iPads now part of the child’s backpack, pupils are able to fully embrace a blended learning approach.

Already, in the first few days of the school year, it is clear that we will need to increase our pupils’ awareness of their digital footprint. Pupils, parents and staff need to understand their responsibility in this digital world. As a school, we will continue to explore ways to continuously upskill and educate all role players as to the features and tools available to ensure our children are able to navigate through this digital world in a safe and responsible manner. To this end, Mr Shaun Kirk, together with the staff team, will present talks and provide material to guide and support parents in this new technological space. It would be amiss not to take a moment to congratulate our 2015 Matric Group who produced another set of wonderful results in the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) Matric exams. Special mention must go to Aimee Fuller and Kaila Fourie, who appeared on the IEB Outstanding Achievers List. It is interesting to note that these two Bridge House students are two of only six in the Western Cape.

You will find detailed information about the Bridge House results on our webpage http://www.bridgehouse.org.za/college/academics/matric-results

On the Staffing Front This year, as the school has grown, we have had a number of additions on the staffing front as we have opened four additional classes: an extra 4 year-old class, two more classes in Junior Primary in Grades 1 and 3; and Grade 5 increases to include a third class. I am happy to announce the following appointments and changes for 2016:

Playschool – Debbie Kannemeyer and Bronwyn Barrow, with the assistance of Rencia Collins, continue at the playschool, but without a four year-old group for 2016.

Pre-Primary – Grade 000 splits into two classes with Carla Jelinski and Carlé Smit, ably assisted by Angie Kok. In Grade 00, Linda Orsmond (from Bumble Bee) joins Roxy Rennie. Assisting Linda is Marcelle Geldenhuys and Anna Abrahams remains with Roxy. In Grade 0, Leigh-Anne Jones moves to join Kate Stamper and Nina Siconalfi - who has been reappointed as a full time staff member - with Liza Hendricks assisting Leigh-Anne, Andrea Wiggnal assisting Kate, and Carmen Hendricks assisting Nina. Sandra Boyes steps out of the class teacher role and has been given the space to better perform her role as Phase Head of the Playschool and Pre-primary section. From Left: Carlé Smit and Linda Orsmond

Junior Primary – In Grade 1, we have appointed Bronwynne Honey, a Grade 1 teacher from ProEd House in Cape Town, and Jeannie Barclay joins Colette Hinds (who takes on the role of Grade Coordinator) completing the team. Kayleigh Moller, who impressed during her time with us as a student teacher, joins Claire Ferreira in Grade Two. Timshell Pheiffer, from Heronbridge, and Chloe Murray, also an ex- Bridge House student teacher, join Michele Willard, who will take on the role of Grade Coordinator, in Grade 3. Mary Heistein steps out of the class teacher role to fulfil her role as Junior Primary Phase Head. - 9 - From left: Bronwynne Honey, Kayleigh Moller, Chloe Murray and Timshell Pheiffer Senior Primary Changes – The Grade Four Team stays as is, with Trove Pretorius, Bianca Maddox, and Cally Johnson (Grade Coordinator). In Grade Five, Kim Storey is Grade Coordinator, with Lynn Fell and Brett Mclaren, who joins us from St George’s in PE and who has good experience on the sports front, too. Another change is the promotion of Greg Hinds who takes on additional responsibilities as the Head of Creative Curriculum Development (this position includes Creative Arts) and we welcome him into the role as the third class teacher in Grade Six, joining Belinda Lindhorst (Grade Coordinator) and Matthew Ackermann. The Grade 7 team of Nickey Buchanan, Wini Stubbs and Shaun Keyser stays the same for 2016. The Afrikaans department is boosted by the addition of Elizabeth Loock. The phase continues to be ably led by Mrs Jenny Wright. From Left: Bret Mclaren and Elizabeth Loock

ESU –Liezl Conradie joins Liezel Kemp and Carien Smit together with Mrs Caryl Lane, who leads the team and is also responsible for coordinating and tracking all educational support needs, pupil assessments and the sourcing of facilitators where required.

Music - On the music front, Karin Meyer (left) has been appointed as the replacement for Marsanne Malan while she is away on maternity leave.

Sport – Annika Viljoen, who has an Honours Degree in Kinder- Kinetics, replaces Danette Smith. We have appointed two additional sport interns, Siobhan Baatjies and Jason Abrahams, both of whom come with a number of years of coaching experience and will be studying towards their PGCE diplomas in 2016. Shaun Martin continues in his role as coach and administrator, and the team will continue to be led by Mrs Justine du Plessis and Mr Riaan van de Rheede.

From left: Jason Abrahams, Siobhan Baatjies and Annika Viljoen

To end, I thought it appropriate to include a quote on change. We have taken a bold step into the digital era and it is important for us to focus on the positives this change will bring about. We as a community need to join hands as we help our children navigate and understand the opportunities this change will create.

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To the teaching staff, a huge thank you for getting the school year off to a flying start. Classes, from day 1, have been on task and fully involved in their learning programmes. Further thanks must go to the grounds staff and admin staff for ensuring the facilities and administration were in place for a positive start. 2016 is a year of change! I encourage the entire Bridge House community to join forces! Let’s fly together!

Marc Barrow Head of Prep

Junior Primary Parents

JP Information Meeting

Wednesday, 20 January at

18h00 in the Prep Hall

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Senior Primary Information Evening A big thank you to all parents who attended our Senior Primary Information evening last night. Mr Barrow discussed the implementation of the digital platform and the practicalities of managing the devices during school time. Jenny Wright (SP Phase Head) also discussed channels of communication in the Senior Primary and the importance of meaningful, empathetic communication and collaboration between the parent and the teacher. Our approach to promoting positive behaviour choices and our view with regards to homework which suits 21st century learning was touched on briefly.

The implementation of the D6 Communicator was addressed and there was some representation from the Parent Association. Parents were then invited to meet their children’s teachers and discuss more grade-specific information.

An information booklet pertaining to each grade has been mailed out today, and will also appear on the D6 Communicator once the system is up and running.

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Swimming Star On Tuesday, star swimmer Migael Adams (Grade 8), who won a total of 9 medals for South Africa at the CANA Zone 3 Swimming Championships in Uganda during the holidays, was filmed going about his daily routine at school and he was interviewed by the SABC for a programme on TV.

His fantastic results at the Championships were as follows: - 4 individual medals (1 gold in 50m breaststroke, 3 bronze in 100m & 200m breaststroke & 50m backstroke) - 5 relay medals (2 gold and 3 silver). We will let you know when and where the programme airs.

Canoeing Reminder We’re back on the water at Paarl Canoe Club on Monday 16h30 – 17h30 and Thursday 16h30 – 17h30. Please mail Mary Heistein ([email protected]) to confirm that your child will be returning this term. Beginners from Grade 2 upwards are welcome. For more information and to book your spot please contact Mary Heistein via the above mail address or via the Prep office. Places are subject to availability of suitable size boats.

- 13 - Congratulations to the Prep House Captains for 2016: Blue House Alessandro Hartman & Chrissie Blaisse (Captains) Kyle Maske & Charlotte Cebe (Vice-Captains)

Red House James Turner & Laela Masson (Captains) James Stewart & Summer Thomas (Vice-Captains)

White House Clemens Diekman & Thandi Lees (Captains) Emile Pirouz & Renee Louwerse (Vice-Captains)

Congratulations to Carla Hendricks who has been chosen as our Mascot, Big B, for 2016!

Sports programme for Week 2

Monday, 18 January & Tuesday, 19 January Athletics practice for all Prep pupils (Gr 1 – Gr 6): please send children to school dressed in their PE clothes.

Gr 1 & 2 (13h00 – 13h45), Gr 3 (14h00 – 15h00), Gr 4 – 6 (14h30 – 16h00)

Wednesday, 20 January Field Events competition for U10 – U12 (08h15 – 12h00) Afternoon sports programme as per Extramural Programme.

Thursday, 21 January Afternoon sports programme as per Extramural Programme.

Saturday, 23 January Prep Sports Day (Athletics track events) for all Gr 1 – 7 pupils All pupils will take part in at least one event. All pupils will must be at school by 07h30. Walk on of houses will start at 07h45. Programme will run from 08h00 – 12h00. Programme will be sent out via email.

- 14 - Tennis Coaching Entries for 2016 Coaching, closing date, 15 January 2016

 Happy to announce that there will be a new coach joining Grobler Tennis from 1 February 2016. There will be 3 full time coaches available.

Fee Structure 2016  ALL Group payments are due 20 January, 1 April, 1 July, 1 October 2016.  Private and semi-Private payments are monthly payments. Invoices will be send by the 28th of each month for lessons attended, where you will have 7 days to settle your account. 7% interest will be charged for any late payments on amount owed.  12 Hour notice is required for any cancellations. Extra lessons can be scheduled if time allows. Please consult your coach. Ages 4 - 8 : 30 min Group, 8 lessons per term = R 600 : 30 min Private, 8 lessons x R170 per term = R1 360 : 30 min Semi Private, 2 players, 8 lessons x R90 per term = R 720

Ages 9 -18 : 60 min Group - 4 players, 8 lessons per term = R1 000 : 45 min Private, 8 lessons x R 250 per term = R2 000 : 60 min Private, 8 lessons x R350 per term = R2 800 : 45 min Semi Private, 2 players, 8 x R150 per term = R1 200 : 60 min Semi Private, 2 players, 8 x R180 per term = R1 440

For more details contact Marianne Grobler on 072 435 9442 or email: [email protected]

Golf coaching for children between the ages of 4 and 13 years

We teach the basics of the game in a fun, relaxed and safe environment

For your convenience lessons are at the school grounds

All equipment provided

We work with small groups (+- 4 kids per session) to make sure that each child gets enough attention and to ensure that discipline and order is maintained

Improves hand-eye co-ordination

Improves the child’s concentration, self-confidence as well as communication skills

Cost is R890 per term

For entries and/or more details contact Pieter on 083 694 4998 or e-mail [email protected] - 15 -

Firstly, Happy New Year to all Bridge House families! Welcome back to all returning families and a special welcome to those joining us for the first time. May 2016 be a wonderful year for all of you, and for our nation. Here at Bridge House, it’s going to be a really special twelve months indeed!

Wikipedia is an amazing resource, always interesting, if not always 100% accurate! If you look up “21”, the following information (and a whole lot more) pours onto the screen:

 “Twenty-one is the fifth discrete and the second in the (3 × q) family. With 22 it forms the second discrete Semiprime pair. As it is a semiprime with both its prime factors being Gaussian primes, 21 is then a .  Twenty-one is a , a , a Motzkin number, a and an , as well as a , its proper being 1, 3 and 7.  21 is the sum of the first six natural numbers (1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 = 21), making it a triangular number.  21 appears in the , preceded by the terms 9, 12, 16 (it is the sum of the first two of these).  The sum of divisors for the integers 1 through 6 is 21.  21 is the smallest non-trivial example of a Fibonacci number whose digits are Fibonacci numbers and whose is also a Fibonacci number.  21 is a in base 4 (1114).  21 is the smallest that is not close to a power of 2, 2n, where the range of closeness is ±n.  21 is the smallest number of differently sized squares needed to square the square.[1] Age 21  In several countries 21 is the age of majority. See also: Coming of age.  In some countries it is the voting age. 21 is:  The number of spots on a standard cubical (six-sided) die (1+2+3+4+5+6).  The number of firings in a 21-gun salute honouring Royalty or leaders of countries.

- 16 -  There are 21 trump cards of the tarot deck if one does not consider The Fool to be a proper trump card.  The standard TCP/IP port number for FTP connection.  21 grams is the weight of the soul, according to research by Duncan MacDougall, generally regarded as meaningless.  The key value and highest-winning point total of the popular casino game Blackjack.  The number of shillings in a guinea.” I’m not sure I need to know all that, even if I could understand any of the Mathematical stuff or that bit about the “TCP/IP port”, but possibly there’s some useful stuff here for when your dinner-party conversations go quiet…

What I do know, though, is that the number 21 has special significance for us at Bridge House this year. We celebrate our 21st birthday, and therefore come of age. Also, in this 21st year, we have committed to 21st Century Learning, irreversibly stepping into a very different space. Our 1:1 iPad programme has generated much excitement and much personal and professional growth already, and it is going to be incredibly exciting to watch this process develop and just keep on improving the delivery of more than just the curriculum. I cannot adequately capture the progress made by our teachers during 2015, in terms of exploring and exploiting what e- learning has to offer.

In addition to this teaching and learning paradigm-shift, 2016 is a year of extremely rapid physical growth and development on the campus. By January 2017, we’ll have completed a hockey season on our own astro-turf. By January 2017, we’ll have completed a fourth boarding-house – and it will have a new name. By January 2017, there will be a new dining- room to cater for boarders at the southern (Huguenot House) side of the campus, and we’ll have added six new teaching spaces for the College.

In the space of 10 or so months, we will have leapt from being a growing school to becoming just about fully grown: a young adult with a strong identity and real confidence, on the threshold of fully-fledged adulthood, just like a 21-year-old. It is indeed exciting, and that these developments should happen in our 21st year has an almost serendipitous feel to it!

By January 2017, we will all have celebrated our Founders’ Dream in some style at a series of events dotted through the terms. Watch this space for details.

In the first-ever Bridge House school magazine in 2001, the then Head, Allan Graham wrote: “So, to the dreamers – the Friedmans, Rands and Huxter families – to our Founding Headmaster Lloyd Smuts, and to our Founding Parents, Staff and Pupils, thank you for your courage and foresight. Thank you for making Bridge House happen!”

I can only echo Allan’s words. Thank you for making Bridge House happen. Thank you for the support and guidance and trust and belief that has seen and continues to see the dream unfold. It is almost beyond one’s capacity to imagine what those firstexploratory, tentative discussions of 1994 must have been like, and to look now at our school and be able to see your dream reach this coming-of-age milestone. To think that you had the faith and courage to pursue this dream at a time of great uncertainty about the future of South Africa, as our country took its first exploratory, tentative steps towards democracy, is even more testament to the inspirational power of vision.

Thank you for making Bridge House happen! Mr Mike Russell

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During the holidays, music teachers, Philip and Marsanne Malan, welcomed their gorgeous baby boy, John, to their family. We are looking forward to meeting him.

Some wonderful news is that Nickey and Ian Buchanan are expecting twins later this year. We are so excited for the family! Unfortunately (for Bridge House!) Nickey has chosen to be a fulltime mom (how wonderful!) for the next few years.

Engagements! Congratulations to Andrea Wignall and Michael Blumberg on their engagement!

Shaun Martin also announced his engagement to Stephanie Bergstedt during the holidays.

Condolences Our sincere condolences to the Burgin family on the passing of Ernest Burgin in the December holidays. Our thoughts and prayers are with Samantha and Destin during this difficult time.

We also extend our heartfelt condolences to Sandie Parker and Michelle Willard on the passing of their brother-in-law late in December. Our thoughts and prayers are with your families.

Sam Ruiters’s father-in-law passed away on Wednesday. We extend our sincere condolences to the Ruiters family. You are in our thoughts and prayers.

Assistance needed in the Uniform Shop Volunteers are needed to assit in the uniform shop on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 07h30 to 08h30. Your assistance would be required two or three times a term. If you are able to assit, please contact Margaret on (021) 876 8433 or email her on [email protected]

Found An earring was found in the Uniform Shop after the end of last term. If you lost an earring, please come into the College office to collect it.

- 18 - The Bridge House Mile Postponed

It is with regret that we announce the postponement of the 4th annual Bridge House Mile proudly sponsored by Standard Bank. As seen in the photo below, the water levels at the Berg River Dam are very low and the safety of our swimmers is of paramount importance which is why we have decided to postpone the event until November 2016. There are many tree stumps sticking out of the water and in addition the safety boats will have difficulty launching.

Entries for the February event will be rolled over to the new event date.

Please keep an eye on the website http://www.bridgehousemile.co.za/ and The Bridge House Mile Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thebridgehousemile/?fref=ts for updated information.

Bring on the rain!

- 19 - Bridge House Recipe Book Last year, a wonderful group of parents, with the help of professionals, produced a magnificent recipe book called, “For the Love of Food”. For those of you who have not seen it, if you missed ordering it last year or if you would like additional copies, you can still order.

Don’t delay order a copy online: click on this link here

Apart from all the delicious recipes provided by Bridge House Families, For the Love of Food includes recipes from these famous chefs: Margot (The Tasting Room), Reuben (Reuben's), Chris Erasmus (Foliage), Ryan (Ryan's Kitchen), Matthew Gordon (French Connection & Harvest), Neil Jewell (Bread & Wine) and Jean Pierre Smith (Vrede en Lust), as well as from our own past pupil and Master Chef finalist who has his own TV programme in the USA, Guy Clark.

This recipe book is the only recipe book in the world which has recipes from this combination of chefs and cooks.

For the Love of Food costs R275.00 per copy and makes a beautiful gift. To view a copy, pop into the Prep or College Reception.

Please note all the advertisements which appear in our newsletters are paid for by the advertisers. Bridge House School does not in any way endorse any of the products, events or businesses advertised in this newsletter and takes no responsibility for the use of any of the products which are advertised here.

Compact one bedroom apartment available to rent Compact one bedroom apartment available to rent. Part time care of house, garden, 3 dogs and guest cottage to be part of the rental deal. Includes electricity and wifi. Must be quiet- living and and true animal lover. 1.5km outside Franschhoek village on rural property. Call Emma 079 451 3019 for further details.

Art Classes Art Classes: Cathy Milner is giving art classes to Adults and High school children at her studio on Natte Valleij Farm in Klapmuts. She teaches beginners and advanced artists and focuses on drawing, painting and printmaking. She has morning and evening classes available. She is also hosting Art Getaways throughout the year on the West Coast, Nieu Bethesda and the Klein Karoo.

Please contact her on 073 1959082 or [email protected] - 20 -