The Settlers High School Volume 6, Issue 2

June 2014

TERM 2 NEWSLETTER

From the Headmaster Mr R E Daly

What a special day it was to officially open the new Fairfield Astro as well as the Fairfield Rugby fields at the Westerford Derby. The atmosphere was outstanding and the spirit both on and off the fields was tangible. The new facility has been welcomed and appreciated by all. I also wish to compliment all teams on the smartness of their sports dress both at practices and matches. We are always on show every time we are dressed and identifiable as Settlers pupils

These are the first full scale examinations for all grades in our new curriculum which comes with its challenges particularly in terms of a very full content as well as new pass requirements in Grades 8 & 9. Work should be seen in a continuum and not just a quick fix the day before the exams. I encourage all parents to become actively involved with their children and the work that they are doing.

We return next term with the first week, our Fairmont Contact, culminating with all winter sports on the Saturday, a compulsory attendance day for both schools. This year we are hosted by Fairmont.

Culturally, this term has been eisteddfod time and our pupils have participated fully in this competition. Next term will see both Open Night but also our new Cabaret evening showcasing the amazing talent of our pupils. Please read the reports see to what the school has been doing.

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All invited guests at the Fairfield Astro Pastoral Report Mrs L Hall

Life is not about what happens to us but what we do about it - Ronit Baras

It is said that the people who are the happiest in life are those who are significant and the most resilient. As parents and teachers we only want the best for our children and sharing their successes is easy. How one deals with disappointment or failure is, however, what defines you as a person, and these are the opportunities we have, to teach our children resilience.

The RCL and class representatives attended a leadership camp from 28 March to 30 March 2014 at Ihlati bush camp near Malmesbury. The learners learnt about value-driven leadership and had an excellent time with many team building exercises. In view of the fact that the RCL consists of three elected representative learners per grade, the camp is invaluable in giving these learners who have almost no contact with each other at school the opportunity to get to know each other better.

At The Settlers High School, we try to provide life experiences that mould the children in our care to be the best they can be and to make a positive difference in their world. The prefects have launched a stationery collection drive to make up stationery parcels for matrics in underprivileged schools for use in their final exams at the end of this year. Each grade has been allocated to collect either pens, pencils, erasers, sharpeners and rulers for this purpose. If each child just brings one piece of stationery we will be able to make at least 200 packs. If there are any parents who are aware of real needs at a particular school or who can assist or sponsor some equipment for this drive, please contact Mrs Hall.([email protected] ) We also still collect non-perishable food on Fridays for the school feeding scheme in the informal settlements.

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The Grade 11’s attended the annual leadership seminar on Tuesday 17 June 2014 in anticipation of their assumption of the mantle of leadership at The Settlers High School. The announcement of the 2015 prefects on 20 August 2014 will then give the new prefects time to learn from the 2014 prefects. A variety of team building exercises designed to teach co-operative and “servant” leadership were given to the group. They thoroughly enjoyed the experience and had ample opportunity to spot potential leaders in their midst as well as to hone in on their own skills. The guest speaker was Mrs B September, managing director of a national training company called Development Dynamics, recipient of the South African Business Woman of the Year 1995 and published author and motivational speaker. Her speech titled “Myth or Truth: I can determine my own destiny” guided the children through some tips to take charge of their own destiny by consciously choosing to do so. The response from the grade 11 learners has been overwhelmingly positive.

Our Exchange Students from Reunion

The Matric Dance is in the first weekend of August. If a learner is not at school on the Friday they will not be allowed to attend the matric dance the next day. They will also not be allowed to leave school early on the Friday. Please make all appointments outside of school time and sport practice times. All nails and dyed hair must be correct according to the school code of conduct by Wednesday morning 6 August 2014. The emphasis of the dance should be on spending time with the class of 2014 and not on wasting money.

We strive to provide a balanced curriculum to all the children. Please make sure that your child is participating in the full program that the school offers. There is a clear correlation between the children who are discipline problems and their lack of involvement in the extra - mural program of the school.

A matter of great concern is the lack of commitment shown by many of the learners in various sport teams. It is unacceptable for any child to miss a practice or a match without providing a letter to the teacher in charge timeously before the said event. If a child is injured, they are still expected to attend the practice or match as they are still part of the squad. The lack of respect shown to the fellow team members, the coach and the manager is disappointing. It is also important to remember that if a child signs up for any activity, they are expected to complete the season for that activity. Leagues are entered based on the number of children who sign up. It is also a vital life lesson to learn that what you start, you finish. 3

Mrs Abrahamse will be on maternity leave for term 3 and we wish her and her family well as they enter this exciting time. During this time Mrs de Vries will be co-ordinating all counselling and we encourage all learners to make use of our counselling services which includes guidance with subject choice etc. Mrs de Vries can be contacted via email on [email protected] or 021 9486116.

Resilience is part of our emotional intelligence. When faced with a problem, resilient people focus on finding a solution rather than getting depressed and feeling like victims. Resilience is another name for emotional strength and it can be learnt.

Since we cannot control many of our life experiences, we can only control our response to them. As parents, our role is it to help our kids respond positively and with strength.

10 ways to help your kids develop resilience

1. One major obstacle to forming resilience is negativity. Watch how you talk to your kids!

2. Teach kids to trust their instincts (gut feelings). They might be clumsy at first, but they will improve and stop being so influenced by what others expect of them. You are probably saying, "But I want them to be influenced by them". Well, this is a Catch 22, because if they are too influenced by you, they are likely to be influenced by others, so you have to choose.

3. Teach flexibility. Flexible kids adjust well to different ideas and changing situations. Teach them to try different kinds of food, listen to different kinds of music and expose them to different cultures, different social groups and different hobbies.

4. Teach responsibility. When your kids blame someone else or circumstances for poor outcomes, help them understand that when they do this, they give the other person or the circumstances the power over their life. When they feel bad about something, ask them, "What can you do to feel better?" and "What can you learn from this?"

5. Teach emotions. Teach them to say "I don't like it", "I'm not happy", "I want", "I prefer", "I will be happy if", "I'm upset" and "I was sad". Increase their emotional vocabulary by having a big vocabulary yourself and using mirroring like "Are you sad that they didn't invite you to play?"

6. Teach positive focus. Find good in every situation. Make a habit of saying one good thing about every bad situation. If your kids fail in math, make them find something good that can come out of it, such as, "I know now what I need to work on" or "I've learned the power of practice". Seeing good in everything will help them respond better to loss, change, major illnesses or any other challenge.

7. Level your expectations. When your expectations are too high, your child experiences less success, feels more out of control and may give up.

8. Help your kids master a skill. Being good at something gives kids a very good feeling and confidence. Help them find something they like. People can do better at the things they like. This can be art, sport, maths, reading, dancing, music, languages, drama… When kids are good at something, they know the making of success.

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9. Tell your kids they always have a choice. In every situation, every person has a choice about what to do, how to respond and how to feel. Tell your kids that there are many options to do, respond or feel and the difference between people going through the same crisis is in the way they do, respond and feel.

10. Teach gratitude. Grateful kids are more positive. If they appreciate what they have and focus on it rather than what they do not have, they will not treat not getting what they want as "the end of the world".

Academic Report

From the Headmaster

I mentioned in the Term 1 report that the new pass requirements for Grade 8 & 9 are of a much higher standard than before and even though there is improvement this term, there is still much work to be done by some pupils.

I wish to congratulate all pupils who have succeeded in these exams. The results are as follows.

Grade 8: 252 candidates, 47 Not passed ( 18.7% ) Pass Rate: 81.3% 4 A Aggregates 1,6%

Grade 9: 258 candidates, 65 Not passed (25.2%), Pass Rate 74,8 % 4 A Aggregates 1,6%

Grade 10: 263 candidates, 167 University Requirements (63,5%) 18 Not Passed (6,8%), Pass Rate: 93,2% 7 A Aggregates 3,7%

Grade 11: 251 Candidates, 186 University Requirements (74,1%) 12 Not passed (4,8 %), Pass Rate: 95,2 % 14 A Aggregates 5,6%

Grade 12: 209 Candidates, 169 University Requirements (80,9%) 1 Not passed (0,5 %), Pass Rate: 99,5 % 10 A Aggregates 4,8%

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I wish to congratulate the following pupils who made the top ten in each grade or obtained an A aggregate. (Non A aggregates are in italics.)

Grade 12: Andrew James, Don Maisels, Tauriq Latief, Ishrat Undre, Chad Leukes, Nadine Moore, Dango Mwambene, Zaakirah Davids, Melissa de Lilly, Gavalen Flandorp

Grade 11: Allison Arendse, Christine Ile, Sandrine Mpazayabo, Joshua Carolus, Stephanie Less, Renate Maisels, Ingeborg Maisels, Keenan Jacobs, Aamina Bardien, Amber Maneveldt, Robin Fortuin, Zoe Meiring, Ambre Carolissen, Daniel Frier.

Grade 10: Chad Damons, Ruth Jantjies, , Ivanka Noble, Carme Wardle, Ghete Klaasen, Tatum Hector, Alexis Arendse, Tyler Lakey, Vellarathu Abraham, Charnelle Khoza,

Grade 9: Josh Amos, Charne Arendse, Zoe Joshua, Celena Pieters, Hlonelwa Lutuli, Aaqeelah De Kock, Lauren Fortuin, Cheslea Naude, Ashleigh Christians, Elry Snygans

Grade 8: Beatrice Mwamba, Jessie Leukes, Nadia Julies, Jessica Arendse, Melissa Wardle, Jamie Dreyden, Lauren Agulhas, Courtney Damon, Clarissa Morris, Nicole Biggs

Our matrics at the UCT Maths Competition)

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Miss W Horn

This has been an extremely busy academic focused term and most learners are breathing a sigh of relief after the examinations and are looking forward to the holidays.

Grade 12’s: The matrics, though cannot take their foot off the academic accelerator over the holidays. Yes, they must rest but this is also a time to consolidate work that they struggled with in the past examination. The Grade 12’s must work each day of the holiday doing past papers to keep their skills sharp. They can look forward to a three month holiday after they have completed the final exam and before they go to university, now is the time to prepare. There are only 35 teaching days before the September exams.

The WCED has grouped some useful resources for matrics at the following website: http://wced.pgwc.gov.za/documents/Matric2014/matric2014-n/index.html

Academic Seminar:

We held a compulsory academic seminar for Grade 8 to 12 learners who have not performed according to their potential in the first term examination. The focus of the seminar was ways to improve study methods and time-management as well as specific focus on English and Mathematics. Learners were given the opportunity to ask questions pertaining to their specific needs. Academic peer tutors were available and assisted in the different venues in order for the learners to continue tutoring after the seminar.

Math intervention:

The school bought a licence for an online Mathematics remedial program for all Grade 8 and 9 learners who did not pass Mathematics in March. This can be used at home if a learner has internet access or at the computer centre after school. Please contact Ms Dyck if you have any enquiries about this program. Learners in grade 8 and 9 who are extremely weak in Mathematics attended a three day course in the April holiday with Mrs Huisamen to consolidate concepts that they struggle with that should have been covered in the primary school. We also have the computer programme Evalunet covering a large range of subjects which can also be accessed by all pupils.

Peer tutoring:

This is going very well, with learners helping each other to get to grips with school work. Tutoring has been taking place at 6 am and late into the afternoon. The idea is for academically strong learners to help learners who struggle or want to improve their marks with their homework, class work or revision on a regular basis. The top learners in each grade/class volunteer to tutor learners in certain subjects or certain sections of the subject. This system has benefitted both those being tutored and those doing the tutoring with an improvement in marks for both.

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Extra tuition:

The new CAPS syllabus is demanding as it requires that the learners perform at a higher cognitive level and cover a larger volume of work. The academic manco would like to thank all the educators who have sacrificed personal time and have been teaching in the mornings before school, at breaks, in the evenings, in the holidays and on the weekends to ensure that we prepare the learners for the examinations. We would also like to thank the parents for supporting us and your child, by bringing him/her to these lessons. Mr Nicholls is available to help math learners in the afternoons( 15:00-16:30) from Monday to Thursday . There are also Physical Science lessons from 6:45 to 7:30 (G12- Monday, G11 – Tuesday and G10 –Thursday) in the mornings with Ms Horn.

Subject changes:

Only Grade 10 learners are able to request subject change this term. Grade 11 and Grade 12 learners may not change subjects. The forms must be collected by the learner wishing to make the subject change from Ms Horn. The subject change is then discussed and the learner is counselled about the change in terms of feasibility (space availability and timetable subject groupings) as well as the affects it has on career and tertiary education choices. The form is then completed by the parent/guardian and a letter is also written by the parent explaining the reason for the requested change. These are then handed into Ms Horn. The request is then assessed and the learner should receive a letter either confirming or denying the request by the end of the term. There are extremely limited subject changes that can take place in grade 8 and grade 9. Please contact Ms Horn and discuss the options available if you wish to make a subject change in these grades.

Subject choice 2015:

All grade 8 learners have been asked to make their Creative Arts subject choice for 2015. More details are available in the letter sent home with the learners. The Grade 9 learners must make that all important choice of which subjects to select for their FET NSC course early next term. To assist with this process, the Life Orientation department will have learners complete a project which includes as interest questionnaire. Learners will also have access to individual counselling at school at no cost. An educational psychologist has also partnered with the school to present an opportunity for career assessments to take place at a reduced fee. These assessments could provide valuable guidance in terms of subject choice. The testing as well as follow up appointments will be conducted at school.

Academic Extension:

We still found some time to expose the learners to different types of academic endeavours so as to ensure they develop the analytical and problem solving skills required to succeed at university.

We took part in the Mintek Quiz, and due to our success last year we were promoted into the Platinum category. Chad Leukes, Don Maisels and Dango Mwambene held their own amongst some of the best learners in the Western Cape.

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Vega VIBE (Vega Interschool Branding Experience ) is an annual competition run by Vega School of Brand Leadership on a national basis at all four of their campuses in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban. The competition invites 10 schools in each region to take part in a challenge to come up with a brand communications campaign for a real brand. The campaign needs to be driven by strategic insight and be executed creatively. This year the team from The Settlers High School (Sameenah Kader, Brad Pick, Chad Willenberg, Antonio Le Tape, Sameer Davids and Sinhle Radebe) were the winners of the Cape Town Region competition as well as the National winners. This is an amazing achievement and testimony to the great work done at the school with regards to developing creative and design thinking in young minds. Well done!

Vivek Abraham, Mohini Anand, Sandrine Mpazayabo and Kayla Barendse have been chosen to serve on Cape Town's premier learner body, The Cape Town Junior City Council (JCC). They began their two-year term in March, and attend monthly meetings at the council chambers in the Cape Town Civic Centre and their respective sub council. These four capable leaders are ultimately responsible for the empowerment of youth and general management of The City of Cape Town and their sub council.

Our pupils representatives on JCC

The SAIIA/Cape Times General Knowledge Quiz took on 26 March. Our learners did very well and enjoyed the interaction with about 40 other schools. Sinhle Radebe and Don Maisels went on a SAIIA workshop which equipped them to participate in and train other learners for the SAIIA Environmental project and for the Mini-Model United Nations Debates.

Grade 10 learners (Chad Damons, Carme Wardle, Mohini Anand, Caryn Abrahams and Vivek Abraham) have won R6000 for the school by writing a Science Essay for SAASTA on the topic: How will the huge scientific investment in the SKA affect our lives in South Africa? Discuss this in the context of the five perspectives of science communication.

Grade 11 Science learners (Daniel Frier, Stephanie Less and Ambre Maneveldt) took part in the Aqualibrium: SAICE Schools Water Competition. This is a civil engineering competition that requires the learners to mimic the water distribution network in a large city like Cape Town. They achieved 96% and came 5th in the competition.

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Science in Action

Thirty grade 9 learners took part in the Natural Science Olympiad and just over a hundred learners took part in the Physical and Life Sciences Olympiad. We look forward to the results Alison Arendse who was selected for the provincial round of the Eskom Expo presenting her water purification engineering design

We also took part in the various Math Olympiads. 47 Learners went through to the second round of the SA Olympiad and we await these results. We had 100 learners take part in the UCT Olympiad, 18 of these learners received a merit award. Chad Damons, Grade10, received the school award at a function at UCT for the best result of the participants from our school.

Stellenbosch Information Evening: Stellenbosch University held its Northern Suburbs Information Evening at The Settlers this year. This evening showcases the various courses on offer at the University. Grade 11 and 12 learners also had the chance to find out more information about the application process, bursaries and applying for residency. One of the guest speakers was former Head boy and Jip Matriekulant van die Jaar 2012, Lance van Rooy. He provided some valuable insights about the life of a Matie student.

Contact Miss T Magson This term has been a full term with numerous functions organized by the Contact Manco.

Founders Day was a very special ceremony with our guest speaker, Mr Bernie Marchand, a past pupil and past Deputy Principal of the Settlers High school. He gave a highly entertaining and thought provoking talk about just how much the learners have to be grateful for being at this school. He recounted a number of stories about his time here. He reminded the present learners about just how many opportunities they have and how to grab them with both hands and make the most of them. At this ceremony the following staff Mrs le Grange, Mrs van Schoor, Mr Blanchard and Mr Neethling received Fide et Opera awards for long service and Dr Muller, Adv Maasdorp and Mr Overmeyer, previous Governing Body members of longstanding received their Fide et Opera Awards in recognition of the outstanding contribution they have made to The Settlers High School over many years. 10

The staff had a development seminar presented by Nothando Training on “Whole Brain Learning” which was most worthwhile and gave the staff a deeper insight into how to deal with our diverse group of learners.

The Contact Manco and Waitrons Unlimited were responsible for the organization of the Gala Evening of the very successful Drama Production “The World is Listening” produced and directed by Mrs Grobler. Mrs Theunissen and the Catering society were responsible for the superb snacks provided. The show which combined many genres was well received on all nights and got rave reviews from all who attended.

The staff Moms and Dads were spoilt on their respective days with small gifts to remind them of how special they are.

The Past pupils are quite active at this time. They organised a very well supported past pupil’s ladies and men’s hockey match to coincide with the opening of the new astro turf. A Karaoke evening is also planned for the last Friday of the term. Further information may be found on the schools Facebook page.

We are also very proud of Graham Jenneker the latest Survivor SA winner who is a past pupil of ours. In recent interviews he has spoken very proudly of his Alma Mater and what an impact it had on who he is today.

We welcome back Miss Lesch to the music Department and trust she will enjoy her stay at The Settlers. We look forward to her contribution to the Music Department. Mr and Mrs De Vries (Erasmus) had a baby boy, Miss Pienaar got married and is now Mrs Toerien. Miss Davids has been substituting for Mrs de Vries and will continue to assist in the Life Orientation Department as Mrs Abrahamse takes maternity leave. We wish her and Mr Abrahamse well as they await the birth of their baby.

Mrs Engelbrecht, Mrs Hendricks and Mr Willis all participated in the Comrades Marathon this year. Well done on this fine effort.

To the parents, thank you for your continued support of our functions.

We look forward to seeing you at the Fairmont Contact which is hosted by us this year.

Sport Mr B Neethling This term’s, in fact this year’s, highlight was indeed the opening of the school’s own Astro-Turf. This event was the culmination of a plan that was envisaged years ago, but only came about as a direct result of the hard work and dedication of the hockey fraternity. With our school having our own astro-turf, we can expect the quality of hockey, in general, to improve dramatically. The opening co-incided with our annual Westerford Derby which has become quite a prestigious event. The two schools gave its all and the scores in all the three sport codes, ie rugby, boys and girls hockey and netball were evenly balanced and keenly contested.

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Rugby There is real vibe amongst the rugby players, especially the first team squad. This is due to the fact that they acquired the services of Robin Damons, a past pupil of our school, who is doing a fantastic job, not only in the basic and fundamental rugby approaches, but also being an excellent strategist and analyst of the game. Coupled with this is that the squad consists of primarily grade 11 learners, together with the experience of five grade 12 learners. Last year they went through a learning curve and we hope to see them playing some good quality rugby.

Chess This sport code has made a huge impact in the Western Province as well as in South Africa. They have obtained many awards on an individual and team basis.

Western Province Representation: Keegan Agulhas (U16), Clayton Haupt and Edward Batchelder (U18) Chad Willenberg (U20) Robyn van Niekerk will be part of the South African Ladies Team that will travel to Norway in August. Keegan Agulhas has also received his South Africa Colours and travels to Glasgow in July.

Boys Hockey Congratulations to the following boys on their selection to participate in tournaments in the July holidays.

Western Province

U16 WP B TEAM: Algeo Botha U19 WP RESERVE: Kyle Esau

Zonal Representation

U16 ZONAL TEAM: Liam Davids, Hadley Petersen, Justin Petersen, U14 ZONAL TEAM: Robin de Jager U18 ZONAL TEAM: Caleb Helsinger, Kyle Esau U18 INVITATIONAL SIDE: Marcus Erntzsen, Mathew George, Grantham Nichols

The boys play in the Premier league and have been holding their own against many of the top hockey schools in the province. We are very proud of our large provincial and Regional representation. We will be hosting two touring sides from England during the first week of Term 3.

Girls Hockey Western Province Selection Sakeena Allie, Larna Ford, Kelsey Francis and Caitlyn Fransman (All U16 North) Jesse-Lee Esau (U14 North), Robyn Cupido and Logan Londt (U18 North) Nataly Fortuin, Micah Hankey and Lakeeta van Beulen (U14 Disa) Carme Wardle (U16B)

Badminton Schools in the northern suburbs are not competing in this sport code anymore with the result that we have to travel and play against schools in the southern suburbs.

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Netball Our coaches and players have been very busy preparing for their league matches, but unfortunately with the Western Province and Western Cape trials taking preference, only two league games were played.

Our games against Westerford during our annual derby provided some exciting results. At the derby we also hosted a touring team from Kwazulu-Natal. We look forward to a very busy third term with the Fairmont Derby on the 26th July and the Fairbairn Derby on the 16th of August.

The practising sessions are going well with all our teams receiving quality coaching. Our coaches are passionate about netball and are very reliable.

The U14 A and B and the U19 A and B teams have not lost any matches thus far. With a little more effort the U16’s will get back on track.

Western Province Trial Squad:

Nicole Biggs (U14); Yolanda Vimbani and Kirstin Ernstzen (U15); Tarryn Solomon and Jamie Tities (U18). Western Cape Selection - Jodee Johannes

Table-Tennis

This sport code has been experiencing difficulties from the authorities who should in actual fact govern the sport. As in all sport there are certain individuals who think they are bigger than the sport, and instead of promoting the sport and encouraging schools to come on board, they have their own agendas and bring all kinds of politics to the forum. Luckily there are a few individuals who love the game and will do anything in their power to resuscitate the game and to bring it to its former glory. According to a delegate from a neighbouring school, there are a number of schools who have a wealth of talent, which bodes well for the future. Fixtures are presently being drawn up by a teacher from Edgemead High School.

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Drummies

Our Drum Majorettes had a busy but very successful competition season so far. They have achieved excellent results at this term’s competitions:

INDOOR GROUPS COMPETITION on 10 May

Flag Group: 1st Place Non-Prop / Pom Group: 1st Place

LARGE DRILL COMPETITION on 31 May

Overall: 1st Place Display Elements: 1st Place Squad: 1st Place Sub-Leaders: 1st Place (Tied with Fairmont) Leader: 3rd Place

The team will still have to compete in four more competitions before the Western Province Drill Team Championship on 13 September. Their goal is to qualify to attend the South African Championship during October at the Vygieskraal Stadium.

Conclusion:

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the teachers, coaches and learners for their hard work and dedication. We would also like to congratulations all those learners who are going to compete in the regional, provincial and national tournaments.

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Cultural Report Mr H Smuts The majority of our learners are enthusiastic participants in the diverse cultural programme offered at the school. We are concerned that there are still many learners who do not take full advantage of the Balanced Curriculum offered at the school. These learners are creating a one- dimensional and purely academic school career for themselves and do not benefit from the added skills, time-management, sense of achievement, new interests, leadership and communication skills, which can only be achieved through dedicated participation in extra-mural activities.

Drama and Movement at its Best.

The 39 different cultural societies have a total of 1155 members, but since many learners participate in more than one activity, there is a total of 808 learners (65%) involved in Culture at the school. It is worrying that 436 learners (35%) in the school are still non-participants. We congratulate our matrics and grade 8’s for being the most involved groups. The cultural participation in the various grades are:

GRADE 8: 196 out of 253 learners (77.5%) GRADE 9: 151 out of 258 learners (58.5%) GRADE 10: 161 out of 264 learners (61.0%) GRADE 11: 154 out of 254 learners (60.6%) GRADE 12: 146 out of 215 learners (67.9%)

We encourage all our learners to get involved in order to have a balanced school experience.

The highlight of any second term at The Settlers is the annual production. This term was no different with the production of The World is Listening. Audiences were entertained by a very talented and hard-working cast. This live theatre production is a life changing experience for all involved and at The Settlers, we are proud that our learners are so enthusiastic about and committed to this activity.

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The following learners entered the Stellenbosch Eisteddfod and all entrants achieved a gold award (80%) or higher:

 Clarinet Ensemble A (Michaela Alexander, Jade Butcher, Kim Classen, Charis Sass, Cindy Lesch, Keren-Hope Daniels, Berna-lee Bezuidenhout and Shannon Botman) received an A+ (85-89%)

 Clarinet Ensemble B (Robin Grobbelaar, Ianthea Peters, Miche Bennett, Sandrine Mpazayabo, Farren Pullen and Meggan Schouw) received an A+ (85-89%)

 The Flute Ensemble (Allison Arendse, Kristen Arendse, Tamzin Williams, Jessica Williams, Kristen Johnson and Yu-Chen Tuan) received an A (80-84%)

 The Recorder Quintet (Nastassja Pretorius, Jodene Daniels, Kim Classen, Cindy Lesch and Joshua Carolus) received a Cum Laude award (above 90%) and also won the overall under 17 trophy at the eisteddfod.

Congratulations to all the above learners on these fantastic achievements.

The Choir performed at the Tygerberg International Eisteddfod’s choir festival and achieved 94%. They have been selected as one of only three high schools to compete in the final at the Eisteddfod’s Gala Concert on 12 September in the Endler Hall at the University of Stellenbosch.

The Oratory Society successfully participated in numerous debating competitions during the past term. The Rotary Debating Championships took place on 22 April, 12 May and 26 May. Both the Senior and Junior teams won two of their three debates. Brett Scheepers and Vivek Abraham were named best speakers. Sinhle Radebe has to be commended on his excellent management of the society, his exceptional debating skills and patient training of junior speakers.

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The following learners attended workshops regarding Model UN debating this term:

17 May – UNASA Model UN Debate

Stephanie Less, Mihle Mene, Clio Koopman and Kelly-Ann Benjamin will represent France on 6 September at the Provincial Legislature on the topic: The modern woman: does gender equality conflict with traditional beliefs?

24 May – SAMUN Debate

Zoë Meiring, Keenan Jacobs and two grade 11 learners from Hector Peterson Secondary school will represent Syria on 16 August at the Provincial Legislature debating the Syrian Crisis.

31 May – SAIIA Mini-Model UN Debate

Xoliswa Mnyanda, Charnelle Khoza and Yolanda Mdiza - representing Liberia, and Hlonelwa Luthuli, Beatrice Mwamba and Sonwabiso Mbiza - representing Brazil, took part in the SAIIA Mini-model United Nations Debate on Saturday, 31 May at Rhenish Girls' High. The topic was The Prevention of Sexual Violence in Conflict. The British High Commissioner to South Africa, Judith Macgregor and Patrick Kawuma Male, Head of Office for the UNHCR Field Office, attended this discussion. A similar event was organised in Gauteng, and delegates worked together virtually to create a unified South African Youth Communiqué on ending sexual violence in conflict that will be presented at the British High Commission on 10 June in Pretoria. Hlonelwa Lutuli was awarded 3rd place as the best speaker and Beatrice Mwamba won a prize as the most passionate speaker.

Our Afrikaans Debaters participated in the Dink of Sink competition at DF Malan High. All our debaters were complimented on the exceptional high standard of skill displayed.

The heart of our school, the Interact Society, had a very successful and busy term. Their first major project was the charity performance of the musical. More than 300 guests from old age homes, institutions and schools were invited and entertained by the Interact members.

The Food Drive is still one of Interact’s main achievements and we thank our learners, staff and parents for their contributions. As a school and community, we are making a difference in the lives of those not as privileged as we are and these children look forward to their “Settlers meal”.

The Culinary Society prepared all the food and snacks for the gala evening of the Drama Production. The guests were amazed at the exceptional standard and presentation of the snacks.

The Waitrons Unlimited Society is still proving to be a very committed and well-run group. They have done superb work for the Gala Evening of the Dramatic Production as well as at the Grade 11 evening.

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A group of 11 learners from our Jazz Bands, the Dynamix and Chromatix, will be attending the Grahamstown Jazz Festival during the July holiday. At the regional auditions, 6 of these learners were selected for the final round of auditions for the National Schools’ Band when they are in Grahamstown. These learners are:

 Keenan Jacobs - Piano  Brathew van Schalkwyk - Piano  Damian Kamineth - Drums  Timothy Fortes - Drums  Ryan Truter - Guitar  Aqeel Moosa - Guitar

Next term will kick off at a fast pace with the Tygerberg International Eisteddfod, Fairmont Cultural Contact, Open Night and the Cabaret: Homegrown. Details about these functions will follow at the start of next term.

We thank our learners, staff and parents for their special contribution to another successful cultural term. Enjoy the well-deserved break.

DATES FOR TERM 3

st 21 July 2014 1 Day of Term 3 23 July 2014 Fairmont Contact Cultural Evening 19:30 at Fairmont (This is a Wednesday to accommodate another function involving both Headmasters) 26 July 2014 Fairmont Contact at Fairmont 8:00 – 13:00 (Compulsory for all Pupils) 2 August 2014 Matric Farewell Dance

7 August 2014 Grade 9 Parent Evening for Subject Choice 2015 9 August 2014 Women’s Day Holiday 12 August 2014 Open Night 17:30 – 19:30 Concert 20:00 (Tickets required) 16 August 2014 Fairbairn Sports Day at Settlers 22 August 2014 Achievers Dinner 29/30 August 2014 Cabaret in Hobbs Hall 6 September 2014 Past Pupils Sports Day 8 September 2014 Exams commence Grade 12 15 – 19 September 2014 Controlled Tests: Grade 8 - 11 15 September 2014 Budget Meeting 19:30 Gilbert Room 24 September 2014 Heritage Day Holiday 25 September 2014 Exams end Grade 12 3 October 2014 Last day of term 3

13 October 2014 First day of Term 4

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