Term 2 Newsletter
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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. 1 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. 2 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.