Inside Thank You
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24/03/2017 I TERM 1 I NEWSLETTER ISSUE 44 INSIDE THANK YOU UNIFORM CHANGE It is very hard to believe that this is the last Take Note of CREATIVITY FLOWS the first term of 2017. MiMS Follow me to page 2 MESSAGE FROM OUR EXECUTIVEMESSAGE HEADFROM THE EXECUTIVE HEAD …continued from page 1 THANK YOU……continuedCONTINUED from FROM page PAGE 1 1 I would likeWe tobid take farewell this opportunity to Mrs Tracy to thank van denthe SchoolBroek communityat the end forof theproducing term. Tracyyet another and Eggie great have MiMs been weekend. at the In school particul ar, I would likesince to thank April all2013 the boysin Griffin for their House. tremendous Tracy has resilience, also worked dedication in the and administrationprofessionalism durinand clothingg the preparation shop. She and has the event itself. We done a tremendous job at both keeping our debtors down and our boys clothed. She joins her husband Eggie in Pietermaritzburg - I would like to wish them the best of luck in their new positions. MIMs is around the corner and as I write this note, ticket sales are seventy percent sold. This is a wonderful position to be in and it is perhaps time to consider expanding this festival considerably in the future. I trust that all the parents have booked their tickets as the public are now able to do so. I hope that we can have a sold out sign on every concert poster before the weekend even starts. I wish to extend a huge vote of thanks to the hardworking task-force we have in our staff. From the tireless administrations of the house-parents of Griffin and Tungay; the constant productivity of the Kitchen ladies; the able-assistance of the ground-staff and cleaning-staff who keep us ticking over; the many ministrations of our teachers, both academic and music, and the glue that keeps us all together and on the straight-and- narrow, the Admin staff. We wish you well over the break and hope you take a rest from the constant pressures of Drakie life. You need to refuel for an action-packed time, next term. May I take this opportunity to wish you all a happy Easter holiday with your son and have a wonderful time during this short break? Please find in your son’s possession an envelope which will include: the calendar, Term 2 MiMS flyer report ABRSM and UNISA certificates from last year’s examinations Thank you Andrew Stead 2 NEWS FROM THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT Sihle Manonyane (Griffin HouseCHOIR - upstairs) AWARDS FOR THE PAST WEEK COMMENDABLE PERFORMANCES CONCERT CHOIR Anthony Ncube Liam Muller Michael de Goede Qhawe Mafika Oratile Pega Bandile Nzuza Caleb Saks Polane Moloi JP van Heerden Stephen Barnard Kyle Kroats Siphe Maphumulo Kabo Madi Chorister of the week: Soloist of the concert: Voice group of the concert: Tenors Lefa Motshele NathanielNathaniel StoffelsStoffels Lefa Motshele 3 Commendable Performances New Boys Choir: Dylan Palm Jayden Lubbe Matthew Beuster Mohau Tladi Connor McKenzie Marco Marais Alec Gibson Awande Kheswa Reece Olsen Karabo Machepa New Boy of the week: Brett Fernihough 4 HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR WEDNESDAY CONCERT Kenny Kabak, Yuichi Iwasaki (Journalist from Japan) and Bernard Krüger. André Wears-Taylor Matthew Beuster and Josh da Fonseca 5 UNIFORM CHANGE Thank you so much for your understanding in changing over from the grey longs to the much better looking black pants. As part of the on-going changes and always mindful of cost, the second phase of the uniform change will take place at the end of term two – this is to coincide with the Japan tour. Traditionally boys going overseas get a special shirt(s) for the trip. This year as two thirds of the choir are touring, I thought it an ideal time to make the change and ‘save’ costs while doing so. The boys going to Japan will be issued with new black and blue golf shirts with a modern design, school badge and South African flag. This is in a lighter, more durable and practical fabric that is 1,5% absorbent of perspiration and dirt rather than the current shirts at 8%. They are made at a cost similar to the current golf shirts (R160). Naturally, there will be a transition period for all the other boys but full integration of these shirts will take place by 2018. We are also purchasing new sports shirts. These are designed with the same fabric, maintain the school identity but can be used in team sports events and inter house competitions. Once again, the transition period will allow boys to purchase these items in 2018. I have attached pictures of the proposed new shirts, which have been readily accepted by both staff and boys. I hope you like them too. Andrew Stead Old Boy, Jonathan Jenkings, singing his heart out in UP. Youth Choir. 6 CREATIVITY FLOWS In between all the cycle test and normal class activities, the Grade 4-6 learners were given three weeks to set up their own group, write a creative dialogue – something interesting, funny or with a real twist in the tale… They then had to “perform” this dialogue, keeping language and drama skills in mind! We visited the Kruger National Park, and survived missing children and a lion attack (Huistaal Gr6), had a Thokolosi in a home (Daniel, Panashe and Blessings). Watched a clash between two Greek Gods, Zeus and Poseidon (Pierre en Brett, Grade 4), and many more creative dialogues! Well done Grade 4-6! Mrs. Dowling 7 SOME MORE INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT JAPAN In Japan, it’s absolutely normal to see a woman on the street wearing a skirt so short that it reveals her underwear or a part of her buttocks. However, dresses or tops with a deep neckline are considered vulgar. The concept of honour is very important to Japanese people. Former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama resigned because he couldn’t fulfil his pre-election promises. The two ministers that preceded him had also behaved the same way. Japan is the only country in the world where a one-minute threshold is considered the criterion of being late. The only reason for the delay of a train is a suicide under its wheels. Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. Sometimes suicides are committed just in order to support another person or because the head of the family has decided so. Even today in Japan, about 30% of all marriages are arranged by the parents. This tradition is called "Omiai." In all northern cities of Japan, streets and sidewalks are heated in the winter, so there is no ice. However, most Japanese homes and apartments don’t come with any form of central heating. Most homes rely primarily on oil heaters and gas or kerosene stoves. The Japanese language has the interesting word “karoshi” that means, death from overwork. This diagnosis contributes to the deaths of more than 10,000 Japanese workers each year. In Japan, you can smoke everywhere except on railway station platforms and at the airports. However, there are no waste bins, and one is not allowed to flick cigarette ash to the ground. That’s why every smoker in Japan carries a small ashtray with them. Japan is the last country in the world that can be called an empire. The Japanese imperial dynasty was never interrupted. Akihito, the reigning Emperor of Japan, is a direct descendant of the first Emperor Jimmu, who founded the empire in 711 BC. The Japanese love to eat and love to talk about food. While eating, it is necessary to praise the meal. It is considered very impolite not to say “delicious” several times during the meal. Steven Wellbeloved 8 ROADSHOW TO THE FREE STATE During our roadshow to the Free State, we visited Grey College. We were pleasantly surprised by the talent in this school. We look forward to welcoming these boys to our Open Weekend. We were hosted by the Horing and Keta families. A word of thanks to both of these families for assisting with the hosting of our staff and boys. An unplanned visit to an old age home was rewarding, in more ways than one. It is a humbling experience to see appreciation for small gestures. Thursday evening, we performed at Eunice, at their Father and Daughter evening. The boys delivered a great performance and impressed the audience. We ended our roadshow with a visit to the Spur in Bethlehem. In true Spur tradition, we celebrated Sihle and Keanu’s birthdays. Thank you to Kenny, Lubi and the boys for another successful roadshow. Belinda Espag Celebrating birthdays at the Spur. Small gestures, so much appreciation. Performing at Eunice. Grey College, so much talent. 9 ROADSHOW WINNERS As part of our roadshows we have decided to vote for the boy that represents the DBCS the best on all platforms. The vote is cast by the staff on these roadshows as well as the boys that participate in the roadshows. Winner of the Natal Roadshow: Winner of the Free State Roadshow Jesse Barth Kevin Jordaan 10 JAPAN TOUR The touring groups for Japan will be announced before the boys leave on holiday on 31 March – we will also send out a letter informing you of which tour your son is on. Please take note of this, as it will affect his holiday dates in July/August. I will also be sending out a packing list for the Japanese Tour at the end of the term. Please ensure that your son has everything on that list and that everything is clearly marked.