VOLUME 63 JULY 2014 EASTER RUGBY FESTIVAL MASIBAMBANE INTERN PROGRAMME THE 2013 MATRIC RESULTS PRODUCED BY ST JOHN’S COLLEGE MARKETING FOR ALL MEMBERS OF THE ST JOHN’S COMMUNITY. NEWS In what has been described as one of the most vocal and visible school activist campaigns, St John’s College led a #BringBackOurGirls protest on a chilly winter’s morning in May by forming a human chain around the perimeter of the school. Over 700 St John’s College students held up banners in silence for the 230 Nigerian school girls who were kidnaped by the Boko Haram. Other schools that participated included St Stithians, St Andrew’s, Redhill, St Teresa’s, Roedean, Kingsmead, St David’s, Parktown Boys and St Mary’s. Support from the motorists driving past was overwhelming with people hooting, waving and flashing lights in recognition of a cause which is very close to our pupils’ hearts. St John’s also received front page newspaper coverage for the campaign. VITA VOLUME 63 JULY 2014 CONTENTS COVER STORIES EASTER RUGBY FESTIVAL 02 MASIBAMBANE INTERN PROGRAMME 04 2013 MATRIC RESULTS 10 STAFF NEWS WELCOME TO OUR NEW STAFF 06 CONGRATULATIONS 08 GENERAL NEWS GAME CAPTURE 12 WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE 14 MR VUYO KAHLA HONOURED 15 ACADEMIC NEWS HISTORY TOUR 16 TOUR DE MATHS 18 ENGLISH OLYMPIAD 18 SPORT NEWS ATHLETICS 18 BOULDERING 18 COLLEGE CRICKET 19 VOLUME 63 HOCKEY 20 JULY 2014 BOAT NAMING CEREMONY 21 ROWING 20 PRODUCED BY ST JOHN’S COLLEGE JUNIOR ROWING 21 MARKETING FOR ALL MEMBERS OF SAILING 22 THE ST JOHN’S COMMUNITY. SHOWJUMPING 22 SWIMMING 22 ST JOHN’S COLLEGE MARKETING DEPARTMENT TENNIS 22 ST DAVID ROAD, WATER POLO 22 HOUGHTON, 2198 E [email protected] MUSIC AND CULTURE T +27 11 648 4248 RENAISSANCE MEN OF THE COLLEGE 24 F +27 11 487 2227 A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM 26 www.stjohnscollege.co.za ZACHARY BOWDITCH AWARDED MEDAL 26 SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY #BRINGBACKOURGIRLS 00 A CALL FOR GENEROSITY 27 PREFECTS REACH OUT 27 PREP NEWS 28 OLD JOHANNIANS 32 COVER STORY St John's College hosted its The excitement was evident amongst the boys and one could feel the energy of the teams wanting to get nineteenth annual Easter rugby the show on the road. The festival was blessed with festival .The festival was once three days of fantastic weather which made for extremely enterprising rugby. The rugby played again sponsored by Standard throughout the weekend was highly competitive and Bank and was well-supported by produced a number of memorable and hard-fought encounters. Scott's College from Australia produced the the St John's Community. most enterprising rugby, and it was refreshing see to how they were willing to throw the ball around. Paarl The motto of providing a showcase for schoolboy rugby Boys, Paul Roos, Nelspruit and Jeppe added huge value certainly lived up to expectations, with twelve top rugby to the festival with a number of powerful performances. schools competing against each other and showing The hosts, St John’s, performed admirably over the their talent throughout the weekend. Ten teams came three days and managed to beat St Charles in a tough from dierent parts of South Africa, one from Australia encounter on the final day. and another from Zimbabwe. We also had fourteen preparatory schools participating in the festival. In closing, the festival was a resounding success, with St John’s and the surrounding community getting a The school chapel was the setting for the capping taste of the wonderful talent on display from around ceremony on the Wednesday evening. Prior to all 281 our country. On the non-rugby-playing days, the boys being presented with a memorial cap in a very visiting teams took the opportunity to visit the various moving ceremony, they were welcomed to the sites in and around of Johannesburg. With new school by St John's College Headmaster, Roger memories and friends, we hope to see the boys return Cameron, and addressed by Owen Nkumane in the years to come as old boys to support their ex-Springbok rugby player and old boy of the school. respective schools. VITA VOLUME 63 JULY 2014 02 2014 EASTER RUGBY FESTIVAL 03 COVER STORY SHINGIRAI MUDIMA WITH A ST JOHN’S PUPIL. FROM L-R: NOMTHANDAZO XULU, SIFISO ADAMS AND FAITH RALANE. MASIBAMBANE INTERN PROGRAMME BY PATRICK LEES VITA VOLUME 63 JULY 2014 04 For the last few years, I have been racking my brain as John’s or teaching in their own communities ... or at to how we can find and develop teachers, not only for any other school, for that matter. The programme will St John’s but for our country as well. Then Pieter Steyn, roll over each year and so, after four years, it is the Headmaster of Masibambane, and I had a envisaged we will have assisted in the development of conversation and decided to undertake an exciting around twenty teachers in total. project with Masibambane’s first matric class last year. Our four “Masis”, as they are now aectionately known, A committee was formed, and for the whole of last year, have made a fantastic start at St John’s and it is quite we worked on developing and grooming possible amazing to see how they have embraced every single teaching interns. We identified thirteen potential task and challenge. They are involved extensively in the candidates for the programme and throughout the year, classroom, on the sports field and in musical activities. they were exposed to numerous initiatives, including a They go on grade camps, participate in sta career day, FAMSA talks, life-goal workshops, winter development, attend conferences - and the girls are and spring schools at St John’s, class experience, even learning to swim! They are very much part of our counselling, aptitude tests as well as one-on-one team and we love having them as members of our sta. mentoring. All the candidates proved to be wonderful I am certain that all four are going to make wonderful young men and women and it was extremely dicult teachers. We are all so proud of them and look forward to select the four interns we have with us now. to four more fantastic years! The four students (Faith Ralane, Nomthandazo Xulu, Special thanks must go to Mrs Pier Myburgh and the Sifiso Adams and Shingirai Mudima) live at St John’s and wonderful committee which has worked so hard to experience the practical side of teaching whilst ensure the success of the programme – they are truly studying for their BEd degrees through UNISA. The BEd amazing! Thank you also to the generous sponsors course is a four-year course and so, hopefully, after who have made it all possible. four years, we will have enabled four young people to become qualified teachers, either employed by St 05 DERIK LENÉ ANDREW NICK BOTHA BOTHA CALDWELL COOPER CLAYTON HOUSEMASTER BOARDING MANAGER ENGLISH TEACHER HOD - PHYSICAL AND AFRIKAANS TEACHER EDUCATION: PREP Derik says it’s a huge Lené’s favourite quote is: Andrew’s favourite quote Nick chose education privilege and honour to “Keep walking” is one from Mahatma because one should never be working at St John’s Gandhi: “Live as if you stop learning. Being College. were to die tomorrow. involved with a child's Learn as if you were to development is a very live forever.” rewarding experience. WELCOME TO THE ST JOHN’S FAMILY SICELO JEREMY KATHRYN JO-ANDRI MTSHANGASE NAIDOO NOTTINGHAM PRETORIUS ZULU TEACHER AND SCIENCE TEACHER SCIENCE TEACHER AND AFRIKAANS TEACHER ASSISTANT RUNGE RUNGE HOUSEMISTRESS HOUSEMASTER The person Sicelo is Jeremy says there’s no Kathryn says she’s best at Jo-Andri chose education closest to is his father, greater reward than cooking or baking, but because she loves whom he regards as his when a learner who has has been known to play a languages and children – personal hero due to a grappled with a dicult decent round of golf! a perfect combination. number of reasons. One concept, finally gets it. reason is that he is a man of integrity. VITA VOLUME 63 JULY 2014 06 CEASAR FRANCES GRANT ROBYN DUMA KERR-PHILLIPS KRETZMANN MILLIGAN SPORTS DEPARTMENT ENGLISH TEACHER AND EMS TEACHER AND PSYCHOLOGIST AND HISTORY INTERN LEARNING SUPPORT NASH HOUSEMASTER His favourite quote from Frances has always Grant wants to provide a Robyn’s favourite quote, Zig Ziglar is, “It’s not where wanted to work with unique environment in from T.S. Elliot, is: “The you start – it’s where you young people and wanted which young men are essential advantage for a finish that counts.” to be a teacher from an able to achieve their goals poet is not to have a early age. beautiful world with which to deal; it is to be able to see beneath both beauty and ugliness; to see the boredom, and We would like to welcome the wonderful the horror, and the glory.” new sta who joined St John’s this year. JAMES SARAH GERMAY CAILIN ROBEY SHIRES VAN HEERDEN WANDRAG LIFE SCIENCE TEACHER ENGLISH TEACHER MATHS TEACHER HEAD OF MARKETING James’ favourite quote is: Sarah hopes to achieve Germay says education Cailin started working in “Fear is an illusion, happiness and success chose her, rather than the school marketing 3 years Attitude is everything”. teaching at St John’s as other way around. It was ago after 16 years in the well as settling into her not part of her long-term corporate world. She new life in the South plan. She taught in a feels privileged to be part African context.