SENIOR PREP SENIOR PREP DEPUTY PRINCIPAL’S OVERVIEWpretoriachineseschool.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/PCS_YearB… · careers by setting high standards and providing stimulating

SENIOR PREP SENIOR PREP

Pretoria Chinese School | YEARBOOK 2016140 Nurturing Excellence 141

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL’SOVERVIEW





DEPUTY PRINCIPAL’SOVERVIEW

Deputy Principal ReportWe welcomed three new teachers to the SP phase this year.

Mrs Calitz took over teaching Visual Arts from Miss Louw and she was thrust in at the deep end assisting in the arranging of the highly successful Art Exhibition in the first term.

She also continued guiding students and has made several changes to the SP blog that is regularly refreshed. It is very clear that Mrs Calitz has a deep love for children and a keenness to learn - two essential attributes for any teacher to demonstrate.

Mrs van Dyk took over from Mrs Louw who had a beautiful baby boy during the second term. On Mrs Louw’s return, we were fortunate to retain Mrs van Dyk’s service as an Afrikaans teacher when Mej Coetzer was redeployed to the College staff.

Mrs van Dyk is an experienced professional who has demonstrated her skill at dealing with difficult situations and always sees and cares for the students’ holistic development. She is a versatile, dedicated teacher and we value her input greatly.

Another new recruit is Mrs Kgori who had been employed on a temporary basis to help with Support English. Mrs Kgori has recently completed her studies in Communication and in Business Studies, while also being a very proficient ICT teacher.

Her rapport with older students is evident and she has been a welcome, fresh addition to the teaching team.

As new teachers arrive, there comes a time when others leave. Mrs Holmwood leaves our school after some four years teaching English. She has been a dedicated teacher in the senior classes, preparing students well for their college careers by setting high standards and providing stimulating lessons.

Mrs Holmwood has also been an invaluable counsellor to students to whom she has given wise advice and guidance. Her work in developing and motivating our students in public speaking and Toastmasters this year, has been clearly demonstrated. We, her colleagues and the students, wish her well in her future career.

Once again, we have all been amazed at the smooth transition that the Grade fours made to the SP in the first term. Although there were the inevitable minor upsets, the cohort is one with much potential and we look forward to seeing good things from them in the years to come.

Deputy Principal Senior Preparatory- Mr P.J. Dickinson



DEPUTY PRINCIPAL’SOVERVIEWThe ‘Poor choices’ and merit award system took a while to be fully understood and applied, but many students found that they learned important life lessons from the reminders that were written in their diaries.

By the end of the year, many children had established a routine of completing homework, bringing the correct things to school, wearing the correct uniform and remembering to have messages and tests signed.

The teachers and I have made it our aim to create an environment and establish expectations that the students, themselves, should become more responsible for their learning. In doing so, they will become proactive by improving their personal organisation and becoming more independent in their actions.

Once again, the children sat the International Benchmarking Tests, and attained some outstanding results. While our general scores remain in line with other schools in the country, there is always room for improvement.

Melinda Reyneke again attained the top mark in South Africa, this time in English. Well done, Melinda. At the annual Prize Giving, Academic scrolls were awarded to Sinenjabulo Masango, Ditebogo Segooa, Ceejay Spinelli and Henry Zhang. Academic Half colours were conferred on Lakiesha Pather. Full colours were awarded to Isabella Afonso, Moira Dahlan, Jenna Ford, Shaeleigh McCracken and Masingoaneng Tlale.

It is noteworthy that the total number of these ‘special academic awards’ is up from six to ten this year, indicating just how well this group has achieved when compared to the class of 2015.

The Dux for 2016 is Isabella Afonso and the prestigious Principal’s Award was conferred upon Shaeleigh McCracken. These two young ladies are our deserved top achievers and wonderful ambassadors for the school as well.

There have been many learning experiences and much excitement on the sports fields, the inaugural girls’ soccer being a notable one. Thank you to the coaches and parents who provide and facilitate these experiences.

During the year, each class also went on an outing that hopefully brought about a different kind of learning.

I thank the parents for their interest and support shown and especially the way in which they have usually worked effectively with the teaching team, maintaining good communication and a healthy, open dialogue with the teachers and myself. When there have been misunderstandings or disagreements, we have resolved the matter through honest, mature discussion. Together with the child, we form two corners of a critical Triangle whose synergy optimises the children’s growth.

We continue to strive for a better environment, better teaching practices and more individualised attention for all the children at PCS. We recognise and try to accommodate the differences in the abilities, backgrounds and attitudes of the students and we cater for the specific needs of each student in our care.

The teaching team and I look forward to a positive, dynamic year working with your children in the SP phase of the school.

We hope it will be a year in which co-operation, flexibility, empathy and mutual trust are highlighted and a year where your children can continue to become the best they can be.

Mr P.J. Dickinson



HIGHLIGHTSINTERNATIONAL BENCHMARK These independent assessments set by ACER (Australian Centre for Educational Research) in English, Mathematics and Sciences are sat by grades 4 to 6 in October of each year. We receive the comprehensive results the following year and this allows us to view our children’s performance in these subjects as compared to other South African and international schools.

Generally, PCS held their own, remembering we are a non-selective school and have a number of immigrant students who also sit the tests. There were some outstanding achievements by a number of our pupils and we congratulate them on their excellent results.

ENGLISH

Distinctions:

• Phalani Hlatshwayo

• Rebecca Lachenicht

• Reotshepele Maragelo

• Roan Naidoo

• Luan Reyneke

High Distinctions:

• Sakhisizwe Kheswa

• Sinejabulo Masango

• Thakane Masia

MATHEMATICS

Distinctions:

• Isabella Afonso

• John-Alexander Coertze

• Jenna Ford

• Norbert Rozenfeld

• Ceejay Spinelli

• Keisha Swart

• Orin Totos

• Jennifer van Rooyen

High Distinctions:

• Zahara Alladin

• Sinejabulo Masango

• Thakane Masango

• Roan Naidoo

• Luan Reyneke

• Melinda Reyneke

• Masingoaneng Tlale

• Delarey Van Tonder

SCIENCES

Distinctions:

• Alexia Centurion

• Jarrod Cloete

• Narice de Swardt

• Caylin Oosthuizen

• Eric Olivier

• Kaytlin Oroni

High Distinctions:

• Isabella Afonso

• Yashniel Brijraj

• John-Alexander Coertze

• Tala Du Toit

• Kwame Gyimah

• Phalani Hlatshwayo

• Catherine Kruse


• Thakane Masia

• Lakiesha Pather

• Luan Reyneke

• Melinda Reyneke

• Delarey van Tonder

• Jake Wood

A distinction is a score between 90% - 94.99%

A High Distinction is for scores 95% - 99.99%

Mention must be made of our top achiever this year, Melinda Reyneke, who was awarded a Certificate of Honour for being placed first in English out of all the students in South Africa.

It is worth mentioning that she received the same certificate for Science last year! Congratulations, Melinda.

Mr PJ Dickinson



HIGHLIGHTSTEXTBOOKS & TEAM-BUILDINGTextbook Donation Grade 4 Team,Building

Grade 4 is a special year in which the young junior preparatory children take their first steps into a new phase.

The grade fours started the year eagerly, wanting to make their mark as the small fish in the big pond of the Senior Preparatory Phase.

Grade 4C and 4P had a special bonding day in the first week of school where they were able to enjoy a morning of team building games and activities.

A coaching group from Valutrix brought the two groups together with fun-filled bonding ideas.

Activities included challenging board games, creative mind mapping skills and social orientation.

The group were then able to get to know each other in a new environment as a whole.

Their teachers were also able to see them interact throughout the day.

Overall the day was great fun as the children were able to bond and get to know each other in order to face the year ahead.

Miss Carla Paulo



ACTIVITIESGRADE 4C AT WORKThe Grade 4’s enjoy learning a variety of skills and some of these include maths puzzles and games which teach them thinking skills. Attaining solutions encourages positive application to the subject and helps them feel worthy of doing the work. It has always been my opinion that if a child feels positive about something then they can do better at it and that is the goal in our classroom. They learn that being the best does matter and that being weak is also okay, but they also learn that if they can do it, they can do better.

This is a life lesson they can all work with no matter what their capabilities.

After writing our first exam EVER, the Gr 4C class went out to the fields for some “R’n’R”. Suddenly, we found common ground and played some “Running Red Rovers” together. We finally experienced the feeling of class-spirit and togetherness.

Mrs Curwen

Maths Puzzles Running Red Rovers

Culture Day – Colourful Dress upWalkathon – Gangsters & Criminals alike!

Casual (& Teacher wears uniform!) Day



ACTIVITIESSPRING DANCEOn the 23rd of September the Grade 7’s held a Spring Dance for the Grade 5 and 6 learners. There was music, dancing and photos as well as pizza, drinks, sweets and flower crowns (for the girls). Everybody was dancing and singing along to the songs, especially during the dance-offs.

Many people took photos with our own ‘instagram feed’ made by a few of the Grade 7 girls. The highlight of the evening was when Mrs Richards, Mrs Mauldon and Miss Paulo started dancing with us. All the Grade 7’s worked really hard to make the dance happen and I, for one, think it was a success!

Isabella Afonso (Grade 7R)

Help! Picture Perfect

Beaus and Belles



The Grade 6 Leadership Camp took place at the wonderful Jubaweni campsite.

From the moment they arrived to the moment they left, the children were kept busy with fun, unforgettable team-building activities.

They learnt how to work in unity, how to strategize and problem-solve, and to bring their own unique strengths to the table in order to succeed as a team.

Teamwork and cooperation were put to the test in the many challenging team-building activities – and they managed to emerge on the other side stronger and more in tune with their fellow peers! This was definitely an experience that the children will cherish for many years to come.

Mr Keegan Holmwood & Mrs Michelle Holmwood

ACTIVITIESGRADE 6 LEADERSHIP CAMP












Our Grade 4 class of 2016 were kindly invited by SABS (South African Bureau of Standards) for a day out.

The letter read, “The SABS Design Institute is embarking on a project to enhance the next generation’s skills by exposing them to design thinking; developing both innovation and entrepreneurial abilities. This is done as part of our education drive for Mandela Day “going beyond 67 minutes.” We therefore would like to invite the two Grade 4 classes and their teachers to spend a day at our Groenkloof premises. The children would be exposed to scientific laboratories where our scientists will explain to them how and why products are tested, and they will also visit the design space where they will be introduced to design thinking principles, industrial designers, graphic designers, 3-D printing, moulding, etc. We envisage that this engagement will go beyond one day and we would like to establish a standing commitment which would expose these learners to the practical innovation process – enabling them to come up with entrepreneurial ideas, business modelling and 3-D printing modelling.”

And what a lovely experience it was. Not even the rain could keep us off those buses. We learned so much about the design and testing processes behind so many everyday appliances. Not one of us left without some extra consideration to the quality required in our homes.

A HUGE thanks to Mr Gavin Mageni, Head of the SABS Design Institute and his team for all the arrangements. The pupils are looking forward to a continuous relationship with SABS throughout their school career at The Pretoria Chinese School.

Mrs Curwen

EXCURSIONSSABS VISIT



EXCURSIONSSABS VISIT



On 4 August, the Grade 4 group set off on an outing to the Pioneer Museum to learn all about the pioneers who settled in Pretoria.

They made butter and buttermilk and they baked fresh bread which they tasted at the break.

Two of our learners were dressed up in the clothes of the time and the items they wore were explained to them all. Clothes were practical and had to be looked after. One outfit served as Sunday best and shoes were only worn for such special occasions.

There was a competition of tug-o’-war as part of the games children of the time played. Girls tackled their skills against the boys.

The result . . . girls were up 2-1 (but having one or two boys to assist them will not be admitted into evidence in this case.)

Other types of games were explained and demonstrated to the learners. It was good to see that games, like jumping rope and catapult-shooting, are still the order of the day.

Finally, we learned about the transport and postal systems of the time. Each of them got a chance to “beat out a message” on a drum explaining an important note to a friend on a neighbouring farm.

This served as communication to others in the vicinity without the modern day telecommunications.

All-in-all, we had a good morning and learned some interesting facts but most of the us agreed that although living back then had many benefits, living in today’s time is still the best.

Mrs Curwen

EXCURSIONSPIONEER MUSEUM



The Grade 6s and 7s had the opportunity to visit the world renowned replica displays of the Terracotta Army of the First Emperor of China. The pit in which the warriors were found was re-created. The highlight of the exhibition was when we all stood on an elevated walkway and the warriors were lit up individually below us. It was quite an eerie feeling standing so close to a piece of History. It felt as if they were waiting for a command to bring them to life.

Mrs Astrid Mauldon

EXCURSIONSTHE TERRACOTTA ARMY



EXCURSIONSPOISONS EXHIBITION The Power of Poison is an immersive science exhibit that explores poison’s roles in nature, health, history, literature, and myth.

Do you know the antidote for spiders, scorpions, poisonous plants and even Snow White’s apple? This exhibition revealed all!

The exhibit has four major sections, each highlighting poison as viewed by a different branch of science.

BIOLOGY

Poison Alive

The exhibit opens with three small live animals, showing poison as a universal characteristic of the biosphere.

The Chocó Rainforest

As we walked through the rainforest, we encountered specimens that utilize poison in our daily lives. The purpose of the section is to examine poison in a context including linked variations in the strength of a predator’s poison and the resistance of its prey.

ANTHROPOLOGY

Myths and Legends

Exiting the forest, we found ourselves in a fairytale-like series of dioramas depicting poison in mythology. These include Grimm’s Folktales, Alice in Wonderland and Macbeth.

Poison in History

A winding gallery showcasing past life-sized models of some of history’s most famous poisonings, such as Mozart’s supposed death, Cleopatra’s snakebite and Napoleon’s poisoning by arsenic.

FORENSICS

Dissecting Poison Theater

The “Dissecting Poison Theater” is a live show that describes how forensic anthropologists can detect poison.

HEALTH SCIENCES

Poison by Accident

This section uses three large forced perspective dioramas to tell stories about poison’s dangerous and mercurial nature.

Poison as Cure

The exhibit’s finale showed a diorama illustrating natural poisons that can ameliorate cancer, quinsy, laryngitis, croup, and other global health problems.

Mrs Astrid Mauldon



Chess EveningsThroughout the year of 2016, our chess players were able to attend special chess evenings hosted by various Independent Schools. The purpose of these evenings is to bring players from Grade 4 to 7 together to participate in friendly matches.

This year’s chess evenings took place in several different schools, including Waterkloof House Primary School, Reddford House and Hatfield Christian School. The Pretoria Chinese School also had the opportunity to host one of these evenings.

A BIG thanks goes out to all our eager participants who made it to these evenings and who added a valuable experience to their year:

• Jarrod Cloete

• Sydney Curwen

• Lufuno Mufhandu


• Christian LeeMing-Yesca

• Khethiwe Masango

• Rinaldo Paterson

• Chelsea Paterson

Participants were dedicated to these evenings throughout the year. We would also like to send out a special thanks to the parents and teachers for attending the evenings and for supporting our players.

We look forward to more such evenings of fun in the forthcoming year.

Miss Carla Paulo

CO-CURRICULARPROGRAMME

• Jose Paterson

• Eric Olivier

• Rorisang Mareka

• Neo Mopokeng

• Kayla Spinelli

• Chegofatso Modika

• Sihle Skosane



CO-CURRICULARPROGRAMMEChoirThe SP choir enjoyed their rehearsals under the expert guidance of Mrs Petro Surgeon during the year.

They performed superbly at CBC St Edmunds and again at PCS.

A novel addition was the featuring of Thutho Maile playing percussion and drums to augment the voices.

At the PCS Choir Festival the boys and girls sang a capella and for Mrs Surgeon’s farewell assembly they included a wonderful rendition of Toto’s ‘Africa’, complete with thunder, raindrops and a shuddering stage!

We thank Mrs Surgeon for her fabulous work with the SP choir and wish her well in her new venture.

Mrs Esbé Strydom has taken over the reins and we look forward to even more uplifting performances from the choir in the near future.

Mr PJ Dickinson

Flowers were presented to Mrs Surgeon

The SP Choir performing at the PCS Festival.



Public Speaking“I used to be very shy, especially when it came to speeches. When I started Public Speaking, I learnt the art of speaking. I’ve grown so much since then in my speeches and now I feel comfortable giving prepared, unprepared and impromptu speeches.

I am so happy that I joined Public speaking as I can now speak in public with ease!”

Isabella Afonso (Grade 7R)

“Public Speaking with Mrs Holmwood has been an amazing experience! I’ve learnt just to let out my inner chatterbox and speak. In Public Speaking Club, I’ve not only built my confidence but also my ability to prepare and write a wonderful speech in just five minutes.

My new skill will help me in English speech competitions in my new school career in Indonesia. I hope I’ve made Mrs Holmwood proud of my ability to speak in public with a clear message.”

Moira Dahlan (Grade 7R)




CO-CURRICULARPROGRAMMENewspaper ClubTHE PCSCHOOL BLOG

As the year of 2016 comes to an end, we can proudly say that there are almost a 100 articles that the pupils of the Senior Preparatory school have posted on their blog so far. We have quizzes, cartoons and movie reviews, sport events’ photos and reflections, as well as the current happenings of the school activities being described as they are seen by the pupils.

The young journalists write about their lives, what interests them, give advice, or post photos of what activities they partake in, whether at school or outside of it. The most popular articles are listed at the top and all the archived work, and can easily be searched and accessed. It is always exciting to see who comments on the articles, as well as the amount of readers we get from across the world.

Please come visit us on http://pcsob.blogspot.co.za/

Mrs Anastasia Calitz



Drama




CO-CURRICULARPROGRAMMENetballThe 2016 Netball Season saw much improvement amongst the teams. Over the years, netball has grown into a sport that the girls enjoy playing because of its team work and spirit.

The sport is growing in numbers. Players are committed to improving on their skills.

They eagerly work through every practice with enthusiasm and the hard work is clearly paying off.

The score cards are showing smaller gaps and even a few draws and wins. It is a pleasure working with them.

We would like to extend a heart-felt thank you to our manager, Ms Carla Paulo, and to our coaches Ashleigh and Carla who are sharing in this growth. We are looking forward to next year and all the challenges it may bring for our netball girls.

Mrs Curwen



Senior Girls SoccerThis being the first year that soccer was introduced to the girls, what a delight it turned out to be!

The girls were always so enthusiastic to practise no matter how boring the drill. Our first tournament was almost sprung upon us as we had only just formed the team and needed to play together as such.

The tournament took place at Crawford College. Our team came fourth in their group which sent us into semi-finals. After a tense match with no scores, the match ended in a shoot-out.

Our goalkeeper, Dittebogo Segooa, saved all the attempts on goal and our strikers scored all their goals leaving the team overjoyed. The next tournament took place at Southdowns College shortly after our long August holiday.

Two teams were entered and our girls surprised us again with their commitment and performance. They scored and won in most matches, only drawing a few.

Thinking the season had drawn to a close, Mr Holmwood surprised us with a final tournament entry at St Paulus. Squeezing in a practice, we arrived feeling confident but nervous.

Our under 13s won the first match 3-0, drew the next one and won the last one. The under 11s won the first, drew the second and, unfortunately, gave the other team an own goal. Lessons to be learnt!

Overall, this was a wonderful season and served as an inspiration for next year.

Mrs Stacey Nicolaides

Team SwimmingThroughout our lives, all of us have experienced some sort of victory and, unfortunately, some sort of failure.

Many times, success comes quickly and easily. Other times, it comes only through hard work and determination. Sometimes, though, it catches you by surprise.

If you play sports, you know just how awful practice can be sometimes. It seems more like a chore than anything else. Swimming is probably the most notorious sport when it comes to practices and requires every ounce of your strength if you want to make it to the end of a full practice.

For those who don’t know, the swim team practises at PCS in the mornings and afternoons, and if you have ever swum at PCS, you know how cold the water is. Of course, you would get used to it after 45 minutes, but you’d be so tired by then, you would not care. It is worth it, though!

At times some things do not really seem worth the time or effort, but everything can change in an instant. You just need to keep trying your best, even when your chances are slim. This is how it is with our swim team at PCS.

They brave the odds for every practice and they strive to perform better each time. It has been awesome to see their growth as a team, and as individuals.

Thanks to all of you for your consistent effort and well done on a spectacular season! We look forward to the 2017 swimming season to follow. And in the words of Dory, “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming…”

Mrs Nicky Futter




SUBJECTSNATURAL SCIENCES GRADE 4''s - Growing Beans from a Seed

GRADE 4’’s - Making Look,out Towers



GRADE 4’’s - Making Look,out Towers

GRADE 5’’s - Making 2D Shapes

SUBJECTSNATURAL SCIENCES & MATHS



SUBJECTSMATHSGRADE 5’’s - Making 2D Shapes

GRADE 5’’s - Measuring Liquids



SUBJECTSMATHSGRADE 5’’s - Measuring Liquids



GRADE 5’’s - Measuring Liquids

GRADE 7’ - Immigrant Class Made Tea

SUBJECTSMATHS



Pretoria News Term 2 has brought us a winner for the Pretoria News Design-an-Ad competition. Chloe Andonopoulos in Gr 4C received a 2nd place in the Grade 4 – 5 Category for her CHM Mitsubishi Pajero Advertisement, proving that hard work, together with clever creative solutions does pay off.

She won prizes for herself as well as money for the school.

Well done to you, Chloe!

3D Letter SculpturesThe third term sprung into spring with the bright colours of Henri Matisse-inspired cutout aquatic scenes by the Gr 4s as well as some great projects of 3D letter sculptures by the Gr5s.

Peacock ProjectThe three Grade 5 classes held a collaborative project in which each pupil painted one or more peacock tail feathers and then put them together.

Collage done by Calum Grindlay.

Renaissance The Gr 6s were inspired by a Renaissance artist and played around with the concept of Portraiture using fruit and vegetables to show facial expressions. The Gr 7s explored realistic animals as well as imaginative ones.

The Gr 6s tried their hand at Op Art and landscapes, and the Gr 7s practised still-lives doing a Van Gogh Sunflower study.

Overall the year of the Monkey proved to be expressive, imaginative, bright, bold and creative!

Mrs Anastasia Calitz

SUBJECTSVISUAL ARTS



Leadership Bonding DayThe school year started for the Grade 7s with a bang, a Leadership Day, which helped them to hone in on their talents as servant leaders to the Primary School.

They soon realised that bossing people around is not leadership.

They learned to co-operate in groups and reaffirmed their leadership strengths, while having fun and reconnecting with their friends after the long holidays.

The fruits of this were evident in the learners who were given their badges at the Junior Executive Induction Ceremony.

Mrs Astrid Mauldon

Junior Executive CouncilChairpersons:

Sinenjabulo Masango Refilwe Mashiane Vice chairperson:

Isabella AfonsoCouncil members:

Moira Dahlan Jenna Ford Shaeleigh McCracken Oneang Modiba Lakiesha Pather Tiffany Schaffer Ditebogo Segooa Masingoaneng Tlale

These young ambassadors of the school assumed various roles during the year, organising their fellow students in functions such as the socials, the farewell dinner as swell as giving their opinions in forums to discuss the school code of conduct and uniform.

They also regularly gave valuable assistance to the staff in various ways.

We thank them for consistently upholding the ethos of the school and always displaying the Three Pillars which we strive to instil in all the learners.

May you continue to develop your leadership and interpersonal skills as you proceed into the next stages of your education.

Mr PJ Dickinson

Farewell FundraisingOne of the main functions of the Grade 7s, besides being servant leaders, is to fundraise for their Farewell at the end of the year. This is usually in the form of a sit-down dinner and it is an “adult” occasion which allows the Gr 7s to dress up. To cover the costs of their dinner and a gift towards the school, the Gr 7s fundraise throughout the year. Their two main fundraisers are the Valentine’s Dance and the Spring Dance. These events are run by the Grade 7s under the guidance of Mrs Richards and Mrs Mauldon. It teaches the children the importance of accurate communication skills and of good planning. The Grade 7s have thrown themselves into these events with gusto and panache and a good time was had by all.

Mrs Astrid Mauldon / Mrs Yda Richards

GRADE 7LEADERSHIP & FUNDRAISING



GRADE 7TOASTMASTERSToastmasters Speech Craft The Grade 7 students who participated in this year’s Toastmasters Course have learnt precious life skills that will assist them in every sphere of life in the future! It was wonderful to see how each individual developed their self-confidence, self-esteem and ability to formulate their own views and communicate them effectively to an audience.

It is not just about what one has to say, but how one says it, that will determine whether the intended message of a speech is clearly understood. In all contexts, it is always so important to have a clear vision of the purpose of your speech; is your goal to entertain, to inform, to inspire or to persuade? The Grade 7 students had the opportunity this year to learn how to bring their message across effectively, and memorably. All of the skills, experience and knowledge they gained will serve as helpful tools in the future whenever they are required to speak to a group of people.

A big ‘thank you’ to the Toastmasters who presented and facilitated the course: Mr Martin Faure, Mr Dave Cairns, Mr Raymond Schoonraad and Mrs Beata Rossudowski. The course concluded with a fantastic Gala dinner on Thursday, 31 March - what a lovely way to end things off! Thank you to all who made it possible, especially to our Grade 7 students who successfully ran the entire evening.

Mrs Michelle Holmwood Special Awards

Grade 7 Toastmasters of 2016



Roald Dahl

This year on 13 September marks the 100 anniversary

of Roald Dahl’s birthday. Roald Dahl loved playing

with words and inventing new ones like frobscittle, piffle

fizz and snozcumber. In the BFG he gave this strange

language an even stranger name - Gobble funk.

Dahl was born on 13 September 1916 in Cardiff, Wales.

Many of his books were written in a garden shed. He

always wrote in pencil and only ever used a very particular

kind of pencil. Roald was very particular about the kind

of paper he used as well. He wrote all of his books on

American yellow legal pads which were sent to him from

New York. Before he started writing, Roald made sure

he had six sharpened pencils in a jar by his side. They

lasted for two hours before they needed sharpening again.

Once Roald had finished writing a book, he gave the pile

of yellow scribbled paper to Wendy, his secretary, and

she turned it into a neat printed manuscript to send to his

publisher.

His first children’s book was “The Gremlins” which was

published in 1943. Cadburys used to send chocolate

to Roald Dahl’s school to be taste tested, and it was so

scrumdiddly bumptious, it inspired him to write Charlie

and the Chocolate Factory. Roald Dahl was an extremely

tall man, almost 2m tall. It makes me wonder if the BFG

was based on himself. He was a fighter pilot in World War

II. He was injured in a serious plane crash and changed

careers to become an international spy, almost like James

Bond.

“Charlie and the White House” was the title of the little-

known third story about Charlie Bucket which Roald

Dahl started writing. Unfortunately he never got beyond

the first chapter. He died on 23 November 1990 at the age

of 74. He is in my opinion the best children’s writer ever.

He left a wonderful collection of books to inspire children

the world over. I would like to leave you with some advice

from this wonderful author... “Those who do not believe

in Magic will never find it.”

Zahara Alladin (Grade 4C)

PUPIL’S WORKSPOKEN EXPRESSION



PUPIL’S WORKSPOKEN EXPRESSIONIf I could go Back in Time If I could go back in time, what would I change? The biggest thing that stood out for me in History was World War II. Basically, this terrible war resulted in millions of soldiers losing their lives but also this was the time of the Holocaust, the event resulting in the mass murder of almost 6 million men, women and children who lost their lives just because Jews were seen as enemies of Nazi Germany.After I did some research, I discovered that the man who started it all was Adolf Hitler, the leader of Nazi Germany. This man had to have had something terrible go wrong in his life to turn him into this kind of monster - full of hate. Perhaps if I went back in time and met him as a child, we could change things by giving him better examples and teaching him not to hate the Jews.So I would need someone to help me. Someone who could teach him lessons in being a good leader and the only person I could think of that could help was Nelson Mandela. So I would take Madiba with me and we could spend time with Hitler as a child, teaching him right from wrong, and the power of forgiveness and love for your fellow human beings.I think if anyone could make this change it would be Mandela and what a different world we would live in if Madiba Magic could have touched people way back then.All that would then remain would be to come back through my magic time portal and see a very different world. Imagine I could ask Mrs Mauldon to show me the books in the library on World War II and she would shake her head and say, “There was no such war.”

Ruhl Potgieter (Grade 4C)

My Fantasy World

Fairies, lollipop trees, candyfloss clouds... the possibilities are endless in the world of fantasy.

But as the author of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” – Roald Dahl – once said: “Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” Remember those words as I take you to a very fantasy world.

“It is special because all of you are already in it...” as kids with talents that just need to be developed. This important job has been given to a special group of people, the Terrific Ten, a unique group of teachers with special gifts.

Let me start with Mrs Mauldon and her “punctuation power.” With a single comma she is able to change the meaning of a sentence of a sentence. Miss Paulo gets her “x-ray vision” from her extraordinary skill to see the past and map the future.

With “fraction force” Mrs Curwen teaches us how to use three quarters of our brain. Mrs Van der Westhuizen controls the “Flames of Taal ” which she uses to light our minds into learning another language.

Mrs Calitz is the ultimate shape-shifter teaching the art of blending into the environment as well as the technology behind it. Mrs Dickinson controls the webs of natural knowledge.

We also have “Flexi-Futter” coach Nikki who physically stretches our minds and bodies to their full potential. With her “music muscles” Mrs Surgeon teaches us the power of a balanced melody.

Mrs Hsiao’s “xing-xing strength” allows us to understand and communicate with other cultures. Then there is Captain D, who uses his mind-maps to plan the daily missions of The Terrific Ten.

Let us labour and preserve and become the superheroes that we are. Believe.

Danisha Chetty (Grade 4P)

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