Dear Cedar House Families
We have come to the end of an amazing term: rich in so many ways, deeply energised and an experience for our community of educationally purposeful breadth. My sincere thanks to you for your support, our students for their brightness and high levels of connectivity, our brilliant staff for giving in such a way that our progressive model of high schooling has truly worked and Benita November, our Deputy Principal, who is such a profound support to me. Cedar House is thriving.
We are starting to offer 2011 places to next year’s Grade 8 class and I am delighted at the calibre of student and family who is considering us.
Enclosed with this newsletter is your child’s end-of-Term 1 report. We hope that you find your child’s teachers’ comments useful and that, in addition to our parents’ evenings, you have a picture of how your child managed our first term. Students in Grades 8-11 will be writing examinations next term; Grade 12s have lessons throughout the 2nd Term, with tests spread during the term. All students receive full reports and mark orders at the end of next term.
We wish our UK literary tour group (who depart for Dublin on Sunday) everything of the best for Cedar House’s first ever overseas tour! We also wish our Grahamstown Science Fest group all the best for their holiday excursion to the worlds of science. In the first week of next term, a group of students are attending the Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees.
I am in contact with colleagues I met during my recent fellowship at Columbia University in New York with the intention of trying to arrange for next year’s Grade 11s to have an exchange opportunity to schools in the States. There is a school in New Orleans, Louisiana, and one in Detroit, Michigan, both excellent and progressive schools, that I have in mind for this project. In the meantime, I am gauging interest levels (there is lots!) from our current Grade 10s.
PRE-UK LITERARY TOUR INFORMATION SESSIONS
On Tuesday 2 March, the students going on the UK Literary excursion met rather informally at school. The air of excitement was further intensified by Mr Rumboll’s impassioned speech, which concluded with the words that “we are to visit the heart of where people figure out what it means to be human”. The presentation of our itinerary turned into a discussion. Everyone discussed what excites them the most, from Beckett to the construction of Stonehenge, Austen’s detailed social commentary and the linguistic richness of Dylan Thomas. Oliver February Gr 11
TERM 2 STAFFING CHANGES
Our Grade 10 Physical Sciences class will be divided into two smaller classes. To make this possible, Ms de Wet will only teach one Grade 12 Life Sciences class and Mrs Person has committed to teaching the other Grade 12 Life Sciences class. Jenny Person is an outstanding educator (she teaches our Grade 10 Life Science classes and, for a number of years, was Head of Life Sciences at Westerford) and I am very grateful that she has agreed to take on this task.
Our Drama teacher, Annie Conradt has resigned and will be leaving Cedar House at the end of the term. Annie is owed a true debt of gratitude for initiating our Drama Department with such verve, care and passion. She will be missed. Tamsyn Lancaster has been appointed as our new Drama teacher. Tamsyn is an experienced professional out of the top drawer. She has experience in the arts and advertising industry and has been teaching at Cedar House in our English, Design and Visual Arts departments. Tamsyn has an Arts and Fine Arts degree from UCT and was on the Dean’s List. She specialised in literary theory, cultural studies and design. She has played the lead role in a number of stage productions. We have also appointed Mark Elderkin who will be assisting Tamsyn with Drama practical lessons. Mark is a UCT Drama graduate. He has performed in numerous plays and television series including, Shakepeare’s “As you like it” at Maynardville and in “Goodbye Bafana” opposite Joseph Fiennes. He directed and starred in “Swazi” which was staged at the Grahamstown Festival to sold out audiences. He has taught at schools and runs Theatrical Corporate Workshops.
SOCIAL ACTION @ CEDAR HOUSE THIS TERM
Social action is a pivotal component of our mission and I am delighted with what has happened through our social action drives this term. Thank you to Mrs Rumboll for designing and energising this very important part of our termly calendar. It makes a truth of our interaction to educate for the public good, to motivate young people to consider their places in the world. Reports on our Social Action day from our Student Leaders:
CHRISTINE REVELL CHILDREN’S HOME
Christine Revell Children’s home is for children ranging from birth to five years old. These children have been neglected, abandoned or abused and have been referred to the home by social workers. Our first visit to the home was definitely for some, one that will never be forgotten. Seeing these children for the first time, you are overwhelmed, not only by their beauty and incredible cuteness, but by the fact that someone didn’t realise how amazing these children are. The sadness, however, quickly passed, being replaced with lots of fun, laughs and excitement. We spent the day outside running around, climbing jungle gyms, pushing swings and just having fun, spending time and interacting with them. It really was a great day and I would like to thank my group for being so awesome and getting involved they way they did, as well as Mrs Lancaster and Dr Johnson. Thank you so much for all your help. It was great having you with us.
TEARS, DARG AND WORLD OF BIRDS ORGANIZATIONS
On Wednesday, 3 March, everyone in the TEARS organisation met at school at 8:00am. We then got into three different groups; TEARS, DARG and The World of Birds and set off on our separate missions. The ten students who attended TEARS were split into two groups after being warmly greeted. The two groups were given a choice of working with cats or dogs. The cat group fed cats, cleaned their cages and gave them lots of attention, while the dog group aimed at exercising all the dogs by taking them on long walks. The six students who went to DARG now know that they must wear old clothes at their next visit after cleaning pig and rabbit cages. After this messy task, they moved onto the cat sections of DARG and fed and gave attention to all the cats. The four students that went first were sent to the monkey cages and spent their time playing with the monkeys, while the second group was sent to feed jackals, meerkats and civets. Each group described an interesting experience and I feel that the students had a day that they allowed themselves to come out of their comfort zones and put the animals first. Overall, the day was a great success and I am so pleased with my groups’ participation and energy that they all brought to the day.
AVONDRUST COURT – HOME FOR THE ELDERLY
A day with the elderly, relatively forgotten generation – nobody knew exactly what to expect. Our group came prepared, with several classic novels, one pack of cards, two chess boards, a monopoly set, about twenty puzzles and – most importantly – a selection of treats that we had baked and decorated ourselves. But what we were to discover in many cases, it was not games that the residents wanted, but rather simply to be listened to, engaged with – to rekindle the wonderfully human experience of meeting new people. We spread ourselves around the home, and many meaningful conversations could be seen to be taking place between young and old. Discussions ranging from how schooling systems have changed to Chinese politics. It was extremely fascinating to hear about their life stories. One woman had been a crane driver in the Second World War; another was allegedly a famous pole dancer (although we weren’t too sure about her). Many of them told us that they don’t get visited often, as their families are overseas or too busy, which, upon seeing how much they valued this sort of company, was heartbreaking. As we left, we sent to sing Happy Birthday to one of the women who had just turned 103. It was sad to say goodbye, but we left feeling richer for the experience. Next time we will be holding an inter-retirement-home sports day. Thank you to Miss De Wet and Mrs Phillips for all the help with lifts and support.
ALIEN HACKING
On 3rd March we walked across to the Kenilworth Race Course to hack alien vegetation. It was a nice, warm 38’˚C day. We headed for the alien species. We were kitted with panga’s, clippers and a bright blue poison. We hacked for three hours and piled our aliens high. A group of us went to hack out Port Jackson and another group hacked out green leaved plants with silver under the leaves. Although it was extremely hot, we enjoyed it a lot and the Race Course crew were very appreciative.
MAITLANDS COTTAGE HOMES
On Wednesday, my group and I went to Maitlands Cottage in Newlands. Maitlands is a paediatric orthopaedic hospital for children from underprivileged homes. Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to arrive there before 10:00am and had to leave at 12:00 (their lunch time), so our visit was short. We came prepared with sweets and toys for the children. There were some kids who were having school (on their beds) but there was quite a number of kids who couldn’t leave their beds and were excited to see us. We played puzzles, read books and did some drawings with the immobile patients, while others were playing with the young kids who were at pre-primary school. It was really funny to see the boys running outside and playing with the pre-schoolers. It was very funny when they joined in on the class and they had to sing. Pre-school finished and the patients were being served lunch and it was time for us to go. Although our visit was short, it made the patients and nurses happy. A lady who worked there asked if we could go every week because the kids really enjoyed our visit. So next term, I will be arranging more frequent visits after school for any student interested.
CAPE TOWN SOCIETY FOR THE BLIND (CTSB)
We arrived with the society having prepared an orientation programme for us. This enabled us to deal with blind people not just within the society but also outside the society. This orientation was initially also to make us see the world from a blind person’s perspective. The orientation also entailed a ‘tour’ in which we were exposed to the different tasks the people of the society do on a daily basis. Here we had conversations with the blind people, which were enriching and we were left fascinated by their capabilities. For example, their skill to weave baskets fast. The lesson we learnt and left the society understanding was that blind people are fully abled people. The only difference is that they are blind, which they see as a minor difference.
BONNYTOUN
On Wednesday, 3rd March, 22 students were accompanied by Mr Murray and Ms MacLachlan to Bonnytoun. As soon as we arrived, we were divided into groups and we had a one-on-one session with each boy. We learnt a lot about them from this interaction; why they are at Bonnytoun and what they learn at the Bonnytoun school. Many of them regret what they have done and still have goals in life which do not involve violence. Later we were taken on a tour around the building. It was very enlightening and informative of the conditions that they live under. Thank you to Mr Murray and Ms MacLachlan and Mrs Glenday for their support thus far.
RECYCLING
On Wednesday, our small group of recyclers ventured out into the 30˚C heat to start clearing up rubbish for recycling from our local surroundings. We started by tackling the areas around our local train station (Kenilworth) and then we caught the train from Kenilworth to Muizenberg. We started a beach clean-up in the hot sun. We worked for over two hours picking up litter, collecting over five black bags full. Some people were enthusiastic and others needed a little convincing, but all in all, the day was a success as we got a lot done. The beaches were cleaner, the station was cleaner and we made a difference to our environment.
HEAVEN’S NEST
On Wednesday, a group of students went to Heaven’s Nest as part of the Social Outreach Project at Cedar House. Heaven’s Nest is an emergency foster care home for children infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. We spent about three hours there entertaining the 12 kids, as well as the manic terrier called Cuddles. There was a kiddy pool, water slide and epic water balloon battle. The kids loved the attention, as well as the games. The one little boy loved the swing so much that he refused to get off and fell asleep on it. Another learnt how to catch a tennis ball. I am not sure who had more fun, us or the kids?
ABALIMI BEZEKHAYA
Abalimi Bezekhaya is an organisation that assists thousands of urban farmers in the townships to initiate and maintain organic farms and nature conservation projects as a basis for sustainable lifestyles, self-help job creation, poverty alleviation and environmental renewal. A lot of the group was surprised when we went to one of the farms. Tucked away in Gugulethu, underneath a towering power grid is a 5000m2 organic farm. It was quite a sight for sore eyes – many neat rows of many different vegetables were growing superbly in the middle of the township. These farms primarily provide food for the families who work the land, and the surplus is sold with profits reaching several thousand rands. Most of the farmers were grannies between the ages of 60 to 70 years old. Some of us helped them with some of the heavy work – clearing away land and aerating the soil to get it ready for planting, while some of us delicately tended to the beds, clearing weeds and such. It was a highly educational and enjoyable experience, and I, and a lot of the group look forward to returning there to lend a hand where we can.
WOODSIDE SANCTUARY
Woodside was never going to be an easy place to go. It wasn’t going to be a comfortable experience. Interest in my group was negligible. Children with severe mental and physical disabilities are not what the average high school student can deal with in a mature and open minded approach. At our first meeting we just discussed Woodside as an institution and the work they do there. It was especially helpful having Ms De Villiers, Megan Badminton and Jess Perez to help talk to us about what to expect as they had been there last year. Their insight and stories about Woodside could never have prepared us for what we were going to experience on Wednesday, 3rd March. When we arrived we were shown around the home. We saw the 83 children and adolescents that they care for. As we were shown around it was easy to see that some of us were shocked beyond belief, uncomfortable and others were brought to tears. What we saw truly made me understand how lucky we all are to be in a healthy physical and mental state here at Cedar House. It was eye-opening. We were going to be helping some of the children to do muscle exercises in the pool. Those of us who got into the pool played with the biggest children who could swim for themselves and held and gently swam with the younger children. You could see that the children were loving the attention we were giving them. The staff were also very grateful for the time we spent with them. None of us who went to Woodside left untouched. We were all affected in some way or another. I, and my group cannot wait to return to Woodside to continue to build our relationship with the children and staff to try to make a difference and bring some joy into the lives of the children at Woodside.
PLACE OF HOPE
On the 3rd of March we as a group went to Place of Hope, all excited and hoping to make a difference. Little did we know those kids had more in store for us than we for them. When we arrived we met all the lovely children who were so happy and smiling, and loving the unanticipated attention from a group of teenagers they had never met before. We broke up into smaller groups and had good interactive conversations with the young kids and we played games with them. We read some stories and we helped others with their ABC’s and numeracy. All the young ones enjoyed the ‘5 seconds of fame’ as Mrs Gubb went around taking photo’s of all them. One child in particular named Sasha kept coming back for more. After an hour of bonding with the children, we had them sit down and iced Marie biscuits. All in all, the most interesting thing for me was to see EVERYBODY give of themselves, so kindly and generously. The highlight of my day was watching the boys with the kids. Some found it hard to leave. To my team, I couldn’t have been placed with a better group of people. All were amazing and thank you for making the entire experience as memorable as it was. THANKYOU.
MATRIC DRAMA WEEKEND
The weekend of 26-28 February, Shannon, Sven, Yakobeti and I spent an intense workshop at the Blue Lanterns in Murdoch Valley. Shannon read all the characters’ parts (brilliantly with accents et al) of Equus by Peter Shaffer. We watched a superb film done by the BBC starring Peter Firth and Richard Burton as the lead parts. Although the play is a complex and a difficult one, we ALL loved it. Sven’s apt comment when we had finished was “brilliant”. We also focused on Post Modernism (POMO) in theatre and watched the movie Pulp Fiction which is an excellent example of POMO . In spite of the howling wind, we had fun and managed to get down to the beach for some RnR. The sunsets were surreal! Thanks so much to Shannon, Beti and Sven for working so hard and spending the weekend with me. Ms Ann Conradt
On the 26th February, Mrs Conradt took the matric drama class of Betty Nyirenda, Sven Aab and myself to the Blue Lantern in Simonstown for the weekend. We stopped for pizza along the way and when we eventually got there, settled down for a good night’s sleep. The next day involved a crash course on post modernism, the study of the play Equus and tons of movies that reflected what we were working with. We also took a trip to the beach where we had a fun photo shoot with my self-timing camera, followed by a braai in the evening. The next morning we had a big breakfast and packed up so we could head home. The trip was an amazing experience and we all learnt so much. We also definitely grew a lot closer as a class. A big thank you goes to Ms Conradt for organizing the weekend and taking such good care of us. She has been an outstanding drama teacher and we are all sad to see her leave Cedar House. She will be missed very much. Something that became very clear to me over the weekend was that we are in total control of our destinies. The only thing that is set, as existentialism teaches – is that we are all born and we all die, but how we live our lives is up to us. So drama students, I encourage you to keep on acting and believe in yourself. You may just be the star of tomorrow! Shannon Hayes.
DRUG AWARENESS ASSEMBLY
Three recovering alcohol and drug addicts addressed us at a recent assembly. We had a very interesting talk about drug abuse. The speakers spoke about how quickly experimentation can turn into addiction and disaster. It was a memorable talk and will make us think twice about our decisions. Luke Bassett-Smith, Gr11.
Three people came in to tell us about what happened to them whilst taking drugs and the consequences of taking them. I think that it is important to inform young people about the consequences of drugs because it is going to affect them in a negative way. Chelsea Coetzee, Gr9.
Having three people come to the school and share with us the experience they have had with drug abuse, really just emphasises the severity of the situation. The experience was touching and remorseful, yet it left the students with an awareness about drug and alcohol abuse and the negative consequences that follow. I am very certain that our students will definitely think twice about using and abusing drugs. Yakobeti Nyirenda, Gr12.
DRAMA COSTUME WORKSHOP
The extra-mural and drama students were privileged to attend a costume workshop given by John Cariggia. John has retrieved from UCT drama school where he lectured on make-up and costume for many years. He now lectures on costume and jewellery design at Cape Tech. He has been involved in many film and play productions specialising in costume and make-up in South Africa. The students were enthralled by his costume story boards which explained the research and detail for presenting authentic costumes. He focused on Shakespearean and Elizabethan costume. He explained why the fake “beauty spot” was introduced during Louis XIV’s reign to cover syphilis marks. One woman had a whole “carriage race” pasted across her forehead because her syphilis marks were so bad!! A fascinating and entertaining afternoon was had by all who attended. Thanks to all. Annie Conradt, Drama teacher.
REPORT ON DANCE STUDIES TERM 1 2010
This has indeed been both a challenging and stimulating term. Having three Grade 10’s all learning a different style of dance is interesting and yes, challenging, but they all seem to be settling down so well and sharing their dance experiences. The common denominator is that all three attended the indigenous dance workshop at Elkanah and under the expert tuition of Silumko Kokoyana, they proceeded to perform a superb GUMBOOT dance. They were assessed for this LO4 component and received fabulous marks. They are presently completing a theoretical project on GUMBOOT dancing in which they will need to discuss the background of the dance and why it is necessary to learn indigenous dancers. The learners have also attended performances of local dance works where they have had to write a review so not only are they looking at a work with a critical eye but also express their opinions on paper. They attended Infecting the City and gave feedback on a dance work performed with an HIV theme.
Katie, Amy and Giles attended a superb contemporary piece where they researched the principals of this dance style. They also attended a fabulous talk by Li Cunxin where Giles personally got to meet with him and I have no doubt was inspired by him. We were all in awe and felt so privileged to be in the audience listening to his autobiography. Needless to say, we all bought a copy of Mao’s last dancer and had it signed! Giles and Katie also attended a performance of THE FIREBIRD at Maynardville, which was a first time experience at listening to Stravinsky! Giles brought a long a friend who had never been to a ballet before….what an introduction.
To date all the learners have studied an International choreographer and are working on a project on the legendary Martha Graham. They have also delved into anatomical studies and hopefully through interactive work will remember the names and actions of the muscles we have studied. They will be writing a control test next week which I look forward to assessing. Thank you for always being so supportive and enthusiastic. I feel very honoured to be part of your school: Ms R Levy.
ACCOUNTING OUTING TO McDONALD’S AND PICK AND PAY
On Wednesday the 24th February, the Grades 10-12 Accounting classes went on an excursion to McDonalds and Pick ‘n Pay to learn more about stock control and other important factors of running a well known brand. We started at McDonalds where we asked questions about theft, stock control and staff training, leftovers and overall McDonalds brand. We had all our questions answered and were then given a few more facts about McDonalds e.g. their policy regarding cleanliness and staff; who their suppliers were etc. We were also told what the average turnover per month for the store is. Our next destination was Pick ‘n Pay in Kenilworth Centre. We were split into two groups, we went in one group at a time to have our questions answered. The manager who addressed us also informed us about employment opportunities at Pick ‘n Pay. The questions.ranged from theft to stock control and many others similar to McDonald’s. Our questions were answered with a joke ot two, he told us stories of personal experiences, one being a woman that put a frozen chicken in her pants!
We definitely enjoyed learning about stock control by going to different businesses and asking questions. Thank you Mrs November for organising the excursion and making Accounting such an enjoyable subject! Jeremy Jenkin Grade 10
GEOGRAPHY OUTING
A few weeks ago, on an extremely hot day, our Matric Geography class left school during our class to walk to Rosmead Spar. We were told that we were not only going to “chill” and “relax”, but had to conduct an interview with a car guard of our choice. We had to ask questions about their lives and how they survive in South Africa. Many of them were not from here but rather from other African countries like the DRC and Angola. This was one of the problems we encountered. There was a very strong language barrier which made asking and answering questions difficult. This was a great opportunity to get to know the people that guard our cars everyday. It is not often that we get to interact with these people from the informal sector. Luke Moore Grade 12
PSYCHOLOGIST’S TALK TO GRADE 11s ON DIFFERENCES
Jana Forrester a clinical psychologist who specialises in Asperger’s Syndrome came to speak to the Grade 11 class on 23 February. She spoke about the differences that exist between all of us and how important it is to appreciate and be curious about those differences, rather than be judgemental or intolerant. The class had a good discussion about valuing each other and being supportive of each one’s personal and social development. Mrs G Cloete
“INFECTING THE CITY” DANCE EXCURSION TO THE CITY
The “Infecting the City” drama school outing on Friday, 19 February was “Dynamic”, “fantastic” and “awsomatic”, and many other words that have the letter “c” at the end, would be some of the words to describe the street performances we saw on the outing. After the long train ride to town, we started with the “Infecting the City” performance of Meet Market. The whole play was about rioting through apartheid and how we thought the NP government were constantly talking gibberish. The legendary mime actor Andrew Buckland was also in the performance. Afterwards we went to the and AIDS awareness play. With much dancing and movement, it was hard not to get the message. After the slightly depressing AIDS show, we saw another “Infecting the City” street performance. It was called Quiet Emergency, and although it was a little hard to understand, it was about how we got on with our lives whilst living in a state of emergency, Sihle said, “It was the best outing ever”. So all in all maybe it was. Jacob MacFarlane-Jones Grade 10.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE QUIZ WINNERS
A copy of the quiz and the answers are enclosed in the newsletter. Well done to the winners!
Gr 8 Joshua Kovarsky
Gr 9 Matthew Orolowitz
Gr 10 Conor Engelbrecht
Gr 11 Gemma Field
Gr 12 Stewart Innes
JOSH FROST’S SELECTION TO JUNIOR RANGERS
Josh from Gr 9 was chosen out of 200 applicants from Cape Town to be a Junior Ranger for the Table Mountain National Park. Congratulations to Josh, who is one of the 25 chosen Junior Rangers who showed a real commitment to conservation.
GILES HARDCASTLE’S ACHIEVEMENT
Giles has won the award for the best musical theatre student at the Waterfront Theatre School. This is an achievement and a just reward for the hard work he puts into attending classes three times a week.
CONGRATULATIONS TO MRS GLOVER, MS PECKHAM and MS KOTZE
Ms Glover has been appointed as the Western Cape’s IEB cluster leader for Geography, Ms Kotze has been appointed as the Western Cape’s representative for Afrikaans First Additional Language (National Subject Forum) and Ms Peckham has been appointed as the Western Cape IEB cluster leader for Visual Arts. We are so fortunate to have in our employ staff of this calibre.
2010 STUDENT FORUM
We congratulate the following elected members of this year’s Student Forum:
8A Claire Anderson
8B Nathan Matthews
9A Chris Dollman
9B Johnny van Rooyen
9C Kathleen Keogh
10A Alex van Dooren
10B Connor Engelbrecht
10C Lara Evans
11A James Braithwaite
11B Colleen Stanfield
REPORT ON ATTENDANCE AT NATIONAL GIRLS’ SCHOOL CONFERENCE
About two weeks ago, I was privileged enough to attend a conference here in Cape Town on Leadership in Schools. The conference largely focused on how to keep the school environment fresh, innovative, dynamic and reformist. Over the two days I was reminded of just how much we are getting right at our wonderful school, and the reason we are getting it right is thanks to the progressive and spirited leadership that we are fortunate enough to enjoy in the form of the fantastic Frank Rumboll! I have always known that Cedar House is a place that offers both the learners and the educators something valuably different. It is a place that frees. Our students are given the opportunity to grow in their own exciting and unique ways; as are the teachers! What I became acutely aware of however is that this is simply not the norm: not by any stretch of the imagination. I returned with a renewed appreciation for the School that I am so proudly a part of and a heightened wonder for what we strive to offer. When I thanked Frank for sending me to this conference, I realised that what was far more important was that I thank him for being him! He is a passionate pioneer and a legendary leader. Ms L de Villiers
REPORT ON ATTENDANCE AT TALK BY ELNA BOESAK AT BRIDGE HOUSE
I was very privileged to attend an ISASA working lunch together with Mr Rumboll, Mrs November and Ms Gubb last month about the massive and very controversial topic of diversity. Elna Boesak, who gave the talk, is a well known journalist, a profound speaker, a deep thinker and a serious democrat! It was amazing to be challenged and to think about how and why we do things. “We have to make sure that we do not only teach content and stress only the academic side of education and forget about society and democracy. We must take note that, a school that produces learners that are leaders and understand democracy are new generation thinkers, doers and leaders who cannot close down, because they are building this country. We need to ask ourselves: ARE WE TEACHING FOR A PUBLIC GOOD? We must agree and understand that this is a democracy and that we are producing the future of a good society. We need to make sure that the students that leave school after 12 years of education know what commitment is. “Teachers, students and parents must know the constitution well”. ISASA has a stunning document on diversity and I want to encourage everyone to read it. We must also remember that diversity is not just race, but race is a massive part. We cannot deal with diversity conveniently in our own time. We must roll up our sleeves, work together and take responsibility. We also need to ensure that our pedagogy of hope and reconciliation must be the centre of education in all that we do. It is so good to know that Cedar House is getting this right. If you ask why we have to deal with diversity, the answer is simple: we should and must! It is a reminder that we should never hide from diversity and overlook it, we must deal with it! Mr JP le Roux
EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE AT ST CYPRIAN’S
Education in Context - Change, Choice, Challenge
On Tuesday 16 March four teachers (Mr Le Roux, Ms Glover, Ms Peckham & Ms Kotze) were given the opportunity to attend an ISASA Conference at St Cyprians. The world renowned speakers and authors – Michael Thompson and Robert Evans hosted the different sessions. Their talks were extremely informative as every statement was supported by examples from schools. The topics they dealt with were:
1. Changing Families, Changing schools
It is very important that schools state what they regard as non-negotiables and be consistent in applying them. In the modern age it is important as schools have to deal more regularly with children who are more loved but are under nurtured (less time spent with parents), under structured (they are used to negotiate everything) and with no latitude (freedom to learn from mistakes).
In this day and age it is harder to be a parent as they are unsure about the child’s future; therefore it increases the pressure on the school to ensure the child is prepared for a place in the future.
Problems are simple but not easy and can be solved. However, both parents and schools are often confronted by dilemmas. To solve them is almost impossible but one can cope with them.
Quotes that gave a lot of food for thought were the following:
a) “Your children may enjoy school; you may not.”
b) “Hope that your child will experience failure.” – it will help him/her to grow up as a problem solver.
c) Childhood is like going down a steep mountain pass with no guard rails.”
1. Best friends, Worst enemies
This session dealt with the extremely important roles friendships play in school and how they help to develop the emotional well-being of children. Children learn effective communication, how to modulate aggression, moral development and values, self-worth and sexual socialization. However, only children present a totally different scenario.
The difference between friendship and group popularity was highlighted and the fact that children are very aware of this.
Victims and bullies were also discussed. The problem with the latter is that often parents and other children in the school do not know what the difference between a bully and a rejected-aggressive pupil is. Information was given about what parents and teachers should do to help a child who may be a victim. The most important aspect is not only to interview for pain but also to interview for coping and strategies. Helping both victim and bully to acquire the necessary skills is of the utmost importance.
2. Dealing with difficult Parents
Research has shown that every parent has a psychological contract with his/her child’s school and the latter will only know what it is if something goes wrong.
On average 95% of a school’s parent body do not create substantial problems. The other 5% can be divided into three groups:
1. Those who are angry and abusive
2. Those who will bathe you in anxiety
3. Those who will continually deny, avoid, refuse to have children tested etc.
It is important that teachers are trained to cope with problem parents during interviews – especially inexperienced teachers.
3. Self-esteem: What it really is: What does and doesn’t help
This is a concept deeply enshrined in parents. Because they want their children to be happy they put an exaggerated emphasize on it.
The latest research indicates that “to keep a child happy” is just a quick fix. Other strategies must be used.
It is vital that schools must invest in a long term growth. The child must be prepared, not the path.
The following aspects are important.
1. Kids are resilient. They can recover from tragedies.
2. Prepare the child for “I am a coper” (can master challenges)
3. Kids learn among themselves – nobody can do this for them
4. The effort is more important than the result.
5. Perseverance is more important than being smart
6. To whom does achievement mean the most: parents or pupils?
7. Kids can’t be kids anymore; they must be ready NOW and that increases anxiety.
Schools work hard at improving themselves BUT it is time that schools start taking care of themselves (their human resources)!!
I enjoyed the conference very much. A lot of what was said is already happening in our school and in other aspects we are a few steps ahead of what they would like being the norm in schools. Thank you to the school for making it possible for us to attend the conference.
Marlene Kotze
GRADE 8 NATURALSCIENCES EXCURSION
On Monday, 1st March, the Grade 8’s went on a Natural Sciences outing to the Aquarium. When we arrived at the Aquarium we went for a lesson which was informative, interactive and interesting. We learnt about starfish, sea urchins and anemones and we got to touch them. We were then given time to wander around the Aquarium. The displays were beautiful. I am glad we had the opportunity to have this experience and I think that we all learnt something new. Thank you to Ms Gubb. Joshua Kovarsky.
GRADE 9 NATURAL SCIENCES EXCURSION
On Monday 8th March, the Grade 9’s went on an outing to the Two Oceans Aquarium. The instructor was teaching us about fishing and about what fish we should eat because lot of fish are endangered. We had a lot of fun. We had to dissect little fish which most people found disgusting, but very interesting too. We got to explore the aquarium for about an hour. Then we took a lovely walk in the extreme heat to the V and A Waterfront for some lunch. Quaadir Sonday
SUTHERLAND ASTRONOMY EXCURSION
On Friday, 19 March we started our voyage to Sutherland for the astronomy camp. We left school at 9:00 am in the morning and after a rather long, but exciting drive, we reached Sutherland at about 1:30 pm. We stayed in a house and all brought our own food. We all got settled in before we went to the observatory for a presentation and to look through the telescopes. We could see Mars’ red glow and Saturn’s rings. We managed to find all sorts of things. We headed back and went to bed. The next morning we left at 8:00 am to see S.A.L.T (Southern African Large Telescope), which is the biggest telescope in the Southern hemisphere. It was extremely impressive and the engineering involved in its construction is incredible. When we got back from our tours of all these telescopes, we relaxed and played table tennis. That night we did some viewing of our own. We found clusters of over a million stars and looked at the brightest stars in the sky. The next day we packed and left Sutherland. It was a great experience and I would like to thank Mr Jacoby and everyone else who made it so great. Sean Baron Grade 10
REPORT ON PHOTOGRAPHY EXTRA-MURAL
Photography is really smashing! We started out by creating photograms and then taking pictures with pin hole cameras, all of which can be observed around the school. It is really fun. We develop all our photos ourselves in all the various chemicals and turn them from a negative to a positive. Personally, my favourite part was the pin hole camera as it was really interesting and fun. Liam Harris Grade
DESIGN INDABA EXCURSION
The set up and layout of this year’s Indaba was amazing. When you walked in, it was a burst of colour, creativity and talent. I was amazed by the diversity that was displayed. I didn’t know where to look. Everything was just amazing. I loved every minute! Thank you Mrs Lancaster. Thania Lauria Grade 10.
The 2010 Design Indaba was amazing, so many ideas crowded into one room was overwhelming. South African’s are brilliant and showed their creativity fully at the Indaba. The main trend this year was definitely eco-friendly design. All designs reflected efforts to save the planet, energy saving light bulbs and recycled materials were everywhere. The fashion shows were also amazing. All reflected a definite African feel. The clothes were very outrageous but absolutely stunning. Voted the most beautiful object in the country, Anatomy Design’s Lab Light’s sleek lines and simple design won the vote. Made from black steel and solid spun brass, the light combines the functionality of a lab light with modern beauty. The light is both handy and good looking. Emma Gilpin Grade 11
GRADE 9 ENGLISH EXCURSION
The Grade 9’s went to Kirstenbosch Gardens for a creative writing excursion on the 4th of March. We left as school started in the morning, it was incredibly hot already. When we arrived, we all gathered around and got instructions from our teachers; after that we got our activity sheets and headed off in smaller groups into the gardens.
We observed and listened to our surroundings and had to write a paragraph and a couple of poems. After we had finished, we sat and had our lunch in the Kirstenbosch restaurant. Our time was up and we got back on the bas and came back to school. Thank you, Mrs Baron and Miss Lancaster. Megan Basset-Smith Gr 9
WATERSPORTS WEEKEND
On Friday, 5th March a group of students went to the Clan William Dam for a chance to go tubing, skiing and waterboarding. Everyone got bumps and bruises from the water, but all in all we had a really good time. I would like to thank Mr Murray and all the parents that came with us and helped with the lifts and cooking. Thank you to the Larkan family for letting us use their boat and teaching us what to do. This was a really good camp and all worth it.
GRADE 8 SURFING REPORT
Every Friday this term, the Grade 8’s ventured up to Kenilworth station to catch a train to Muizenberg beach with Mr Murray to learn to surf at the Roxy Surf Club. A couple of children had surfed before, but for many this was their first time setting their feet on a surfboard and having to trust a wave to carry them. This has been an amazing, exciting experience that everyone looks forward to as the highlight of the week. Thank you Mr Murrayfor this opportunity. Rinchen van Rijswijk.
SWIMMING GALA
Congratulations to the following students who were the top swimmers at the gala, Reid Munnik, Shannon Hayes, Joshua Kovarsky and Rinchen van Rijswijk. The Southern Nile Crocodiles were the top team at the event. Well done! Mr C Murray
ROCK CLIMBING
Well done to Giles Stevenson, Ezio Ambrosi and Joshua Stevens for passing their Belay Test on Monday. They are now licensed to support climbers without supervision!
FILM UNION SLEEPOVER
The Comedy Film Union sleep over happened on the 26th February from 7:00pm Friday night until the next morning. There were movies playing in two rooms consecutively which carried on until about 5:00 on Saturday morning. I don’t think any of us really slept very much, which was expected and quite a lot of fun until the morning after. Some people chose to spend their time outside, while others spread out over the classroom floors. I would just like to say a big thank you to Teegan and Mrs Rumboll for supervising and organising the evening. Claire Anderson Grade 8.
TALENT SHOW
Our annual Talent Show is happening on Thursday and Friday nights. The energy and passion that has gone into this event is remarkable. Thank you to Mrs Rumboll for overseeing our mentors and all of our enthusiastic students.
TEEN 2 TEEN ADOLESCENT GROUP
Henk Eichhorn and Monica Robertson will be running a group for teenagers from the start of the second term 2010. The group is for girls and boys in high school who would like an opportunity to discuss issues that affect them, such as fitting in, coping with outside pressures, relationships, family concerns and becoming their own person. Although the group is aimed broadly at high school students, it is likely to be more suited to teenagers from Grade 10 onwards. The group will meet once a week, on Wednesday evenings, starting on Wednesday 14th April 2010, between 5.45pm and 7.00pm (75 minutes). The venue is in Claremont. Adolescence is a time of emotional and physical upheaval. This can lead a teenager to experience powerful emotions that are sometimes difficult to understand. While many of the changes facing a teenager are exciting and full of possibility, struggling through adolescence can also be a lonely and confusing experience. The small group experience offers a safe space for teenagers to reflect on their challenges, hear and learn from others and grow in self-awareness. For more information, please contact either Henk or Monica at the numbers shown above.
GRADE 8 READING EVENING
Earlier in the term, the Grade 8’s met in Room 7 with Mr Murray to have our first book launch. Mr Murray talked to us about the importance of reading books that had inspired him in his life. This was a much enjoyed evening with lots of laughter. I am sure all the Grade 8’s who attended have benefited from this event and will carry on reading. Thank you Mr Murray. Rinchen van Rijswijk Grad 8.
GRADE 12 CAMP
TEGAN PHILLIPS
The matrics arrived at High Africa on Wednesday afternoon, and the first thing we saw was what seemed like an impossibly high and dangerous climbing structure of sorts. It loomed over the entire camp, visible from the food hall, the sports fields, even all of the dorms. A few of the more daring boys and girls joked that they were going to explore it by themselves, but to most of us the prospect of having anything to do with it. It was absolutely terrifying.
On Wednesday evening, after an exhausting but exciting afternoon of team building ‘challenges’ and a delicious meal, Camp-Meister Grant informed us that we were going to be doing the “high ropes” course the following morning. By this, he meant that we were going to be doing the obstacle course at the very top of the nasty wooden climbing structure. Balancing on thin wires and climbing web-like nets was one thing, but doing it harnessed to a cable more than twenty meters above the ground was taking fear-facing to a whole new level. In the end it was not only an exercise in courage (and balance), but also one in which the entire grade pulled together to support one another. There were constant cheers of support coming from below the course, which not only provided a warm atmosphere of encouragement but served as a credit to our grade, and school. This attitude was found in every activity throughout the rest of the camp, from raft-building to potjie cooking. One task even required table-decorating skills. Serious personal development aside, as with every camp, there were several funny incidents. Most of them had to do with Miss Fella and her cunning pranks, which generally involved a scary mask and a bottle of water. There were also funny ghost stories, and an incident involving Casey eating an oddly shaped piece of what turned out to be raw dough. All things considered, this was a great camp. The food was surprisingly adequate, even wonderful, and the camp leaders were charismatic and helpful, even the teachers behaved themselves and spent most of their free time helping us with our talent show act, which was very nice of them. Thank your Mrs Rumboll, Mrs November, Miss Fella and High Africa for what will surely be one of our most memorable matric experiences.
FIRST AID COURSE
We really enjoyed the First Aid course. It was a fantastic experience. We had a great instructor who made the lessons fund and interesting, which of course helped us with remembering the work. We would like to thank Miss Fella for organising the course. Jenna Matthews and Camilla Reinhold Gr10.
GRADE 8 “ROMEO and JULIET” THEATRE EXCURSION
Mrs Rumboll accompanied the Grade 8’s to a recent production of the Grade 8 prescribed text book “Romeo and Juliet”. It was performed at UCT’s Little Theatre and was enjoyed by all. We have two great Grade 8 classes this year; many were moved by the production.
I thoroughly enjoyed the UCT Drama Department’s interpretation of the famous play Romeo and Juliet. It was so wonderful to see such a timeless classic acted out by some of Cape Town’s best budding performers. The performance itself was portrayed passionately by most of the cast and the costumes were detailed and well designed. I look forward to seeing the play’s cast in other performances soon. Sophie Field Grade 8
The production of Romeo and Juliet was very enjoyable. All the actors were very good and they made good use of the small amount of space available and the relatively unchangeable set. I particularly liked the performances of Mercurio and the nurse. They were both very good and amusing. Overall it was a good play. Giles Stevenson Grade 8
GRADE 8 CAMP
Grade 8 went to High Africa for their annual class camp. It was packed with fun-filled, team-building activities. From low ropes to high ropes, with early starts and late nights. There was great food and good friends. The mentors and camp leaders made it am amazing camp. It was not all fun and games though, some important issues about respect, tolerance and friendship were also dealt with. I would really like to thank Ms Gubb and Ms Lancaster on behalf of the whole class for being such great mentors and helping make the camp such fun. Sam Heuermann
ABOUT THE GROUP FACILITATORS
Henk Eichhorn is a Clinical Psychologist who specializes in work with teenagers. He studied group analysis in London, and has facilitated groups in the UK and in Cape Town.
Monica Robertson is a Clinical Social Worker who has worked extensively with adolescents in a school setting. She has recently completed a two-year experiential group analytic training course.
OUT OF THE BOX
We are very excited to announce the programme for this year’s Out the Box festival which takes place in the last week of March (20-28). While we understand the school can’t make formal bookings during the holidays, this is one opportunity you won’t want your learners to miss out on. Please note that many of the “Primary fare” shows are suitable for High schools as well, particularly Kusanga/Njala (from Zambia), Rain (from KZN), Oruk (from Sweden) and Papelixo (from Brazil), which have all played successfully on Adult festivals. Other shows that are suitable are those labelled “Youth Fare” and many of the Adult festival shows, particularly Tranquila (from Israel), which comes very highly recommended. Below is a short press release and the whole programme is attached. We are very excited to have such a wide range of stimulating theatre from all over the world to share with the young people of Cape Town. It would be great to have Cedar House pupils at the festival. Warm greetings Yvette Hardie : yvette@hardie.co.za / +27 82 859 5635 www.unimasouthafrica.org and www.acyta.co.za
CREATIVE WRITING…
We enclose, for your interest, some creative writing (and a description of the one task) from Grade 8s: Dylan Padowitz , Claire Anderson, Sian Pressly, Anton Klein, Sophie Field and Aneeb Hendricks. Oliver February, Emma Gilpin, Olivia Martin, Hope Lancaster, Gemma Field, Shameegah Mohamed, Anjuli Daya, Nuha Khatib, Matthew Nowicki, Duane Andersen, Jessica Mayson and Alice vd Heever’s Grade 11 responses to Andrew Marvell’s “To his coy mistress” (original also attached for your interest) are included, and Grade 10 poems by Sean MacPherson, Callum Fraser, Lara Evans, Mutaalib Gaffoor, Leighton Calder and Sean Baron are also included. ENJOY!
FOUNDATIONS IN PHILOSOPHY COURSE
Every year, UCT’s Philosophy Department offers a three night Introduction to Philosophy Course to high school students. This is the third year that Cedar House is participating and I am delighted that 20 students will be taking part. Philosophical debates this year are centred on questions around sexuality, patriotism and love. It promises to be a very exciting set of May evenings for our cohort.
We wish you and your children a wonderfully restful and happy holiday. We wish our Jewish families a blessed Passover, our Christian families a blessed Easter.
Yours sincerely
FRANK RUMBOLL
Principal