PARENTS WEEKEND INSIDE:

CHOIR AWARDS

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10 / 02 / 2017 I TERM 1 I NEWSLETTER

ISSUE

38

It is hard to believe that we are approaching mid-term and that Parents Weekend is a week away. I am sure many of you are excited at the prospect of seeing your sons again and I encourage you to enjoy every minute with them.

REVAMPING THE LIBRARY

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I would like to take this opportunity to thank the School community for producing yet another great MiMs weekend. In particular, I would like to thank all the boys for their tremendous resilience, dedication and professionalism during the preparation and the event itself. We

MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE HEAD

Please note the slight change in times of the gala – we have scheduled it a little later, so that more parents can get to the school in time. For new parents, the gala is held at Dragon Peaks Caravan Park. You should have received an information letter with regard to the programme of events.

As one can imagine, we try to fit as many things into the weekend as possible, so that you and your sons can have a complete break from school activities, but this does limit interview time extensively. If you are unable to see a teacher on Friday and you would like some detailed feedback, we are having interviews on Saturday morning as well. This is a recent development, as we have found it really challenging to see parents only on the Friday. I especially encourage new parents to touch base with their son’s class teacher, even if you don’t manage to see anyone else. Unfortunately, I will be unavailable on Saturday, as I have a Board meeting at the school.

As a note of experience to new parents, you will be getting to hear all sorts of stories of adventure, tubing, social interactions (sometimes outrageous), teachers that are wonderful and others who have horns and a terrifying temper etc. Much of it will have a basis in truth, but like all fishermen, the catch is often larger than the real thing. This is a weekend when the boys can relax and “let it all out” – so be prepared for some interesting conversations. Once again, please contact the school if there are any concerns that you have, if this will ease your mind about your son’s well-being.

It is also customary for the goodbye on Sunday to be harder for your son than the first time, as reality has dawned and the ‘new experience’ has waned somewhat. Please be supportive, and yet strong, in your resolve for him to see it through. When departing, do so fairly swiftly, so as not to prolong the agony. It is simply a kindness to him, that you do not allow prolonged goodbyes. Please note that the mid-term break is two weeks after the parent weekend, so please make bus bookings timeously, if you are going to use the service.

I look forward to seeing you on the weekend of the 17th February. Travel safely.

On behalf of the Drakensberg Boys Choir School, we would like to thank Eggie van den Broek, our current Estate Manager, for his dedication to the school. He has resigned and will be relocating to Pietermaritzburg to teach.

Andrew Stead

Executive Head

Andrew Stead

MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE HEAD

PARENTS WEEKEND

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NEWS FROM THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT

Sihle Manonyane (Griffin House - upstairs)

Stephen Barnard (Head of Music)

CHOIR AWARDS FOR THE PAST WEEK

NEW BOYS OF THE WEEK

Kigen Chepkonga

Matthew Beuster

Henno Klopper

Alec Gibson

Angus Somerville

Kevin Smith

Sashin Rathinasamy

CHORISTERS OF THE WEEK

Michael de Goede

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NEWS FROM THE ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT

Drakie Thule Inter-Tour Special – Ends Friday 3 March 2017:

87L Rolling Duffel for R3 750.00 (Normal Retail R5 499.00)

RE-VAMPING THE LIBRARY

THULE CARRY SOLUTIONS

This book was kindly donated to the Drakensberg Boys Choir School Library by

_________________________________

Date:

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REVAMPING THE LIBRARY

I am tasked with revamping and updating the school library, which is also my English classroom. It is a mammoth job and it is my aim to ensure we house books that the boys actually want to read, rather than the tomes from the Palaeolithic period which currently offer no incentive to the boys to voluntarily read a book. If your son has outgrown reading books which you know he loved and you are feeling generous, please would you consider donating them to the school library. It is always wonderful to share books on, in an effort to ‘spread the word’, so to speak. I will be placing a donation dedication at the front of the book/s (example below), so that the Drakie readers who enjoy the book in the future will be able to acknowledge your son’s contribution. Readers are leaders, that is for sure. Please consider helping us by forwarding your already-read books on a journey into the hearts and minds of future Drakies. Yours in all things Bookish, Pam Couzyn English and Library

For orders and other product pricing contact: – Gregg on hiscock@vwsa.co.za

Funds raised go to School for the benefit of the Boys

www.thule.com/en/za

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WALKING IN NATURE

NEWS FROM BOARDING

A FEW REMINDERS BEFORE YOU ARRIVE FOR PARENTS WEEKEND

CLOTHING

Your boys need the following items:

Black secret socks to wear with their Luxions (black with white toe cap and laces) every day. (6 pairs)

Black anklet socks for their black trousers (5 pairs)

Luxions 2 pairs. Pep stores have them for R109.00.

The boys need a second pair, so when they wash one pair over the weekends, they have a backup pair.

Black trousers, if possible Oxfords, which can be bought from Edgars. Woolworths label is also suitable.

LAUNDRY

Sock and Jock bags x 2 sets. These can be obtained at the clothing shop at school.

One is for the socks and the second one is for the underwear.

2 sets of linen, each consisting of duvet cover, fitted sheet and pillow cases.

They change their linen once a week, which is the reason for the need of a second set.

HYGIENE

A reminder that no aerosol spray cans are allowed. Please replace all spray deodorants with a roll on.

Similarly replace foot spray with powder, and mosquito spray with cream or a roll-on.

Looking forward to our reunion at Parents Weekend. See you at the swimming gala!

Regards,

Verna Ayliffe

House Mother - Griffin

Office: +27 36 468 1012

Email: vayliffe@dbchoir.com

www.dbchoir.com

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If you want to spend CASH, Your hopes we must dash! We’ve decided that plastic Is simply fantastic. Your son needs a bank card, So his money we guard. This gives you control, As his TUCK you patrol. We give you fair warning – Don’t leave your son mourning. After Parents’ Weekend, Cash sales will thus end.

TUCK SHOP BLUES

DBCS Grade 5

CLASS REPRESENTATION FOR 2017

Thank you to all the parents who offered to assist. Congratulations to the following parents that will be their Grades co-ordinators:

Grade 4 and 5 Kim Brits (Kim will also co-ordinate the group)

Grade 6 Leigh Ann Lubbe

Grade 7 Nthabiseng Sibiya

Grade 8 Terry Mbuli

Grade 9 Annemarie van Heerden

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SNIPPETS FROM THE SAN

The week has flown past with little of significance to report. Expectorants were given to the coughers and the sore throats gargled a saline solution. I really must come up with something more revolting to treat these conditions. Salt water doesn’t quite do it for me.

Fortunately, a couple of relatively minor lacerations spiced life up a bit. The appearance of blood always triggers a frisson of excitement in the campus air. This spectator response is different to the schadenfreude of the gawpers who get a kick out of the misfortune of others at accident scenes. At DBCS, bloody injuries seem to inspire something akin to envy among witnesses. Strange.

One of the casualties suffered a cut to his left eye-brow, which brought much furrowing of my own brow. Lacerations on other body parts - like knees - are usually a breeze. Unless, of course, the wound is pulsating a fountain of bright red stuff everywhere. Small scars are not a big issue and can be usefully brandished to boost one’s street cred.

Faces are different and I try hard to keep our/your beautiful boys in a state of unblemished perfection. So the eye-brow was a problem. After lengthy consultations with Mom and Dad, we settled on the Steri-strip option, which seems to be working a treat. With no reference to the above case whatsoever, I have discovered that mothers and fathers don’t always agree on what needs to be done in such events. This can make my job a tad tricky and I’ve had to add couple-counselling to my extensive list of skills. I feel safe in my conclusion that Dads are generally the more neurotic party. They do like a good panic.

Sadly, there is minimal news regarding my musical ambitions. I have yet to experience the joy of a single singing lesson. Perhaps Messrs Bath and Sekonyela would be more enthusiastic if I was of a different generation. A different everything actually, except maybe gender. Poor fellows. Attractive, young, single, female human specimens are a bit thin on the ground in these parts. Come to think of it, so are attractive, single, middle-aged men.

Sister Lianne

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10

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Tiaan Esterhuizen

11 February 2017

Jesse Barth

18 February 2017

SNAPSHOTS: WAGENDRIFT 2017

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Calendar 10 February – 19 February 2017

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DATE EVENT TIME

10 February Staff Briefing 10:20 - 10:40

11 February Choir

New Boy Swot Squad

Choir

08:00 - 12:30

14:00 - 16:00

14:00 - 16:00

12 February Midmar Mile

13 February Staff Briefing

Assembly

Prefects Tea

07:20 - 07:30

07:25 - 0:45

10:40 - 11:40

14 February Cycle Tests 07:25 - 08:25

15 February Choir Rehearsals 15:00 - 17:00

16 February Assembly 10:05 - 10:25

17 - 19 February Parents Weekend

17 February Interhouse Gala

New Boys Parent Interviews

Parents Weekend

Parents Concert

14:30 - 15:30

18 February Parent Interviews

PRIVATE BAG X20 | WINTERTON 3340 | KWAZULU -NATAL | SOUTH AFRICA

Tel: +2736 468 1012 | Fax: +2736 468 1709 | Email: administration@dbchoir.com | www.dbchoir.com

INCORPORATED ASSOCIATION NOT FOR GAIN - NPO 002-106

Watch Connor Lessle, Liam Muller and Nathaniel Stoffels on 14 February 2017 at 16:00 on Etv, Frenzy

DRAKENSBERG BOYS CHOIR SCHOOL

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