WYNBERG GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL

NEWSLETTER NEWSLETTER

Also available on our website : www.wynghs.co.za

JUNE 2013

FAREWELL, CATO!Dear Parents

Parents and girls have celebrated both Mothers' and Fathers' Day during this second term. Being a Mom myself, I am asking the Dads to forgive me if I concentrate on Mothers in this end-of-term newsletter!

The staff at Wynberg always try to support the many projects which take place at school - selling raffle tickets, donating more than their R10 for civvies in aid of Stop Hunger Now and enthusiastically preparing for the big service drive on Mandela Day. The ‘Wool for Wonders’ campaign is no exception and many staff members have been knitting their contributions.

Having learnt to knit from my Mom, I decided to knit the YAW (You are Worthy) doll for the first time this year. Carefully following the instructions on the website, I completed my YAW doll and thought it looked fairly presentable! Imagine my surprise when looking through the cupboard for some extra pieces of wool for the eyes and mouth, I came across 2 almost complete YAW dolls, knitted in the last days of Mom's time here with the family. Taken from her home in a packet and unseen for 5 years, I had the opportunity to complete these dolls and bring them to school as her contribution to our campaign!

It also gave me the opportunity to reflect again on the legacy she left me. Not only the ability to knit (she was so much better at this than I am!), but also her moral compass, her service to others, her ability to listen and give me time, even if she was busy. I knew I was important to her, she was kind, she sacrificed so that we had what we needed, but firmly denied what we just wanted!

I hope through this story that all the Wynberg Moms will consider the legacy that we are leaving our children, especially our girl-children. Are we teaching them to be strong yet respectful when standing up for their rights? To be happy when they receive what they need and not demand more? To understand the rights of the larger family and community? To be kind and to know that giving to others brings special rewards? They will take our lead - we are the role models, and our job will often be hard.

I have been blessed in my life to celebrate the legacy of what my Mom taught me. I hope that all our Wynberg girls will be as fortunate as me. And, in case, the Wynberg Dads are feeling left out - let me add that I also had a special Dad - but perhaps that is for another newsletter!

Mrs Harding’s doll, on the right, shows she was a good student!

This newsletter accompanies the very important mid-year report. Please read it carefully and discuss these results and the Behaviour and Work ratings with your daughter. There were several girls who missed their Wynberg Pass by only a percentage point or two in one subject. Make it your aim to achieve this next term! Congratulations to those girls who have worked hard - we celebrate your success with you!

We hope that all our Wynberg families have a very special holiday with their daughters. Travel safely, enjoy the special qualities of each member of the family, and come back for the new term with clear goals of what you want to achieve in the 4 pillars and in your relationships with friends and family.Take care.

Warm regardsShirley HardingPrincipal

Within an extremely short space of time, our GAP student from the Netherlands, Cato de Vos, was part of the Wynberg family. Her willingness to take on any task, whether it was dealing with the issuing of textbooks, reorganizing filing systems, invigilating during test lessons, or accompanying girls on hikes in and around Cape Town, Cato showed passion, commitment and initiative. We shall all, teachers and girls alike, miss her presence on our campus, her distinctive voice and her wonderful sense of humour, evident even in the daily messages. We hope that her nine months here at Wynberg were as good for her as she was good for us. We wish her well as she embarks on the next phase of her life – studying medicine – and hope to see her one day soon back here in Cape Town.

EXAMS

Grade 9's havinga study break.

Teachers marking.

CONSUMER

STUDIES

PRAC EXAMS

Head down, engage brain!

On 22 May the Current Affairs Society discussed refugees and the “She wanted to kill us” incident in Parliament. Andi Hoole gave a presentation on various current events which stimulated debate amongst the members. Topics included Nelson Mandela’s daughters suing him, the return of Dr Karabus, the Oklahoma tornado and the death of Vuyo Mbuli.

On 21 May, the ATKV Afrikaans Olimpiaade was written. A selection of work was examined, including comprehension skills, newspaper articles, cartoons, grammar, poetry and prose pieces. Although it was quite challenging, it was a very enjoyable experience. We look forward to receiving the results!

On 20 May almost 300 Wynberg girls wrote the University of the Free State’s World Knowledge Olympiad. The hall, ballet hall and gym were all filled with the sounds of scratching pens and rustling papers as Wynberg students searched the recesses of their memories for the elusive names of cities, sports stars and other facts about the world around them.

WORLD KNOWLEDGE OLYMPIAD

AFRIKAANS OLYMPIAD

CURRENT AFFAIRS SOCIETY

On Wednesday 22 May, Silverleans went to Wynberg Park, to do a quick clean up as an act of community service. To our consternation, we found enough litter to fill several black bags. It was an enjoyable and rewarding day for the girls and we noted the visible improvement to the park after our efforts.

SILVERLEA IN WYNBERG

PARK CLEAN-UP

SILVER TROWEL RETURNS TO WGHS

The original silver trowel used in the official opening of the Wynberg Ladies’ Seminary in 1884, has been returned to the school. What an

amazing and valuablepiece of school history!

WOGU VISITS MATRICS

Wynberg Past Pupils’ committee members, Rayne Callaghan, Jehan Chiktay and Deidre Schultz visited the Matrics recently.

Everybody loves a goody-bag!

MATRIC TOPS ARRIVE

Matrics Anelisa May, Monique Ewen, Jasmine Claase, Unathi Mzobotshi, Gcotyelwa Mdoda & Nwabisa Mgquba jump for joy after receiving their informal matric tops.

WOOL FOR WONDERS Jehan Chikte and Hilary Mills sorting through the MANY beautifully knitted jerseys, beanies and scarves that arestarting to arrive at school as part of WOGU’s Wool for Wonders campaign.If you have not yet joinedthis worthy cause, startknitting today!

The school met the cast of Spud: the madness continues and were given an opportunity to ask them questions about their characters and the movie in general. As Lauren Gildenhuys pointed out while thanking them, this experience was particularly uplifting coming as it did the day after the completion of examinations!

THE MADNESS CONTINUES!

Surviving the exams was celebrated in true Waterloo House style: a movie, popcorn and hot chocolate! On Wednesday night we had a ‘build a Burger’ supper and games to celebrate the end of exams and the coming of holidays.

It is with sadness that all of us at Hostel say good-bye to Cato De Vos. She has been a wonderful Gap student and brought a lot of energy and laughter into the hostel. We will really miss her and wish her well on her next step in her Life’s Journey.

‘Spud’ author, Johan van der Ruit.

Part of thevery longqueue ofgirls whoauditionedfor a partas an extra in‘Spud’ 3.

Genna Blair (Mermaid), Alex McGregor (Christine), Sven Ruygrok (Rambo) & Troye Sivan (Spud)

HOSTEL NEWS

CAPE TOWN EISTEDDFOD:

CHOIR AND VOCAL ENSEMBLE

We are very proud of the Choir and Vocal Ensemble who both achieved diplomas at the Cape Town Eisteddfod on Saturday 8 June. The adjudicator made special mention of the fact that they were accompanied by learners from the school: Hong Ju & Beth Petersen on the piano and Yeukai Chamba on the bass guitar. Congratulations to Mrs van Bergen and all singers!

THE CHOIR

THE VOCAL ENSEMBLE

On 13 June, the Grade 11 Learner Leadership students participated in the second part of our Leadership Workshop, Lead4Life - the aim of which is to further shape the future leaders of Wynberg and prepare us for the busy months ahead. We were reminded that before leading others, one must lead oneself, which led us into the second part of the workshop, which was focused on us as individuals, our personal growth - discovering what inspires us. Basic guidelines of what makes a good leader were laid down, and the focus was on how we can make changes, and most importantly, can create a positive influence within our society.We learned and observed through a series of tasks, activities, videos and talks, that each individual needs to discover who we are and what values we possess. We learned that leadership is about growing and being tested under pressure, both individually as well as part of a team. Leadership is about service and the influence one can have. It’s about learning from experiences. It is about coming to terms with what is preventing us from reaching our full potential. It’s about breaking out of our patterns of comfort and taking risks, while still maintaining balance in our lives. Are we simply bystanders observing the scene in front of us, or are we part of the action? This is the question we will have to answer.Vega de Vries

CAPE TOWN BIG BAND FESTIVAL

The festival, held at the Baxter Theatre, brought together high school, university, and community jazz bands to showcase their talents. Wynberg was invited to perform on Friday 15 June. Our band performed just before interval – a particularly good slot if the band is a good one because it leaves audiences with something to talk about and in good spirits for the second half. We performed three songs: Listen Here, Summertime with Anna Jacobs as vocalist and Think. The Cape Town Big Band Festival is the biggest event on the Jazz Band’s annual calendar and it was great to be performing in front of an audience of music and jazz lovers. They enjoyed the music as much as the musicians did, and applauded enthusiastically. What a spectacular night for music!

Stacey Walker, Sakhe Mbuyisa & Lauren Goliath

CAPE TOWN EISTEDDFOD

VOCAL RESULTS

SOLOS:Lesley Bredekamp – HonoursEmma Martin – High HonoursSamantha Martin – High HonoursAllison Robertson – HonoursNatalie Winter – Diploma & Honours x2Georgia Bailey – Diploma & High Honours & HonoursRobyn Burrows – High HonoursRachel Suttle – High Honours & HonoursSiyaka Ndiki – High HonoursSimone Daniels – Diploma x2Robyn Burrows – Diploma x3 & High HonoursLara Bredeveldt – High Honours

DUETS:Emma & Samantha Martin – DiplomaRobyn Burrows & Simone Daniels – DiplomaGeorgia Bailey & Rachel Suttle – Diploma

TRIOS:Georgie Bailey, Simone Daniels, Robyn Burrows – Diploma

Congratulations to the following girls who excelled in the vocal section at the Cape Town eisteddfod:

HOCKEY DERBY vs PAARL GIMNASIUM: 18 May

1st Team: Wynberg lost 1-3. We all made the early trek

to Paarl on what turned out to be a glorious, warm day.

Despite some lost scoring opportunities, Wynberg

continued to fight but Paarl eventually penetrated

Wynberg’s defence: half time score: 0-1. Not sticking to

the original game plan resulted in another two (well-

deserved) goals by Paarl. Wynberg found a weakness in

Paarl Gim’s defence and Jamie Southgate slotted the ball.

Wynberg put Paarl Gim under immense pressure but no

more goals were scored. The lesson we took from this

tough battle against Paarl Gimnasium was to always stick

to the game plan.

2nd Team: Wynberg lost 0-5.

U16A Team: lost 0-7. We were outwitted, outlasted and

outplayed. Well done to Paarl Gym for a smooth and

flawless performance. We have some work to do.

U16B Team: Wynberg lost 0-3. They fought hard and were

0-0 at half time but their fitness let them down. Player of

the match: Jo Currie.

U16C Team: Wynberg lost 0-4. The girls struggled with

their basic skills on the grass. They went 0-3 down in the

1st half, but continued to fight hard. Player of the match:

Danielle Page.

U16D Team: Wynberg lost 0-2.

U14A Team: Wynberg lost 0-1. The game started off very

well for Wynberg as we had a lot of attacking

opportunities and passed the ball around nicely. However,

we held on to the ball for too long and should have

passed early as this is when we looked most dangerous.

Player of the Match: Katherine Nicolls. Comment from

the coach: “Very proud of how the girls played this

weekend. They really picked up their game from last week

and showed that they have the ability to play wonderful

hockey.”

U14B Team: Wynberg drew 0-0. Wynberg played much

better than last week, stringing passes together, and

being disciplined about staying within their channels.

Player of the Match: Shannon Reilly.

Zahra Dolliein action

Wynberg 1st team’s team talk with coach, Janice Hudson-Windsor

HOCKEY

HOCKEY RESULTS vs STELLENBERG: 8 June

1st Team: Wynberg lost 1-2. The team was really keen to put on a

good display against top-of-the-log Stellenberg. After Stellenberg

went ahead, Sasha Sivertsen controlled the defensive midfield and

distributed excellent turn-around ball to the links and strikers, who

put massive pressure on the Stellenberg defence until Wynberg

finally scored the equaliser through Cara Geere. Zoe Woodman kept

goal as if her life depended on it but with 3 minutes to go,

Stellenberg were awarded a penalty corner and despite Wynberg’s

best efforts, they blasted in the winning goal.

2nd Team: Wynberg lost 0-8. Valeshka Harkhu’s valiant efforts in

goals kept the 2nds fighting spirits high, but they could not stop the

Stellenberg onslaught, especially their quick counter-attacks and

their eagerness to score. The 2nds will need to pick themselves up

and dust themselves off and move forward from here.

U16A Team: Wynberg lost 1-2. Wynberg did well to go 1-0 up with

a goal from newly promoted Aaliyah Adams. Stellenberg equalised

before the end of the 1st half and again a few minutes before the

final whistle to go 2-1 up.

U16B Team: Wynberg lost 0-2. Wynberg had as much of the game

as Stellenberg, but they converted their chances and we were

unable to do so.

U16C Team: Match drawn 0-0. A very tough game against strong

opposition on a cold and wet day. Player of the match was Robyn-

Lee Roberts and the team is to be commended on a good game.

U16D Team: Wynberg won 3-0. A great game from this team! They

played with enthusiasm and passion and converted 3 scoring

opportunities. They are finally starting to come together as a team

on the field and are to be commended on a great performance.

U14A Team: Match drawn 0-0. Both teams had scoring

opportunities, but neither could convert. Our goalkeeper, Chelsea

van der Berg was our player of the match as she pulled off many

wonderful saves.

U14B Team: Wynberg won 3 – 0. The U14Bs played like stars - the

first time this season that they have been really goal-hungry and

shown some aggression.

U14 Skills Team: Wynberg won 1-0. Their first game of the season: it

was very encouraging to see the team implement the skills they had

learnt over the past few weeks, especially in such difficult weather

conditions. Great win for their first game!

NETBALL

Congratulations to Vuya Puzi who has been selected for the Western Province U15 Netball team! As has been mentioned before, making a WP netball team is no mean feat, so very well done,

SQUASH

Wynberg is proud to announce that two of our past pupils, & Quanita Bobbs, are part of the South African Team playing against England and Scotland. They are both currently at Stellenbosch University and were key players during the recent University hockey challenge which was won by Stellenbosch University.

Illse Davids

WEARING THE GREEN & GOLD

Demi Steenkamp & Ashlyn Southern

Six Wynberg girls played in the Western Province Closed Squash tournament. This is the final ranking tournament - all of the girls had already made a team, it was just a matter of what position they would play in their various teams at the Interprovincialtournaments. The U14 final was an all-Wynberg affair with Ashlyn Southern beating Isobel Evans. Ashlyn won goldand Isobel silver. In the U16 event,Demi Steenkamp played incredible squash: she remained unbeaten until the last round. She won a silver medal and will be playing at 3 in the A team at IPT. Zeleah Da Souza will be playing at 5 in the B team. In the U19 event, Kaylee Marshall and Amy Peacock ended with final B team rankings of 3 and 4 respectively. Well done and good luck to all of these girls.

MARIO OGLE WOWS WYNBERG!

MOUNTAIN CLUB:RIGHT FACE / ARROW FACE TRAVERSE

On Tuesday 18 June, as a sort of post-exams treat, Mario Ogle performed some songs from his new album 'Superman', for the school. As always, he was given a wonderful reception and was kept busy signing autographs afterwards.The lucky school council got to pose with him after the show.

Claudia Harrison, Kelly Phiri,Sara Mesham, Kristen van Beek, Mario Ogle, Lauren Gildenhuys, Chelsea Lassen, Aqeela Idas & Anna Jacobs.

arrived in South Africa as a GAP student, one of the first things she did was join the Mountain Club on a hike. On her last week-end in SA, Cato was once again hiking, this time the scary but exhilarating right face arrow face traverse.

When Cato de Vos

BEHIND THE SCENES

WITH ‘MILLIE’

Very busy behind the scenes are Mrs Stokell, Ms Edwards and Mr Wood, with seating, posters and tickets, and scenery.

Waterloo doing a final sandwich-making session before the holidays.

WYNBERG GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL

OUR BRAND NEW TRUCK

SANDWICH DRIVE