During World Book Day and Earth Day week, Jenny Wates shared the new books in the library, focusing on saving our earth. Mrs Wates also shared a wonderful story during our Foundation Phase assembly that incorporated the love of reading and looking after our planet. 

Enjoy this SLIDE SHOW and the wonderful story of "Wangari's Trees of Peace" below.

Our Rustybugs are reminded to keep their library books safe and clean by storing them in their library bags. Should you need to put your library bag in your satchel, please ensure that it is flat and not bent in any way; bending your library bag will damage the library books.

At the Grade 3 Parent Talk held two weeks ago, we discussed how friendships are formed and change through the lifespan and development of children. Penny highlighted the important roles and opportunities that parents and caregivers have in contributing to their children's social development and the positive impact at home through actions like active listening, showing and modelling empathy, and creating safe spaces for acknowledging and sharing the feelings of our children and others in their social interactions. 

Growing Emotional Intelligence

On Wednesday evening, our Grade 5 parent talk focused on emotional intelligence and how we can help our children better understand and express their feelings. Tamsyn Alfino, clinical psychotherapist, highlighted how the COVID-19 years—especially the missed play in Grade R—affected children's social development and ability to connect with others.

She shared practical tools to support self-awareness and self-management at home. These included helping children expand their emotional vocabulary beyond just "happy," "sad," or "angry," using I-statements to express themselves clearly, and modelling empathy—especially toward those who feel excluded. Tamsyn also explained how real apologies are not about assigning blame, but about acknowledging how the other person feels, even when your child thinks they’ve done nothing wrong.

The session was a powerful reminder that emotional intelligence is built through small, everyday moments of connection and guidance.

PHOTO ALBUM

Children’s book author ROSLYNNE TOERIEN visited our Rustybugs yesterday, Wednesday, 7th May 2025. Our Grade R to 3s enjoyed listening to Roslynne read from some of her novels. Many of our Rustybugs received personally signed copies of her books from orders placed via KARRI.

Thank you to Mrs Wates for arranging this special event for our Foundation Phase reading Rustybugs.

PHOTO ALBUM

Thank you to Ms Liesl Ludik and our Rustybug Artists for their beautiful works of art on display in Rustenburg House:

Rachael Marwick 7C; Laura MacGregor 7A; Farah Sonday 7C; Faatimah Long 7A; Bailey Jackson 7C; Kendra Jacobs 3B; Amzolele Nguqu 3B; Ruby Meyer 4B; Claire Erasmus 4B; Amaal Davids 4B; Misha Jacobs 4B; Ayesha Rhoda 5C; Maryam Tayob 5B; Aditi Paul 5C; Mia Taylor 2A; Huda Davids 2C; Rouxlé Pretorius 2A; Naledi Memela 2C; Gabriella Botha 2C; Isabella Naude 2C; Maya Bhoola 4B; Sierra Winslow 4B; Zandile Sindo 3B; Rose Beyer 4B; Aaliya Dawood 4C.

Enjoy this SHORT FILM we received from the Orgamites Mighty Education Programme. The film was produced from the competition held in February this year with our Grade 4s. A film crew filmed and photographed the girls hard at work. The brief, to decorate a heart symbolising the collaboration between Groote Schuur Hospital and the Canadian Blood Services.

Congratulations again to Ms Liesl Ludik and;

1st place - Rose Beyer in 4B

2nd place - Riley Gilfillan-McEvoy in 4C

3rd place - Josephine Kempthorne in 4A

RACE 2

You are missing out if you don’t at least TRY one race!

We are thrilled to have another race under our belt!

While the weekly age group race distances remain consistent, the terrain certainly doesn’t and that is exactly what challenges our girls physically, mentally, and emotionally. 

Picture this: the girls lined up at the start, eyes forward, nerves tingling... Ready, set, go! They're off at a near sprint, adrenaline pumping as they search for rhythm. At junior school level, pacing is still a skill in progress but what they may lack in strategy, they more than make up for in heart. These Rustybugs are there to race, and they give it everything they have got.

It’s incredibly humbling to witness our runners pushing their limits and even more inspiring to hear them cheering on their teammates from the sidelines.

This is where the vibe and gees come alive. Each girl runs the same course, but each journey is uniquely her own. That’s the beauty of running.

Ask any of our runners what the race was like, and you’re guaranteed a story – often hilarious.

Congratulations to all our runners!

A special mention goes to the girls who secured a Top 10 finish in their respective age groups: U10 – Holly Haldane 4c (5th); U11 – Imogen Fairweather 5b (3rd); Annabel Verhage 5a (9th); Stella Williams 5a (10th); U12 – Sophie Gray 6a (7th); U13 – Ava Mattushek 7b (2nd).

CROSS COUNTRY PHOTOS

On Thursday, 24 April, 25 very excited Hockey and Netball players boarded the bus which would take them to the much anticipated Knysna Sports Festival.

For the first time, both the Oakhill Hockey Festival and the Knysna Netball Festival were held over the same weekend. This created a lovely opportunity for us to tour with both our Hockey and Netball teams.

We arrived at the Knysna Log-Inn Hotel, which would be our home for the next 4 days, with enough time to have a snack, unpack and make our way to the Oakhill Sports Grounds where the hockey girls would play their first match of the weekend.

Despite a long drive under the belt,  the hockey girls held their own on the astro while the netball girls brought the gees from the sidelines. 

Throughout the festival, the girls demonstrated exceptional skill and teamwork, winning the award for the best defence team. Over four matches—against Bridge House, Oakhill, Clarendon Park, and Collegiate—the team conceded only one goal and didn't lose a single match, demonstrating their dominance on the field.

We then enjoyed a delicious supper together with all the other participating schools after the opening ceremony.

The next morning, it was the netball team's chance to take to the courts, starting the morning with dedicated coaches from Eastern Province who took the girls through some new warm-up drills and got the Netball Vibe going before the fixtures started for the day.

The fixtures were tough with the netball team playing 4 matches on Friday, 5 matches on Saturday and 2 matches on Sunday morning just before they boarded the bus back to CT.

The netball team produced some outstanding matches with great wins against most of the schools, including a much-anticipated match against Collegiate.

This tour was not only about the netball and hockey matches that were played, the girls got to learn and live so much more, from scrumptious buffet breakfasts, which fueled the team for their sporting activities, a special dinner at 34 Degrees South, followed by some much needed retail therapy in the sweet shop! The “claw machine” proved to be a winner, too. 

The girls were able to indulge in a rejuvenating hot tub and cold pool experience at the Knysna Log-Inn Hotel after their demanding matches. The highlight of the tour was definitely a catamaran trip on the Knysna Lagoon, offering panoramic views of the surrounding landscapes.

A special 13th birthday was marked by a decadent chocolate cake, a special balloon and a “personalised card” from the Tech table …and everyone wearing their Butlers t-shirts, adding to the festivities.

The support the girls showed each other on and off the field, as well as the team of staff who accompanied the girls, made for a memorable and fun tour. 

A heartfelt thank you to the parents who made the trip possible, as well as the sponsorship of bags, sunscreen, match vests, and extra treats. Thank you to Coach Fred, Coach Olu, Mrs Liddle, Mr Ryklieff and Mrs Liss for fostering a sense of unity and camaraderie among the girls and for giving up hours even before the tour even started to make this all happen.

The RGJS U13 Hockey & Netball Tour to Knysna was a perfect blend of sportsmanship, adventure, and relaxation, creating memories that will last a lifetime.

Thank you to Patrick King for the fabulous HOCKEY TOUR PHOTOS

NETBALL AND HOCKEY TOUR PHOTOS