Sisterhood: the feeling of kinship with and closeness to a group of women or all women.

A simple concept in theory, yet one with such deeply profound impacts.

When creating our vision statement for the year, the three of us thought it a necessity to base our vision on the idea of fostering a sisterhood, inclusive of all genders. This is a long-established, fundamental goal in developing a sense of trust and belonging among all students. While we likely won’t be here to see the end results of our and the previous head students’ efforts towards this goal, our initiatives for the year all centre around the idea of nurturing the growth of this sisterhood to which we all belong.

It is through this that we believe we can arrive at a place of inclusivity, fully able to embrace and celebrate one another’s differences.

With excitement for the new year still fresh and hopes high for the months to come, we look forward to introducing plans and initiatives to forward this vision.

Monday marked the beginning of our first initiative for 2021, the monthly themes. As a grade we have allocated a specific theme, centered around social justice and current affairs, to each month. The aim of this initiative is for students to engage with and educate each other about important topics in an accessible and fun way. Each month will be run by various leaders, portfolios and pillars across our grade. February has been dedicated to Environmental Awareness month run by the head of the community pillar, Mila Matthews. A month of interesting speakers, connect discussions surrounding environmental awareness and exciting activities arranged by Mila awaits us!

Despite the uncertainties that 2021 may bring, we have immense faith in our grade and school, and know that we will all do our best to make the most of it.

Vision statement: Our aim for this year and the years to come is to encourage a healthy, educational environment through embracing differences in order to nurture a sisterhood.

Claire Campbell, Cara Ronan and Lisakhanya Tshiki

Welcome to the 2021 academic year. By now, the pupils have managed to work out their timetables and - hopefully - find their away around the campus following Monday’s physical return to the Springfield campus. This is a year when we are likely to see things disrupted, but no matter what comes our way, some key elements of teaching and learning that we perhaps take for granted under more conventional circumstances will really help us all to weather the storm.

1. Communication

The school sends out regular communication around what is happening with regards to the academic programme. While this information sometimes changes quickly as we respond to announcements by the Presidency, the Department of Education and ISASA, we will always try to be clear about what we are doing to prioritise our pupils’ learning along with their health and safety. If you are unsure about anything when it comes to academics, please try to make contact with the teacher closest to the issue involved. If you aren’t sure who to contact, then please make contact with the pupil’s Connect teacher and they will assist you to make contact with the appropriate person.

2. Establish Routines

When life is uncertain, we cling to the things we know. Whether at home or in the classroom, routines help teenagers to structure their lives. At school, the Senior School Google Calendar and the pupils’ individual timetables are going to be indispensable tools in helping each teenager at Springfield find their way. Even simple tools in hard-copy, like to-do lists and keeping a diary, might help! Routines become particularly important in the classroom when pupils are working from home, as the back-and-forth pattern of face-to-face cues that characterise every classroom is not always visible.

3. Get Organised

Something we all know is an aspect with which many teenagers struggle is organisation. With communication coming in from all angles at an unprecedented pace, it is a good idea for pupils to set aside a time to organise their work, emails, social media posts, television watching, sports and anything else that impacts their lives each day. Making a plan is the first step towards success; following the plan takes one further on the journey.

This week, there will have been and will continue to be some additional focus on pupils who take additional subjects and who qualify for learning accommodations - so if either of these processes is relevant to your child, please keep an eye out for communication on these topics. If you have any queries about extra subjects and accommodations in the meantime, please feel free to contact me directly on dfick@springfieldconvent.co.za.

Have a blessed year and may your daughters achieve all they set out to accomplish this year!

DAVID FICK
Head of Academics

English Olympiad:

Over 30 enthusiastic Springfield girls have signed up to write the De Beers English Olympiad examination. It is based on a very interesting anthology of texts chosen to suit the theme of "People and Personas". The Olympiad offers students a great opportunity for developing their critical thinking skills, academic enrichment and a broader study of literature, as well as generous prizes if they achieve one of the top 50 places. Springfield students have often excelled in the Olympiad in the past. Due to the latest COVID restrictions, the examination will now be held on the 16th March, at Springfield. Weekly training sessions will be held on a Tuesday, straight after school from 3.15-4.45pm, to start on Tuesday, 9th February. The venue is TBA. Well done, girls, for signing up - enjoy the journey!

As we begin the 2021 year, we are excited to begin Debating on an online platform.

Team debating will be on Mondays from 15:15 - 16:15. Social debating will be on Wednesdays from 15:15 - 16:15. These times may change when the sporting calendar is confirmed. We are also very excited to be forming a brand new junior team this year, and we encourage our Grade 8s and 9s to sign up. Attached is the Google form that please needs to be filled in to sign up for team and social debating this year.

Please note that team debaters are expected to attend both social and team debating. This is particularly important for awards, as support of Springfield debating is required to fulfil certain criteria for awards.

We look forward to an exciting year of debating this year.

SPORTS DEPARTMENT HAS RELOCATED!!!!

It is so exciting to welcome two new additions to our Sports Department. Ms Cathy Munro has joined us as a sports co-ordinator and will also provide physical education lessons to all Grades. Ms Melanie Wagner has been employed as a Life Orientation teacher and, fortunately for sport at Springfield, she is able to contribute a wealth of knowledge and experience in Swimming and will take on the role of our new swimming coach.

We have also relocated our Sports Office to the bottom of the Senior School block, opposite the tuckshop. This office is in the hub of the school and we are enjoying the tuckshop vibe! A distinct disadvantage is the wonderful aromas emanating from the tuckshop but, together with the Grade 12 Sports Portfolio, we hope to add some healthier tuckshop options for our girls and create awareness of the benefits of good nutrition.

We kicked off day one of the School term with an inter-house challenge for the Grade 8's who participated in a Scavenger hunt around the sports facilities. We mixed them up into groups and quietly observed them learning one another's names and interacting in a collaborative setting and having some fun! The winner of the Scavenger hunt................... drum roll.........................THOMAS!! WELL DONE!!

RETURN TO SPORT

As per the gazetted regulations and directives laid down by the Department of Education which are currently in place, some sports are allowed to resume, subject to all the necessarily stringent Covid19 protocols.

The benefits of sport are enormous. Exercise, fresh air and the pursuit of passions and hobbies outside of the academic framework are vital to the holistic development of our girls and we are aware of how much they have missed this form of connection during the 2020 year. We will be offering as many sporting activities as possible, given the current Covid19 rules and regulations. These activities will commence on 15th February 2021. Unfortunately Indoor Hockey and Water-polo leagues have been cancelled and we are still awaiting information regarding the tennis and touch rugby leagues as well as swimming galas, which information will be communicated as soon as decisions have been made. The sporting codes that will be available in term One will include Water-polo, swimming, diving, tennis, cross country, soccer (private), rowing (club), as well as pre-season outdoor hockey and netball. Sign up forms for the various offerings will be sent out via email during the course of the week.

The safety of our students and community remains our top priority. We will not compromise on following the standard operating procedures and safety protocols at Springfield. Mandatory wearing of masks on campus, hand sanitising and physical distancing will continue. Where sport is concerned, there are a number of additional protocols that will be strictly enforced.

Please be aware that no spectators are allowed during any of our sports training sessions. If you are dropping off your daughter on campus, you are not permitted to escort her to any venue on the campus or to wait for her on the school campus. You must leave the campus and return to fetch her at the designated time whilst remaining in your vehicle at all times.

Some private sports academies will be given permission to run only once they have all Covid19 documentation and permits in place and their application to commence has been approved by our Health and Safety Committee, whereafter you will be notified of the private activities on offer, which will include Water-polo, Netball and Outdoor Hockey.

Mrs Colleen Reed

Head of Senior School Sport