Springfield Senior School
Welcome back to term 2. I hope that our families had a blessed and peaceful Easter and a happy and relaxing holiday. All systems are ready for a busy and exciting term!
Twenty one Grade 11 pupils spent three days this week at their Confirmation Retreat. The retreat is an essential part of the preparation for the confirmandi as they prepare to receive the sacrament later in the year. The retreat began at our own St Dominic's Chapel on Sunday after which the Grade 11 pupils accompanied by Ms Stubbs and Ms Ducray moved on to Schoenstatt Retreat Centre where they spent the following three days.
During mass Fr Jackson ‘s homily centred around the readings about how Jesus wanted three things from his disciples - each of these beginning with “p”. The first was seeking to be in God’s presence, secondly he wanted them to be prepared thus this journey of faith is so essential in their formation and the third was for them to be at peace. This message was directed to the confirmation class as some guidelines for their journey towards this sacrament in which they become adult members of the church. .
As we approach the mid year formal assessment period, we can all use these words as a guide. Are we present in each of our learning opportunities? In this case, just as Jesus would have expected his disciples to be present in a way which is more than just being there in person, we should be asking if we are truly present in each lesson.
Jesus wanted his disciples to be prepared for their role as the messengers of the Word. The importance of preparedness when it comes to assessments is well known by our pupils. The key is to put it into action - now is the time to start.
Most of all Jesus wanted his disciples to be at peace with themselves. In this case if our pupils have been present and have prepared effectively they should enter the assessment period with a sense of peace, knowing that the outcome will be the very best they can achieve.
Of course, before the matrics get to their mid year assessments there is the matter of the matric dance on Friday (#MD2024). Last Thursday the matrics had a “heels break in day”...quite a challenge with the stairs of Springfield. However, they managed the day (or at least a part of it!) and will hopefully be well prepared for a wonderful evening on Friday.
We wish them all the best on this special occasion.
It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to one of our Senior School Counsellors at the end of the month. Ms Emma Fookwe joined the school in 2022. During this time she became an integral part of not just the counselling department but of the Senior Staff. She has assisted innumerable pupils in the counselling space and has led workshops and initiatives focused on wellbeing and mental health. In addition, Emma has been part of a number of staff and pupil committees and added immense value to the school as a whole. Emma is leaving to take up an opportunity with a local NGO and we wish her all the best in her future pursuits. Although Emma will be greatly missed, she will always be part of the Springfield family firstly as a past pupil and now as a past staff member. Best wishes, Emma and thank you for all you have done for Springfield.
Finally, the Springfield Management and staff would like to extend our abundant blessings to all our muslim community who recently celebrated Eid. We trust that the day was special and joyous.
Geoff Quinn
Senior School Principal
Please note that as from this term, for safety reasons, the Shop @ Springfield will no longer be accepting cash payments. Payment options will now be EFT which can be done at the shop, Snapscan or with debit and credit cards.
Thank you for your understanding.
Slipper Day is a fun, annual fundraising event organised by Reach for A Dream. Schools and organisations are encouraged to wear their slippers and Slipper Day stickers on the day - all in support of seriously ill children who are in desperate need of hope and encouragement.
This year it will take place on Friday, 31 May!
Ordering Stickers:
Stickers can be ordered via the Google Form and are R20 each. Orders will close on Monday, 29 April.
Collecting stickers:
Sticker collection will be on Thursday, 30 May, during both breaks in the matric quad.
Slipper Day:
On Friday, 31 May, you may wear slippers to school if you wear your purchased sticker.
Friday 12 April was a crisp, sunny Cape Town day and ideal weather for our ‘Environmental Champions' themed Alternative Timetable Day.
During the day, our Grade 11 students went on an outing to the Taalmuseum in Paarl and our Grade 8 students took part in a Spiritual Retreat entitled ‘Let your light shine’. The remainder of the school stayed on campus and enjoyed various workshops and presentations around sustainability and our impact on this. The Grade 9 students started the day by volunteering their time and sewing talent to make sustainable 'sanitary pads'. They then enjoyed a workshop run by Plant the Seed which encouraged students to build the circular economy and contribute towards sustainability. The 10 students identified an additional 173 species in our Springfield gardens, after which they volunteered their time picking up litter as a service to both Wynberg Park and the greater environment. The Grade 12 students worked on their Life Orientation project before joining the Grade 9 and 10 students to listen to a presentation given by past pupil Cleo Marcopoulos and her colleague Georgina Bennett co-owners of Style Rotate on the fast fashion industry and responsible purchasing.
Education and awareness on days like these are vital if we want everyone to do their share for environmental care.
We are I am pleased to share with you the reports for March and for term 1 respectively with regards to waste diverted from landfill by our school this month.
Well done on another term of diverting waste from our local landfills. Springfield have been top performers in the least amount of general waste found in the recycling streams, so well done on this!
Term report - Springfield - 2024 Term 1 - PDF.pdfWaste report - Springfield - March 2024 - PDF.pdf
The Grade 11 Confirmation class spent Sunday-Tuesday at Schoenstatt center on retreat in preparation for their upcoming Confirmation. It was a time of learning, prayer, reflection, fellowship, growth, and enrichment. Please keep them all in your prayers as they continue their journey of discernment!
Well done to all the Springfield pupils, staff and parents who participated in the Two Oceans Marathon.
Teachers Bea Smidt and Faiza Daniels of Springfield Senior School are among those that made us really proud.
Half marathon
finish time: 2:15:38
" I was inspired to become a teacher after my work with coaching, I was inspired by the connection I had with the kids and the feeling of being able to help them and teach them something new. I am most passionate about teaching English to FET because I believe that English is one of the most important subjects that is taught because it has so many transferable skills."
Congratulations to the Grade 8 students who have been elected to the Student Representative Council for 2024. They are: Zoe Paton, Tamara Stabrey, Rebecca Flint and Lyra Hughes.
The Maths Olympiad took place on 14 March and 56 students took place. Congratulations to the following students who have gone through to the second round:
Grade 9
Leigh Ann Chung Kim Yuen
Grade 9
Chloé du Plessis
Grade 9
Sarah Labuschagne
Grade 9
Sinovuyo Nkayi
Grade 9
Kamsi Obiorah
Grade 9
Jessica Paverd
Grade 10
Iman Anthony
Grade 10
Tahlia Mortimer
Grade 10
Rhania Salie
Grade 11
Imaan Cader
Grade 11
Dominique Clayden
Grade 11
Erin Johnston
Grade 11
Nicola Mehl
Grade 11
Kira Oliver
Grade 11
Jessica Wenman
Grade 12
Ella Durrant
Grade 12
Seonghyun Heo
Grade 12
Anna Lumby
Grade 12
Sienna Marais
Grade 12
Ella Rennie
It seemed like a blur as we raced towards the end of the 1st term. Our winter sports program came in with a vengeance with various tournaments in the last couple of weeks.
We saw our budding U19B Hockey players play in the U19B Co-Ed festival from the 15th-17th March. This was the first time we have entered into this tournament and the team did amazingly well! Out of the four matches that we played, three matches saw one of our players walk away with the converted player of the match, a true testament of the talent of this team. They made us extremely proud and we cannot wait to see them in action this season!
Over the same weekend, we hosted our inaugural 1st Team Hockey Preseason Festival which included RGHS, WGHS, Bloemhof, and Paarl Gim. It was an amazing experience for our players and we are looking at expanding this festival in the future to include more schools and create an exciting buzz on Campus. Whilst our 1st team was in action, we hosted a Netball and Soccer Preseason Derby against Reddam House Constantia. During these matches, our players showcased their prowess and made the statement known that Springfield Sport is here and we are ready to tackle anyone that comes along!
Over the long weekend, whilst many of our families were enjoying the start of their holiday, our U16A hockey players took part in the U16A Bloemhof Fairtree tournament and our U14A hockey players played in the U14A DF Malan SALT Festival. Despite the blistering heat on Thursday (definitely one of the hottest days of the year!)Both teams excelled in their respective tournaments, bonding as a team and being led by our amazing coaching staff which was an amazing way to end off the 1st term! Thank you to the teachers who gave up their long weekends to manage these teams.
Our 1st Team Soccer took part in the Reddam Champions Cup over the same weekend. This was the first time we had entered into this tournament and we came in swinging! Our players dominated the field and made it to the final with ease. We met our hosts Reddam Constantia in the finals! The game ended with a draw, resulting in an intense penalty shoot-out… Meachelle (GK) made the only save of the shootout which resulted in a 5-4 win!
Our team walked away with the Trophy! What an achievement and we are incredibly proud of this team! The hard work and early morning training paid off! GO SPRINGFIELD!
Our Hockey, Netball, and Soccer (their first time!) travelled to St Stithians for the annual Easter Tournament over the Easter Weekend. All teams displayed their athletic prowess and Springfield stamped their mark and made sure everyone knew that we meant business! With our Soccer players winning 4 out of their matches, our hockey team playing against some of the top teams in the country (and holding our own!) and our Netball team playing a gruelling 10 matches over the same period and still walking away from the festival with wins and smiles! To our coaches, Mr Jacobs and Ms Jeffery, thank you for looking after the players!
Whilst on Tour, three of our Hockey players reached an amazing milestone of 50 caps! We congratulate Julia Christodoulou, Jenna Kalis, and Mackenzie Cathcart-Gates!
In the last week of the holidays, we hosted a touring side from England - Francis Holland - which was an exciting opportunity for our U14D, U15B, and U15C netball players and our U16B hockey players. The players had a great time playing, socialising, and experiencing what is often a rare occasion for our teams! To the parents, thank you for bringing the players out during your holiday!
Finally, we have reached the start of Term 2! Hopefully, we still have your attention because it has started with a bang!
Our cross-country runners took part in the race hosted by Groote Schuur. We had 6 runners take place and these were the results:
U14
3rd - Amy Gold
U14
6th - Scarlet Berning
U15
6th - Chloe du Plessis
U17
10th - Jessica Burrell
U17
16th - Sienna Lumb
U19
10th - Erin Heath
We hosted Westerford for our first Netball matches of the season, all teams played with tenacity, grit, and pride! We walked away with all teams (barring one) with phenomenal victories! What a way to start the season! Well done players and coaches! Preseason has paid off and we are heading in for a cracker of a season!
We congratulate Micah Mills who reached her 50 cap milestone for the 1st team! It is always a great honour and we are so proud of you.
Chloe du Plessis was awarded as Runner Up (2nd Place) in the 2023/24 Western Cape Equitation and Show Jumping Youth Series. These awards were sponsored by the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport. What an achievement!
At the end of the week, we hosted La Rochelle in our first derby of the season. All of our teams played extremely well and represented the school with pride. We walked away with 2 wins (1st and U14B), two draws (U16B and U19B) and two losses (U14A and U16A). A massive congratulations to our first team who walked away with a 6-1 victory and a special mention to Kate Opperman (Captain) who scored the first hat trick of the season! We love it when our leaders lead from the front!
It is going to be a busy term, so buckle in, it is going to be a bumpy ride, but we are looking forward to riding this wave with you!
Yours in Sport,
Cathy
If you are experiencing any issues with the Sportivo App, please contact the Support Link on WhatsApp using the following number: +27769229233
Graad 11 uitstappie na Taalmonument en Taalmuseum
Deur Catherine von Holdt
Die graad 11- leerders het op ‘n Afrikaans uitstappie Paarl toe gegaan. Hulle het die Paarl Museum, Taalmuseum en die Taalmonument besoek.
Die Paarl Museum is in ‘n stokou gebou van 1781 en was ook die eerste kerk in Paarl. Die mense by die museum het ‘n vreeslike interessante voorlegging gedoen en die leerders het baie oor die geskiedenis van Paarl geleer, byvoorbeeld dat die graniet in die bekende Paarlrots soms soos ‘n diamant en ‘n pêrell glinster. Daarom is die dorp Paarl genoem.
Die Taalmuseum is ook in ‘n stokou gebou geleё. Die museum fokus op die oorsprong van die Afrikaanse taal en die invloed wat ander tale op Afrikaans gehad het, byvoorbeeld blatjang wat van Arabies en boegoe wat van die Khoisan taal afkomstig is. Die museum fokus ook op hoe die mense wat oorspronklik in die gebou hul huis gehad het, die Afrikaanse taal op aktiewe wyse landswyd probeer versprei het. Een van die maniere was deur die druk van die eerste Afrikaanse koerant, Die Patriot, wat nog steeds die plaaslike koerant is.
Daarna het die leerders na die welbekende Taalmonument gegaan. Dit is ‘n asemrowende konstruksie, bestaande uit groot torings en vorme, gemaak uit sement om by die omringende natuur in te pas. Die monument is ‘n simbool ter viering van die verskillende tale wat tot die ontstaan van Afrikaans bygedra het.
Dit was werklik ‘n onvergeetlike uitstappie in die hart van een van Suid-Afrika se mees historiese dorpe!
