JUNIOR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

26 February 2020

Quote of the week

“The more you lose yourself in something bigger than yourself,

the more energy you will have.”

~Norman Vincent Peale

A message from Miss Dunn

Principal’s Message 26 February 2020

Be part of something bigger

“Scientific research shows that having a connection to something bigger than ourselves, a religious belief or spiritual side to our lives, makes us happier and healthier.” (Anon.)

Over the past two Mondays, at Assembly, I have spoken to the girls about events that have happened in which the girls have participated, that have made them realise that Springfield is part of something much bigger – the family of Catholic schools in Cape Town. Two weeks ago, our Grade Six girls went to Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church in Lansdowne, and, together with Grade Six pupils from many other Catholic schools, participated in the Holy Childhood Mass, celebrated by Bishop Sylvester David. And last Thursday, a team of our athletes spent the afternoon at Green Point track, competing in the Inter-Catholic Athletics. This was especially enlightening for the girls, as there were teams from twenty-six other Catholic schools in Cape Town, including our schools for deaf children, as well as a combined team representing the five South Cape Catholic schools.

Events such as these have a lasting impact on our girls. I watched them having such fun in that enormous arena at Green Point, where there were close to two thousand children participating, and another thousand spectators, all joined together under the umbrella of Catholic Schools, enjoying a spectacular afternoon together. Indeed, an event our girls will never forget.

Truly faith and sport collided! A true reflection of a great network of which we are a small yet significant part.

Alison Dunn

Junior School Principal

Headmaster's Message

Coping with Failure: A Parents’ Guide to Sport

A few years back I was asked to write an article on school sport for The Argus. This is a synopsis of it – adapted for the start of the winter sports season at Springfield.

Of all Mankind’s great inventions (with the arguable exception of the cell phone!), few have succeeded in capturing the imagination more than music and sport. Both have a powerful fascination in that they have the power to inspire, to enthuse, to entertain.

Regrettably at schools, we sometimes find ourselves sidelining the notion that sport is primarily a learning experience. The camaraderie and fellowship of teamwork, the sense of belonging to something greater than ourselves, the feeling of triumphing over adversity, the resilience in fighting back, the commitment needed to ensure competence are overlooked in our desire for wanting our children to succeed.

Somehow through all this, we forget that in the hierarchy of values of a school, sportsmanship must be ranked only marginally below that of ethos and scholarship. Adults, including coaches, parents and referees, should be unified in ensuring the time-honoured ethics of sport are maintained on our school sports fields – that we teach our children to handle selection (or non-selection), to play hard, but fairly; to accept defeat and smile when shaking the hand of an opponent; to be competitive but at the same time co-operative because, without your opponent, there is no game.

Whatever the level of the team, we want our girls to learn the lessons of sport – because they are lessons in life. In the end, these lessons will develop confidence and self-esteem and she will learn, as a young sportswoman, that bitterness and sweetness are opposite sides of the same coin.

As they advance through high school, our young Springfield sportswomen soon realize that their natural talent which carried them through Junior School is no longer enough. As the competition becomes keener, those players start coming to the fore who were lucky enough to learn the lesson early in their school lives that only commitment to hard work and the ability to fight back from disappointments are the foundations for a successful sporting life.

The role of parents in the development of any sportswoman is vital. In my teaching career, I have seldom come across a truly successful school sportsperson who was not well parented. Parental support, as opposed to parental pressure, invariably determines whether a young player will learn the proper lessons.

With this in mind, I give the following advice to parents of girls playing sport:

Support your daughter by attending the matches, whatever side she is in.
Always be there for her, especially in the ‘down’ times.
Praise effort and commitment – much more than results.
Never criticize the Coach as it will confuse the players. It not only divides loyalty but offers an excuse for underperforming.
Never over-emphasize winning as it will only lead to a fear of failure.
Be a true sporting spectator. Let the referee handle the game and the coach do the coaching. Your job is supporting.
Trust the school and its sports staff. Just like you, they want what is best for the girls.
Keep Whats App to its true purpose – as a tool for communicating facts rather than opinions.

In wanting what is best for their daughters, parents hate seeing them disappointed. When every adult understands that the real reason for playing sport is to nurture our youngsters to play their games in the true spirit, ethics and ethos of sport, then it becomes a wonderful bridge for bringing the generations together. If learning to cope with setbacks and failures does not happen early in life, then a collision with reality will inevitably happen sometime in the future, where there will be no safety net of the school to bring them to earth gently.

Some years ago in America, the authorities imposed a noise ban on parents and coaches in the Northern Ohio Girls Soccer League. Spectators were instructed to keep their cheers and criticism to themselves and not to make any sound.

Some parents waved signs; others put duct tape over their mouths to stay quiet. Goals and saves were met by smiles and nods of approval from parents and coaches. This was an effort to put the sport back into perspective that it is not for the glory of the school, not for the ego of the coaches, not for the ambition of the parents but school sport is played solely for the benefit of the players.

There is no doubt that sport can play a pivotal role in education and it is our job as parents and teachers to use it to assist our children to cope with the pressures of today’s highly competitive world.

As we prepare for our winter season ahead, I hope that our girls have a coach like mine at school who once said to me: “The next sixty minutes which you are about to play will never be repeated. Enjoy every minute.’

Keith Richardson

Headmaster

Important Reminders:

Tomorrow Thursday is the last day where books can come in for the Fair’s bookstall. Please can every family try to donate a packet of second hand books.
Reminder of parental conversation with Sister Kathy regarding the new Springfield constitution in the Study Hall at 18.00 tomorrow Thursday. If there are too many parents, we will move to the Centenary Hall.

Weekly Inspiration

Lenten reflection

FOR A NEW BEGINNING

In out-of-the-way places of the heart,

Where your thoughts never think to wander,

This beginning has been quietly forming,

Waiting until you were ready to emerge.

For a long time it has watched your desire,

Feeling the emptiness growing inside you,

Noticing how you willed yourself on,

Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.

It watched you play with the seduction of safety

And the gray promises that sameness whispered,

Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent,

Wondered would you always live like this.

Then the delight, when your courage kindled,

And out you stepped onto new ground,

Your eyes young again with energy and dream,

A path of plenitude opening before you.

Though your destination is not yet clear

You can trust the promise of this opening;

Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning

That is at one with your life's desire.

Awaken your spirit to adventure;

Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;

Soon you will be home in a new rhythm,

For your soul senses the world that awaits you.

JOHN O'DONOHUE

From his books 'To Bless the Space Between Us' (US) / Benedictus (Europe)Ordering Info: https://johnodonohue.com/storeSunset at the Cliffs of MoherCo. Clare / Ireland - February 2020Photo: © Ann Cahill

Marlene Silbert Interfaith Initiative

On Sunday 23 Feb 2020, four of our Grade 10 pupils and their parents were initiated into to program at a special function at the Holocaust Museum in Cape Town. They are Chelsey De Klerk, Mariam Dhansay, Olivia Fuller and Yonela Ntammani. We wish them a very meaningful year.

We also have two of our Grade 11 pupils continuing their Interfaith connection in the form of a weekly tutoring program facilitated by the Amy Foundation. They are Erin Maritz and Zoe Davids.

On Friday 21 Feb 2020, Springfield Senior School hosted seven other Catholic Schools to celebrate the Diocesan Matric Mass in our beautiful gardens, poignantly called our open air cathedral by Mr Richardson. Fr Peter John was the main celebrant and shared a powerful message of hope and building tenacity of spirit. Inspiring our matriculants to think and believe in the scope of their potential without limiting themselves due to their respective circumstances, irrespective of what they may be.

Fr Manuel, Fr Jackson and Fr John concelebrated, accompanied by Deacon Sampson.

The Mass held in the gardens, provided a tranquil setting of peace and unity amongst our students. Each school provided donations ranging from non perishable items to stationery, requested by our Community Engagement portfolio. Various local and school supported organisations will benefit from the generous variety of goods donated. Staff and pupils were truly in awe of our magnificent surroundings and have unanimously requested that Springfield host future matric masses in our gardens. The Eucharistic celebration was followed by a delicious variety of sweet and savoury treats for everyone. Our class of 2020 proved to be outstanding hosts. Our music department supported the liturgy in the most meaningful way. Deep gratitude for the network of support and assistance.

Gillian Stubbs

Head of RE

Office Information / Calendar events

WEEKLY INFO LETTER 26 February 2020

**DATES TO REMEMBER**

Friday 28 February - The Springfield Summer Carnival.

Tuesday 3 March to Friday 6 March – Grade 7 Camp

A reminder that our Springfield 149^th Birthday Mass will take place on Monday 9^th March at 09:00 in the Convent Gardens. All welcome.

Springfield Convent

Senior Primary

Conundrum Club Activities

This particular activity is inline with our 'Thinking Schools' approach. Some Grade 7 Conundrum Club girls were given the task of using information they have learnt this term about The Titanic and had various choices of task.... one of which was to write a song or rap to advertise The Titanic.

Junior Primary

Shrove Tuesday in Junior Primary

See the link below to the OxFord Reading site: www.oxfordreadingbuddy.com/af

These screens will open, then fill-in the Oxford Reading login details assigned to your child.

Getting ready for the pancake race.

Grade 1 girls crazy socks display

Pre-Primary News

'Crazy Socks' day in the Pre School

Pre School enjoying the "Pet" theme lesson this week.

Pet Theme Week - Some visitors came to Mrs Ruscoe's Pre Reception class

Shrove Tuesday in Pre Reception

Ash Wednesday in the Pre School.

The Nursery girls learnt about LIGHTHOUSES this past week.

acting out a lighthouse-drama (being scary rocks, and tall, flashing lighthouses)
making 3D models of lighthouses
enjoying lighthouse stories
creating & enjoying edible lighthouses ( using cheese, bread, raisins, crisps and red apples)

Our girls' proud moments

Grade 1 Celebrating Thinking Day on Friday

Art

MADDD evening on the 6th March. Although the Junior School is not performing in the evening this year, they are welcome to come along and watch.

Suitable content for the younger grades will be staged from 6.00-7.30, with 7.30 the "watershed" for more adult content.

Counsellor's Corner

Each term, our Grade 7 Peer Support (PS) girls do a small presentation in assembly where they address a social behavior that needs thought and consideration.

On Monday, the PS girls spoke to the Junior School about social exclusion - a common behavior in girls, where they leave other girls out intentionally as a subtle and indirect form of bullying.

Please read more at https://www.verywellfamily.com/social-exclusion-and-girls-3288490 and find ways to talk to your daughter(s) about this.

We all know how hurtful it is to be affected by social exclusion and we need to keep on reminding our girls to be conscious of this in their daily thoughts and actions. Perhaps a Lenten observance?

With warm regards

Gabby

Tech tip

💻Tech Tip # 25

Tech pearl of wisdom for the week:

Inbox Zero refers to the act of clearing your inbox completely...a task avoided by many, but liberating once it is done. It's a "spring-cleaning" for your email. Click on the link below to regain control of your email inbox.

https://www.online-tech-tips.com/computer-tips/the-fastest-easiest-ways-to-get-to-inbox-zero/

Dear Parents

Our Grade 4 - 7 students will be using code.org to continue to grow ans develop their coding skills. The link below is the Code.org Letter to Parents re: use. access, safety and privacy.

1. code.org

https://code.org/privacy/student-privacy

2. Minecraft login details and advert for new app:

Minecraft Education Edition is another proogram that we use at school for educational purposes, including text-based coding. Minecraft EE is available to all our students at school and beyond.

Their login details are:

Email: school email address (eg. jsoap@mysfc.co.za)

Password: student's secret login password

NEW PRODUCT!!

Minecraft Edu Pack contains a comprehensive library of educationally orientated Minecraft worlds and resources for Education Edition and Windows 10 Edition covering Math, Science, Language, History and Chemistry. Why not learn while having fun playing Minecraft?

The Minecraft Edu Pack App can be purchased directly from the Microsoft Store.

Purchase today for only R85 once-off and save 37%!

https://www.microsoft.com/en-za/p/minecraft-edu-pack/9p82zm4vh86g?activetab=pivot:overviewtab

Kind regards,

Merrill Velensky

PTA

Prize info for newsletter.pdf

Prize info flyer for newsletter2 (002).pdf

Music

SPORTS

RESULTS

Inter Catholics Schools Athletics took place at Greenpoint Stadium on Friday 20 February. 30 Schools participated. Below results of our girls performances. Well done!!

INTER CATHOLIC ATHLETICS – 2020 RESULTS

3^RD PLACE:

Elena Comninos - Gr 2

Alex Smith - Gr 5

Carolyn Lord - G5

2^ND PLACE:

Emma Webber - G4

Maddie Bales - G4

Georgina Carr - G4

Khanya Moore G7

1^ST PLACE: Matilda Roberts - Gr 2

Juliette Burford - G4