The message of Easter is one we carry in our hearts tonight.
It is the message of hope, of recovery and of rebirth.
We shall recover. We shall overcome.
May God bless South Africa and protect her people.
~President Cyril RamaphosaWhat do you miss the most?
Someone asked me that the other day… in the midst of this lockdown, what do you miss the most? I had an immediate answer – the children, of course! But as I thought about this, I realized there are more answers to that question. It needs some thought and introspection. So, I started asking that question of others with whom I communicated (all remotely, of course). The answers, largely, were the instant, gut reaction to the question: I miss my job… I miss my friends… I miss my routine… I miss the income I would be earning. And then someone gave me the answer that was in my heart, too: I miss my freedom.
On the surface, in our busy, frenetic lives, where routine is key and the clock our constant companion, what is freedom? We are locked into a busy schedule of meals, meetings, music lessons and matches, etc., etc., etc. And yet, when it’s taken away from us in this lockdown, we realise what a privilege it is – the freedom to visit a friend, the freedom to go on a play-date, the freedom to go for a run on the green belt, the freedom to sing in a choir or play in an orchestra, the freedom to take the dog for a walk, and the freedom to have Sunday lunch with grandparents and family. And suddenly, we’re aware of the millions of people in this world who never have the freedom that is our privilege.
Let’s do the only thing we can do, under these circumstances – embrace the lockdown. Our children have – this time we have to follow their example. Yes, at the end of the day we’ll have to work a little harder and it will take a little longer, but our resilient 21st Century children will help us through this.
May we gain courage from Athol Williams’ poem printed below.
Alison Dunn
Junior School Principal
Our President, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa, continues to inspire all South Africans with his calm and compassionate leadership. In his decision-making process he will have had to synthesize volumes of data and evaluate relevant scientific evidence; ultimately translating this into the very human and empathetic responses that we have all heard. A global crisis raises concerns relating to all aspects of our human existence. Knowing which aspect to prioritise, often at the expense of others, requires insight, discernment and courage. Our President is a man who understands consequence and is worthy of our admiration.
In return, he asks us to be good citizens. Citizenship isn’t merely about the passport that you carry. It is an attitude and a desire to leave things better than you found them. Citizenship provides certainty and a sense of belonging. Every successful community and every family have citizens; people who do the right thing because they can.
Our homes have become microcosms of work, play and general living. There are good days and those when everything feels difficult. Some are using work as an escape and others are struggling to establish and maintain routines for working from home. We find ourselves in a holding pattern of sorts wondering how best to proceed. We want to do the right things - what are they and how do we do it?
Girls, I know that you are missing your friends and your freedom. Your social grief is tangible, but the right thing for you to do right now is to be disciplined and to complete the work that has been set by the teachers. In addition, please read and read extensively. It will lift your spirits and allow the time to pass in a productive manner. Once a return date has been set, the teachers and I will map a way forward to ensure the successful completion of the academic year.
Parents, your daughters are looking to you to model good habits and practices. It might appear that they are not always paying attention, but they observe and absorb all that you say and do. In addition, make time to laugh together, hug them a little harder and perhaps establish some new family traditions.
The way the girls are being schooled at present looks quite different from what has gone before. Responsibilities have shifted and pupils are having to account, differently, for their learning. Teaching is a social encounter and both teacher and pupil is adapting to a new way of relating with each other. Our girls have been thrust into a time when lessons learned extend way beyond the formal curriculum. They are learning self-restraint while building their ability to empathise. They are exposed to news reports, statistics and opinion pieces from all parts of the world. I hope that, after being interrogated for their reliability, these readings are contributing to a greater worldview.
I can't wait to hear the girls' reflections at the end of this period. What worked and what didn't? What did they like? What did they read? Will this crisis launch us into new ways of thinking and acting? How will education be forced to adapt and evolve?
These are interesting times.
Penny Mullan
Head of School
Dear Parents/Guardians and Pupils
Christ is Risen, Alleluia!
Our Christian faith fills us with hope in the resurrection. Trust those families who celebrated Easter, enjoyed the day despite the very different circumstances.
Holiness comes wrapped in the ordinary. There are burning bushes all around you. Every tree is full of angels. Hidden beauty is waiting in every crumb.
~ from A Tree Full of Angels, Macrina Wiederkehr, O.S.B
Macrina certainly encapsulates the very essence of what we see around us whether in our homes, our neighbourhoods, our cities, our world at large. People are stepping out and creating sacred spaces of hope and love - the news channels, social media, our day to day experiences reflect that on so many levels people are kinder and more compassionate.
Irrespective of our current circumstances we've been given a chance to
recalibrate our purpose and reflect on the real and necessary.
Pope Francis shared a beautiful message this past weekend which I'd love to share with you:
Lockdown in Senior Primary has certainly unleashed a renewed yearning for learning amongst the girls. They have eagerly embraced the challenge of navigating their school work in Google Classroom. The Choice Boards have allowed them the freedom to drive their own learning, by selecting from a variety of electronic and non-electronic activities to do each day. Communication between teacher and pupil is extremely active within subject folders in Google Classroom, as well as in Chat Rooms and Google Meets. Everyone, from pupils to teachers have grown exponentially in the field of technology! It is amazing at what one can achieve when pushed out of one's comfort zone.
"A picture is worth a thousand words" is an English language adage meaning that complex and sometimes multiple ideas can be conveyed by a single still image, which conveys its meaning or essence more effectively than a mere verbal description. (Wiki)
Therefore...the happy faces in each picture tells a story of what has been happening on the home front. Birthday Parties, exercise routines, baking, creating, dress up, music lessons, sibling fun, Zoom socials, family fun and school work.
Each week is like dancing on a shifting carpet, as the pandemic we face in our country evolves. However, we are proud of how the girls are coping with their new normal this term.
We look forward to being back in the classroom soon, where social distancing will be a distant memory.
Karen Smith
Head Senior Primary
Jess Gardiner working on an Adornment Artwork
Mrs Viljoen missing her little bunnies...
Congratulations to Joanne and Wayne Bennett on the birth of their son Callum on Wednesday 18 March. A baby brother for Carley in Pre Reception (V)
Dear Parents
I’m so grateful to be a parent of a primary school child during this time.
Don’t get me wrong - I’m not absolutely loving homeschooling. Nor am I enjoying endlessly scratching my head to find something fun to do with my 10 year old to lure him away from his device. My children are desperate for their friends, they long for stimulation outside of our driveway gate and for some real exercise other than running around the garden or doing “PE with Joe”. They are bored of each other, and of their parents.
But I think my reality helps me to relate to all the other primary school parents out there.
I sense that many of us are feeling uneasy, disconnected and unsatisfied.
School is normally such a connecting place, and at the moment we are so disconnected. Yes, our kids might be on google classroom and we are talking and emailing and google chatting and goggle meeting but we aren’t REALLY connected. Personally, I’m longing for a full day of interaction (with lots of hugs from your girls!), for the feeling of being really productive and busy and involved. Instead, I feel a bit all over the place. I’m trying to homeschool the kids, work, clean the house, stay connected with my loved ones, exercise, keep on top of what’s going on at SFC, not get too irritated with all the Whatsapp groups and funny videos flying around, keep up with the news, worry about the world……..I’m sure I'm not alone.
A helpful and healing way to be during this time is to try to focus and to stay present in our tasks and projects. I’m including a helpful link from Alex Howard, a London based psychologist who speaks about it far more eloquently than I'll ever be able to. It’s 14 mins long but really worth it - I hope you’ll find it as useful as I did? https://youtu.be/uQRjjxTPPMY
Please know that I’m available to you and your girls during this time. Should you or they need to talk, please email me at gcloete@gmail.com and we can figure out how to connect.
With love and strength to you all
Gabby Cloete
Junior School Counsellor
Online safety is a priority! As our online activity has increased exponentially over the past few weeks. we need to be even more safety conscious. Regular/Random changing of your password, checking the activity on your email account and signing out of all gmail accounts are worth the time (5 minutes) and effort.
Follow these instructions:
5. Then Click on Signout of all Gmail web sessions:
6. Then Click on Change your password:
7. Then follow the prompts to create your new password(an alphanumeric, non-English password is advisable)
Some of us might need to make a note of our new password(I definitely do). My mental notes tend to get lost.
All the best and stay safe, happy and be patient during the lockdown.
Kindest regards,
Merrill Velensky
IT Teacher
The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.”
~ Johann Sebastian BachWell done to all our Springfield community who participated in the "NO TWO OCEANS MARATHON" challenge on Saturday 11th April 2020. It was good to see some friendly competition! Here are pictures of some of our wonderful Springfield families in action.
If you would like another alternative to the exercises sent out by the school, the below are good alternatives.
PowerEd on Facebook, https://facebook.com/PowerEd.Kids/ If you would like to ask them questions or give them feedback, their email address is info@poweredkids.com
Another alternative on Facebook is Johno’s Efitness Faculty – https://facebook.com/groups/jefftogether/ (Discovery Vitality). There are fitness sessions every morning at 8am and again at 3pm for 30 minutes.
If you or your parents have any questions, please contact Ms Hardiman on jnrsport@springfieldconvent.co.za
Currently there are no sport fixtures for term 2 available, as soon as we receive any information you will be notified.
**We will update and notify as we receive further information.
2020 Term Dates
Term 1: (13 Jan Staff) 15 January – 13 MarchTerm 2: 14 April – *to be confirmed. Term 3: *to be confirmed – 18 SeptemberTerm 4: 29 September – 2 December ( 4 December Staff )