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.

Dear Springfielders,

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

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

...and our Junior Primary girls looking very busy but missing their teachers.

What have the Pre School girls been up to during lockdown?

💻Pearl of tech wisdom for the week: #29

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.

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

Well 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.

Exercise during lockdown

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