JUNIOR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

04 September 2019

Quote of the week

“She needed a hero so that’s what she became.

She believed she could so she did.”

~R. S. Grey

A message from Miss Dunn

Principal’s Message: 5 September 2019

“They will forever hold a special place in my heart” ~ Grade 11 pupil at Springfield

Two weeks ago, the Senior School announced their leaders for 2020 from the present Grade 11 group. After this announcement, Mr Richardson asked the girls who had been selected to show their gratitude to the people in their lives who had shaped them into the women they are today. Many of these girls had been in our Junior School. Subsequent to this announcement we have received a number of letters from these girls, sent to the staff in the Junior School. I would love to quote some of the affirming statements these girls made:

Without the guidance of this Junior School and all the staff that have helped me along the way, I would never have achieved what I have today.

Thank you for helping me grow and giving me so many opportunities to push myself to shine at this beautiful school.

I appreciate everything you have done for us girls.

I am thankful that I had the pleasure of growing up and learning in such a lovely and nurturing environment, with so many teachers I will never forget.

To all my teachers who have gotten me to this stage, a massive thank you. I give them all my gratitude and love.

They will forever hold a special place in my heart.

I cannot begin to tell you how moved we in the Junior School are by these letters from the Grade 11 girls. I was determined to share this with all our Junior School parents, as this is a reminder why you cho0se this special school for your daughters; you could not ask for more than having your daughter grow into a young woman such as these. Thank you for entrusting your precious daughters to our care.

******************

Standing in solidarity with women of South Africa

Many parents have asked how we in the Junior School are going to stand in solidarity with the women of South Africa during this time. After consultation with other girls’ junior schools in the Southern Suburbs, we have found an appropriate way to do this. On Tuesday next week we will have a “respect” day, during which each girl may wear a pink accessory (we will have plenty of pink ribbon available at the office for their hair if they need it), and candles will be lit in classrooms and prayers said. The focus for the week, introduced at Assembly on Monday, will be on mutual respect – of ourselves and others, especially others who are different from us, that we may engender a sense of belonging for all in our homes, our school, our communities and in our country.

************************

The Safety of our girls is of the utmost importance to us

Please know that the side entrance in our Junior Primary block (between Ms Davidse’s and Mrs Beckett’s classrooms), is only for use during school time when the girls are accompanied by a teacher to go out to break. For the rest of the day, especially when the girls are on their own or un-supervised, our Junior Primary girls are to use the front stairs, which are much safer as the pupils are in full view of us all the time. This will be explained further by the teachers to their girls today.

I need to reassure parents that their daughters are safe when they walk from the Junior School to their music lessons in the Music School. The girls know to walk along the pavement next to the Pre-School fence, and then cross the road at the security boom and walk down past the Chapel to the music school. They are in sight of the security guards at all times. I will ask the class teachers to remind the girls of this route, and I will re-iterate this at Assemblies next week as well.

Alison Dunn

Junior School Principal

Headmaster's Message

Where is the Lavender?

It was quite a surreal experience last week as I looked out of my office window and watched a group of girls sitting on benches under the trees. It was an early Spring day, fairly sunny with all the trees tinged in green. The girls had no idea that I was watching them as they talked animatedly among themselves, laughing as they told their tales with waving arms. Their exuberant chatter merged together as it drifted up to me watching at the window.

In these idyllic surroundings, they were safe, happy and engrossed in their stories – just as it should be.

What made these scenes even more poignant was the news I had just heard from Levana Primary School in Lavender Hill where I have spent the last three years mentoring the Principal.

The school and the community were grieving. One of their number, Nathlia Pienaar, a 6 year-old Grade R pupil, had been shot dead the day before while playing outside her flat. She had been found by her family still clutching her skipping rope. One report said that she had been found with 8 bullets in her.

I know Levana Primary School well. On the right hand side of the main school gate, the teaching staff have made a little garden of succulents and fynbos – a little haven of peace where only metres away, there is dust, litter, squalor and poverty. During the recent drought, the children were all asked to bring bottles of grey water to ensure that their garden would survive. For many, this was the only garden they knew.

I wonder whether Nathlia Pienaar had sat in that garden recently. I speculated whether she, in the manner of girls everywhere, had been laughing excitedly as she waved her arms about in her story telling. I mused to myself whether her excited chatter had drifted up to the flats across the road where the gangsters live.

I once asked Lucinda Evans, a Lavender Hill social worker, what motivated her to keep going in an area where gangs, drugs and poverty proliferate. Some years back, she was once awarded the Legion d’Honneur by the French Government for her sterling work in the community. ‘My aim is to put the lavender back into these hills,’ she said to me simply.

This story is truly a Tale of Two Cities. One, where innocence of girls is oblivious of hatred. The other, where innocence has been long lost.

From Dickens to Paton, Cry Thy Beloved Country.

Keith Richardson

Headmaster

Weekly Inspiration

“The human heart is exquisitely fragile. Our judgments need to be gentle, our understanding deep, and our forgiveness wide.” ~ Ron Rolheiser

Doing theology in an age of instability.pdf

Our Grade 3 Communicants will receive Holy Communion for the first time this coming Sunday at St Michael Catholic Church. We ask all our parents to please keep them in prayer

Office Information / Calendar events

WEEKLY INFO LETTER – 5 SEPTEMBER 2019

Happy Hampers Last chance to purchase your tickets from the Centenary Hall Foyer or the Junior and Senior school offices. Booklets cost R50 or R5 per ticket. The draw will take place on

Friday 6 September at 10am in the Centenary Hall.

WINTER SPORT Photographs are now on display outside the Secretaries’ Office. To order please quote the Photo Number on the order form and place payment in an envelope and hand in to the office by no later than Wednesday 2 October. Order forms can be collected from the office.

REMINDER: All Interhouse Cross Country and Athletics trophies to be handed in as soon as possible please.

************************

**DATES TO REMEMBER**

Friday 6 September: Grade 6’s arrive from Camp.

Friday 6 September: All extra mural school sport will end. All other/private extra murals will end on Friday 13 September.

Sunday 8 September: Grade 3 First Holy Communion Mass at St Michael’s in Rondebosch at 11:00.

Monday 9 September: FIRST COMMUNION GIRLS – Parade in their dresses for Assembly.

Monday 9 – Friday 13 September: Book Week starts. Dress up in book characters: SP girls on Monday 9^th and JP girls on Wednesday 11^th.

Tuesday 10 September: Pink Accessory for "RESPECT ALL".

Wednesday 11 September: Springfield Choral Festival starts at 18:30 in the Centenary Hall. All are invited.

Thursday 12 September: Guitar Concert takes place from 18:00 to 20:00 in the Music Annex.

Friday 13 September: Preschool Grandparents Concert starts at 8:30am for 09:00am in the Centenary Hall.

NB***Tuesday 17 September & Wednesday 18 September – Grade 1 – 3 Parent Teacher interviews (13:30 to 17:00) Early closing at 13:00 for junior Primary.

*************************

***Please check the D6+ under Resources, for Tuck Shop Letter and Pre Order Forms for Term 4 (2019)

*** Please encourage your daughter to check Lost property items in the Tuck Shop Foyer until the end of Term AND also check school uniform items to see if it indeed belongs to your child. We have had many requests for lost uniform items. All unclaimed lost property items will be donated to charity in term 4.

Friday 6 September: CASUAL DAY CIVVIES DAY R10 - for Grades 1,2,4,5 & 7

Tuesday 10 September: CASUAL DAY CIVVIES DAY R10 - for Grades 3 & 6.

All proceeds for casual day will be donated to St Josephs

Senior Primary

See important letter below from Mr Meehan...

Senior Primary Letter September 2019.pdf

GRADE 7 DADS AND DAUGHTERS QUIZ NIGHT

On Friday, 30 August, the first ever Grade 7 Dads and Daughters Quiz Night was held in the beautiful art department. About 60 dads and daughters gathered to test their general knowledge and bond as the final year of junior school comes racing to an end.

It was a special night with lots of laughs and happy memories made!

...thank you to the moms who assisted!

Lovely treats for the event!

Foundation Phase Weekly

GRADE 1 OUTING

...more pictures of the Grade 1 outing

Pre School News

The girls in Mrs Ruscoe's class enjoying 'Under the Sea' Dress Up Day last Friday.

Pre Reception Class learning about reptiles

Art

Our girls' proud moments

On Saturday, the 31^st August 2019, the Claddagh Highland Festival was held in the Centenary Hall at Springfield.

The following dancers from Springfield (The Springfield Highlanders!) competed in this event and achieved the following results :-

Kaila Sudding Gr 2 Competed for the very first time.

She entered 2 dances and won 2 silver medals.

Erin Johnston Gr 6 Competed in 8 dances and won 7 gold medals, 1 silver medal and 2 trophies for winning both of her sections.

Cara Johnston Gr 6 Competed in 4 dances and won 1 silver medal and 3 bronze medals also runner-up in her section.

Alexa Vervoort Gr 7 Competed in 7 dances and won 2 gold medals, 3 bronze medals and a 5^th placing also runner-up in her section.

Sophia McLeod & Emma Walker who are currently in the high school at Springfield also appear in this photo

They will be competing at the South African Highland Dancing Championships (except for Kaila) in Johannesburg on the 14^th September.

We wish them all the very best of luck.

Well done girls!

We are so proud of your fantastic results.

Starlight Studio’s Group of grades 3-6 Springfield dancers won their section at the Eisteddfod on Sat night.

Pictured here - Colleen Kitching (Modern Dance teacher) with the girls.

Book Week

New Workshop Letter for Schools

crusador FLYER hires 245.pdf

Music

Counsellor's Corner

Dear Parents

Tech Tip

It's a super simple, but handy tip this week:

Use Quotation Marks to Narrow Your Search

If you're searching for something in Google but getting bogged down with irrelevant results, consider wrapping your query in quotes. By doing so, Google will only show results that exactly match whatever you might have in quotes. It often makes it easier to find what you're looking for (by Mika Oberholzer 7B)

PTA

Golf Day

On Friday the 13th, use all your good luck on the golf course!

Book now. Limited number of times still available.

SPRINGFIELD CONVENT SCHOOL MAGAZINE

The 2019 Springfield magazine is currently underway and, once again, we are appealing to our parents for their generous sponsorship of this beautiful colourful magazine which is always a proud reflection of the school year and a special memento treasured by each girl.

👉 See Sponsorship letter and details ...