Headmasters Message

Trauma Informed Schools

For the past three years, I have been mentoring and coaching principals largely, but not exclusively, in township schools and on the Cape Flats. During this time, I have seen the best and worst of South African education.

Some schools are succeeding because of the energy and drive of their principals who insist that their teachers must never forget the reason why they joined the profession in the first place. Schools which endeavour to unlock the talent of pupils and refuse to accept low standards are beacons of hope in their communities.

Yet I have worked in schools where no teaching takes place. Where teachers merely write on the board and instruct (usually in vain) their pupils to copy down what has been written as this is the only way they are able to keep up the semblance of a quiet classroom. I was once in a primary school foyer when a seventeen year old girl came to collect her five year child who was sick. In another, a nine year old boy was found with packets of drugs strapped round his waist as their father was tipped off about a police drug raid that day at his house. With gang shootings rife in recent weeks, a Grade 5 boy at one school last term decided to bring a loaded gun to school ‘to protect himself’.

‘Why must these children be academically prepared?’ said one teacher to me a year or two back. “Few of them will reach matric, even fewer will ever find jobs and if they do, it will only be as packers in Fruit and Veg City.’

In amongst all this negativity, we now have mayhem caused by the ongoing gang warfare. Our schools are now being referred to as ‘Trauma Informed’. Teachers are expected to cope with far more than the three R’s. Now they have to be experts in recognising, understanding and responding to trauma as well as assisting distressed pupils with how to cope.

Matric and systemic results are way down the list after ‘learning to survive and ‘how to keep safe’. Teachers are dealing with pupils for whom life has dealt a very harsh hand and even the positive teachers are being worn down.

Now more than ever, we need good leadership in schools. I was hugely impressed with the response of a principal in one of our schools who has had 45 murders so far this year in the vicinity of his school. He just refuses to give up on his children. Knowing the importance of keeping his teachers sanguine and upbeat, he sent this missive out to his teachers at the start of term on Tuesday:

As you get ready to return back to work, take a moment to think about the children who will soon be in your care again.

Not all of them have been in an encouraging environment over the past few days. Some children are counting down the hours till they see you again.

Some children can’t wait to see your smile and hear your words of encouragement.

They will have missed the security and sense of belonging which you and our setting offer.

So as you start to feel apprehensive about your return… remember: You Make a Difference.

As the army comes into our streets to restore law and order, we have to give thought to those for whom this way of life is daily reality - including some Springfield pupils and our support staff. For some of them every day demands a commitment to overcome incredible odds - just to attend school. Plato once remarked that ‘education should take place amongst beauty’. I suspect that he was referring to a love of learning as well as physical beauty, but there is no beauty on the streets surrounding many of our schools at the moment.

We at Springfield cannot be indifferent to all this. We owe it to our children to ensure that South Africa offers a quality education for all. It is of little value to the future of this country if we can continue with this great divide.

I read out to the Springfield staff the message above from a principal to his staff. I was then requested to explain to our pupils over the intercom what is happening to their peers not far from where we have the privilege of continuing education ‘amongst beauty’. I did so, asking the girls to pause for reflection which would in turn help them become more aware, more understanding. Our society needs of this type of reflection. The opposite of reflection is indifference.

Another worthwhile topic of conversation for parents round the dinner table.

Keith Richardson

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Weekly Inspiration

Lord, we present our country South Africa before you. We exalt and bless your name for all the blessings, the graces, and love that you have given to us as a nation.

Our country is now weighed down by various social, political and economic problems. We ask you to join us in our boat to calm the storms in our nation.

May your grace challenge our nation and its leadership to repent and turn away from the sin of greed and corruption, which is a result of the worship of money (Matthew 6:24).

Protect all those who are speaking out against greed, patronage, and corruption.

Renew our nation and its leadership by the light of the Gospel.

Bless us with the values and the graces of your kingdom. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

#Wepray4SouthAfrica campaign prayer 2017 by the SACBC Justice & Peace Commission

Micah 6:8

“This is what Yahweh asks of you, only this: to act justly, to love tenderly, and to walk humbly with your God.”

We give thanks:

This day we give thanks for the life of Nelson Mandela.

He led a nation on a long walk to freedom.

He fought for reconciliation and not retribution.

He argued for peace in place of war.

Lord, we give you thanks for Madiba.

When other surrendered to darkness he kept faith with the promise of tomorrow.

He envisioned a path to “heal the wounds of the past... “

...with the intent of constructing a new order based on justice for all.”

His work inspired the world.

Lord, we give you thanks for Madiba.

In his time, the powers and the principalities reviled Jesus.

The leaders of great nations in our time called Mandela a terrorist and a communist.

Powerful interests stood up for white supremacy during the Apartheid era.

Mandela stood up for the least of these.

Lord, we give you thanks for Madiba.

Death is not the final victory.

Nothing can silence the voice of Nelson Mandela - not Robben Island, not death.

His words are eternal.

His voice will echo throughout time.

Lord, we give you thanks for Madiba.

Let us have an ounce of his courage.

Let us have an ounce of his faith.

Comfort those in South Africa and across the world who mourn.

Let the work of Nelson Mandela continue in us.

Lord, we give you thanks for Madiba. Amen.

We pray:

· That our nation learns to accept that all of us, irrespective of race, ethnicity, gender and nationality, are children of the same parent (Mt 6:9) - Lord hear us…

· That the new government in power reconnects us to God’s kingdom and its values (Mt 6:10) - Lord hear us…

· That God gives us the courage to reject leaders who will lead us away from God’s will (Mt 6:10) – Lord hear us…

· That we open our hearts to ask for forgiveness for our failings as a nation (Mt 6:12) – Lord hear us…

· That pervasive corruption will give way to the rule of God’s righteousness (Is 9.7) – Lord hear us…

· That our leaders govern with the fear of the Lord and God grants them wisdom (Sam 23:3) – Lord hear us…

· That our nation enjoys prosperity and our leaders ensure that this prosperity benefits the common good and not just a few elite (Jer 29:11) – Lord hear us…

· That God gives us the courage to reject leaders who enrich themselves at the expense of the poor (Deut 17:16) – Lord hear us…

· That God gives us the courage to elect leaders who govern with values, convictions, wisdom and understanding (Deut 1:13) – Lord hear us…

· That our country experiences an end to political violence and political assassinations (Is 60:18) – Lord hear us…

The SACBC J&P commission, together with the SACC and other faith communities, has called for prayer for the healing of South Africa, asking God to intervene in the current political and economic situation.

Prayer for South Africa

Lord we present our country South Africa before you.

We exalt and bless your name for all the blessings, the graces, and love that you have given to us as a nation.

Our country is now weighed down by many social, political and economic problems.

We pray for a spirit of conversion in our nation and its leadership;

that all hearts may turn away from greed and corruption and work for justice and peace.

Protect all those who are speaking out against greed, patronage, and corruption;

give them the wisdom and courage to be the voice of the marginalised.

Renew our nation and its leadership by the light of the Gospel.

Help us to live out the values of your kingdom.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

God bless Africa. Guard her children, guide her leadership and give her peace.

Confirmation

Please join us in celebrating Confirmation Prayer Service next Tuesday at 6:45pm

Transformation Update

The art of conversation…

As we, the Springfield community, seek to create a place of belonging for all, we have spent a large portion of the past week and a half talking - facilitating conversations between members of our community so that we can seek to understand each other better.

On Monday the 8th of July, the entire staff met in the Centenary Hall for an address by the Rev. Alan Storey. Alan is an ordained Methodist minister and he specializes in facilitating Diversity Engagement encounters. His talk, entitled White Privilege, highlighted the entrenched dynamics of power, privilege and prejudice in our country. He focused on recognising and healing the divisions which were thrust upon us by our history. His address was followed by a break into smaller groups. Each group comprised of members from all areas of our staff - administrative, ground staff, junior and senior school - and was facilitated by a trained professional. These provided the opportunity for us to share our thoughts and, perhaps more importantly, to hear those of our colleagues. The conversations were heartfelt and real, providing us with a springboard of information and ideas which can be further delved into in the weeks to come.

On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (9th to 11th July) opportunities were offered for parents to engage in conversation. Eleven think tanks were offered across the three days and we are grateful to the parents, from all areas of the school, who were able to spend an hour chatting to us and each other. Many valuable insights and ideas were gained here and the minutes collated from both these and the staff think tanks will be used to guide our future actions.

This past week’s engagement has focused primarily on staff and parents, but there are opportunities planned for pupils from all areas of the school to get involved too. We will keep you updated with weekly newsletter snippets.

Lastly, each Springfield family will receive a ‘conversation starter’ jar today. Each jar contains 40 questions and we encourage each family to spend time together discussing their answers. You may find this easiest to do at dinner time, maybe in the car on the way to school - whatever works for you as a family. We hope that you find these valuable and worthwhile, because deep conversations with the right people are priceless...

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Academic News

The intervention processes for pupils who are struggling academically continues this week. Please support your daughter’s teachers at home by reinforcing the ideas they share with you and your teachers to help her improve over this coming term. Grade 11 parents should keep an eye out for a letter specifically dealing with Mathematics in that grade.

Parents are reminded of the 1-1 coaching programme offered by Elevate Education, which helps to put in place some of the habits that enable pupils to establish a growth mindset and master the underlying skills of studying for academic success. This process begins with an expert coach conducting a free 60-minute audit of your daughter’s study processes. This information is put in a report that will detail the pupil’s exact strengths and weaknesses and identifies the opportunities for fast improvement. Please visit the parent portal of the Elevate Education website for all of the details or email info.za@elevateeducation.com for further information.

Elevate Education Conference

On Friday 7 June, Pippa Visser and Kerry Ryan from the senior school, as well as Gillian Stubbs and Stephen Meehan from the junior school, attended an Elevate Education Conference at Kelvin Grove. Springfield is familiar with this company as we have used them for developing study skills in both the senior and junior schools.

The focus of the conference was on why top students achieve top results. Interestingly, it was stressed that IQ is not the main indicator of success, but rather that top achievers commonly show grit, resilience and optimism. Self-efficacy, motivation as an internal force and a focus on skill development are vital. The importance of a growth mindset was stressed.

Elevate Education encourages the development of skills and the mastering of them, rather than the short term goal of marks. Critical thinking and problem-solving need to be developed. This is what will enable our students to succeed in the 21st Century. Failure needs to be normalised as students need to learn how to be rejected. The conference was extremely worthwhile.

Grade 10 Time Management Workshop

The Grade 10s completed a time management workshop last Tuesday, learning how to put together a schedule that works for them and asks them to consider how to prioritise and balance their life at school. Elevate Education has provided a student implementation guide containing follow-up exercises and activities, as well as tips for putting the skills they covered in the session into practice. Pupils that use these resources see a significant increase in skill retention, and they form an integral part of the programme. Pupils are also welcome to use the student website, which has further resources. The password has been shared with them should they wish to use this resource.

UCT Mathematics Competition

Sua Sung in Grade 8 has been invited to take part in the prestigious Mathematics Circle at UCT based on her performance in the UCT Mathematics competition and the UCT Mathematics Challenge. The Mathematics Circle is aimed at promising pupils who show a strong interest in mathematics. The programme explores topics not in the school curriculum and the pace, pressure and level of the meetings are rather more than the average school maths lesson. We hope that she enjoys this experience and expands her mathematical knowledge and interest.

Leadership Conference

At the end of last term, I attended a leadership conference at Fish Hoek High School which was open to Grade 11 and 12 learners from schools all over Cape Town. The course as a whole was an enlightening experience as, due to the open discussions between the various students, we were all exposed to the many different issues that schools face. Every school was treated with the same respect and dignity by the team running the course and by their fellow students. A highlight of mine was the moving speech from one head boy about their school’s plans to combat the issue of gang violence in their area. He spoke of how he and his leadership team had worked to change the way that students perceive their education and other ways they had changed the way that students were treated in their school in order to ultimately reach the goal of gangsters being completely removed from the education of their students. His passion and resilience inspired me. All the people that I met were strong individuals, all with their own ideals and yet they all had a similar goal: to move their school into a position where it was accurately prepared for the struggles that future students would have to face. We acknowledged that issues such as racism, sexism and gang violence could not be changed overnight and yet every student that I met was ready to face the challenges that this entailed. I am incredibly grateful for this experience.

by Mikaela Hughes (Grade 11)

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Cultural News

Springfield Choir Tour 2020

We are planning an Easter Tour to Europe and still have space available for any students interested in joining us from the 29th of March to the 15th of April 2020. You do not have to be a regular member of the choir to join us. For more information and the full itinerary and cost, please email vcalthorpe@springfieldconvent.co.za

Toastmasters

Toastmasters will take place in the Study Hall from 5:30 till 7pm on Thursday. If you are not able to be there, you need to let Mrs Ryan know by email kryan@springfieldconvent.co.za

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Sports News

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Springfield is Proud of

• U19 Club Doubles (2X)
  • 1st - Jennifer Van Niekerk & Emma Dore
  • 2nd - Dana Prodehl
  • 3rd - Tahlia Rossouw
• U19 School Pairs (2-)
  • 9th Cait McCann & Tahlia Rossouw– in this field they competed against the leading SA girls rowing schools and Springfield was 9^th in the country out of a field of 16 and the time achieved in the heats was a record for the club
• U19 Club Pairs (2-)
  • 1st Cait McCann
• U19 Club Coxed Quad (4X+)
  • 1st - Cait McCann & Jennifer Van Niekerk
  • 2nd - Dana Prodehl, Tahlia Rousouw & Emma Dore
• U19 Eights (8+)
  • Cait McCann , Tahlia Rousouw, Dana Prodehl & Jennifer Van Niekerk

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Father Daughter Comedy Dinner

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Reminder: Check the Senior School Calendar below and remain updated using the D6+ APP