Junior School

Dear Parents,

On Saturday 6 June, we would have celebrated our annual Dads and Daughters’ morning at school. Usually this very special day is filled with unusually deep voices and lots of laughter as large daddies sit precariously on child-sized chairs and bump their heads on low hanging artwork in a pink and mauve environment created for little girls, which suddenly seems far too small. The playground is full of squealing girls being pushed at great speed around the cycle track on wagons or pushed higher than normal on the swings. The woodwork creations, clay sculptures and box constructions take on a whole new competitive edge that day, and Mr Meehan, our Deputy Principal, loves to pay us a visit to enjoy some male company on campus for a change. We are so sorry that due to the lockdown this special day could not take place this year, but wish all our fathers and grandfathers a very happy Father’s Day on 21 June.

6 June was also the birthday of Mr Sindiso Funda, our much-loved grounds man in the Preschool, who keeps our playground spic and span and always has a cheerful greeting for all the girls and teachers.

Term 2 ends on Friday 12 June and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the parents for all their cooperation, collaboration and input during a very different form of teaching and learning these past few weeks. I would also like to thank my team of teachers who have worked extremely hard this term, preparing new and different teaching plans and changing their teaching methods to best address the needs of the children during this pandemic. I am so very proud of the girls who adapted so well and showed resilience and tenacity beyond their years, learning new skills and embracing technology whilst staying home and not being able to socialize with their friends.

The teachers have all been busy preparing the classrooms and playgrounds for social distancing, and the teaching assistants all play a role in the screening process before entering the school.

We have received permission from the WCED for our Reception classes to return to school next term, but not as yet for the Pre-Reception and Nursery classes. This age group falls under the Department of Social Development and not the Department of Basic Education.

See photographs of creative activities and outdoor family fun in the sun from last week. The Nursery theme was “construction”, Pre-Reception was “Alphabet letters” and Reception was “Nursery Rhymes”

Term 3 begins on Tuesday 7 July, may you all stay safe, warm, and be blessed with good health

DIANE VILJOEN

Head Preschool

Dear Parents, Pupils and Staff

I’d like to draw closure to Term 2 by expressing my heartfelt appreciation and gratitude for all the immeasurable moments of courage, love, hard work, commitment, loyalty, compassion and perseverance. We’ve just experienced a term like no other. We’ve all had to make extreme changes in the way we usually do things. Teaching virtually in Grades 1, 2 and 3 presented so many challenges as the teaching style and methodology of teaching young students are very different to the teaching styles in Senior Primary and beyond. Despite the significant challenges, learning occurred, relationships were forged and positive engagement happened. We acknowledge that there were teething problems and we all had to dance on a shifting carpet and even had to adapt to a changing rhythm. I thank those parents and teachers who provided really constructive feedback. Subsequently, we tried our very best to accommodate some of those requests. The recent technological advancements made across the globe have been phenomenal, taking the initial 4 Critical Skills of the 21st Century to 12 Critical Skills.

We also recognise the space for healing and a journey of restorative justice where the crux of our South African Constitution is upheld and mirrored by all.

Lastly I’d like to wish you a holiday filled with beautiful family moments. Keep healthy and be blessed.

With love and gratitude

GILLIAN STUBBS

Head of Junior Primary