Newsletter: Half-term (18 February 2021)

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FAITH COMPASSION COURAGE

I would like to thank all the parents who attended the online Parents Association AGM last Saturday. It was wonderful to have so many parents participate. I would also like to thank all the parents who have volunteered to assist as class reps for 2021. Your support is greatly appreciated.

We have all become very familiar with the Government gazettes that dictate the regulations to us, as a school, on a regular basis. The latest one, being Government Gazette 12, February 2021 - vol 668, allows us to open up more co-curricular activities. For us, this is starting to feel a little more like the ‘normal’ we are used to. Unfortunately, at this stage we are not allowed to have inter-school matches or fixtures, but we can finally have full training sessions and internal sport activities and events. Sadly, there is still a ban on spectators and any persons, other than pupils and staff, entering the property to watch these. The positive here though is that our children are getting out into the fresh air, learning new skills and getting physical exercise.

Therefore, our revised sports programme (available on the d6 Communicator), will start from Tuesday, 23 February. Parents are reminded to please use the Seminary or Main Gate (Golf Road) when dropping pupils off for their early morning sport. Pupils will be walked back to their classes after the session.

This year has certainly felt like we are starting a very long run on a very steep uphill. Staff have been wonderful at adapting to all the changes with which they are faced from time to time, and we are going to make the best of whatever challenges come our way. Always keeping in mind “Together We Can!”

I would also like you to commend your children on being so great at keeping their masks on, and in general, adhering to the Covid-19 protocols and regulations. I have been most pleased and proud to see how many of them have got out of their cars in the morning and greeted parents with such good manners, and how helpful they have been to siblings and younger ones in need of assistance or just been a friendly face to walk them to their classrooms.

Lastly, the staff and I have been overwhelmed by the compassion, kindness and support our community has received during the past few weeks while we have been dealing with the sorrow in our hearts at the passing of our sweet Mahle Vilakati. We, and the Vilakati family, are deeply grateful for the love that our parents and the community have shown during this devastating time. I would especially like to thank Bernadette Cameron and the Parents Association for all the support they have given the family by means of meals and kind gestures. It was also incredible to have our High School girls take the initiative to show their support and compassion by wearing yellow and rainbow colours as a sign of love for Mahle. Our children have been blessed to have our Chaplain, Rebecca Schultz, to guide them, in her beautiful and gentle manner, through their sadness and sorrow. Thank you, Rebecca! We continue to keep the Vilakati family in our thoughts and prayers.

We would like to wish all our pupils and family a restful and peaceful half-term break. Please enjoy some time at home with your family, without your masks, and just relax and refresh.

Stay Safe

Faith Compassion Courage Mr Reynard White Principal of the Preparatory School

From the Prep School Principal’s desk

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Welcome to new staff

Grade 2s - Proudly Epworth

World Read Aloud Day

When they found out they were returning to

school, the Grade 2s were so excited to be able to

wear their school uniforms again that they drew themselves proudly

wearing their Epworth uniforms.

On 3rd February, our Prep School

pupils celebrated World Read Aloud Day by reading to their mentees and classmates. Some of our pupils even read stories they

had written themselves.

It was so wonderful to see

our pupils continue their love

for reading!

Learning about improvisation in Grade 6 Improvisation – To make something up or invent it as one goes along; to proceed by guesswork rather than by

a careful plan. To invent or create something quickly or without a plan; to wing it.

This was the lesson in one of the recent Grade 6 drama classes where they learnt the skills of improvisation while being recorded on video to watch themselves at a later stage. This was great fun with some excellent

characters and very interesting improvisations. The video of them improvising can be viewed here.

FAITH COMPASSION COURAGE

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Mentorship Programme

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, the Grade 4s made heart templates to use for our optical illusion art.

The children wrote a message to someone special in their family on the heart template and took the hearts home to give to them on Valentine’s Day.

From the Head of Sport This term, it has been wonderful to see more activity than what we have had

in the last few months. We are looking forward to implementing a full co-curricular programme after half-term. Our pupils have done so well with following all the protocols and procedures, ensuring they keep safe while

participating in physical education lessons, swimming, cricket, tennis and squash. Well done! At this stage it looks like we will continue with

on campus activities, with no external activities or inter-school activities, until further notice.

The pupils are enjoying the time in the pool this term. Ms Chelsea Meiring has joined us for the afternoon swimming sessions to assist as a specialist coach. Chelsea has been studying at the University of

Massachusetts in the USA, where she has been for four years on a swimming scholarship.

We would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all our Prep School parents for their support, co-operation and understanding through this difficult season.

Wishing you a happy and safe half-term, Mr Leon Jackson

The Grade 1 and 7 Mentorship Programme continues to create a brother and sisterhood

relationship in the Prep School – even while keeping a safe social distance.

The Grade 1s absolutely loved meeting their Grade 7 mentors and were enthralled by the storytime they

had together on World Read Aloud Day. They were also delighted to receive special cards

and messages from their mentors, and have some quality playtime with them.

Grade 4s create beautiful art

for their Valentines

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Ash Wednesday

The Grade 5s have been learning about minibeasts this term. New nets were bought this year to allow the children to run free at break times to catch minibeasts in order to observe

their behaviour within a tank in each classroom. Dead minibeasts are also collected so that the children can use magnifying glasses to study the structure of different insects.

On the creative side, the children wrote their own wonderful orals about a minibeast repellent and presented this to the

class.

Grade 5s love minibeasts

“You make beautiful things out of Dust. You make beautiful things out of Us.” Gungor It was so special to have all the pupils from Grades R to 7 attend various (socially distanced) services in our

Chapel on Wednesday, 17 February in celebration of Ash Wednesday.

Pictured on the right:

Our lovely new quote on

the wall outside our

Prep School Library.

Pictured on the left:

The Grade R boys and

girls lining up for their

Ash Wednesday

Chapel Service.

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FAITH COMPASSION COURAGE

Community Engagement - Thank you!

Last year, the whole school took part in the school shoe collection project, which ended at the beginning of

February. We were delighted with the response and we greatly appreciate all the kind donations from our par-

ents, staff and pupils. The shoes were donated to Youth for Christ who distributed them to children in need for

the start of the 2021 school year. Thank you to all our parents who donated!

Community Engagement

Supporting the Childhood Cancer Foundation

Our annual support for the Childhood Cancer

Foundation (South Africa)

continued this year as our Prep School pupils

celebrated ‘CHOC Flip Flop Day’ on

Thursday, 18 February. With a kind donation of

R10 each, our pupils showed their hearts by

wearing their flip flops in support of children and

teenagers fighting childhood cancer.

Thank you!

One of my greatest privileges is that I get to partner with you, our Epworth parents, in the role of helping shape, grow and educate your wonderful children. This year our theme of “Together We Can!” couldn’t be more apt for the challenging times in which we find ourselves. Twenty-twenty was tough (we made it!) but at least we started the year blissfully ignorant to all that lay ahead. The beginning of 2021 has been different – and I can’t decide if “ignorance is bliss” or if “it’s better the devil you know than the devil you don’t?” So, I would like to take the opportunity that this newsletter affords to share with you some things that are on my heart, in the hope that together we can achieve far more than any of us could individually.

I am currently parenting three teenagers (yes, please pray for me) and so when I share thoughts about your children, and some suggestions for us as parents, I come from a space of being with you in the trenches, certainly not “having it all together.”

I came across this quote on one of our teacher’s walls on Facebook and it really sums up what I’d like us to chat about. I do find myself worrying when I find myself speaking to young children who have been given cell phones (as well as other devices). In our home, the rule is: no phone before you are 13 years old.

I worry when Grade 4s are having social interaction issues due to the WhatsApp groups they are on. I worry when I speak to Grade 5s who are on TikTok.

I worry about what our children are being exposed to, and I increasingly worry that the content of what they are watching or seeing is not suitable or age appropriate. I am noticing that the questions children are asking me, and the discus-sions they are wanting to have, seem to indicate this. (BTW, I’m not by nature a worrier…)

Do you mind me asking if your child has a phone, are you aware of all the apps they are using and what the age-restrictions are for these? (It really worries me that there is an app called “secret” - but that’s a story for another day.)

I can’t tell you the number of times I have been innocently searching on Google images or looking for material on YouTube and come across entirely inappropriate material. Sadly, once you’ve seen something, you can’t ‘unsee’ it. Also, please ensure that the privacy settings on these accounts have been activated. Allowing children to have public accounts is really not advisable in this world we live in.

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the period of Lent. I deleted Instagram off my phone – not because I’m a saint, but rather the opposite. Far too often, I am connected to my phone and disconnected from my family. May I gently suggest that you take this half-term as a family to disconnect from technology and connect with one another. Play board games, go for a walk/hike together, lie on the grass and watch the clouds/stars. Make sure everyone’s phones are away at meal times and take the time to sit and eat together, to chat, to laugh, to share.

I’m sure many of you already have this sorted in your family, but if (like me) you are struggling to find the balance, please know you are not alone. We are in this together, and so I hope to be able to share resources with you over the coming weeks that will help us to ensure our children are safe, are able to enjoy “just being children” and not grow up too fast… I hope that in the years to come many of them will become writers, artists, chefs, athletes, musicians, entrepreneurs and so on … Together We Can! - Mrs Rebecca Schultz

Parenting Chat with the Chaplain

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Revised Dates to Diarise - Term 1, 2021

February

Thursday 25th

PPS Grades RRR + RR Moms’ Night (POSTPONED)

March

Thursday 4th

PPS Grades RRR + RR Dads’ Night (POSTPONED)

Friday 19th

Epworth Grade 7 (girls) Fun Afternoon at the High School

Monday 22nd

Public holiday (school day for all Grade RRR—7 / Staggered home time from 11am until 12pm) Inter-house Gala (No spectators)

Wednesday 24th

PS Easter Service @17:30

Friday 26th

School closes for Easter holidays from 12:00 (no lunch programme, aftercare as normal)

FAITH COMPASSION COURAGE

Epworth Prep or High School Marketing events for 2022