prep newsletter 1 2011

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3 February 2011

St Johns Preparatory SchoolSt Johns Preparatory SchoolHoughton

Tel: 011 645 3100/ 087 550473 Newsletter Number 1

03/02 U11 Water Polo Festival

Open Water Polo Festival

04/02 Swimming Gala

05/02 Cricket Vs CBC Boksburg

09/02 ABRSM Music Theory Exam

09/02 UIII Feedback Evening

11/02 Swimming Gala

12/02 Cricket Vs St Davids

15/02 Parent Information Evening: Sport

17/02 U11 Water Polo Festival

Open Water Polo Festival

18/02 Swimming Gala

GROBS Rehearsal

19/02 Cricket Vs St Stithians

21/02 LII Camp to Kloofwaters Departs

GROBS Rehearsal

22/02 GROBS 2011

23/02 Golf Tour to Mpumalanga Departs

LII Camp Returns

Inter-Schools Quiz

GROBS 2011

24/02 Break up Mid-Term Break

Reminders fromthe Diary

From the HeadmasterIntroduction

May I wish you all the very best for 2011- I amexcited about the year ahead and I hope thattogether we can help make this wonderful school aneven better place for all of us.

The other day I heard someone refer to 2011 asTwo Thousand and Heaven a lovely positiveperspective - so lets hope and pray that it is!

I thought I would share this wonderful prayer byGeneral Douglas A MacArthur with you as I thinkthat as parents and as teachers we can learn a great

deal from it.

PRAYER FOR MY SON

Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to

know when he is weak and brave enough to facehimself when he is afraid. One who will be proud andunbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle

in victory.

Build me a son who will know Thee and know him-

self in the foundation of knowledge.

Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort,but under the stress and spur of difficulties andchallenge. Here, let him learn to stand up in thestorm, here let him learn compassion for those who

fail.

Build me a son whose heart will be clear, whose goalwill be high, a son who will master himself before heseeks to master other men, one who will learn tolaugh, yet never forget how to weep, one who will

reach out into the future yet never forget the past.

And after all these things are his, add, I pray, enoughsense of humour, so that he may always be serious,

yet never take himself too seriously.

Give him humility, so that he may always rememberthe simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true

wisdom, the meekness of true strength.

Then I, his father, will dare to whisper: I HAVE NOT

LIVED IN VAIN.

LIII Camp to Lapalala


2/20

Page 2 St Johns Preparatory School

Staff

We welcome the following new staff and we hope that they will enjoy a long and happytime at St Johns Prep:

Craig Verdal-Austin Deputy Headmaster (Extra-Curricular and Discipline)

Heather Baker Upper II Class TeacherCaroline Rimmer Learning Support Teacher

Lynn Joubert Sports Coach

Natalie Brummer Drama Teacher

Charne Conway Intern

Nick Falconer Gap Student (UK)

Curriculum matters

Our new curriculum changes are working very well and we are very pleased with them. Iam certain that we will soon reap the benefits of these changes. I would like to thank all

the staff and in particular, Margot Long, for all the hours of hard work they have put into ensure that the changes are implemented smoothly and successfully.

Sport

Despite the unpredictable weather, our boys have managed to play some exciting cricketmatches, participate in two wonderful water polo festivals, several fantastic swimming

galas, as well as play several challenging chess matches.

Survey

A full report on our How Good is St Johns Prep? survey will be out shortly and variousissues / queries which were not discussed in focus groups will be dealt with in

forthcoming newsletters.

Reflection

We have begun the process of using our reflection times and this has proved quiteinteresting. Just getting the boys to keep still for a short while is proving to be achallenge, but we are getting there! I encourage you to talk to your sons about theprocess and about how, when we reflect on the past, it helps us improve the future. Just

being able to sit quietly for a short time in our busy lives is beneficial!

Weekly Timetable

You may have noticed that we have a new weekly schedule on the School Communicatorand up on the noticeboards. This schedule has all the events and fixtures for the weekahead and will be posted by 14h00 every Friday. Any feedback about this new initiativewould be greatly appreciated and I thank Craig Verdal-Austin for taking this on.

Conclusion

Please know that my door is always open to anyone. Please feel free to come in and seeme, even if it is just for a chat.

Patrick Lees

Headmaster

[email protected]


3/20


This very interesting article by Rushworth Kidder about Bullying and Courage appeared in

The Ethics Newsline.

Bullying and Courage: Why The Kings SpeechSpeaks to Us Today

Could a film about a middle-aged man overcoming a speech defect become a box-officesuccess? It would help, of course, if the man were a British monarch and if the historicaltensions were legendary, the settings opulent, and the actors of the calibre of Colin Firthand Geoffrey Rush. Still, a key question would remain: Why, in 2011, would moviegoerscare about a stuttering king in the 1930s?

The Kings Speechanswers that question brilliantly. Detailing the agony of King GeorgeVI as he forces himself to deliver a key radio broadcast on the brink of World War II, itfocuses on two topics of keen interest these days: courage andbullying. Based on the true story of Albert, Duke of York it probes the background of his publiclydebilitating stutter. At bottom, apparently, was a case of deliberate and persistent bully-ing by a royal family that willingly addressed Bertie (as Albert was known) as B-B-B-Bertie. Following popular post-Victorian views of abnormality, his parents insistedthat his left-handedness be corrected by retraining, that his knock-kneed appearancebe altered by painful splints, and that (as his father demanded) he should will his waythrough his stuttering by learning to just spit it out!

At the time, neither the royal family nor Western culture recognized that such aggressive,persistent intimidation of the weak by the strong constituted a potentially deadly threat.Yet in Berties case, the harassment and denigration led not to suicide but to anastonishing expression of moral courage. Facing a situation that still strikes fear in theheart of many a perfectly normal adult the requirement to speak publicly to largeaudiences he faced up to the danger for the sake of his moral principles. His sense ofduty, and the unorthodox but effective coaching he received from an iconoclastic speechtherapist, impelled him onward. In the films climactic moment, he delivers a stirringnine-minute speech that helps galvanize his nation against Hitlers advances and ispraised by those who know what hes been through as one of the most courageouspeople of his generation.

As an object-lesson in overcoming bullying through moral courage, the film has deeprelevance for todays educators. As old-style bullying morphs into cyber-bullying, manyschools are at a loss. In the old educational models, bullying typically was seen as aschoolyard phenomenon and, therefore, subject to the schools jurisdiction. Today, asbullies resort to relentless, anonymous digital pestering through texts, cell-phonemessages, and Facebook postings, the schoolyard has become a cyber-yard. When theoffending messages are sent outside of school hours, whos in charge? Educators rightlyquestion whether schools should or even could exercise control over their studentsprivate activities.


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Yet without the community that the educators create, most cyber-bullying, whichtypically takes place between individuals who are part of the same community, could notoperate. So educators cant shirk their responsibility for addressing this problem. Nor arethey helpless. By seeing bullying as an issue rooted in community values, ethics, andmoral courage, they can do two things:

First, help students understand that, as a community, their school needs to operateby humanitys shared ethical values fairness, respect, compassion, honesty, andresponsibility and that bullying violates all of them. Bottom line: There are noethical bullies, and ethical communities can have no tolerance for bullying.

Second, teach students about moral courage the willing endurance of significantdanger for the sake of principle. Help them understand that in the triangularrelationship of bully, victim, and onlooker, the bully has only the fake courage ofbravado. Real courage resides in the victims who, like Bertie, rise to victory despite

the bullying and in those onlookers who, feeling their own values violated by thedisrespect and irresponsibility of the bully, find courageous ways to intervene, speakup, or bear witness in ways that crimp or stop the behaviour.

As criminologists, auditors, and anticorruption experts can attest, crime declines whenthe communitys culture says, We dont do that around here. Building courageous,values-driven educational cultures where individuals know why bullying is wrong anddare to do whats right is no longer an option. Given the public anguish over bullying,its a requirement.2011 Institute for Global Ethics

Margot [email protected]

28th January 2011

Andrew Raney Cricket

Matthew Gouveia Helpful to new boys

Riyaadh Haffejee Helpful to new boys

Janovin Scholtz Exemplary behaviour

Kirvashan Govender Exemplary behaviour

Jaan Niehaus Exemplary behaviour

Tariq Seedat Excellent behaviour

Jack Lees Cricket

4CTea


5/20


Bullying: Defend a Friend!On the 1st of February, all the boys at St Johns Prep watched a production entitledBullying: Defend a Friend. The production was put on by The Health and

Wellness Theatre Company and it aimed to teach the boys about the effects ofbullying behaviour. Whilst being thoroughly enjoyable and interactive, theproduction was also educational. The messages conveyed in the play were aimed athelping boys to identify bullying behaviour and provided appropriate ways of reactingto a bully. The vital role of the non-reactive bystander was emphasised, highlightingthe importance of standing up for those who cannot do so on their own. Weencourage all our boys to use the three magic words from the play by making sure

they always Defend a Friend.

For further information or if you have any queries, please dont hesitate to contactme.

Hugo Meirim

School Psychologist

[email protected]


6/20


St Johns ScriptOur St Johns script has been in the news on Radio 702. St Johns script was introducedat St Johns Preparatory School in 2006. Teachers found that boys who had spent many

hours learning cursive writing were making very little use of it and often reverted back toprinting as they progressed through the Prep and into the College.

We felt that we needed to develop a form of writing that was closer to print and that the

boys would continue to use. St Johns script is essentially a joined form of print.

For more information about St Johns script, contact Mrs Ana de Gouveia (011 645 3100)

Or [email protected]


7/20


Community Service: TLC Babies Home

Many, many thanks to all our boys who contributed to the charity collections duringthe course of last year. At the end of the year, Ms Maitland used the last of the fundto buy this impressive pile of nappies and baby products, and during the holidays Idelivered them to the TLC Babies Home in Eikenhof, south of Johannesburg.Founded by the Jarvis family, TLC first began rescuing abandoned babies in 1993.

Over the years, TLC has changed the lives of more than 600 babies.

Several St Johns families have becomeinvolved in assisting the home in different ways, and many of our College boyscomplete valuable community servicehours there. If you would like moreinformation about TLC, please visit their

website:

http://www.tlc.org.za/TLC-DW/

aboutTLC.html

or feel free to contact me.

Margot Long

[email protected]

011-645 3122


8/20

Individual Achievements

Chess Results


Equestrian

Euan Chew, LIIZ and Tristan Butler, LIIZcompeted in the SANEF Schools EquestrianLeague on Saturday 28th January. Euan ispictured doing one of his dressage tests onhis pony Waterside Bonfire. Well done, boys!

31st January 2011

St Johns A vs St Peters A

Seniors won 25 - 7

Juniors won 11 - 9

Over all won 36 16

St Johns B vs Auckland Park A

Seniors won 25 -7

Juniors won 18 -14Over all won 43 - 21

Well done to the following boys who won both their games:

S Modi, M Berger, J Batzofin, W Kerr-Phillips, B Thomas, Li-An Pan, S Harryprasadh,

A Ionescu, D Greeff and S Omand


9/20

St Johns Preparatory School Page 9

Upper I

The Upper Is are currently covering the theme of My Body. They really enjoyedbuilding their own skeletons and are looking forward to looking at real internalbody parts a cows heart and lungs! What fun!!


10/20


Upper I - Dont Poems

My Dont Poem

Dont write swear words on the school walls

Dont be rude to adults

Dont harm the school environment please!

Dont run around the school buildings

Dont steal school property please, please, please!

Dont not do your homeworkSays Mrs Lser BUT we dont listen

By Michael Gerhard UIL

Dont dare your friends to do the wrong thingsDont run, scream and shout in the library

Dont settle for less than your best

Dont smack the teachers

Dont back chat the teachers

Dont forget to say hello to guests

Says Mrs Lser BUT we dont listen

By Stuart Omand UIL

Dont scream in the classroom

Dont start a fight

Dont beat up and tease other boys

Dont break other peoples property

Dont blow up Mrs Reeves house

Dont break windows

Says Mrs Reeve BUT we dont listen

By Kwindla Mangaliso UIR


11/20

Dont swear at Mr LeesDont bully your friends

Dont kick your teacher

Dont fight Miss Whizz

Dont shout at Mr Gunning

Dont be mean to Mrs Reeve

Dont play with fire

Dont kill your friend

Dont scream at anyoneDont smack your house master

Dont hit your best friend

Dont run around the classroom

Says Mrs Reeve BUT we dont listen

By Ekow Daniels UIR


Upper I - Dont Poems

Dont annoy your friends when they are working

Dont sulk in the toilet

Dont swear at Mr Lees

Dont kick your teacher when you get something wrong

Dont cheat when we play bingo

Says Mrs De Gouveia BUT WE DONT LISTEN

By Zaahid Sulliman UID

Dont swear in class

Dont jump on Mr Lees

Dont scream in the library

Dont kick Mr Gunning

Dont throw the teacher out of the window

Dont hang your friends on a tree by their

underwear

Says Mrs De Gouveia BUT we dont listen

By Matthew Russell UID


12/20


LIII Camp to Lapalala - Photo Gallery


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15/20


UPPER III ADVENTURE: SURVIVOR BABANANGO

The Upper III boys took off on the second day of term for a nine-day experience in theheart of Zululand, SURVIVOR BABANANGO. It was a profound time of personal

growth, bonding, getting to see each other and teachers in a new light, experiencing

and appreciating the amazing natural environment, learning about Zulu culture,

experiencing life in a rural Zulu homestead, completing various Extreme Explorers

challenges and learning about leadership, team work and service. Without giving

away too much more, here is a glimpse into what went down on camp. The Upper III

parents will hear the full story from the boys at the Feedback Evening on Wednesday

9th February.


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17/20


Notices

Staff can be contacted via e-mail, please see the list of addresses below. Please notethat teachers will only be able to download their e-mails first thing in the morning and lateafternoon.

Ana de Gouveia [email protected]; Anita Rossouw [email protected]

Anita Trolese [email protected] Ben Bornman [email protected]

Ben Oosthuizen [email protected] Brett Nicolson [email protected]

Brigitte Taylor [email protected] Bruno Poco [email protected]

Caroline Rimmer [email protected] Charney Conway [email protected]

Cheryl Reeve [email protected] Craig Verdal-Austin [email protected]

Dave Odgers [email protected] David Mulenga [email protected]

Duduzile Mashele [email protected]; Ethel Thomas [email protected]

Grace Arthur [email protected] Grant Harrison [email protected]

Heather Baker [email protected] Hugo Meirim [email protected]

Ian Stevens [email protected] Isabella Bonnet [email protected]

Ivan Forbes [email protected] Jaques Pretorius [email protected]

Jean Bwasa [email protected] Jean Clarence [email protected]

Joe Xaba [email protected] Jonathan Gunning [email protected]

J-P Lubbe [email protected] Karen Maitland [email protected]

Lynn Jonsson [email protected] Lynn Joubert [email protected]

Marco Martins [email protected] Margot Long [email protected]

Michelle Fehrsen [email protected] Natalie Brummer [email protected]

Nick Carter [email protected] Nicola Loser [email protected]

Nikki Sulter [email protected] Patrick Lees [email protected]

Paul Rowney [email protected] Tessa Van der Merwe [email protected]

Tony Johnson [email protected] Veronica Savage [email protected]

Zeza De Oliveira [email protected]

Upper I Class Music

Please ensure that your son brings his Recorder andRazzmajazz book along to his class music on

Thursdays.

Upper IL and Upper ID have class music on Fridays.


18/20


Notices

St Johns College Shop

New opening times:

Monday & Thursday 7am to 3pm

Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 10am to 3pm

Stationery and Labels as well as all your sports clothes, jerseys, bags and

socks

LOST PROPERTY

Lost property will now be open every morning from 7h15 - 7h30

Class Mums 2011Lower IIT Jacqueline Gouveia

Lower IIV Fatima Haffejee

Lower IIZ Jane Golding

Upper IIH Julia Cavalieri

Upper IIB Michelle LowdonUpper IIF Linda Roets

Lower IIIC Nicola Beswick

Lower IIIF Paula Boshoff

Lower IIIM Liza de Jesus

Upper IIIS Lauren Frew, Traci Gerber, Lesley Kinghorn

Upper IIIJ Sue Bentley, Megan Nelson

Upper IIIC Helen Harding, Jackie Standish-White


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St Johns Preparatory SchoolPage 19

Notices

Art club and extra classes

From the beginning of next term, Mr Poco is starting an Art Club (for LIII and UIII boys) and extra art classes for juniorboys. Senior boys are encouraged to join the Art Club on Tuesdays from 14h00 -15h00 or Thursdays from 15h00-

16h00. Juniors may arrange extra art lessons with Mr Poco at alternative times and on alternative days.

We hope to see the senior boys joining the Art Club to create various exciting art works with mediums they do notnormally use in class, such as print making, photography, oil painting and many more. This will be a fantastic opportunity

for any boy who wishes to develop his art skills.

For further information e-mail Bruno Poco on [email protected]

ItalianLanguage

LessonsSmall age appropriate classes and individual tuition

offered outside school hours at St Johns.

Experienced mother-tongue graduate teacher usingcommunicative method of conversation, maintaining

cultural ties for solid IEB foundation.

Contact Lisabetta on 082 682 2859 or

[email protected]

EXTRA ZULU

LESSONS

Lower III and Upper III boys.

Every Thursday 13h45

Upper III Mrs Mashele

All Welcome

Hair Dee-Lite 082 462 6813/011 648 6367

Dee offers excellent work for the whole family,

competitive prices and the added

convenience of being on campus.

Modern cuts, colours (from R300) and hi-lites.

Kids R50

7 Elm Street (Opposite Rice Field)

Open Tuesday to Friday

08h00 - 17h00

Saturday 08h00 - 13h00

EXTRA MATHS

LESSONSLower III & Upper III boys in Mrs Jean Clarences

classroom

Every Thursday 13h45 All Welcome

Extra Math Lessons

Individual tuition offered

Mrs M Hauptfleisch

Call 011 442 1854

083 256 7714


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Page 20St Johns Preparatory School

The Expert

Little Joe Horner

Sits in the cornerAs quiet as a packet of peas

He wouldnt say boo

To a bucket of glue

And he always says thank you and please

He cant kick a ball

And hes no fun at all

In the playground he sits on his ownHis writing is neat

And his homeworks complete

Cos he always takes lot of work home

But hes the most popular

Boy in the class

Now you might think that odd, I agree

But hes expert at maths

And at Science hes brill

And the best bit - he sits next to me

Hell give you a hand

If youre stuck with your sums

There is nothing that he doesnt know

If you cant add or measure

Hell help you with pleasure

And his charges are reasonably low

By Roger Stevens

prep newsletter 1 2011

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