the kingfisher gazette · moore and mr. paige, who taught us the art of speech and impromptu...

THE KINGFISHER

GAZETTE

Cultural Events – Sporting Events – Reviews – Creative Writing

Speech Night

Tyla De Waal

One of Hillcrest High School’s main events of the

year, The Senior Speech Night and Prize Giving

Ceremony, was held on the 3 October 2019. The

School had the privilege of having open water

swimmer, Ms Sarah Ferguson, as guest speaker,

whose passion about protecting not only our

oceans, but our environment in general, rang

through in her message of “living deeply, but

treading lightly.” Sarah further reminded the

learners about the importance of teamwork, and

choosing the right people to team up with, about

enjoying what they do and having fun along the

way, and most importantly, about treating failure

as opportunity. It was another excellent evening

and the Grade 11 and 12 learners were

complimented on their conduct during the

ceremony.

Many awards were made during the course of the

evening’s proceedings, including Best Senior All-

Round Sportsman to Zitha Mlonyeni and Best

Senior All-Round Sportswoman to Ayla Nuttall.

James Gibson took the award for excellence in a

sport not offered by the school, with his

achievements in fencing. Naledi Ncube won the

award for the Greatest Contribution to Cultural

Affairs. Jonathan Wright won the awards for Best

Actor, for Achievement in Practical Drama, as

well as the trophy for the Best Ambassador of the

School. Mholi Nkabinde won the award for the

Spirit of togetherness

my five years e

]

Jyothisna Jugdaw

Ross Blackbeard, Mr Girvin (The Principal) and the Guest Speaker, Ms Sarah Ferguson

The following service awards were made as well:

The S.R.C. Trophy for the Best Ambassador of the School was awarded to Jonathan Wright.

The Franz Trophy and Clark Trophy for Good Service to the school was awarded to Priyashnee

Reddy and Langelethu Mkhwanazi.

Honoraria to Head Leaders was awarded to Ayla Nuttall and Thembalethu Mzobe.

The Walsh Trophy for the Pursuit of Excellence and The Cobb/Muller Shield for the Best all

Rounder was awarded to Ross Blackbeard

A number of subject awards were also made on the evening.

Third in Grade 12 was Hanru Jansen van Rensburg

Proxime Accesit Dux (Kopp Trophy) was awarded to Jyothisna Jugdaw for attaining second position.

Dux of The School (Hammond Trophy) was awarded to Ross Blackbeard.

The evening would not have been complete, though, without revealing of the names of the new student

leadership team – congratulations to the whole team, and particularly to Tyla De Waal and Diego Smith,

the new Head Leaders of 2020.

Members of the new Student Leadership Team for 2020

Hillcrest High School's Sports Awards

Joshua McDonald and Diego

Smith

The 18th of September saw Hillcrest

High's 11th annual sports awards dinner.

This event is one of the most anticipated

events of the school year. The event was

organised by the head of sport Mr.

Windsor with a speech presented by the

headmaster of Hillcrest High School Mr.

Girvin.

The event was hosted in the Hillcrest

High School hall which was decorated

with a theme of sports world cups with

the Rugby world cup, Cricket world cup,

Netball world cup as well as the

Women's soccer world cup all taking

place in 2019. Nervous students and

parents alike created a tense but

enjoyable atmosphere. With several

students all hoping for the same awards,

a friendly sense of competition arose.

Pupils and staff of Hillcrest High School

were acknowledged for their contribution

to their respective sporting fields with

awards being received in each sport for

the player of the year, most improved

player and even some less prestigious

awards such as the first team cricket’s

duck award, awarded to the player who

was bowled out with zero runs. A wide

range of trophies and certificates were

presented acknowledging all the young

sportsmen and women who sacrifice

much of their time and energy to make

sport at Hillcrest High School what it is

today. Those who made KZN and

international teams in their respective

sporting fields were also recognized such

as the 1st team rugby player Andrew

Siminyu who made the Kenyan under

twenty team.

The expectations for the night were

extremely high and they were certainly

met. A three-course meal accompanied

by Mr Girvin’s speech made this evening

a complete success. This event not only

celebrated those who excel on the sports

field but also brings attention to those

who have complete commitment to the

school.

Hillcrest High

School’s Cultural

Awards evening

Mawande Msomi

“Our culture, language, history and

values are vital in uniting us as a

school”

On the 19th of September, Hillcrest

High School’s cultural awards

evening was held. This event is held

to commend learners that

participate in the many cultural

activities offered by the school.

There were a variety of

performances that illustrated the

essence of talent HHS holds.

There were performances from the

choirs (the school choir and gospel

choir) which were excellent and

great to listen to. The grade 11

drama students performed choral

verses and movement pieces. Word

sessions spoke to our hearts and

minds with their contemplative

pieces.

Awards were made to learners that

have represented the school through

good service, personal achievement

and excellence.

Junior Interprovincial Touch Rugby Tournament

Shae Muchna

A few Hillcrest High School students were asked to describe the five-day tour in just one word… many students

failed to do so as their experience could not be described by just one word. For those students that did manage to

answer the question, they said: “exhausting” and “enjoyable”. This tour brought a rollercoaster of emotions to all

the sportsmen and women that participated.

Prior to the tour, a few Hillcrest High students took part in a fundraiser. This fundraiser was held at the Hillcrest

Spur in order to raise funds for the tour. The students had to follow waitrons around, help clean the tables, cook

and serve the food as well as sing the traditional “Happy Birthday” song to the customers. After long hours of

work and good support from customers, the Hillcrest High School students left with smiles, full stomachs and a

substantial profit.

The 8 KZN teams left Durban for Cape Town via bus. After 26 hours of driving, the teams finally arrived safely in

Cape Town, prepared for hard work the following day. The excitement overpowered the exhaustion.

Day 1 of the tournament brought some challenges along with it. Miserable wet weather swamped the fields which

certainly made it a lot more difficult to play to the best of our ability; yet, it was still successful for the KZN

association.

Day 2 was a lot kinder with regards to the weather. All teams worked hard and managed to play with perseverance

despite the tough competition.

Day 3, the final day. With aches and pains haunting all the teams, determination was still in everyone’s minds.

The final results for the KZN association were:

Under 15A girls – third (bronze)

Under 15B girls – first (gold)

Under 15A boys – fourth

Under 17A girls –second (silver)

Under 17B girls – first (gold)


Under 19A girls – third (bronze)


Even though some teams did not receive the results they wanted, memories were made. I am sure I speak for

everyone when I say that we would want to relive this tour.

Next year, Durban will be hosting the Junior Interprovincial tournament and nothing would be better than a gold

medal on home ground.

Toastmasters

Jesse McFarlane

White Mountain Festival

Grace Lahner

Toastmasters is an activity where students

get to experience how real-world businesses

present themselves publicly and privately.

This program trains students to speak in

front of groups of people, to enhance the

confidence in themselves.

A small group of 17 students spent 8 weeks

every Thursday evening, training, crying,

laughing but most importantly bonding with

each other under the supervision of Mr.

Moore and Mr. Paige, who taught us the art

of speech and impromptu speech.

Each night we gained valuable lessons about

a vast arrange of topics, which opened our

eyes.

On Thursday, the 12th of September a Gala

Evening was held for the “Toast Masters” to

truly showcase their confidence and public

speaking abilities to parents, teachers and

Mr. Girvin. Every member had to present

their own speech, whether prepared or

impromptu, allowing the audience to witness

the amazing characteristics and talents that

these students possessed.

The evening began with the brilliant

chairman, Kiara Bartholomew,

introducing the evening. The first speech

was presented by the ‘Jokes Master’,

Jack Holbrook who left the crowd in

hysterical laughter. This was followed by

the prepared speeches of Warren Searle,

Tao Sykes, Jesse Macfarlane, Nathan

Coyne, Ayandiswa Ndebele, Evelyn

Bisset and Jack Holbrook. After the

speeches dinner was served and then a

toast was given by Dana Murphy. The

impromptu speeches followed with

excellent outcomes and finally the

evaluations.

At the end of the evening the students

were awarded the official Toastmasters

Certificate and trophies

In conclusion the Gala was a success and

a privilege for the students to present

themselves. Each student gained so much

and reached a new level of confidence in

their journey.

“If life was easy, and you always

succeeded then you would never truly

appreciate the satisfaction of success.”

The annual White Mountain Music Festival was an event over 3 days during the

September holidays. It is in its 13th year of being hosted.

The festival is the perfect opportunity to ‘let loose’ and enjoy predominantly

acoustic bands from all over South Africa. With the stunning view of the

Drakensberg Mountains, the festival had a relaxed atmosphere which it is

acclaimed for.

It is held at White Mountain Lodge near Giant’s Castle in the scenic Central

Drakensberg region of KwaZulu-Natal, just 28km off the N3 on tarred roads,

185km from Durban and 400km from Johannesburg,

There were many talented artists that ranged in different genres of music from rock

to folk. It catered for all age groups. The variety is something that makes this

festival special as it had music everyone could enjoy.

There was a choice of camping, caravanning, chalet accommodation and a stylish

‘tent hotel’. The lodge had spacious grounds, a swimming pool and a charming old

stone pub.

During the day everyone gathered around the lake. There were free boats for

children, teens and adults to canoe and/or fish.

It was a worthwhile festival to go to, with the friendly people and a relaxing

atmosphere - it was the perfect way to rejuvenate before the busy school term.

Debating

Tumelo Khati

Nothing can beat the adrenaline of being in a room full of strangers and

about to deliver a speech. Your heart feels like it’s pounding out of your

chest as you greet the adjudicators and state your substantive matter.

Debating at Hillcrest high school has grown tremendously over the years.

This year has not been an exception. In fact, this year has probably been one

of the best seasons of debating that the school has ever experienced,

considering the numerous opportunities the debaters have been exposed to

during this year.

The grade 8 debating team this year have not only won all their debates, but

they were also placed in the final rounds of the prestigious DCDL (Durban

Coastal Debating League) tournament, which comprises more than 50 high

schools.

One can still remember the nervousness of the grade 8 teams (HHS 1 and

HHS 2) as we walked into our first debating classrooms, proposing the

motion that ‘HOMEWORK SERVES NO PURPOSE’.

We obviously knew our speeches and motion quite well, however, were

nervous about what the opposition team (Durban Girls High School) might

have up their sleeve.

That’s exactly the trickiest part of debating, as you are unsure about what

the other team would oppose or propose. Hillcrest High School proposed

this motion by giving an analysis of the detriments of homework and how

school children become emotionally and mentally depressed when

constantly being bombarded with homework.

DGHS came up with a very strong argument as to how homework is used as

a tool of preparation for tests and examinations and the positives of

homework. This left the team in absolute turmoil as we were unsure if we

won the debate or not.

Within minutes, the results were positive as we celebrated the victory of our

first win at Curro Hillcrest against a girl’s school, that are usually known for

their excellent interpretation of the motion. Within that short period of our

victory, both the teams knew that this streak of victory was indeed going to

be maintained.

“Behind every man, there’s a strong woman”. In our case, behind every

strong team, there is a strong coach. A coach with patience and a lot of

knowledge to give. It would have been impossible for both the HHS teams

to win every single debate without being wrapped under the caring arms of

Ms. Sewpal. Not only has she taught us everything we needed to know in

order to debate but she nurtured us into the little amateur debaters we are

now. A great coach with great knowledge mixes well with a great team and

for that, she is highly appreciated.

One can still remember, the news of making it into the KZNSDA (KwaZulu

Natal Schools Debating Association), with Ntandokazi Magingxa making

the reserve team. DCDL and KZNSDA are two different worlds that need to

be separated for their unique style of debating and peculiar adjudication

styles.

The tournament was held at the Glenhaven Secondary School in Verulam,

during the June holidays. Over 20 different schools from all around

KwaZulu Natal competed to try to make it onto the South African team.

The debating season for many debaters has not ended. The

school has started a Hillcrest High School debating tournament,

managed by Mr. Alborough and is held in Mrs. Ramsout’s

classroom every Monday after school. Any member of the

school is invited to attend whether experienced or

inexperienced in debating. This inter-school tournament is a

beneficial way to improve one’s debating, public speaking and

time management skills. There is a 45min preparation before

the debate takes place, which allows a platform for debaters to

plan and construct their time well.

With that being said, a group of six members namely myself,

Taylor Slater, Anouk Klijnstra, Yamkela Madonsela,

Ayandiswa Ndebele and Luhle Mnyandu were selected to

represent the school at the NIDPSC (National Individual

Debating and Public Speaking Competition) on the 26th of

September at Michael House. This was indeed a very tiring

competition as we had to deliver at least 3 public speaking

speeches as well as participating in debating. The course

provided the team an opportunity to make friends.

Out of 66 participants, Taylor Slater was placed 23rd in

debating overall, with one learner, Yamkela Madonsela making

it to the final stages of the competition for interpretive reading.

She was placed 6th overall as a result of the excellent pieces she

delivered.

We, unfortunately, also bid a farewell to many of our grade 12

debaters who have contributed to the growth and success of

debating and ultimately cultural activities at Hillcrest High

School.

My dream for debating at Hillcrest High School? For this

cultural activity to be promoted throughout the school so that in

the incoming years there would be an increase in students

participating. I personally feel that there hasn’t been enough

recognition of debating compared to other sports at the school. I

feel that this needs to be addressed as the debaters of this

century are the future of this world.

Rotary Youth Leadership Course

Rebecca Chabant

Every year for the last 56 years, Rotary has hosted a Youth Leadership Course, where 48

girls and 48 boys in Grade 11, who showcase strong leadership, are selected and sponsored

by the Rotary club of their area to go on this course. Two students are selected from each

school all over KZN.

I, Rebecca Chabant as well as Sarah-Jane Purves were selected to go on this course which

took place on the 22nd to the 28th of September at the Port Shepstone High School. At this

course we developed friendships with people from all over the province allowing us to

have a network of contacts which promoted better understanding and awareness amongst

young leaders.

We visited local businesses, NGOs and had guest speakers talk to us about the impact that

we will have on the future of our country. Our skills, values, attitudes and knowledge were

challenged throughout the week, leaving us mentally and physically exhausted.

This course is such a great opportunity as it builds knowledge and creates an awareness of

yourself and helps you reach your full potential.

Poetry

Luhle Mnyandu aka Barded

Wino of the drunken night skies

Blinding blunt lights

Bled the city nights

Blending with the great city knight.

Vividly dazed in the alley’s dark chaotic valley

Kindly unfazed by the stampeding migraine of

his cheap wine,

Dose he takes so he can barely, feel treated

fairly,

Sober he is rarely

Later lies still like dew on the alley’s dark

chaotic valley.


Blends the city nights


Known truth of the unhidden hedon

Bitten fruits of forbidden

Drunken city atrocities

Virtuous search in the dominant sexual explicit

burning cities


Bled the city nights


GINGER: Spiritual healing behind chords

Thoughts loathing clarity

Thoughts dressed in a full ensemble,

Themed ambiguity

All’s ungathered, all’s not in an assemble

Found in an open shut space of detachment

Mind in nonchalance

Lungs pouring light heavy breaths

Bowels caging free butterflies of the warm

autumn

Loud cries of quiet and still tears

Steps to a spiritual equivocation are the

unknown voices intertwined with musical rarity

A welcome intervention in a boy’s disparity

Met in a time of perfect drunken sobriety

A lonesome loathe of self

An unrequited affection of his heart’s shelf

His heart’s mind only thinks about his rosy

cheeks and cushion lips but he is growing out of

reach

Their commencement prevented by dire lack of

attachment

Unknown voices sing in hope for bettered days,

chords repeated in harmony, healing musically

injected to the body of spirit

Jeremy Loops Concert

Grace Lahner

On a Sunny Sunday (the 29th of September)

young and old came to hear “Gold” and

“Waves” sung live by Jeremy Loops himself at

the Botanic Gardens in Durban.

Gates opened at 12:30 to welcome eager music

lovers with their picnic baskets, sun hats,

camping chairs, sunglasses, and dancing shoes -

all trying to get as close to the stage as possible.

The first opening duo of PG Badenhorst and

Alwyn Bekker with their insane guitars skills

was worth listening to.

The second act that really got the crowd on

their feet, dancing and excited was ‘Rubber

Duc.’ Their soulful authentic melodies

together with beautiful deep lyrics covered in

catchy tunes were all tied together with an

amazing stage presence.

A sneaky saxophone surprised the audience as

they swayed in unison and thereafter gathered

into a bigger crowd dancing in excitement.

The band Rubber DUC consisting of Nick

Jordaan (Lead vocals), Brendan Campbell

(Lead Guitar)Sheldon Sham ( saxophonist)and

Amiel Gopal (Bass) are truly genuis and I am

glad I got to meet them after they performed.

The time, finally, came for Jeremy Loops to

come out on stage. The crowd was even bigger

than before and everyone wanted to get to the

front.

The moment that everyone had been waiting for

finally arrived, Jeremy stepped out, guitar in

hand, iconic man bun and alternative indie

sound ready to entertain.

The crowed echoed the lyric as he sang,

familiar favourites and some songs only the

real diehard fans would know. Loops gave a

heartfelt speech verbose in his pride for this

beautiful country, encouraging concert goers to

share in his love for South Africa. He promoted

this through his catchy tunes. It is easy to see

why so many Durbanites came to watch this

talented artist.

Movie Review: “US”

James Geldart

“US”, is a film written and directed by Oscar

Award Winner, Jordan Peele. The film follows a

family of four as they visit Santa Cruz for the

holiday. It seems like your ordinary holiday with

your ordinary family, until very strange things

begin to occur which leads to a twisted and jaw-

dropping plot twist.

The film was very cleverly produced, with a

very original, out of the box screenplay which

deserves a nomination at next year’s Oscars for

“Best Original Screenplay”. The script is very

clever and very relatable to many. This ‘horror’

movie is funny in the sense that this family is

trying to cope with what is happening, and their

comedic outbursts is how they deal with it all.

The movie intensifies as it progresses with many

hints throughout, for those smart enough, to

figure out the twist.

“US” is also a commentary on a small current

issue - being united as one nation. This social

commentary is used cleverly within the film,

however not much. The film could’ve

exaggerated more on this topic as it would’ve

made it more interesting in the long run.

I must, of course, comment on the awesome

performances from the cast, especially, Lupita

N’yongo who won the Academy Award a few

years prior for “Best supporting Actress” in

“12 Years a Slave”.

Her performance as both Adelaide and ‘Red’

is impressive. With ‘Red’ she brings both an

animated and very physical performance

which brought chills to my bones.

Another quality I adored about this film is the

cinematography. I found this movie both

horrifying and aesthetically pleasing to watch.

The film does its best to impress and succeeds

nearly flawlessly with very minor blackholes,

bad acting and a confusing script. The film may

also be of interest to those who enjoy studying

and analyzing movies as I picked up on many

themes, motifs and symbols throughout the film

which add to the plot, characters and storyline.

Restaurant Review

Courtney Smith, Saythia Jugdaw and Warren Searle

Situated in Lillie’s Quarter, Hillcrest’s Bloomsbury Café has a peaceful and

comforting atmosphere. We were greeted in a friendly manner by our

waiter who welcomed us and guided us to our table.

The rustic design of the café puts emphasis on nature’s beauty with simple

earthy colours which suit the area well.

The beautiful design of the wood ceiling and the illuminating lights

enhanced the scenic wallpaper. On each table, a simple pot with lavender

was at the centre.

As you enter, your eye immediately wanders to the quaint gift shop. From

clocks to notebooks to flowers, spread across a round table and shelves - a

variety of different items were available for sale.

The menu had a simple layout with a variety of options. The decisions on

what to order was difficult to come by as a result of every option

captivating our taste buds. In addition to this, the freshly baked section

showcased many different types of breads and muffins for customers to

choose from. As the menu says, “Breakfast is all day” and to add the cherry

on top, gluten free options were available as well.

We first received our drinks which were full bodied. For all the coffee

lovers out there, Bloomsbury is a place for you to be. There were numerous

combinations allowing you to be as adventurous as your heart desired. Our

meals were full of flavour and very well presented. The portions of the

meals seemed immense; you could possibly have leftovers to take home.

Although the prices were above average, the large portion sizes made it

worth the value.

The café is clean and hygienic which adds to the sense of comfort and

makes it more enjoyable to be in. Bloomsbury is also very spacious inside

and outside with many tables and open spaces to walk through. The

atmosphere surrounding this café welcomes anyone nearby and makes you

feel in touch with nature. Due to this atmosphere and the offering of Wi-Fi,

Bloomsbury is a perfect place to come for a relaxing meal, somewhere to

get work done or to enjoy time with your friends or family.

Book Review: “The

Handmaids Tale”

James Geldart

“The Handmaids Tale” was published in 1985 by the celebrated

author, Margaret Atwood. The novel follows the character of

Offred, a handmaid to a commander and his wife. In a dystopian

world, pollution has made it so that many women have become

barren. With the new laws in place and America officially known

as Gilead, Offred experiences the trials and tribulations of having

her life changed and her family torn apart.

The book is very cleverly written and as the whole novel focuses

on Offreds point of view. Gilead, a nation heavily based on the

bible, has changed her life forever. Being the handmaid, she is to

have child for those wealthier, barren women and their husbands.

Through Offreds perception, we watch how her fellow Handmaid,

Ofwarren, bares a child and deals with the separation from her

child. The feeling is gut-wrenching and horrible.

I thoroughly enjoyed the original take on how a society could be

run and how it affects peoples’ lives emotionally.

Offreds story of being ripped from her husband, her child and

being raped by a stranger and eventually having his child then

moving onto the next commander is heart breaking.

Margaret Atwood did an astonishing job of capturing our full

attention in the life of Offred - how she deals with each situation,

her wicked thoughts of murder and escaping, the thoughts of her

missing her child and her husband. You begin to develop

emotions for this character, which are very cleverly done

throughout the whole novel. Her real name is not ever mentioned

however it is hinted at being, June.

This novel scared me, in a way, and made me realise all that I am

thankful for.

I would highly recommend this novel to any lover of literature,

due to its evocative use of language and unique style.

The ending to a rewarding year

Vachariya Naidoo

In this digital age and with so many

other avenues of communication

available to us, it seems that a school

newspaper is outdated, imparting news

that may have been already seen over

social media and student texting.

However, this club allowed for

students to express themselves in

written words, connect with other

students by interviewing and writing

about their experiences and help build

on the necessary skills like English

writing and editing.

The Journalism Club comprises a

group of students that capture and

record the amazing events, culture and

sporting activities that happen at

Hillcrest High School but most

importantly, it enhances the journey

that students embark on during the

course of their time at this school.

The club has been a bit quieter over the

years, however this year, with the

guidance and passion from Ms.

Hammond, we have kindled the

interest again.

Students spend weeks planning and putting together the

newspaper with the constant support from our teacher. We

issue an edition every term, presenting the activities that

have taken place during that term.

The newspaper allows us to showcase the talent, hard work

and dedication of our peers.

The Journalism club ultimately helps the entire school body

connect to the interesting initiatives that happen around the

school and brings all forms of school activities into one

space.

We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect

– Anaïs Nin

Message from Mr.

Girvin

It is my pleasure to pen these few words by

way of introduction to the final edition of

this year’s Kingfisher Gazette.

The quality of this newspaper has really

improved this year and I would like to

thank Mrs. Hammond and all those

students who have contributed to its

production this year.

As we rapidly approach the final

examinations, I would like to extend my

best wishes, and those of the staff and

wider HHS community, to all of you for

these examinations. As always, I hope you

will enjoy the success you deserve and

remember, in the words of what has

become our second motto, “If it is to be, it

is up to me.”

We wish everyone a happy festive season;

we hope you all enjoy your holiday whilst

keeping safe. We cannot wait for another

successful year at Hillcrest High School.

To the class of 2019 and the members of

the Hillcrest High family leaving us, we

wish you all the best for the bright and

exciting future.

Always remember these special words of

our motto:

“If it is to be, it is up to me”

the kingfisher gazette · moore and mr. paige, who taught us the art of speech and impromptu...

Documents