LETTER FROM THE HEAD
Dear Parents
Thank you for a mostly positive and happy term. Your children have, in the main worked hard and coped well with the examinations. Many of them engaged positively with the academic rigour and they impressed with the manner in which they conducted themselves. Please be reminded that phones and smartwatches may never be present in an examination – this is both an IEB and Cambridge rule.
This term the reports will reflect the examination marks and have a comment from the Tutor. Parents’ evenings will take place early next term but please feel free to make an appointment with your child’s teachers if you are concerned in any way. Sometimes Parents’ evenings are too brief to discuss any major concerns. Mrs Tessendorf, the Deputy Head responsible for Academics, will alert the parents of students about whom she has major concerns regarding their academic progress.
Through the term, the newsletters have served to highlight many successes of people in our community. I am delighted with the success of the Design students, Carmen Matthysen, Isabel Corner, Liam Paris, Nicola Carter, Tasha Stavrou and Kayla Evans, who fared superbly in the Hermanus Art Festival by taking 6 of the top 10 places. The competition was won by a university student, so our students’ success is all the more commendable.
We wish the students and teachers going on the History tour to Russia a happy, enlightening and culturally stimulating trip. I hope that all students who are travelling abroad for pleasure or for school events return more mindful of global issues, more aware that the world has much to offer and that all of us can contribute to making it a more just and equitable place by thinking generously, differently and creatively.
The College bids farewell to Jacques Groenewald who has worked in the Finance Department for the past 7 years. He is congratulated on his appointment to the position of bursar at Wynberg Boys High. Jacques has worked hard and is thanked for his contribution to the College.
Besides the gift of sending your children here, the College has been blessed with some generous donations to the Acorn Bursary Trust from parents. Other parents have donated creatively to the Art Department to encourage students to extend themselves, while others have donated enormous amounts of time sharing their expertise and knowledge with the school. Others have donated debentures and deposits and some donate kindness and exhortation which is often the greatest gift of all. Schools become great because of the community in them and if this generosity on which the school was founded continues to abound in a world where we are all being asked to tighten our belts, then the College can only flourish and create a brighter future for many people. So thank you for your generosity.
While we grow, we will continue to ask for you to contribute – please never feel under pressure to do so as everyone is very cognisant of the sacrifices you are making to send your children to the College.
I hope that many of you are appreciated by your children in the holiday and that you enjoy their ongoing growth and their developing thinking skills. Travel safely and enjoy this special time with your children.
Yours sincerely
Meg Fargher |