nec aspera terrent - Andrean Foundation

St Andrew’s College Newsletter | Friday 23 October 2015
Term 3 # 6
To the Andrean Community
Balloon Week 2015 has come and gone. It was, by all accounts, a wonderful success. There are few moments where
the entire community can get together to celebrate the highlights of the year, and so when we do get the opportunity it is
something really special. My thanks to all the parents who made the trip to be with us. It seems incredible that just as the
reflection of the year past subsides, our thoughts must now turn to the year ahead.
At our Tuesday assembly this week it was my duty to announce the student leadership group for 2016. The list of prefect
names is published in this newsletter. I congratulate the new leadership team on their election to office. At the same time,
I recognise that there exists a whole range of leaders in other spheres that are not part of the ‘prefect’ process but are,
nonetheless, as important in building a successful year ahead. I have every confidence that this is an outstanding group
who, as a unified and strong matric group, will lead College to new heights still.
The role of student leader is an extremely complex one. One works amongst friends and peers in a strange juxtaposition of
roles of policeman, cheerleader, representative, and motivator - all while still holding down a ‘day job’ as matric pupil, with
all the pressures that brings. It is, strangely, an easy task to simply do, but an incredibly difficult task to do well. It requires
commitment, drive, and the ability to make tough decisions. As Winston Churchill put it, “Sometimes doing your best is not
enough, Sometimes you must do what is required”.
It is my prayer that the leaders that we have selected in this process, as well as the many others who lead in activities and
informal ways that are not recognised through the “prefect” system will, this time next year be able to look back on a year
where they have impacted on and made a positive difference to College in so many ways. That they will leave us better for
having had them.
Scenes from Balloon Week 2015
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St Andrew’s College Newsletter 23 October 2015
For each of us has unique talents - we are, in a way, God’s investment in the world. Worth infinitely more than money, we
have within us the gifts that God has bestowed upon us. We must not hide our treasure away, where, by not growing it, it
grows less.
One thing is certain about leadership - you know it when you see and you can judge it by its results. To paraphrase Churchill:
“However beautiful the strategy [however clever the speeches, impressive the appearances] you need to occasionally look
at the results”.
I pray God’s richest blessings on us all for the year ahead. May it be a year of success and adventure, where, with unity of
vision and strong leadership we are able to take the treasure that we have been left and end the task proud of what we have
been able to do with it. It won’t always be easy - if it were we wouldn’t be setting our sights high enough.
Alan Thompson
a.thompson@sacschool.com
Balloon Week 2015 was a wonderful success
NEC ASPERA TERRENT
St Andrew’s College Newsletter 23 October 2015
Announcement of Prefects - 2016
Deputy Head Prefect Martin Kruger, Mr Alan Thompson, Headmaster and Head Prefect Sazi Sandi
Armstrong
Head of House
Deputy Head of House
House Prefects
Espin
Head of House
Deputy Head of House
House Prefects
Graham
Head of House
Deputy Head of House
House Prefects
Sazi Sandi
James Kirkpatrick
(additional College Prefect)
Timothy Bloem
Andrew Joubert
Bruce Phillips
Angus Cook
William Marx
Jamie Wood, Michael Ford
Thomas Stevens
Matthew Stainforth
Dylan Myburgh
Liam Sofianos
Kieran Van Oldenborgh
Merriman
Head of House
Deputy Head of House
House Prefects
Mullins
Head of House
Deputy Head of House
House Prefects
Upper
Head of House
Deputy Head of House
House Prefects
Portfolio Prefects
Academic Portfolio
Chapel Portfolio
Community engagement Portfolio
President’s Award
Culture and Ceremonies Portfolio
Dayboy Portfolio
Environmental Issues Portfolio
Marketing Portfolio
Sport and Recreation Portfolio
Student Affairs Portfolio
: Nicholas Kroon
: James Wilson
: Guto Ocharo
: Kieran Van Oldenborgh
: Zak Schlebusch
: Sachin May
: Thomas Wait
: William Marx
: Tim Bloem
: James Kirkpatrick
: Jamie Wood
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Guto Ocharo
James Wilson
Mathew van der Nest, Robbie Fietze
Martin Kruger
Markus Zahn
Zak Schlebusch, Craig Stow,
Michael Turner, NJ van Jaarsveld
Dylan Hawkes
John Maree
(additional College Prefect)
Nicolas Murray, Vuyo Ketwa,
Douglas Ramsden, Daniel Rose
St Andrew’s College Newsletter 23 October 2015
Balloon Week filled with Cultural contributions
The Art, Dance, Drama and Music departments all made substantial contributions to the undoubted success of Balloon
Week 2015. The Chapel Choir’s singing at the Confirmation Service and the beautiful Valedictory Service significantly
enhanced the quality of worship for the whole community. A record number of 70 boys were confirmed at this year’s service.
The Art Exhibition was breath-taking and awe-inspiring in terms of the quality, quantity and depth of expression on display.
The String Ensemble also lent an air of sophistication to the proceedings. All in all, it was a fitting tribute and farewell to Ms
Cindy Britz who leaves us at the end of the year.
The actual Prize-Giving ceremony up at the Monument Theatre was run like a well-oiled train, courtesy of the inimitable
skills of Mr Wesley Deintje. It was awash with cultural contributions. The extract from Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana was a
crowd-pleaser of note as was the musical piece 400% by the Pipers in conjunction with the joint orchestra. A true musical
and performance masterpiece. The speeches were exemplary and was interweaved with various musical accompaniments.
The Retreat Ceremony saw a proud display of school tradition etched into the very being of every boy on the field, and the
sound of Pipe Band set the tone for a memorable afternoon.
Carnival of the Animals
at the Music School
As a result of the current student protest action on the
Rhodes University campus, concerts that were supposed
to take place in Beethoven House were rescheduled
and held in the DR Wynne Music School. This was quite
fitting because of the involvement of DSG/SAC staff and
students: Tegan van der Merwe (piano), Claire Squires
(cello), Ms Lizzie Rennie (viola), Mr Kwazi Mkula
(double bass) and Mr Johan Pretorius (conductor).
The performances were of the famous Carnival of the
Animals by Camille Saint-Saёns together with pictures
and narration. The mid-morning recitals were performed
to audiences from various primary schools. The Music
School was only too happy to be associated with this
Rhodes University initiative.
Cultural Tour August 2016
There are a few places still available for the ten-day tour to London, Edinburgh and Paris taking place during August 2016.
The tour has been tailored to the Grades 10 and 11 Arts’ pupils; Dramatic and Visual Arts, Design, Dance and Music. We
are very excited at the prospect of giving our pupils the opportunity to immerse themselves in the arts: not only will they
enjoy visiting renowned capitals but the experience will extend their knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the
arts. If you are interested in receiving the itinerary and other details of the tour please contact s.baker@dsgschool.com
NEC ASPERA TERRENT
St Andrew’s College Newsletter 23 October 2015
Community Engagement News
Jozanna Exchange
St Andrew’s College and DSG in conjunction with the Jozanna Foundation
hosted seven students and a Learner Assistant from Sterkspruit from 4 to
10 October. The purpose of the visit was for the visitors to broaden their
educational horizons and gain insight into the possible directions that they
might take in their educational careers. The visitors come from rural schools
in which the Jozanna Foundation is committed to providing various activities
to encourage pupils with potential to work hard and aspire to continue their
studies despite their trying circumstances. The students were accommodated
in houses across DSG and St Andrew’s and attended Grade 10 classes
across both campuses. Mr Lethoba, the Learner Assistant observed a variety
of different classes. With a specific focus on Life Science, Natural Science
and Geography.
The visitors were taken on a short tour of Grahamstown on Thursday
afternoon with a group of DSG girls acting as hosts. They were taken up to the 1820 Settler Monument where the girls
explained more about the National Arts and Science Festivals that the monument hosts annually. This was followed by a
visit with Margaret Ngcangca from the Home of Joy were the pupils had tea with her twenty two children, all of whom have
been rescued and many of whom are physically disabled. The tour ended with some team building activities at Hobbitonon-Fairewood where the children were introduced to the concept of Outdoor Education.
Saturday morning was spent exploring Rhodes University. Miss Pretorius took the group on a walking tour of campus and
discussed the different courses on offer at Rhodes as well as those at other universities within South Africa. Guidance was
given on alternative methods of funding tertiary studies and application procedures. Much fun was had wandering around
the Botanical Gardens and this proved to be a happy end to what was a rewarding exchange.
St Matthew’s Staff Visit
St Andrew’s College have a long-standing relationship with St Matthew’s as both schools were founded by John Armstrong.
As part of this ongoing relationship and in celebration of our shared roots, an annual scholar and staff exchange takes place.
Members of the College staff visited St Matthew’s earlier in the year with the reciprocal visit taking place on Wednesday 21
October. Six members of the St Matthew’s staff from a variety of different departments spent the morning observing lessons.
Lunchtime was spent strategising for the upcoming year, before our visitors were bid farewell for their long trip back to the
Keiskammahoek.
It’s all in the “jeans”
Peace, love, security and respect for human rights are the
cornerstones for human dignity and life, and even more so
for persons with disabilities. National Down Syndrome Day is
commemorated to create awareness about Down Syndrome and
falls on 20 October of each year. St Andrew’s College and the
DSG showed their support for this initiative by launching an “It’s
in the ‘jeans’” campaign. Each learner was given the opportunity
to wear jeans to school in support of genetic disorders, such as
Down Syndrome. A donation was made to Kuyasa School for
Specialised Education which provides an adapted curriculum for
over 150 learners with learning difficulties in our community. A
further contribution was made to the Down Syndrome Association
in Port Elizabeth. College looks forward to making this an annual
event in order to demonstrate support and help create awareness
about different genetic disorders.
NEC ASPERA TERRENT
St Andrew’s College Newsletter 23 October 2015
Sport
Balloon Week has come and gone! What a wonderful celebration of all that is good at College. It never fails to re-inforce how
privileged I feel to work at this wonderful school. The amazing presentations by the boys at Prize-Giving, the extraordinary
musical performance and the wonderful art on display in the Centenary Hall, set the scene for a moving Retreat Parade, a
fun-filled Interhouse Relay Event and an exciting Sports Day. The weather was kind to us this year and the rain stayed away
for both the Retreat Parade and Sports Day!
The Interhouse Relays proved to be a vibey, happy affair with the mix of girls and boys providing a relaxed and bubbly
environment. Upper House prevailed on the day with consistent performances across the board. Upper were to dominate
the Sports Day, winning both the Junior points trophy and the overall Saner Cup.
Prior to Balloon Week our cricketers took on Kingswood College with good results. All but one fixture was one by College.
The 1st XI encounter was a very low-scoring affair on a difficult pitch. After bowling Kingswood out for just 115 and after the
loss of 4 early wickets Tom Lane and Bruce Phillips steadied the ship and the match was won by 3 wickets. This past week
Union High sent two sides down to play us, with the 1st XI game being washed out after College made 234/7 with Bruce
Phillips, Chris Benjamin and Ross Ferguson contributing most of the runs. When the rain came Union High were 40/4 after
22 overs. Our U15B side lost to their U15A side.
The finals of the Interhouse Squash was played two Fridays ago with Upper
beating Espin in the Junior event and Espin narrowly beating Graham in the
senior event.
Our U16 Water Polo team took part in the Durban High School Festival where
they did very well to reach the final stages. During Half-Term our new-look 1st
Team played at the Pearson Stayers Tournament beating all the local opposition
convincingly to win this event.
The finals of the School Tennis Champs took place on Tuesday last week with
Murray Long beating Bruce Phillips in the Open Final, Murray Koster beating
Scott Cuthbert in the U16 Final, Christian Roebert beating Mzolisi Dotwana in the
U15 Final and Dylan Bowker beating Ignus Potgieter in the U14 Final.
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The 1st Water Polo team after their win at the
Stayers Tournament
St Andrew’s College Newsletter 23 October 2015
A team of four boys qualified to take part in the SA National Air Rifle
Champs in Klerksdorp two weeks ago. The U16 team of Jonathan
Campbell, Nathan Graham and Andre Renaud secured the silver medal
in the team event. The Shooting Finals took place last Wednesday
morning with both the Archery and Air Rifle events being shot according
to the Olympic-style elimination format. Andre Renaud just pipped Jared
Hohne by 169 points to 166 in the Air Rifle event, whilst David Fick beat
Grant Price in the Archery event.
The Rowing Club travelled to Knysna for the Knysna Midway Classic and
Heads Regatta. All crews performed really well winning all the VIII’s events
and every boy coming away with a medal of some sort. Unfortunately the
1st VIII got caught up in a sand bank in the Heads Race which denied
them the win. This all augurs well for the Club going forward.
David Fick won the Archery event
Our 1st Water Polo team are away at the St Stithian’s Festival this
weekend where they will have the opportunity to pit themselves against the Stayers teams from the leading water polo
schools in the country. This will be a true test of their potential going forward. The U14 Water Polo team are attending the
Grey Bloem Tournament this weekend.
This weekend the Cricket Club take on Grey High School, with the 1st XI in PE. This is always a real test of our ability and
we will need to be at the top of our game to come away with the results. This term all games are played in a limited overs
format.
Our Basketballers will be traveling to Grey on Saturday, with the 1st Team
game being played at 12h00. The 2nds and U14s will also be in action.
After some very exciting knockout rugby at the World Cup last weekend,
the stage is set for some epic semi-final action. Let’s hope that the Bokke
can upset the applecart and put one over the mighty All Blacks. There is
no harm in carrying the underdog label! Have a great weekend.
Kind regards
Pete Andrew
Director of Sport
C
Upcoming Events
Friday 23 October
15h00 Tennis vs Graeme College
Saturday 24 October
09h00 Basketball vs Grey in Port Elizabeth
09h00 Cricket vs Grey in Port Elizabeth
Tuesday 27 October
18h30 Information Evening in Johannesburg
Wednesday 28 October08h00 Water Polo U14 vs Grey in Port Elizabeth
17h30
Senior Open Concert
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St Andrew’s College Newsletter 23 October 2015
matric parents
your MySchool card never expires!
You have a choice:
• continue to support your current school.
• change your beneficiary to a charity organisation close to your heart.
• add one or two charity organisations and help raise funds for 3 beneficiaries.
To add or change your beneficiary:
Call: 0860 100 445
Online: www.myschool.co.za
Email: cs@myschool.co.za
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