Principal's Desk
In the blink of an eye, Term 2 is done and dusted. A flurry of academics, a combination of sport and cultural activities, the highlights of Term 2 being the Camps Bay Derby Day.
Driving to school on Tuesday morning, it occurred to me that school life is like driving a car. Some of us choose a manual or automatic, but whatever your choice, you are in control of the direction you take. If you are driving a manual vehicle, your attention is more focused as you navigate a gear lever, whilst simultaneously managing the clutch, brakes, and accelerator pedals. Driving an automatic makes you slightly more relaxed, since once you are in drive mode, you only need to consider your indicators or brakes. Much like life, constant decisions about how fast or slow you will go and the repercussions of each decision you take.
Talking about taking a certain direction in life, today we bid farewell to 5 members of staff at the end of Term 2, who have served BHS well during their time with us. Some as short as a year and a half, and others as long as 12.5 years. Amongst these members of staff are:
Mr Kamfer – Afrikaans teacher, Rugby manager – heading to WBHS
Ms Meyer – Afrikaans teacher, managed the Book Club and Junior Boys Hockey team – crossing the seas to Thailand, a wonderful new adventure.
Ms Whitehorn – Maths teacher, 1st Team Girls’ Hockey and 1st Team Girls’ Tennis manager, and oversaw the Sewing Club – heads off to WGHS
Mr Siljeur – Maths teacher, Head of Soccer, instrumental in taking soccer to new heights, and initiated the Boys to Men group, which later became YMB (Young Men of Bergvliet).
Mr Pattenden – who started with us in 2012 as an intern – was offered a Geography teaching post, became the Tau House Head as well as one of our internal Department Heads. Coached and managed the 1st Team Boys’ Hockey and 1st Team Boys’ Tennis.
They were suitably honoured for their time and effort yesterday at our final assembly by both staff and learners.
They have each, in their way, played a vital role in shaping the character and culture of BHS, and while we’re sad to see them go, we are grateful for the time they have spent with our staff and the positive impact they have had on our learners. We wish them well on their respective journeys.
By the time you read this month’s letter, your child is back home for 3 weeks of rest. Unless you have other plans for them, like spring cleaning the home😊. More than likely, they will argue for sleep-ins and tell you how exhausted they are from a very busy term.
Please make every effort to sit alongside your child when you access their report. The mid-year exam period is a good indication of whether your child has applied themselves to their studies. When I think of the learners who are involved in the co-curricular programmes of the school, who offer their time for service portfolios, yet still achieve top 20 positions in their grade, I am exceptionally in awe of their success.
A weak academic performance this term is not the end of the world. What you and your child choose to do about it will be the determining factor in ensuring greater success for them for the rest of the year.
What is holding your child back academically, preventing them from learning to the best of their ability and participating in any of the many opportunities on offer to them?
Do make every effort to know what your child is doing over the holiday period, where they are going, and who they are socialising with.
We look forward to welcoming all our staff and learners back at the start of Term 3 on 22 July. We encourage everyone to stay safe whether travelling near or far, or staying at home.
Regards
Mrs P Demas
PRINCIPAL