Principal's Desk
The month of September brought the promise of flowers blooming and warmer weather, and the time to start packing away the winter wear. Some days were beautiful, other days made us think it was winter again. Nevertheless, we were grateful to watch the sunrise as we arrived at school.
All our Grade 8 to 11 learners were fully occupied with their Term 3 assessments, and our matriculants with their Trial Exams at this stage, which concluded by 22 September.
Thank you to our wonderful librarian, Ms Maela, staff, and learners were encouraged to dress as their favourite book character on Friday, 5 September. More than 200 learners surprised us with their costumes, and even several members of staff. Well done, Ms Maela!
It was a busy Friday, as the Chess team, accompanied by Mr Howard, Ms O’Connor, and Mr Lekay, embarked on the journey to Hermanus to compete in a Chess competition. The first game of the day saw the U19s being victorious with a 6-0 victory. It was a wonderful adventure, with everyone returning safely on Sunday afternoon. Thank you, staff!
We take this opportunity to also congratulate one of the team members, Malesela Moja, 16 years of age, now officially recognised as a SA Chess Online Coach.
That same evening, Mrs Vossgatter accompanied some of her dance learners to the Magnet Theatre in Cape Town for a dance performance titled “The Reservation” by Figure of 8. A fun time was had by all who attended the event. Thank you, Mrs Vossgatter, for this exposure for your dance learners!
Opportunities continued for the Dance learners when they were invited to attend Confluence 11, a Dance Conference at UCT. In attendance were delegates from Stellenbosch University, Brazil, and France.
An athlete does not train seasonally. Under the guidance of Mrs Cloete, our passionate Head of Athletics, our athletes continue to rise at the crack of dawn on weekends to train. Even on a public holiday, like 24 September. On Friday, 26, and Saturday, 27 September, Mrs Cloete accompanied the athletes to the Belgotex Athletics event at UWC. Approximately 85 schools competed, as far afield as Boland and Eden, with 1800 athletes participating, each one striving to deliver their very best. Another wonderful event was enjoyed by all the learners, and understandably quite exhausting for the athletes and Mrs Cloete. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to her for the sacrifice of her time and energy! To the parents who accompanied their children on both days, thank you for entrusting your learners to us and for the sacrifices that you make for all those early morning training sessions and late-night events. I hope your children appreciate what you are doing for them.
On Thursday evening, 18th September, staff, learners, family, friends, and parents were entertained by the Dance Department with a spectacular assortment of dance movements. Beautiful costumes and music allowed the learners to showcase all that they have learnt throughout the year. Well done, everyone, with a special word of thanks to Mrs Vossgatter for her perpetual enthusiasm and boundless energy as she brings out the best in her learners.
By Saturday, 20 September, visitors to Blue Route Mall could see that BHS would be hosting their 4th Annual Art Exhibition there, thanks to the generosity of its management team. On Monday, 29 September, at approximately 18h00, I officially welcomed everyone present to view and experience the masterpieces that our learners had spent several years creating. With a shorter time frame to complete, the matric art learners also had their final exam artwork on display. The exhibition did not disappoint! Thank you to all the art learners for sharing your creativity with us, and Mrs Shukla for your motivation and inspiration to the learners.
On Tuesday evening, 30 September, Mrs Hannibal, the Head of Music, extended an invitation to the parents and family members of our music learners. Members of staff were also invited and delighted to attend. The night was a memorable showcase of the wonderful talent we have come to know over the years, from vocals to ensembles to instrumentals. We were further entertained when the teachers showcased their talent, reaffirming why we appointed them. Well done, everyone!
This term has been an extremely taxing one for both staff and learners, with endless administrative demands. I also want to acknowledge our parent members of the SGB who have gone beyond the call of duty to fulfill their role at the school. Thank you so much!
Wishing everyone a well-deserved but short break from school!
Ps. The events that ended the term will be reflected in the October Buzz.
Mrs P Demas
PRINCIPAL