St Johns Preparatory School

St Johns Preparatory School Houghton Tel: 011 645 3100/ 087 55 0473 29th November 2013 Newsletter Number 11

From the Headmaster

As I reflect back on this past year, I am reminded about the countless celebrations, new initiatives, victories, losses, joyful times as well as sad ones. I do look back with a great deal of pride and we all, 02/12 BRAINPOWER WEEK boys, parents and teachers are so privileged to be Travelling Bookshop part of this wonderful institution, St Johns. 02/12 Prize Giving (Linder Auditorium)
03/12 Reports Emailed Home Valedictory Mass (Chapel) I sometimes wonder which time, activity or initiative UIII Leavers Breakfast (REA) was my favourite or most proud moment, however, 04/12 Final Assembly (Big School) there were so many it is difficult to choose just one. 10h00 School Closes

Reminders from the Diary

I would, however, like to tell you about one initiative which has become very close to my heart The St Johns - Masibambane Intern Programme.

For the last few years I have been racking my brain as to how we can find and develop teachers, not only for St Johns, but for the country as well. Then Pieter Steyn, the headmaster of Masibambane and I had a conversation and decided to do something with the Masibambanes first matric class this year. A St Johns Masibambane selection committee was formed and is led by Pier Myburgh. The last nine months have been quite phenomenal and we are ready to implement the programme next year. We have identified 13 possible candidates for the programme. Over the last nine months these candidates have been exposed to numerous initiatives to help them qualify as interns such as: a career day, FAMSA talks, life goal workshops, winter and spring schools at St Johns, class experience, psychological help, aptitude tests as well as one-onone mentoring. All the candidates are proving to be the most wonderful young men and women and its going to be very difficult to select the finalists this week.

or at any other school for that matter. The programme will roll over each year and so after four years, it is envisaged to have around 20 teachers in total.

Below is a brief synopsis of what has happened this year and if anyone would like to help with The idea is that next year the selected candidates the programme, be it with will stay at St Johns and experience the practical side to teaching whilst studying their BEds through fundraising, mentoring or even a donation, please feel free to come UNISA. The BEd course is a four year course. The in and chat. aim is that after four years, we will have enabled four young people to be qualified as teachers whom either St Johns could employ or they can go back PATRICK LEES and teach in their own communities ...

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St Johns Preparatory School

Newsletter
2013

St Johns-Masibambane Internship Programme

Education is the great engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mineworker can become the head of a mine, that the child of farm workers can become the president. Nelson Mandela

Background What we do

eacher shortages in South Africa have reached epidemic levels, affecting not only the quality of education that our children receive, but also their ability to develop to their full potential and follow their dreams. The St Johns-Masibambane Internship Programme has been designed to nurture a future generation of teachers. The Programme offers financial, academic and emotional support to matrics from Masibambane College in Orange Farm, to encourage them to perform to the best of their ability. Selected candidates from Masibambane College will then be offered a full bursary to study for a teaching degree through UNISA while completing a teachers internship at St Johns College. This will provide them with the opportunity to gather four years invaluable work experience in the classrooms at one of the leading schools in South Africa.

The Programme Plan

he Internship is not a social handout. Instead, we are offering financial assistance, academic and emotional support, and quality work experience to children who are willing to go the extra mile to help themselves. This is a true social investment: the return on investment will be the development of passionate, well-trained and dedicated teachers, to teach at St Johns, Masibambane and other South African schools.

The Programme consists of five-year cycles, divided into two parts. A cycle starts at the beginning of each year, so that after five years, five cycles will run concurrently. The two parts of a cycle are: Matric support (one year): The provision of academic, e motional and p astoral support for selected matric candidates where needed, to ensure a good university pass; and UNISA studies (four years): The provision of financial support (accommodation, living expenses, travel and UNISA fees); emotional, academic and pastoral support,

where needed; and an internship at St Johns to provide hands-on teaching experience.

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YEAR END REFLECTIONS Dear Parents It is hard to believe that another school year has come to an end so quickly. It is at times such as this that you take the opportunity to pause and reflect on the year that has gone before and set your thoughts on the possibilities which lie ahead. As I reflect I cant help but be proud of the wonderful efforts and achievements of our boys, staff and you, the community over the past year. The rich fabric of opportunities for boys at St Johns and the collective efforts of everyone involved to help boys access these opportunities is truly commendable. Shows, performance evenings, projects, field trips, camps, school visits, sports days, and the list of other events too long to mention, are what makes St Johns the community school we all know and love. For new teachers and boys, this first year may have been similar to being swept up in a powerful tidal wave of information, methodology and testing, often turbulent waters. May I take this opportunity to say Well done! to all new teachers and boys this year. For veteran teachers, it's perhaps comparable to running a marathon. Just when one thinks the last ounce of energy and motivation are exhausted and spent, we manage to summon a burst of creativity that gives us a boost to power on towards the end. Although each school year is similar in routine and procedure, they are also as unique and individual as fingerprints. In one aspect or another, teachers powerfully impact the lives of each one of our boys. Each classroom is an extended family and community who live, play, work and co-exist together. The end of the school year closes the door on many months of establishing relationships with our boys. Yes, teachers keep many relationships with their boys years after they move on, but it's very different from the daily classroom contact and interaction. With the closing of the school year our boys face another transition. Ending or beginning a school year for a child, be it a boy just beginning his primary years or a high school student, would be comparable to an adult starting a new job every year. Boys will be placed in a new environment, given new expectations, and surrounded by a new peer group. Children by their very nature are amazingly adaptable and resilient, but ending one school year and preparing to transition to another one remains a huge change. For many children it's a very emotional time of saying goodbyes to teachers, friends and preparing for the next academic step.

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Each school year remains a journey for both teachers and students. Both learn from each other, and will ultimately carry with them memories, knowledge and experiences that will last a lifetime. What an incredible and special journey we share! I would like to thank our 2013 UIII boys for their wonderful and many positive contributions this year. This has been a lovely group of boys to work with and I am confident that they will continue their race with much vigour and enthusiasm next year in high school. To all St Johns families, I wish you a wonderful holiday. Thank you for the enormous role you have played in your sons lives this year. May you experience the blessing and real meaning of Christmas. Kind regards Craig Verdal-Austin Second Master 010 492 0116 verdal@stjohnscollege.co.za

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Reflecting on my first year at St Johns, it amazes me how much the boys in the Prep School have managed to achieve over the course of the year! I have witnessed joy in which they find in coming to school each and every day. It is incredible to observe the pride, which they feel for their school; the willingness to support their friends on the sports field and in cultural activities, as well as, reaching out to those who are in need. The number of rich learning experiences that the Prep boys have been exposed to is almost incomprehensible. As their Music teacher, I am fortunate to teach and get to know all the boys in the Prep School, whether it be for Class Music, Choir or Marimba rehearsals. The Music classroom is a vibrant place with plenty of lively energy! Over the past few weeks, the UIs have been learning about the instruments of the Symphony Orchestra. They were fortunate to attend an orchestral performance at the Linder Auditorium of Peter and the Wolf. Peter and the Wolf is a children's tale that, through specific musical themes created for each character, explores the different instruments in an orchestra. The boys thoroughly enjoyed the captivating story and seemed to take delight in writing their own rendition of the story from the Wolfs point of view. The LIIs enjoyed playing Silent Night on the Glockenspiels in preparation for the end of years Christmas festivities. The UIIs have been involved with a variety of creative music activities producing their own lyrics to simple melodies and adding movement sequences, as well as, creating accompanying instrumental patterns. The focus this term in Music for the LIIIs has been on the theme of Music at the Movies. During one of the activities, the boys in LIIIR were given the task of becoming Foley Artists and composing sound effects to a short animation clip. Their creative juices were flowing and the final results were fantastic. We all enjoyed listening to everyones amusing effects. The UIII Marimba Band ended the year off with a party. Some of the boys have been a member of the band since they joined in UI. My first year at St Johns has been a memorable one and thanks goes out to the amazing team of staff and boys that I have had the privilege to get to know and work with this year.

Shannon Frigyik fridgyik@stjohnscollege.co.za

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Music

The Senior Prep trebles combined with the College choir during a performance of Morten Lauridsen's "Dirait on".

The choir doing an African move during a performance at the Senior Schools' Choir festival at the Linder auditorium earlier this year.

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Although writing report comments tends to be a huge chore, it is a very revealing one and an important part of a teachers term. It gives us an opportunity to think about each boy individually, to really look at all the different aspects of his participation and to reflect on all of his experiences during the term. Not only does it give us insight into how he has performed but also, why he has performed as he has. What I find most interesting is that it gives me the opportunity to look at each boys attitude to sport. In my first year at university, I was keen to try out for the Maties hockey team. They were known as one of the best womens teams in the country and I thought that I would like to be a part of that. I had played good hockey at school and thought that I had a chance. I got through the first round of trials and then, in the second round, I fell and tore the patella tendon in my left knee. In the previous term, I had torn the cartilage in my right knee going over a hurdle and had spent three weeks in plaster. Now, it was six weeks in plaster and the end of my chances of playing hockey that season. How was I going to deal with it? Looking back, I dealt with it very badl I just didnt have the courage to go back the following season and try for the team again. The girls in my year had established a little hockey clique and I wasnt part of it. The greater threat was the new first-year students. Would younger girls, who I had known at school, be selected ahead of me? I never played hockey again. I have really regretted that decision but, at that time, avoiding failure was far more important to me than striving for success. What factors drive us to make those decisions? At the recent Sports Conference we hosted, Lizzie Nesbitt spoke to us about mind-sets. Her emphasis was on the mind-sets of teachers. She spoke about the growth mind-set as opposed to the fixed mind-set and how each affects our decisions, our performances and the way we teach. As I wrote my reports, it became more and more apparent to me that these mind-sets apply to our boys, too. Just as I avoided the indignity of not being selected for the Maties hockey team, many of our boys are so concerned with their performance and how they appear to others that they stunt their ability to learn and progress. Patrick Lees introduced us to Carol Dweck, the mastermind behind the theories that Lizzie Nesbitt discussed at the conference. Dweck refers to the type of mind-set that I displayed as a Performance mind-set. My only concern was my performance at that given time and in relation to the performance of others. I didnt consider the fact that, no matter what the outcome of the trials, I would have grown from the experience and, even if I had only made the 4th side, I could have continued playing hockey and progressed from there.

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A child with a Performance mind-set focuses on how he appears to others and, in order to avoid appearing incompetent, he tends to avoid challenges and gives up easily. He doesnt like to be criticised and tends to consider helpful criticism an indictment rather than an aid. He often believes that if he cant do an exercise perfectly the first time, he will never be able to do it and feels threatened by other children who he perceives to be better than he is. In Dwecks language, the opposite of the Performance mind-set would be the Mastery mind-set where the child is motivated to participate simply by the joy of learning. He never feels that he needs to impress anybody, he loves a challenge, he perseveres until he has mastered the task, he learns from criticism and he is inspired by those who are better than he is. Surely, life must be a whole lot easier for children who have a Mastery mind-set? They never have the pressure of feeling that they have to impress. I certainly wish that I had had a different mind-set when I was 18. Unfortunately, our children live in a society where they are constantly being bombarded by stimuli that reinforce the Performance mind-set. Live coverage of sports events, images of sports heroes, our school league systems and talk of winning leads them to believe that their worth depends on their success. At Prep school level, learning should be the main outcome, not performance. However, if the learning is good, the performance will follow. A while ago, I had a parent tell me that her daughter didnt want to swim because she had been selected to swim for the B team and that she was so used to being the best that she would rather not swim at all than swim in the B team. This child was fast over 25m but her strokes were by no means perfect and she had a lot of learning to do. Unfortunately, her mind-set prevented her from reaching her full potential because, as I was, she was not prepared to suffer the indignity of being told that she was not good enough. In our day-to-day teaching, we work through our programmes and try our best to give every boy the opportunity to develop the skills to be the best that he can be, but, I find, that it is in our report-writing, when we summarise the abilities and the attitudes of every boy, that his mind-set is revealed. Although there are many factors that influence the mind-sets of children, and I am aware that school only contributes a small part of that, I hope that the manner in which we motivate our boys to participate will influence them to have a growth, or Mastery mind-set rather than a Performance mind-set and that unlike me, they will strive to learn and grow, rather than spend their lives avoiding failure. Lynn Joubert joubert@stjohnscollege.co.za

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Cricket

The SJP 2nd XI on their KwaZulu-Natal cricket tour after beating Thomas More in their opening fixture

The SJP 1st XI vs the Old Johannians in its traditional closing fixture of the season.

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Tarun Gupta was fortunate to receive some valuable tips from the legendary Clive Rice

U9A vs Trinity House in their last Saturday cricket fixture of the term

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The SJP 2nd XI vs the Old Johannians in its traditional end of season fixture. Our boys posted a huge total and managed to defend it comfortably!

The SJP U11B participating in the Beaulieu Preparatory U11 20/20 Cricket Festival

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Beaulieu Festival

A victorious 2nd XI with a convincing win over KEPS

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During half term the U10, U11, the firsts and second cricket boys went on a tour to Hillcrest in Durban. Mr Lees, Mr Verdal-Austin and Mr Logan all came to see us off at 6 oclock on Thursday morning. We travelled in two buses. We first went to Thomas Moore College. The firsts and the U11As played as soon as we arrived. St Johns batted first and scored 134 for 4. Well done to M Bester who scored 50 runs not out, and A Malik who scored 19 not out. Good bowling by A Barrow, 2 wickets for 4 runs; J Samson , 2 for 25 and D Lowery 3 for 12. Thomas Moore were 117 for 7. The U11s won by 17 runs. The firsts put up a great performance but were unlucky in the end to loose by a fractional score. After the games, all the boys were divided into groups of two or three and we departed with our hosts. On Friday morning the U11s and the firsts went to Umhlanga beach. The afternoon was spent at Gateway where we ate lunch. The 2nd team and the U10s were then playing their games against Thomas Moore. On the Saturday afternoon we played against Highbury. Dark clouds were building up and we wondered if we would be able to finish our games. The U11s batted first and scored 157 runs for 4 wickets. K Lion-Cachet scored 53, D Segal 36 and Nathan Bothma 26. Nathan hit a huge six and smashed a cars windscreen that was parked next to the boundary! Highbury scored 159 for 8. The St Johns bowling was good. A Malik took 4 wickets for 24. It was a very close game but Highbury won by two wickets. We were lucky to finish our game. As soon as we got into the cars with our host parents the heavens opened. Well done to all the boys on a good tour! A special thank you to Mr O Mahony, Mr Sammons, Mr Harrison, Mr Johnston and Mr Gunning for taking us on a wonderful tour. Keagan Lion-Cachet

U10A Cricket Tour to Kwa Zulu Natal

Hello everybody, I am Kieran, the wicket keeper, Anderson for the U10A cricket team. I guess youve heard of me so, hold the applause for later please. We left for Durban at the crack of dawn on Thursday morning. The bus was really snazzy and belonged to cricket South Africa. It had comfy seats, hand rests, and a 28 inch TV. It also had a toilet on board. It took us eight hours to get to Durban, where our first stop was the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium, the home of the Sunfoil Dolphins and we had a tour of the stadium as well as the Dolphins locker room. That was absolutely awesome. As if that wasnt enough excitement for one day, we went to the shark tank. After a great game of beach rugby, we went to the Thomas Moore school and watched the 1st team play. We got paired up with our buddies. My host was a boy called Brad. The next day we went to the beach and most of us swam and bought mini doughnuts. We then went to change into our cricket kit and played our first game which we won! After a dinner of pizza we crashed into bed from exhaustion. Bright an early the next morning we arrived at Highbury for our game. I could see from the faces of my team mates that they all had too many late nights. Needless to say we did not win our next game. After the game we went with the Highbury hosts for the night. It was a brilliant tour, we had lots of fun with our fellow team mates and cant wait till the next cricket tour. We will try and keep the late nights to a minimum next time!

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U10A Cricket Tour To KWA Zulu Natal It was very exciting to arrive at school at 05h30 on Thursday morning to catch our bus to KZN. It looked just like a junior Proteas bus and was very comfortable for the long journey. When we got to Durban, we headed straight for the beach and despite Mr Gunnings instruction to keep dry, a few people got wet anyway. We then went to Thomas More School where we met the people who would be our hosts for the first two nights. Their cricket oval has a great view and you can even see the sea in the distance. My hosts at both schools were very friendly and I picked up a few tips on how to make visiting teams feel welcome, just in case I have to host boys one day. Unfortunately, I bowled my Thomas Moore host out for a golden duck during the match and St Johns won by 37 runs. Luckily, he was a jolly good sport. Our Thomas Moore hosts warned us that Highbury has a strong U10A team so we were prepared for a tough match. We gave it our best shot, but lost by 59 runs. James and I played cricket with our Highbury host all afternoon, and then Jake and Luke came with their host for supper that night. We all had a great time. On Sunday morning we were handed over to our parents at Highbury, with so much fun and games during the tour we hadnt had a chance to miss them at all. I think they had a lot of fun on tour too. I feel very lucky to have had such an experience. It was great to spend half term with friends who love cricket and make some new ones too. The cricket was also pretty good and the St Johns Prep coaches planned the tour very well. Mr Gunning, the U10A coach, especially deserves heaps of praise and thanks from his team. Mr Gunning, you are tops! Alistair Campbell

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KZN Cricket Tour

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Rowing

St Johns Prep U14 Rowing Team

Back Row: Matthew Chamberlin, Zac Coetzee, Christopher Williams and Mr Alan Page Front Row: Michael Omand, James Arthur, Daniel Louw and Christopher Stride

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Matthew Chamberlain, Zac Coetzee, Christopher Williams, Mr Alan Page and Daniel Lowu

Sam Harding, Alain Page and Daniel Louw

Mr Alan Page, James Arthur, Donato Moodie and Daniel Burke

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On the weekend of the 2nd and 3rd of November, the St Johns College Rowing club participated in the Gauteng Rowing Championships. For most of the boys in our U14 rowing group this was our first major regatta. The first day consisted of mainly boat unpacking and rigging for most age groups. It also included our biggest event, the U14 Oct. Our A and B octs performed very well with our A oct winning gold and our B oct also performing very well by making the A finals. Unfortunately, they missed winning any medals and our A scull narrowly missing a medal by coming 4th. After that we were able to enjoy the wide variety of stalls available at the event. There were sports drink stalls, sweets stalls and a stall with Gauteng Champs memorabilia. The most popular stalls were the food stalls (being teenage boys) and of course the stall where we would collect our medals. We all enjoyed the atmosphere on the first day before going to support the first four. The first four performed very well and SJC came 1st. On the second day we were all very excited because of our victories on the first day. On the second day we competed in our quads which is less prestigious but much more tightly matched than the oct. We performed very well in the heats and we got two quads into the A final. We managed to get a gold and our B quad narrowly missed medals. We then all gathered to support our 1st eight and they made us proud by winning gold. The day ended with prize giving and we were able to congratulate all those who won their races. The overall winner is always a big deal. St Stithians came third and it was between us and our main rivals St Bennies for the top two positions. Unfortunately we came second (even though we had won gold in most of the main races) and were still very proud of our efforts. We then packed up boats and headed home feeling very proud after a very successful weekend. Matthew Chamberlin

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U14, Gold winning, Octuple Skull

U14, Gold winning, Quadruple Skull

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Individual Achievements
Judo
Joshua Botha, UI, took part in the South Africa Open Championships in July this year, winning a silver medal. He was chosen to represent Central Gauteng in the Team Events at the South African Open Championships and won a bronze medal. He then took part in the South African Schools Championships that were held on 28 and 29 September 2013 in Gauteng and achieved a gold medal. On the 1st of November he was ranked National Number 1 - Boys 10 years under 50kgs, Champion of Champions 2013 - Boys 10 years under 50kgs and awarded Full Central Gauteng Provincial Colours 2013. Well done, Joshua!

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Tennis

1st Team Tennis boys at the St David's Tennis Tournament, well done to the team on coming first!

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Music
The following boys wrote their Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (London) music theory exam. Well done, boys!

ANDI GREGORY HANSIN NICHOLAS JACK MAXWELL MILAN MATTHEW MATTHEW BRANDON ANDREW ZIZWE SEAN EMIN JAMES SAMUEL BRENDAN ALEXANDER WARICK THENDO NICHOLAS HARRY

QU BASSLIAN PREMA THIEL STEWART MILELLA PRIORESCHI MONTEITH APPLEYARD BADENHORST RANEY DLAMINI POOLE YILMAZ CALDWELL-SMITH HARDING THOMAS WHITEHEAD ROUX MUDAU MOSCHIDES MYBURGH

4 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3

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Enjoyable, essential holiday fun for your son reading for the love of it!
In a world where spellcheck takes care of problematic spelling, and typing hides a multitude of illegible scribbles, to date there is no widely available machine or gadget that will do reading for us. In fact our need to read and to read fluently and with understanding has increased dramatically with the proliferation of easily accessible information from a multitude of sources. This is a simple fact of our information age. Translating huge volumes of information into knowledge can only be done with habitual reading and the resulting understanding. But, for all of us and especially those who are reluctant readers, the solution is a straightforward one - the act of reading should simply be viewed as an end in itself, not a means to an end. The sheer thrill of being engaged in an absorbing story should be motivation enough for us to carry on and on reading. The key to successful reading is reading for the love of it. If a child reads regularly for the sheer love of it, all the other positive spinoffs such as; increased vocabulary, deeper comprehension, ability to interpret and analyse a text, evaluate and even create his own knowledge, will fall into place, over a period of time. Stephen Krashen, author of The Power of Reading uses his own experience as an example of just this. He asserts that his curriculum at school, as well as at university was set by himself, through what he read and he read voraciously, habitually and widely. Only once he chose Linguistics as his post-graduate field of study, did he read specifically, every available text on that subject, and for him, it read like a narrative. He had the vocabulary, built up over years of intensive and interesting reading, to make meaning of these academic texts. The ability to read academic texts with ease was the unintentional result of his reading for pleasure. He wasnt taught it, he imbibed it because he read what he wanted to. Here are some simple guidelines to the development of the highest levels of academic reading: 1. It starts with the nightly habit of reading aloud to children from a very young age right up until thirteen and beyond. This one-on-one, quiet, intimate time is invaluable in the development of a passion for reading and for inculcating it as a daily habit in the most pleasant and gentle way. Children are made readers on the laps of their parents Emilie Buchwald

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2. Self-selected reading. Allowing children to choose exactly what they want to read and to enjoy their reading is of paramount importance. In the Prep Library, we go out of our way to ensure that there is something for everyone to read and delight in. As much as possible we do not prevent boys from reading whatever genre takes their fancy, including graphic novels, comics and cartoons. These are especially enjoyed by our more reluctant readers. There is no such thing as a child who hates to read; there are only children who have not found the right book. Frank Serafini Comics are a gateway drug to literacy. Art Spiegelman 3. If we can make reading our childrens preferred go to recreational activity, we are heading in the right direction. By no means does it need to be his exclusive form of recreation, but all it takes to establish that habit is half an hour a day of uninterrupted reading. Krashen says, Want to become a better basketball player? Then practise. Want to become a better guitar player? Then practise. And guess what, if you want to become a better reader, then read for pleasure! On Monday and Tuesday next week, the boys will be able to take books out for the December holidays. If you would like any guidance, or just to chat about your sons reading, please come in and see us. Reading should not be presented to children as a chore or duty. It should be offered to them as a precious gift. Kate DiCamillo Krashen, Stephen (2004) The Power of Reading. Libraries Unlimited Nikki Sulter sulter@stjohnscollege.co.za

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Apple iLife Awards 2013

It was Wednesday 27th of November, when we went to Monte Casino, for the Apple in Education Awards, otherwise known as the iLife Competition. This contest allows schools to enter many different videos, across several categories, and the top 3 entries in each go to the finals. Over seven hundred entries had been submitted. St Johns boys had entered three videos, and two of them got through to the finals. Our video for the Curriculum Projects Grade 5-7 Category was done in History class, and it involved the creation of a trailer for a movie about the assassination of Franz Ferdinand. The other video, for the Artistic Excellence Category, was on a scene from the book Skellig By David Almond. We arrived at Monte Casino, and waited outside the theatre as our group members arrived. We were glad to see our friend Gustav, who had come from England to visit SA in time for the competition. He was a very valuable member of the team during the filming of our Skellig movie. Popcorn and drinks greeted us at our seats inside, and the event was underway. After a brief introduction, the prize giving began. In each category, there were several age groups, from Grade 1 to 12. Our History Trailer was announced, and later our Skellig film, with our other finalists shown. We came second for both of them! Afterwards, I was worried that I would be disappointed, but as we collected our certificates, I couldnt have felt better. I was proud of both of our videos, and making it to the finals, out of all of those people, was an achievement in itself. In conclusion, I would like to recommend the iLife Competition for anyone who wishes to improve their filming, have their movies fairly judged, not to mention winning fantastic Apple Prizes, for you and your team. By Sam Harding

Congratulations to our Upper III boys on achieving superb results in the iLife finals. Well done to Sam Harding, Chris Stride, Gustav Durlind, Zak Coetzee, James Caldwell-Smith, Chris Williams and Thomas Deppe we are so proud of you! Mrs Long

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4CTea
Tropical Rain Forest Booklet Matthew Macartney Bryce Read Murray Mathews

Cricket Jacob Joseph Ntokozo Dlamini

Excellent Music Results Mr Verdal-Austin

Walking a boy to KEPS Gibran Sayegh Nikhil Haripershad

Fizz Bang Pop Matthew McLean

Helping with the UIII Desks Warick Rouw

Conquesta Silver Medal Matthew McLean

Conquesta Bronza Medal Zizwe Dlamini

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The Upper III group produced the interesting and most creative puppets on Wilhelm II. The immaculately groomed and proud Kaiser would have been most impressed indeed!

Thomas Deppe

Alexander Thiel

Matthew Chamberlin

Dominic Moodie

Shane Mammen

Keir Mantzios

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Jordan van der Walt hands over his LeadSA hero money to TLC orphanage, Samantha Hartshorne

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The Travelling Bookshop

Will be in the Fred England Centre

On Monday 2 (10H30-16H00) & Tuesday 3December (9H00-14H30)

Please come and browse this wonderful range of inexpensive books for sale. Great Christmas presents available!

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Notices
iCare
Whilst we hope and anticipate that all boys will feel able to approach their teachers or a member of staff should they feel that something is wrong, we understand that this will not always be the case. Some boys may feel unsure of how to approach a staff member or unsure of what they should say. For this reason we are continuing to use the iCare box, which is now located in Mrs Powells office. We also have an electronic version where boys can contact the Pastoral Care Team at iCare@stjohnscollege.co.za. The Pastoral Care team is hoping that the boys make use of these initiatives to highlight anything that they CARE about at St Johns Prep.

The aim is to provide the boys with an alternative avenue to voice their feelings around whatever may be on their minds. This extends beyond the reporting of just peer difficulties (such as bullying) the aim is to further enhance the quality of the St Johns experience. All notes placed in the box or sent via email will be treated confidentially and actions instituted where possible.

We ask that you encourage your son to make use of the iCare initiative so that we can make his day all that he hopes it can be. Hugo Meirim meirim@stjohnscollege.co.za

AFRIKAANS TUITION Is your son struggling to communicate in Afrikaans or having difficulty mastering the basics of the language (oral or written)? I am qualified to assist in both of the above areas and would be available to provide the necessary tuition between 15:00 and 18:00 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at St Johns Preparatory. Tuition will be provided on either a one-to-one basis or in group situations, lessons will last for an hour. Progress will be regularly monitored and pupils will be expected to perform certain tasks and complete basic written assignments. Tuition fees for individual lessons are R250 per hour and R150 per hour for group sessions. Should you be interested in the above, my contact details are as follows: Graham Carroll Tel : 011 534 1224 Fax : 011 534 1225 Cell : 076 858 9420

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St Johns Preparatory School

Notices
Art club and extra classes
From the beginning of next term, Mr Poco is starting an Art Club (for LIII and UIII boys) and extra art classes for junior boys. Senior boys are encouraged to join the Art Club on Tuesdays from 14h00 -15h00 or Thursdays from 15h00-16h00. Juniors may arrange extra art lessons with Mr Poco at alternative times and on alternative days. We hope to see the senior boys joining the Art Club to create various exciting art works with mediums they do not normally use in class, such as print making, photography, oil painting and many more. This will be a fantastic opportunity for any boy who wishes to develop his art skills. For further information e-mail Bruno Poco on poco@stjohnscollege.co.za

Italian Language Lessons

Small age appropriate classes and individual tuition offered outside school hours at St Johns. Experienced mother-tongue graduate teacher using communicative method of conversation, maintaining cultural ties for solid IEB foundation. Contact Lisabetta on 082 682 2859 or Lisabetta@iafrica.com

Appeal For D&T Plastic bottle caps, softdrink, water, milk, all twist off bottle caps Thank You!

EXTRA MATHS LESSONS

Lower III & Upper III boys in Mrs de Langes classroom Every Thursday 14h00 - 15h00 (Teacher recommendation only)

Upper III Extra English Classes Tuesdays 14h15 to 15h00 Mrs Troleses Classroom

Shop At St Johns College New opening times from 28th January 2014
Tuesday and Thursday: 7am to 3pm Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 10am to 3pm For stationery and labels, as well as all your sports clothes, jerseys, bags and socks

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Be strong enough to face the world each day. Be weak enough to know you cannot do everything alone. Be generous enough to those who need your help. Be frugal with what you need yourself. Be wise enough to know that you do not know everything. Be trusting enough to believe in miracles. Be willing to share your joys. Be willing to share the sorrows of others. Be a leader when you see a path others have missed. Be a follower when you are shrouded in the midst of uncertainty. Be first to congratulate an opponent who succeeds. Be last to criticise a person who fails. Be sure of your final destination, in case you are going the wrong way. Be loving to those who love you. Be loving to those who do not love you, and they may change. Above all, be YOURSELF