From the Principal’s Desk – 24 June 2021
Dear Parents
In my last newsletter for the term I would like to refer to the photo above. The sun rises on a new day despite an intimidating bank of clouds that crowd over the school’s roof threatening to swamp it with their burgeoning mass. Above the mounting muscle, to the right, a vortex is visible, possibly bringing rain and adding to the sense of gloom and impending hardship.
And yet, if you look carefully, you’ll notice signs of hope. In the foreground, our little school stands strong and welcoming, Miss De Freitas’ door open and ready to draw in the first students to arrive at school. Pools of light warm the surface of the play area directly in front of the class, while a chorus line of wall lights throws its arms open invitingly to include all and sundry. Behind the clouds, daylight approaches. A new day is coming with all the promise that it holds. There is nothing to fear. The clouds will prove impotent, the vortex, an illusion and the gloominess will dissipate like so much moisture in the air.
Some storms are like that: all thunder and no rain. The storm we face as we prepare to go on winter break, is not one of those. It requires more of us than to merely put on the lights and open the door. I know: we are battle weary. We may feel that we do not want to put up with this anymore. We may wish to throw caution to the wind, come what may.
The truth is, though, that we are either part of the solution or part of the problem; either preventing or contributing to the rise in infections. There will be no reason to fear the onslaught of the third wave if we play our part. Stay home (without Uncle Cyril forcing you to do so), avoid social interaction as much as possible and do all you can to ensure that you do not contribute to spreading the virus.
After a busy term, there is no better time to withdraw and use the time to regroup. Reconnect with your family. More than ever, your children need to hear the stories of your childhood. They need to find the joy in the little things – we all do! Build a puzzle together as a family; cook together; learn a new craft as a family. Teach your children to dance. Teach them about light, about new days and about hope. Stay home together and stay safe.
Also in the newsletter today is a well-written essay by Vincent Arnaud in Year 12 on excellence, one of the School’s values. It is truly heart-warming to know that we have students of this calibre at HIS.
Sadly, this term we say goodbye to two excellent teachers. Dr Alan Meyer is off on an adventure to teach in the Middle East, while Mrs Reynolds and her husband will be furthering their studies in the Netherlands. We would like to thank them for their contribution to our school and wish them both the very best in this new chapter in their lives. In their place we welcome Ms Amelia Burger, who will be teaching Chemistry and Physics to the seniors and Mr Tiaan Bothma, who will be taking the position of Music teacher. We would like to welcome them to the HIS family and hope that they will be very happy with us.
Before school resumes for the third term, a decision regarding online classes will be made based on the national and local Covid situation and in consultation with our sister schools and the board. This will be communicated to you in the week of 12 to 16 July. Be assured that our priority remains the well-being of our community and we will not hesitate to begin the term online should this be necessary.
We wish all our students, parents and teachers a well-deserved break.
Ms Cris Sanchez Black
Principal
“Excellence” is the most important school value, and also the most ubiquitous
Please have a read this wonderful Argumentative / Discursive Essay essay written by one of our Year 11 students, Vincent Arnaud. It is on the School’s core values, notably Excellence, and especially at exam time this may be very appropriate.
“Excellence” is the most important school value, and also the most ubiquitous
At the International School of Helderberg, there are seven values which are touted as being crucial to good living and learning practices. These values are Pride, Integrity, Empathy, Excellence, Accountability and Respect.
Pride is taken to mean a reasonable degree of self-respect and the acknowledgement of one’s own achievements. It is not to be confused with arrogance or conceit. Integrity is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as being a firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values. It is closely linked to Accountability, the quality or state of being accountable or the practice of holding oneself responsible for one’s thoughts, words and actions. Empathy is the practice of taking other people’s feelings or points of view into account, whether you are or are not in support of their ideas, in an effort to be as constructive and helpful as possible and to minimise needless negativity and callous cruelty. Respect is defined as the act of giving particular attention to something or holding it in high regard. At our school, most people seem to use the word as a way to describe a combination of etiquette, kindness and the preservation of other peoples’ dignity. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines Excellence as the quality of being excellent(eminently good), and connotes the word to virtue.
I am of the opinion that Excellence is a quality which, by virtue of being inclusive of all others, is the most important to remember and to strive towards.
Firstly, Excellence and Pride are mutually inclusive qualities: if Pride is a justified respect for yourself or the work you create, then Excellence is the standard to which you aspire. To achieve Pride you must first achieve Excellence. Virtue, a word which is semantically similar to Excellence, connotes a quality or trait which is deserving of merit, meaning that Excellence is something to be earned – just like our school’s definition of Pride.
Integrity implies a certain firmness of belief and an adherence to chosen behaviours, usually positive ones. It is an excellent quality to have, as it informs the manner in which we view and treat others and ourselves, and influences the ways in which we will approach tasks.
In pop-culture, specifically the Bill and Ted franchise of movies and television series, the word ‘excellent’ is sometimes used to describe a way of treating one’s fellow person: “be excellent to each other” is one of the duo’s most memorable quotes. In the very nonchalant and oft-immature language of the characters, this would mean to treat others with Integrity, with Respect and with Empathy. I believe that there are many people, especially Americans who were children or teenagers in the 1980s, who knowingly or subconsciously use the word Excellent in this way due to this influence, and that it would be justifiable to canonise this definition of the word by adding it to the English dictionary. I mean – they added ‘lol’ in 2011, and pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis (I typed that perfectly first try) is still in the dictionary, despite just being a synonym of the word silicosis, but specific to volcanos.
Because of this additional way of defining the word, Excellence can be used to stand in for at least three of our school’s values with a minimal need to explain its inclusion.
But what should Excellence mean to you? How can you practice Excellence in your life, in and outside of school? I will share my answer to this question by explaining the ways in which I behave which I believe are Excellent, and also some of the things I would like to change in order to be more Excellent.
One of the main ways in which I try to let Excellence dictate my decisions is in my efforts to keep all of my friendships emotionally open and trust-based. I try to be available for people when they are struggling, because I understand how it feels to have no one available and ready to listen or offer advice and support.
Another way in which I strive for Excellence is the effort I put into my subjects at school, even subjects which I don’t enjoy. I am of the mindset that I will benefit from doing well in my studies consistently in the event that the unforeseen occurs and I underachieve for reasons which I could not have countered, for instance having to take time off being sick for a long time and falling far behind.
One of the ways in which I am lacking Excellent behaviour is in my conflict resolution skills. When disputes arise I am often described as being condescending, stubborn or aggressive. Although this is often unintentional, I can often recognise that the criticism is a valid one, and I would like to avoid this sort of behaviour in the future.
I hope that I have demonstrated both the ubiquity and the importance of the value of Excellence, and proven to you that it is the most important school value.
Written by: Vincent Arnaud, Helderberg International School
From the Principal’s Desk – 18 June 2021
Dear Parents
When I think about our school, I invariably feel a warm glow inside and a smile appears involuntarily. In my head, the soundtrack begins… “In my little red schoolhouse, with my book and slate.” Warm memories of Aunty Greta teaching the song to three eager ten-year-olds flood back. I hear happy sounds: children’s animated chatter, laughter, a bell ringing. It happens every time. Romantic? Definitely. Soppy? Perhaps. But the truth is that this is how I perceive our school. It is a happy place that fills me with joy.
Is it the building? Well, no. Although I do love the quad and the fact that, for the most part, we can all see each other at a glance. Is it the site then? No, it’s not that either. You already know that I love the row of trees outside the school. The pretty new beds in the front are pleasing too, as is the protective mountain that enfolds the School in its embrace, but no, it is none of those things.
What brings me such joy is our community. American author, Coretta Scott King, said: “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” And that is the secret to the joy to be found at HIS.
There is warmth in this community; there is heart; there is compassion. From the youngest cherubs, who showed their appreciation to various staff members last week with a small gesture, to the Year 3 students who want to make a difference in the world by planning, presenting and putting into action a recycling system all on their own, to our veteran volunteer, Granny Beth, who helps out in the library, our community members have heart. From the teachers who tirelessly (and selflessly) give day after day, to our supportive parents who drop off and then pick up again, attend meetings, make contact, cover books, screen students in the mornings, provide care packages to unwell members of staff and more. Are we not abundantly blessed?!
In these difficult times, I believe that it is this very sense of community that will carry us through. “Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much,” said Helen Keller, while Margaret J. Wheatley, recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Leadership Association, is of the opinion that “there is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.”
At Helderberg, we care for our community. As an international school, that care extends far beyond the borders of our school grounds and encompasses the greater community at large. When all hope seems lost, we lean on each other and, together, we move forward. As Margaret J. Wheatley put it: “Hopelessness has surprised me with patience.” And so we learn to be patient; we learn to support; and we learn to be carried. All valuable life-lessons.
The third wave beckons. Let us take courage from one another, holding on tightly to that which we care about and that which gives us our strength. Together, we can patiently say, “This too shall pass.”
Take Care.
Cristina Sanchez Black
Principal
From the Principal’s Desk
Dear Parents
Ah, to be on top of a hill…
To feel your heart pulsing like the wondrous machine that it is. To fill your lungs with the sweetest, fresh air… To be able to remove your mask!
Last Thursday, the High School students and staff took a much-needed day away from the classroom to recharge in the natural environment of the Helderberg Nature Reserve. Everyone enjoyed the pleasure of sunbeams stroking our skins, birds heralding our approach as they lightly flitted about and the limitless, breath-taking views. It was a well-earned respite from the academic challenges of the term and the stifling restrictions of the times we live in.
It occurs to me that hiking to the top of a hill or mountain is a fitting metaphor for the strive for success. To enjoy the magnificent views, and feel the thrill of exertion and success, takes effort. In fact, the very effort itself is enjoyable if one’s perspective is aligned with the end goal. Every step, is either a step closer to the intended destination or a learning opportunity. The important part is not to give up. Certainly, one can take a breather; look back and realise how much progress has been made, but never give up.
And this philosophy applies to teaching. And to parenting. It may require us to dig deeply to take the next step and specially to persevere when it would be so easy to give up, shrug our shoulders and let it be. But our children deserve the necessary guidance to ensure that they reach the top of the hill and can enjoy the thrill of success. They need to be taught that discipline is a necessary step to ensure progress; that without it, the climb will be so much more difficult. If we as teachers and parents work together to guide our children in the same direction, we cannot fail, and neither can they. The summit beckons; it requires effort, but every step is worth it.
It has been a quieter week at School as the Primary and High schools get to grips with the term’s work and show what they have learned. The exams are in full swing and our students have risen to the challenge with courage and determination. In the Foundation Phase, the teachers are busy with assessments and everyday class activities. There is a general hum of activity in the unseasonably warm weather as we wind up the term.
A few house matters:
- Please note that our students are not allowed to visit the coffee shop at the church to buy lunch. We simply do not have the resources to accompany a child to the church and cannot allow them to go over on their own. Lunches are available through Danelle at Nels Bakery for R37 a day should you wish to order for your child.(contact the office and they will send you the necessary information)
- We appeal to our parents to help out with the bottleneck created on Fridays at home time. If your child is not waiting for you and ready to climb into the car, please go and park at the church parking and fetch your child on foot.
Thank you to all our parents for their support and encouragement. We miss the social events that we would ordinarily have had throughout the year and the interaction with our parents. Nevertheless, we are grateful to know that our parents continue to support the school and are content. Please feel free to give us feedback when necessary – we cannot improve on that of which we are not aware.
Wishing you a wonderful family weekend.
Cristina Sanchez Black
Principal
Waterproof Materials
Poor Melissa the Mermaid lost some of the scales from her tail! The Early Childhood 2 class were tasked with the job to find out which materials she could use to cover her tail until new scales grew back! They tested a range of different materials to see which was the most waterproof!
Year 7 Writing
The Year 7 class were asked pretend that Anne survived the concentration camps and to write an account of what she did when she grew up. Levi wrote the following fantastic piece.
Anne Frank WHAT-IF
Rough Draft:
The 15th of April 1945 is a day that has been engraved into my memory. It was at dawn that we felt the ground vibrate and shake. As we huddled out of the barracks, the penetrating daylight scorched our eyes. Skeletal figures, flesh and bone surrounded me. My skin was raw from the scabies. Through blistered eyes I could see the cause of the tremors. There were columns of tanks entering Bergen-Belson: The Union Jack on each one flapping in the wind. Our tormentors, the vicious S.S. guards were nowhere in sight. Free at last, free at last. Thank you God almighty, I am free at last!
After being liberated I went to live with my cousin in Amsterdam. Adjusting back to normal life was difficult. The scabies had scarred my skin but thank God not my face. I had nightmares for many years. The starving, the working, the beatings. Every night when I cleansed myself I stared at the number on my forearm: 98288. Our persecutors reduced us to numbers. I am not a number; I am Annelies Marie Frank! I was hardworking and as I had dreamt, I graduated from the University of Utrecht in 1953 with a degree in journalism. Through the help of the Association of Holocaust Organizations, I found my father in a convalescent home in Eindhoven in 1954. The day was surreal. My father was old, his body worn out, but his eyes had a spark. We tremored as we clutched each other. Even Auschwitz cannot break the everlasting bond between a daughter and her father.
My journalism career set off at the Utrecht Dagblad as a news journalist. 50 million dead which included 6 million Jews and yet humanity could not stop fighting after World War II. The Cold War was in full swing and everywhere little tin gods were trying to establish their regimes. One of them was the Butcher of Uganda, Idi Amin. Just like Hitler, he unleashed a genocide on his country, and I covered this human tragedy. For a full week we were trapped inside a cold, dark, damp basement in a church located in the Ugandan Capital. Father DaSilva had to smuggle provisions past the army roadblocks to help us survive. The exposé I wrote on this tragedy helped me to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1981. I settled in Brussels with my husband and two kids, Margot and Otto. The refreshing winds greeted us every day as we walked in the park.
Editor’s Note: On the 14th of May 2019, Annelies Marie Frank died peacefully in her sleep at the age of 90, surrounded by her children. She was a wife, a mother, a journalist… and a Holocaust survivor.
On the 14th of May 2019, Annelies Marie Frank died peacefully in her sleep at the age of 90, surrounded by her children. She was a wife, a mother, a journalist… and a Holocaust survivor.
Primary Colours
Our Early Childhood 2 students had great time experimenting and mixing primary colours to see what colours they created. Mixing primary colors creates secondary colors. If you combine two primary colors with each other, you get a so-called secondary color.
If you mix red and blue, you get violet, yellow and red become orange, blue and yellow become green. If you mix all the primary colors together, you get black.
❤️-vir-lees / ❤️2read
Our Year 9 class came up with the idea of a buddy reading system after an Afrikaans unit on literacy. Every Friday the Year 9’s listen to the Year 4 class and 5 class reading from their reader and then continue reading to the younger ones.
The students were asked what did you like about the ️-vir-lees /
️2read?
Tyler (Year 9) had the following to say: I liked helping them read and learning about them. I so enjoyed spending time with younger children. It worked to let them take turns reading so they both got a chance and also to get to know them so I knew what they were nervous about. I think reading with them makes me more confident because I am usually shy. I got to be outside of my comfort zone.
I liked that we all read. Reilly (Year 5)
I enjoyed when my reading partner and I got to know each other. I also enjoyed when I was reading to her. I would change me being a little nervous. Mené (Year 5)
Read More
Elevate Education Study Skills
A number of our High School students joined the Elevate Study Skills. Here is some of their feedback. We highly recommend these sessions . If you child is not signed up and would like to attend the next 2 sessions later in the year, please contact us.
I think that the Elevate course is an asset to any student. It gives helpful advice on how to study, and what to do and what not to do. I would recommend it not only to students who are struggling with studying, but to any student. Connor Boiskin, Year 9
Elevate definitely helped. I am already using what they taught us for the exams and I can already see a difference in my knowledge and understanding of the work.
Connor Brooker, Year 9
Good methods that I will definitely use. Christopher Renga, Year 10
The given study methods have instantly improved my understanding of the work and will definitely help me to study better. Definitely worthwhile and would recommend it.
Hagan Brooker, Year 10
Good methods taught and have already started using the methods. And I can notice the difference. Gloria Chen, Year 10
My initial thoughts were that it would be a waste of time because I know how to study. However, my mom convinced me to just try it out, because Elevate has a good reputation. And I must say I was surprised by how well the first lesson went. He was enthusiastic and entertaining, always engaging the audience by interacting with us. I think the information that he shared was very helpful, and I will definitely make an effort to introduce some of what he suggested into my studying. He never really looked at his notes, which was impressive. Overall, I was very impressed, and I think it helped that he was younger, because we could, to a certain degree, relate more. I would highly recommend it to anyone and everyone! Paul Roos ,Year 12
I enjoyed the Elevate Course very much and it will help in the future of my education as I now have a better grasp of studying. They told us methods to study. They taught us about how your memory works and I think that it bettered my ability to study very much.
Aidan Downie, Year 9
They explained the things very well. He used a lot of examples which was very nice. He was very specific with the mind map. He made us close our eyes and imagine stuff. He also told us a whole story and when he asked us what we remembered, I remembered everything and he said it was because I made a picture in my head. The mind maps helped me a lot, because now I have started using it much more and it helps with my studies.
Olivia Cunningham, Year 9
The class was very helpful and useful. I started using these methods for studying and it really helped me. The class was very fun and I will definitely recommend these methods to other students. Isabell Botha, Year 9
Helderberg International School – Virtual Intersek 2021
We are extremely excited that our participants fared so well in the Artistic/Optical Illusion Photography contest – with Jessica Bailey in Year 10, winning this event and Connor Brooker in Year 9, winning his age group – Category 2, and Antony Chen in Year 6, coming in second in his age group – Category 1, for the Mathematical Photography contests at Intersek 2021 this year. There were some beautiful images submitted by the various contestants worldwide. Competing at Intersek was a first for us and a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
Antony documents the Mathematics used in his photograph:
I placed the shell down on the surface and then hung the slinky over the shell. I positioned the camera on top of the slinky looking down onto the shell. This created a spiral effect.
A spiral is a three-dimensional curve. The shell is a golden spiral which is a spiral that gets wider in a ratio called the golden ratio. The slinky is a space curve spiraling around a Helix (a coil). Looking down into the slinky I captured concentric circles. Concentric circles are circles that have a common center. The space between the concentric circles is called an annulus.
Device used: Nikon B700 camera
Jessica, in Year 10 documents her Journey:
When I was informed about the artistic optical illusion competition, and was told that it had to involve a piece of our heritage, my mind immediately thought of Table Mountain, because it is one of the most well-known touristic/heritage sights in the country.
I first envisioned a scene of my two models, being my close friends Robyn Pearse and Connor Payze, sitting together on dining chairs on the beach, eating dinner on table mountain. I sketched out my idea, and thought of things I could put on the “table”, and ways on how I could position them. I decided to build a frame that would be portable and hang the items from the top beam using fishing lines, so it would create the illusion that the items were actually placed on the “table”. Because of limited space, I ended up going with a simple tea, incorporating some national specialties such as koeksisters on the saucers and a protea centred in the middle of the “table”. Before we made the final plans, my dad and I did a test run at home with the frame, and used a plate as our test item, and our property gate as our “table”, and it worked out perfectly!
In the editing process I removed the fishing lines and moved the items around a little bit, as well as added a shadow underneath each item to ensure the illusion was fully created.
I was very pleased with the outcome, and was extremely honoured to have been nominated and even won! I am also very grateful for the help of my dad, who helped me build and set up the frame, ensure all the items were secure, and took the time out of his schedule to drive us to our location and back. As well as very grateful for my lovely models for being so patient, taking the time out of their day to help me out and for doing so well with the modeling!
Connor outlines the Mathematics used in his winning photograph:
I used a kaleidoscope with a marble at the end and faced it towards the sun. A kaleidoscope is an instrument with optical properties forming a reflection of light using mirrors (in this case 3 mirrors in the shape of an equilateral triangle). This has created a tessellation of equilateral triangles and thereby creating 6-sided hexagons. These shapes create patterns and radial symmetry using transformations such as reflections, rotations and translations.Device used: Huawei P30 Pro
