St Johns Preparatory School

St Johns Preparatory School Houghton Tel: 011 645 3100/ 087 550473 9th November 2012 Newsletter Number 11

From the Headmaster

It is that time of the year when we celebrate the success of some of our boys who have achieved so much in the academic, cultural and sporting areas of school life. This success will be recognised at the Prep Speech Night on Wednesday 5 December and at Final Assembly on the last day of school. However, I dont like calling it success per se, as I feel that this is a concept that is very difficult to quantify. Rather, I prefer the word achievement. We are too quick to praise the outcome, which we perceive as success, rather than the process. The majority of our boys have all worked so hard this year and excelled, yet wont be rewarded. Does this mean that they are not successful? Absolutely not! This is not the first time I have written about this subject, but I feel that it will do no harm to revisit ways in which we as parents can handle the situation.

Reminders from the Diary

09/11 UIII isiZulu/ Afrikaans Shared Assessments LIII isiZulu/ Afrikaans Spelling & Creative Writing St Johns Gala 12/11 - 16/11 School Closes 13h00 13/11 Housemasters Assembly (Haircut and Uniform Inspection) 14/11 Interact Day 15/11 Prep Carol Service 20/11 Headmasters Assembly 24/11 Dads and Lads Camp 27/11 Housemasters Assembly (Haircut and Uniform Inspection) 28/11 BRAINPOWER WEEK

Inevitably with achievements and rewards being given also comes disappointment for those boys who are not acknowledged. It is very important that we teach our We become discouraged and we begin to doubt our abilities and boys that this is all part of a journey and like it or not, ourselves. This may lead to the fact is that we will all face disappointments at negativity and a dont care some point in time throughout our lives be it in this attitude. type of circumstance or in opening a birthday present and not receiving what was expected. We can be 10 years old or 100 years old there is no age restric- We need to teach our boys that feeling and showing disappointtion. ment is natural. In many ways it is a good thing, because it shows When facing disappointment we tend to react in one of that they are passionate and care two ways: about the situation, but - they We are angry: at our friends, the teachers, the need to get over it and move on. school, and the process. We often play the blame game in this situation; we blame others for our lack of reward or acknowledgement.

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Four possible ways to help your son deal with disappointment could include:

Teach him to celebrate the achievements of others, to be happy for those who have been rewarded, to congratulate them and be gracious about it. Look at the big picture with him: the reality is that not everyone can receive a prize, be awarded colours, etc. At the same time, encourage him to be honest about his potential and his ability at this stage in his development. Help him to be patient and to learn from the experience. Bitterness and resentment are counter-productive. Receiving a prize or being awarded colours is no guarantee for achievement later in life. We all grow and develop at different rates and in different fields and this is merely one stage of his development.

Remember:

Overcoming challenges brings you the wisdom to reach even higher goals. Realising that life could have handed you a much larger disappointment helps you put the situation in perspective. Spending your time feeling sorry for yourself will delay your achievement. Having unreal expectations of yourself will only set you up for failure. If you examine how and why the disappointment occurred, then you may be able to restructure your strategy for even bigger and better things. Positive thoughts with decisive, confident and positive action will propel you to new heights. Setbacks dont define your life; its how you react to them that will determine your outcome.

So, as we draw nearer to the end of another year, I encourage you to take a deep breath, and as you breathe out, let go of your anxiety about the future and any disappointments of the past. Rather just give today the best you have its all you can ask or do. May I wish all of you a smooth last stretch to the end of 2012.

Patrick Lees Headmaster

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Swimming News
Although this season has been a frustrating one because of water polo tournaments and cricket tours, it ended on a high note with some exciting swims from our boys at the ISASA Boys Inter-Schools Gala at St Davids on Thursday, an A team win at KEPS and a 3rd place for our B team at home on Friday and lots of fun with our girls school partners, at the Pridwin Invitation Co-Ed Gala on Wednesday. I am very pleased with the progress our boys have made in the swimming pool over the year and, after some consultation with the L3 swimmers, I have decided to move our A team up into the A50 league. This means that the U11s, U12s and Opens will have to swim 50m races in backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle next term. It is quite a tall order but we have been working hard during our practices to improve our fitness and our turns to prepare for this move. At the Prestige Gala, where we swam against all of the top boys teams from this league, we did well in the 25m races but poorly in the 50m events. I expect this will change from next term and, slowly but surely, our boys will regain the place expected of St Johns in the top swimming league. RESULTS ISASA Boys Inter-Schools Gala A team: 1st St Davids 204; 2nd WHPS 185; 3rd St Peters 164; 4th St Benedicts 163; 5th St Stithians 132; 6th The Ridge 129; 7th St Johns 127; 8th KEPS 119 B team: 1st St Davids 224; 2nd St Peters 213; 3rd St Stithians 182; 4th The Ridge 135; 5th St Johns 132; 6th St Benedicts 127; 7th WHPS 107; 8th KEPS 105 The following boys were awarded certificates for their excellent performances: A team:

Peter Buckle -1st in U9 25m Butterfly and U9 25m Freestyle Peter Buckle, Ethan Berriman, Matthew de la Rey, Kieran McKenna and Mitchel Sinclair - 2nd in 5 x 25m Freestyle Ladder Relay Ethan Berriman - 3rd in U10 25m Butterfly Mitchel Sinclair - 3rd in the Open 50m Butterfly Charles Robertson - 3rd in U9 25m Backstroke Stefano Cavalieri 3rd in U12 50m Breaststroke Jacob Joseph, James Groves, Charles Robertson and Peter Buckle 3rd in U9 4 x 25m Freestyle Relay Christopher Ching, David McAlpine, Philip Mparutsa and Neil Gultig 1st in Open 4 x 25m Medley Relay Christopher Pearce 2nd in U9 25m Butterfly Michael McAlpine 2nd in U9 25m Backstroke and in U9 25m Breaststroke Alistair Verhoogt 2nd in U11 25m Backstroke

B team:

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Christopher Ching 2nd in Open 25m Backstroke Nicholas Moschides 3rd in U12 25m Breaststroke Michael Smith 3rd in U12 25m Freestyle Robin Swartz, James Burgess, Gavin McPherson and Michael Smith 3rd in U12 4 x 25m Freestyle Relay

A25 Gala at KEPS 2nd November 2012 1st St Johns A 75; 2nd KEPS 49; 3rd St Katharines A 47 ; 4th St Davids B1 46; 5th St Peters B 43 B25 Gala 1t St Johns 2nd November 2012 1st St Davids B2 176; 2nd APPS B 147; 3rd St Johns B 146; 4th St Katharines B 133; 5th St Teresas B 77; 6th KEPS B 76; 7th Roedean B 64; 8th APPS C 55

Individual Achievements
Swimming
The following boys took part in the Dischem Open Water Swim races at Sun City which took place on Saturday, 20th October 2012: Mitchel Sinclair UIII, Justin Beswick UIII, Ethan Berriman LII, Tayne Beswick LII, Nicholas Koutromanos LII, Dino Koutromanos LII and Charlie Robertson UI. Well done, boys!

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Music
The following boys completed the Rock School London practical examinations: Brendan Thomas Liam Kneale Tiyani Mthombeni Drums Drums Guitar

The following boys completed the Trinity London practical examinations: Carl Leathwhite James Venables Gregory Basslian Harry Myburgh Maxwell Milella Ekow Daniels Brandon Badenhorst Keagan Lion-Cachet Graeme Gush Nicholas Ching Jordan Williamson Violin Violin Violin Trumpet Guitar Guitar Piano Recorder Recorder Piano Piano

The following boys completed the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music London practical examinations: Alex Papatheodorou Andrew Raney Euan Chew Michael Mackie Nicholas Thiel Vladimir Ionescu Stuart Omand Matthew Monteith Bohlale Masala Ryan Stopforth Adam Jacobson Jaryd Kietzman Piano Piano Piano Piano Piano Piano Cello Piano Piano Guitar Piano Piano Nicholas Moschides Harry Myburgh Merlin Love James Caldwell-Smith Claudio di Giacomo Samuel Harding Brendan Thomas Piano Piano Piano Piano Piano Piano Piano

Harry Myburgh, Adam Jacobson, Alex Papatheodorou, Andrew Raney, Euan Chew, Nicholas Thiel and James Caldwell-Smith participated in the Jan Celliers Kunswedstryd held in October. Well done on excellent performances by all the boys.

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Music
Alex Whitehead, LIIIT, won 3rd prize in the Samro National Music Competition. Well done, Alex!

2012 Inyathelo Award for Children in Philanthropy

Jordan van der Walt received the 2012 Inyathelo Award for Children in Philanthropy for his Just One Bag campaign that has fed over a million hungry children. Well done, Jordan!

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Kung Fu

Leo Fridjhon,graduated Kung Fu Yellow Shirt - a first in the history of the Chinese Martial Arts and Health Centre. Well done, Leo!

Hockey
Andrew de Lange, UIIB has been selected to participate in the Gauteng Grypns U13B hockey tournament to be held in Durban next month. Well done, Andrew!

Karate
Nicholas Ching took part in the KWF Karate No-Michi Championships on Sat 3rd November and won a bronze medal. Well done, Nicholas!

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Basketball
Well done to all basketball players on yet another successful season for St Johns Prep Basketball! There has been a general improvement in skill levels across all age groups, with St Johns Prep being a force to be reckoned with in the ISASA Mini Basketball League. The weekend mini-festivals have proven to be very popular with boys as they each get to play at least four games in every week of the basketball season. The 1st Team, in particular, has been exceptional, having not lost a match in almost two years! During half term of Michaelmas 2012, the boys added on to this impressive record by winning the Hoops4Hope U 13 Basketball Tournament, held in Cape Town. This was a 10-team tournament that included schools from Johannesburg and Cape Town. The 2nd Team also participated in the same tournament, and competed very well against some very tough opponents. The team went on to reach the quarterfinals.

Congratulations to Yanick Ter Mors on receiving the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament award. Thank you to all parents who made it possible for the boys to tour Cape Town. My sincere thanks, also, to the team of dedicated and hardworking coaches. Winning the tournament was the least the boys and coaches could have done to honour late Coach Ronald Garura who, through the Basketball Academy, was instrumental in the development of many players in the Prep. Thank you and well done! David Mulenga MIC Preparatory School Basketball mulenga@stjohnscollege.co.za

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Waterpolo Collage

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Chess
29 October St Johns A vs Pridwin
Seniors lost 8 - 24 Juniors won 21 - 11 Overall lost 29 - 35

St Johns B vs Roedean
Seniors won 18 -14 Juniors lost 7 - 21 Overall lost 25 - 35

Congratulations to the following boys who won both their matches: S Modi, K Govind, G Thompson, S Shearer, D Stevens, Z Coetzee, T Martin.

5 November St Johns A vs St Benedicts

Seniors lost 5 - 27 Juniors lost 14 - 18 Overall lost 19 - 45

St Johns B vs Grayston Prep

Seniors lost 11 - 21 Juniors won 24 - 4 Overall won 35 - 25

Congratulations to the following boys who won both their games: K Prior, M McLean, D Demir, M Manyatsa, C Leathwhite, J Meyers, M De Gouveia.

Interhouse Chess Results

1st 2nd 3rd 4th Bousfield Carter Darragh Cullinan 28 26 25 17

Well done, Bousfield! Thank you to all the boys who stood in for the UIII boys who were studying for exams!

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Father and Son Chess Evening

On Thursday 1st November we had a very exciting Dads vs Lads Chess evening, which was much enjoyed by all. Results were : Round 1 Dads 26 Round 2 Dads 25 Overall Dads 51 Lads 30 Lads 33 Lads 63

Well done to the boys for showing their dads who is the boss! Congratulations to the following boys who won both their games: J West, M De Gouveia, S Modi, N Haripershad, C Leathwhite, T Kudzurunga, M Manyatsa

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TLC

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LIBRARY BOOK RETURNS

If you have a large or even a small stack of these from the Prep Library at

Please return them by Monday 19 November, at the latest. Lost or unreturned books will be charged for @ R150 per book

Books for the holidays may be taken out in the last week of term, but only if all other books have been returned. Queries: Nicky Sulter or Kim Deakin 011-6453119

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4CTea 2012
November 2012 Excellent Afrikaans Assessment Thomas Grubb

Cricket Amu Mashele Ciaran James Ben MacQueen Jack Lees Keagan Dix Commitment Ninety Runs Fifty Runs 6 Wickets 4 Wickets

Very Helpful Warrick Didloff

Recycling
The UIII boys have been very busy with their recycling. Here they are with all the used milk cartons from Seattle Coffee shop, ready to be taken to our recycling bins! Well done, boys!

Brendan Thomas, Sam Smart, Hraklis Papageorgiou and Nicholas Lansdown

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Lower II Anachronisms

By Musa Mphomane

By Kei Prior

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By Nathan Bothma

By Matthew Chow

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By Nicholas Papadakis

By Timothy Martin

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By Andrew Geerdts

By Keane Dooley

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By Sean Faesen

By Daniel Segal

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By Khaya Ntuli

By Edwin Mattiuzzo

By Darren Lowery

By Stuart Omand

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UIII Boys: 25 Reasons Why I like South Africa

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By Matthew Collins UIIIL

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By Ramon Faesen UIIIL

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By William Kerr-Phillips

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Extreme Explorers Hike: Magoebaskloof

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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 Pastoral Care can contact the Pastoral Care Team at iCare@stjohnscollege.co.za. The 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 E-mail : carroll@stjohnscollege.co.za

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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

Extra Maths Lessons

Individual tuition offered
Mrs M Hauptfleisch Call 011 442 1854 083 256 7714

Mr R MacIntosh has written a book Maccey A Quest for Freedom A story of a teacher and his dog Published by Cobblecrab Publishers Parents who would like a copy are asked to contact Mr MacIntosh on 076 529 5529 Copies can also be ordered through the publishers:

info@cobblecrab.com R100 per copy

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

EXTRA MATHS LESSONS

Lower III & Upper III boys in Mrs Jean Clarences classroom Every Thursday 14h15 - 15h00 All Welcome

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Boys are found everywhere on top of, underneath, inside of, climbing on, swinging from, running around or jumping to. Mothers love them, little girls hate them, older sisters and brothers tolerate them, adults ignore them and Heaven protects them. A boy is truth with dirt on its face, beauty with a cut on its finger, wisdom with bubble gum in its hair and the hope of the future with a frog in its pocket.

1. 2.

Author: Alan Marshall Beck