NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2025

Grade 7 (Mrs. Miller)

What a way to end the year! The grade 7 class ended a successful exam period learning how to make apple pie! And it was delicious! They also teamed up and held a potjie competition, tantalizing the taste buds of 4 judges who then had to call in some support to help them decide. 

The grade 7 year always ends with a tour to Oudtshoorn and Knysna. All that Oudtshoorn has to offer, is explored and a huge amount of fun was had before they went on to Knysna for a night. The Featherbed tour was a new addition and one which must be repeated. The beautiful ocean and descent of the Knysna Head will never be forgotten. 

We ended off the tour with a divine pizza or pasta at Pizza e Vino and enjoyed breakfast the next morning from the deck at out accommodation with sweeping views of the lagoon. 

Grade 6 Tour Mrs A Eksteen

As we look back on the year, I am incredibly proud of our Grade 6 class and all they have accomplished. Academically, the learners worked with dedication and enthusiasm, and their hard work truly paid off. Every student achieved wonderfully in the end-of-year exams, and their results reflect the effort, perseverance, and maturity they have developed throughout the year.

One of the highlights of 2024 was our mentorship programme. Each Grade 6 learner was paired with one or two Grade 3 students and, during weekly gardening sessions, guided them in preparing for their very first gardening competition next year. The Grade 6s embraced their roles as leaders with enthusiasm and kindness. It was heart-warming to see them step up, share their knowledge, and create meaningful connections with their younger peers. The garden flourished—and so did our mentors!

We ended the year on an unforgettable high with our annual Grade 6 tour to Plettenberg Bay. What an adventure! From being “robbed” by cheeky vervet monkeys at Monkey Land to being “viciously” chased by a very protective (but undeniably beautiful) blue crane at Birds of Eden, the memories came thick and fast. Along the Robberg Hike, we spotted seals, sharks, and even the occasional turtle, while Adventure Land brought out the competitive spirit in everyone with wild waterslide races. At Puzzle Park, the learners put their problem-solving skills to the test as they navigated a giant maze. And of course, the many enthusiastic Christmas wish lists—including tigers, lions, cougars, sharks, and even tiny pygmy deer—added endless fun and laughter to the experience.

The tour showcased the Grade 6s at their very best: supportive, courageous, energetic, and full of joy. They came together as a group, created lifelong memories, and ended the year in the most spectacular way possible.

Well done, Grade 6s! We are so proud of you and cannot wait to see the incredible things you will achieve next year.

Art (Gr 4-7) Mrs A Eksteen

A Vibrant Year in Senior Phase Art

This year has been an exciting and colourful journey for our Grade 4–7 art students, who explored a wide range of artistic styles, techniques and inspirations.

Our Grade 4 learners created stunning Karla Gerard–inspired artworks. Using a combination of pastels and watercolours, they produced whimsical, patterned landscapes bursting with colour. To add a playful final touch, they decorated their pieces with buttons and beads, bringing texture and charm to their creations.

The Grade 5s travelled back in time to ancient Egypt. They designed their very own Egyptian headdresses, drawing inspiration from pharaohs and ancient royalty. Each learner also wrote their name in hieroglyphics, adding an authentic historical element to their designs.

Our Grade 6 artists embraced the bold and expressive world of fauvism. Using bright, unexpected colours and strong lines, they created wild African creatures that practically leapt off the page. Their artworks showcased incredible creativity and confidence in experimenting with colour.

The Grade 7s looked to iconic Pop Art legends such as Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol. They produced vibrant, graphic pieces that captured the energy and fun of the Pop Art movement. Their work was truly eye-catching and full of personality.

This year also featured a much-loved Tiny Art Show, where students from all grades contributed delightful miniature artworks. The creativity and effort displayed in such a small format were nothing short of remarkable.

All in all, it has been a fantastic year for Senior Phase Art. Our budding artists continue to amaze us, and we cannot wait to see what imaginative creations they bring to life next year!

Grade 5 Camp (Mr van Tonder)

New Trees! (Mr van Tonder)

Foundation Phase

We started the term by putting on a concert for our parents. We had spent a long time practicing and thoroughly enjoyed being on stage.

The highlight of our final term was our ‘Friends Camp’. The build-up was filled with excitement and anxiety. Excitement from those who had already had the experience and anxiety from those who were not sure what to expect. The children had a lot of fun and went home tired but happy. 

Our year end outing to the ‘Pottery’ in Jeffrey’s Bay gave the children an opportunity to express their creativity by painting a clay cup or bowl. As we came closer to the end of the term, our focus became more about Christmas as we collected stationery and non-perishable foods for Tharos.

We have had many exciting experiences this year, learnt a lot and are now ready for the next step on our education journey.

Grade 1

It has been wonderful to see the growth and development of the Grade 1s as we race towards the end of the year and prepare for the next phase. The children have become confident readers, writing extended creative stories and accepting challenging maths stories every morning. They have immersed themselves into the Solar System, delivering interesting orals and extending our knowledge on different celestial bodies. The children created beautiful planet artworks and enjoyed painting their own planet for the solar system display in the classroom. We are looking forward to our last outing of the year and celebrating Christmas with Christmas songs at the annual Christmas market.

Grade 2

The academic focus of this latter part of the third term has been on learning tables in maths, extending our reading and applying phonics skills when writing stories, reading Afrikaans books and writing in cursive. Some of the children found this difficult but many enjoyed the challenge.

The focus during our life-skills program was on growing plants and saving water. We planted Spring flowers in our flower box and beans in the classroom. We learnt about the water cycle and made one that we could watch. We finished the term by making some fun Christmas decorations and practicing for our Nativity play. 

Grade 3

The academic focus for the second half of this term, was on consolidating and extending skills we had learnt earlier this term such as problem solving, counting and times tables (6 to 12), higher order spelling, phonetic and syllabication skills, various creative writing genres and the reading of texts containing higher grammatical structures and vocabulary. The Grade 3’s were also fortunate to have the Grade 6’s mentor them in gardening skills in preparation for the gardening competition that they will take part in early in Grade 4. Themes covered in class have been Space, Natural Disasters, Manufacturing processes and Christmas. We had a lot of fun making paper mache bowls and painting them. The term ended on a high note with an outing to The Pottery and Supertubes and then the Nativity play at the Christmas market. 

Sport News (Mr. van Tonder)

St Francis College travelled to Greenwood Bay College in Plettenberg Bay on the 24th of October for a sports tour that included soccer, netball, tennis, chess, swimming and cricket.

We started off with soccer and netball on Friday morning, with GBC winning both sports, although it was a close game for the open age groups. The kids then moved on to chess, with SFC winning by one point. Three games of tennis were played, with SFC winning one and GBC winning two. The gala was one of the highlights of the day, with many kids from SFC placing 1st, 2nd and 3rd in their strokes. Overall points were not kept as it was a fun gala and called a tie. The cricket team was then hosted overnight, after a quick swim at Plett main beach. We awoke to light drizzle in the morning but decided to go ahead with the cricket match as planned. SFC batted first and made a total of 48 runs in 10 overs. GBC chased the total down in 10 overs with 4 wickets to spare. We elected to continue playing for the boys to gain extra match practice. Overall, it was a fantastic experience for everyone involved. Thank you to the parents who assisted with lifting, and the teachers for making the trip down to coach their teams. 

On the 7th of November St Francis College hosted Pharos, Stulting, Greenwood Bay and Jbay Primary for an interschools cross country event on our tracks around the farm dam. The event was well attended with about 90 runners in total, ages U9, U11 and U13. The runners from St Francis College did very well on their home turf, earning a total of 6 medals out of a possible 18. 

The following Wednesday, 12 November, the soccer boys hosted Rainbow Academy for our last soccer match of the year. It was good competition with the U11's losing 3-0 and the u13's winning 2-0. 

The final sports event of the year saw the grade 7 leavers take on the staff on Monday 8 Dec. The grade 7s had clearly been practicing their soccer skills as they took the lead and were winning 2-0 until late in the second half. The staff managed to score two last minute goals to draw the game 2-2. They were just as good in the netball match, however the pupils managed to take the win 6-4. Well done to everyone who played and good luck to the grade 7s next year. We hope to see you around!

ECD (Teacher Dom)

🦋Our Butterfly Class fluttered through a range of exciting themes, learning about body parts through movement and dance, exploring colours and shapes with hands-on creative activities, and diving into lots (and lots!) of sensory play. Their curiosity has kept us on our toes—sometimes literally!.

🐝Our busy Bumblebees buzzed their way through a joyful year, too. From “milking cows” during Farmyard Week to building a gigantic whale for Under the Sea, they’ve danced, explored, created, and grown in leaps and bounds. Watching them go from tiny tots to confident little learners has been unforgettable. Now, as they prepare to leave the hive and join the Ladybird class, we couldn't be prouder—even if we’re pretending not to tear up.

🐞Speaking of Ladybirds, they’ve certainly had a stellar term—quite literally! Space and beyond topped their favourites list. Using our galaxy projector, they explored the planets, sorted stars and cosmic shapes, and even created their very own model of Mars. Who knows, we may have a future astronaut or two among us!

🐛Our Caterpillars had an adventure-packed year as well. From crafting bird feeders to creating Olly the Octopus together, measuring feet against a (thankfully fake!) T-Rex footprint, and celebrating with Santa at our Christmas party, their days were filled with wonder. Now they’re stretching their wings as they head off to Grade 0—whaaaat? Yes, they really did grow that fast.

🌟Finally, our Grade 0's ended the year with a showstopper—our very own ECD Movie Day! They planned everything themselves: collecting data, organising seats, making money and tickets, and even selling baked treats at the market. Hollywood, watch out. We’ve got a future production team right here.

Before we wrap up the year, we have two very special mentions. Our beloved Teacher Jen will be taking on a brand-new adventure next year. She has been the heart of our hive, our very own Queen Bee, and the Bumblebees (and the rest of us!) will miss her incredibly. Thank you, Teacher Jen, for every moment, every giggle, and every bit of magic you brought into our ECD family.

We also send a warm congratulations—not goodbye—to Teacher Shona, who will be fluttering her way up to Grade 3 next year. Thankfully, she isn’t leaving the colony entirely, and we’re certain she’ll pop in to greet the little ones whenever she can. We’re so proud of her journey and grateful she’s still part of the St. Francis College family.

As 2025 comes to a close, our hearts are full. Thank you, parents, for your support, your laughter, your patience, and your shared excitement throughout the year. We couldn’t do any of this without you. We wish you a beautiful Christmas 🎄, a joyful holiday season, and a happy New Year ✨. Rest well—2026 is going to be another magical adventure, and we can’t wait to start it with you.

With love,
St Francis College ECD 💖

Music & Drama News (Mrs. Natasha Brown)

Term 3 has been a wonderfully busy and creative season in our Music and Drama department.  Our students have shown enthusiasm, teamwork and growing confidence as they explored new skills and prepared for upcoming events.

We have been practicing Christmas songs for the end-of-year celebrations.  The melodies of familiar favourites have filled our classroom and the children are singing with energy and excitement.

Several students have also been preparing for their solo piano exams, showing dedication and progress in their technique, posture, note reading and performance skills.  Trinity Guildhall (the music board from England) have issued lovely certificates to the following students who did exceptional.

Skylar Rands                          Grade Initial

Erin Hurley                              Grade One

Alex Hanekom                         Grade One

Tayla Watson                          Grade Two

Genevieve Richardson           Grade Two

Alexandria Torode                   Grade Three

Lily Mae Barnard                     Grade 1 Trinity saxophone 

Our ECD department took part in a beautiful Nativity play.  Their creativity has shone through as they brought characters to life and worked together as a team.  A HUGE thank you goes out to Nicole Spencer for directing and producing a lovely play.

I am so proud of the commitment our students have shown throughout this year.  Looking forward to more music madness next year. 

Have a lovely Christmas holiday season

Mrs N Brown

Congratulations to Jack Moore - Grade 7

We would like to congratulate Jack Moore on an incredible achievement. Jack recently received his South African Protea colours for Junior Motorsport. He represented South Africa in the most prestigious global FIA Karting Academy Trophy in Europe throughout 2025. He achieved many top 10 race finishes including a 2nd and 4th place. He also competed in the Italian National Championship at Cremona and finished 15 out of the 100 competitors and set the fastest lap of the event. In order to achieve his colours Jack had to come in the top 20 percent in a first class international Event representing South Africa which he did on numerous occasions this year.
He also defended his South African ROK OKJ National Title (U15) and in so doing wracked up his 5th National Karting Title 🏁

PTA

As we conclude 2025, we would like to THANK you for the tremendous support you have shown to our beautiful school. From a helping hand with raffles, to putting shifts in at the Golf Day.

It is all much appreciated!

We wish you a merry Christmas and a prosperous 2026, filled with love and happiness.

Lee Job
PTA Chair

BAKER DAY 2026

CALENDAR DATES

Term 1
Tuesday 13 January          ECD & Grade 1 Class Meetings 9am
Wednesday 14 January     School Commences
Monday 19 January           Extra Murals Commence 
Tuesday 20 January          Kings Rugby Demo (Gr 0 - Gr 4)
Thursday 22 January         PTA Annual General Meeting
Friday 23 January              Family Braai
Saturday 31 January          C Age Gala PE 
Saturday 7 February          B Gala PE
Saturday 14 February        C Age Gala PE
Thursday 19 February       Gr 1-7 Beach Fun Day / ECD Water Day
Friday 20 February            School Closed - Half Term
Tuesday 24 February        School re-opens 
Saturday 28 February       B Gala/Level 1 PE
Thursday 5 March             Lit Quiz PE 
Thursday 26 March           Talent Show
Thursday 2 April                End of Term (after school day)

Term 2 
Tuesday 5 May                 School Commences
Mon 25 - Thurs 28 May    Stulting Arts Festival (Music, Drama and Art)
Tuesday 16 June              School Closed - Public Holiday
Friday 26 June                 Start of half term - after school day
Tuesday 7 July                 School re-opens 
Friday 7 August                End of Term (after school day)