St Francis College Newsletter ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­
 
 
 
Newsletter Number One February 2018
 
Back-to-School 2
 
Headmaster Highlights

By the time you receive this newsletter, we will be at the start of the sixth week of the new school year and the December holidays are but a distant memory.

It has been a hectic but exhilarating start.  The aim of this newsletter is to capture some of the highlights achieved thus far and to give you some important dates of the exciting events which await us all.

 
 

New Staff 2018

New Teachers 

In terms of staff, there have been major changes in the senior primary phase. Pictured from left to right is Mrs Nadine Knezovich (Art/ Grade 6), Mr Ralton Fortuin (Sport/PEd), Mr Bause, Mrs Catherine Falconer who currently teaches Grade 5 pupils while Mrs Miller is on maternity leave. Mrs Falconer will be the new ‘Butterfly’ class teacher as from the second term. Pictured on the right is Mrs Aletta Malherbe, Grade 7 class teacher.

 

 
 

New Pupils 2018

Grade 1 to 7 New Pupils 

The Grade 1 class of 2018 has grown substantially in terms of numbers compared to the Grade 0 class that ended 2017.

We have gained fifteen more pupils from Grade 1 to 7 even though the three Mirfin children will only be with us for a term or two while their family relocates.

 
 

Renovations

Grade 7 Cape Town Tour 

A big thank you must go to our landlords, Rob and James Parker, for the renovations in the holidays. The roof of the Grade 0 classroom was repaired, as was the crack between the Grade 7 classroom and the ICT laboratory and the two blocks were painted. As soon as these were completed, Mr Peter Cownie organized George Browers and his team to varnish all the doors and paint the interior of these three classrooms and the pupils’ toilets.

 
 
New Recycling Bins

Our recycling bins have arrived!

Our gratitude goes out to Clinton and Cathryn Hempel for the large bins and our Grade 7 pupils of 2017 for the wheelie bins next to Brooker Hall.

 
 

Conquesta Top 20 Results

conquesta 

Every year, our pupils write the Conquesta Olympiad which is an international multiple choice primary school examination.  Our Grade 3 class of 2017 obtained 14th place nationally in the English paper and 20th in Mathematics.  The Grade 4 class was 10th in Afrikaans (First Additional Language) and 9th in General Knowledge. Grade 5s were 20th in General Knowledge, Grade 6s 8th in General Knowledge and our 2017 Grade 7 class placed 13th in Afrikaans (First Additional Language) and 9th in General Knowledge.                   

 
 
super-spar-st-francis-bay

Superspar Monthly Draw

Every month, we have a draw at assembly. Forms can be obtained from Lucy and a debit order of R50 a month as part of fund raising could win you a R1 000 shopping voucher from the St Francis Bay Village Square Superspar.

If you would like to enter into the monthly draw for just R50 per month please inform the office on info@stfranciscollege.co.za 

 
 

Family Braai

Family Braai 

Held on Friday 26 January was festive and well attended.

New families were made to feel most welcome.

 
 
Grade 2 Valentine Market

Valentine’s Market

This was held on Valentine’s Day and our eleven Grade 2 pupils under the guidance of Mrs Anderson and their enthusiastic parents made sure that the event was a huge success.

 
 

Trinity College (London) and Rockschool Music Examinations

  Music Certificates

Congratulations to the following pupils who obtained certificates from Trinity College, London for music examinations last year: Micaella White (initial level piano); Nathan Hendricks and Morgan Ackerman (Grade 1 level piano with merit); Eva Hurley (Grade 1 piano with distinction) and Samara Howell (Grade 2 piano with distinction). 

Layla Reynolds, Amy Robson, Hannah Praetorius and Lily Joubert passed their Grade 1 popular vocals exams from the Rockschool while Ruby Tovell and Kate Robson passed with merit. Pictured on the right are our Grade 6 pupils learning to play the recorder.

 
 
Rory Dace and Hannah Praetorius NMBS Team

Surfing

Hannah Praetorius (Girls Under 14) and Rory Dace (Boys Under 10) have been selected to represent Nelson Mandela Bay Surfing (Eastern Province) at the 2018 Surfing South Africa and Sea Harvest SA Grom Games to be held from 21st to 25th March at Pollock Beach, Port Elizabeth.

 
 

U13A Girls Waterpolo

Our SFC Under 13A girls’ waterpolo team won their inaugural match against Collegiate Junior U13B team 4-1 on Tuesday 13 February.

This is a wonderful achievement and a feather in the cap of their coach, Mr Haydn Holmes.

 
U13A Girls Water Polo Victory over Collegiate U13B
 
U13A Cricket Team Victory over Stulting

Under 13A Boys Cricket

Our SFC Under 13A boys’ cricket team beat Stulting for the second time in two years on Thursday 15 February by 71 runs. Batting first, we scored 150 for 3 in our allocated 20 overs. James Beckley scored 66, Connor Von der Marwitz 21 and Gian Moolman 14. We bowled Stulting out for 79 and our wicketkeeper, Sipho Mofu, was instrumental in six dismissals.

 
 
Greenwood_Logo_Round_Green

Greenwood Bay College Cricket, Volleyball and Swimming Tour

The Greenwood Bay College summer tour will be for selected pupils from Grade 4 to 7 and will take place on Friday 23 and Saturday 24 February.  Our Under 13 cricket boys’ team will play a Twenty20 match while our girls will play volleyball on Friday. We will have a Grade 4 to 7 gala on Saturday morning starting at 10 o’clock next to Wild Waters.

 
 

News from the Nursery School

  Nursery School with Mr Fortuin

Our year has started so very well and we are happy to report that all our little ones have settled and are enjoying their mornings at the Nursery school.

GATE - Thank you to all of you Mums and Dads for your patience in the new drop off and pick up routine. It really has helped with the settling of the children in the mornings and we now avoid the upset for the children when parents pick up early.

We now have two pick up times.  The first one is at 12pm then the second is at 1pm.  This will avoid any disruptions during the morning.  If you need to collect your child at 12pm please let me know when you drop in the morning.

BALL SKILLS  - We are so pleased to have Coach Ralton on a Tuesday morning with us at the Nursery school. Coach Ralton has been doing some wonderful activities with them all and they are definitely benefiting from this time with him.

OUTING - Weather permitting we will be off to the Cove on the 23rd February.  Please meet promptly at the Nursery school at 9.45am or if you are going straight to the Cove please meet at 10am.  May we have the indemnity forms back as soon as possible.

A very big thank you to all our families for your kind and generous donations towards the  Thoughtful Thursday campaign. I am sure there's a lot of very happy cats and dogs out there.

All the very best to you all
Teacher Jane.

 
 

Senior Primary (Grade 4 to 7) Camp at Wacky Woods

On Thursday 8th February, 60 St Francis College senior primary pupils attended an overnight camp at Wacky Woods fifteen kilometres outside Jeffrey’s Bay. The seventeen Grade 7 pupils, who arrived the day before, were evenly distributed amongst the six groups of pupils and their leadership in the various activities proved to be inspirational.

The six groups moved around on a rotational basis on Thursday afternoon and participated in performing skits, making ‘stokbrood’, designing their team logo using flowers/nature, making desserts, practising volleyball skills and swimming in the resort’s pool.

After an overly exuberant evening, the next morning, our pupils enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, unpacked their tents, cleaned the campsite and lingered at the poolside until the arrival of their parents at 11h30 on a sweltering Friday morning. Thank you must go to the staff (Mrs Malherbe, Mrs Holdsworth, Mrs Bause, Mrs Knezovich, Mrs Marais, Mrs Falconer and Mr Fortuin) for their tremendous contribution to the success of the camp.

 
Wacky Woods Camp
 

Grade 7 Leadership Camp

 
Grade 7 Leadership Weekend
 

Parents' Association News

We are well into Term 1 and it has certainly been busy! Thank you so much for those that completed the ‘sign up’ form. We are busy collating them and will be in touch once we have created ‘teams’, etc. 

During the first two weeks of February we ran the annual Valentine’s Raffle which raised and amazing R20 290.00! Thank you so much to all of you and your children who sold tickets and made this such a successful start to the fundraising year. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our very generous sponsors:

First Prize: The Cape St Francis Resort who sponsored a night’s accommodation, B & B, won by Harm Steyn

Second Prize: Dune Ridge Country House, who sponsored an R800 meal voucher, won by Ethan Hurley

Third Prize:  St Francis Pharmacy who contributed toward the Valentines Hamper, won by Ricky Basnett.

The planning for the annual Family Fun Day is well under way! This will place on Saturday 24 March at Quaysyde. Your class mom will be in touch regarding what your class is putting together for the day.

 

 
 

IMPORTANT DATES

For more details on the following events please take a look at our online evants calendar https://www.stfranciscollege.co.za/events/category/school-events/ 

Tuesday 20 February               Independent Schools Gala at Woodridge

Thursday 22 February              Grade 2 Thoughtful Thursday

Friday 23 February                    Nursery School Outing - The Cove 

Friday 23 February                   Grade 4 Bakers' Day                          

Friday 23 and 24 February       Greenwood Bay College (Away) Cricket, Volleyball and Gala          

Saturday 24 February            ‘B’ Age Group Gala (Newton Park PE)

Wednesday 28 February         U9 mini cricket festival (A) Jeffreys Bay Primary

Thursday 1 March                   Grade 3 Thoughtful Thursday

Friday 2 March                        Grade 3 Bakers' Day

Saturday 3 March                  U9 Cricket Festival, Mount Pleasant, PE

Wednesday 7 March              Yellowtail House Day

Thursday 8 March                   Grade 4 Thoughtful Thursday 

Friday 9 March                       Grade 2 Bakers' Day

Tuesday 13 March                 Splash In Gala and Inter House Gala 

Thursday 15 March                Grade 5 Thoughtful Thursday

Friday 16 March                     Talent Show 

Friday 16 March                     Grade 1 Bakers' Day 

Tuesday 20 March                 Inter Schools Gala, Humansdorp

Thursday 22 March               Grade 6 and 7 Thoughtful Thursday

Friday 23 March                     Grade 0 Bakers' Day

Wednesday 28 March      Term 1 Ends 13h00/ Nursery School 12h30

 
 

Appeal for old takkies and sports shoes

If you have any old takkies and other sport shoes that your children have outgrown and are still in a reasonable condition please drop at the office or contact Joha Moolman 082 418 4179

 
 

Acknowledging achievements

If your child performs in any sporting or cultural activities please inform the school so we can acknowledge their achievements in assembly and press.  

 
 

BIRTHDAYS IN FEBRUARY

07 Feb  Darren van Wyk

09 Feb  Kei Mac Donald

14 Feb  Eva Hurley

17 Feb  Mrs. Bause

18 Feb  Stacey Bekeer

20 Feb  Linathi Saki

21 Feb  Francis Sacks 

23 Feb  MJ Roux de Bruyn

25 Feb  Miane Bosch

25 Feb  Lutha Mofu

27 Feb  Ben Clephane

28 Feb  Alice Kaunda

29 Feb  Matthew Firth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BIRTHDAYS IN MARCH

01 Mar  Jared Scheepers 

03 Mar  Noah Tovell

03 Mar  Sabelo Nkomo

04 Mar  Daisy Cunneen

06 Mar  Mieke Saunders 

08 Mar  James Beckley

08 Mar  Lily Joubert

10 Mar  Conor Howell 

15 Mar  Jake Knezovich

17 Mar  Morgan Ackerman

21 Mar  Emma Darke 

26 Mar  Tay Walker

26 Mar  Tinashe Phiri

28 Mar  Declan von der Marwitz

29 Mar  Daniel May