As we reach the halfway mark of 2026, our rainbow journey is shining brighter than ever —though some days it feels like we’ve sprinted through the colours faster than a child chasing the baker sale line!

Alongside celebrating our pupils’ achievements, we’ve also been re-thinking how we communicate as a community. From safeguarding children’s digital footprints with our No Name social media policy, to streamlining updates through our new AdminOnly WhatsApp groups, we’re determined to keep things clear, respectful, and clutter-free. After all, life’s too short to scroll past 47 emojis before finding out the English oral has been postponed!

Re-thinking, Re-working and Updating the St Francis College Digital and Communication Policies.

We believe this change will improve our digital hygiene, reduce unnecessary clutter, and ensure that important updates reach parents quickly and clearly. Our goal is to make communication smoother, more respectful of everyone’s time, and ultimately better for all.

The Grade 7 class showed true grit and determination entering into 3 weeks of exams. We are very proud of their perseverance, arriving every day to do their best. 

Today we celebrated with hot chocolate, chips, popcorn, a movie, and ice-cream! Six months of primary school left! 

The Grade 6s have had a wonderful first half of Term 2. From exciting science experiments about mixtures and solutions, to honing their skills in horticulticulture to win the annual 2026 Gardening Competition, and ending the half term by achieving excellent results throughout their exams. We're looking forward to the second half of of term with even more exciting things ahead, one of the these being the Grade 6 'Back to the 80s' themed social and games night coming up in July.

Our first sports event for Term 2 was at the Woodridge Annual Derby Day on the 16th of May. Torrential rain in week 1 made our fields virtually unplayable and we therefore had to drop out of the hockey fixtures. Netball carried over from term 1 so our girls were ready to compete against Greenwood Bay. The U9's played first and lost their game, followed by the U11's who won convincingly. The U12's then lost by 1 point while the U13s drew all square. Overall it was a great morning and a good chance for the girls to get some early match experience.

On the 28th of May, the boys went to play soccer at Oakridge and were very excited to wear the newly sponsored jerseys. Thank you once again to Calibre and Scentlab for your generosity. The boys played very well but unfortunately lost both the U11 and U13 games by a close margin. We were scheduled to play soccer against VCS the following week but unfortunately got rained out by yet another massive storm.

Focus then shifted to preparing the U8's and U9's for a junior hockey tournament at Greenwood Bay in Plett. Players, parents and coaches were up very early to make the 2 hour trip for the 8:30 start. The tournament consisted of 6 schools in each age group, with 5 games of 15 minutes each being played in a round robin format. All the kids played very well and gained so much experience throughout the morning. Special mention goes to the U8 boys team who made it to the final against Greenwood Bay and came second overall.

Last but not least was the very unofficial but very competitive match between the dads and their offspring at the fathers day braai. Well done to the dads that took part, and those that cheered from the sideline. A match like this gives the dad's a chance to maintain their "hero status" in the household. Overall the kids must have outnumbered the dads 3:1 on the field, but the dads managed to prove they "still got it" and won the game 2-1. Well deserved beers and boerie rolls were enjoyed after the game. All the kids went home well fed, and uninjured. Overall it was a great success, with many dads talking about playing footy more often.

Term 2 has been very exciting and filled with some wonderful new learning experiences.

The weather really played havoc with some of our plans as we had to postpone Mother’s Day and missed two days of school. However, we have still managed to fill our school day with fun activities. Our extra-mural program kicked off with drama as we began to practice for the school play. We also learnt more about hockey and netball and travelled to Plettenberg Bay for our first derby against Greenwood Bay. The ECD and Foundation Phase Mother’s Day picnic was a great success and the Grade 1 and 2 classes benefited from the donation of books to the class libraries. 

The Grade 3 class recently enjoyed an exciting educational trip to Simbonga Reserve and Sanctuary.

We were very lucky to see amazing animals up close, including lions, lionesses, and a tiger named Gina. Gina and the other big cats were rescued from Ukraine and are now living happily in a safe, natural environment with lots of space and soft grass under their paws. We also saw tall giraffes, wildebeest, and buck moving freely in the reserve.

During our visit, we learned how to track animals and even examined herbivore scat to understand what different animals eat. We discovered how the animals are fed and cared for by the sanctuary staff. After all the learning, we enjoyed a picnic in the field and played games with a beautiful mountain view in the background. It was a wonderful day filled with learning, fun, and unforgettable memories.

We have had a busy term exploring different aspects of practical maths. We learnt to measure different items accurately and decided which unit of measurement should be used. We halved odd numbers using marshmallows- of course eating them all at the end was a highlight. We began to learn to write cursive letters starting with lower case letters. The children are very proud of their efforts. We have begun learning ‘klanke’in Afrikaans and are reading short pieces. We have worked on 3 themes this term- Winter, Bees and the Jungle. As part of our study we visited African Dawn, spoke about the different layers of the jungle and presented an oral about a jungle animal of our choice. The children have produced amazing stories about each theme. We finished the term by paying the Shipwreck museum a visit where we saw artifacts which had been collected from the various shipwrecks along our coast.

This term we have dived into more complex learning as we built words using our phonetic knowledge, started writing our own sentences and extended on mathematical concepts. We have been exploring different aspects of farming and enjoyed a fun and informative morning at the De Lange family farm. Harry Bateman shared his knowledge as the children got actively involved in making biochar and learning about the benefits it can bring to our gardens. Each child planted a bulb to take home and nurture. It was a wonderful morning of hands-on learning, discovery, and connecting with nature. The children have been excited to work on their first project about a farm animal and enthusiastically shared this knowledge with their classmates.

The Grade 0 class have been learning so much about the wonderful world we live in. We explored different continents, and the children enjoyed researching famous landmarks from around the world. They proudly presented their findings to the class using pictures, models, and creative dioramas, sharing many interesting facts with their friends.

In Mathematics, one of the highlights was when we explored measurement using non-standard units. After attempting to measure our Duplo “Great Wall of China” using our feet, the children quickly discovered why measuring tapes are so important! It was a fun and hands-on way to learn about comparing lengths and using standard forms of measurement.

What a wonderful and busy half-term it has been at St Francis College ECD! Despite the many coughs, sniffles, and runny noses making their way through our classrooms, our little learners have continued to shine with enthusiasm and joy. 😊

We have had so much fun exploring exciting themes including 🦖 Dinosaurs, 🚜 Farm Animals, 🧒 Responsibility, 🚗 Transport, and 🎶 Nursery Rhymes. Through stories, songs, creative activities, and imaginative play, our children have been learning, growing, and making special memories every day.

We also enjoyed celebrating our amazing mums and dads during our Mother's Day 💐 and Father's Day 💙 activities. Thank you for helping make these occasions so meaningful for our children.

A heartfelt thank you to all our families for your continued support of our Thoughtful Thursday initiative. Your kindness and generosity make a real difference and help us nurture caring, compassionate little hearts. ❤️

We are also excited to share that an upgrade to our outdoor playground is currently underway! We cannot wait for our children to enjoy this wonderful new space for learning and play.

We wish all our families a restful, happy, and rejuvenating mid-term break. Stay safe, stay healthy, and we look forward to seeing everyone back soon!

Congratulations to Ricky Anderson and Maya Kotzé who have both been invited to play in the Sarah Baartman District Closed Championship on the 25 July in Makhanda. They will be competing for a place in the official Sarah Baartman Team. We are so proud of you both! Good Luck!

During the term, normal weekly Chess League matches continued. The league will wrap up at the end of September.

What a wonderfully busy and exciting term it has been for our music students!

This term was filled with growth, confidence-building and many opportunities for our learners to shine.  One of the highlights was Mini Maestro, where our young musicians showcased their talents with enthusiasm and courage.  It was wonderful t see their hard work and dedication come to life in such confident performances.

For many of our students, this was also their first experience performing in front of adjudicators.  While nerve-wracking at first, they rose to the challenge beautifully, gaining valuable feedback and learning important performance skills along the way.

The term continued with the Stulting Arts Festival, where students participated in both Drama and Music.  They impressed judges with their creativity and passion.  From dramatic poetry performances to musical excellence, our learners represented St Francis College with pride.

Various students also participated in the Trinity Guidlhall piano and singing exams.  Well done to all the brave children who took part and received excellent results.

We are incredibly proud of all the students for their hard work and bravery.  We look forward to another exciting term of music-making!

Regards
Natasha Brown

Congratulations to our amazing artists who achieved excellent results at the Stulting Arts Festival.

We extend our sincere thanks to all grades for their generous donations towards the Shekinah Soup Kitchen in Sea Vista. These donations provide a nutritious meal, specifically targeting local children, and plays a crucial role in uplifting the vulnerable residents in the area. Initiatives like these highlight the importance of community outreach, fostering empathy, responsibility, and a spirit of service in our children while making a positive difference beyond the classroom.

Thanks

Caroline Boshoff

The following pages have been attached via email and attached as a pdf for easy reading.