1. education
2. school

BRIDGE HOUSE
PRE-PRIMARY · PREPARATORY · COLLEGE
P R E P
Issue 16
N E W S
www.bridgehouse.org.za
22 May 2015
The Franschhoek Literature Festival found a home at Bridge House Prep last week when visiting
authors mesmerized children of all ages with their wonderfully imaginative and entertaining
presentations. The Grade 1 and 2 children met Benilda Wilson, creator of Aristotle, the remarkable hippo
and all of his adventures. Author, Helen Brain captivated the Grade 3s and 4s with her hilarious
dramatization of the story of a dog who swallowed a whistle. A firm favourite was Elizabeth Wasserman
who visited the school with William her dog; her inspiration for her series Dogtective. Alan Glass shared
songs from his popular children’s CD “Beautiful Creatures”, and Niky Daly visited us once again, but this
time, he hosted only a parent workshop.
We were incredibly privileged to host international bestselling author Chris Bradford – creator of the
Young Samurai and the Bodyguard Series. Nobody moved in the two hours that Chris spoke: the
children were enraptured by his authentic tales of training as a bodyguard and mastery in the martial
arts. Suffice it to say that Chris Bradford sold a mountain of books at the book sale later in the afternoon.
He certainly has built up his fan base…
Another award-winning bestselling author, John Boyne - whose books include The
Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - met the Grade 5,6 and 7 children and read them
excerpts from his latest publication: Stay where you and then Leave. John
engaged with the children in a very honest heart to heart chat and patiently
answered all their questions. He explained that his characters are often 9 year old
boys as he admires the resilience and optimism of a child at this age…nothing
seems to get them down.
The Senior Primary also had the opportunity to choose an author they
wanted to meet: Liz De Jager (fantasy fiction for young teens); Nick Norman
(for budding geologists); Morag Styles (for poetic spirits) and illustrator,
Jeanine Henning (for artists).
The week culminated in our Birth of Popular Literature Extravaganza on Friday when
the entire prep school celebrated the literature and the spirit of this pioneering era.
The 1920s saw the birth of radio advertising, brand names, magazines, celebrity movie
and sports stars, jazz musicians, popular lyrics, Walt Disney’s animation, and the list
goes on. It also saw the birth of literary classics such as Winnie the Pooh, Rupert the
Bear, Dr Dolittle, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, The Wizard of Oz amongst many
others.
The children had fun dressing up to suit the theme, and they enjoyed a Classic Kids’ Literature Quiz; a
Winnie the Pooh movie and a Hundred Acre Wood Treasure Hunt. It was a fitting end to a week of fun.
A week to remember.
Mrs Jenny Wright
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Grade 2 Comments…
“Thank you for the Treasure Hunt. I loved
the quiz it was very nice. I loved the movie.
It was very fun!!!” Kate Adshade
“Thank you for the fun Treasure Hunt and
the nice theme. I loved it to the moon and
back.”
Luke Winter
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Karen Lilje, a South African
illustrator, visited the playschool on
Monday during FLF school week.
She read “Dogapult” to the children
who listened attentively and asked
her many questions. It was exciting
to have a visitor reading a story.
Once she had finished reading, the
children asked for another story to
be read.
Thank you to Karen for coming to
spend time at the Playschool.
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GRADE 3s comments…
On Alan Glass: “All through break, I could not stop thinking about him…I thought that his books are actually
the best books that I’ve ever read.” Lucy Smith
On Helen Brain: “In case you don’t know who Helen Brain is, she is an authoress. Helen is a very funny
authoress because she let us act out her story about a dog show. The dog show went bizarre and it was so
funny!” Jemima Phillips
On Elizabeth Wasserman: “Elizabeth talked to all the children and told them how you can get on to her
website and most of the children wanted to go on the website. Her dog was so soft and cuddly and adorable.”
Caitlin Johnson
“Elizabeth came to tell us about her books. She brought her dog who is the star of the books.” Alexia Ludi
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Bridge House is proud of all our aspiring writers. Some of
them are extremely talented and can turn words into magic.
Here is an example of beautiful writing by a pupil in grade
7H who has chosen to remain anonymous…for now. Please
enjoy her remarkable wring.
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Spelling Bee
On Saturday morning, 6 intrepid contestants represented Bridge House School in the
Franschhoek Literary Festival Spelling Bee hosted by Wes-End Primary School in Franschhoek.
There were many entrants from schools throughout the valley, and the competition was
tough…so were some of the words! The competitors had to keep their wits about them as word
after word was fired at them through round after round. One small mistake could see them
eliminated from the competition. It was nail-biting stuff! Well done to Mia Winter, Hannah Day
and Cameron Alderslade – who competed in the English competition ─ as well as to Ambrose
Vincent, Nikolas Naude and Lowie Vaesen, who took on the Afrikaans category. We are proud
of you all!
Parent Workshop
What an informative glimpse into
the world and mind of a children's
author! Niki guided the parents
through his thought process when
creating the characters and story
lines for his books. The attention to
detail when illustrating these
wonderful stories is crucial to the
authenticity of the storytelling and it
was interesting to see how it can
change the whole feel of a book.
Seeing the book in its initial phase
when sent for publishing made you
appreciate the amount of work that
goes into the exciting process. The
audience was also introduced to
using background music when
reading to children to help set the
scene. Thank you Niki for a very
enjoyable morning. Stephnie Brits
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Save the Date!
With our JP Music Education Program taking a new approach in 2015 it is
time to showcase our talents on our instruments. What better way to do this
than by performing in a concert! This year we will incorporate both individual
music pupils (IMPs) and all the Grade 2s and 3s in their different instrument
groups.
When: Friday 19 June 2015
Time: 12:30 – 13:30
Venue: Bridge House Theatre
Watch this space for more information closer to the time!
A few Gr 2s thoughts on NO SHOES DAY!
“When we went for the warck on the feeld my
feet was so coled but I lice been ber feet when I
was runin it was not so coled eny
mor I even toock my jursy of and
then it was brack it was so fun”
Tyler Allerton 2H
“DEAR SPORTS OFIC THANK YOU FOR LETTING US WORCK”
Cat Prowse 2H
“It was fun I think all of the grades like it and me to and me frind kate was realy cold but I think she
liked it”
Robin Clork 2H
The walk was very nice and my feet were very could. My feet felt like a Rock. It was very
very could. Kate Adshade 2H
OUT OF SHOES DAY…when I first got to school I thought it was SUMMER! Onestly I felt as
warm as anything. But when it started getting colder I was freeezzingg, I had to put my
slippers on it was so cold. Joiner Primary went for a walk around THE intire school. And of
course it was Mrs Duplisse leading us and Coach Shaun at the back. Maya Ethelston 2H
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Thank You
for the overwhelming response to the request to
donate shoes for the 1 Day Without Shoes
Campaign. A bakkie-load (and that is not an
exaggeration) of fantastic shoes (some brand new)
was delivered to the ACVV in Franschhoek today.
Pre-primary Open
Day – please invite
friends and family
who are interested
in a place for their
children in our
Playschool and
Pre-Primary, to
come to the
Pre-Primary Open
Day on Friday
29 May.
Little Creatures…
There have been a number of cases of lice in the Prep School over the past weeks.
PLEASE… check your child’s hair and treat effectively. Children should not be at
school until all the lice and nits have been removed. Consult your pharmacist if you
are unsure of treatment.
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Bridge House is a community that cares, and this was again reinforced in the manner in which pupils,
staff and parents embraced yesterday’s Shoe Drive. Despite the slightly chilly conditions, the school
community turned up, removed their shoes and placed them outside the classrooms for donation to the
ACVV. Even our Head of School, Mr Mike Russell, could be seen leading prospective parents around
the school … barefooted! All in all, it looks like we have around two bakkie-loads of shoes for donation.
Thank you to the entire Bridge House community for supporting the drive!
I have just returned from the incredibly inspiring presentation by Andrew Merryweather. Grateful thanks
to the PA Parent Forum for bringing Andrew to address the Bridge House community.
Learning for Life is a value that we live by at our school, and while pupils were learning in the
classrooms, our staff in the Prep School attended a course on Integrating Critical Thinking in the
Curriculum offered by the IEB (Independent Examination Board). This reflects our desire to constantly
re-evaluate our delivery using 21st Century methodology. On Thursday, the staff from the JP section
attended the sessions and today it was the turn of the Senior Prep staff to sit in a classroom. Staff
development is an integral part of staying current and so ensuring that our teachers are given the space
to broaden their skill set as often as possible.
As a school, we are invested in the uplifting of education in the valley. Mike Russell and I are part of the
Franschhoek Principals Network (FPN). As a group, we meet on a monthly basis and explore
opportunities that can benefit education in the valley. As part of FNP, heads from six of the schools are
attending a weekend seminar on “Brave Leadership” hosted by NAPTOSA. The seminar explores
important aspects of a Head’s role and provides an important networking opportunity.
Looking at the calendar, Saturday sports festivals return, with Bridge House hosting a hockey festival
this weekend before heading out next weekend to take part in the Hermanus Hockey Festival. Such
festivals provide pupils with the perfect opportunity to take part in a number of matches where they are
able to develop and grow as hockey players.
Last week I was fortunate to attend the Young Round Square conference in Windhoek. Eight of our
Grade 7 pupils and Mrs Storey joined me for the conference which allowed us to interact with a number
of staff and pupils from schools across Africa, while embracing the Round Square IDEALS
(Internationalism, Democracy, Environment, Adventure, Leadership and Service). A huge thanks must
go to Mr Dawie Leibrandt and his team from St George’s Prep School for hosting us and showering us
with Namibian hospitality. Namibia is a beautiful country and I hope to return to explore it further in the
near future.
This week our Grade 7 pupils wrote the BH Scholarship Exams. While scholarship exams are normally
optional, it was decided a few years back that it is a good opportunity to expose pupils to this process.
The College does not expect pupils to study for the tests: it is rather an indication of where they are
academically with regard to Literacy and Numeracy. During the session, they were given the
opportunity to fill out their CV, highlighting past events and achievements. Scholarships are awarded to
both internal and external candidates as the year unfolds.
As the deadline for the completion of the Pre-Primary block approaches, plans are underway for the
move. A decision has been made to host a 4-year-old group on campus and parents from Pearl Valley
have been given the option to move across from Term 3. My gratitude goes to Sandie Parker and
Sandra Boyes for coordinating the completion, and putting all the planning in place to make the move
as seamless as possible. In order to have those ‘nice-to-have extras’ in the new Pre-Primary, a fundraising concert will take place next Saturday in the Bridge House theatre. Many of our Playschool and
Pre-Primary parents have already purchased tickets, but the concert is open to the whole Bridge House
community. There are still a few tickets available. See the full advert in the newsletter.
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For Barrow’s Barrow, I thought it apt to put in a quote about change.
Welcome back to our Grade 5 happy campers! Next week it is the turn of our Grade 6 group as
they head out to the SOS Camp.
Enjoy the weekend!
Marc Barrow
Head of Prep
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Netball vs Rietenbosch Primary – Thursday 14 May
U10B won 2-1
U11B lost 1-15
U12B lost 0-22
U13B won 14-3
Rugby vs Rietenbosch Primary – Thursday 14 May
U9
won 20-5
U11 lost 5-30
U13 lost 25-10
Hockey vs Mary Help vir Christus – Wednesday 20 May
U13B won 8-0
U10A won 1-0
Hockey vs Ebenezer Primary – Wednesday 20 May
U13A won 6-0
U10B won 1-0
Soccer vs Paarlzicht – Tuesday 19 May
U9B lost 3-0
U11B won 2-1
Soccer vs Rietenbosch Primary – Tuesday 19 May
U9A lost
1-4
U13A lost
0-2
Boland Primary Schools Rugby
Congratulations to Teubes van Niekerk who has been selected for the final group of 50 rugby
players from which the Boland U13A and B teams will be chosen. Good luck for the final
rounds of trials, Teubes!
Western Province Marathon Canoeing Championships
Saturday 9 May saw Luca Colombo take part in the WCCU junior
marathon champs held at Peninsula Canoe Club. Luca paddled
determinedly and won Gold convincingly in his U10 2km race. Well
done, Luca; we're so proud of you and your canoeing
achievements this term.
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OF THE WEEK
Junior Primary: Max Barret & Rylee Gradwell
Senior Primary: Gillian Roosen & Alina Pirouz
Upcoming Events
Sat 23 May
Tues 26 May
Wed 27 May
Thurs 28 May
Sat
30 May
BH U13 Hockey Festival
Soccer vs Ikhaya Primary
Soccer vs Nederburg Primary
Hockey vs Paarl Boys’ Primary
Hockey vs Paarl Girls’ Primary
Netball vs Weber Gedenk Primary
Netball vs Wes-Eind Primary
Rugby vs Wes-Eind Primary
Hermanus Primary Hockey Festival
(U10A, U11A & U13A)
Bridge House
Stellenbosch
Bridge House
Paarl
Paarl
Stellenbosch
Bridge House
Bridge House
Hermanus
60 Minutes with the Heads
Please note change of venue to Theatre
In the interests of good and improving communication between school and parents, Mike
Russell and Marc Barrow, Heads of the College and Prep respectively, will host the termly 60
Minutes with the Heads meeting, on Monday 1 June in the Theatre from 08h00 to 09h00.
In order to help the Heads prepare properly for this, please e-mail any questions or concerns
(of a general nature) you may have, to [email protected] by or on Monday 25 May.
The PA has kindly offered to bundle these into a folder and forward them to the Heads, who
will then prepare responses to the matters raised, and e-mail out the agenda. Parents
interested in these agenda items will be welcome to come along and participate in the
conversation.
Please note that any issues mailed to PA@bridgehouse after that closing date will not be on
the agenda for this meeting, and will either be replied to in the interim, or carried over to the
next 60 Minutes in the third term.
The rules for 60 Minutes are simple:
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it's a constructive and collaborative initiative;
matters raised and mailed through need to be of a general nature;
if deemed a better option to do so, the Heads can respond directly by e-mail to any
issues before the meeting;
there will be honest and frank responses and discussion around the topics on the
agenda;
questions from the floor need to be only about the agenda issues: no "surprises" and no
"general" please!
giving the Heads some preparation time is simply so that if figures and data are required
for an answer, or if someone else's expertise is needed, there is an opportunity to
gather this and give full answers (and perhaps put it into a presentation of sorts);
time: strictly 60 minutes for the forum, so that it's short and sharp and those attending
can plan their morning.
Mr Mike Russell
Bridge House Mountain Biking
Calling all Bridge House Mountain Biking families:
On Saturday 9 May, approximately 40 Mountain Bikers joined the first Bridge House Outride.
We had riders from the ages of 5 to 50 and all enjoyed a wonderful ride in the area and
surrounding mountains of Bridge House. We hope to make this a regular fixture.
The second Bridge House Mountain Biking outride will be held on Friday 29 May at 3:00 pm
at Bridge House. There will be a shorter ride
on the trail running course of about 6 km for
the younger nippers and one/two outrides for
parents and older children of between 10 km
and 25 km. All rides will include “sweep”
riders.
The purpose is for us to meet as a Bridge
House Cycling community by getting on our
bikes and enjoying the lovely settings at
Bridge
House
and
the
surrounding
mountains. The intention is to ride for no
more than 1 to 2 hours.
I would like to emphasise that this is a family
outride, so the idea is for parents to ride with
their children. We do not provide adult supervision.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require further details or clarification on
0724973576 or [email protected].
Mr P van Deemter
New Parents’ Tea
A tea with Marc Barrow and Mike Russell will take place on 9 June at 10h30 in the dining
room. Invitations have been emailed to parents who are new to the school this year. If you
did not receive an invitation please contact Jenny Jones on [email protected].
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Please note the following advertisements were paid for by the advertisers.
Bridge House School does not in any way endorse any of the products,
events or businesses advertised in this newsletter and takes no
responsibility for the use of any of the products which are advertised
here.
Winter is here! Last minute Companion Fares
available, pay for one and get one free in the
Tasting Room a Le Quartier Français.
Open Tuesday to Saturday. Please note that
bookings only become available on the day for that
evening.
Please contact Ebeneze on [email protected] or
call 021-8762151.
Laundry Ink Stamp
Easy way to mark your kids clothing
Stamp your child’s name and contact number onto clothing quickly and easily.
We supply the stamp with your requested details with a laundry ink stamp pad.
It’s a once off purchase to save you hours of time and trouble. Just use year after year.
Use it to mark clothes, books, shoes, bags, toys, games ,etc. You can either stamp directly
o to garment or onto ribbon or labels.
Contact Alison for a quote
082 468 7558
[email protected]
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The Cape Hunt
Est. 1822
Will meet at
Allee Bleue
On Sunday 21st JUNE at 10.00 a.m.
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Riders need not jump if they do not want to.
Adult Non-members = R300 p/hunt. Children under 18yrs = R100 p/hunt
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Car, foot and bicycle followers welcome.
Lunch afterwards at Allee Bleue.
MAINS 180gr Sirloin steak served with smoked paprika potato wedges, caramelized baby shallots
and bacon with rosemary and mushroom jus. OR Stuffed chicken supreme saffron potato fondant,
broccoli and corn ragout served with beetroot and horseradish jus. DESSERT: Warm date and nut
pudding served with homemade vanilla ice cream. Every person will receive a glass of our Starlette
Blanc or Starlette Rouge. R150.00 per person
Please book your meal with Ian Hurst 021 874 3913
before Tuesday 16th June
The hunt takes place over neighboring farms. Whether on the hunt or not,
please respect all property - do not ride on mown grass or planted crops,
report broken pipes and unusual activity.
We all depend on the goodwill of local landowners for the enjoyment of
our outrides.
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