CHESTERHOUSE
INTERNATIONAL, INDEPENDENT,
EDUCATION
The Call of the Gryphon
26 February 2015
No: 07/2015
FROM THE HEADMASTER………
I am looking forward with you to the journey we embark on together as we start
a new chapter in the history of Chesterhouse.
There will be many new challenges which await us, but I have full confidence
in my management team, staff, and you as parents to support me in the
interests of your children.
I look forward to this new chapter in my life and I feel charged with the courage
needed to be the inspiration which will take Chesterhouse to new heights.
Let us be guided by our motto 'Courage Inspires' to encourage each other and
to inspire each other so that our efforts may be the example which our children
can emulate so that they be encouraged to reach for the stars!
Barry Nieuwoudt
HEADMASTER
Barry Nieuwoudt
HEADMASTER
ARTIST OF THE WEEK
Rebecca Bibergal
Grade 10
Page 1
College Management Team
Estelle Snyders
Head of
Academics
Leah Nasson
Head of
Student Affairs
Robert Weatherdon
Head of
CIE
FROM THE COLLEGE.............
Dear Parents and Guardians,
The Senior Management Team would like to express its appreciation to the Board of Governors, especially
to the Executive Committee, who have devoted so much of their time and energy to guiding the School
during the interim period while we have waited for our new headmaster to assume office. Special mention
must be made of the loyal contribution of the Chairman, Mr Ari Spanellis, who serves Chesterhouse
unstintingly and is always available to look after the interests of the School and its pupils. The Senior
Management Team and teachers look forward to welcoming and working with our new headmaster, Mr
Nieuwoudt, next week.
The mid-term reports will give parents an indication of the progress of their children. Since the percentage
attained in each subject reflects the amount of studying that has been done by pupils and their innate
ability, parents will be able to assess from the results whether their children have applied themselves to
their studies or not this term.
Education is a partnership between school and home. While our teachers can prepare pupils well in class
and control their homework, they are unable to control the time that pupils spend on test preparation at
home or the quality of personal study done. Parents can support teachers in their work by exercising
discipline over homework time and test revision over weekends, controlling the time their children spend on
the electronic media, ensuring regular and punctual school attendance, moderating the outside activities of
their children which may sometimes undermine academic performance and by encouraging their children to
respond positively to their teachers. The past excellent academic results were achieved by co-operation
between parents, pupils and teachers and the healthy ambition of pupils to do their best according to their
personal ability. Matric pupils should analyse their reports with their June examinations, which will
determine their provisional acceptance at university in mind.
Parents may be interested to know about the responsibilities and role of the Head of CIE. The Head of CIE
is responsible for all matters pertaining to external examinations for both the Preparatory School and
College, access arrangements, administration of CIE websites for both the Preparatory School and College,
all communications with Cambridge, liaising with our examination agent (El Shaddai Christian School) and
CIE teacher training courses. Parents are welcome to contact me about any CIE matters.
The administrative work pertaining to the November 2014 examination series is still on-going. The official
statements of results have been received and we are awaiting the AS Level and IGCSE certificates. IGCSE
candidates who have not yet received their official statements of results can collect them from my office and
AS Level candidates can collect them from reception. The outcome of reviews of some candidates’ scripts
are still being awaited.
Courage inspires.
Robert Weatherdon and the College Team
Head of CIE.
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Preparatory School
Management Team
Leanne Petersen
Head of Academics
Lieze Puren
Head of Student and
Parent Affairs
FROM THE PREP SCHOOL …………..
Dear Parents and Guardians
As you are aware, the Preparatory School staff have spent many hours this year working together to ensure
that excellent teaching and learning is occurring in every classroom. Marking and effective feedback go
hand in hand with this.
Marking and feedback serve two main purposes, either it opens a conversation between the teacher and
child with the intention of leading children to the next stage of learning, or it is a record of a verbal
conversation between a teacher and child which has led the to the next stage of learning. This helps to
ensure that children become reflective learners.
Some of the things you can expect to see in your child’s books are the following:
•
Positive comments. It is very important that the child’s successes are recognised and celebrated.
•
Marking symbols. These are specific symbols which will be used that signify specific ideas. For
example ^ means a word is missing in the sentence.
•
Comments which are focused on the learning objective and success criteria. By giving children
learning objectives and success criteria we have set the child a goal and told them how to achieve it.
In marking it is necessary to focus on that goal and how effectively the child reached the goal, or to
give the necessary steps to reach the goal at a later stage.
As I have mentioned already, marking and feedback is only effective when it involves the child. Over the
next few weeks our teachers will be focusing on these three areas of effective marking. They will be sharing
the meaning of the marking symbols with the children, and ensuring that feedback given clearly guides the
child onto the next stage of learning.
I hope you have a relaxing long weekend.
Leanne and the Prep School Team
2015 TERM DATES
TERM
Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
Term 4
PERIOD
Wednesday 14 January – Friday 27 March
School holiday – 27 February
Monday 13 April – Friday 26 June
School and/or public holiday for all pupils
-27 April to 1 May and 16 June
Tuesday 21 July – Wednesday 23 September
public holiday – 10 August
Monday 5 October – Friday 4 December
Page 3
Grade 4 Iziko Museum Outing
On Tuesday the Grade 4s went to the museum to study the San and the Khoikhoi. We learnt that they made a
scratch on their backs and filled it with coal after they killed an animal. If someone got sick they went to a cave,
danced and did rock paintings over another rock painting. The thing I enjoyed most about our outing was seeing all
the mammal statues, especially the cheetahs.
Aimee Rubino
On Tuesday morning the Grade 4 class went on an outing to the Iziko museum. When we arrived at the museum we
went through the rock art gallery until we got to the Khoikhoi and San exhibition. Here the tour guide met us. She told
us wonderful things and not so wonderful things.
Here is one thing I thought was strange, the San would attach
spears to the cattle when they went to war.
Other interesting facts we learned was they traded cattle with
the Europeans for money and goods. Later when the cattle
were loaded on the ship the San whistled to the cattle and they
came running back. A not so great thing we learned was that if
a member of the San tribe was sick they would be left behind.
After the tour it was lunch and then we looked at the rest of the
museum.
(Khoikhoi hut)
(Khoikhoi man)
Here is some of my class mates standing inside shark jaws. My favourite
part was the dinosaurs exhibit, then we went to the aquatic exhibitions,
and then it was time to go.
When we went outside to the museum gardens some of us
began feeding pigeons while others looked at squirrels
playing in the trees.
When we got back to school I could not wait for the next
day because we were going to Blue Mountains School to
hand out sandwiches.
Roan Laas
We drove on a bus to the museum. It took 45 minutes to get there. Our guide showed and told us about the history of
the San and Khoikhoi people. It was very fascinating to hear and see. We saw the San writing and huts and watched
a video clip. Then we had lunch, we went to the garden and saw squirrels and birds. It was amazing. We had a
wonderful trip. It was great seeing the museum and animals.
Hao Ran Dong and Kausalya Naidoo
The Grade 4 visit to Blue Mountains Primary School
On Tuesday night my mom and I made Blue Mountains’ sandwiches. The next day I went to school and our class did
some work and then we went to Blue Mountains and gave them the sandwiches, but listen to this, not all the kids
liked the peanut butter sandwiches, but Megan's ham sandwiches went like a flash of lightning. Mine, I think, didn't go
at all. There were kids that called me LION. That was funny.
Liam Kleinsmith
Page 4
CMS: Orchestra/Ensemble Auditions
We are happy to report that the CMS is in the process of starting a few instrumental ensembles and/or orchestras!
This initiative is being implemented by Mrs. Alet Lambert, who has had great success with various school orchestras
in the past. Auditions will be held during the second week of March (dates and times to be confirmed). All parents
should have received a letter of information and invitation to audition, via email. Hard copies of these letters are
available from Mrs. Johline Cronje and Mrs. Joan Norton. Please ensure that your reply slip reaches Mrs. Lambert or
one of the school secretaries by Monday, 2 March, should your child be interested in participating.
We would like to encourage all our music pupils, even those who have their tuition outside Chesterhouse, to
participate. Being part of an ensemble or orchestra is such a rewarding and an enriching experience for a musician,
especially when under the baton of a conductor as capable as this.
Manina Pretorius
Deputy Director of CMS
U19 Cricket
Sammy Bloch 30 over semi-final Fairmont HS U19 vs Chesterhouse U19 (at Fairmont) Tuesday 24 February
Fairmont 129 all out (27 overs)
Matthew Valentine 3-11
Chesterhouse 126/6 (30 overs)
Dean Bruintjies 36, Matthew Valentine 33
Chesterhouse lost by 3 runs
A very close encounter which went down to the final over, Chesterhouse required 6 runs off the final 3 balls but could
only manage 3 singles and ended up narrowly losing by 3 runs. Perhaps a match which Chesterhouse lost rather
than Fairmont won, with plenty of wickets in hand but allowing too many dot balls specifically against the Fairmont
spinners. Liam Witten (Fairmont) ended with the most amazing figures of 1-3 (6 overs) with his 1st four overs all
being maiden overs. During this period of not scoring runs ultimately cost Chesterhouse the match. A gut-wrenching
loss for David against Goliath, however the players can feel proud of their progression to the semi-finals and with a
little more luck may well have lifted the trophy.
Christos Yiatses
HEAD OF CRICKET
Show Jumping
We are proud to report that one of our Prep School horse riders,
representing Chesterhouse, got 2nd place in 50cm show jumping
this past Saturday. WELL DONE Mia D'Aguiar (Grade 6),
we look forward to reporting more successful results.
Sonya Adams
Head of Sport
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Page 6
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CHESTERHOUSE CONTACT DETAILS
Phone: 021-975 6650 Fax: 021-975 6649
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
Webpage: www.chesterhouse.co.za
Cnr. Mosselbank River & Falcon Streets, D’Urbanvale Estate,
Durbanville 7550
Newsletter comments to: [email protected]