Shirley Harding

Mrs Zubeida Jaffer, Dr Nick Shortall and Mrs Shirley Harding at the annual Matric Prize Giving

She spoke poignantly of the difficulties experienced by people of colour who were not automatically accepted into top universities, despite excellent matriculation results. She recounted a moving, yet amusing, anecdote of her first day at UCT as an undergraduate. She knew no one and felt conspicuous and isolated in a predominantly white environment. She phoned her mother to tell her that no one had spoken to her. Like all good mothers who are trying to help their children to fly, Mrs Jaffer told her daughter that this was an opportunity to give her tongue a rest!

In her report, Mrs Harding spoke of the contribution that the Matriculants of 2003 have made to Wynberg Girls’ High School. While they move on to new challenges, they will remain in the hearts and minds of both the parents and teachers. 

A Kourie

Jamie-Lee is seen with her Matric work

On Friday, 17 October, the work of the Matriculants was on display in the Art Studio and in Rooms 17 and 18, available for viewing by friends, family and the artistically inclined. One of Ms Vosloo’s exceptional gifts is her ability to recognise the particular interests and strengths of each of her students, and then to enable them to exploit appropriate media and styles so that what is displayed is a penetrating reflection of their interests, their concerns and themselves. The range of work on display is testimony to this extraordinary talent.

Carina Vosloo with two of her Matric students, 
Jamie-Lee and Caitlin

Once again, Shirley Cartmel provided a delicious array of refreshments, and it was there that Mrs Harding commended the girls and Ms Vosloo on the wonderful work that they had produced. There were indeed a number of very proud pupils and parents.

Candice Tripp is seen with her work

Y Moosa

Three blind mice found their way into the party

After their informal valedictory service, when they thanked the school and their peers for their years at Wynberg, they assembled in full school uniform, as a group, for the last time.

An unconscious yearning never to grow up?

As the VIPs at this formal function, they filed into the school hall, watched by proud mothers, fathers and teachers. This valedictory service is a time of celebration of what the girls have achieved during their time at Wynberg - for some it has been as many as thirteen years after starting in the pre-school. The service is a mixture of nostalgic reminiscing and serious thoughts about the future. 

Mrs Wilding, the Grade Twelve Head, welcomed the guests and drew an interesting analogy between the path of a river and the path of a person’s life. Mrs Harding talked about the mental file we have of the experiences we have had, and how all of these are moulded together into the person that we have become over these years. She reminded us of the rules we were taught in kindergarten, such as:

• Hold hands and stick together – people count
•  Share everything
• Play fair
• Live a balanced life – learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work some every day

and reminded the Matrics that these rules hold true for life.

Alex Butterfield, the Head Girl for 2003, addressed her fellow Matrics for the last time, recalling some of their happy memories and taking time to thank parents, staff and all concerned for their successful journey through school.

After the singing of their farewell song and the final singing of their school song in a brown uniform, the Matrics of 2003 left Wynberg to begin, firstly, their examinations and then the challenges of life. We wish them all great success and happiness. 

S Harding

The lures of Wynberg soon drew him back again, when he boomeranged back to head up the History Department in 2000, a post he has held until now. So we can be forgiven for asking ourselves whether we might yet again smell the coffee brewing from Room 8, or hear the shouts of encouragement to the water polo players, or perhaps see the Wrayster beavering away over his third educational publication in the staff workroom. Who knows, he might even pop in on an itinerant visit to teach the Grade Eight Tech class how to make pasta!

Yes, he is certainly a multi – talented and gifted educator and colleague; one who will be sorely missed by all learners from his Matrics and A-levels girls to his Grade Eights. So we say, Hamba kahle, uDylan. You will be missed. 

Hamba kahle, uDylan

FAREWELL, ETHEL MATOMONA!

On Friday 14 November, at 1pm, the girls and teaching staff emptied their bins and swept their classrooms to enable our grounds men and cleaning staff  to have a well-deserved end of year lunch and early afternoon off. They were treated to a hot dinner and dessert in our tuckshop, catered for by Mrs Shirley  Cartmel.

Mrs Harding graciously thanked all the support staff who work tirelessly to keep our school in pristine condition. As she acknowledged, it is often a  thankless task cleaning up after others, but these staff members are cheerful and always willing to oblige.

The occasion was also marked by a formal recognition and acknowledgement of the service given by Ethel Matomona as she retires. 

Ethel talks of her experiences at Wynberg

Shirley Cartmel, who worked closely with her during the time that she has worked at Wynberg writes:

Ethel came to Cape Town from East London with the Walters family, when Mrs Walters was appointed principal of Wynberg Girls' High School. By then, Ethel had raised her own two children as well as the three Walters children. She started working in the tuckshop almost twelve years ago and has done a wonderful job preparing food, keeping the tuckshop clean as well as very often serving at the counter. Every lunchtime, she would deliver the staff their lunch, which was always greatly appreciated. 

Over the years Ethel has been a friendly, kind person to all. There have been the odd occasions when she has had to reprimand a pupil for bad behaviour during break: this always upset her. 

Although Ethel is retiring from Wynberg Girls' High at the end of the year, she has no intention of sitting at home. She plans to run her own tuckshop from her home in Uitenhague where her dear husband, Enoch, has been waiting patiently for her. 

We at Wynberg will miss her and wish her everything of the very best for the future.

On this occasion, Mrs Harding thanked her for her extraordinary loyalty and service, and she was presented with a lovely bouquet of flowers. Clearly deeply loved by her fellow workers, she was given a farewell gift by them. The school will bid her farewell at its Final Assembly.

It was a lovely opportunity for the support staff to relax and receive acknowledgement for the part they play in the smooth running of Wynberg Girls' High School.

J Inglesby

MUSIC DEPARTMENT

The fourth term has been a very busy term, with girls having to do internal and external examinations. The external candidates achieved good results and are to be congratulated on their efforts. The internal exams run by our three music teachers were stressful for all, but we would like to congratulate everyone! The pupils have worked extremely hard this term and they are all to be commended.

One of the highlights this term included the lunch hour concert, which acted as a warm-up for our Ensemble Exam Concert the next day. The night was delightful and thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended. 


Smiles from the Music Department staff at the Exam concert
Our orchestra and choir gave performances at the Matric Valedictory Service and Matric Prize Giving. Other performances for the choir and vocal ensemble include the carol service, which was held on the 30 November. During the last weeks of that month, the exquisite sounds of our choir could be heard in the driveway of the school, and even then, it promised to be a wonderful evening. 

Our newly formed pop band (yet to be named) had its first public performance at the Prize Giving on the 4 December and shortly after that at the cultural event on the last day of school. 

Our Pop Band rehearses for its first performance

The year has been truly wonderful and the Music Department has blossomed. All concerts and events have gone off without a hitch and our ensembles have grown tremendously. A special thank to Ms Franke, Miss Opperman and Ms Barwise for all their hard work.

Finally, congratulations to all the leaders of the ensembles for 2004. We look forward to great things from all the music students for the year to come.

Music Head	Stacey Lewis	Miss Franke
Flute Ensemble	Tammy Binedell	Miss Franke
Recorder Ensemble	Tammy Binedell	Miss Franke
Choir	Jessica Groenewald	Ms Barwise
Vocal Ensemble	Nicole Benjamin	Ms Barwise
Orchestra	Stacey Lewis	Miss Opperman
Senior Marimba Band	Stacey Lewis	Ross Johnson
Junior Marimba Band	Raelene Adams	Ross Johnson
Pop Band 2004	Sarah O’Carrol	Miss Franke

S Lewis

DANCE DEPARTMENT

The first three weeks of the term were allocated to practical work in preparation for the examinations. Mrs Ross was our examiner for this session. She hails from Worcester, where she has recently been seconded to the EMDC in that area after teaching for many years.

Grade Elevens warm up at the barre

The hall looked magnificent, with arrangements of flowers from generous families adorning the strategic spots. The girls, as always, had taken special care to groom themselves appropriately - both in dress and behaviour. The results are most gratifying and my congratulations and thanks to the girls in this regard. Thank you, too, to Ms Orpen and Ms Martin for finding time to take some interesting photographs.

We said farewell to the Matrics on Wednesday 8 October. I will not easily forget this year's Grade Twelve Dance class. They have been a pleasure to teach. We have travelled a long road together and both the girls and I have been enriched from the years spent together.

A number of us went to see Classic Highlights at the Artscape Theatre this term. Excerpts from Cinderella, Raymonda, La Corsair and the Blue Bird pas de deux are always good classical viewing.

Kaleidescope, a multi-facetted dance production from the UCT School of Dance and performed by the students at the Baxter Theatre, was a refreshing mixture of dance media ranging from Classical to Contemporary and Spanish dance. Ballet Theatre Afrikan also gave a professional performance at the Baxter Theatre during the middle of November with one outstanding piece, 'Lift to the Scaffold,' choreographed by Adele Blank.

It's the end of the term and the end of the year and I wish you all a wonderful holiday. I look forward to the exciting road ahead in 2004.

C Shapiro

Our marimba players welcome the Grade Eights of 2004 
at the Grade Seven Evening

Another of the highlights for those of the Christian faith is the Christmas Carol Service, which this year was held at the Dutch Reformed Church in Wynberg on 30 November. Always a Wynberg Campus of Schools function, the service, which this year was organised by our younger sister school, was profoundly beautiful and wonderfully inspirational. 

Romy Shortall reads from the Scriptures

Long before the event, strains of the inspired singing of our choir could be heard in the Brink Quadrangle and the driveway. It is truly at times like these that we are reminded of what an extraordinarily rich school this one is. In what other profession is there the diversity of life, the richness of talent, the exuberance of youth and the joy of learning and discovery to be found? 

This year, for the first time, some of the exceptional drama items produced by the Grade Elevens of 2003 were performed at a drama evening to which a small group of parents and staff were invited. The evening took the form of a cabaret where the audience enjoyed a delicious Mexican supper, while being entertained by some of the best senior performers at the school. 

All of the clubs and societies within the cultural pillar have been doing a little forward thinking and planning ahead for the year 2004. One of the 
important dates on our calendar next year is Open Day, where clubs and societies are able to reveal to prospective Grade Eights of the year 2005 what it is that they do. In anticipation of this event, various departments are working together to produce a road show, in which they can showcase some of their work. The school was able to see some of these items on the last day of school for the pupils.

Members of the Senior Xhosa society rehearse
for the Cultural Event on Friday

We are planning a host of wonderful and exciting events in 2004, so hold onto your cultural caps as we breeze into the next year.

P Orpen

DRAMA

Exams for the South African Speech and Drama College (the new name for the South African Guild of Speech and Drama) took place at Irma Kessler’s studio in Sea Point at the beginning of October. Wynberg Girls' High had the largest entry and came out tops. The examiner was Mrs Shirley Bloch from Johannesburg. In her examiner’s report, she thanked the candidates for "their splendid work".

Results are as follows:

Senior Certificate Grade 1 
Misha Cristensen Merit
Bianca Durham Honours
Kirsty van Niekerk Honours

Senior Certificate Grade 2 
Marina Egorov Honours
Kim Hyman Merit
Roxanne Marx Merit
Sadiqah Steenkamp Honours

Senior Certificate Grade 3 
Samantha Guinness Merit
Romy Shortall Honours

Senior Certificate Grade 4 
Lamees Albertus Merit
Taryn Blows Merit
Aimee Valentine Merit
Kerryn Lancaster Merit
Tarn de Villiers Honours
Tara Notcutt Honours
Ellie Shortall Honours
Olivia van den Heever Honours

Pass 60%
Merit 75%
Honours 85%

This is an excellent standard of work from these girls. Congratulations!

This year, we decided to host a Grade Eleven Drama Evening: an occasion to which only the parents of the girls and the staff were invited. The evening provided us with an opportunity to showcase some of the exceptional class and exam work which the girls have been working on. An absolutely delicious supper was served while the girls entertained their exclusive guests. Long before their parents and guests arrived, these marvelous girls could be found in the Home Economics room preparing wonderful Mexican fare. Others ran between the hall and the Home Economics room as they fetched decorations for and placed guacamole, salsa and grated cheddar on the tables. The main course, Chilli con carne served with tortillas, was absolutely delicious, and 
served by these wonderful girls. 

Grade Elevens improvisation from under the sea

For those who attended the evening, it was a triumph! The performances given by the Grade Elevens were outstanding and included warm-ups and improvisations, giving us all a clear sense of some of what happens in that privileged space, the drama class.

Tarn performs some of her pieces at the Grade Eleven Drama evening

As you know, 2004 is Wynberg Boys' High turn to host the major production. Guys and Dolls is the musical for which our girls have been auditioning. Congratulations to Tara Notcutt for being cast as General Matilda, Sibbs Matiyela as Miss Adelaide and Refiloe Sesele as Sarah Brown. We are equally proud of and commend all the other girls who have been cast in the singing and dancing chorus. We look forward to a fantastic show.

Constantly having to be creative and coming up with original and exciting ideas is exhausting, but before the Drama girls have a chance to replenish their resources, they will be working on the Wynberg Girls' High road show. This will be yet another opportunity to provide Drama girls with an opportunity to promote our wonderful school and all it has to offer. We are excited about combining our efforts with the Music, Dance, Technology, Art and Xhosa departments and assure you of a fine show. 

Thank you to all the parents for your support and encouragement. The Drama Department wishes you a drama- free festive season! 

P Glover

• presenting prepared speeches 
•  impromptu speeches 
•  evaluation 
• listening skills 
• selecting committees and running meetings – on time! 

Many games were played in which communication was emphasized. In order to graduate, each girl had to present two prepared and two impromptu speeches and complete two evaluations.

Two gleeful graduates from the course

The graduation was a great success during which time they were able to show off their newly acquired skills to family and friends. We succeeded in roping in a few parents at the graduation which, of course, made the evening! A big thank you to Mrs McEwen for attending and handing out the certificates which will look very impressive in a CV! 

The following girls graduated cum laude:
Sarah-Jane Anderson, Kyla Bluff, Megan Fisher, Christine Friest, Anja Hendricks, Mary-Ann Khutuka, Sethu Makananda, Sarah Mort, Emma Muller, Lindsay Nevin and Romy Shortall.

For this course, the following girls held leadership positions: Alison Lowe and Emma Muller were elected as the Presidents; Lindsay Nevin and Sarah-Jane Anderson were the Secretaries;  Mary-Ann Khutuka and Kyla Bluff were the Sergeants. 

Congratulations to all these girls who showed wonderful leadership qualities.

Two similar courses will be run next year for any Grade Ten, Eleven or Twelve learner. Anyone is welcome to repeat the course for a second or third time! All are welcome.

J McCallum

Christine Friest thanks all who have promoted debating in 2003

Thank you to all who participated this year in providing debates which have been both exciting and thought-provoking.

D Miles

CHESS

In the third term, our small, but committed chess team - Alana Heynes (Captain) Ingrid Coulter, Trish-Lynn O’Reilly and Megan Carter - participated in the USSASA interschools competition. We do not have the results of our placing, but Alana won all of her games and the other ream members began to clock winnings as the term progressed.

The chess club was involved in a Rotary project, organized by Jackie James, at Wynberg this term. Various schools attended the excellent professional coaching sessions held for the last month at Wynberg in the Life Skills Room. The coach, Mr November, enriched the games of all the participants. 

The chess club is slightly bigger this term, and the girls once again showed their commitment and enthusiasm by staying until four on Fridays to assist others and learn new skills themselves. There are exciting plans afoot for next year to grow and develop this vital club.

D Miles

It was a beautiful day: the scenery was splendid and the valley and mountains were full of greenery and blossoming with beautiful flowers. We were able to identify several types of protea and many other flowers. 

Some of the girls, along with Mr Bodenstein, swam in one of the enormous pools that are famous there. They had lots of fun as the rapids pushed them 
down the river.

We are all deeply appreciative of the time that Mr Bodenstein and Mrs Bristow gave up to be with us and really do look forward to the next exciting adventure!

FORTHCOMING ATTRACTION: Matrics of 2004 will have a chance to go to Beaverlac in the Cederberg for their Matric Hike in February. It’s going to be fantastic!

N Wasserfall 

FILM CLUB

A film club was launched this term and is aimed at enriching the film knowledge and experience of its members. We saw “Spirited Away”, Miyazaki’s  stunning animated work at the Labia in Orange Street, and a DVD of the acclaimed Animatrix (animated shorts that fill in the gaps of the Matrix trilogy). 

Next year will begin with a focus on director Tim Burton’s films (Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice, Sleepy Hollow, Nightmare Before Chistmas) and the  Gothic interests running through his work. There will be a screening once a week followed by a discussion. See you there! 

D Miles

P Bodenstein

SWIMMING

The swimming team has had a quiet, but enjoyable start to the season.  We have participated in two galas, the first of which was held at Springfield Convent on the 23 October. Despite the cold water, all the girls managed to perform extremely well, which resulted in our coming in 3rd place overall. 

The second gala was a co-ed relay gala held at Wynberg on the 6 November. The team once again did their best and we had an enjoyable afternoon.  Although the team is small, it is full of spirit and enthusiasm and we are looking forward to the year ahead. 

S Marle

U14

U16

U19

We salute Lindsay Nevin and Jade Hunter for making the Western Province team and who will be attending the South African Championships next year in April. Good luck! We are also looking forward to the Interschools Gala next year as we have an eventful opening planned, including team routines, solos and duets. It should be a fun-filled event. Well done to all the girls for their hard work.

S Manners-Wood & J Hunter

Thank you to all the teachers concerned and well done to all the girls who participated. See you next term.

D Gray

ROAD RUNNING

At the beginning of this term, there were many new faces at running. Little did we know then that our first training session would scare all but the bravest away! It is clear that running is not for the fainthearted. 

Over the next few weeks, the braver people became familiar faces, and learning the names of everyone became my personal challenge! 

All in all, running this term has been a real success and our appreciation is extended to Miss Damon and Mrs Fowkes for accompanying us on our runs. We hope to see you all next year.

D Gray

ATHLETICS

Athletics is a growing sport at Wynberg Girls’ High. More girls have participated this year than in previous years. We have quite a few eager javelin throwers and high jumpers, as well as some very promising runners. Our girls hold their own at the training with the boys twice a week.

We have had a busy term, taking part in five competitions held at Rondebosch Boys’ High, the SACS Spring Athletics meeting, the Somerset Mall/Bellville AC Invitational, The Paul Ross Dream Mile meeting and the Huguenot Invitational meeting. 

Well done to all participants. 

Special commendations go to Jade Bucklow, who won several of her sprints, to Roshaan Carr for high jump and to Jeanne van Rensburg who came first in high jump and won a silver medal at the Huguenot Invitational.

B Kokolo

INTERNATIONAL COMPUTER DRIVING LICENCE (ICDL)

The staff and students of Wynberg Girls’ High School have continued to work hard at acquiring new computer skills. We offer tuition (by members of the Wynberg Girls’ High School staff) in two of the seven ICDL modules each term. This term, tuition was offered in Module 6 (Microsoft Powerpoint presentations) and Module 7 (Internet and email communications). 

Towards the end of each term our external examiner, Mr Tony Harper, spends an afternoon or two at school administering the tests. Candidates may enter for tests in any of the modules in which they feel competent, whether they have attended the lessons or not.

Congratulations to Danielle Alexander, Eve McKerchar, Solaylah Solomon, Mrs Harding, Ms McCarthy and Ms Bernstein, who have now passed all seven modules required to qualify for the ICDL, while another five educators and thirteen learners have passed four or more modules and qualify for their ICDL Start Certificates. 

As from January 2004, the ICDL Foundation will be switching to Syllabus 4.0. There have also been a number of recent innovations, such as the electronic testing method. In addition, some candidates have already indicated their intention to take the newly-instituted Advanced ICDL tests next year. 

D Burrell

GOLDEN not so OLDIES GET CONNECTED

Wynberg Girls' High is determined that the wonderful facilities enjoyed by our students should also be made available to the rest of the Wynberg family. 

To this end, Lynne Martin has run two classes of Internet and email classes for, mostly, grandparents and parents of Wynberg Girls' High students. And what a success they have been!

With mice clicking and keyboards ticking, the mystery of words like Inbox, Outbox, Home Page, Online, Offline has been unravelled and conquered. 

Lynne plans to hold more of these classes next year, plus classes on using Word and what to do with pictures and photos! 

L Martin

ORANGE RIVER TRIP 

Very early on a cold Tuesday morning during the September holidays, twenty very excited students, from Wynberg Girls’ and Wynberg Boys’ High, arrived at school at 5:30am for a holiday they would never forget. Three keen (but nervous) staff members rounded up the clan, and hauled everyone into the “tank” and we headed towards the Namibian border on an eleven-hour drive.

Once we had arrived and unpacked, we had a mouth-watering meal and spent our first night under the stars at the Bushwhacked base camp. Early the next morning, we packed up our crocs (inflatable 2-man canoes) and started the long paddle down the Orange River. The weather was perfect, the scenery was magnificent and most of us spent more time in the warm water than in the boats.

Hikers take a little time off to relax 
and take in the scenery

Every day, we rowed between 10 and 15 kilometres, and then stopped at about 2:30 for a late lunch somewhere along the banks of the river. Here we unpacked and then relaxed for the afternoon, swimming, playing cards and exploring the area. 

In the evenings, we sat around the fire, and spent time sharing the latest jokes and getting to know each other. After the delicious suppers, we slowly made our way towards the pile of sleeping bags, and settled down for the night.

The trip was a great experience. Everyone had a wonderful time and although we did not have very much sleep, the six days away were unforgettable.

B Selfe

INTERACT

Once again it has been a busy and fun-filled term for Interact. The term started with a drive to collect clothes and food for the Mandela Park residents in Hout Bay. Then planning began for one of the highlights in our calendar - our annual Christmas Children’s Party, which is held in the last week of term. On Tuesday afternoons, the Interactors were to be found making crackers, planning activities and working on a play!

Members of interact await the arrival of their guests

Another big project held in the last week of term is the Big Walk. This is an event in which the whole school participates. The money raised is donated to the Red Cross Children’s Hospital Trust.

Our girls were in high spirits as they reached the home stretch

In addition to our own projects, Interactors have helped out at various community events such as the Cape Mental Health Kite Day and the Wiggle Waggle Walkathon. Wynberg Rotaract organizes the Uncle Paul’s Christmas Parties and many enthusiastic learners have signed up to assist them.

A big thank you to everyone involved in Interact for making it such a successful and rewarding year.

J Jordan

FIRST AID TEAM

Our faithful group of Level One and Level Three First Aiders did themselves proud during their first year of service. In the winter terms, they provided First Aid at all the hockey and netball home matches, as well as at the major interschools’ events. 

The summer terms have proven to be much quieter, without many contact sports. 

We have said good-bye to our first Captain, Megan Riddel, who received service colours and an award at Prize Giving for 
her outstanding commitment to First Aid. We look forward to a new year, with new courses being offered, and new recruits joining the term.

A Smith

MOTHERS WHO CARE

Wynberg Girls' High would like to thank the small group of faithful mothers who have prayed for the learners, teachers and their families this year. On many occasions, it has been a relief to know that somebody was praying earnestly on our behalf. 

The mothers (and one gentleman), in turn, would like to thank the staff for allowing them the honour of coming before God with the many prayer requests that they have received. They would like to give God all the glory for the many answered prayers. Whether the prayers have been for healing, comfort during bereavement, God’s presence in difficult home circumstances, protection over loved ones or exam worries, God has heard the group’s prayers and for this we are grateful. 

Any mother, grandmother or aunt who would like to join this prayer ministry in 2003 may contact Mrs Smith at Wynberg Girls' High.

A Smith 

FAREWELL TO OUR UCT SOCIAL WORKERS 
MANDY, GAIA AND NIKKI, WE WILL MISS YOU.

Our social workers have provided an extremely valuable service to the school. 
We’re going to miss them.

Over the course of this year, three final year UCT Social Work students have been working with us: they are Gaia Giovannini, Mandy van Niekerk and Nikki Mullins, and it was with great reluctance that we had to bid these very fine people farewell at the end of October. They report:

We chose Wynberg Girls' High School as the agency at which we wanted to carry out our practical training. Gaia is an ex-Herschel girl, Mandy went to Wynberg and Nikki attended Thomas More College in Durban.

During the first semester at Wynberg, Gaia and Nikki ran a course on Stress Management for a group of nine Grade Eleven girls. Mandy also ran a group of nine Grade Eleven girls, dealing with similar issues. Both groups were highly successful, and the girls were very sad to discontinue them. 

We also began to research a community project when we began our placement at Wynberg. We were approached by an ex-Wynberg girl, Kerry Simpson, who asked us to implement the Feedback Project at Wynberg. This meant that we needed to organise and encourage a sandwich drive at the school, where the learners were required to bring an extra sandwich on a Monday morning. These sandwiches would then be collected by the Feedback trucks each Monday.

Further community projects that we began to research and involve ourselves in were those of looking at the feasibility of a peer counselling system within Wynberg, as well as compiling a resource base for the Life Skills Department, which would serve to provide learners with information about relevant issues that adolescents may be facing at this stage in their lives.

In the second semester at Wynberg, we began to take on individual cases, counselling girls who needed support and guidance. We wrote reports on our sessions each week, which helped us work on our skills and allowed us to use theory in explaining various aspects of the counselling situation. We each had about four cases, but were available for anyone who needed to chat to us or who needed help in any area.

We have all had the most brilliant supervision from the school social worker, Anne Alberts, who has taught us many valuable and essential skills that we need in our profession. She has been a source of strength and support for us the whole year, and we thank and commend her for all her hard work and input.

We have enjoyed our time at Wynberg immensely, and are constantly amazed at the extraordinary facilities and opportunities available to the girls at this school. The secretaries and staff have been very supportive of us, and we are grateful for all that Wynberg has done for us during our time here!

Thank you Wynberg! 

M van Niekerk

HAVE YOU LOST IT?

There are a number of items in the possession of Mrs Wilding, in room 13, which she imagines have been forgotten or abandoned after any one of the hikes which have taken place during the year. Should you have lost one of the following items please do see her to reclaim it: 

• a sleeping bag 
• a roll mat
• a pillow 
• a hat.

M Wilding

STAFF CASUAL DAYS 2003 

The tradition was continued this year of the staff coming to school dressed casually on the first Friday of every month. But the privilege had to be paid for, and all money collected was sent to different charities chosen by the staff at the beginning of the year. Once again, numerous organisations have benefited from the casual days. We tried to spread our choices by giving to children’s organisations, the elderly, animal societies, and organisations concerned with the environment. By the end of the year, we had collected over R 2000 which was an improvement on the amount collected last year, and we look forward to doing even better in 2004. 

T Lauff 

INDUCTION OF LEADERS OF 2004

The 2004 leaders of Wynberg Girls’ High School were inducted at a special assembly at 1pm on Friday, 10 October. Mrs McEwen started the assembly by welcoming the parents of the new leaders. It was pleasing to see that many were able to take the time off work to share this special occasion with their daughters.

Rebecca Blundell, the 2004 Head of School, led the school in prayer and Mr Burrell explained the functions of the Representative Council of Learners, after which the new RCL received their certificates and badges of office. Andrea Meyer (Chairperson) and Insaaf Abrahams (Vice-Chairperson) then took the pledge on behalf of the incoming RCL. 

Matric members of the RCL

After an item by the Wynberg Girls' High School Orchestra, Mrs Harding addressed the school on the new leadership system. She made special mention of the Grade Elevens who had made a positive contribution to the design of the new leadership model.

The heads of the four pillars (Academic, Culture, Service and Sport) and the heads of the eight houses were then handed their certificates by the teachers in charge. There was great excitement as the names and colours of the new houses were announced to the school for the first time. 
Finally, it was time for the induction of the Head of School and the two Deputy Heads. The three girls were called on stage together as they will be working as a team within the larger leadership structure.

Our Heads of School wait to be called to receive their certificates

The Matric leaders of the thirty-two tutor groups (four in each of the eight houses) were announced at assembly on Monday, 20 October. Each was handed her certificate of office by the relevant Head of House. These thirty-two girls also serve on the four matric committees which will organize activities with special relevance to the Grade Twelves of 2004. 

D Burrell

LEADERSHIP CAMP 2003

For the newly elected, excited leadership team of Wynberg: the School Council and House Captains, as well as an enthusiastic group of senior staff members, Rocklands Adventure Centre in Simonstown, with its spectacular sea and mountain views, provided an ideal inspirational setting for the brainstorming and team-building that took place in order to lay the foundations for a successful year of change.

Before departing for Rocklands at noon on Monday 13 October, Mrs Harding gave the School Council a glimpse of what was to come with an icebreaker, involving passing oranges from neck to neck without the aid of hands! This prompted the first of many bouts of uncontrollable laughter! 

We then took part in an interactive lesson on leadership where the laws of leadership were discussed, the last of which succeeded in leaving a lasting impression in my mind: the law of victory, to which, Mrs Harding emphasized, there is no alternative! By the end of the discussion it was clear that our leadership team is determination in abundance! (A rather unconventional addition to these laws was Abbey’s law of smarties, which states that one of each colour in the box should be saved until the end, when they are then eaten in order of favourites, ranging from least favourite to most favourite …Yes, well ask Abbey!)

When the scenic drive came to an end and the house of almost every relative of each School Council member had been pointed out, we arrived at Rocklands and were later joined by Mrs McEwen. After many intense discussions and much planning, we enjoyed a braai followed by roasted marshmallows on Marie biscuits for pudding, another one of those special things associated with a camp. 

After an enjoyable and much appreciated outing to The Meeting Place in Simon’s Town for coffee, we were joined by the Heads of Houses followed by their respective house coordinators. After an energtic discussion led by Ms Lawrence, and zealous renditions of High School cheerleading by Mrs Freed, the girls jumped on the trampoline, did some spectacular whale-watching, chatted, took loads of fun photos with the school’s stunning new digital camera and generally got to know each other better. 

A delicious meal, defying all myths of “unpalatable camp food”, was enjoyed on Tuesday evening, compliments of Mrs Cartmel and her committee from the school tuck shop. 

A motivated team of focused new leaders - with a little more insight into the skills required to be an effective leadership body - returned to school on Wednesday ready to begin its term of office. Ms McCallum kindly sacrificed her break time in order to give us a crash course on public speaking, a vital skill in leadership, before Mr Burrell concluded the camp.

The School Council and Heads of Houses would like to thank Mrs Harding, Mrs McEwen, Mr Burrell and the many other committed staff members who gave of their time and energy, and imparted their knowledge to equip us for the year to come. 

We are grateful for such enthusiastic support, and hope that we can apply this wisdom and these skills wisely in order to make a difference by laying a foundation for a dynamic and effective leadership system within the school.

Snaps for the camp!

J Groenewald

• Lead a group of scouts in a community project for 40 hours.
• Do a presentation to an audience of scouts, parents and area committee members on the importance of mutual respect between people of different race, gender or culture.
• Construction project - a model of a suspension bridge, scale 1 in 20, was first constructed, then Tamlyn lead a team of scouts in the building of it.
• Lead a group of scouts on a hike for three days and two nights on the mountain. The hike had to cover a route never hiked before by using maps and survival methods. A log of her hike, plus detailed maps and tasks had to be compiled and forwarded to the area scout committee for their scrutiny.
• The final task was to appear before a panel of senior scout members who questioned her on her knowledge of scouting and where she sees the  future in scouting for young people.

Attaining the Springbok badge is truly an achievement for a young person, but especially so because this is traditionally a male domain. 

§

P Orpen

Her tenacity, her courage and her spirit we salute. 

Some of her very close friends and teachers have accompanied her just a very little of the way. Some have been less able to do so because there has been the risk of infection. However, as Lindy continues to fight this battle to recovery and is regaining her strength, that small band of quite extraordinary friends is able to be expanded. 

Whether you have been part of her loyal inner circle of friends, can now be included in an expanded group of friends or have been part of a prayer circle, your continued support is most valued.

 P Orpen

CAPSTONE 

This term, Capstone has been busy and exciting. Our first meeting began with relaxed girl-talk and the boys joined us the following week for the 
handing-down ceremony. It was a time of mixed emotions as we said goodbye to the 2003 committee and welcomed the new one. We were joined by staff, pupils and two past pupils of the Capstone Committee: Tamzin Bassett and Michael Mee, who encouraged and challenged the thoughts of the committees and all those present. Our grateful thanks again are extended to Nikki Aspeling, Michelle Genricks, Sarah Ward and Fiona Gibson and all the cell group leaders for all they have contributed to Capstone over the past year. 

We had various other speakers, other past pupils, our very own, Mrs Cochrane, during the term and on one occasion, we had worship with our very own band. Every meeting was centred on the theme of ‘Big God, Big Life’. At the last Capstone meeting of 2003, we were entertained by Brett Anderson on the topic God is more powerful than celebrities are. It was, in our mind, most fitting that this should be the topic at our Celebrity Party. The outfits were wonderful and we will not easily forget the life-changing Celebrity make-over! 

The Capstone notice board has been started, and it has definitely been noticed. The Committee went on a camp at Rocklands over the last weekend in October, to plan as far as possible how best to facilitate the process of making Jesus real in the lives of fellow students. 

The committee and teachers involved are excited and expectant about the upcoming year. Thanks to our Living God, lives were changed this year, and His power is not going to stop moving through the school! Take care these holidays and we will see you next year.

Capstone Committee for 2004:

Chairpersons: 
Ondine Corewijn and Jessica Riviera

Committee members: 
Gillian Lupton-Smith
Lindy Anderson
Melissa Theunissen
Gabi Gelderblom
Romy Shortall

O Corewijn

February

March 

March (continued)

TOWARDS NEXT YEAR: GRADE EIGHTS OF 2004

A very successful evening was held in the school hall to welcome the Grade Eight learners of 2004. It was a full house and parents and girls were welcomed by the Marimba Band. 

The evening commenced with four of our current Grade Eight learners informing the new learners about the joys of Wynberg Girls’ High school! Julie and Elsa spoke about the hostel and Heather and Olivia waxed eloquently about other aspects of school life. 

Mrs Harding, Ms Edwards, Ms McCarthy, Ms Orpen and Ms Jordan spoke about different aspects of life at Wynberg and it was all very well received. The option teachers were available afterwards and the school was open for all our new learners and their parents. 

Refreshments were provided in the tuck shop thereafter. 

J McCallum

We were impressed with the extraordinary efficiency with which the Heads of Houses had made decisions about banners, mascots and songs. In a glorious array of colours, the Heads and the cheer leaders of each house opened the proceedings with a song. 

With several of the houses already having obtained their mascots, it was an extremely spirited occasion. Tiggers, Purple Hearts, Pink Panthers balloons, flags and the races themselves did much to heighten spirits and contribute to the enormous fun of the day. 

There were three-legged races, and orange races. There were potato, orange, balloon and soccer races. There were races for individuals, duos and trios.

Kirsten carry a participant rather unceremoniously across the field in one of the team races

Squeals of protest could be heard as mascots were stolen and the thieves fled from those in hot pursuit after them. It was a marvelous day of good old-fashioned fun: the smiles on the faces of the runners, the collapsing into uncontrollable laughter could not fail to attract our younger sisters from the Junior school. 

With the hakka from Kirsten, and the Pink Ladies from Cavanagh, our very own praise singer from Constantia, and Copenhagen’s secret weapon in Mrs Mpambo, these junior school girls had to be fetched by a teacher to return to class. 

If this is what could be done in two days, 2004 is looking good. Very, very good! 

P Orpen

Traditionally this is also a time in which we are able to thank our kitchen staff for all that they do for us during the year. This year the Grade Elevens have chosen the theme Christmas in Africa and entertainment has been planned as well as a Nativity Play, written, directed and produced by the Grade Eights.

We have, also, unfortunately, had to say good-bye to our boarder-mistresses, Lee Royston and Anna Biven and Alisa Manttari this term. We would like to thank them very much for the all they have contributed during their stay with us.

Best wishes to all staff, boarders and parents for a peaceful and blessed time over the festive season.

Another year draws to a close for the Mother of Waterloo!

D Cheney