Dr Professor Jocelyn Bell Burnell, a Dean of Science, visiting Professor at Oxford University, a leader in Radio Astronomy and Astrophysics who has had to overcome the skepticism towards women in science, offered these words of advice to young women who wish to go to the top:

• Take risks – surprise yourself! Have a go at 
  something you think you can’t achieve.
• One failure does not make a disaster (Prof Bell 
  Burnell failed her 11+ examination before going on 
  to become one of the team who discovered new 
  areas of astrophysics which were recognized by a 
  Nobel prize awarded to the team leader)
• Be persistent
• Aim as high as you can
• Your instincts are a good guide 

Ms Barbara Cassani, who founded an airline and recently spearheaded the successful London bid to host the 2012 Olympics offered this advice:

• Dare to be excellent, to take risks and maybe fail
• Follow your heart – you need to passionate about 
  things you do
• Stay in education as long as you can. Education 
  forces you to think more and not just offer potted 
  answers that you were taught.
• Do not expect recognition when you work hard. Do 
  it for yourself. People who quit are often those who 
  expected recognition and did not get it.

We can all be inspired by women who have taken their own advice and live fulfilling and successful lives at the top of their profession. Wynberg offers so much to our young women – the leaders of tomorrow. Wynberg girls - continue to aim high and achieve those goals!

My best wishes go to each Wynberg family during this festive holiday season. Thank you for all your support for the school this year. May you have good rest and wonderful times with your family and friends.

With warm regards

Shirley Harding
PRINCIPAL

The observant members of the WGHS community will have noticed that Ms Hunt has, recently, started wearing a special ring on that special finger?!?!?

All at WGHS congratulate her and Warren on their engagement and send them lots and lots of love. 

INTERHOUSE SPORTS DAY

Interhouse Sports took place on Tuesday 29 tNovember, the last chance for houses to boost their points totals. All the houses were conspicuously and brightly dressed in house colours and each tried to out-cheer the rest. Many of the houses had asked girls to dress to a theme, such as Wellesley’s bumblebees, and Kirsten’s Africa. 

The newly-elected house captains and matric leaders showed their competitive natures both on the field and with the supporters. There were many exciting races such as the ‘Cleopatra race’ and the ‘balloon race’. There were also some classics such as the potato and spoon race and the 3-legged race. Well done to all the girls who participated and well done to Silverlea for winning the cup at the end of a sore-throated, tired-but-happy day.

Thomas Dodds, the 15-year-old son of Carol Dodds our ballet teacher, was paralyzed at the age of nine months in a motor car accident. He has had major medical setbacks in the past six months and urgently needed major spinal surgery which costs about R200 000.

Community efforts to help Carol raise this money have been wonderfully successful but we still have a long way to go. Gifts from a wide range of people - from a nine year-old donating her pocket money to a corporate director challenging his fellow businessmen to each put in R5 000 - have been generous.

You could help Thomas by supporting one of the following:

1. Buy a raffle ticket for R20 - lots of wonderful prizes, including an ipod. Tickets are being sold at WGHS and at the Ballet. 
2. On 21 December, the proceeds of the matinee performance of Robin Hood by the Cape Town City Ballet will all be donated to the Thomas Dodds Fund. The draw for the raffle will be done on stage after the performance.

Thank you very much.

On Tuesday 29 November, the Grade 11 Drama group put on their annual Drama evening. It has become tradition over the past few years for the grade 11s to use this as a farewell to Drama as an extra-mural as many do not continue with it during their demanding matric year. Dressed in traditional black, they served their guests a delicious meal and then performed for them. 

The first half was filled with mime, harmony and lots of comedy, while the second half contained dramatic prose, advertisements and other exciting presentations. The Grade 11 Drama girls, a culturally diverse group that is accepting of everyone, have worked hard this year. Most of them really enjoy comedy as was evident in their performances. Many of them have been attending extra-drama since Grade 8 and were sad to be be giving it up. It was a wonderful night!

Erin Thomas 

As a wonderful start to the Christmas season, the choirs of the four Wynberg schools provided parents and members of the broader Wynberg community with a wonderful evening of praise and song. The hour-long service was held in the beautiful St John's Parish church in Wynberg, and was packed to capacity. There is nothing quite as beautiful to listen to than the purity of a young boy's voice. Dale Corin, the solo performer from Wynberg Boys' Junior, opened the service with Once in Royal David's City,singing so beautifully he tingled the spine. (He has been accepted by the Drakensberg Boys’ Choir from next year.) 

The congregation were invited to join in with old favourites such as Silent Night, Hark! the Herald Angels Sing and O Come, All Ye Faithful, and to listen to and enjoy the choirs from the four schools as they individually and jointly rejoiced in the Christmas season with their chosen hymns.

Readings were given by Carey McIntosh (Girls' Junior), Kirstin Eloff (Girls' High), Stephen Dunn, Paul Cupido (Boy's Junior), Jan de Waal (Boys' High) and Mr Chris Hart (Headmaster of Boys’ Junior). We are grateful to the Boys' Junior School who co-ordinated and arranged the Carol Service and to the Music Departments of all four schools for the beautiful music they made.

PRIZE GIVINGS

1 December marked the occasion of both the Junior and Senior prizegivings. It was a day to celebrate academic achievements and to honour those who had persevered throughout the year. The Grade 8’s and 9’s (early) and Grade 10’s and 11’s (later) prizegivings both began with the singing of ‘Gaudeamus Igitur’ by Michelle Botha. Following this was the proud singing of the National Anthem. Rebecca Baaitjies played Gypsy Dance, op. 84 no 4 by J Turina in the Junior ceremony, and Lisa Sterne gave a wonderful performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber's haunting "Memory" from "Cats" in the Senior ceremony.

Mrs Harding welcomed everyone and the guest speakers for each prizegiving were introduced. For the Juniors, it was a past pupil, Ms Tamara Wiley. She spoke to her audience of the importance of creating memories, and reminded us that without participating, no memories can be created. She talked of her experiences as Editor of Wicked Magazine and how lucky she was to work on this magazine. In this position, she has met a significant number of rich, famous, glamorous and not so rich, famous and glamorous people, and a common regret of some of them was that they hadn't taken advantage of all of the opportunities offered to them during their schooling. 
Guest of honour, Ms Wendy Hanssen, reminded the seniors of the extraordinary gift of life that we are given each day. She asked us to imagine what we would do if someone were to give us R86,400 each day. (Don't we all wish!!!) One of the conditions of receiving this money, she told us, was that we needed to spend it all in one day - anything that was not spent would be lost. Having got all of our attention with that possibility, she asked us to consider how we would spend the money. In imagining such extraordinary wealth... luck ... riches... we were reminded that we do in fact receive that number of seconds each day - and that each second wasted, is a second lost.

And finally, the reason for the occasion arrived! Prizes! Everyone who had achieved in any academic area was recognised, and later, when the trophies were awarded, sporting, literary and personal accomplishments were also acknowledged. It was with enthusiasm and pride that the various prizewinners left the hall, and they must all be congratulated for their efforts – after all, Wynberg sets high standards, and it really is quite a challenge to meet them! Many thanks also to our teachers for their support. 

Prize Giving 2005

TOP STUDENTS 2005

Grade 11:
1st: Kirstin Eloff
2nd: Estrella Sung
3rd: Stephanie Pacak

Grade 10:
1st: Jane Friest
2nd: Heather Whitehorn
3rd: Meeka Tulleken

Grade 9:
1st: Sanaa Abrahams
2nd: Jessica Hitchcock
3rd: Philippa Bodenstein

Grade 10:
1st: Atiqah Sadien
Jenna Thomson
3rd: Hannah Laubscher
Caitlin Rosslee

Huge Congratulations to all of these girls ! Wynberg is very proud of you !

GRADE 8 & 9 SPECIAL PRIZES

Senior Trophy and Special Prize Winners of 2005

Music Department : External exam results 

UNISA

Piano Rebecca Baatjes Grade 7 Distinction
Piano Lauren Bruce Grade 2 Distinction
Piano Jamie Fraser Grade 2 Merit
Piano Kelly Adams Grade 7 Merit
Theory Kim Petersen Grade 4 Merit
Piano Jeanne van Rensburg Grade 7 Pass
Piano Kim Petersen Grade 6 Pass

ROYAL SCHOOLS

Theory Nichole Groener Grade 5 Merit
Piano Megan Carter Grade 6 Pass

TRINITY COLLEGE

Flute Justine Taylor Grade 3 Distinction
Recorder Christine Rozema Grade 3 Merit
Recorder Tessa Hittler Grade 6 Merit
Voice Raelene Adams Grade 5 Merit
Piano Jennifer Auret Grade 8 Merit
Piano Brittany Badham-Thornhill Grade 6 Merit
Piano Tracy Hindes Grade 6 Pass
Drum Kit Lindsay Ernst Grade4 Pass

The Trinity theory exam results have not yet arrived.

Congratulations to all of these girls, and to their teachers, for these excellent results

Junior Special Prize and Trophy Winners of 2005

BIG WALK 2005

During the last week of school, a few hours are set aside for Wynberg girls to take a leisurely walk around the local community to raise funds for charity. Not quite your average Sunday stroll, the route comprises some torturous up-hills right at the outset and is a good endurance test. As it is all for a good cause, sore feet and a light sunburn are a small enough price to pay to financially support our two worthy community projects. 

Each year, the girls choose different non-profit organisations in need of assistance. This year, the school chose Sisters Incorporated and the Chaeli Campaign to be the recipients of all the funds raised. The former provides a safe house to abused women and their children, and they empower them with counselling and instruction in various crafts and trades. The Chaeli Campaign provides wheelchairs and other necessary tools of aid to those who cannot function optimally without them but are unable to afford them. 

A few highlights were the fact that the SA military were unfortunately provided with the wrong key to open the huge gates into Wynberg Park. Although the school started the walk in stages, the hold up led to the almost the entire body of pupils congregated on the fortunately quiet suburban road. Our enthuastic rambling halted, the event jokingly became the Big Stand while uniformed individuals tried to unblock our path to further meandering. Eventually, locksmiths were called and three strong men finally managed to smash the lock to appreciative applause. They all received polite thanks as we journeyed past the freed passage, and all was once again full-steam ahead. 

All in all, it was a highly successful event, enjoyed thoroughly by all except those who chose unsuitable shoes. A big thank you must go to Mrs Paverd, Robyn Mann, the service pillar, the school council and the ever-energetic teachers who acted as marshals. And also to WGHS for instilling in us the importance of helping others in need. 

Romi Reinecke

On our first evening at Waterloo House we were utterly terrified - overwhelmed and wondering what on earth we had gotten ourselves into. Now that our year ending, however, we will find it hard to say good-bye and leave this place and leave you all.

Living in the Hostel has made our South African experience all the richer and more fulfilling than we could have imagined. We have had some truly funny moments like the matric fashion show and scaring people with green facemasks. The hostel girls are highly entertaining on so many levels and occasions. We will miss many things about hostel life like the constant slamming of doors, early morning yellings down the hall “Owethu!”, “Matshego!”, “Zia!” and “Can you take us to Engen/ swimming/ out/ shopping/ to the social?”. We will miss your laughter, greetings in the hall and the life that you bring to the hostel. You young ladies constantly make us shake our heads but always put a smile on our faces. You make us sad and proud all at the same time. 

Ladies / Girls, may your next year be happy and full of funny moments. You are all beautiful, special people. We know that you all will reach your full potentials in life and do it in a style that only Waterloo girls could obtain. 

Girls: Thank you for being our entertainment, our friends and surpassing all of our expectations

Kitchen Ladies: Thank you for preparing our food and cleaning day in, day out. We truly appreciate everything you do.

Matrons and Mistresses: Thank you for being our teachers and friends. Thank you for welcoming us so warmly to Waterloo House and to Africa.

Mrs Shapiro: We can never thank you enough for absolutely everything you have done for us. 

Celeste and Lara