Message from the office
Next week is the last week of school for our girls and I would like to request that you please remind your daughters to say “thank you” to their teachers who taught them (worked hard to keep their school going during lockdown), helped solved their fights or comforted them when they were sad, to the cleaners who cleaned and sanitized every corner of the school and were often a source of comfort too, to our ground staff who made the school a beautiful and safe place to be, to their coaches who taught them how to swim, play tennis and kept them fit, to the admin staff who called their mom when no one fetched them and found them an extra jersey in the lost property when they were cold and to anyone else who has in some way served them at school this year. It is most disheartening when girls leave school and hostel without saying a word of thanks to the staff and teachers who have looked after them and cared for them through the year and in some cases, over a number of years.
Teaching our children to say thank you is not so much for our staff to feel appreciated, but it is indeed an important life skill (and good manners) for our children to learn. We must teach our children to both ‘see’ what others do for us and afterwards to say ‘thank you’. This will also teach our children to be able to identify the blessings that they have in their lives and to appreciate what others do for them. Without this we will be bringing up children who are entitled, unappreciative and demanding.
According to an article titled: ,’Why Children Who Are Taught to Say “Thank You,” “Please,” and “Have a Nice Day” Grow Up to Be Truly Good People’, there are studies that have shown that there is a direct link between good health and expressing gratitude. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, and improve their health. It further added that it helps one to develop healthy relationships. It states that openly expressing gratitude and appreciation to the people around you has long-term and short-term health benefits on you and the person you direct your positive manners to. This means that gratitude is very important to building and nurturing relationships in the long run.
And so from my side, to heed this advice too, I’d once again like to thank you, our incredible parent body, who have adhered to our new protocols and have found a way to bring your daughters to school on alternate days and for being so patient when we changed plans (again). We also thank you for the privilege of working and teaching your very precious little girls. We pray God’s hand over you and protect you during the pandemic and as you travel. May you have a blessed festive season.
On Thursday we planted a Tree of Remembrance for 2020. The tree was carefully selected by Mrs Orsmond, and its common name is a River Indigo. It is an indigenous tree that makes a beautiful show of flowers, although it is still small we know that it will grow into something special. We would like to encourage our girls during the course of next week to tie a ribbon or message onto our little tree or lay a pebble around it in remembrance of a loved one who lost their lives this year.
It can be anyone who was close to our VP family and it need not be due to COVID. We hope that this beautiful tree will always remind us of them and of the challenging year we have faced. We thank Ms Grobbelaar (Teacher Lee) for the beautiful wooden sign she made for it.
Staff news
We are very sad to say good-bye to two of our special teachers at the end of the year. Mrs Pam Ryan and her husband will be leaving Grahamstown/Makhanda and Mr Mark Webber will be working full time on his family farm. We thank them both for their dedication and commitment to VP and they will be missed by pupils and staff alike.
We have done some rearranging to our staff for 2021; Mrs Jones will move from the Music Department to Grade 5 and Mrs Coetzee will be moving to Grade 7. We have appointed a new teacher, Ms Davies, who is an experienced Foundation Phase teacher and she will be Mrs Cox’s new partner in Grade 2. We are fortunate that our current Ms Davies in Grade 3 will be getting married early next year so that will help with any confusion that having two Ms Davies may cause!
Message from the Music Department
We wish to congratulate the following girls who participated in the Mini Maestros Competition, which was organised by the SASMT: Stella Mullin, Aliyah Bezuidenhout, Kungawo Koza, Mila McConnachie, Nicole Swart, Daniella McLean, Charlotte Welgemoed, Amber Isaacs, Emily Steele, Viola Stoloff and Skyla Davies. Special congratulations to Mila and Viola, who won medals in their respective categories.
We are also proud of the girls who played their music exams this year. These exams were held internally, as the external examiners were not able to fly from London. The following girls were awarded Half Colours for Music: Viola Stoloff, Kimberly Oosthuizen (re-award), Bronté Agnew (re-award) and Rachel Wilhelmi (re-award). Four girls received their Full Colours for Music: Chloë Maartens, Marlene Loeffler, Okuye Funani and Haidee Thondhlana (re-award).
Kindly note that music lessons will come to an end on Tuesday next week, so please ensure that all school-owned instruments are returned by Tuesday, 1 December.
This has been a tough year, but the VP musicians have worked hard and made us very proud. We wish to thank you, the parents, for your ongoing support of our music programme. Please note that should you wish your daughter to begin music lessons, application forms can be collected from the office early next year.
Mr Wynne, Mrs Jones and Ms Hanslo.
Next week’s plans:
We have added the plans for next week as a reminder. Please remember to keep your daughters at home if they have any symptoms or if they have had contact with anyone who has tested positive or is awaiting their results EVEN if your child is desperate to join in with the end of the year festivities.
| Monday, 30 Nov | Gr 7’s & Blue Groups (Gr 00-6) at school
Gr 1-3 Blue group Civvies day and class parties (Bring your own goodies- no sharing). Please bring a cash donation for ground staff Xmas Hamper. |
| Tuesday, 1 Dec | Gr 7’s & Green Groups (Gr 00-6) at school
Gr 1-3 Green group Civvies day and class parties (Bring your own goodies- no sharing). Please bring a cash donation for ground staff Xmas Hamper. |
| Wednesday, 2 December | Blue Groups (Gr 4-6) class Parties (Bring your own goodies- no sharing). Civvies Day for Gr 4-7. Please bring a cash donation for ground staff Xmas Hamper.
Gr 1-3 Blue Group Prizegiving. Blue Groups (Gr 00-6) last day at school. Blue groups may leave hostel Gr 7’s at school/T Shirts signing |
| Thursday, 3 December | Green Groups (Gr 4-6) class Parties (Bring your own goodies- no sharing). Civvies Day for Gr 4-6. Please bring a cash donation for ground staff Xmas Hamper.
Gr 1-3 Green Group Prizegiving. Green Groups last day at school Green groups may leave hostel Grade 7s T shirt signing and Fun Day Grade 7s Goody Bag handout (12h00-13h00) |
| Friday, 4 December | Only Grade 7’s and 2021 Leadership Team at school
Grade 7’s : Prizegiving (09h00-10h30); Break (10h30-11h00); & Valedictory (11h00-12h00) . Girls may go home after Valedictory. Grade 7 parents who wish to attend must please complete the RSVP. Grade 7s last day of school All hostel girls must be fetched by 17h00 on this day. |
Collection of reports
Please note that parents must collect their daughter’s reports on the following days:
Wednesday, 9 December 2020:
• Grade 4&5 (in front of the school office in Beaufort St) between 08h00 and 10h00 ONLY
• Pre-primary and Foundation Phase reports (at the Huntley Street Gate) between 08h00 and 10h00 ONLY
Thursday, 10 December 2020:
• Grade 6&7 (in front of the school office in Beaufort St) between 08h00 and 10h00 ONLY
Please limit the congestion at collection by having only one parent collect a child’s report. Children can wait in the car or be left at home. Please do NOT come on a day that is not allocated for your daughter’s grade as only the relevant grades will be waiting with the reports for collection. NO REPORTS WILL BE HANDED OUT FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE.
Report envelope inserts
Your daughter’s report envelope will include:
• Your daughter’s Term 4 report
• The final newsletter which will include the list of recipients of awards/certificates in Grade 4-7 (Grade 4-6 will receive their certificates in their envelopes), and the arrangements and plans for 2021
• Your daughter’s stationery list and class teacher and group for 2021
• Extramural Programme and Term Calendar for Term 1 of 2021
• Accounts
Happy birthday to the following girls who celebrated this week:
Iminqweno Fulani, Mbalenhle Menziwa, Kayla Page, Sawo Papu, Maham Rizvi, Maia Page, Tessanne Arries, Kelly Smith, Madison Conroy and Yanda Qotoyi.
We hope your day was very special.
Warm regards
Mrs Michelle Rafferty
PRINCIPAL
timeously informed us of family members or girls who have shown symptoms and/or have gone to be tested. They have limited the impact they may have had on school by conscientiously keeping their daughters at home during this time. I understand that we are in the process of writing exams but under these circumstances we will make arrangements with you to ensure your daughter is still able to write her papers if she is well enough. We have not strayed from the Standard Operating Procedure since our return from Lockdown and I’d like to remind you of the following:
Our girls will be writing their exams/tests as from Monday. Please help your girls to do the best they can by creating a quiet and organised sanctuary for them at home that is conducive to learning and not distracting in any way. This may mean the TV may be off for the next two weeks but it is a small sacrifice to make to help your daughter to study.
aims at teens it certainly is applicable to all ages. 
October is recognised as World Teachers’ month and the 5th October is World Teachers’ Day. I am extremely proud of our teachers and their input and hard work and for the flexibility they have shown in managing to continue their teaching during these challenging times.
Citizenship means teaching our children social responsibility. Citizenship means being a member of and supporting one’s community and country. A South African citizen has certain freedoms which are declared in our constitution but a good citizen knows their responsibilities are just as important as their rights. A South African citizen should be informed, follow the laws of the country, be considerate of other citizens and be accepting and tolerant of others’ cultures and religions and to treat everyone with respect.
to needy school children. Thank you Mrs Tarr for facilitating this.
