Message from the office
At Monday’s assembly we will announce the winner of our Reading in Unusual Places competition and we are grateful
for all the wonderful entries. On Wednesday, 7 February we will be celebrating World Read Aloud Day. Our various classes will be doing different activities to promote and encourage reading. Please ask your daughter after school on Wednesday what fun activities she did. We will also have fifteen minutes before break where our older girls will read to our younger ones and this is such a special bonding time for all. Please keep a lookout on our FB page for all the lovely photos that come from this day and to see our delightful competition entries.
Over the past weekend a few of our teachers attended the Rhodes Education Summit. One of the guest speakers on Sunday morning was Dr Barney Mthembu who is the deputy Director-General for Curriculum Policy, Support and Monitoring for the Department of Basic Education. He highlighted the importance of reading and the dire statistics that indicated only a small percentage of Grade 4 learners can read for meaning. He also mentioned how poignant it was that during the looting in KZN in 2021, where most shops were completely looted, Bargain Books was left untouched. He stated that Readers are Leaders and if you can’t read you shouldn’t be allowed to lead. I am sure you can tell just how critical he sees the need to grow a generation of leaders.
At VP we strive to develop not only our girls’ ability to read but also establish the foundation for a lifelong love for reading and learning.
Here are some tips to continue developing reading at home (https://www.twinkl.co.za/blog/ten-ways-to-have-a-reading-friendly-home)
Be a Reading Role Model
It can all start with you. Show your child that you value reading at home, whether it’s on a page or on a tablet.
- Have Books Everywhere
Try to have lots of books visible in your house to make reading at home easier.
- Start Young
Whatever your age or taste, there’s always something interesting for you and your child to read at home. You can introduce your child to a wide range of books – fiction books, adventure books, picture books, comic books, books about nature, books about space, biographies, autobiographies – the world is yours and theirs.
- Create a Reading Corner
By creating a reading corner for children, your child has a cosy, peaceful place that can encourage them to do more reading at home.
- Be Positive About Books
You’re never bored if you can read. Be enthusiastic about all the different kinds of books we’re lucky to have and how exciting books can be. Chat regularly with your child about their reading they’ve done at home or at school.
- Change Reading Books Regularly
Like all of us, your child will have books they go back to again and again and some books that they’ll read just one time. It’s good, if possible, to have fresh, different books in the house as often as you can. Join your local library and take interest in your child’s reader and school library book.
- Link Reading to Creative Activities
Encourage your child’s creativity through books. Reading at home can lead to lots of other fabulous play activities – drawing, rewriting the story with a different ending, dressing up, acting out their favourite parts of the book- the sky’s the limit.
- Make Reading at Home Part of the Routine
Reading at home with your child can be part of your quality time at home so it becomes an important, natural part of your child’s day. Reading before bed is comforting, soothing and is more likely to help your daughter to settle to sleep than playing a game on a screen.
- Try to Make Sure Your Child’s Books are Suitable for Their Age
Make sure the books they read at home are age appropriate – too easy and your child loses interest, too difficult and they can be off-putting.
- Take Books Everywhere
It’s a nice idea to buy your child a little rucksack that they can pop their favourite book into when you’re going out. This can be great to occupy your child if you’re waiting to see the doctor or dentist for example – far better than a cellphone!
‘Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.’ Margaret Fuller
‘Show me a family of readers, and I will show you the people who move the world.’ – Napoleon Bonaparte
‘Reading should not be presented to children as a chore, a duty. It should be offered as a gift.’ – Kate DiCamillo
Worker of the Week
Well done to all Audrey Matanda in Grade 2 for her good work in Maths. Keep it up, Audrey.
Personality of the Week
Congratulations to Mivuyo Nongxaza for being our first recipient of Personality of the Week this year for her display of initiative and for being responsible. Thank you, Mivuyo!
NOTICES
PTA AGM: We are delighted with the number of parents who attended the PTA AGM. Thank you for your commitment to your daughters’ schooling. We are certain that this is the start of a good year and a positive partnership with you and your daughter’s teacher.
PTA Meeting: Our first PTA meeting will be held in the school hall at 17:15 on Tuesday the 6 February. Please join us at this meeting to serve on this committee to help raise funds for our school this year.
SGB Election Notice: All schools are required to have SGB elections every three years. We will do so on Thursday, 7 March. We currently have a very active SGB committee for which we are most grateful and we note that incumbents may continue to serve another term but still need to go through the nomination process. Nominations open on Thursday, 29 February. In the lead-up to this process please consider if you or a parent that you know would be able to bring a valuable skill to our Governing Body and approach them about being nominated. More details about the elections will follow in subsequent newsletters.
Eye Screening: The EyeStore will visit on the 7th-9th of February. The Grade 1s and all new girls will receive basic visual screening which will test their visual clarity from a distance, this is free of charge. A letter was sent home regarding more comprehensive tests. Please return the completed letter with required payment as soon as possible if you would like a more comprehensive test for your daughter (or she is not in Gr 1 or new to VP).
HPV Vaccination: The Grade 5s will bring home a Health Department consent form today. This form must be completed and returned by next week in order to receive the HPV vaccination. If you do not wish to consent to your daughter receiving the vaccine you must still return the completed form.
Outreach – ‘It takes a village to raise a child.’ Nigeran Igbo proverb
As the Grade 7 Community Outreach committee, we are focusing on education this term. We believe that although some items might seem to be of no use to you they might be a treasure to those less fortunate. We would like to encourage our girls and parents to donate educational items – focusing on school shoes but including unisex school shirts, stationery and reading books. We ask you to please keep in mind that we are trying to restore dignity to those who are less fortunate than us and ask that you keep this in mind when considering the condition of items that you are donating.
SPORT
Athletics: A selected group of girls took part at the Zone 1 Athletics meet yesterday for the track events. Our VP girls did very well with 7 out of 12 girls qualifying for the next round, which will take place on Friday, 9 February at Prospect Field at Rhodes. The field events for the Zone 1 qualifiers will take place on Wednesday, 7 February at PJ Olivier and the girls who will take part in this event will receive a letter on Monday.
Tennis: Over the weekend three VP girls took part in the Wilson series tournament. Our girls did very well. Kaylee May came 11th and Danielle McLean came 7th. Congratulations to Stella Mullin for receiving a medal for coming 3rd. Very well done to all of them.
Swimming News
- Well done to all the girls who participated in the KC Short Course Gala on Tuesday, and good luck to the girls attending the B-League gala tomorrow in Gqeberha.
- Please note that training for Team and Feeder team girls will go ahead tomorrow (Saturday) morning at 10:00. Ms Knott-Craig will be there to supervise the girls.
- We are awaiting confirmation of the Graeme Relay Gala next week Friday. Girls will receive a letter next week once we have details.
Cancellation of any sports: Please note that we will not cancel any extramurals without notice due to weather conditions or any other reasons, we will keep the girls busy with something indoors.
We will be selling Valentine’s goodies to raise funds for our sports department please follow this link for the form – Valentine’s Day order form
Birthday wishes
We wish the following staff and girls a very happy birthday! Ms Purdon, Mrs Makeba-Mgogo, Ms Miskin, Iviwe Jakavula, Ngcwalisa Mbambo, Iminathi Mgwebi, Iminathi Ndilele, Hlumisa Piti, Luniko Hlulushe, Nakhane Klei, Zingce Pilisani, Inam Toll, Onwaba Hoyi, Mizaan Marcus, Christelle Ruwanza, Esethu Stamper, Gabriella Cervati, Azuza Mbiza, Ithandile-Inkosi Meke, Zizo Zomelele, Jazlin Crafford, Khanya Kepe, Imanathi Mcophele, Tamera Ngwalase, Kazlin de Maar, Shameega Kholiso, Neo Molefe, and Alondwe Sethi. We hope you have a wonderful day!
Regards
Mrs Rafferty
PRINCIPAL