Message from the office

Wishing all our Muslim families a blessed Eid filled with happiness and cherished moments with loved ones.

This term is an examination term for Grade 4 -7 and exams will be written from Thursday, 16 May – that is only five weeks away! The examinations will be based on work that is covered in Term 1 and 2. It is certainly not too early for your daughter to start setting up a study timetable and to start making notes and revising work covered in class, especially as we also have a very busy sporting programme and many matches scheduled for this term.  I would also advise that your daughter spends time in the afternoons practising concepts done in her Mathematics lessons and that she uses this time to ask her teacher for help if there are still concepts she is finding challenging. Encourage your daughter to read on a daily basis as this will also help her with all content subjects as well as in English.  A little bit every day from now will make the daunting task of writing exams seem very manageable when it is broken down into smaller daily tasks. 

Ways to encourage your daughter to get going:

• Create a small neat desk space just for her to study at.
• Make sure her desk area is well-lit and well-ventilated.
• Purchase notebooks for her notes.
• Highlighters and different coloured pens make note-making fun!
• Provide sucking sweets and water for her desk.
• Limit noise and distractions in your home.
• Ensure that she has regular breaks (of about 5 – 10 minutes). For study time; Grade 4 & 5s will probably only be able to focus for 20 – 30 minutes at a time and older girls up to an hour at a time – but this can vary from child to child. 
• Make sure her breaks include movement to get her brain and body awake – this will help boost brain function when she is ready to face the books again. No screen time!
• Please note: Continued sporting and physical activities increases the flow of oxygen and blood to the brain and boosts focus and concentration when study time comes.
• Limit household chores (but don’t do away with them altogether) 
• Test her when she has finished revising a section.
• Allow her to play ‘Teacher’ and teach you (or her siblings, or dog or stuffed toys) any concepts that she is learning. 
• Ensure that she gets a good night sleep
• Encourage, support and praise your daughter’s efforts every step of the way. 

Exam timetable

Date	Exams
Thursday, 16 May	Grade 4-7: SS GeographyArt
Friday, 17 May	Grade 4-7: – Afr/Xhosa (FAL) Language and Comprehension Grade 7: Technology Grade 4-6: Life Skills
Monday, 20 May	Grade 4-7: Maths Paper 1English Language and Comprehension
Tuesday, 21 May	Grade 4-7: Maths Paper 2 Grade 7: Life Orientation
Wednesday, 22 May	Grade 4-7: Natural Sciences Grade 7: LSPA Practical
Thursday, 23 May	Grade 4-7: SS History Grade 7: LSPA theory
Friday, 24 May	Grade 7:  EMS

Assembly

On Monday Grade 6P presented their assembly on being able to work through the hard times and persevering and speaking to those close to us when feeling down. What a very special assembly! Thank you to the Grade 6P parents who enthusiastically supported their girls’ assembly. 

On Monday, 15 April, Grade 5M will be presenting their assembly. Parents are most welcome to join us. The assembly will begin at 10:15. 

Winter Uniform 

Although we are only meant to start wearing our winter uniform as from the 6 May, the Makhanda weather has different ideas and winter seems to have come early! Your daughter may wear her winter uniform on the colder days but we appeal to you not to mix summer and winter uniforms. 

Worker of the Week

Imanathi Mcophele is our Worker of the Week for her very good work in Afrikaans. Well done, Imanathi!

Merit Achievers

Well done to Olothando Sityata, Isla Orsmond, Amyoli Loli, Misha Potts, Amyoli Sesani, Lethisa de Maar, Liyabona Benyane and Imanathi Mcophele who have received over 250 merits so far this year. Keep it up, girls!

Grade 6 & 7 Social

On Friday, 12 April the Grade 6/7 VP/Graeme social will take place at Graeme College. The entrance fee is R20 and there will also be a tuckshop available. It will be cash only. The social starts at 18h00 and ends at 21h00. The music will be turned off at 20h50. Please ensure that you collect your daughter no later than 21h00. All vehicles enter through the main top gate and exit out of the Hostel bottom gate.

Netball vs Kenton-on-Sea

The U10A-U13A netball teams will be playing matches against Kenton Primary on Wednesday, 17 April at VP. The matches start at 14:15 and end at 15:00. We wish all our teams the best of luck!

Parents are welcome to support. Parents MUST enter through the Beaufort Street, office entrance.

Fixtures vs Gill College, Saturday 20 April

We will be playing our first fixture against Gill College on Saturday, 20 April. Girls who are involved have already received letters. We have decided to travel to Somerset East via Fort Beaufort as the road to Bedford is in such bad condition. Girls are to be dropped off at Huntley Street gate by 05:45. The bus will leave promptly at 06:00. We will be unable to wait for any latecomers. If you are driving your daughter yourself, please ensure that she arrives at least 30 minutes before the start of her game.

Hockey Fixtures:

09h00: First Team (U13A)

09h50: Second Team (U13B)

10h50: U8A, U9B, U10A

11h10: U9A,U8B

Netball Fixtures:

09h00: U11A,U10B,U8B

09h30: U10A,U9B,U8A

10h00: U9A

10h40: U12A,U13B

10h15: U13A,U12B

We will leave after the last match is finished and expect to arrive back at 14:15. Please fetch your daughter at the hostel gate entrance in Hill Street.

Please take note: The U13 DSG Hockey and Netball Festival that was scheduled for 19-22 April has been cancelled.

Extramural update: Please note that as Mrs Rafferty has to attend a meeting in Kirkwood on Tuesday, 16 April there will be no Strength Conditioning on this day. The Wednesday slot will continue as scheduled.

Slipper Day – 31 May

If you would like to wear slippers at school AND support a good cause, please remember to support our efforts to raise money for the Reach for a Dream Slipper Day.  Girls can purchase a sticker for R20 and will then be allowed to wear slippers at school on Friday, 31 May!  Please buy these in advance from Mrs Mgogo. If you would like to bring slippers to school to wear for the day without buying a sticker you may do so for a R10 donation. All the proceeds will go to Reach for a Dream an organization that strives to fulfil the dreams of children who are suffering from life threatening illnesses.

VP’s Got Talent

Our exciting PTA Fundraiser this term is: VP’s Got Talent

Enter our VP’s Got Talent competition under one of the following categories:

• Singing: Group or Individual
• Lip Sync: Group or Individual
• Dance: Group or Individual
• Musical Instruments: Group or Individual
• Poetry
• Open Category: Anything entertaining goes
• Family Category: Do any act in the above categories with a VP girl/s and family members.

✩♬✩♬✩♬✩♬✩♬✩♬✩♬✩♬✩♬✩♬✩♬

Auditions will take place in the afternoons during the week of the 3-7 June. Entries: R10 per person auditioning.

VP’s Got Talent Show with our finalist will take place on the 13 June at 17h30.

✩♬✩♬✩♬✩♬✩♬✩♬✩♬✩♬✩♬✩♬✩♬

Birthday wishes

We wish the following staff member and girls a very happy birthday for next week: Mrs Barrow, Chikhulupiriro Mitochi, Grace Kretzmann, Uminathi Solani, Kaelyn Westcott, Skylar Haywood, Unakho Maxhaulana, Esisiphiweyo Pinyana and Aliyah Bezuidenhout. We hope you have a very happy day!

Regards

Mrs Rafferty

PRINCIPAL

UPCOMING EVENTS

Fri. 12/04	Grade 6&7 Social @GC 18:00-20:50
Mon. 15/04	Grade 5M Assembly @10:15
Sat. 20/04	Netball & Hockey vs Gill College @Gill
Tues. 23/04	Sarah Baartman Netball Trials
Wed. 24/04	U12 Netball Round Robin @VP
Fri. 26/04	Boarders’ Leave Out weekend
Fri. 31/05	Slipper Day