Message from the office
So, it’s back to the grindstone and five day weeks! We have a jam-packed schedule of sporting fixtures up ahead – I love the winter season! Please support your daughter at all her matches, if possible, as we love our family support and your girls love you watching them give their best.
At VP we encourage our girls to win with grace and lose with dignity and we implore you to echo this while your daughter is giving her all on the field.
Cheer your daughter from the sidelines and support her teammates. Support her coaches and their decisions – they are all trying their best. Do not coach from the side lines as this may contradict what they have been told as a team and by their coach. Do not get involved during team chats – leave that to the coach and the team. Do not undermine or speak poorly of your child’s coach in front of your daughter as this will affect her willingness and eagerness to give her best. And please, please, please do not chirp the referee!! It is far too often that matches turn nasty not because the players are bad sports but because the adults involved have forgotten the ethics and value of sportsmanship and instead promote winning at all costs, and this gets tangibly absorbed into the spirit of the game being played.
Remind your daughter that she needs to play her best and support her teammates even if she isn’t in the team she hoped to be in or playing the position she wanted or if she isn’t in the starting line up or does not play a full game. In primary school, building character through sport is just as (if not more) important as learning the sport itself. Her coach will note her positive attitude and her team spirit – a coach wants a player who gives of her best (regardless of her situation), follows instructions, shows a willingness to learn and grow, and who is an encouraging and supportive teammate. Often these nurtured attitudes will go a long way to developing a successful player later in life.
I want to thank our eager and encouraging parents who find the time to come and cheer our VP teams on and we are grateful for the very supportive parent body that we have. Praise your little girl’s efforts, point out her strengths and moments of greatness and sure, give her some tips, but above all, teach her to be a good sport (as this permeates into all of life) – win or lose.
A very special Mothers’ Day to all the special women who support and nurture our VP girls. We hope that you are deservedly spoiled rotten on Sunday!
Art Club
Please note the Art Club time is changed from 15:00-16:00 on a Wednesday.
VP’s Got Talent
After last year’s great success, we are excited to be having our second VP’s Got Talent in 2025. We encourage all girls who may be interested to enter to audition. Entry forms can be obtained from the school office. Start practising!!!!
PTA 75th VP Recipe Book
We are delighted that our special 75th birthday edition recipe book has been compiled and contains a wonderful array of recipes for any occasion. We will be pre- ordering this special edition at R150. A big thank you to everyone who contributed their family favourites and to Mrs Louwna Coetzee who compiled it so beautifully for us. Please complete the order form attached to the newsletter sent home today and send it to your child’s class teacher with the cash, credit card receipt or POP attached. If you make an EFT please also ensure you reference the payment with surname/grade/recipe book. Deadline for orders is 6 June 2025. We have a sample book at the office for your perusal. This would make a wonderful Mothers’ Day gift!
Grade 6&7 Social
The much-anticipated Graeme/ VP social is tonight at VP. Doors will open at 18:00. The music will be switched off at 20:50 and all girls must be fetched by 21:00. Entry and exit will be from the hall gate in Beaufort Street. Please make sure that you have arranged reliable transport. No girl will be allowed to walk home. Please note that according to our late collection policy any child who is fetched late will not be allowed to participate in future evening functions.
Worker of the Week
Well done to Sibabalwe Hanisi for her wonderful work in EMS and LO this week!
Indlulamthi Badge
Our first Indlulamthi Badge recipients were announced at Monday’s Assembly. We are so proud of them! Well done to:
Grade 4 – Nakhane Klei, Chanelle Musarurwa, Zingce Pilisani
Grade 5 – Azoma Magopeni, Misha Potts
Grade 6 – Ababalwe Ngwetsheni, Haset Sintayehu
Grade 7 – Uzosule Kanana, Iminathi Mcophele, Mila Nongubo, Nakweziphi Mthetho
According to the criteria for our badges for 2025 girls who have received the Indlulamthi Badge for 4 consecutive years from Grade 3-6 or Grade 4-7 will receive an Honours Indlulamthi Badge. We are so proud of Haset Sintayehu, Mila Nongubo and Nakweziphi Mthetho who will be receiving their Honours Badges and who are our first recipients ever!
Bathurst Show Art Exhibition
Congratulations to the following girls who received awards at the Bathurst Show art exhibition.
Grade 4:
Asante Sankqela (Gold)
Anna Malamis (Gold)
Chanelle Musaruwa (Silver)
Rebecca Phillip (Silver)
Onika Jimmy (Silver)
Grade 7:
Iviwe Jakavula (Silver)
Merit Acheivers
Isabella Tladi, Lulo Ponoshe, Isla Orsmond, Iminathi Bawuti, Sairaah Govender and Zenazi Gqekehas have received over 250 merits so far this year. Well done!
Assembly
On Monday Grade 4KC will present their assembly. Their assembly starts at 10:15. Parents are welcome to join us.
Music
Mini Maestros
The Mini Maestros competition will take place next week, on Friday, 16 May, at the Kingswood College music school. Girls will be transported in the school bus, and they are reminded to wear civvies with their Mini Maestros T-shirts to school. Parents are welcome to attend. Letters were sent home this week, which contain the morning’s programme.
SAC/DSG music festival
We are thrilled to be participating in this festival, which is a great opportunity for our girls to perform and to hear musicians from other schools. The following girls/groups will be involved: selected soloists, junior choir, senior choir, chamber choir, and orchestra. Please take note of the following dates. Further details will be provided in a letter, which will be sent home next week.
Solo categories: Monday, 19 May to Wednesday, 21 May (mornings only)
Choir festival: Monday, 19 May (16:00)
Orchestra festival: Tuesday, 20 May or Wednesday, 21 May (18:30) To be confirmed.
Gala concert: Thursday, 22 May (18:30) Soloists/groups selected from the week’s performances.
Assessments
All music pupils will play their scales tests next week. Their Term 2 assessments will take place the week after. Keep up the lovely practising, girls!
Tennis report: Luden Cup
Good luck to our girls participating in the Luden Tennis Cup this Sunday at DSG. All the best and have fun girls.
Well done to Marizaan Boucher who played in the Tennis South Africa tennis tournament in Cradock recently. She won the girls U14 division. We are very proud of her.
Derby Day vs Erica Primary tomorrow
We are very excited for our first fixture this season. Girls are to be dropped off 45 minutes before the start of their game. Girls supporting must be dressed in their full school uniform with their blazers or their school tracksuit with their navy blue golf shirt (No house shirts). Cellphones are not permitted. Please make sure that you make arrangements for collection before you drop her off. ALL girls must be fetched from the Huntley Street gate by 11:30 at the latest. Parents and supporters must please use Huntley Street gate for access, no cars will be allowed onto the campus. The fixtures are as follows:
| Hockey | ||
| Fergusson Field | Top field | |
| 08:30 | U13A | 08:50 U9A
VP U10B vs VP U10C |
| 09:10 | U13B | |
| 09:50 | U13C | 09:10 U9B
U10A |
| Netball | |||
| Court A | Court B | ||
| 09:00 | U12A | 09:20 | U9A |
| 09:30 | U11A | 09:40 | U10A |
| 09:50 | VP staff vs Erica Staff | ||
| 10:15 | VP U13A | ||
Sport fixtures next week
- Wednesday, 14 May netball vs Port Alfred @VP. Matches start at 14:30. All girls playing will have received a letter.
- Thursday, 15 May hockey vs Kingswood @KC. The following teams will be playing: U9A/B, U10A/B, U13A/B/C/D. Fixtures and times to follow next week.
- Friday, 16 May netball vs Kingswood @KC. The following teams will be playing: U9A/B, U10A/B and U11A/B. Fixtures and times to follow next week.
- On Saturday, 17 May VP will be hosting Kenton Primary, Kowie Foundation and St Dominics Priory for fun filled hockey and netball fixtures. All girls involved would have received letters today. Fixtures to follow next week.
Netball Results
Wednesday, 7 May: U12 and U13 girls played in the Makana Round Robin League. The results were as follows:
U12: VP vs Good Shepherd: 0 – 3
Grahamstown vs VP: 1 – 1
U13: Good Shepherd vs VP: 7 – 3
VP vs C.M.Vellem: 0 – 3
Well done, girls!
Netball fixtures
Monday, 12 May: U12 and U13 girls are participating in the second round of the Makana Round Robin at PJ. We are waiting for fixtures from PJ. The team will be transported to PJ in the school bus and must please be collected from PJ at 17:00. The girls would appreciate the support, as always!
Gymnastics Report
Last weekend Kazlin De Maar took part in a gymnastics competition in Port Alfred with the Grahamstown Rhythmic Gymnastics. A big congratulations to Kazlin for receiving 2 gold medals and 1 silver medal.
Donations for Tuckshop
Thank you so much for the generous donations of goods for our tuckshop for tomorrow. We would most appreciate donations of the following for next Saturday’s derby day’s tuckshop to reduce our costs. Items needed are: sliced bread – white or brown; white hamburger rolls; butter/margarine; eggs; bacon; flour; salt; Sunflower oil; cheddar cheese; tomato sauce and sugar. Donations can be dropped off at the school office. Thank you for your support.
Sarah Baartman Chess Trials
Best of luck to Ella Radovic, Makatendeka Chakona, Bridget Akpeng, Alibongwe Mthembu, Katherine Marias, and Lusenathi Ntoyanto as they head to Graaff-Reinet this Saturday for the final stretch of the Sarah Baartman chess trials! We know how excited you all are, and we are so proud of your hard work and dedication. Wishing you sharp minds,steady hands, and an unforgettable experience. Safe travels, girls– you’ve got this!
Slipper Day
Girls can purchase a sticker for R20 from Mrs Mgogo and will then be allowed to wear slippers at school on Friday, 30 May! 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 proceeds will go towards Reach for a Dream, an organisation that strives to fulfil the dreams of children who are suffering from life threatening illnesses.
Birthday wishes
We wish the following staff and girls who celebrated their birthdays this week a very happy birthday: Mrs Wilhelmi, Iyana Kolwane, Milisuthando Nkayi, Inomusa Tauzen, Lunje Giyose, Zoe Green, Anopa-Nyasha Thondhlana, Ithandile Hilta and Hlalumi Motshwene.
Regards
Mrs Rafferty
PRINCIPAL
Upcoming events
| Friday
9/05 |
Grade 7 Committee meetings
VP/GC Social @VP (Gr 6&7) |
| Saturday 10/05 | SB Chess trials in Graaff-Reinet
Erica Derby Day @VP |
| Sunday
11/05 |
Luden Tennis Cup @DSG |
| Monday
12/05 |
Makana netball round robin @PJ |
| Wednesday
14/05 |
Netball vs PAHS @VP |
| Friday
15/05 |
Mini Maestros |
| Saturday
16/05 |
Hockey vs Priory @VP |
Exam Timetable
| Date | Exam | Grade |
| Monday,
26 May |
English Creative Writing | Grade 4-7 |
| Tuesday,
27 May |
English Creative Writing &
FAL Creative Writing |
Grade 4-7 |
| Wednesday, 28 May | FAL Language and Comprehension
English Language & Comprehension Life Orientation |
Grade 6&7
Grade 4&5 Grade 7 |
| Thursday, 29 May | FAL Language and Comprehension
English Language and Comprehension SS Geography |
Grade 4&5
Grade 6&7 Grade 4-7 |
| Friday,
30 May |
Art
Maths Paper 1 Technology |
Grade 4-6
Grade 4-7 Grade 7 |
| Monday,
2 June |
Maths Paper 2
EMS |
Grade 4-7
Grade 7 |
| Tuesday,
3 June |
Natural Sciences
Art LSPA Theory |
Grade 4-7
Grade 7 Grade 7 |
| Wednesday, 4 June | LSPA Practical
SS History |
Grade 7
Grade 4-7 |
| Thursday, 5 June | Life Skills | Grade 4-6 |