Wynberg Girls' Junior School News

Newsletter 6

24th Mar

Dear WGJS Family

This is my last Newsletter at Wynberg Girls’ Junior School; the end of an era for both the school and for me. While at once it brings great sadness to me, I also celebrate the gift of a great privilege and very special relationship. Our girls have a short week as we approach the holidays. It is still a very important week with teaching and learning taking place at a significant level. The staff will be in staff development and planning sessions from 13h00 each day this week. Girls who are unable to be collected at that time will be supervised in classrooms until 14h30 each day. No-one will be permitted to wander around the school premises before 14h30. School will close at 12 o’clock on the last day, Friday the 26th of March. STAFF MATTERS

We congratulate our Deputy Principal Mr Stuart Payne and his wife Tanille on the birth of their baby boy, Samuel Jack Payne. We know that they are assured of a love that knows no bounds. The process to appoint a new Principal for WGJS is in progress. However, in the interim, the school will be run by Mr Stuart Payne who will act as Principal with Mrs Michelle Rhode as his Deputy. I have every confidence that these two thoroughly able and highly professional people will serve you and our school, extremely well.

SCHOOL FEES – FINANCE DEPARTMENT – Mrs J Yardin

On your next statement you will notice that your balance reflects the total annual amount due. We have taken this approach to facilitate better administration of the accounts. For those who do not pay up front for the year, please do not be alarmed as your payments are still expected monthly over 11 months (2 January to 1 November). We request that all queries or payments to be made, other than debit orders, are finalised by Thursday 25 March as the office will be closed until 12 April. We thank you in anticipation of your support for both processes.

PAPER AND CARTRIDGE RECYCLING 2010 – Mrs K Rose

We remind you of the recycling collection which began at the beginning of March together with a company called Green Office. We would love you to bring all your used cartridges (from home and work) to school as they can be recycled!

DIVING – Miss Woodin

The diving squad performed extremely well at the Inter-schools diving competition on Tuesday last week! We came third overall. Congratulations to all those who participated – you really did your school proud!

FLOWERS – Miss Weston

Thank you very much to the parents who provided flowers for 'The Music Soiree' on Thursday. We are also very grateful to Mrs Giulietta Harrison for arranging the flowers so beautifully.

LOVE BOX PROJECT – Miss Cuyler

“No one has ever become poor by giving.” – Anne Frank

We have decided to continue with the Love Box project this year. It supports our belief in ‘Our Gracious Society’. This project provides the girls with a wonderful opportunity to be compassionate and it involves them ‘physically’ in providing an inexpensive gift for a child less fortunate than themselves. We would like every child in the school to take part in this project. During the first week of every month we will be asking that you provide an item (as stated in the Newsletters) and send it with your daughter in a packet with her name on it. At the end of the year the girls will wrap their gifts and the gifts will then be distributed to various charities/orphanages. During the month of March and April we ask that you please send an empty shoe box to school. Thanking you in advance for your support.

NEWS FROM THE LIBRARY - Mrs Baerecke

This week is South African Library Week and the theme is “Reading changes lives”. There is a month-long campaign in celebration of libraries, books and reading, culminating on World Book Day, 23 April 2010. To assist those schools who do not have libraries, we will be holding a drive for “The Bookery” – Home of the Equal Education Book Drive – during the second week of the new term. Each learner is encouraged to bring a book/books in GOOD condition to school during that time. Stickers will be placed in these books, providing a place for the donor to write her name. Next term, there will be an inter schools Literature Quiz at WGJS, on Friday 30 April. We shall be entering two teams – but more about that later! May I encourage you to allow your child to join her local library (if she does not already belong)? It is wonderful for her, especially in the holidays, when our library is closed. Grade 6 and 7 girls who have paid their fines and returned their books, are eligible for “Holiday Loans” from school. Congratulations to our Grade 7 girls who have finally been appointed as Librarians for this year. Their names appear on the Honourable Mention Notice Board. “Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him (her).”

MUSIC DEPARTMENT – Miss Leonard

Soiree:

We extend a big thank you to all the families who attended our Soiree. The evening was a tremendous success and we would like to thank, from the Music Department, all the girls who participated – the Marimba band, Senior Choir, Junior Choir, Vocal Ensemble, Clarinet Choir and the String Ensemble. You have worked very hard and done us proud. Enjoy a well-deserved holiday!

PLAYBALL

We will be starting playball lessons for grade 1's in the second term. They will be held on a Friday afternoon from 13h30 to 14h15 on the Tennis courts Fees are R240.00 per term for 8 lessons with a once-off Admin fee of R40.00.

PA/FUNDRAISERS AND EVENTS CO-ORDINATORS – Lyn Makinson

Our Soccer Fun Day which took place on Friday 12 March was a GREAT success. Our Soccer Mascot - DUKE - made an appearance and danced with the girls to his favourite tune. The children had a great fun playing various games which included "Pin the Tail on the Mascot"; "Splat the Mascot"; "10 Pin Soccer Bowling"; "Score a Goal"; "Go Soccer Fish" as well as an "Obstacle Course"; they also had their faces painted and their hair colour sprayed by our girls from Grade 7. An immense amount of fun was had at the Jumping Castle and the 2 Water slides. To everyone who was involved in ensuring that this event got off the ground - a BIG THANK YOU, without your assistance, time, effort and enthusiasm, an event such as this could not have happened. We look forward to everyone’s eager participation next term (parents, teachers and girls) in our "Two Thousand and Ten Global Cup of Soccer" which takes place on Saturday 29 May 2010. Be sure to diarise it now as more, important information will follow in the 1st week of next term when you will get to see a lot more of DUKE, our Soccer Mascot

DATES TO REMEMBER:

March

26 School Closes at 12h00

April

12 School reopens for the 2nd Term May

3 Full winter uniform to be worn

IN CONCLUSION

As I take leave of my beloved Wynberg Girls’ Junior School, I have much to be grateful for. I have been truly blessed in my sojourn here. I have said it many times before to many people and I will say it again; being the Principal at Wynberg Girls’ Junior School has been the pinnacle of what I consider to have been a happy, successful career. I have experienced a richness here that I have felt nowhere before and for which I will be eternally grateful. I believe this school to be a unique place. My staff is a very special group of people. I feel particularly proud of their achievements, interest, dedication and the most sincere effort they put into everything that they do. Apart from that, they are also a group of people who care for one another with a great compassion and through this form a united team who work extremely well together. There is always an openness and honesty. I am truly proud of them all and feel deeply indebted to them for their part in the success of our school. I have been fortunate to have met wonderful, wonderful people who are the parents and grandparents of our girls. They have given me genuine support and through them I have received encouragement, prayers and kindness. Thank you. Finally, my girls who give me the utmost joy every day. From the time I arrive in the mornings until I leave the school at the end of the day, they are a source of pure delight. Even those that are at times a little lost along the way, deserve my love and respect as it is our responsibility to support them along their sometimes difficult journey. I thank God for you all. Love and best wishes to my Wynberg Family.

W M CONDIE (MRS)

PRINCIPAL