Aspire Tag

Hands On Physics

From The Spanish Classroom

To acquire a second language is it very important… to be a good listener.

“Active listening is a valuable technique that requires the listener to thoroughly absorb, understand, respond, and retain what’s being said”.  – Centre of creative leadership.

Becoming an Active Listener

• Pay Attention. Give the speaker your undivided attention and acknowledge the message.
• Show That You’re Listening. Use your own body language and gestures to show that you are engaged.
• Provide Feedback.
• Respond Appropriately.

Prepare yourself for the message:

• Limit distractions. Move away from distractions so that you can pay full attention to the other person. Take note of the person’s tone of voice and body language as well.
• Pay attention to what’s being said, not what you want to say. Set a goal of being able to repeat the last sentence the teacher says. This keeps your attention on each statement.
• Be okay with silence. You don’t have to always reply or have a comment. A break in dialogue can give you a chance to collect your thoughts.
• Encourage the teacher to clarify ideas and offer more examples.
• Restate the key points you heard and ask whether they’re accurate. “Let me see whether I understand you correctly…” is an easy way to clarify any confusion.

If you are listening:

• Look at the person that is presenting.
• Avoid any distractions (close your books, notes, and put away any other objects that can make you lose the focus on the presentation).
• Be ready to answer some questions that the student that is presenting has prepared for the class.

If you are presenting:

• Prepare some questions about the project for the class.
• Try to speak clear and loud enough.
• Bring some visual materials to make it more attractive for the class.

In conclusion, concentrate on what’s being said and think about what the speaker is saying rather than about what to say next.

Almost every week the Spanish students can present an oral project about the different topics that they have been learning: The house, family, weather, the city, food, clothing, animals, and much more. This is a great opportunity to put their communication skills into practice and make the lessons fun, useful and interactive.

Javier Vidal

Spanish Teacher

Mental Health Awareness Month

Year 11 Leadership Inting

On the 7^th and 8^th of October, instead of the usual Year 11 annual leadership camp, we participated in an inting hosted on the school grounds.  This forged a space for us to develop our team building and leadership skills, and it also unified us as a year group.

Camp instructors came from their stomping grounds at High Africa Adventure Centre, bringing along with them several pieces of equipment for interactive and physically challenging activities. These not only tested our physical abilities and how we navigated around the capabilities of our fellow classmates, but also quickly revealed just how limited our patience is!

For both days, we were spilt into two teams, the members changing slightly each day. This illuminated the strengths and weaknesses each person brought to the team dynamic, and how they could be utilised to ultimately bring the teams to victory. At the end of each day, a winning team, as well as an outstanding leader and camper were chosen. Through games such as “red light, green light”’ with a teddy bear (this stirred an uproar of frustration!), as well as “pool noodle hockey” and a spin on the popular “musical chairs” game, we were able to establish and nurture new ways of communication.

There was an abundance of mind-bending tasks that tested our trust in each other’s abilities, as well as in ourselves. The skill to integrate oneself into team environments was introduced to us, driven by games that included illustrating a story out of a random assortment of picture cards and constructing a sailboat out of geometric wooden pieces. Whether we were human chess pieces or building strange structures with melting marshmallows and brittle spaghetti straws, one thing was for certain: we couldn’t have grown closer as a class after that week.

Yes, we embarked on this inting with the intention of becoming confident leaders, a goal we certainly achieved! However, we also came out as stronger teammates and more self-assured individuals. Communication and trust were qualities that we learned are vital to becoming a valuable team member; also, the skill to be able to listen and follow, as well as to lead. But most importantly, I believe we were reminded of how our individual uniqueness and defining qualities can be used to realise and achieve a common goal.

Kazimla Dyakalashe

Year 11 Student and 2022 SRC Member

Business Studies Simulation Game

On Thursday and Friday last week, the Year 7 and 8 students participated in the Banango Traders Business Simulation Game run in affiliation with the Johannesburg School of Finance. This initiative is a great opportunity for students to improve and test their business knowledge by running a virtual business.

The event brought out our students’ competitive nature as they competed in teams against one another in order to generate the highest profit. Many congratulations to the teams in each year group that won and the Year 7s for making the most profit out of the two groups.

“The business stimulation taught us the importance of quick thinking and taking risks in business,” is just one of the examples of positive feedback that was received by the students.

The students undoubtedly left with a first-hand appreciation for entrepreneurs and a new, energetic enthusiasm for starting their own businesses. We definitely have a couple of budding entrepreneurs amongst this group!

Caroline Grix

High School Business Studies Teacher

Matric Dance 2021

 Student Account:

The 2021 Matric Dance was a night not to be forgotten. It was a lovely end for our Matric Class, and an unforgettable sendoff before the start of our exam season. The Aquarium could not have been a more invigorating and mystical venue for such a night, and the presence of the varying sea creatures left most of us in awe. The food provided by the aquarium was delicious and inclusive for everybody, and left everybody satisfied. Lots of dancing and smiles were the biggest take-away of the night, and it was highly enjoyable for all.

Written by Matric student – Gabrielle Luyt

Student Account:

On Friday the 17th of September, the matrics of 2021 attended the formal Matric Farewell. It was hosted at the aquarium and although a different location it was certainly unique! It was so special seeing everyone arrive with their fancy cars, and beautiful dresses and suits, and we had Mr Swart, the teachers, some Year 11s and the parents awaiting our arrival. It was nerve wracking walking up but all the cheers and familiar faces definitely helped!

We soon said goodbye to the parents and began our night inside. There was a professional photographer there and she did an amazing job taking all the pictures and really making them look beautiful. We took lots of pictures in front of the huge shark tanks, and the fishes and sharks accompanied us in the background of most of our photos! She made us all feel really comfortable and I’m sure we’ve got photos no other matric dance has gotten before!

After photos, we stepped into the hall where we would be having dinner. There were round tables positioned throughout the room and they were decorated beautifully and elegantly. The matrics were treated with a buffet of food options, drinks and delicious desserts. I was definitely full at the end of the night! Our favourite, chosen music played throughout the evening and a large portion of our night was spent dancing together as a year group and having fun as our last night together!

Overall I had a lovely time at the Matric farewell and I’m glad I got to spend the night with my peers. It was definitely a special night, and one I will not forget!

Written by Matric student – Chloë Goldman

Valedictory and SRC 2022

The upcoming Cambridge IGCSE and AS/A Level examinations and how to prepare for them

The October/November Cambridge IGCSE and AS/A Level examinations are fast approaching, with the first examinations already taking place on 28 September 2021. It is vital that students prepare themselves for these examinations.

Below are some helpful hints and tips for preparing for the examinations:

• Familiarise yourself with your examination timetable.
• Ensure that you know exactly:

             – what work will be covered in each subject;

             – the format of each examination paper;

             – the time allocation;

             – the equipment that may be needed for the examination (e.g. calculator for mathematics).

• Get copies of old examination papers and worksheets.
• By now, all your notes should be up to date and you should have all that you need to study effectively for the examinations.
• Prepare your study area. Some things to consider are:

             – have a good source of light;

             – have lots of paper available;

             – a clear work surface;

             – coloured pens if you prefer to use colour;

             – light or unobtrusive music if you prefer to learn with music.

• Keeping healthy! Eat fresh foods such as fruit and nuts. Pile up on the vegetables in the evenings and drink plenty of water and fruit juice to keep the flu at bay.  The brain needs to be fed well to perform at its optimum.
• Try not to nibble on too many chocolates and sweets while studying. 

• That said, the odd sweet or chocolate will provide an energy boost when you feel really tired. 

• Getting a good night’s rest is also important. Sleep will rejuvenate you and keep you going.

Devising a Revision Timetable:

If you plan your revision carefully, you will enjoy the feeling of being well prepared for the examinations, secure in the knowledge that you have done your best and have covered all the work.

• Create a calendar for this purpose, using bright colours/larger paper etc.
• Start by marking in the dates and times of your examinations.
• Shade in the dates and times when you know you have other commitments, e.g. sports fixtures/family function.
• Work out how much time you would need per section per subject. Remember to spend more time on those subjects you find more difficult.
• Using a pencil, begin to draw up your revision timetable by writing in the subject and the sections that you wish to cover each day.
• You could leave a revision time blank each week, as a “safety net” for work not covered as planned. This may be as a result of those unforeseen circumstances that make life interesting.
• Do not get stressed out if you don’t stick rigidly to the timetable. Sometimes you start by expecting to cover too much at one time.  The main idea is to get you to focus on the work that needs to be covered and to work towards a goal.
• Be sure to timetable rest and relaxation.
• Before changing subjects, take a longer break of about 20 – 30 minutes and try to get outside or do something different.

Study Methods:

Each one of you will have your own method of studying and it is important that you feel comfortable with your chosen style.  It is equally important that you admit if your method has not worked in the past.

Here are some tips that you may like to try out.  These are tried and tested methods.

• Start by reading through a section from beginning to end. This will give you an overview of what is to come.  Focus on headings and pictures and diagrams.
• Ask questions as to the content of the section (why, what, when, where, how and who?). This will help to get your mind in touch with the main areas within each section (e.g.  What do I need to know about this topic?  What exactly is this text about?  How does this section link up with what I have just studied?).
• Re-read the passage with the aim of answering your questions. Look up words you do not understand, refer closely to graphs and diagrams, highlight important ideas in colour, etc.  Do not try to make notes at this stage.
• Aim to check that you have understood the work. Think about the passage and focus on key points. Re-read the passage, making notes on the relevant material.  This may take the form of block notes or diagrammatic notes e.g. mind maps/spider diagrams.
• It is a good idea to redo mathematics exercises and worksheets as well as work through past papers.
• Diagrams can become excellent forms of summary in subjects such as geography and biology. A diagram should be drawn clearly with large labels for easy identification.
• When encouraging a difficulty concept, try to break it up into smaller units and talk your way through the steps of the problem.
• If you have difficulty remembering something, pin up key words on your bedroom wall or cupboard door as a constant reminder. Each time you walk past the word, stop, and ask yourself a question or two about it to trigger a response.
• In language, you need to understand the rule to apply it, e.g. rules for the past and present tense.
• Review. Aim to ensure that you remember what you have learned by reviewing worksheets/past papers/testing yourself with questions that you set or working with a friend and testing each other verbally.

Just before the examination:

• Get a good night’s sleep.
• Have a good breakfast.
• Arrive at the venue with time to spare.
• Make sure you have the right equipment, tissues, watch, etc.

During the examination:

• Don’t rush into answering questions.
• Read the instructions at the beginning to ensure that you know how to answer all the questions and how many questions to answer.
• Read through the questions carefully.
• If there is a choice of questions, make your choice carefully. Underline key words in the questions.
• Stick to the time plan given to you by your teacher.
• At the end of the examination, if you have time, read through your paper to check that you have answered all the questions.

I would like to wish all students the best with their 2021 examinations.

Julian Harrison

Cambridge Examinations Officer

Year 7 and 8 Art

Art, caft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality Art and Design education should engage, inspire and challenge students, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of Art, Craft and Design.

As students progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of Art and Design. They should also know how Art and Design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation. Therefore, exposure to various fields and techniques is what Art in Year 7 and 8 is all about.

At the start of Year 7, we focus on the formal elements of Art as well as the principles of Design. These make up the foundation needed to create all artwork.

During Term 2, we started with teaching students the skills to draw different facial features. After this, they had to put their newly acquired skills to use by drawing a portrait of our principal from a photo. The results are astounding. This is in preparation for Year 8 where they do self-portraits.

Colourful Mandalas were the order of the day in their June practical exam. This served as yet another opportunity to show their creative skills and freedom of expression. Currently the Year 7’s are busy with paint blending while the Year 8’s are exploring the world of Graphic Design. They are designing their own emotion-inspired font and using this in further practical tasks.

In Term 4, both Year groups will be exploring other areas of Art and Design as well. The purpose of exposure to the various areas of Art and Design is to help students make a more informed decision when it comes to taking Art as a subject at IGCSE or AS Level.

Art in Year 7 and 8 is exciting, challenging and a test for student’s creativity, thinking, hard work and dedication.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words so here are a few examples of what the Year 7 and 8’s have been up to thus far in 2021…

Ane Gornall

Year 7 and 8 Art and Design Teacher