high school Tag

The Year 7’s were given a Science project to create their own “Energy robots”. This fun and integrated project was a means to assess their understanding of the different forms of energy that they had just learnt about in class.

They had to design, draw and then build their own robot that could produce at least three different forms of energy; such as heat, sound or light energy. All of the students really thought “out of the box” and incorporated a range of innovative ideas.

I was extremely impressed by the final products of the year 7’s, they really seemed to enjoy using a bit more of a creative side to learning about energy.

Tayla Shergold-Smith
Year 7 and 8 Mathematics and Natural Science Teacher

This term in Geography, we have covered a number of topics across the High School dealing with our physical and human environment.

Just as many of us have changed and grown in the last year, so has our planet and the people on it. The earth and processes that shape it, work as part of a system with flows of energy and processes that each have a distinct role. In order to understand ourselves and the world around us better, it helps to be able to identify the factors that influence our actions and habits. We also need to understand how each part of the system affects the whole.

Year 7 and 9 have been studying Plate Tectonics and the resultant earthquakes and volcanoes the movement of the Earth’s plates causes. Mount Nyiragongo in Congo recently erupted, causing people to evacuate, and affecting neighbouring Rwanda with earthquakes due to the volcano.  People that live in tectonically active regions have had to learn how to live with and adapt to these natural disasters.

Weather and Climate has been a topic in the Year 8 and 11 classes. This is often the most challenging section as the changes in the atmosphere and the reasons behind them can often seem to disappear and reappear like the wind, sun, and clouds do in Cape Town every day. There are also many factors that can affect the climate of a location, ranging from its proximity to the ocean, altitude, and latitude. These all work together to govern the weather systems that we experience locally and globally.

In Year 13 we have covered Global Interdependence. This section looks at connectivity in the world in relation to trade and tourism. To what extent do the resources and geographical location of a country determine its economic success? To what degree do the high-income countries that hold the bargaining power in terms of trade agreements shape trade patterns in low-income countries? Does aid play a more important role than trade in the development and success of a country?

Year 10 and 12 classes have been revising and consolidating their knowledge and skills in order to prepare for their Prelims, which they are currently writing. We hope all the hard work pays off!

Ann Donald
High School Geography Teacher

The June exams are fast approaching and many students will be starting to feel the pressure. Perhaps the best way to counter exam stress is to come prepared. To this end, I have ten guidelines students can follow that will go a long way to helping them feel prepared and confident for each exam.

1. Print a copy of their exam timetable and put it in a prominent and safe place.
   (Exam timetables can be found on Engage).
2. Compile and stick to a study timetable.
3. Give yourself sufficient study time for each subject.
4. Identify topics you find most challenging and, if necessary, ask for assistance from the subject teacher. It is best not to leave this to the day before.
5. Utilize effective study methods rather than simply reading the textbook. Summaries, mind maps and flash cards are examples of alternative study methods.
6. Avoid pulling “all-nighters”.
7. Limit your social calendar and put your phone on silent when you are studying.
8. Avoid fad diets so as to maximize energy and concentration.
9. Pack the necessary equipment for each exam, including a spare pen.
10. Arrive punctually for each exam.

Parents should also be involved in their child’s exam preparation. We know from our own experience as students how easy it is to become distracted and bored. Encourage regular study sessions with short breaks, physical activity and healthy eating. Do not be afraid to check up on your child’s exam preparation progress, even if they are in their final years of school.

I wish students all the best for their exams and I hope that they have a safe and enjoyable holiday.

Sheila Marais
High School Teacher

The Cambridge International AS Level Afrikaans syllabus enables learners to achieve greater fluency, accuracy and confidence in the language as it is spoken and written, and improve their communication skills.

They learn how to improve their use of Afrikaans in a variety of situations, understanding how to read texts and other source materials, and how to extract information, initiate conversations and respond to questions both orally and in writing.

In the Afrikaans class we want everyone to share in the creation and enjoyment of Afrikaans culture, specifically literature, and the development of the language as an intellectual instrument.

One of our AS-topic areas for 2021 is Kos en Drank (Food and Drink)

The Afrikaans language is expressive, rich and unique to South Africa and its food words are as intriguing as the items they describe.

We put compiled a list of our favourite Afrikaanse KOS-words.

Potjie:  Direct translation: little pot. A traditional stew slow-cooked in a cast-iron three-legged pot over the coals of a fire.
Slaptjips: Direct translation: floppy chips. Potato fries.
Frikkadelletjies:  Little meatballs.
Koeksister:  Traditional dough braids that are deep fried and soaked in syrup. Try the classic recipe.
Melktert: A traditional South African recipe for a cinnamon-topped custard tart in a sweet pastry crust.
Naartjie: A sweet and easy-to-peel citrus fruit indigenous to South Africa.
Padkos: Direct translation: road food. Food that you eat while on a journey, usually homemade and containing boiled eggs for comedic effect.
Poffertjies: Fritters or profiteroles. Direct translation: little puffs.
Spookasem: Direct translation: ghost’s breath. Candy floss.
Ystervarkie: Direct translation: little porcupine. Lamingtons (sponge cake dipped in chocolate sauce and rolled in coconut).

When it comes to South African food, Afrikaans has the best descriptive words to make your mouth water! Afrikaans is undeniably and deliciously vivid.

Carmen de Villiers
Afrikaans Department High School

Did you know that German is the most widely spoken mother tongue in Europe? It is also spoken in many German-speaking communities around the world, including South Africa. An impressive 1000 German companies are world leaders in their business. When it comes to science and research, Germany is also right at the front of the pack. In the last 100 years, more than 70 Nobel Prizes have been awarded to Germans, solely in the field of natural science and medicine. It is also a popular place to study; German degrees are highly valued by employers worldwide.

Not everyone realises the doors that German can open – be it in business, science or education, not to mention gaining access to the rich cultural heritage of original German literature.

The Cambridge syllabus aims to foster not only a knowledge of the language but also to create cultural awareness and sensitivity. This is an invaluable skill to have and makes for well-rounded, empathetic individuals with a broad outlook on life.

I have included some snapshots of this term’s German classes.

Renate Yotti
High School German Teacher

Greetings from the English Department!

It’s only the second week of term and already my desk is hidden under a snowfall of loose paper. And we all know what ‘Term 2’ means… the whispers of which flit their way along the corridors in tones of quickened dread…  it’s an exam term.

“Honestly, it’s really not that bad!” My biannual refrain seems to bounce off the students like those tiny silver balls used to decorate cakes (not the most creative analogy, I admit, but what else would bounce dramatically pleasingly off a teenager?). Point is, they never do seem to believe me. Rather than inspire dread, I believe an exam term is an exciting challenge! An opportunity to beat your personal best and push the pliable boundaries of our own abilities. However, we’ve still got a few weeks ahead of us and plenty of essays to pen before exams start. So, pop your head down the rabbit hole and take a look at what our students are busy with in English class:

The Year 7’s can only watch as the blisters spread across the palms of poor Stanley Yelnats as he digs those blasted holes at Camp Green Lake. A class project making homemade Sploosh anyone? Although perhaps the season for peaches is over?

Ralph, Jack and Piggy are the constant companions of the Year 8’s this term… and ‘the beast’ of course! We can’t forget about him…or it?

The Year 9’s are wading through their IGCSE Literature short stories and this week covered a particularly satisfying story called ‘The Widow’s Might’ by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. A widow gets the upper hand on her children who, after their father’s death, are quibbling over ‘who gets mom’ and eagerly awaiting the arrival of the lawyer with dad’s will. The students experimented with Blackout Poetry as way to engage with the deeper concerns or themes of the short story. We received some beautiful and insightful submissions; the talent of our students never ceases to warm my heart. Please see the photos accompanying this article.

The Year 11’s are similarly enmired in the wonderfully marshy ground of prescribed short stories (the ‘short’ in short stories being a decidedly subjective term). They have just read a story called ‘Gabriel Ernest’ (Hector Hugh Munro) about a werewolf who, well, does what werewolves do best really.

Our 10’s and 12’s are on a desperate quest for something so rarely experienced in the final year of IGCSE and AS-level – free time. The word ‘revise’ a mantle around their shoulders. Setworks are looking decidedly grubby and overly thumbed, but the sight of their dog-eared books I find oddly reassuring… experience has taught that it’s the pristine-looking copies one needs to be concerned about.

And for now, that’s all from us. If you are looking for the English Department, we are reassuringly close to the library, always within reach of a good book.

Alice Pryor
High School English Department