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
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Valedictory and SRC 2022
Although things looked a little different at BIS this term, we are so fortunate that our students were able to attend school for the majority of the term. Thank you to everyone who supported the staff and students through this journey.
We will continue to ensure that the curriculum is comprehensively covered, ensuring that we stay on track for the rest of the academic year.
Our sincere thanks go to the teachers for all their hard work with the planning and delivery of the online lessons, as well as the teaching of the students in the classroom.
On Wednesday, we held a special Valedictory & Prize-Giving Awards Ceremony on the school campus for the Matric Class of 2021, joined online by students and parents. Ceremonies like this one enable us to pause as we recognize, acknowledge, and celebrate our students’ success and development.
We also had the pleasure of announcing the 2022 SRC Leadership Team:
Remy Wang
Michael Mkandawire
Rifqah Price
Kazimla Dyakalashe
Savanna Prinsloo
We are so incredibly proud of all the year 11 students who nominated themselves and gave speeches a few weeks ago. Whether they have received a formal position or not, they will all be incredible leaders for our school in 2022. I have no doubt that they will work hard to make our school an even better place by upholding our school’s values throughout the year.
This holiday is a short one, and I hope that you have time to rest and recuperate.
We look forward to welcoming our students back to school on Wednesday, 29th September.
Carmen de Villiers
High School Coordinator
Student Representative Council Portfolios 2021
SRC 2021:
Back row left to right: Chloë Goldman, Tshephang Mashaba, Niklyn Pillay, Gabrielle Luyt
Front row left to right: Hope Munkondia, Karen Kambizi, Edna Lawrence (School Principal), Courtneigh Harris, Samantha Wynne
Karen Kambizi
I applied for Head girl and Culture because, I want to make a difference in the students’ lives- despite this pandemic, leaving a good legacy at Blouberg International is utterly important to me. I would like to implement great ideas that will make our school the best! With that being said, I plan to take BIS to greater heights by taking advantage of the leadership roles I have been honoured with and the help of the SRC. I would like to leave a mark at our prestigious and awesome school!
Niklyn Pillay
My name is Niklyn Pillay. I am the Head boy as well as one of the Heads of Sport of Blouberg International School. As Head boy I mainly serve the students by approaching the school with their ideas, and I try to inspire others to be greater by continuing to better myself. I also help my fellow SRC with their goals and duties. Being a Head of Sport I work on improving our physical activities and try to provide the students with the best and most exciting of sports. My goals for the year are: motivating students to have school spirit, redefining the word learning; in the minds of BIS students, and enabling the students to view school as more than just a place of education.
Hope Munkondia
DISCIPLINE
As head of discipline it is my duty and responsibility to communicate with the teacher in charge of this portfolio about the discipline of my peers. This includes being fair and opposing any and all forms of bullying, victimization and discrimination. This is an advantage to the wellbeing of the school because as a fellow student and peer to the students it makes it easier to approach and look out for them.
SECRETARY AND TREASURER
My duties as secretary of SRC involve taking minutes during our meetings, which are kept for later review and reference. As treasurer I am expected to keep record of profits and expenditures of the SRC. This is a great responsibility which I take a lot of pride in. All in all, I am super proud of both of my portfolios and I cannot wait to carry out my duties to my full potential.
Samantha Wynne
My name is Samantha Wynne, Head of Student Welfare. My plans for the school include creating a space for personal growth, engaging in helpful discussions about mental health, building a long-lasting support system for the students and making them feel heard by promoting inclusivity.
Chloë Goldman
My portfolio is Student Welfare. I wanted to be a part of this portfolio because I am passionate and interested in the wellbeing and comfort of the students at Blouberg in order to make their experience here as enjoyable as possible. Some things I wish to implement in the year ahead are Buddy systems / Support groups, more informative discussions on important topics such as Mental Health and Period Poverty, as well as introducing more clubs by popular demand such as a Debate club.
Gabrielle Luyt
As the head of discipline and sports, my hopes weren’t exactly sky high going into this year, due to Covid. However, even though we’re only a week in, great progress has already been made. Sports will resume, with a bunch of fun, new and inclusive options available for all age groups, as well as the introduction of a house cup and various ways to acquire house points. Despite the dreary situation we’re all in, this year we’re hoping to bring back and prioritize high school sport and morale.
Tshepang Mashaba
The Vision I have as the Interact Representative of SRC and the Director of the Interact Club, is to fulfil ‘service above self’. I would like Blouberg International School to host more fundraisers in 2021 to combat the problems that our under-privileged and the needy community face, especially during this Covid-19 Pandemic. It is my responsibility to empower the outreach of Blouberg International School to be a reaching hand in our community.
Courtneigh Harris
Hi, I am Courtneigh Harris and I am a part of the culture portfolio in the SRC. My main goal as culture portfolio is to improve school spirit and create a space in which students feel comfortable enough to want to expand their creative side. As a member of the SRC, my job is to be someone my juniors see as an older sibling, always there to support and encourage.
– Written by the SRC of 2021 –
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From the Principal’s Desk, 11 September 2020
Bringing Back The Normal.
The most important year for any student is their matric year. Not just academically, but it is also the last time they will participate in school sporting events, productions, prize-giving and most importantly, the Matric dance.
Due to the pandemic our Year 12’s have missed out on so many of these traditions. However, as soon as we were moved to level 2 we began planning for a few important events this term. We are holding our Valedictory service next week and although parents cannot join us they will be able to stream the event online. We have also organised a Matric farewell dinner and the Year 12 students are extremely excited to dress-up for the occasion.
Although there were a lot of setbacks for schools all over the country and the world, it also opened doors of “first time ever”. For the first time ever, we held our Student Representative Council (SRC) voting online. Our IT department created a platform where the High School students were able to view prospective SRC candidates’ videos and then cast their votes on an online ballot. The new SRC will be announced at the Valedictory service.
In the Primary School we had our verbal feedback meetings and we trust it went well for all parents. The Primary students are also practicing hard their Jerusalema dance. Keep an eye out for this exciting video
Wishing all our families a restful weekend.
Julian Harrison
Head of Academics High School
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SRC Portfolios 2020
The following students have been entrusted with the responsibility of the following portfolios:
The leader in charge of discipline should have an interest in the disciplining of
students and should have a broad knowledge of the school rules concerning
the discipline which includes the demerit and detention system.
Khanyisa Buthelezi- Culture
The leader in charge of Spirit & Culture will assist the Marketing team at Blouberg
International School. The Marketing leader should be outgoing, have good
interpersonal skills and be comfortable in adult company.
Alex Massyn- Sport
The leader in charge of sport should have an interest in sports and a broad
knowledge of the sporting calendar of the school, as well as the allied Extra-Mural
activities.
Audrey Lepo & Venus Chamunorwa- Student Welfare
The leader in charge of student welfare should have an interest in the health and safety of students to ensure their well being, comfort, and safety at Blouberg International. This includes the emotional well-being of students.
Katherine Lott- Secretary & Treasurer & Interact
The Secretary & Treasurer shall:
- record the minutes of all meetings;
- make a copy available of such minutes to the SRC coordinator who will, in turn, make available to the Principal.
- Ensure and keep a record of expenditures and profit of the SRC.
- Ensure that the expenditure of the SRC is utilized within the approved SRC
budget.
The leader in charge of Interact will work closely with the teacher(s) in charge of Interact to ensure a meaningful experience for the students at Blouberg International School.
Carmen de Villiers
High School Teacher
High School – Term 4 2019
Welcome back to the fourth and final term of 2019
A warm welcome back to all high school students and their parents. It is finally upon us, the fourth and final term of 2019. One of these days the holiday jingles will echo noisily throughout the shopping centres and that’s when one realises that the end of the year has arrived. Before we reach that stage however, we have a busy and important term ahead of us.
Whilst the majority of our students were enjoying the last two days of their holiday, our Year 10 (IGCSE) and Year 12 (AS/A Level) students began their final external examinations. The Cambridge IGCSE and AS/A Level examinations run from the 30th of September to the 15th of November 2019. We wish all our students the best of luck during this time and urge them to prepare as thoroughly as possible.
We also congratulate the newly elected SRC for 2020. The role of the SRC is very important in the high school and we look forward to working with them.
Good luck to all the students and parents in this final stretch of 2019.
Mr J Harrison
Head of Academics
From the Principal’s Desk – 7th March 2019
Dear Parents
On Saturday the 2nd of March we had the first of three Open Days for 2019. Our SRC members welcomed prospective parents and took them on a tour of the school’s facilities. It was with pride that I placed prospective parents into the care of our SRC members; the maturity and enthusiasm they displayed whilst taking the parents around the school was the best marketing I could ask for.
Yovesh Naidoo, our current Head Boy, delivered a heart-warming speech, offering parents a glimpse into his experience of our school. I was struck, observing our students, by how well-mannered and mature they were. The caliber of students at our school is our greatest asset and I was reminded of this on Saturday. Mature, polite and well-adjusted students are a credit to their parents and their school.
Successful parenting is surely the appreciation and implementation of boundaries from a young age. As adults, I think we often take boundaries for granted, mistakenly believing that they are simple to establish and apply. As we remind our children about important boundaries as they develop, so should we be reminded of our own boundaries and their application in our daily lives. Boundaries and routine are very important from a young age; we have a great opportunity, daily, to build the foundations for our children and set the boundaries which they crave and desperately need. If we build the foundations in their young lives, they will develop into young adults who naturally exude kindness, respect, responsibility and other beautiful characteristics. The key is that it always starts with us parents.
Children need boundaries. They will push against them, fight them and push just that little bit more, but with perseverance and time will come acceptance and gratitude. Boundaries make children feel grounded and when they have routine, and know what is expected of them, it brings calm to an otherwise often chaotic world. They face daily challenges and we can assist them by making things easier through the routines we set and the boundaries we establish.
“Children raised with good boundaries learn that they are not only responsible for their lives, but also free to live their lives any way they choose, as long as they take responsibility for their choices. For the responsible adult, the sky is the limit.”
-Henry Cloud
Regards
Edna