26th Jul 2021 – Union Schools

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Welcome To The Team, Mr Kruger!

As we welcome our learners back to school at the start of the 3rd term today, Monday 26 July, we take great pleasure in also extending a warm welcome to Mr Maarten Kruger.

Mr Kruger joins our contingent of educators as the new Afrikaans FAL educator for our Grade 10 to 12 learners. Mr Kruger will also be teaching History to our Grade 10s.

Hailing from Bloemfontein, Mr Kruger looks forward to settling himself and his wife, Babs, in Graaff-Reinet and getting to know the local community.

Having obtained his BEd Degree from the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, followed by his BEd (Hons) degree in Educational Psychology from North-West University, Mr Kruger has accumulated considerable expertise in the education sector, having served as an Afrikaans teacher for more than 20 years, as well as a 10-year tenure as principal of Brandwag Combined School in Krugersdorp.

In addition to teaching the Afrikaans language, Mr Kruger is also passionate about sports, with considerable qualifications and experience in the coaching of both rugby and cricket.

𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮, 𝘔𝘳 𝘒𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘦𝘳. 𝘞𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘯𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘈𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘬𝘢𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘋𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵.

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Arrangements – Term 3 2021

Dear parents & guardians,

𝗥𝗘: 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗔𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝟯 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟭

We look forward to receiving your children at the beginning of the third term of the year.

We trust that you are all remaining safe and resolute during the difficult time that we are currently experiencing.

The following procedures will be observed in the re-opening of our school for the third term:

• Union High School will reopen on 26 July 2021 for all grades utilizing the daily rotational timetable model.
• Our Grades 5-9 learners will continue with the weekly rotation timetable model commencing on 26 July 2021. GROUP A will attend school on Monday, 26 July.
• The Grade 5-7 learners will then return to the traditional daily attendance timetable model on 2 August 2021.
• This means that Grades 8-9 will continue with the daily rotational timetable until further notice.
• Grades 10-12 will attend school daily.

All COVID-19 protocols must be observed, and we appeal to parents and guardians not to send learners to school who may be exhibiting symptoms, or who are direct contacts of people who are symptomatic or ill.

Yours faithfully,

MR. W.E. PRINGLE
𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥
𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭

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New SGB Takes The Helm

It is with great pleasure that we announce the new members of the Union High School Governing Body (SGB), who will serve a three-year term until 2024.

We wish them well as they serve our school community to ensure Union stays at the forefront of educational excellence and continues to navigate its way beyond the pandemic.

May their tenure be a happy, fruitful and productive one.

The individuals, who will be serving on the SGB in cooperation with Headmaster Mr William Pringle, are as follows:

Mr Kelvin Kayster (𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯), Mr David Langmead (𝘋𝘦𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘺 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯), Mrs Cheryl Waddelow (𝘛𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘳), Mr Dolan Cochrane (𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺), Mrs Tess Neill, Mrs Jennifer Hope, Mr Grant Lemke, Mrs Yvette Cloete, Mr Christopher Felix, Mrs Mariëtte Burger and learner representatives Hannah Watermeyer and Siphesihle Goliath.

We look forward to working with all of them and taking this wonderful institution to even greater heights.

Back: Mr Christopher Felix, Mrs Tess Neill, Mrs Jennifer Hope, Mrs Yvette Cloete and Mr Grant Lemke.

Front: Mr Dolan Cochrane, Mrs Cheryl Waddelow, Mr Kelvin Kayster, Mr David Langmead and Mr William Pringle.

Absent: Mrs Mariëtte Burger

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Union Mourns Passing Of Karin Marais

It is with profound distress and sorrow, that the Union Schools extends its condolences to the family and friends of the late Karin Marais.

The heart-wrenching news of her unexpected passing on Thursday morning, 8 July, at the age of 57, sent shockwaves reverberating through our town.

Karin was a much loved and respected member of the Graaff-Reinet community and enjoyed a long association with Union with all four of her children having matriculated from the school.

During her tenure as a parent of the school, she served as chairperson of both the Union Preparatory and Union High Governing Bodies – the latter from 1997 to 2011.

In addition to this, she was a fixture in many Union initiatives throughout the years, playing an integral part in the running of the gardens at the school, the realization of the AstroTurf project, managing staff appointments, hostel affairs, finances and fundraising events, all to the long-term benefit of the learners of the school.

Even after her youngest child left Union, Karin remained a staunch supporter and tireless advocate of our learners, staff and community.

In recent times, she served on the school’s Centenary Committee, playing a vital part in the success of the school’s Centenary celebrations in 2019. At the time of her death, she still served the school as a trustee of the UHS Development Trust.

Karin’s impact reached beyond the Union Schools to the greater Graaff-Reinet community. Those who knew her well delighted in her capacity for joy, her altruistic spirit and the boldness with which she spoke about her Christian faith.

The Union Schools and the entire Graaff-Reinet will feel the gravity of this loss for a long time to come.

She was an exemplar of what it means to be of service to one’s community. She was that silent force and presence, always there and giving of herself.

She leaves a legacy of profound impact here at Union for which we owe an immeasurable debt of gratitude. We feel blessed to have had the opportunity to know this remarkable woman and to work closely with her.

“𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘳𝘴 𝘒𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴. 𝘔𝘳𝘴 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘥, 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘣𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘴. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥. 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘋𝘢𝘬𝘮𝘢𝘯, 𝘌𝘭𝘻e, 𝘑𝘰𝘩𝘯, 𝘐𝘮𝘬𝘦, 𝘔𝘪𝘦𝘬𝘦, 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘦, 𝘚𝘦𝘢𝘯, 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘸𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦.” – 𝗠𝗿 𝗞𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻 𝗞𝗮𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻: 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗼𝗱𝘆