A big well done to Unionโs talented u13 cricketers, ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฒ ๐ ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ and ๐๐ผ๐๐ต๐๐ฎ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐๐ถ๐น๐น, on being drafted to compete in the Eastern Province Cricket League (EPL) in Gqeberha!
Both boys proudly received their caps at the EPL Draft Ceremony at St Georgeโs Park on Friday, marking a special milestone in their cricketing journeys.
Union High School vs Pearson High School, 6โ7 September 2025
The first match of the new cricket season got underway at Union High School on Saturday morning on a perfect spring day for cricket.
Before the start of play, Pearsonโs captain, Sulaymaan Gangat, together with Unionโs captain, Shaakir Kazi, had the honour of ringing the ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป ๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฒ๐น๐น – a special tradition at Union that signals the imminent start of play.
1st Team โ Friday T20 Match Report Union High Schoolโs 1st Team won the toss and elected to bat first in Fridayโs T20 encounter against Pearson High School. Despite a positive start, early pressure from Pearsonโs disciplined bowling attack saw Union lose two wickets during the powerplay, which ultimately restricted them to a total of 85 for 6 after 20 overs.
Pearson responded confidently in their run chase, showing composure with the bat. Union’s fielders worked hard to apply pressure, and standout bowling from Yaaseen Kazi (4 overs, 23 runs, 2 wickets) helped keep the opposition in check. However, Pearson reached the target in the 15.4th over, securing victory by 6 wickets.
Despite the result, Union takes several positives from the match, especially in the bowling and fielding departments, which showed great intensity and teamwork.
1st Team โ Saturday 50-Over Match Report On Saturday, Union High School’s 1st Team took on Pearson High School in a 50-over clash. After losing the toss, Union was asked to bowl first. The bowlers responded with energy and intent, reducing Pearson to 105 for 5 after 16 overs, thanks to a fearless and attacking bowling display.
It was a proud moment for ๐ฆ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฏ๐๐๐๐ฒ, who received his white cap ahead of his 1st XI debut against a visiting Pearson High School side.
However, Pearsonโs middle order stabilized their innings, with their number 5 batsman scoring a quick-fire 81 runs to shift the momentum. Pearson eventually posted a formidable total of 328 runs, all out. Unionโs fielding performance unfortunately fell short, missing key opportunities that could have limited the total further.
In response, Union struggled with the bat, losing two early wickets. However, Yaaseen Kazi showed exceptional grit and skill, scoring a courageous 68 runs under pressure. The team was eventually bowled out for 149, resulting in a 179-run win for Pearson.
A special congratulations goes to Yaaseen Kazi, who celebrated a significant personal milestone by taking his 100th wicket for the Union High School 1st Teamโa remarkable achievement.
2nd Team Match Report Union High Schoolโs 2nd Team won the toss and chose to bat first. However, Pearsonโs bowling attack proved too strong, dismissing Union for just 40 runs. Pearson chased down the target without losing a wicket, winning by 10 wickets. While the result was disappointing, it serves as a valuable learning experience, and the team will be looking to bounce back with renewed determination.
U15 Match Report On Saturday, 6 September, Union High Schoolโs U15 team faced Pearson High School in what proved to be a challenging fixture. After losing the toss, Union bowled first against a powerful Pearson batting lineup.
Pearson capitalized on scoring opportunities, finishing on 325 for 5 in their allotted 50 overs. Despite the best efforts from Unionโs bowlers, containing such a strong batting performance proved difficult. In the second innings, Unionโs batsmen faced a relentless bowling attack and struggled to build momentum, ultimately resulting in a 250-run loss.
While the result didnโt go in Unionโs favor, there were glimpses of potential throughout the game. The experience gained will be invaluable for the teamโs development going forward.
Union High School Grade 5 learner, ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐, proudly represented the school at the recent Madibaz Swim Meet held at the Newton Park Swimming Pool in Gqeberha.
After being out of the water for two months – ๐ต๐ฉ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ถ๐จ๐ฉ ๐ฏ๐ฐ ๐ง๐ข๐ถ๐ญ๐ต ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฏ, ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ต ๐ฅ๐ถ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ช๐ค๐บ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ญ๐ฅ ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ญ ๐ต๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ข๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด – and with just three days of training last week, Catie still managed to deliver an incredible performance.
She secured 2nd place in the 11- 12 Girls 200IM Relay, as well as 3rd place in both the 11-12 Mixed 200IM and Mixed 200 Free events.
๐๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐, Catie swam a personal best of 1.96 seconds on her 100m Breaststroke and, most impressively, qualified for SA Level 2 with her outstanding 50m Backstroke time!
The Levels competition will take place in March 2026 and we cannot wait to see her shine on that stage.
For more than a decade, Union High Schoolโs ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ข๐๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ has stood as one of the most powerful, transformative experiences in the journey of our learners.
Hundreds of Unionites have stepped into the vastness of the Karoo with little more than their backpacks, tents, courage and the guidance of two extraordinary people: ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐บ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ.
The Odyssey is no ordinary school outing. It is a rite of passage – one that strips away comfort, demands resilience and challenges every learner to discover their own strength.
From flash floods and stomach bugs to blisters and aching bodies, the Karoo landscape tests the mettle of even the bravest. Yet it also rewards with sights and moments of pure magic – ๐ค๐ณ๐บ๐ด๐ต๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ต๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฎ๐ด, ๐ณ๐ถ๐จ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ค๐ญ๐ช๐ง๐ง๐ด, ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ด๐ด ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ช๐ป๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ข๐ถ๐จ๐ฉ๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ฆ๐ค๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ถ๐จ๐ฉ ๐ค๐ข๐ฏ๐บ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด. ๐๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐บ ๐๐ณ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฆ 10 ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฐ ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ต๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ซ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐บ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ณ๐จ๐ฆ๐ด ๐ค๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฅ.
๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ฑ – the engine that keeps the Odyssey alive and thriving. With their love for the outdoors, deep passion for young people and zest for life, they have sown wisdom, grit and courage into the next generation.
What makes their contribution even more remarkable is that, with their own three children long graduated from Union, Bronwen and David continue to give tirelessly to other peopleโs children. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐ถ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฑ๐๐๐, ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ โ ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ๐ผ๐น, ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐จ๐ป๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ.
The Union Schools considers itself profoundly blessed to have such stalwarts in our midst. The legacy of the Odyssey is written not just in the dust of Karoo trails, but in the character and spirit of every learner who has taken part – and at the core of that legacy, stand Bronwen and David Langmead.
From the entire Union family: ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ธ ๐๐ผ๐, ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ฑ . You are changing lives and your impact will echo for generations
Union High School is proud to share that its annual ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฃ took place this past weekend in the picturesque village of Nieu-Bethesda, where 33 enthusiastic Grade 11 learners immersed themselves in an unforgettable weekend of innovation, creativity and problem-solving.
This yearโs camp featured a very special guest, ๐ข๐น๐ฑ ๐จ๐ป๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฟ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ธ, who fondly recalled attending his own Grade 11 STEM Camp in 2016. Joining forces with Mr Brink were Mrs Cathy Pringle, Mr Elrich Jantjies and Mr JP Kruger, who all guided and inspired learners throughout the weekend.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ณ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ-๐ณ๐ผ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐. Learners explored the world of gaming and web design using advanced tools provided by Google Gemini (AI). They also discovered the basics of how to create their very own AI agent, experimenting with innovative AI tools that unlock creativity and enhance learning.
๐๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐ญ๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐ต๐ด ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ธ๐ข๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ธ-๐ง๐ข๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ด โ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฉ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐จ๐ฆโ ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ด๐ช๐จ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ฃ๐บ ๐๐ณ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ต๐ซ๐ช๐ฆ๐ด. Traditionally, no grade has ever managed to crack one of his puzzles without his assistance. This year, however, history was made. The Grade 11s applied their classroom mathematics, worked tirelessly through the first stage, and – with determination, teamwork and just a touch of luck – became the first group ever to fully crack the code!
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ผ ๐ฝ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐๐ธ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฒ๐ฏ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐ that included educational games tailored for junior school learners โ an inspiring way to combine fun, functionality and service to younger learners.
The camp was a resounding success, not only equipping learners with cutting-edge digital skills but also strengthening bonds of teamwork, perseverance and innovation.
We were privileged to enjoy ๐ฎ ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป at the Graaff-Reinet Club last night, where the theme โ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ตโ set the stage for an engaging and insightful discussion.
It was a thought-provoking evening that encouraged reflection on how we can ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ด๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป, ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ต ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ณ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฒ๐น๐ฑ.
๐ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ธ๐ goes to all who joined us and contributed to the warm atmosphere of the evening. We are especially grateful to Gary for generously sharing his time and wisdom, to the Old Unionite Association for hosting such a meaningful event and to the Graaff-Reinet Club and The Coldstream Restaurant for providing the perfect setting.
๐ช๐ฒ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐น๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐๐ถ๐น๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐๐ผ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐โ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐โ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ฝ๐, starting today, led by Gary and joined by Jordan Gregory. Together, they will guide and inspire our cricket programme – ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ช๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฉ ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ข๐บ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ข๐ค๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ด ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐ท๐ข๐ญ๐ถ๐ข๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ด ๐ต๐ฐ ๐จ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ธ, ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ฑ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ๐ธ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ช๐ต๐บ.
This past weekend, we successfully hosted the 2nd Annual 6-a-Side Cricket Tournament, aimed at promoting and developing the game, as well as raising much-needed funds in support of our First Team cricket program.
We were pleased to welcome eight competitive teams, each of which played three matches during the group stages. The tournament then progressed to two semi-final fixtures followed by a thrilling final.
Semi-Finalists: Port Elizabeth Team Old Unionites Wheatlands UHS 1
In the semi-finals, UHS 1 delivered a strong performance with a total of 90 runs against the Port Elizabeth team, securing their place in the final. The Old Unionites also advanced to the final after a commendable performance in their semi-final match.
Final Match: The final saw UHS 1 face off against Old Unionites. UHS 1 set a target of 63 runs, but in an exciting chase, the Old Unionites emerged victorious with two wickets in hand, claiming the title of 2025 6-a-Side Tournament Champions.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the Old Unionites, a proud group of Union High School alumni, on their well-deserved win.
Union High School has embarked on an exciting, sustainable fund-raising initiative – ๐ง๐ฅ๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐ฆ – aimed at assisting deserving learners with their school and boarding house fees.
As part of this project, a greenhouse has been constructed behind Arthur Kingwill House with the kind assistance of our dedicated ground staff.
A beautiful variety of indigenous trees are currently available for purchase, including the Wild Olive (๐๐ญ๐ฆ๐ข ๐ฆ๐ถ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ข๐ฆ๐ข var. ๐ข๐ง๐ณ๐ช๐ค๐ข๐ฏ๐ข), the Camdeboo Stinkwood (๐๐ฆ๐ญ๐ต๐ช๐ด ๐ข๐ง๐ณ๐ช๐ค๐ข๐ฏ๐ข), the Huilboerboon (๐๐ค๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ต๐ช๐ข ๐ฃ๐ณ๐ข๐ค๐ฉ๐บ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ต๐ข๐ญ๐ข), the Kei Apple (๐๐ฐ๐ท๐บ๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐ด ๐ข๐ง๐ณ๐ฐ๐ด), and the majestic Outeniqua Yellowwood (๐๐ง๐ณ๐ฐ๐ค๐ข๐ณ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ด ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ค๐ข๐ต๐ถ๐ด).
๐๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป, ๐ผ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ, such as the Cape Chestnut (๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ค๐ข๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ด๐ฆ) and the ever-popular Jacaranda (๐๐ข๐ค๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ข ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ด๐ช๐ง๐ฐ๐ญ๐ช๐ข). Fruit and avocado trees will also soon be available, broadening the range for those looking to support this worthy cause while greening their gardens.
๐๐น๐น ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฑ๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต, offering great value for an enduring investment in both education and the environment. For those looking for something a little smaller, vibrant red geranium plants are also on sale at the bargain price of R30 per bush.
And just like that, the cricket season at Union High School is underway – and what an exciting start it promises to be!
From Monday, 1 September to Wednesday, 3 September, Union will have the privilege of once again welcoming ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป, legendary South African cricketer and internationally renowned coach, along with ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ด๐ผ๐ฟ๐, to guide and inspire our cricket programme.
The visit will begin on Monday with an evening hosted by the Old Unionite Association ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ-๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐๐น๐๐ฏ. Join us for a very special evening with legendary cricketer and coach ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ก, as he shares his insights on the important topic of ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต. It promises to be an informal, relaxed night out. Come along, grab a drink from the cash bar, perhaps enjoy a meal from the Coldstream Restaurant next door, and settle in to hear Gary speak at 18:30.
๐๐ตโ๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ง๐ฆ๐ค๐ต ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ถ๐ฏ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ค๐ต, ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ๐ฏ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ซ๐ฐ๐บ ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ด๐ฑ๐ช๐ณ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ๐จ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ. We kindly ask that all guests planning to attend register here: https://forms.gle/Zz3jkhQW8xM8M1SY7
Building on the success of the โ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐โ evening held earlier this year, ๐๐ข๐ณ๐บ ๐ธ๐ช๐ญ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ ๐ข๐จ๐ข๐ช๐ฏ ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐จ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ข๐ฎ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐ฆ๐ด ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ข ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฏ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ๐ง๐ถ๐ญ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ด๐ด๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ด๐ต ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ด๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ต๐ฉ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฆ๐ด ๐ข๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐บ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ณ๐ด๐ถ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ช๐ณ ๐ด๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฑ๐ข๐ด๐ด๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด.
On Tuesday morning, Gary and Jordan will spend time with Unionโs cricket coaches in a ๐๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป session, focusing on season planning and, importantly, ensuring continuity and development across all age groups. Later that afternoon, they will dedicate time to the 1st XI, while also casting a watchful eye over the other practices happening across Unionโs fields.
As the sun sets, attention will shift to the younger players, with a dedicated ๐๐๐ป๐ถ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ session. Here, planning and discussions for the season will take place, before the focus turns to a session with the senior players and coaches โ ensuring that every level of Union cricket is covered.
The visit will conclude on Wednesday morning, with a final session dedicated to wrapping up the seasonโs planning with the coaches, leaving Unionโs cricket fraternity well-prepared and inspired for the months ahead.
As the stage lights dimmed, the grand piano lid was closed and the final contestant left the hall, the organisers and adjudicators breathed a collective sigh of happiness as the 3rd annual Camdeboo Eisteddfod concluded after ๐ฎ ๐ฏ-๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐.
Sponsored by Montego Pet Nutrition, the Eisteddfod has grown exponentially since its first year with 496 entries being received in the categories of Creative Writing, Dance, Art, Drama, Vocal, Choral and Instrumental.
An eisteddfod is defined as โ๐ข ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ฏ-๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ต๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ท๐ฆ, ๐ข๐ฅ๐ซ๐ถ๐ฅ๐ช๐ค๐ข๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ง๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ช๐ท๐ข๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ณ๐ต๐ด, ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ด๐ช๐จ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ด๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ ๐จ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ต๐ฉ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ด๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ค๐ข๐ด๐ฆ ๐ต๐ข๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ข๐ค๐ณ๐ฐ๐ด๐ด ๐ฅ๐ช๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ฆ๐ด.โ
Participation is treated with reverence and comments from the adjudicators give an opportunity for development and growth. For some, this is the first time on the stage, and the nerves were sometimes evident. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ด ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐๐ธ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐น ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐ณ๐ฒ ๐๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ผ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ณ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ.
Our adjudicators: Lynne Gouws, Kelly Westraad, David Langmead, Belinda Grewar and Bronwynne Kingwill carefully evaluated each participant, considering creativity and technique.
A carefully thought-through programme and slick system of evaluation allowed for each contestant to immediately be provided with their certificate and report. The highly sought-after and elusive โCum-Laudeโ awards were received with much excitement and joy!
๐ ๐ต๐๐ด๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ผ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐. Gratitude must go to each teacher, coach and parent who encouraged and guided each performer. A huge thank you to Mr Donald Kingwill and the ground staff for their unwavering commitment and their tirelessly work behind the scenes of this yearsโ Camdeboo Eisteddfod!
Thank you to Mrs Abigail Gedult and moms Karen Scott, Kat Ott and Vanessa Copeman who decorated the hall so beautifully.
Marsha Bouwer and Marie-Louise Oosthuizen assisted each adjudicator with certificates and provided gentle support throughout the week. Thanks to Elsona/Truth catering for delicious meals and to Suliza van Wyk for assistance with spelling and translation.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ผ ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐ and could not have happened without the passion and hard work of Eisteddfod Director, Ms Zelda Oosthuizen. Thank you to Mrs Mariette Burger and the magic she works, a spark of creativity and excellence has been ignited for which the Cultural Department at Union High School is extremely grateful.
