Gr 6 group at African Imprint Outdoor Centre near Kirkwood. Fun activities, beautiful weather.
In anticipation of the School’s centenary celebrations in 2019, it was decided that a centenary arch should be designed and constructed to commemorate the occasion. Mr Bernie Weyer of Waterston Weyer Roon Architects was commissioned to supply the drawings for the arch inspired by an arch that exists on the farm Lochdale, belonging to Mr and Mrs George Hope. The builder was Mr Charlie Moos.
The bell for the arch, originally from Rietpoort Farm, was kindly donated to the School by Mr David Stern (Class of 1998). The ironmongery to the bell and the frame which houses it was kindly done by Mr Gustav Grassman of Grassies Staal of Graaff-Reinet.
The three plaques on the walkway leading to the arch were inspired by the learner representatives on the Union 100 Committee, Taylyn Miller and Peter Watermeyer. They read: TRUTH PSALM 43:3 SEND FORTH YOUR LIGHT AND YOUR TRUTH, LET THEM GUIDE ME; LOYALTY PROVERBS 3:3 NEVER LET LOYALTY AND KINDNESS LEAVE YOU! TIE THEM AROUND YOUR NECK AS A REMINDER; JUSTICE ISAIAH 1:17 SEEK JUSTICE, ENCOURAGE THE OPPRESSED
Contained in a vault in the arch and sealed with a plaque reading “BENEATH THIS STONE LIES A TIME CAPSULE WITH MESSAGES OF GOODWILL FROM THE SCHOOL TO BE OPENED IN 2069” is a container which houses information and messages to the School, which will hopefully survive for fifty years until it is opened in 2069. This was inspired by a time capsule that is rumoured to have been placed in the school building behind the foundation stone in 1919. This has, however, never been found.
Surrounding the arch is a garden of fifty of the Union 100 Rose, a rose that was commissioned specially for the occasion, and which will forever bear this name. This Union 100 rose project was managed by Mrs Alet Kingwill, and was paid for by an Old Unionite who wishes to remain anonymous.
The arch is a gift to the School from the Class of 2018 who paid for its construction.
Union High’s Junior Speech competition was held today. Congratulations to Melissa Swart, who finished in 1st place. Second place went to James Rose Innes and Catelyn Anthony was placed third. Sixteen learners took part in the competition. We also thank our adjudicators Moyra Marais, Garth Hitge and Rachel Pringle.
The Short Corner
The parents, friends and supporters of Union hockey will, from 2019, be able to enjoy a warm cup of coffee and other refreshments and eats at the new Union AstroTurf “Short Corner”, and will no longer have to walk all the way to the Tony Burrell Union to keep warm on chilly winter mornings.
This project was the brainchild of Mrs Liesl de la Harpe, then a serving School Governor, and Mr Stephen de la Harpe (Class of 1989) who kindly donated the capital for the project. Their daughter, Paige, represented the 1st Hockey Team and matriculated in 2017. Mrs de la Harpe indicated that she hoped that the project would contribute to the spirit around the AstroTurf.
The drawings for the project were supplied by Mr Bernie Weyer of Waterston Weyer Roon Architects and the builder was Jackson Faltein Construction. The building, with its gabled roof is in keeping with the existing standard of all of the facilities on our beautiful campus. The electrical work was done by Mr Grant Hobson of Ken’s Radio. The name for the facility, “The Short Corner” was coined by 2018 Headgirl and 1st Team Hockey Captain, Rebecca Langmead.
Determined to make a mathematical difference to Maths formal learners at Union High, Ian and Katrin Alleman have hosted the top set of learners each year in the Nieu-Bethesda for the past 5 years. During this time, engineer Gustav Weich inspires these learners and expands their thinking – unravelling how exciting and stimulating maths can be. With Ian and Katrin overseas this year, Ronel and Charmaine at ‘The Karoo Lamb’ ensured that the group were fed and housed comfortably for their 2 night stay in the little village.
This year Gustav took the group into his world of structural engineering. Through his skills of simplifying what he learned studying the subject for 6 years, he taught learners how to measure the weight that the bridge can withstand per meter. Bethesda has its very own suspended footbridge, so the topic was literally and figuratively right underneath their feet! The group also explored other bridge structures and how to measure how much weight certain types of bridges can withstand – allowing them to calculate what is needed to build bridges to carry desired mass. Learner Chevonne Prinsloo said, “Maths camp was a mathematical brain adventure. We questioned our knowledge and we have grown closer as a group. Thank you to those who made us laugh, and to those who helped us solve the problems. We hope to have more adventures like this one!”
Roslyn Sparks summed up the camp in a creative manner, “ By subtracting ourselves from our ordinary lives and adding some adventure to the equation, we learned a very special type of maths this weekend. I couldn’t help but wonder that if we multiplied the time we spent there, just how much more we could have learned. Thanks to everyone who invested time in us to make this camp possible!”
Maths teacher, Elrich Jantjies, explained how they also looked at Game Theory – a common principle used in everyday life that many are unaware of. Game theory is the process of modelling the strategic interaction between two or more players in a situation containing set rules and outcomes.
Today, game theory applies to a wide range of behavioural relations, and is now an umbrella term for the science of logical decision making in human, animals and computers. Yu-Pei Rong expressed, “ I have never experienced a more intense level of frustration than sitting hours on end with a maths problem, only to find out that the answer was wrong the entire time! But maths camp has taught me resilience and perseverance and has given me the will to try again and again!”
Mr Jantjies says that each year the group does something completely different under the guidance of Gustav, but the main objective stays the same: “Even if they don’t remember everything they’ve learnt, we want learners to fall in love with mathematics, and know that it’s not about getting the right answer, but about their journey getting there. We also want the grade to grow closer and work together, because this is the way the world works.” Thanks to the generosity of people like Ian and Katrin, and the expertise of Gustav and Mr Jantjies, they have managed to achieve this over the past 5 years.
“Challenging yet motivational, I’m thankful to everyone who I shared it with and the friendly Nieu-Bethesda locals too! This weekend was certainly a reminder that even if we aren’t the best at maths, it can be fun!” (Kirsten King), and to sum it all up perfectly, Zintle Maki said, “Maths camp was phenomenal, it formed a bridge between the fun and factual side of maths. I just wish it could have been longer!”
Union Celebrates Arbor Day
Union High School celebrated Arbor Week on Monday 3 September. At an outdoor assembly, three Grade 9 learners led the devotion and spoke about the tree that was planted, the White Stinkwood Celtis Africana unVumvu, Witstinkhout.
Arbor Day originated in 1872 in the United States territory of Nebraska. Mr J. Sterling Morton, a newcomer to the treeless plains of Nebraska, was a keen proponent of the beauty and benefit of trees. He persuaded the local agricultural board to set aside a day for planting trees and through his position as editor of Nebraska’s first newspaper, encouraged participation in the event by publishing articles on the value of trees for soil protection, fruit, shade and building.
Mr Morton’s home, known as Arbor Lodge, was a testament to his love for trees and so inspired the name of the holiday; Arbor Day. Within two decades Arbor Day was celebrated in every US State and territory, and eventually spread around the world. The tradition continues annually in the second week of August, in global acknowledgment of Mr. Morton’s slogan, “other holidays repose upon the past; Arbor Day proposes for the future.”
In South Africa, Arbor Day was first celebrated in 1983. The event captured the imagination of people who recognized the need for raising awareness of the value of trees in our society. As sources of building material, food, medicine, and simple scenic beauty, trees play a vital role in the health and well-being of our communities. Collective enthusiasm for the importance of this issue in South Africa inspired the national government, in 1999, to extend the celebration of Arbor Day to National Arbor Week. From 1 to 7 September every year, schools, businesses and organizations are encouraged to participate in community “greening” events to improve the health and beauty of the local environment and propose a green future for South Africa.
The bible reading was read by Thando Matotie who chose Luke 6 verses 43-45.
A Tree and Its Fruit
43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
Hlumisa Kalipa then led the assembly in prayer, and Michael-Joe Newton spoke about the White Stinkwood and why it is an appropriate tree to plant at our school. This indigenous deciduous tree grows up to 7-12m and is frost tolerant and hardy. It attracts many birds like rameron pigeons, willow warblers, black-eyed bulbuls, mousebirds and crested barbets which feed on the fruits and disperse the seeds. This tree is a haven for insects. The root system is not aggressive.
The tree was planted on the pavement outside of the Bruce Maree Gates in Caledon Street and will add tremendous value to our campus and will bring joy to many for years to come.
Back (left to right): Hannah Watermeyer, Peter Watermeyer, Yu-Pei Rong, Benito Vers and Brett Amsterdam
Middle (left to right): Sakhe Booi, Martin van den Berg, Laetitia Theron , Matthew Basson and Jenna McNaughton
Front: (left to right): Melissa Swart, Lisakhanya Mvandaba, Grace Merrifield, Zintle Maki and Sisipho Arnols
Back (left to right): Ebben Johnston, Peter Watermeyer, Yu-Pei Rong, Iviwe Ndamane,
Bonginkosi Johnson, Khanya Butshingi and Gregon Jenneke
Middle (left to right): Taylin Miller, Sanja du Plessis, Megan Doyle, Gary Shell and
Jenna McNaughton
Front (left to right): Kay Koeberg, Sasha Bosch, Ethan Gedult, Zintle Maki and Micela Loock
The gentlemen of Arthur Kingwill House held their annual dinner in the Tony Burrell Union on Thursday evening, 30 August. The Union was beautifully decorated by Mrs Kingwill and the hostel matrons.
Mr Kingwill, Boarding Superintendent, welcomed the guests and thanked all those who had contributed to the success and happiness of the past year, particularly the 2018 Grade 12 class and prefect body under the leadership of Michael Krige. They have led the boarding house with quiet dignity and a passion for the school which is unrivalled in recent years.
One of the Grade 12 boys was recently heard to say: When I arrived at AKH in Grade 5, a Grade 12 boy helped me carry my luggage up to my room. At the time, this was unheard of. Now, it is unheard of that a Grade 12 boy will not help a junior boy in this way. What a wonderful testimony to the healthy culture that exists in our home-away-from-home for our children!
Mr Kingwill always has a message for the boys, and this year, a moving and inspirational video entitled “Leaders Eat Last” provided those present with much food for thought about what true leadership entails, and why some teams pull together and others don’t.
The boys, led by Konke Koyingana, entertained the guests with their beautiful singing, a part of the evening which always highlights the spirit of the boarding house, and provides outsiders with a small glimpse of behind-the-scenes hostel life.
Congratulations to the following boarders who were elected as the 2019 Arthur Kingwill House prefects:
Khanya Butshingi (Head Boy), Luke McNaughton, Peter Watermeyer, Iviwe Ndamane (Deputy Head), Lihlombe Qambata and Zusakhe Ngwane
Only two Union biathletes made the journey to Port Elizabeth to compete in the 1st event of the 2018 / 2019 season. Hannah Bodenstein participated in her first biathlon, and did well to place 7th in her age group with 1799 points, while Drew Dobinson placed 6th in the same age group, with 1885 points. Both girls did surprisingly well in the swim portion of the event, despite the long layoff over the winter season, but will be looking to improve substantially on their run times for the next meeting in two weeks’ time.
The Annual EP Biathlon prize giving was held earlier in the year, and Cameron Muir received the following awards in his absence:
• His EP badge – which is awarded to athletes who are selected for the EP “A” team for 5 consecutive years
• And the trophy for dedication and performance in the u/19 category.
Congratulations to Cameron on his selection for these awards.
The Annual EP Biathlon prize giving was held earlier in the year, and Cameron Muir received the following awards in his absence:
• His EP badge – which is awarded to athletes who are selected for the EP “A” team for 5 consecutive years
• And the trophy for dedication and performance in the u/19 category.
Congratulations to Cameron on his selection for these awards.