Union High School’s Grade 7s are learning all about renewable energy technologies in Natural Sciences.
Because cooking with the sun’s power is a fun way to use a renewable resource, the learners were tasked with applying the science they’ve learned, by building their very own solar ovens. The Grade 7s quickly got creative by using cardboard, aluminum foil and other recyclables to create their very own energy-efficient ovens!
Besides the musical part, there are many aspects to think about when a choir performs – acoustically positioning choir members being one of them.
To assist with this, Union High School recently invested in new choir benches. Expertly made by André Brink and Herman Laubscher, these sturdy new benches will provide the choristers with a comfortable place to stand and allow the choir directors the opportunity to position the singers for optimal sound.
Seen here are the members of the junior choir who were the first to make use of the new benches during practice yesterday (Tuesday, 30 July).
Kroonvale Primary School in Graaff-Reinet is currently constructing a new school hall.
Through the ‘Sponsor-A-Brick’ Eco-Schools Community Initiative, Union High School is endeavouring to help Kroonvale Primary realise their dreams. The school is facilitating a project, whereby the Union family is invited to sponsor a brick – at only R3 each. All the sponsored bricks will then be donated to the Kroonvale Primary School hall construction project.
The first delivery of 1 000 bricks was delivered to Union High School on Friday, 26 July!
Help us help Kroonvale Primary – sponsor a brick – or more – today!
(Learners can see the Eco Reps on duty in the main quad at 2nd break on Wednesdays and Fridays in this regard.)
Union High School’s learners dressed to a T for the recent Centenary Winter Ball.
Organised by the Grade 10 MF Committee, this much-anticipated event brought learners together on Thursday evening, 25 July, for a night of music and dancing in celebration of the school’s Centenary.
The Grade 10s managed to capture the beauty of falling snow with hundreds of snowflakes dangling from the ceiling and covering the walls of the school hall.
Thanks are extended to all the learners who came out, danced and enjoyed the evening.
As can be seen by the high levels of enjoyment on display by the learners in these photos, this learner-led event was well planned and enjoyed by all those who attended.
The members of Union High School’s Eco Club recently made great strides in neutralizing their carbon footprint, by assisting SANParks in establishing a Spekboom nursery.
This incredible plant with its bright green, circular leaves is a miracle worker when it comes to fighting air pollution. It has the ability to ‘sequester’ or capture four to ten tons of carbon per hectare!
Essentially, it acts as a carbon sponge, absorbing carbon from the atmosphere and turning it into plant matter. Excess carbon in the atmosphere is responsible for global warming, so the more carbon we can remove from the air and return to the ground, the better. Spekboom is also known as Pork Bush or Elephant’s Food.
In an initiative to propagate new Spekboom plants, the Eco Club learners, accompanied by SANParks personnel, visited Mountain Drive, where they gathered Spekboom cuttings and then later transferred them to seedling trays in the Park’s nursery.
SANParks will sell these new Spekboom plants to generate an income for their nursery and simultaneously reduce CO2 in the atmosphere.
The cut-off date is looming for the ‘Union Farmers Market’ meat pre-orders.
If you haven’t done so yet, be sure to get right on it!
[The organisers are offering parents, Old Unionites and friends of Union the option of pre-ordering Karoo lamb – cut and packed for your convenience – as well as pre-packed biltong, droëwors and venison. They’ll then have your order ready for you to pick up at the m…arket on Friday afternoon, 9 August!]
Orders, as well as inquiries, can be e-mailed to unionschools.market@gmail.
Check out the prices or place your order by clicking on the following link: http://bit.ly/2LMHBHa
A number of Union High School chess players were invited to participate in the closed chess tournament that serves as the final round of trials to select the Chris Hani Chess Team. If they are selected, they will represent the Chris Hani district at the South African Junior Chess Championship in Johannesburg in January 2020.
They are: Camran Swartz, Josh Arends, Erin Gedult, Naeem Mahomed, Neelon Fourie, Cassidy Goliad, Mihan Campbell, Matthew McNaughton, Tracy Petitt, James Rose-Innes, Hagen Muller-Brunke, Harun Wajid and Liano Naidoo.
We wish them the best of luck for the tournament that will take place on 17 August in Graaff-Reinet.
Grade 12 learner Noah Ackerman arrived in Graaff-Reinet today, Friday, 26 July, to spend a couple of weeks at Union High School.
Noah is the son of Wayne Ackerman who attended Union as a youngster and now resides in Denmark.Noah and his siblings Silas and Esther, spent a year at Union as exchange students when Noah was in Grade 10. During this time they developed an absolute passion for Union – so much so, that Noah travels to South Africa every year at Interschools to join his old classmates and support the school during this annual clash.
Noah will reside in Arthur Kingwill House for the next couple of weeks and will return to Denmark on Monday, 12 August.
Union is glad to welcome him back to campus and hopes he enjoys his time here.
The power of words, intonation and body language was unleashed during Union High School’s annual Senior Speech Competition, held on Thursday evening, 18 July.
The evening was themed, ‘The Wonderful World of Nursery Rhymes’.
Participants were each given a particular nursery rhyme and instructed to prepare a speech pertaining to the central message contained in the nursery rhyme. Sixteen speakers participated and “wowed” the audience with witty speeches, serious speeches and even some way-out speeches. Mandilakhe Matotie served as the evening’s MC and did a wonderful job of keeping the evening full of energy and running smoothly.
At the end of a very entertaining night, first place was awarded to Meghan Basson for her speech entitled ‘Jack Sprat Could Eat No Fat – Diet Edition’. Second place went to Taylyn Miller for ‘Jack and Jill Went Up A Hill – When Things Go Wrong’. Peter Watermeyer claimed third place for ‘Mary Had A Little Lamb – Role Models and Conformity’.
The evening was concluded with the guests and participants enjoying some delicious refreshments.
Thanks are extended to all those who were brave enough to deliver these exceptional speeches in front of a crowded room – you did yourselves and the school proud!
