Academic, Bulletin

Study Skills for gr 6 & 9 Learners

The importance of good study habits can never be minimized. But, how can you make studying not only tolerable, but actively fun?

This is something that Elevate Education – South Africa’s largest provider of study skills seminars – have mastered.

Earlier this morning, Wednesday, 17 April, Elevate Education’s two young and vibrant study skills facilitators, Brett and Guy, once again paid a visit to the school to meet up with the Grade 6 and 9 groups for their second study skills session. (The first session – a Study Sensei seminar – was held in February.)

Shouts of delight could be heard ringing through the corridors as the presenters entered their respective venues and were greeted by the excited learners.  Time management skills were on the agenda today and the learners were shown, among other things, how to create an effective study timetable.

• UHS looks forward to seeing the Grade 6 and 9 learners’ parents when they meet the team tonight at 17:30 in the school hall for the Elevate Education study skills information session.  This is an opportunity for parents to find out what study skill students have been learning at school and how they can play an important role in supporting them at home.
Bulletin

Word Riders Visit UHS

There was much excitement at Union High School on Friday morning, 12 April, as a group of 31 motorcyclists – the Bible Society of South Africa’s Word Riders – arrived at the school.

Their visit was part of an annual week-long tour during which these Christian motorbike enthusiasts travel to different parts of South Africa distributing Bibles to schools.  During their visit to the school, the Word Riders brought with them a message of hope and boxes filled with Bibles, as well as booklets explaining how the Bible should be read, which were distributed among the school’s Grade 7 learners.

According to the Bible Society’s communications officer, Leon Steenkamp, the donation of the Bibles was made possible by the Bible Society’s Bibles for Grade 7 Learners Project, as well as funds that were raised by the bikers themselves.

Steenkamp invited people who would like to learn more about this tour or who would like to become involved with the Bibles for Grade 7 Learners Project to contact the Bible Society of South Africa at 021 910 8777 or send an e-mail to biblia@biblesociety.co.za

Bulletin, Media Team

Union News

The UHS Behind the Scenes media team’s latest edition of ‘Union News’ feature segments on South Africa’s upcoming general elections, the renovations at Max Kroon House and sports injuries. Watch it here:

https://www.facebook.com/unionhighschool/videos/2331954243706942/

Academic, Bulletin

Learners Introduced to the Culinary Arts

On Wednesday, 10 April, Olive Chef School – one of the top culinary arts schools in South Africa – paid a visit to Union High School.  During their interaction with our learners, executive chef Rinette Enslin proceeded to demonstrate the fine art of French cuisine.

Within 45 minutes, chef Rinette had prepared an exquisite looking three course meal, creating spectacular plates of food that were a delight to the eyes as well as the taste buds!  When asked how much such a meal would cost, learners were quite flabbergasted when chef Rinette answered “about R750”, after which she then explained how costing is done.

Olive Chef School – situated in Bloemfontein – is an internationally approved culinary school and their chef training courses are second to none.

The following are some of the career opportunities which formal, certificated studies in culinary education at Olive Chef School can afford you: chef, caterer, food stylist, hotel chef de cuisine, hotel food and beverage manager, test kitchen, restaurant manager and kitchen manager.

For those of our learners who are considering a career in the culinary arts, we hope you were inspired by this delicious presentation and that it has helped you in making an informed decision about your future.

Academic, Bulletin, Eco-Schools

Fun With Structures

Union’s Grade 7s are learning about natural and man-made structures in Technology this term.

Earlier this week, using spaghetti and marshmallows, students experimented with different structures to determine which ones are able to handle the greatest amount of load. This experiment helped them to further understand the effects that compression and tension forces have with respect to the strength of structures. Spaghetti cannot hold much tension or compress…ion; therefore, it breaks very easily. Marshmallows handle compression well but do not hold up to tension.

At the Union schools, we are thankful for small class sizes that allow teachers the opportunity to successfully conduct these experiments. Teachers are able to be actively involved with everything the learners do, resulting in increased participation and better communication between the teacher and the learners.

Bulletin, Cultural

Music Teachers’ Conference

The 97th annual national conference for the South African Society of Music Teachers (SASMT) was recently attended by Union’s Department of Music staff, Mmes. Sanette Brink, Zelda van Rooyen and Karmin van der Walt.

2019 marked the first time in almost 40 years that this prestigious event was hosted in Port Elizabeth.

According to Lestie Hughes, who chairs the Port Elizabeth branch of SASMT, the conference – a musical event of note, based on music education but structured to provide enjoyment to all lovers of music – has not taken place in the Bay since the 1980s.

The theme for this year’s event, which was held from 14 to 16 March in the auditorium on the Nelson Mandela University’s South Campus, was ‘Let the music speak’.  The conference’s programme included musical performances by the staff and learners of 10 Bay schools and some of NMU’s finest musicians as well as ‘hands-on’ choral and orchestra workshops.

Presentations and panel discussions on relevant topics such as music technology and the effective incorporation of contemporary music into the school curriculum were discussed and much-enjoyed by the Union conference-goers.

Bulletin

Building Improvements

At the Union schools, we firmly believe that a well-maintained school provides a safe and attractive learning environment for students. In keeping with this, the school is continually improving its facilities – from the classroom to the sports fields. At present, the school is repainting the school’s exterior facing the sports fields to give it a fresh and well-cared-for look.

Bulletin, Eco-Schools, Student Life

2nd Term Blood Drive

Learners and teachers each waited their turn to donate blood to the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) at Union High School on Tuesday morning, 9 April.

The regular blood drives at the school are aimed at fostering a culture of blood donation among the young learners and increasing the amount of blood donated in South Africa.Over the years, our learners – who always support the blood drives enthusiastically – have saved thousands of lives with this valuable contribution to the community.

Today, we hope to reach our target of 60 units.

• The SANBS also hosts a blood drive in Graaff-Reinet every second Monday afternoon of the month, between 14:00 and 18:00, at the Te Water Hall in Bourke Street. Those who are able, are encouraged to give blood and in so doing, save a life.

Anyone who is over 16, weighs over 50kg and who practices a healthy lifestyle can donate. When you donate one unit of blood you can save up to three lives, as blood is separated into red blood cells, plasma and platelets.

Bulletin, Eco-Schools

Juggling to Concentrate

Mention juggling in schools and most people probably think of balancing tasks and commitments, not of tossing balls into the air.

Research, however, has shown that juggling real objects increases a learners’ ability to concentrate, enhances their eye-hand coordination, and builds self-confidence.

On Monday morning, 8 April, an English Instruction Task, “Juggling”, saw the school’s Grade 5s practicing this skill on the school’s sports grounds and having a lot of fun while doing so.

Bulletin, Cricket

Coca-Cola T20 – Kit Handover

Earlier this year, during the cricket season, Union High School’s first team cricketers participated in the 2019 Coca-Cola Schools T20 Challenge.

This challenge sees the finest of South African schools’ cricket teams battle it out in a national tournament.  Coach Stephen Bezuidenhout’s team made it to the quarter finals in the provincial round of this tournament. Following this, Coco-Cola paid a visit to the school earlier today, Friday, 5 April, to hand over a training kit to the team in recognition of this achievement. Coach Stephen Bezuidenhout received the training kit from Coca-Cola representative, Siyamthanda Dlamini.

The Coca-Cola training kit consists of agility hurdles, cones, saucer cones, jump ropes, a set of 10 slalom poles and two fielding single stumps. Coke also gave free coke to all the learners of the school. We are so grateful for the training kit! Thanks Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa!

We are also extremely proud of this magnificent achievement by our cricketers! They have set the bar very high for the teams that will follow.

Credit must also go to our coaching staff for the skills transfer and enormous time sacrifice.