Category: Cultural

Bulletin, Cultural

The Welsh word ‘𝗘𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗗𝗗𝗙𝗢𝗗’ is formed from the Welsh morphemes: eistedd – meaning ‘sit’ and fod – meaning ‘be’ – culminating in the definition, “sitting together”.

As strange as this sounds, when one considers that the earliest form of the eisteddfod was a competitive meeting between bards and minstrels, it does make perfect sense! In centuries gone by, the winner was chosen by a noble or royal patron.

The vision of Union High School, Graaff-Reinet’s Cultural Department is 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰, 𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱. This year’s Camdeboo Eisteddfod was an astonishing celebration of exactly that.

The Eisteddfod took place over three busy days. An increase in entries this year led to logistical and administrative challenges, but thanks to an online entry platform using Google Forms and an extensive set of guidelines, the programme was effectively streamlined.

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 – 𝟭𝟰, 𝟭𝟱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟭𝟲 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 – 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝘂𝘇𝘇 with busloads of choirs dressed in stunning regalia arriving from other schools; children carrying sheet music and instruments, smaller children waiting anxiously to read their poems or play their pieces, gorgeous artworks and photos on display; duos and trios singing in harmony; lines being practiced in quiet places; moms quickly checking if their dancers had lipstick on; folk from the community relaxing in the audience surrounded by music for a few hours; props being shuffled onto stage; bats removed from the curtains to the squeals of ballerinas; tears when certificates weren’t always gold; jubilation when a ‘cum laude’ was awarded and the general endorphin-filled atmosphere that is associated with the performing arts.

𝘐𝘵 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘯 𝘌𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥𝘥𝘧𝘰𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘢 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴, 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴.

Qualified adjudicators were carefully chosen: Lynne Gouws -music, voice, choral and instrumental; Paula Kingwill – drama; Rebecca Langmead – art and photography; Bronwynne Kingwill – dance and Louise Vorster – creative writing.

𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 and expertise under challenging circumstances and exhausting time constraints.

As each item was performed – be it a song, piano piece, dance or prose – it was immediately judged, a comment written and a certificate completed. This could not have happened without the invaluable assistance of Union moms, Marie-Louise Oosthuizen and Marsha Bouwer.

Mrs Sharon Krige printed hundreds of certificates and the technical assistance of Johan du Plessis and Muhamad Ahmed were also greatly appreciated. The Eisteddfod committee is especially grateful to Mr Donald Kingwill and his team who really went beyond the call of duty from dawn until dusk, fetching, cleaning, carrying and re-arranging during a very busy week.

As the Camdeboo Eisteddfod drew to a close late on the Friday afternoon, the organisers (𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚) consisting of Ms Zelda Oosthuizen, Mrs Sanette Brink, Mrs Tracy-Lee Chutu and Mrs Bronwen Langmead breathed a collective sigh of satisfaction that it had been a resounding success for the Cultural Department of Union.

Bulletin, Cultural

Earlier this morning, Union High School, Graaff-Reinet’s primary department held its much-anticipated annual speech competition for learners in Grades 5 to 7.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 22 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘦, 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴.

• In the 𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗗𝗘 𝟱 category, congratulations are in order for Taylor Jacobs, who triumphed with the topic “Tennis.” Joint runners-up Layla Ott, who spoke about “My Life at School,” and Kate Scott, whose topic was “Piano,” also delivered outstanding performances.

• Moving on to 𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗗𝗘 𝟲, Kungawo Nako emerged as the winner with a heartfelt speech on “My Mother,” while Lilly Hunter impressed the judges with her presentation on “My Favourite Sport,” earning her the runner-up position.

• The 𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗗𝗘 𝟳 category saw Clea Clark take the top spot with her insightful discussion on “Art,” while Chanté Bezuidenhout secured the runner-up title with her engaging speech on “Music.”

𝘼 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙜𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙘𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨, as well as to the adjudicators: Mrs Louise Vorster, Mrs Christine Nell and Mrs Tracy-Lee Chutu, who played a crucial role in evaluating the participants.

Well done to all participants for their hard work and dedication!

Bulletin, Cultural

This term, the members of Union High School, Graaff-Reinet’s 𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗖𝗟𝗨𝗕 have been diligently channeling their creativity towards the upcoming ‘Wool in Art’ competition, with each member pouring their heart and soul into their respective entries.

Today, however, marked a departure from the woolly subjects that have been the focus of their attention. Instead, the artists ventured outdoors to the school’s sports fields, where they sought inspiration from the dynamic movements of our Union learners engaged in their various sporting codes.

𝘊𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 ‘𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯’ 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘬, 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘴, 𝘩𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘣𝘺 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘦𝘥.

The challenge was further compounded by a howling wind that threatening to whisk away the artists’ sketches with each gust.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲, 𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿, 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲!

Bulletin, Cultural

The Tony Burrell Union was buzzing this afternoon as Unionites turned out in force to support the SANBS 𝗕𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗗 𝗗𝗥𝗜𝗩𝗘.

𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦.

Bulletin, Cultural

With manic choreography, light-hearted humour, an amusing love story and sweet, singable songs, Union High School, Graaff-Reinet’s 2024 stage production – ‘Seven Brides For Seven Brothers’ – offered a warm and lighthearted evening out to all those lucky enough to have secured a ticket for the show.

𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯-𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 70 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘰, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘢 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 1850’𝘴 𝘖𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘹 𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘥𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴-𝘪𝘯-𝘭𝘢𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘦.

Along the way, the audience was treated to some irresistibly lively dancing and more than a few laughs as Milly guided Adam and his brothers through the wilderness of etiquette and courtship to the peaceful valley of requited love.

Of the brothers, Gideon was played by Peter Michaels, Benjamin by Na’eem Mahomed, Caleb by Dylan Kivedo, Daniel by Josh Basson, Ephraim by Dumisa Mala, and Frank by Peter Michaels. (𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘹 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘗𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘱𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯’𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵.)

Of the brides, Alice was played by Amber Bezuidenhout, Dorcas by Lolitha Saki, Ruth by Lelomso Ngceba, Liza by Aaminah Steele, Martha by Jemae-Mari Davids, and Sarah by Joy Merifield.

𝙐𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙩 𝙙𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙈𝙧𝙨 𝘼𝙫𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚 𝙋𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙬𝙤-𝙖𝙣𝙙-𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙛-𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙚𝙥𝙞𝙘 𝙛𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙡𝙮, highlighting the heart-warming essence of the story, with each member of the ensemble bringing depth and vibrancy to the stage, captivating the audience with their strong vocals and harmonious melodies.

The infectious energy of the Going Courtin’ sequence, where Milly teaches the brothers proper manners and dance moves, resonated long after the curtains closed, leaving smiles etched on the faces of all those in attendance. The town social scene, brimming with lively dance-offs and comedic antics, also stood out as a true highlight, showcasing the talent of our performers.

Moreover, the fight choreography was fun with lots of moments where the brothers’ tendency to break out into a brawl made the audience laugh.

Overall, the cast of brothers, brides, competing suitors and townfolk – in fact too many talented learners to mention – delivered an uplifting visual feast – the only thing missing was an invitation to get up there and join the party!

𝗔𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹, 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗽𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲. Their passion and dedication shone brightly on stage, leaving an indelible mark on all who had the privilege of witnessing their artistry.

Visit our Facebook page to view photographs.

Bulletin, Cultural

Congratulations to 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗮 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗲𝘀, a Grade 10 music student, for passing her recent ABRSM Performance Grade 5 Examination with an impressive 83% (Merit).

Samantha performed four pieces seamlessly, demonstrating excellent stage presence and confidence, as noted by the examiner.

𝘚𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘢’𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘺 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦.

Well done, Samantha!

Congratulations to 𝗘𝗿𝗶𝗻 𝗚𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝘁, a Grade 11 music sturdent, for passing her ABRSM Grade 6 Performance Graded Practical Examination with a score of 81% (Merit).

𝘌𝘳𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘦, 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴, 𝘳𝘩𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘮, 𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨.

She also showcased her ability to improvise and showed maturity and authenticity in her performances.

Erin’s music educator, Ms Zelda Oosthuizen, praised her diligent work, especially considering that Erin takes music as an additional module while still achieving subject music standard.

𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲, 𝗘𝗿𝗶𝗻!

Bulletin, Cultural

𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 to senior music student, 𝗞𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁 (Grade 9), who successfully passed her recent Rockschool Practical Examinations with assurance!

Kirsten played a Classical Rockschool Grade 1 Graded Certificate Examination and achieved 75% (Merit).

𝘈 𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘙𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘊𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘴, 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘲𝘶𝘦, 𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘰𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 20𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 21𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘺.

Kirsten has mastered the key basic debut level skills and has since acquired greater use of technique, rhythms, co-ordination and musical understanding.

For the examination, she performed sixteen Technical Exercises (with legato feel), one Stylistic Study and three Performance Pieces presented as a continuous program.

𝗞𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲! 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲!

Bulletin, Cultural

Union High School, Graaff-Reinet’s 𝗦𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗢𝗥 𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗘𝗖𝗛 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 saw eight accomplished speakers from Grade 10 to 12, presenting their prepared speeches to convivial audience in The Tony Burrell Union.

Adjudicators Mrs Belinda Grewar, Mrs Tess Neill and Miss Rebecca Langmead provided positive feedback, recognizing the exceptional performances of the speakers.

The final results were extremely close with 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗗𝘄𝗮𝗻𝗲 taking a well-deserved second place for his speech on the topic, “𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴,” which he delivered with passionate intensity.

𝗝𝗼𝘆 𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱’s speech, based on the quote, “𝘈 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺, 𝘢 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨,” displayed a good dose of humour coupled with wisdom and authenticity.

Overall, the quality of the speeches was excellent, with remarkable growth evident in our young orators.

𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘨𝘰 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘫𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘺 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦.

In addition, the 𝗝𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗢𝗥 𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗘𝗖𝗛 competition held earlier in the term yielded outstanding results. Azile Mqhamkana (Grade 9) secured first place, followed by Zusange Phehlukwayo (Grade 9) in second place and Konke Gawula (Grade 8) in third place. These young speakers showed tremendous promise and impressed the audience with their abilities.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 for their exceptional performances, and a heartfelt thank you to everyone who made this event a resounding success.

Bulletin, Cultural

“The Philosophy Club is an ever-growing community of free-thinking learners, with a leadership framework that tends to take a laissez-faire approach to engaging in thought provoking discussions about various topics within philosophical parameters.

More than anything else, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙤𝙥𝙝𝙮 𝘾𝙡𝙪𝙗 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙄 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙞𝙣 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚 and am glad that I have had the privilege of actively contributing and being commended for my service to the club through various means.

I am the first recipient of the prestigious Philosophy Club team award, and it is an honour to wear the inaugural scroll on my blazer, but that is dwarfed by the meaning of the Philosophy Club in my life.

Many factors have impacted how my character has been moulded over my very few years within the Union Schools, but most of those factors would be miniscule in comparison to the Philosophy Club’s impact on my life.

The Philosophy Club’s approach to assertively and clearly expressing your opinions whilst being respectful and understanding of others, has come to shape how I interact with anyone I speak to and will speak to for the rest of my life.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘺 𝘊𝘭𝘶𝘣 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 “𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦” 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘶𝘣𝘣𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦.

The privilege of being able to speak your mind freely with the intention of providing value to a discussion has been a platform I have needed multiple times in my life and stumbling my way into this incredible community at the age of 14 may have been the most relevant moment of my ongoing life at Union Schools.

𝘼 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩 𝙢𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙅𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙍𝙤𝙨𝙚-𝙄𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙈𝙖𝙭 𝙒𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙖 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙋𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙤𝙥𝙝𝙮 𝘾𝙡𝙪𝙗’𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙡𝙨 𝙫𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚 𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙢𝙚, and paving the way for me to be the current president of this club. An even warmer message of gratitude must be given to Mrs Hanli Rose-Innes for her efforts in upholding the structures and initial purposes of the club from its inception up until this point and always being willing to offer a helping hand.

The Philosophy Club is and will continue being one of the most innovative communities in the history of the Union schools, and having been part of helping to add even more structure onto the creation of some of the smartest thinkers I have ever met has been nothing short of a privilege.”

𝘉𝘺 𝘚𝘰𝘣𝘶𝘩𝘭𝘦 𝘕𝘺𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘪, 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 – 𝘗𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘺 𝘊𝘭𝘶𝘣 2022/23:

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿:
• Cynicism – presented by Sobuhle Nyambali
• Stoicism – presented by Mrs Hanli Rose-Innes
• Narcissim – presented by Sobuhle Nyambali
• Artificial Intelligence – presented by Chante Bezuidenhout
• Machiavelli – presented by Athi Mahlati
• How to save yourself from yourself – presented by Clea Clark and Chanté Bezuidenhout

Bulletin, Cultural

We extend our 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 to Union High School, Graaff-Reinet Head Girl 𝗖𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 on being chosen to compete in the national finals of The South African Literacy Association’s speech competition on 21 October in Mpumalanga.

Caitrin’s exceptional performance in the semi-finals, held in George on 18 August, earned her an outstanding rating of A++ for her captivating speech on the topic of “Time is Relative.”

The adjudicators were greatly impressed by her abilities and praised her across all aspects of her speech delivery.

𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘊𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘺 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘱 6 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵.