Category: Student Life

Bulletin, Student Life

For more than a decade, Union High School’s 𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗗𝗘 𝟭𝟬 𝗢𝗗𝗬𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗬 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: 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘄𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗱 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗱.

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 – 𝘤𝘳𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴, 𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘴, 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘻𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘴. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦 10 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥.

𝗔𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘄𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗱 – 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.

𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘺, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴, 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯’𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘨 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱, 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨.

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 people’s children. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝘂𝘁𝘆, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 – 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹, 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿.

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.

𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰, 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦 10𝘴 𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴 𝘢 𝘩𝘶𝘨𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴!

From the entire Union family: 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘄𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗱 . You are changing lives and your impact will echo for generations

Bulletin, Student Life

Union High School is proud to share that its annual 𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗠 𝗖𝗔𝗠𝗣 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.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘱 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘔𝘳 𝘐𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘳𝘴 𝘒𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘯 𝘈𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘯, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮 𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 – 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨.

This year’s camp featured a very special guest, 𝗢𝗹𝗱 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗠𝗿 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝘁 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗸, 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.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲-𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀. 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.

𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸-𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘴 “𝘤𝘰𝘥𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦” 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘔𝘳 𝘑𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘫𝘪𝘦𝘴. 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!

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗲𝗯 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 that included educational games tailored for junior school learners – 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.

𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴.

Bulletin, Student Life

The Union High School Grade 12s were pleasantly surprised by a special visit from their former English teacher, Mrs Belinda Grewar.

𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴.

With her 12 years of experience as a senior marker, Mrs Grewar shared valuable insights and guidance on the finer details of Paper 3 (Creative Writing), which the learners will be writing this afternoon.

𝗛𝗲𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱.

Bulletin, Student Life

On Tuesday morning, 26 August, Union High School’s Grade 7s pulled out all the stops to host their much-anticipated 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗗𝗮𝘆 – and what a hit it was!

As part of their 𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗢𝗠𝗜𝗖 𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗔𝗚𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗦𝗖𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘𝗦 curriculum, our young entrepreneurs took charge of everything – from advertising and marketing their stalls, to budgeting and tallying profits and losses.

The result? A buzzing open-market atmosphere filled with excited shoppers, delicious food and drinks, creative crafts, fun toys, novelty goodies and plenty of entertainment – 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗻-𝘁𝗵𝗲-𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗲𝗹, 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲-𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵-𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘇𝗼𝗼!

𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦 7𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬, 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘢 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳!

Bulletin, Student Life

Thursday evening, 21 August, saw the 2025 prefects of Union High School and Hoër Volkskool gather at the Graaff-Reinet Bowling Club for their annual 𝗚𝗘𝗧-𝗧𝗢𝗚𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘯𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘥, 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘫𝘰𝘺𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦.

Bulletin, Student Life

On the morning of Monday, 18 August, Union High School proudly announced its 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗕𝗢𝗗𝗬 for 2026 during a very special assembly in the school hall.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗰𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲 as the newly elected prefects stepped forward to sign their pledge of service and leadership. Each was then presented with their prefect tie and badge – 𝘴𝘺𝘮𝘣𝘰𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 – which were quickly and proudly donned with the assistance of the outgoing prefects.

𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀, listed in alphabetical order, on their appointment as prefects for 2025:
• Josh Arends
• Amber Bezuidenhout
• Masixole Bhayi
• Liso Booi
• Anna Bouwer
• Samantha Charles
• Peter-Daniel Clegg
• Taegen Hamid
• Xarah Hoffman
• Yaaseen Kazi
• Athayanda Mahlati
• Misha Newton
• Katelyn Trollip
• Lisa Vutula
• Yonela Wana

Back: Samantha Charles, Xarah Hoffman, Misha Newton, Katelyn Trollip, Anna Bouwer Front: Taegen Hamid, Amber Bezuidenhout, Lisa Vutula

Back: Masixole Bhayi, Yonela Wana, Peter-Daniel Clegg, Liso Booi Front: Josh Arends, Yaaseen Kazi, Athayanda Mahlati

𝘞𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘥 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴.

Bulletin, Student Life

At Union High School, we treasure our traditions, which create cherished memories and reinforce the values we hold dear.

𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗼𝗼𝗻, Wednesday, 19 March, when Grade 7 class teachers, Mrs Hanli Rose-Innes and Miss Justine Matthews, hosted a delightful tea for the young Grade 7 ladies at the charming The Coldstream Restaurant.

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘰𝘰𝘯.

Through events like these, they not only teach important social skills but also foster a sense of community and belonging among our girls.

The afternoon’s guest speaker, Mrs Amori Van Jaarsveld, Union mom and proprietor of the Windmill Junction, delivered a beautiful speech that resonated deeply with all the girls.

𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆’𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 – encouraging them to embrace their individuality with both grace and confidence.

Her message beautifully wove together the ideals of classiness and boldness, urging the girls to stand tall and unapologetically claim their rightful place in every room they enter.

In her address, Mrs van Jaarsveld reminded us that strength and sophistication can coexist harmoniously, while 𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘂𝗽 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆.

Bulletin, Student Life

Union High School prefects, 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗶 𝗣𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗼𝗺𝗮 and 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘆 𝗔𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗱, have truly hit the ground running in their roles overseeing the body’s PR portfolio.

Their 𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘂𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁, a delightful monthly birthday celebration, is already making a significant impact. Each month, they plan on surprising learners with a sweet treat to celebrate their special day, ensuring that no learner feels overlooked.

Additionally, they’ve created a 𝗯𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 that will be updated monthly to honour all those celebrating.

𝘞𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘥 – 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦!

Bulletin, Student Life

Union High School is proud to announce the newly elected leaders of the school’s 2025 Representative Council of Learners (RCL), who are poised to guide the learner body with enthusiasm and dedication.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘊𝘓 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭, 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺, 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘭𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺.

Grade 12 learner 𝗧𝗿𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻 𝗛𝘂𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻 has been elected as president, while matric learner 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗶 𝗣𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗼𝗺𝗮 assumes the role of vice-president.

● 𝗧𝗿𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻 𝗛𝘂𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻 joined the Union Schools in Grade 8 after moving to Graaff-Reinet and since then, he has made remarkable contributions to our school. A talented athlete, Trystan plays for the 1st team in both cricket and rugby. His leadership skills are evident as he serves on the Media Team and takes on the responsibility of Deputy Head Boy at the school.

Trystan’s involvement extends beyond sports; he is a Blood Peer Promoter, highlighting his commitment to community service. Academically, he excels as a Top 10 student and has achieved Full Colours for Culture and Academics. His multifaceted talents and leadership qualities make him an exceptional choice for the role of RCL President.

● Hailing from King William’s Town, 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗶 𝗣𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗼𝗺𝗮 joined Union as a boarder in Grade 10 in 2023. Since her arrival, she has proven to be an invaluable asset to our school community. Milani currently serves as a school prefect and Head Girl at the hostel, where her leadership and mentoring skills shine.

In addition to her various roles, Milani is a Top Level Club member, a First Aider and a Mentor to our younger Unionites. She also holds the position of vice-chairman of the InterAct Club, where she actively engages in community service initiatives. Milani’s dedication and passion for making a difference align perfectly with her new role as vice-president of the RCL.

𝘛𝘳𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘪 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘊𝘓 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺:

𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀:

𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝟴: Aidan Ferreira, Kira Hector, Liso Mamase and Svenn Norman.

𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀:

𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝟵: Konke Gawula, Qhama Jacobs, Onika Jantjies, Luyolo Khali, Hlelo Skotshi and Carlen Prinsloo.

𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝟭𝟬: Shanica Abrahams, Alexander Hunter, Leander Kraai and Amber Slater.

𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝟭𝟭: Josh Arends (Secretary), Yaaseen Kazi, Nombulelo Ncombo and Lisa Vutula.

𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝟭𝟮: Jayden Eiman (Vice-Secretary), Trystan Hulleman (President), Alex Neill (Treasurer) and Milani Pongoma (Vice-President).

𝘉𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘊𝘓 𝘰𝘧 2025. 𝘓𝘦𝘵’𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵.

Bulletin, Student Life

𝗔 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿

As a new year unfolds, fresh beginnings and exciting opportunities await the learners of Union High School.

The Grade 8s kicked off their academic journey bright and early Monday morning with an unforgettable 𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 to the Camdeboo Environmental Centre, setting a positive tone for the year ahead.

Perfect weather greeted the Grade 8 learners as they 𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝟭𝟬𝗸𝗺 𝗵𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗱𝗲𝗯𝗼𝗼 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, accompanied by knowledgeable guides from the Camdeboo National Park, Union staff members and supportive school prefects.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦 8𝘴, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭’𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨; 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭.

Upon reaching the Environmental Education Centre, the eager Grade 8s took a moment to refuel with some snacks. This break was followed by engaging activities led by the park’s educational team, designed to enrich their understanding of the environment while encouraging teamwork. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁, 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀.

By the end of the day, although completely exhausted, the Grade 8s returned to campus with a renewed sense of excitement and anticipation. They were not just tired; they were prepared and eager to embrace the journey of becoming seniors at Union High School.