As our matrics start their trial exams with CAT Paper 1 (Practical) today, we’d like to wish them all the best for the next few weeks ahead.
“The women in our community need to be reassured during these difficult times. We need to provide support and comfort to all those women in the Graaff-Reinet area who are struggling to let them know they are not alone.”
This is the belief of Laetitia Theron, a Grade 12 learner at Union who was inspired by the recent Women’s Month celebrations to reach out to the less fortunate in the community.
Laetitia, who serves as Deputy Headgirl and president of Union High School’s RCL, has commandeered her fellow RCL members to help her drive a CARE-kit collection aimed at providing women in need with small boxes containing basic necessities.
“A small gift can be a powerful reminder for a woman that she has not been forgotten and that she remains a valued and respected member of her community,” said Laetitia.
I want these boxes to be a source of comfort and hope for women in the midst of their battle. Our hope is that these boxes will brighten someone’s day, put a smile on the lips of a woman who is struggling or just provide a much-needed pick-me-up.”
The CARE-kits (which will be about the size of a shoebox) will consist of:
• Facecloth
• Bar of soap
• Feminine hygiene product
• Deodorant
• Lotion
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Chocolate
Each box will be accompanied by a small card, which will read: “𝘈 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘸𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴, 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮.”
Union’s RCL kindly request that the community considers donating towards this drive. Donations can be big or small, an individual item or an entire CARE-kit.
If you are unable to purchase these items you are welcome to make a donation and the RCL will purchase items that are needed for the CARE-kits.
Donations can be dropped off at Union High School’s front gate in Donkin Street with Mrs Moos.
Those wishing to contribute, are asked to please do so before September 30th.
Those who would like to make a monetary donation, can EFT their contribution into the following bank account:
Account Name: UHS Clearing Account
Standard Bank
Account Number: 082528330
Branch Code: 050116
Please make sure to use ‘RCL – CARE’ accompanied by your surname as a reference.
“𝐍𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐲.” ― 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐞
A Grade 6 learner at Union High School deserves to be praised for her honesty after she made sure that a plastic bank bag, containing a substantial amount of money, was returned to its rightful owner.
On Monday afternoon, 10 February, Lisakhanya Menos noticed a small package on the ground while busy with her extracurriculars on the Union High School campus.
This little package turned out to be a small bank bag, filled with money.
While some would have called it their lucky day, pocketed the cash and not thought twice about it, Lisakhanya rescued the little package and then dutifully turned the money over to Mrs Yvette Cloete.
The money soon made its way back to its owner – one of the school’s teachers, who reported having lost it earlier.
Lisakhanya set a great example of doing the right thing even when no one is watching. It is acts of honesty and civic duty like this that replenishes faith in the good-hearted nature of our learners.
Well done, Lisakhanya!
Oh, we’re definitely feeling the love today 😍
Union High School’s MF committee members worked tirelessly this Valentine’s Day to raise funds for the 2020 Matric Farewell.
We’re thrilled to report that the school’s learners really supported their Valentine’s Day efforts, with children from every grade buying roses and cupcakes for the ones they admire.
Grade 8 learners at Union High School had the privilege today of becoming recipients of Gideons Bibles.
The learners were honoured with the Bibles early this morning, Tuesday, 11 February, when Mr Johan Botha and his wife, René, representatives of The Gideons International in South Africa visited the school.
Since their induction as prefects, Union’s new learner leaders have been great ambassadors for the school, showing tremendous commitment to UHS and to their respective duties as prefects.
As the year starts to take hold in earnest, the prefects were treated to a laid-back 24-hours in Nieu-Bethesda, during which they relaxed in each other’s company, played some fierce Monopoly, relished in the sound of rain on a tin roof, engaged in 1-bounce and relay tennis, enjoyed delicious pizza at a local restaurant and generally got to know each other better on an informal basis.
We hope the prefects are feeling energised and ready for all that lies ahead in 2020 and wish them all the best in exercising their duties this year.
Onwards and upwards!
Last week, Union High School had a very special visitor.
Sofia Savage, the daughter of Old Unionite Gary Savage (Class of ’96) who currently resides in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was given the opportunity to attend lessons at Union during their visit to South Africa.
Although the original idea was for Sofia to visit the school for a day, she enjoyed herself so much, that she decided to spend the entire week at the school.
Sofia used the opportunity to immerse herself in the Union culture and to experience the world from a different viewpoint.
It was a pleasure having you here Sofia! We hope you’ll remember your time at Union fondly!
• Sofia (left) is seen here with one of her Union Grade 9 classmates, Caitrin Spence.
Union High School’s Grade 8s started their year with a fantastic orientation camp.
The aim of this camp is not only to promote positive interaction among the Grade 8 group but also to establish a relationship of mutual respect and collaboration between the Grade 8s and the school’s prefects.
So, on Wednesday morning, 22 January, the excited Grade 8s – accompanied by the guides from the Camdeboo National Park, Union staff members and school prefects – set off on a fun hike in wonderful weather through the scenic Camdeboo National Park, all the way to the park’s Environmental Education Centre.
Here, the Grade 8s enjoyed lunch after which they engaged in activities with the park’s educational team and then tackled a series of specially designed tasks that facilitated them working together as a grade and co-operating with the senior mentoring system in the school.
This was an excellent opportunity for the senior leaders of the school to get to know their younger charges.
The learners seemed to have a lot of fun while creating a lot of happy memories of this exciting phase of their schooling.
Although completely exhausted, the Grade 8s arrived back on campus on Thursday, 23 January, prepped, excited and ready to embark on the journey of being a senior at Union High School.
In Social Sciences yesterday (Tuesday, 21 January), Union’s Grade 9s discovered for themselves how the concept of contours is applied.
After drawing the contour lines onto their ‘butternut mountains’ using increasing water levels for accuracy, it became clear to them how contours are an ingenious tool to describe the physical landscape on maps.
The butternuts were made into a hearty soup afterwards!
