03/ 03 / 2017 I TERM 1 I NEWSLETTER

ISSUE

41

Follow me to page 2

This is the first of our mid-term breaks for the year. The timing of many of them probably seem strange as one looks at their placement on the calendar, but we have tried to think them through carefully.

INSIDE

INTRODUCING: GRETHA ROBERTS

MID-TERM BREAKS

CARMINA SLOVENICA

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I would like to take this opportunity to thank the School community for producing yet another great MiMs weekend. In particular, I would like to thank all the boys for their tremendous resilience, dedication and professionalism during the preparation and the event itself. We

MID-TERM BREAKS…continued from page 1

MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE HEAD

For those that are interested, I thought sharing our ideas around why we did it like this would be informative?

This mid-term was to allow both boys and staff to have a break after seven weeks of school, which is standard, and given the amount of boys and staff ill presently, it was probably a week too late. However, a concert with Carmina Slovenica was scheduled, and was another important opportunity to share choral ideas and workshops with an international choir, so the delay seemed indicated.

The mid-term in May is directly after Music in the Mountains - this will give both boys and staff time to recover from the festival, before final preparations for exams and the Japan tour begin.

The September mid-term is also early in the term. The thinking around this was that the boys returning from a three-week tour would need a short break at home before starting the final leg of the year. Thus we have a very strange ‘set-up’ to our 2017 calendar, but given all the exciting activities of the 50th anniversary, I am sure most parents will understand and accommodate the irregularity.

By the time you read this newsletter, you will be in receipt of a letter with regard to the tour to Japan. For the majority of boys there will be great excitement, but for some, a deep disappointment. Great thought and consideration goes into making such a tour happen and it is not easy making tough choices. Factors adding to the challenge include balancing out voice groups, maturity, musicality, finances, and availability of passports, behaviour and the ability to learn quickly. We have submitted the names of seventy boys to the Japanese embassy, while several additional boys have been placed on reserve in case of illness, behavioural matters or financial concerns. These names will remain confidential in the interim, to avoid additional disappointment.

I hope that all boys initially selected will be humble, kind, and empathetic to those who are not. Perhaps you would be so kind as to reinforce this important character development at home, ahead of their return to school? I also hope that they will encourage and motivate their peers to continue striving for their goals at school and beyond, and demonstrate the same ambitions - Perhaps Switzerland 2018 or the World Choir Games will be their opportunity.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Andrew Stead

Andrew Stead

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NEWS FROM THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT

Tjama Keta

Sihle Manonyane (Griffin House - upstairs)

Stephen Barnard (Head of Music)

CHOIR AWARDS FOR THE PAST WEEK

NEW BOY COMMENDABLE PERFORMANCE

Dylan Palm

Jayden Lubbe

Nkazimulo Mabaso

Lukhanyo Zulu Mohau Tladi

Marco Marais

Damien Butt

Kigen Chepkonga

Stanley Horing

Reece Olsen

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SNIPPETS FROM THE SA

Sihle Manonyane

NEW BOY OF THE WEEK:

COMMENDABLE PERFORMANCES: CONCERT CHOIR

Lefa Motshele

MOST VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION ON STAGE:

VOICE GROUP OF THE CONCERT:

ALTOS

BEST SOLOIST OF THE CONCERT:

Kigen Chepkonga

Tawanda Gomera

Sabelo Mazwi

Michael de Goede

Alex Brits

Qhawe Mafika

Kevin Jordaan

Ryan Smith

Anthony Ncube

CHORISTER OF THE WEEK:

Manga Pepu

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SNIPPETS FROM THE SAN

We welcome Gretha to the DBCS family and hope she will be very happy.

Gretha will be joining the DBCS at the beginning of Term 2.

She is married to Nick and they are blessed with their son Victor.

Gretha is passionate about teaching and is fanatical about Mathematics. In 2004 she received her Postgraduate Certificate in Education from Unisa, Senior Phase Mathematics and FET Phase Accounting.

She has taught at Kingsmead College, St Mary’s School and Parktown Girls’ High School.

INTRODUCING: GRETHA ROBERTS

CARMINA SLOVENICA

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t the fascinating sounds that were simultaneously earthy and esoteric; this music moved us through the mists of time and would not have been out of place secreted in a forest on a full moon, invoking the tribal Ancients. – Audience Member

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PHOTOGRAPHY

A preview of whats to come.

During Term 2 the boys will be playing around with different ideas. This particular lesson was to create excitement of what the boys will be challenged with. Their reaction to the different illusions that can be created was great and we had loads of fun.

The group that took these photos were Liam Muller, Nivin Pillay, Sheldon Spence and Andrè Wears-Taylor.

Adri Dowling

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THULE CARRY SOLUTIONS

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NEWS FROM MARKETING

The Ambassadors Youth Group against Hiv/Aids had the opportunity to visit the DBCS’s concert on

22 February. The DBCS always welcomes groups especially if they have an important message to share.

Choir rehearsal?

What Choir rehearsal?

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GAUTENG ROADSHOW: 23 - 24 February 2017

At Drakies, we are used to being chirpy and happy at any given time. On Thursday morning at 03:30, we departed on our Roadshow to Gauteng. Most of us failed to be chirpy and happy this early!

We had a busy first morning visiting three schools. Charlotte Botha accompanied us in order to ‘break Kenny in’, so to speak. Kenny Kabak took to the Roadshow concept like a fish to water, proving himself eager and able to take over the show. The following morning, we visited a further two schools.

Thank you to the Chamber Choir for giving it your all. You made an excellent impression. All these different opportunities create a platform for our pupils to develop diverse skills. This inculcates a well-rounded individual, as they learn how to act in different circumstances. In addition, they need to develop self-discipline skills, as they have to manage the demands of the chamber choir, without sacrificing their academic commitments. This is invaluable development and vital to their ongoing success.

It wasn’t all hard work and no play – we did manage to have some fun visiting Rocco Mama’s for an indulgent injection of ‘junk food’, city-style!

Our next Roadshow will be to Natal, 9-10 March.

Belinda Espag

Kenny Kabak taking control.

Performing is their passion.

Indulgence. And they deserved it.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Kenny Kabak

3 March

Greg Bath

6 March

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There is always time for some fun!

Well done!

“Wondering how one enrolls at the DBCS? The food

is tasty and the music welcoming.”

Liam Muller (current head boy), Devon Williams and Grant Hiscock (head boy 2015).

Please keep Devon Williams in your prayers as he is recovering from double pneumonia and is currently in hospital.

THROWBACK TO 2015

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GRIFFIN HOUSE NEWS

SNIPPETS FROM THE SAN

My goodness, has the San been a hive of activity! It began with a trickle late last week, gathered momentum over the weekend and became a veritable torrent by Monday. Troublesome noses, throats and chests abounded. Some lucky chaps even had gastric symptoms thrown in. I would guess that about 23,97% of them were affected to some degree or other. Of course, that includes the usual hangers-on, who see a gap to escape classroom tyranny. Give me one parent who never tried that themselves!

In this case, you would think that sick-bay tyranny would be more of a horror.

I am relieved to say that things gradually quietened down and the few lads still ailing are on their way home. Apologies if your son arrives a little under the weather – the upside is that boys prefer to be sick at home. I also quite like it that way.

The condition of one young man with the same symptoms as the others deteriorated rapidly. Thanks to a well-timed call by Mrs. A on Saturday morning, his parents immediately collected him and he landed up in hospital with a really nasty chest infection. General panic emerged amongst the ranks, as boys with blocked noses and scratchy throats feared Pneumonia had set it. Fortunately, it was an isolated incident and the condition is apparently uncommon. Our thoughts are with him during this period of recuperation.

An interesting aspect of many infections, is the preferred circadian rhythm of symptoms. These usually worsen in the evenings and mornings, with a marked day-time improvement. If this wasn’t the case (as my theory goes) breadwinners wouldn’t win, hungry toddlers would waddle around with full nappies all day and boardroom meetings would go unattended. It also gives the resourceful microbes a chance to explore and colonize new territories. Mingling and networking are a big part of their strategy and victims confined to bed aren’t much help in this regard.

Wishing everyone a wonderful mid-term break and hoping for a bunch of robust returnees on Sunday!

Sister Lianne

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15

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Blessings Chiluba

5 March

Connor Lessle

8 March

Sheldon Spence

8 March

Sihle Manonyane

10 March

Owenkosi Mngewu

10 March

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DATE EVENT TIME

3-5 March Mid - Term Break

5 March Busses Return

6 March Staff Briefing

Assembly

Prefects Tea

07:20 - 07:30

07:25 - 07:45

10:40 - 11:40

7 March Cycle Test

8 March HA! Man visits DBCS

Wednesday Concert

15:30 - 17:30

9-10 March Roadshow: KZN

9 March Assembly 10:05 - 10:25

10 March SCA Youth Introduction

Staff Briefing

10:20 - 10:40

11 March Academics 08:00 - 12:00

12 March Chapel

SCA

10:00 - 11:00

18:00 -19:00

Calendar 3 March – 11 March 2017

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DRAKENSBERG BOYS CHOIR SCHOOL

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