Exams Looming…

With the mid-term break, the Comrade’s Marathon and the announcement of the Springbok team behind us, we still await the icy cold weather of winter which has not yet arrived! I do believe we need some very cold weather to clear away the different bugs that prevail. Some snow would be very welcome to replenish the river below the school.

ISSUE 15

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INSIDE:

MESSAGE FROM THE

EXECUTIVE HEAD

BEING SUPPORTIVE

DURING EXAMS

WRAPPING UP

ACADEMICS

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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

I take this opportunity to wish the Grade 9 boys who have received scholarships/bursaries/awards to their respective high schools, hearty congratulations – we have thirteen boys in the group currently who have notified me of their achievements and/or placements. Well done!

As we head towards the end of term, several new boys are starting to get close to achieving their concert status. Currently we have only a handful of new boys in the Blues and Jabots, with many heading towards the final stages of concert status. As a word of advice: I can only urge tenacity and hard work to the young men as they strive towards this great achievement.

We hold our quarterly open weekend at the school from today. We anticipate fifteen to twenty prospective new boys, which is always exciting for current pupils, as well as the new ‘recruits.’ Let’s hope that we have a similar group to the 2015/16 intake.

We are delighted to announce the launch of our new website this week. It has taken many months of hard work, dedication and focus to put this together. I would like to thank Belinda Espag, Sharon Dixon, and the management team for their hours of additional effort in making this come to fruition. (I think that you will agree with me that it is a vast improvement on what we had previously.) Please share the link to as many people as you can – we would like to establish a ground swell of visitors to the site, www.dbchoir.com.

Exams Looming…continued

Examinations commence next week, so boys should really be knuckling down to some serious studying this weekend.

I wish them well in the coming weeks.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Kind regards

Andrew Stead

Message from the Executive Head

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BE SUPPORTIVE AS A PARENT DURING EXAMS

Assisting with revision

The secret to doing well in exams lies in planning. You can help your child to create a clear revision plan and method of studying that will make them feel in control of their work.

Tips for revision planning:

work out a revision timetable for each subject

break revision time into small chunks - hour-long sessions with short breaks at the end of each session often work well

make sure your child has all the essential books and materials

condense notes onto postcards to act as revision prompts

buy new stationery, highlighters and pens to make revision more interesting

go through school notes with your child or listen while they revise a topic

time your child's attempts at practice papers

Providing all-round support

The best way to support your child during the stress of revision and exams is to make home life as calm and pleasant as possible. It helps if other members of the household are aware that your child may be under pressure and that allowances should be made for this.

If your child is given study leave in the run-up to exams, try to be at home as much as possible so that you can share a break and a chat together.

Make sure there are plenty of healthy snacks in the fridge and try to provide good, nutritious food at regular intervals. Encourage your child to join family meals, even if it's a busy revision day - it's important to have a change of scene and get away from the books and computer for a while. Also encourage your child to take regular exercise. A brisk walk around the block can help clear the mind before the next revision session.

Try not to nag or make too many demands on your child during exam time. Arguments are counter-productive and will only add unnecessary stress and distract from revision.

It's important to get a good night's sleep before an exam, so discourage your child from staying up late to cram. And make sure he or she eats a good breakfast on the morning of the exam.

Bribes, treats and rewards

Some children are 'bribed' to do well in exams and are offered cash or gifts to achieve good grades. But bribery is not a good idea as it implies that the only worthwhile reward for hard work is money and that you don’t trust your child to work hard. Negative messages like these will affect your child’s sense of self-worth.

Encourage your child to do well for his or her own sake rather than for money or to please you. Explain that exams are not an end in themselves but a gateway to the next stage of life. Good results are themselves the best reward for hard work and will make your child proud of his or her achievements.

Make sure your child knows you're interested in their work and that you'll be proud if they do well. Although bribery isn't advisable, it's fine to provide small treats by way of encouragement - perhaps a piece of cake or some biscuits after a chunk of revision has been completed. The end of exams can be celebrated with a treat that everyone can look forward to, such as a meal out or a trip to the cinema.

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The Chamber choir in action at Maragon Edendale.

Trinity Little Falls had the opportunity of watching the Drakie magic.

Roadshow to Gauteng: 12 - 13 May 2016

Aidan did an excellent job as the recruitment leader.

The audience at all the schools thoroughly enjoyed the performances.

The Chamber Choir in action at Maragon Edendale.

As part of our recruitment strategy, we plan numerous roadshows to different schools. Last week the Chamber Choir visited Gauteng. We were well received everywhere.

The Chamber Choir in action at Maragon Edendale.

WRAPPING UP ACADEMICS

As the term draws to a close, your sons are required to knuckle down and put forward their best effort when they tackle the remainder of their examinations. Please encourage your boys to use all available time wisely, in order to prepare – this includes allowing adequate study time, as well as ensuring that they get enough sleep.

To alleviate the boys’ work-load in the ‘exam week’, certain examinations were completed during the course of the term (viz. Mathematics Paper 1, English and Afrikaans Creative Writing, Music Appreciation and the Aural Training Practical). The remainder of the examinations will be written from 7 – 14 June. During this period, the boys will follow a different morning daily routine – this allows for additional study time, over and above the evening prep that seniors already have. Afternoon activities, including sport and choir, will continue as usual.

This programme has been included for your interest.

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday Wednesday Saturday

Breakfast @ 7:15 am

7:20 Boys Debriefing (JL/AS)

Staff to collect exam papers from Academic Office @ 7:25

7:20 Boys Debriefing (JL/AS)

Staff to collect exam papers from Academic Office @ 7:25

7:50 Boys Debriefing (SD)

Staff to collect exam papers from Academic Office @ 7:25

7:30 – 10:20 Exam Session

Examinations to end at 10:15

Brief study opportunity b4

7:30 – 9:10 Exam Session

Examination to end at 9:10

8:00 – 10:20 Exam Session

Examination to end at 10:15

Brief study opportunity b4

10:20 – 10:40 Tea 9:10 – 9:30 Tea 10:20 – 10:40 Tea

10:40 – 11:40 Choir 9:30 – 10:30 Exam Session (9:30 – 10:30) 10:45 – 12:00 Compulsory Study Session (7-9)

Pack bags and tidy up

Free Time (4-6)

11:45 – 13:30 Exam/Study Session 10:30 – 11:10 Study, pack bags & tidy up

13:30 – 13:45 Pack bags & tidy up venues 11:15 – 12:30 Choir

13:45 – 14:30 Lunch

12:30 - ….. Lunch & Concert Prep

12:00 – 12:30 Free time

14:30 – 16:45 Sport

Free-time

12:30 - ….. Lunch

16:45 – 17:45 Choir

18:00 – 19:00 Supper & Shower 18:00 – 19:00 Supper & Shower

19:00 – 20:30 Prep (Gr 7 – 9) – not on Fri 19:00 – 20:00 Prep (Gr 7 – 9)

13 June: Session 2 - Activity for Juniors 14 June: Extended Choir Session after tea (10:40 – 12:40); 12:40 – restore classrooms: free time when done. IMPORTANT TO NOTE: During the course of this week, all outstanding academic results will be captured on the Ed-Admin system. Please consult the Parent Portal before 8am on Tuesday 7 June, should you wish to see your son’s progress to-date. Thereafter, the assessment component of the portal will be temporarily closed for report finalisation.

Sharon Dixon

Head of Academics

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Wall of Fame

Drakie Name Plaques

Example of Name Plaque

Order your Name Plaque with years of attending the Drakensberg Boys Choir School

Cost R350 for 15 letters

R3.00 per letter for more than 15

Plaque Order Form

Name: _____________________________________

(As it should appear on name plaque: bold letters please)

Years: ______________________________________

Contact details:

Name: _____________________________________

Email address: _______________________________

Cell nr: _____________________________________

Please pay R350 into the account below and e-mail proof of payment with order form to:

bioserv@mweb.co.za

Golden Drakies Parents Association

Nedbank

Bryanston Branch Code 197 105

A/C No 1933177489

Ref SURNAME/GRADE 9

Snippets from the San

Robust in health and jolly of spirit, the boys are back from the mid-term break and raring to go. Even the forbidding prospect of exams has not seemed to dim the “Drakie Sparkie”.

On the news side, one of our young equestrians suffered a misfortune last week, while preparing to compete at the Royal Show. The tumble from his mount left him with a fractured left leg – now encased in plaster up to the hip.

On viewing his dodgy limb directly after impact, I believe that his first words expressed distress about missing the show. His tremendous physical agony clearly came second to the concept of a lost opportunity. Sometimes it seems that boys are from Mars. I suppose that they are, after all, just baby men. Dare I suggest that not much changes?

Sister Lianne

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Happy Birthday!

Calendar 4 June - 10 June 2016

DATE EVENT TIME

3 - 4 June Open Weekend

4 June Academic and Choir Weekend

5 June Chapel

SCA

10H00

18H00

6 June Staff Briefing 07H20

8 June Wednesday Concert 15H30

9 June Exams Start

Tau Khaile

5 June

Siphesihle Sigwebela

8 June

Albert Sibanda

10 June

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DRAKENSBERG BOYS CHOIR

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!