the saint - legends edition
DESCRIPTION
Celebratory newsletter to coincide with Speech Night 2012TRANSCRIPT
1THE Saint LEGENDS EDITION • October 2012
P R I N C I PA L’ S N E W S L E T T E R L E G E N D S E D I T I O N O C T O B E R 2 0 1 2
Education for LifeWhat a statement and what a responsibility! Educating boys for life means identifying those aspects we can influence that will serve as a foundation for their learning to prepare them to operate with confidence in a world where the only constant is constant change.
CHRISTIAN VALUES – we believe that there are some absolutes in life and that Biblical principles give boys a moral compass necessary for good decision making throughout life.
A GLOBAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE – by offering the Cambridge curriculum – designed by the number-one ranked university in the world – we are able to place boys in a competitive space with millions of others across the globe. The same Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, etc. which is taught and examined in Singapore, for instance, is taught in the classrooms of St Charles College. Our boys have opportunity to challenge themselves against the highest international standards.
SINGAPORE MATHEMATICS – Why Singapore? In the most recent World Economic Forum release, South African schools’ Mathematics and Science were ranked 143 out of 144. Singapore
LIVING WORDS
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways
acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5,6
is ranked number 1. South Africa has therefore much to learn from a country like Singapore whose economy is now benefiting from its prioritisation of Mathematics and Science; they recognise the importance of enabling students to get into higher education – and out of it at the other end as competent graduates. Not only are our boys following exactly the same syllabus as their peers in Singapore, but we have strengthened the foundation in our Preparatory School as well with the Singapore Mathematics programme up to Grade 3. The positive feedback means we will be extending this foundation in the years ahead.
LEVELS OF PRESSURE – We hear from outside sources that we work our boys too hard. In response we reply that there is nothing wrong with hard work. There is no use in pretending that the world is not a place of pressure. We need to prepare boys to succeed by teaching them how to handle pressure that is equivalent to the real world expectations they will meet. We do not believe that the children in South Africa are less intelligent or incapable, and our hope for them is that they will be well equipped to hold their own on the global economic stage. At the very least, this is the core of an Education for Life. Mr Allen van Blerk • Principal
St Charles College Top-10 Cambridge results – 2012Back: Vivek Bhagwan, Graeme Hammond, Sean Anderson, Frank Küsel, Pranava Naidoo, Liam Carey and Nicholas Twycross;
Front: Menyotaoghene Mowoe, Daniel Van Breda and David Mashoko.New records were set in Mathematics (17 distinctions), Chemistry (10 distinctions) and Physics (10 distinctions) when the A-Levels boys of 2012
received their examination results from the University of Cambridge mid-August. Top student, Frank Küsel, achieved an incredible six distinctions and an inspiring average of 90.8%. Sean Anderson scored 100% for Mathematics.
2 THE Saint LEGENDS EDITION • October 2012
SCC Ad 2139 b .5p Maritzburg Sun CTP FP.indd 1 2012/10/16 3:23 PM
Varsity College partnerswith the University of the Free State
“For someone who is looking to
spread their wings in a totally new
environment, Varsity College is a place
that will help you fly. There is a Career
Centre where you can find part-time
work or there is always a chance to
take part in the sport and even help
the local community through VC
cares.”
Vincent Potgieter • Head Boy, 2011
Varsity College has expanded its partnerships in Higher Education to offer
degrees through the University of the Free State.
3THE Saint LEGENDS EDITION • October 2012
That’s one small step for Scrummies and two giant leaps for St Charles College . . .
Twenty years on and the new entrance gates have finally arrived – sometimes you just have to be patient.
SPACE TO THINK, SPACE TO GROW AND SPACE TO LEARN in the new Pre-Primary facility which opened in January. Only
a few small steps from the previous Scrummies venue to the new, but the move symbolises much of what happens in both the
Pre-Primary and throughout St Charles College – space for boys to give full expression to their potential and abilities.
“One step at a time, we were told when we were small and very bold.
But O how hard our fear to hide when our steps were small and the spaces so wide.”
4 THE Saint LEGENDS EDITION • October 2012
9 October 2012 Sir,I’m unable to remain silent any longer. I wish to report to you the behaviour of one of your pupils, namely, Devon Hesse. This incident occurred on Sunday 7 October at the Kasane Airport in Botswana.
I was returning from a fishing trip on the Zambezi river with the above Devon, his younger brother, his father and Mr Cameron McKenzie from the Park Lane Spar, who also had his son with him. As we disembarked from shuttle-bus, which had delivered us to the Kasane Airport, an elderly gentleman who was travelling with us collapsed in a heap in the parking lot in the intense heat, at split open the back of his head.
The rest of our party including the driver of the said shuttle-bus and the Air Botswana staff could not find it within themselves to assist this gentleman in his unhappy circumstance. I did my best to comfort the elderly gentleman who was semi-conscious and looked up to find young Devon Hesse on his knees asking how he could be of help. Devon followed every instruction I gave him regarding the help required by the elderly man, and I wish to commend him for showing empathy, concern, a willingness to assist, the determination in securing the paper towels to staunch the bleeding, and the carrying of the elderly man to the comfort of a bench outside the airport building. He showed great determination in securing a wheelchair which was necessary to help the injured man onto the plane despite the thoroughly uncooperative attitude of the Air Botswana staff.
It was a joy and a relief to find someone this young demonstrating the commitment and leadership necessary in this emergency. We are so often disappointed with the behaviour of the youth, however, in this circumstance, I have nothing but admiration for this young man. I believe this is a very good reflection on his up-bringing and the environment in which he has been educated. Well done!
The happy outcome was the fact that the elderly gentleman was able to make the flight and return home to his family.
Yours sincerelyMark Bird
Legends in the making . . .
THE YEAR 2012 SAW THE ST CHARLES BOYS at St Alban’s, Pretoria, for
our annual rugby fixture. A tough and competitive game was expected and
the boys knew that they had to be at their best to overcome what was always
game opposition. The 3rd XV were due to play at 08:30 and it was amongst
plumes of vaporising breath that we began our warm up. Cheers from the
main field signified the 4th team’s narrow 6-3 victory over their opponents
and the scene was set for the 3rd team’s match.
The next 50 minutes bore witness to pitched battle of seesawing fortunes.
By the time the last move of the game was called, St Charles found
themselves 10-15 down but inside the opposition 22 with possession. Against
specific coach’s orders, and to his horror, Chris Jones, at fly half, stabbed
a kick through the St Alban’s backline defence. Luis Buque, clearly privy to
a somewhat risky plan, steamed down the right-hand touchline, collected
the ball and dived over the line to score the equaliser. The draw had been
secured and no one at this point expected anything more. The scene was set,
however, for the creation of a legend. Taking the ball to the point where the
10m line intersects with the touchline, Matthew Dukes calmly set his place
kick and began his pre-kick routine. I had convinced myself that the draw
was enough, that no one could manage a 45m kick from such an acute angle
and under so much pressure. These thoughts, it seemed, did not extend to
Matthew. With calm assuredness Matthew put boot to ball and, from the
minute it left his foot there was no doubt that he would bisect the uprights.
And so, victory! And so, a legend! There are few sporting moments that have
the ability to stay with one forever, and if we get to experience such an event,
we are truly favoured. Yet, if we get to coach a moment such as that 3rd team
victory over St Alban’s, we are reminded that there is nothing greater in this
life than the euphoria of shared success. At the final whistle there were not
fifteen boys on that field; there was just one team and one School.
Jonathan Beaumont • Coach.
Devon Hesse
Amazing kick from Matthew Dukes
First XI hockeySt Charles College 2 – 2 Maritzburg College
Lizwi Duma was recently called up to participate in the U20 basketball squad
which will participate in the Zone 6 games in Zambia. Lizwi captained the first
team in 2012.
Basketball Hockey
St Charles College Tennis teams dominated
the Midlands Leagues coming top in the
U19A and B sections. The U15 teams came
2nd in the A Section and first in the B Section.
Tennis triumphant
SCC hero in Botswana
5THE Saint LEGENDS EDITION • October 2012
Legends in the making . . .
TWO FIRST XI CRICKETERS achieved monumental feats.
Losing the toss at Grey College’s cricket festival in Bloemfontein,
on a searingly hot day during our bi-annual trek to the Free State
capital in January this year, and being asked to bowl first against
Woodridge was not quite what our boys were hoping for – but all
turned out well thanks to a master class of fast bowling from skipper
Matthew Ford. They say that five wickets is worth a century in
batting terms but skipper Ford, battling injury, ran in with incredible
courage to bowl seven of the hapless Woodridge batsman. Taking
seven wickets is a remarkable feat but to achieve this on a batter-
friendly pitch in the searing heat is pretty special, topped by bowling
all seven makes it fairly unique as well.
The Independent Schools’ Festival at St Alban’s produces some
very good cricket but none more so than opening batsman, Dean
Sublime cricketing performance by senior boys
Matthew Ford Dean Robinson
Robinson’s, efforts for the Saints. The opening match is a two-day,
double-innings affair. Winning the toss and choosing to bat first was
a good start for St Charles. After a very tentative first over opener
Dean Robinson entered a journey of self-discovery as he proceeded
to stay on the field for every ball of the next 250 odd overs which
were bowled. His first over gave no indication of a unique and very
rare occurrence about to happen as Dean piled on the runs over
after over reaching 132 not out when St Charles finally declared
their first innings closed. Fielding the entire St Alban’s knock was
a pretty tiring affair and their innings closed after 80 overs. Dean
then donned his batting kit to open the second innings and there
he stayed until the end of the game finishing on 136-not-out for a
match aggregate on 268 not out. One must agree that this amazing
effort needs to be recorded in the folklore of St Charles College
cricket. Dave Karlsen • Head Coach
THE PREP FIRST XI CRICKET TEAM enjoyed a remarkable first
term locally and also on tour to the Eastern Cape. Some fantastic
batting performances contributed to strong team performances.
Cameron Brown made good use of his experience gained at the
National U13 Week in December to notch up 524 first-term runs, his
best efforts being 129* against Merchiston and 127* against WHPS
from Pretoria.
Top 10 Prep Batting Performances of 2012 so far…
Cameron Brown 129* 1st XI Merchiston
Cameron Brown 127* 1st XI WHPS
Jason Login 100* U11A Clifton NR
Cameron Brown 90 1st XI Thomas More
Jason Login 72* U11A Highbury
Sizwe Majola 70* 5th XI Clifton NR
Cameron Brown 69 1st XI Clifton Durban
Jason Login 67* U11A Cordwalles
Nathan van Blerk 65 U12A Egerton 1st XI
Romano Green 65 4th XI Virginia
Superb rugby season for the Preparatory School
WATER DOES NOT BOIL AT 99˚C. It boils at 100˚C. The difference
is small but the change is significant. The Prep first XV rugby
mirrored this theme by making small changes and experienced a
significant change in fortunes during the 2012 rugby season. It was
a season highlighted with first-time wins against Cordwalles, Pelham
and Clifton Nottingham Road. The team added Johannesburg’s St
Stithian’s and The Ridge to their list of scalps as well as most other
local opposition.
We were proud to have Prep speedster, Chris Hope-Johnstone,
included in the Craven Week KwaZulu-Natal U13 team in
Bloemfontein. Rowan Irons • Head of Prep Sport
Preparatory School excels
The Preparatory School is proud to have seven provincial “A” team representatives. Abhik Sewsunker, Liam Levin and Guy Morgan are in the Inland U12A team and Nivaal Rahim, Liam Green, Bradley Sherwood and Nikhil Gopal will represent the Inland U13A team.
Seven Provincial representatives
Preparatory School cricket
6 THE Saint LEGENDS EDITION • October 2012
Tradition
FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS, the Matric
class has indicated that their top request
for improvement to the College was for
new entrance gates. For the uninitiated,
this process has taken almost 20 years
because of a dispute over a small patch
of tarred road in the middle of the
intersection which, until recently, did
not belong to us. So it was really fitting
that on 26 July 2012, we celebrated the
College’s 137th anniversary of Founder’s
Day with a new tradition – the Founder’s
Day Dash. Prompted by the Cambridge
Dash, featured in Chariots of Fire, the
Dash gives boys the chance to have their
name recorded for posterity as the one
who completed the race fastest.
The Matric group of 2012 has donated
a drinking fountain to commemorate the
start of this new tradition, and each year’s
winner with his time will be recorded on
brass panels on the side of the fountain.
The race is from the new gates
around the first traffic circle and back
(approximately 540m). This year’s
inaugural winning time was set in a close
finish by Mason O’Connor stopping the
clock at 1:16.97.
Founder’s Day Dash
Mason O’Connor leads Blake Mingay in the Founder’s Day Dash
A research initiative started in 2011 by the House Heads has finally led us to the point where not only has the fourth House of St Charles College, O’Meara (green), being reinstated after a 20 year absence, but banners bearing the crests of each House were also finalised and are
now hanging in the new library. The other Houses are Conway (red), Delalle (yellow) and Smith (blue).
THE WARCRY LEADER’S BLAZER – St
Charles College has 137 years of interesting
history. We went back in time to acknowledge
the fact that we were once a Marist Brothers
school and although we have been a non-
denominational Christian College since 1979,
we still maintain sporting ties with several of
the Saints schools. The responsibility of the
boy to whom the blazer is awarded each year
is to lead the College into “battle” against
the opposition on match days.
Warcry leader, Mbolela Nyosi, ready for battle
The four proud Houses of St Charles College
7THE Saint LEGENDS EDITION • October 2012
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BUILDING THE FUTURETOGETHER
Talented musician, Shane Peel, performing at the Annual St Charles College Talent Show, obtained 93% for AS Level Art and Design
IN THE JULY VACATION the first team football played in the KwaZulu-
Natal Inter-Schools’ Festival. Of the 8 matches that we played we won
5, lost 2 and drew 1. Notwithstanding the importance of winning,
the highlight of the Festival was that the St Charles College team was
awarded the trophy for fair play and best sportsmanship. The leaders
of the team, David Krone and Junaid Camp, received this trophy on
behalf of the team. In an era when the fundamental values on which
professional sport were founded are being undermined it was pleasing
to see the young men of our College remain true to the values we
aspire to, and to represent their School with honour and distinction.
Wayne Naidoo – First XI football coach
Fair Play Trophy for football
James Rae scoops a double English
Cambridge Brilliance Award.
First in both AS Level English Language and AS Level Literature in English,
James is the firstSt Charles College boy to earn two First-in-South-
Africa Awards.
OLD BOY, EDWIN BATH (2007), WRITES:
‘Close on five years have passed since the days of frequenting a
once gateless entrance to St Charles College. Much has changed
since the Class of 2007 ruled the College – a new Matric boarders’
block, a new gym, new locker-rooms, and not to mention a much
shorter migration to English and Art with newly added high school
classrooms allowing “Gardens” to be converted to the much
needed new Scrummies component for the College. As St Charles
College has progressed from strength to strength so too have many
of its Old Boys: here, briefly, are the movements and achievements
of the Class of 2007.
The College can be extremely proud of its Class of 2007. Of the
66 Saints who left the College in 2007, 57 have gone onto acquire
tertiary education qualifications and soon South Africa will have:
• 4 Doctors (Ahmed Jooma, Marc Smit Dux, Rushil Nundlall
and Charles Ojur)
• 5 LLB Graduates (Gareth Mauck with Masters, Chris Hart
with BCom, Andrew Pattinson with BCom, Bruce Hughes,
James Farina)
• 3Engineers (Oliver Aardnesgaard – Civil, Claudio Buque –
Electrical, Brett Moolenschot – Mechanical)
• 1Actuary (Craig Fowler)
• 44otherqualifiedgraduates.
Clearly a number of 2007 Saints’ Old Boys are ready to take their
position amongst South Africa’s leaders of tomorrow, and I believe
we can all proudly say that St Charles College had a large part in
nurturing our individual potentials, preparing us and placing us at
the forefront of our bright futures.’
Edwin Macrae Bath • Matric 2007
Five years on . . .
AN EXCITING NEW PLATFORM will soon be launched for you as
parents and associates, past and present, to stay connected with
the St Charles College community . As a Friend of the College or
as one of our valued Old Boys, we trust that you are committed to
supporting excellence and making a difference - not only to the
College and our city, but to South Africa as a whole. Together we
will work hard to enable boys who would not ordinarily have access
to a global learning experience in an independent School, to come
to St Charles College.
Those who support our values and the delivery of education
to South African children that meets the highest International
standards are already Friends of the College. If you would like to
be involved and know that you can make a difference, contact us
and let us know what you are thinking and we will see that you are
included in future initiatives.
Junaid Camp and David Krone
Grade 8 Biology project models were on display at the College. Their educational
value does not stop there – as they are then donated to needy schools with which St
Charles College has a mentoring relationship.
8 THE Saint LEGENDS EDITION • October 2012
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BUILDING THE FUTURETOGETHER
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BUILDING THE FUTURETOGETHER
Jolivet Legacy Award layout CTP 2012 09 11.indd 1 2012/10/16 3:51 PM
St Charles College, Harwin Road, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South AfricaPrivate Bag X07, Scottsville, 3209 South Africa
Telephone: +27 (0)33 386 8235 | Facsimile: +27 (0)33 386 1702eMail: [email protected] | Web site: www.scc.co.za
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