Edition 2 of 2019

Calling HONOURS CUM LAUDE AWARD The 2018 winners of the Honours Cum Laude award (matric aggregate of 90% and above) are pictured here with Mr Goedeke and Ms King. Well done to Ashir Parusnath, Damien Stichelbout, Sgwili Nzama and Hemil Gopalan who attended the Academic Awards Ceremony today. The 2018 top performers from Grades 8-11 were also recognized at the Ceremony. The ’XIII Club’ and matric ties were presented to the Grade 12 class of 2019. (See pictures on page 7).

ABOVE: Skye Meaker at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. RIGHT: With President Cyril Ramaphosa.

You continue to do yourself, your family, your school, your community and your country proud, Skye. Onwards and upwards, young man!

EDITION 2 25 January 2019

Dear Parents

College Principal

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving” Albert Einstein

The above is most apt as Clifton School has settled into the rhythm of a journey to its destination. All the boys and staff are riding their ‘bicycles’ and are trying to keep their balance on this ride into the ‘head winds’ or challenges of the new year. They have found their seats (some more comfortable than others) and are finding their way around. This seems to be particularly true of all the Grade 8’s and new boys into the College. They have become fully involved in the life of the school and it is pleasing to see the enthusiasm and commitment shown thus far in music or choir lessons, sport practices and cultural activities.

The concept of a brotherhood/family was seen by me in action on the Saturday morning before the Grade 8 camp. Two boys who had arrived early asked me if they could go down to the lay-bye and help a friend of theirs carry his kit and encourage him, as he was a bit anxious. I said of course they could and off they went very happily to help and encourage their friend. This example is what we stand for at Clifton – a sense of family where we all belong and help each other. This was heartening to see and bodes well for this Grade 8 class.

This past weekend’s sport results were pleasing.

The support that the school has received from the parents at the various functions is also pleasing. We hope that you will enjoy the ‘ride’ with us this year.

achievements of our top students in each Grade and those who excelled in each subject. The matrics were presented with their ties and those who have been at Clifton since Grade R, with the Club XIII tie.

The Honours Cum Laude award was recently introduced for the top matric results. The boys qualify for this award by attaining an average of 90% plus. Of the 2018 Matric class, four boys achieved this distinction and were presented with their award.

(See page 1) The First Term is a busy and demanding one and also involves a number of compulsories for the boys.

Times and arrangements will be sent to you closer to the events.

To end off, I am reminded of the words of Celia Lashlie, the bestselling author of ‘He’ll be OK – Helping Adolescent boys become good men’. She undertook a project in some of New Zealand’s Boys’ schools called The Good Man Project, and in the book she explains and notes her observations. She identifies one of the essential elements that boys need; namely, - ‘time’ - when they grow up. This is something that we, as parents, need to remember, along with the different roles played by a father and a mother on this journey boys take to become good men. I quote from her book below: “They need time to think, time to process newly found emotions and time to just be, to move freely between boyhood and manhood, returning several times, in the initial flush of adolescence, to a state of boyhood where they spend time playing while reflecting at a deeper (and often completely invisible) level on the fact that they are in the process of leaving boyhood behind”.

Celia Lashlie, p 47 from ‘He’ll be OK’ - Collins 2008.

A reminder to parents that all boys are expected to participate in the extramural programme and to do at least one sport per term. Please ensure that your sons attend practices and fulfil their commitments on a Saturday or when a match takes place.

Commitment, resilience and team work are important life skills, which need to be learnt and reinforced. Clifton is well known for the commitment Enjoy the weekend with your sons and family. shown by the boys and we would like to maintain this, especially as we play schools that have far Yours faithfully larger numbers from which to choose.

On the academic front, we held the Grade 12 Information Evening on Thursday, where we reinforced certain important aspects of the final year at school. At the annual Grade 8 to 11 Academic GERRY GOEDEKE Awards Ceremony, we recognized the academic COLLEGE PRINCIPAL

Meander On Friday afternoon Messrs White and Ravenscroft will be at the cricket matches being played against DPHS. On Saturday Mr Mezher will be at some of the cricket and water polo matches being played against Kearsney. Mr Bresler will be with his U15A cricket team. Messrs White and Mezher will be at the cricket matches being played against DPHS while Mrs Achmad and Mr Boniaszczuk will be at the Grade R to 2 Dads and Lads session and the Grade 1 to 3 Welcome Tea. Messrs Knowles and Goedeke are away

Congratulates...

The Clifton Representatives who were selected for the KZN Youth Orchestra for 2019. They are pictured here with Miss Jane Baillie (KZNYO strings tutor, Clifton SP music) and Mr Duncan Wooldridge (KZNYO Winds/Brass Tutor). Both Jane and Duncan are peripatetic music staff at Clifton. This photo was taken at the annual KZNYO Camp for 2019.

From Left: Jane Baillie, Andrew Ward (trumpet), Tiashan Moodley (violinconcertmaster), Lance Leslie-Smith (trombone), Kenton Leslie-Smith (matric 2018, saxophone) and Duncan Woolridge.

The dedicated group of young Clifton gents who completed their Level 1 First Aid Training Course at the end of last year.

Well done William Gooch, Matt Strous, George Tattari, Karl Berger, William Telfer, Vyal Ramlall, Shaun Matthysen and Samir Bhagwandas.

The debating teams got going with their training with much enthusiasm.

Our Grade 8’s and Juniors won their respective leagues last year, so the teams are hard at work to try and maintain the high standard set.

We are behind you all the way, gents!

Cameos

It’s always a treat to watch our senior and junior boys interact with each other.

Twice a week, our Grade 11 boys spend time with the Grade R’s, playing, chatting and just generally having fun!

Special moments, indeed. #OneSchoolOneFamily

THERE’S NEVER ENOUGH SPACE FOR ALL THE PICS! PLEASE SEE PICS OF OUR GRADE 1 BOYS ENJOYING THEIR FIRST TWO WEEKS OF SCHOOL IN THE GALLERY SECTION OF THE D6 COMMUNICATOR

The Grade 5 and Grade 2 Clubs combined this week to work on programming iPads. Great fun was had by all as the younger boys learned to control the Sphero’s while Mrs Boni and Mrs Walton watched and assisted.

LEFT: Matt Kruger (Grade 12) scored a hole in one at the 4th hole at DCC in a league match against Westville Boys High.

2018 Grade 8-12 Top Five in grade.

(Some boys were not present due to co-curricular commitments)

GRADE 9

GRADE 8

GRADE 10

GRADE 11

XIII CLUB 2019

Clifton congrats to our tennis boys who finished 7th overall out of ten schools at the St Benedict's Tournament.

Well done, gents.

Congrats to Jarryd Walker (Grade 10) who placed 2nd in the U16 and 56th overall in the Drakensburg Challenge. The race was the SA 2019 K1 River Championships.

Ben Maehler (Grade 9) paddled a K2 with his father, finishing 276th overall.

The first game of cricket was played under floodlights on the Whitehead Oval this week.

It was a pulsating match for both U11A teams from Durban Preparatory High School and Clifton.

DPHS scored 162 runs before the dinner break.

The setting was magnificent - a beautiful Durban summer's evening - and the cricket matched the occasion.

Clifton went into the last over requiring 5 runs for victory with one wicket in hand. Even the water polo boys were watching from the Aquatic Centre. DPHS took the wicket, leaving Clifton 4 runs short of their total on 158.

It was a superb game of cricket, played in the right spirit, acknowledged by the boys, parents and coaches. A big thank you to all concerned for the installation of the lights, which will add further value to the sports programme and what our uniquely beautiful campus has to offer.

We are pleased to announce that Mrs Jane Maasdorp will be joining the Clifton staff as the school archivist.

Jane has had a long association with Clifton – her brothers and nephews (from the Norman Family) all attended the Prep School; whilst her son, David, was Head Boy in 2010. Jane also ran the school shop for a number of years.

Significantly, Jane – with Rose Visser back in the 1990s – began the arduous process of gathering information from old boys, writing down the memories of old staff and filing photographs.

Jane’s role will involve the creation of a digital archives, creating a database of Prep Old Boys, as well as being the custodian of any items that are donated for display in the newly created Heritage Centre in Founders House.

Jane is pictured here with Mr McCabe who has been instrumental in establishing the Heritage Centre in Founders House. Jane can be contacted at archives@cliftonschool.co.za.