Messi 63.6 % Ronaldo 36.4 % In Perspective

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With 2022 being such an amazing year and with so many things going right, it set a wonderful tone for the Student Council to welcome the new Grade 8s into the brotherhood we know as Paul Roos Gymnasium. The first week allows the new Paul Roosers the opportunity to learn about the 157-year-old traditions and to familiarise themselves with the culture and standards of our school. It introduces them to the everyday routine of each learner while they learn to juggle all their new subjects, the big hallways and massive seniors walking shoulder-to-shoulder alongside them. The first week presents the Grade 8s with the chance of meeting new friends and building relationships with their new brothers while they gain a mentor in the form of a Student Council member or a matric. All in all, everyone involved –from the cheerleaders to the teachers and Student Council members – did a splendid job of preparing the new generation of Paul Roosers and setting up the Maroon Machine with a promising future.

In many ways, the start of 2023 has already had its challenges: first needing to say goodbye to Ms Stofberg, then the matrics had to deal with their ties and jerseys that took an extra minute before they reached them. Beyond all that, adjusting to the academic pace whilst having to do sport and culture in order to maintain the standard of the school and values we are admired for carries immense pressure. It is because of the double standard we ear 2023, Thank you for introducing us to our full potential, even if it is through challenges.live by (where we act differently in school when compared to how we interact with parents) that the Student Council is focusing on creating a culture where the standard outside and inside the class remains the same. “As perceived so it is”. In the end, we all dream of sending our sons to Paul Roos, but what will become of them if the current inhabitants of the school do not maintain the traditions we love? The future depends on you and what you make of it. Semper Splendidior isn’t just a saying; it is a reality in which each of us strives to be better than the person we were yesterday, and pride ourselves in setting an example for our peers and teachers.

In reflection, term 1 has been a fun one with many exciting things happening, despite a tough test series for some. It’s been a better start to 2023 than we could’ve dreamed of. It’s always astonishing watching 1300 boys pull together to act like one massive Maroon Machine and to see each one living with pride as they exercise the old-school values they have adopted. We should all be on edge for the big things that are to come – not only in class but on the sports field amongst each other.

You don’t have to change the world all in one go, you can start by just encouraging the person next to you. Doing the small things well consistently leads to big rewards and development in the future.