2021
MR & MISS WG 2021 FOTOBLAD
Teacher Feature
|
ISSUE
1
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A MONTIE New Moon
Matric photos
LEARN MORE ABOUT
Underwater Hockey
Royal Kingdom
REDAKSIE Redaktrise: Subredaktrise: Joernaliste: Karla Wessels Lidia Hugentobler Zoë Hendricks Yaaseen Jacobs Foto's: Juf. Noble Jo Duvenhage Proeflesers :
Nabilah Williams Nadia Botha Jané van Eck Lana de Jager Laxmini Patel Jané Bester Me. Bergenthuin Me. Jordaan Me. Mills
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INHO
Editor's
Letter
Blast
from
A
in
day
New
UD
the
the
Moon
3
past
life
Senior
of
4
a
Montie
5
Picnic
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Skrywershoekie
Mnr.
en
Mej.
Ontmoet
WG
Royal
Lockdown
8
9
Kingdom
11
Nostalgia
12
Fotoblad
13
University
Wenke
Past
vir
vs
Tieners
Applications:
'n
you
need
to
know
rapport
wat
Problems
'n
17
groot
invloed
op
ons
hockey
with
15
16
Present
Underwater
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goeie
All
the
jeug
het
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school
system
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E D I T O R ' S
Letter To be completely honest with you, I am a bit hesitant and nervous to write my first editor’s letter. This letter will allow some of my vulnerabilities to show, which to me is extremely scary. Ek is al vir vier jaar deel van die Circum-redaksie en dis ’n groot voorreg om as redaktrise ’n paar gedagtes met julle te deel. Dear readers, we have completed our first term of 2021 and all I am wondering is what in the world did I just experience? To my fellow Matrics, everyone who claimed grade 11 to be the hardest academic year of one’s high school career, clearly lied to us. At first, I was expecting to ease into the whole final year of high school thing, but my final year of high school clearly had a plan of its own. The first week alone was absolutely gruelling; 3 days of Maths tests, the grade 8 camp and Valentine’s week all at once, and this was only the start of it. Here comes the vulnerability part. My first term was truly a struggle with and without all of the school work. I believe that this term played a huge part in my life, because it made me understand the value of love, friendship, honesty and kindness.
Some of you probably had an amazing term, while others barely made it through these last couple of months, but to all of you I want to say how proud I am of your perseverance and strength. To those who struggled, I believe that sometimes people will never truly understand the amount of strength it takes to pull oneself out of that dark mental state, to find motivation, and more importantly, to try and refrain from falling back. There are days when it feels as if all hope is lost, or that everything just feels so bad that you forget what the good feels like. Those moments are absolutely terrifying. To those people, you are stronger than you think and you will get through this.
Die eerste kwartaal was darem ook nie nét sleg nie. Anders as verlede jaar, mag ons nou uiteindelik weer aan skoolaktiwiteite deelneem. Hierdie aktiwiteite sluit Mnr. en Mej. WG, die piekniek – ’n nuwe inisiatief van die VRL – en natuurlik sport in. Dis te danke aan onderwysers en afrigters dat ons aan hierdie aktiwiteite kan deelneem en terselfdertyd alle Covid-19-regulasies gehoorsaam.
As seniors, we have dreamt of all of our lasts during the last 4 years of high school and sadly our lasts are happening in ways that we did not expect. However, we are still able to enjoy these last memories with our peers, just in safer ways. If I am being honest with you, it felt as if I was in grade 8 just last week, singing on the pavilion, watching Aneeq take control of the sing songs with everyone waving their flags in the air. This is probably one of the things I’m going to miss the most about this year, the sing songs. It was truly a way to unite the Gimmies and build spirit in the school. It was also the last chance for the seniors of the school to be cheerleaders and ‘dirigente’, but we will always cherish the memories of our previous years’ experiences. And there you have it, my first editor’s letter. This again is one of the lasts of my firsts and the reality of time passing is starting to kick in. We have completed our first term and there are only 3 more left, for the matrics technically 2, so make the most of every opportunity, take part and make as many memories as you possibly can, because time passes in the blink of an eye.
Nabilah
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E D I T O R
Williams I N
C H I E F
Ms. Meyer
Mr. Joubert
Mr. Reichert Ms. Louw Ms. Snygaans Ms. Wessels
Ms. Neetling
Mr. Kruger
Ms. Louw
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Grabbing an empty notebook and a pen, I made my way outside to wait for my lift. The day was about to begin. 7:03: My neef, Hendre Jacobs (of Mac soos ons hom ken), wat my toergids vir die dag was, het my kom oplaai. Die skoenlappers van senuwees en opwinding het behoorlik in my maag rondgefladder!
BY NADIA BOTHA
Our town of Worcester has three main high schools, but what do we truly know about the day-to-day life of each one? I chose Montana as my point of interest and used my contacts there to go undercover and experience what it would be like to spend a day in the life of a Montie.
6:30: My usual wake up time felt different, as I left behind my pale blue and navy uniform and donned the beige and white skirt and shirt combo of Montana. I would be lying if I said I didn’t spend at least a few minutes twirling around in the mirror admiring my new look. Circum | 5
7:15: We stopped at the front gate, grabbed our bags from the car boot and headed to the gate where we were scanned in. (No, our school didn’t make up COVID-19 to get longer school hours, it’s everywhere.) 7:20: Ons het vinnig ’n draai by die skool se kaf (kafeteria) gemaak om ons pousekos te bestel. En ja, Bigga is daar ook R2! 7:30: We were seated in the biology classroom with its numerous displays of bones and specimens. Everyone fell silent as the intercom buzzed and the day was opened with prayer, as well as a special welcome to Nadia Botha, a guest from Worcester Gymnasium. A test period then started and I watched as the Monties handed in their phones and turned their minds to their CAT and IT tests. (Tests are everywhere guys. Guess there’s no getting away from them.)
9:00: After the test period it was break. I enjoyed the Montana delicacy of a Dorito wrap, washed down with Sprite. Schools at break are shockingly similar. Groups huddled all over the school grounds and there was even the usual group of guys playing touchies on the netball courts. The bell rang and it was time for my first lesson as a Montana student.
12:03: Break once again! I took this opportunity to wander around the school and snap some photographs, making a side trip to the hall where I could look at my family heritage displayed on the boards found on the walls there. The hall itself is very like ours only minus the balcony. After taking a Covid friendly picture with the headboy (Hendre) and headgirl (Anje) it was time for our next lesson. 12:20: Wiskunde. My kop het gedraai terwyl ek probeer sin maak het van die Matrieks se wiskunde. (Wie het geweet sin, cos en tan kon op so veel maniere gebruik word?) Juffrou Breedt het gelukkig nie vir my gevra om enige somme te doen nie, so ek kon darem met my waardigheid uit die klas stap.
9:25: Afrikaans was eerste op die rooster. Juf. Van Heerden, die Afrikaansonderwyser is ’n Montana-legende. Selfs my eie ma was in haar klas! Nadat ek ’n voorsmakie van Onderwêreld deur Fanie Viljoen gekry het, het die klok gelui en ons het na die Biologieklas beweeg. 10:06: Biology was given by Juffrou Cronje, the same teacher who had supervised the test period. The topic of the lesson was genetic manipulation and I followed along on the notes that had been handed out to me as well as the rest of the class. My attention only wandered to consider whether the skull in the cabinet beside me was in fact a real human skull or just a replica. The bell signaling the end of the period rang before I could enquire, so it seems the answer will remain unknown. 10:44: Next up was English with Juffrou Jacobs. We dove into Life of Pi and I learnt how to answer contextual questions in the correct way in order to receive the maximum number of marks. 11:23: LO was volgende, en soos in elke LO-les waarin ek al ooit was, was daar PowerPointskyfies om af te skryf. Ek het in hierdie klas vir die eerste keer van die Montana-kookboek gehoor. In dié kookboek het my eie ouma se konfytresep, en ander familieresepte, al verskyn.
13:02: Science. I was relieved when the Matrics started taking out their work and I recognised the sums displayed there. Luckily for me, they were doing Gr 11 revision. I never thought I’d be happy to see force diagrams and calculations of tension, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t at least a little relieved about the familiar work. 14:40: IGO/EGD. I walked into the classroom to be greeted by the words, “Welkom by IGO, Nadia Botha” written in neat handwriting on the blackboard. I was then greeted by Meneer Brant, the vice-principle and EGD teacher. Thereafter ensued a lesson of which I did not understand a word. I may have left the classroom without any EGD knowledge, but I did leave with a newfound respect for all the learners taking that subject. (How you guys see where those lines go is beyond me.) 14:15: Die skoolklok het die einde van die dag aangekondig en ek het die skool op dieselfde manier verlaat as wat ek vroeër die oggend ingekom het. Die enigste verskil was dat my notaboek propvol notas was!
And so my day as a Montie ended and I couldn’t help but feel a little sad that my adventure was over. My day in the school had me wholly convinced of their motto:
Montana is werklik ’n skool waar elke kind belangrik is.
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n o o m New
On the 13th of March, the RCL hosted the first ever New Moon Senior Picnic and it was a big blast from the past.
BY ZOË HENDRICKS The night started and our guests did not disappoint. The dress code might have been 50s, by each Gimmie was dressed in gees. Under the new moon and stars, the movie night was off to an amazing start. With the old school jams pumping, a karaoke session was in order.
The movie was impeccable. We enjoyed some coffee and group snuggles during the breaks. After a couple of oohs and aahs and a sing-along to ‘Grease lightening’ later, the movie night came to an end. The matic class of 2021 was so grateful to have this opportunity to bond and make memories. We thank the RCL for organising this event and trying to make this year special for us!
The seniors thoroughly enjoyed the meal and snacks provided including the cotton candy machine. A bunch of photos and one fancy car ride later, it was time for the movie to begin.
LOOKALIKES
o
RIzz Shaneen Apollis
y Sand
ancke Stiaan H Nadia Botha
Marko van Rhyn
Danny Sonny
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The
oys
ie B GImm
The Gre
ase Boy s
SKRYWER
SHOEKIE
Kamer 15
’n Dag in die lewe van ’n gewone woordeboek in Juf. Keet se klas kan maklik opgesom word in een woord: pynigend. Elke liewe dag is dit dieselfde dinge oor en oor. Jy weet, toe ek nog ’n klein tesourussie was, was my lewe baie makliker. Die kinders het mekaar nie geslaan met boeke nie. Die lewe is deesdae swaarder. Ek hoop die kinders was darem my hande voordat hulle my gebruik. Baie van die kinders se hande is vuil. Soms is dit nat, soms is dit taai en soms is dit vol sout van Bigga-tjips. Sommige hande is net dom, hulle kan my nie eers reg vashou nie, en dan laat val hulle my! Eina! Die aaklige stout kinders skeur sommer ’n mens se bladsye uit asof dit niks is nie, en dan gebruik hulle dit as spoegballetjies. Hulle vou selfs vliegtuie met ons bladsye.
Al my woordeboekvriende deel hierdie pyn. My beste vriend, HAT, is al vir jare vriende. Soms wens ek ek kan ook so groot en vol woorde wees soos hy, maar dit sal nooit gebeur nie. Ek en HAT beplan om die naweek Boekklub toe te gaan. Dit gaan ’n groot fees wees. Ek beplan ook om die meisie op wie ek verlief is, uit te vra. Haar naam is Diksha Nêrrie. Sy is absoluut perfek. Sy is met mooiste plastiek oorgetrek; sy die skoonste bladsye en sy Engels ook praat (nie almal ons is tweetalig nie).
die het kan van
Ek wens die leerders kon ons beter hanteer. Maar daar is nog steeds hoop. Ek mag dalk ’n woordeboek wees, maar my storie is ver van klaar af. Yaaseen Jacobs (11A3) Wil jy skrywers graag hoekie in skryfwerk vir st d of gedig na circum uur? Stuur jou op ie stel @worcgim .co.za
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MR & MISS WG 2021
Behind the scenes
MEJ. PERSOONLIKHEID
MNR. PERSOONLIKHEID
MEJ. FOTOGENIES Circum | 9
MNR. FOTOGENIES
Naturally YOU
OFFICIAL PHOTOS BY DEWALD KIRSTEN
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ROYAL
King dom
ONTMOET WORCESTER GIMNASIUM SE EIE HIP-HOP-DANSGROEP DEUR LANA DE JAGER
Rooi ligte verkleur die verhoog en musiek dans deur die afwagtende gehoor. Drie figure verskyn op die verhoog – die drie lede van Worcester Gimnasium se eie dansgroep: Royal Kingdom! Worcester Gimnasium is propvol talentvolle leerders en dit is hoogtyd dat ons hulle beter leer ken. Hierdie kwartaal gesels ek met drie matrieks: Gifton Hoofd, Aimee Hon en Jenna-Lee Groenewald, die lede van Royal Kingdom. Jenna-Lee, Gifton en Aimee dans nou al vyf jaar lank saam onder leiding van hul afrigters en steunpilare, mnr. Neakay Seconds en mnr. Burwell Seconds. Wat is julle gunstelingdeel van dans? Die lekkerste deel van dans is definitief die feit dat ons ons talent met die gehoor kan deel en ons kuns kan maak met emosie. Die span bestaan uit mense wat werklik ongelooflik kreatief is en daarom is dit lekker om saam te werk.
Wat motiveer julle kuns? Positiewe kommentaar oor hoe ons optrede mense laat voel maak al die ure se oefening die moeite werd. Die vrees van foute maak is altyd daar maar ons gebruik dit as motivering om ons heel beste aan die gehoor te gee. Dans is iets waarin ons moontlik baie suksesvol kan wees en die hoop van toekomstige sukses motiveer ons om hard te werk en altyd 100% te gee. Circum | 11
Oorweeg julle dit om ’n loopbaan te maak uit julle passie vir dans? Die ongelooflike gevoel van jouself wees op die verhoog en die uitlaat van emosies wat dans ons gee is genoeg om ons te oortuig om ’n loopbaan daaruit te maak. Ons wil definitief dit met nog baie mense deel om te wys watter positiewe invloed dit op jou lewe kan hê en hoe dit jou deur moeilike tye kan dra. Selfs al dans ons nie vir ’n loopbaan nie, sal ons nooit kan ophou dans nie omdat die gevoel van op die verhoog wees voor ’n klomp mense totaal verslawend is. Dans help ons om ongelooflike mense te ontmoet en ons passie vir dans met ander te deel en ook hulle stories te hoor. Royal Kingdom tree gereeld op in Montagu, Kaapstad, Paarl en Belville en waardeer ondersteuning van aanhangers, so wees op die uitkyk vir ’n optrede en maak ’n draai. Hulle tree ook gereeld by skoolfunksies op soos onlangs by die Mnr. en Mej. WG-kompetisie waar hulle die gehoor totaal en al stomgeslaan het.
a i g l a t nosBY LAXMINI PATEL
LOCKDOWN
You wake up in a cold sweat only to realise it’s 8 am. You almost get a heart attack thinking you’ve overslept for school when you realise…there’s a world pandemic and you’re imprisoned in your house for the next 3 weeks.
After dinner, the many, many photos of peoples’ desserts you’ve seen on Instagram convince you that the risk of burning down your kitchen is worth it for a good batch of cookies or a fresh loaf of banana bread.
Let’s take a little nostalgic trip back to the first lockdown and look at the typical day of a bored teenager.
Once your mom has either applauded you for your delicious, sweet treat or is extremely mad at you for the mess you’ve made and the dessert fail because your forgot to add baking powered to the banana bread, it’s time for you to be forced into your 100th family game night.
You wake up again some point after 11 am and get ready to join the rest of the world in their attempt to get a six-pack by doing the “Chloe Ting 2 Week Shred”. Or you could just run around the house trying to ensure that you don’t lose all athletic ability by the time you’re back at school and have to climb the stairs to the 3rd floor for Afrikaans class.
After a good sweat and a very extensive skincare routine you got from TikTok, you decide it’s a good time to take 20 minutes to make the currently trending “Dalgona Coffee” and make a good breakfast to power you through your busy day of doing nothing.
Before we feed our Netflix addiction by watching Outer Banks, we make sure to take part in the new (very much unnecessary) Instagram challenge of day. At around 2 am we decide to call it a day and go to bed, only to relive it for the next 3 weeks. And just like that, our little nostalgic trip has come to an end and we are back in the present day, trying to make sure we aren’t 2 weeks behind on homework.
In the afternoon, you decide it is a good time to ignore your Google Classroom notifications and binge watch “Outer Banks”. You ask yourself the very important question, “Did Carole Baskin kill her husband?” A few hours of Netflix later and you think you deserve a break, so you go onto TikTok and try to convince yourself you’re going to be the next Charlie Damelio.
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Ons skenk
bloed!
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applications
EVERYTHING you need to know! Whether you’re a Matric about to leave school, or an overzealous grade 8, it is never too soon to start planning for your life after high school. University websites can be outdated and difficult to use, and useful information online is often few and far between. This guide will help you feel more comfortable about deadlines, documents that are needed and application dates. Voordat jy in matriek kom, is daar ’n paar dinge waaraan jy aandag moet gee. Vanaf graad 9 moet jy die loopbaanopsies waarin jy belangstel, ondersoek en jou vakke daarvolgens kies. Doen navorsing op jou voorkeur-universiteit se webblad om uit te vind of jy aan spesiale vereistes moet voldoen. Vir sekere grade, soos byvoorbeeld, Verpleeg- of Veeartskunde, moet jy bewys lewer van ’n aantal uur se skaduwerk. Daar sal nie genoeg tyd wees om eers in graad 12 aan hierdie spesiale vereistes te begin werk nie. As gevolg van die Covid-19-virus het sekere tersiêre instansies toegewings gemaak. As jy onseker is oor wat van jou verwag word, moenie huiwer om die instansie van jou keuse se kantoor te kontak en al jou vrae te vra nie. Do as much research as possible. Many universities and colleges have websites, Instagram pages and Youtube channels that can give you a better understanding of the courses offered, student life, and information about residences. Usually, an application for residence is sent in along with your course application.
BY KARLA WESSELS
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Ope ni app ng date lic s fo r (202 ations 2 in take ):
Bola nd C olle SU: ge: 6 Ap 21 A ril pril CPU T: 1 A pril UW C: 1 5M NW ay U: 3 0 A Uni pril vers i t y of Wit the wat e rsra Janu n d: 3 ary 1 UP: 1M ay
Applications are open for only a few months, so be sure to submit them online as soon as possible. The main documents you will be needing are your Grade 11 report and your ID. Once you have applied, make sure to check your application portal regularly. As your application is considered, you will be asked for other documents such as your testimonial. Indien jy om finansiële hulp moet aansoek doen, sal dié aansoeke ’n paar weke ná die hoofaansoeke open. Maak seker van hierdie datums op die universiteit se webblad. Om jou toekoms te beplan kan nogal ’n stresvolle ervaring wees, maar dit is tog belangrik om elke nou en dan saam met vriende en familie te ontspan en opgewonde te wees oor jou toekoms.
My vingers vou om die bruin koevert. Ek staar na my naam wat daarop pronk. Uitdagend. Amper asof my rapport besig is om my uit te tart met al die mag wat in daardie sewe getalle onder mekaar lê. Ek hou my asem op. Ek skeur die koevert oop en probeer alles gelyk oopmaak, op soek na die enigste een waarna ek eintlik wil kyk: Kwartaal 1 se resultate.
WENKE vir
'n goeie rapport Deur Jané van Eck
Ek klou aan die oop papier vas. Ek scan deur die getalle. Asem uit. ’n Sug van verligting. Ek is tevrede. Die afgelope drie maande flits in enkele sekondes voor my oë verby. Kwartaal 1: al die harde werk, laataande se studeer, vroegoggend se ekstra huiswerk, sportoefeninge, verpligtinge, verantwoordelikhede, buitemuurse aktiwiteite, vriendskappe, familietyd. Alles in delikate balans. Wat is die doel van alles? Was my besige kwartaal, hoë stresvlakke en roetine wat tot uitputting en uitbranding gelei het, die moeite werd? Was goeie resultate die moeite werd? Sou ek dit alles weer doen as ek die kwartaal moes oordoen? My antwoord? Ja! Ja, ek sou as ek weer kon kies alles weer doen, maar ek sou dit soveel anders doen. Ek deel graag gewoontes en streshanteringsmeganismes wat ek in die toekoms sal gebruik om die beste moontlike resultate te kry, sonder om uit te brand.
1. Maak elke dag jou bed op Jou brein word ingestel om doelgerig en effektief te werk as jy hierdie eerste taak van die dag afhandel.
2. Slaap genoeg Indien jou energietenk leeg is, sal jy in elk geval minder gedoen kry, so jy kan net sowel daardie ekstra uurtjie slaap!
3. Wees daagliks aktief Deur aktief te wees, stel jy hormone vry wat jou denkwyse verbeter en jou gemoed lig. Oefening kan dien as uitlaatklep en as ’n manier om jou gedagtes te ontknoop.
4. Wees georganiseerd Hou jou kamer, klaswerk, werkspasie en skedule georganiseerd. Indien jy ’n superbesige skedule het, sal bloot deur georganiseerd te wees dit vir jou 10 keer makliker maak om oor te skakel van een taak tot ’n volgende.
5. Eet genond Die verkeerde dieet kan lei tot kopsere, lighoofdigheid, lae energievlakke en bykomende stres. Jou energievlakke sal verhoog as jy gesonder eet.
6. Ontspan Miskien luister jy na musiek, draf, teken of speel jy videospeletjies. om te ontspan Maak tyd vir dit wat jy geniet!
7. Prioritiseer Skryf jou opdragte en take in volgorde van belang neer, sodat dit vir jou brein meer doenbaar lyk. Doen die groot take eerste en kleiner takies, wat minder energie verg. aan die einde van die dag. Kom ons normaliseer lae stresvlakke. Dit is nie cool om uitgebrand te wees nie. Dis nie iets om oor te brag as jy netnet funksioneer met vier uur se slaap nie. Wees cool op jou paadjie na goeie resultate! Circum | 16
PASTvs By Nabilah Williams etics at It all started with Interschools Athl first “kreet”. Greenpoint Stadium when we had our because the It was such an amazing experience school felt so united. All the prep aration that led up to that mome nt, such as th e latenight pract ices in the h all truly, helped ma ke the sin g-songs a success. It was such a fun experience and new fr iendships were forme d.
Ilani Theron
I remember sitting in a circle with my fellow grade 8s and the Matrics of our year. It was so much fun bonding My favo and to this day we are still close urite m emory is soccer friends with many of them. playing against a group Matrics of . If we w on, we w allowed ere to wear Matric b for a da a dges y. Luckil y we wo n!
Kaylin Bergh
vourite One of my fa as to be the memories h p. grade 8 cam
Stiaan Hancke Circum | 17
I truly enjoyed the haunted house and Mrs Nel's story made the fear even worse. I remember walking through the haunted house and seeing Cassiem running towards him with a paintball gun and Pieter riding a tricycle and although it was extremely terrifying, it will always be a memory that I will treasure.
We never realise how quickly time goes by until we’re left with only a memory. I thought it would be a great idea to look back at some of the most memorable moments the Matrics had at the beginning of the high school career. Our grade 8s were also involved in this experiment to see if the activities that they were most excited about matched up with the answers given by the grade 12s.
Cara Bester and Henco van der Merwe are both looking forward to the hope of a grade 8 ball later in the year.
“I am looking forward to taking part in activities such as the earth club and UCSA and I am also looking forward to getting to know the teachers.” - Shannon Synder
“This year I'm looking forward to the grade 8 ball. I would like to get to know the teachers better and I am looking forward to playing netball with new people and going on tours with them. New activities such as the Earth Club and President’s Awards is also something I look forward to but most importantly just being able to have a fun first year in high school.” - Caitlin Adams
These are the favorite moments from grade 8 from our Matric learners and the memories that our current grade 8’s are looking forward to. Remember to treat each day as if it was your last, so take part, try out for that sports team, ask that person to the ball, but most importantly make memories.
TIENERS
wat 'n groot invloed het op ons
jeug
Deur Karla Wessels Van kleintyd af is ons almal aangemoedig om goeie rolmodelle te kies. Aan die begin is hierdie rolmodelle ons ouers, later is dit karakters soos Superman of Barbie, maar soos ons ouer word, begin ons eerder leiding soek by mense van ons eie ouderdom. Baie mense sal dalk sê dat dit nie 'n blink idee is om 'n tiener as rolmodel te kies nie, aangesien 'n tiener se brein nog nie ten volle ontwikkel is nie. Tieners is baie meer ingestel op emosie eerder as gevolge, en dit maak ons baie passievol, maar ook partykeer 'n bietjie dom. Tienertantrums kom soms voor, maar hierdie passie en emosie word dikwels omgeskakel na ’'n ongelooflike dryf om van die die wêreld 'n beter plek te maak. Hier is net ’'n paar tieners wat goeievvoorbeelde is van dit waartoe tieners in staat is: Rishab Jain (14) Hoeveel graad 8's in Worcester Gimnasium kan sê dat hulle baanbrekertegnologie ontwerp het wat help om kankerselle in die pankreas te vernietig en terselfdertyd gesonde selle te behou? Dis presies wat Rishab Jain gedoen het! Hy het ook al verskeie pryse vir sy werk gewen. “Ek het die voorreg om te kyk hoe dokters 'n onmiddellike verskil in mense se lewens maak,” sê Jain. “Daarom wil ek voortgaan om dit na te streef.”
Rishab Jain Thandiwe Abdulla (15) Terwyl die res van ons stres om voor 30 klasmaats (wat ons al vir jare ken) ons mondeling te lewer, het Thandiwe Abdulla voor meer as 50 000 mense as woordvoerder vir die swart jeug opgetree. Sy is een van die stigterlede van “Black lives matter in school”. “Ek wil die wêreld se persepsie van die swart jeug verander en swart jeugdiges bemagtig om hul eie ruimte op te eis en te eis dat daar aan al ons behoeftes voldoen moet word,” vertel Abdullah aan TIME. “Ek wil die stelsels waaronder ons leef wat ons onderdruk verander na stelsels wat ons bemagtig.” Greta Thunberg (15) Nadat die 15-jarige Greta Thunberg besluit het dat daar nie genoeg gedoen word omtrent klimaatsverandering nie, het sy sake in haar eie hande geneem en sedertdien honderde skole wêreldwyd geïnspireer om regerings aan te moedig om klimaatsverandering te bekamp. “Ek het gedink dat niks gebeur nie en niemand doen iets nie — dit is my morele plig om te doen wat ek kan,” deel sy aan TIME haar missie. “Ek kan nie stem nie, daarom kan ek my stem laat hoor.” Dis is net 'n paar voorbeelde van merkwaardige dade wat deur tieners verrig is. Tog is daar ook 'n paar slegte rolmodelle in wie se lokval ons nie moet val nie. So, voor jy daardie vloermoer gooi oor die feit dat jy nie 'n partytjie toe mag gaan nie, besluit of dit regtig is waaraan jy al jou passie en emosie wil toewy.
Tandiwe Abdulla
Greta Thunberg
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UNDER W As kids, we've all played that game with our friends where we see who can hold their breath underwater the longest. Did you know that there is a sport where that skill determines who wins or loses? And that game is – drum roll please – underwater hockey! Yes, you read correctly, underwater hockey. What image popped into your head when you read that? Something like people swimming with large sticks, hitting a ball around in the water? Unfortunately, that is not accurate at all. From above it looks more like a school of piranhas fighting over pieces of meat. But in the words of Sebastian from The Little Mermaid, “Darling it's better there where it's wetter, take it from me!” The game is played on the bottom of a swimming pool with a depth of 2m. Yes, you need to hold your breath, dive down and play with the puck. The puck is weighed down and can break your toe if you drop it from about waist hight. Don't ask me how I know that, you'll be scarred for life. Anyway, a game is made up of two opposing teams with either black sticks or white sticks. There is a maximum of six players allowed in the water at one time, but if you’re lucky your team might have the maximum of 4 subs. Therefore, a full team is made of 10 players at most. Your gear consists of your swimming costume, a scuba diving mask, a snorkel, fins, a water polo cap and your glove and stick. In other words, prepare to look ridiculous when you're kitting up. The positions you can play are very similar to that of field hockey. Forward - either left, centre or right, depending on your strategy. Pivot, which is an all-round link from field hockey. Back - again either left, right or single, depending on the strategy.
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A T E R
Now, the rules: The puck may not touch your glove or any other part of your body. You may not use your stick to hit another player if you're trying to steal the puck. Your first contact should be with the puck. You may not, under any circumstance, argue with the referees, even if they are obviously wrong. If you disagree with a call, you may approach them only if you are captain or vice-captain, and even if they refuse your complaint, you have to swim away immediately. Otherwise, your team will be left with only 5 players in the water and that could mean the difference between winning or losing (a favourite saying amongst players is that you only need 1 goal to win a 20 minute long game). You may not push a player out of the way with your body or block them from the puck with your body. The other rules are self-explanatory, such as you're not allowed to take the puck back out of the goal box or try to drown another player, which did actually happen once. If you break any of the rules, the puck is given to the other team and your team has to move 2m back from where the offence took place. If you break the line, the puck moves 2m closer again.
I started playing underwater hockey almost 3 years ago, after much reluctance and resistance, and it's the most fun I've ever had. The sense of community is fantastic. An example is that at our nationals this past holiday, the two u19 boys’ teams who played each other in the final, the two best and biggest rivals in the country, all shared a massive cheer at the end of their game and heartily congratulated each other. Also, age or fitness is not really an issue either. Here in Worcester, our club consists of ages from 7 to 60, each with their own fitness levels, and we all play together. As a student you also have the chance to play in a team with other children from a variety of schools. Our u19 girls’ team had students from Paarl Girls’ High, Bredasdorp High school, Hugenote, Stellenberg, La Rochelle and Worcester Gymnasium. And for once, image or wealth cannot buy you a team or count for anything. What does count is your actual skill, you as a human and your bond as a team. However, you can only know the true magic of having an aching ear from pressure, 5 bruises from being kicked or wheezing for air once you play it yourself. Now, it's not that bad, or is it? That's for you to find out. I hope you enjoyed the insight into a field of sport you might not have known ever existed.
HOCKEY
By Annalou Viljoen
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6 PROBLEMS WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM There is a growing movement that there is a problem in the school systems today. We are put into schools to prepare us for the world that is growing and developing fast, but schools haven’t changed for hundreds of years. Problem 1: Industrial age values
In schools we are taught to follow instructions and are rewarded for best behaviour. This was for industrial workers in the 18th century, where their ability to follow instructions would affect the success of the business. But in modern times, businesses want people who are creative, communicators, who can collaborate with others and are out-of-the-box thinkers. In schools they don’t give much space for this, and you can’t pass with only these skills. Problem 2: Lack of autonomy
Every minute of school is planned out for you to follow. Period 1- Geography, Period 2Maths, After school hockey. But in reality, in an important career you have to manage your own time and decisions
.
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By Lidia Hugentobler Photos: Ms Noble
Problem 3: Inauthentic thinking
Learning today relies on memorisation, which is not authentic. We are forced to learn a set of information and useless facts that we will forget the next morning after the exam. With technology today, we can easily “Google It” in a matter of seconds. School is supposed to be based on understanding, opinions and current world news. Most children memorise without understanding and the ones with bad memorising
Problem 6: Life out of school
Having a life out of school is very hard to have in modern times, since it takes up most of our time. We go to school 5 days a week for 6 hours a day for 10 months a year. And then we take our own time that we have to do homework,
skills suffer.
study and go to sport practices. Every decision we make or
Problem 4: Differences in how we learn
evolved in the industrial age has become outdated and
Each of us is different in the way we learn, interpret information and what tools and resources work best for us. But schools don’t have the patience or time to help each individual child. So, if you have trouble learning work in the specific way the school offers, you are considered to be below the school “food chain”, when all you need is a different approach. Also in any given classroom, students are at different levels of understanding. No matter what the teacher does, there are always going to be children bored because they’re ahead or confused because they're behind. Problem 5: Unnecessary use of time
Schools use a whole year to explain and go through one textbook of every subject. They waste time in starting a new lesson everyday - get in, greet, find where left off, recap on yesterday’s work and so on; when we study the whole year’s work in one afternoon before a November exam. We could be
act we do is for school. Our school system which has ineffective. If we are to be prepared for the modern world, our school systems should be modern as well. That being said, this article was started before COVID-19, and I feel school has actually changed for the better. Looking around our marks have improved ever since online schooling came into play. Look at last year’s matrics, 100% pass. For most, lockdown was a horrible experience, but I feel it was good for students to break from the rush of school and to collect ourselves. Even the alternation between traditional school and online school has helped students. The off day helps us regain our strength for the following question-filled school day. All this being said, online schooling was only the first step and the school system has a long way to go until it catches up with the modern changes in the world.
studying for 2 grades in a year if the school system changed.
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