Edition 1: 23 January 2020
A Message from the Executive Headmaster
Dear Clifton Family
It is a real pleasure for me to welcome everyone back to the start of the academic year, and to wish the Clifton Family all the very best for 2020. Despite the gloomy prospects for the economy, and the unwelcome return of load shedding, we remain hopeful and positive that progress will be made at a national and provincial level this year – and of course, our hopes for the future lie with our youth, like the young men we encounter on a daily basis at our school.
A special welcome to all our new families, including those in Grade R and Grade 8 – I wish you many years of joy at our school. Similarly, a warm welcome to our new staff. We have three interns that have joined us in the Prep (Ms Stacey Dewrance in the FP and Messrs St John Surgeson and Waldo Snyman in the SP) whilst the College welcomes Mrs Ronelle Raath to the Afrikaans Department, and Mrs Lulu Sofilas, who is our Drama locum while Mrs Jordaan is on maternity leave. Of course, in the near future we will welcome the new Principal of the Prep School, Mr Jason Brown, and in the second term we will welcome the new College Deputy Principal, Mr Praveshen Iyer. Both these appointments were made in the holidays and announced in early January.
As usual, and as reflected on the Clifton Facebook page, it was a busy holiday, with Clifton gents representing KZN at Interprovincial tournaments in December. There were various training camps in January, both for the Prep and College, and two very successful Cricket Festivals, for our U15s and First Team (of the 8 matches played by the two sides, across all formats, we either won or drew all of them – no losses!).
The first full week of January started with the announcement and release of the 2019 Matric results, about which you would have received a letter from me. Obviously we were pleased with the results across the board, and commend the Matric Class of 2019 on their achievements. As usual, the results will be analyzed by the academic staff in the College, to ensure that we keep improving on them. Our two Academic Honours Summa Cum Laude recipients (whose average was above 90% in the Finals), Ibi Khan and Naail Suliman, will be acknowledged in the Academic Awards Assembly on Friday 24 January.
Later in that first full week of January, the staff returned to school for some formal staff development and to prepare for the return of the boys. The Grade 8s had their orientation day, and then left for the Grade 8 camp last Saturday. The College Prefects also went on their training camp up the North Coast, and joined the Grade 8s for a meaningful bonfire on the night before they came home.
Our Grade Rs and 1s had their orientation day the day before school started – and then it was the return of the whole school on Tuesday with the formal Induction Ceremony for the new College boys (Grade 8 and other grades). So, it certainly was not a case of wading gently into the new year – it was a jump into the deep end!
At the Prep Parent Information evenings held over the last week, Mr White highlighted a number of initiatives being introduced over the next few weeks and months at the Prep – the introduction of golf (as part of Phys Ed) and football being amongst them. In addition, the “Big Brother” programme (linking Grade 3 and 7 boys) will be formalized, as will the new Leadership programme and the training system for the captains. Mathletics will become part of the mathematics curriculum, and an extra set of marimbas have arrived, as more boys are showing an interest in learning to play them!
Not to be outdone, 2020 will see some initiatives in the College as well. The Dale Carnegie “Generation Next” has been introduced as a voluntary option for our Grade 11’s. 26 boys have enrolled, and we held the first session with the outside facilitator last Friday afternoon. Mitch Ilbury, an alumnus of the Class of 2010, and son of Chantell Ilbury (who partnered with Clem Sunter to present strategic scenarios about the future of South Africa) introduced the “Growing Foxes” programme to our Grade 9s on the first day back at school. This is an online course with staff facilitation, designed to develop scenario planning and strategic skills, as well as “agile, adaptive and anticipatory thinking”.
The lessons will take place in the Life Orientation periods. In addition, our Grade 11s will be embarking on the second “6-degree shift Challenge”, a project-based learning exercise piloted by our current Grade 12s last year, and which will culminate in a project or presentation in the second term. All these projects happen in the context of our current programmes, such as the Leadership Programme, where, for example, the Grade 10s are “…learning leadership lessons from the story of Shackleton”.
As parents are no-doubt aware, we have added two new bus routes to the traditional Mt Edgecombe route. One bus comes from Balito, and the other from Kloof. All three buses also offer return trips. This is obviously to help parents in these areas in getting their sons to and from school more easily, and we encourage you to make use of this service.
One final piece of information, and really just a “heads-up”, for later in the term, is that the school, both Prep and College, will be having an IQAA visit later this term. IQAA is the Independent Quality Assurance Agency and is linked to ISASA. Later this term there will be stakeholder surveys, followed by reflection and focus groups in Term 2. Essentially the Agency helps us hold a mirror to ourselves and guides us through that evaluation process.
So, an exciting start to the year, and we look forward to the fruits of these and other initiatives. The school is in full swing, including our much-enjoyed Grade camps in the Prep, and a full set of fixtures on the first weekend back for the College, including a most successful trip to Johannesburg for our First Tennis Team, where they took part in the St Benedict’s Tournament and came in at a very commendable third place!
Welcome back once again, and welcome to our new members of the Clifton Family.
Warm regards
DAVE KNOWLES
EXECUTIVE HEADMASTER
Clifton News Bits
Clifton boys Ross Montgomery (Grade 10), Ronan Vardaya (Grade 11), Romashan Pillay (Grade 9) and Dario Reddy (Grade 10) represented KZN in the CSA U15 Week in East London, winning 4 out of their 6 matches.
Tiashan Moodley (Grade 11) has been selected as a violinist for the 2019 South African National Youth Orchestra. He traveled to Johannesburg to rehearse and perform. His violin teacher is our very own Clifton Prep music teacher, Mrs Jane Magner. Congratulations Tiashan, our young Springbok musician!
Mrs Magner is also the strings tutor for the KZN Youth Orchestra. She is pictured her with Clifton boys Andrew Ward (Grade 9), Rishabh Nathwani (Grade 7), Rushil Parbhoo (Grade 8) and Chad Leslie-Smith (Grade 8)who are members of the orchestra.
Clifton was well represented at the Interprovincial Water Polo Tournament. Congratulations to Simon Taylor, Michael Bennett and Jaden Whiley who were selected for the SA Schools U19 team. The KZN U15 boys team coached by Mike Howieson earned a silver medal. Playing some great polo in that team were Duran Hall, Joel Jamieson, Josh Saayman, James Bentley and Calvin Kidd.
Clifton Old Boys
MUTHUSAMY SPINS DOLPHINS TO MEMORABLE WIN
Durban – Standard Bank Proteas all-rounder Senuran Muthusamy took seven second innings wickets as the Hollywoodbets Dolphins pulled off a memorable 137 run 4-Day Domestic Series win over the World Sports Betting Cape Cobras in Oudtshoorn.
Read the full article here:
Clifton Classifieds
HOUSE SITTING/BABY SITTING
Please call Amy Mezher on 064 687 5934 or email: amymez6@gmail.com if you are looking for a reliable House Sitter or Baby Sitter.
CHILD CARE
Tersia Brenna has eighteen years of experience in supervising and teaching children from 3 months olds to 5year-olds. She also has experience with autistic and ADHD children. She is available to au pair, assist with homework and holiday care Monday to Friday and weekends from the 15 December onwards. Please contact her on 0635351952.