2017 24 Apr

Monday

07:45 – 10:00 Moms & Daughters Gr 4a Study

Skills Workshop

All Girls Sport Festival

25 Apr

Tuesday

07:45 – 10:00 Moms & Daughters Gr 4A Study

Skills Workshop

All Girls Sport Festival Tour return

09:30 – 12:30 Gr 5 Outing to Natural History

Museum

27 Apr

Thursday

Freedom Day – Public Holiday

All Seussical practices have been cancelled

for long weekend

28 Apr

Friday

School Holiday

01 May

Monday

Workers Day – Public Holiday

Dear Parents

I would like to extend a warm welcome to our new families. The Schmidt,

Viljoen and Hadjidakis families in Pre-N, and the Ratheb and Penney

families in Grade 6.

We started this term on a very sad note, informing our girls of the passing

of one of our staff members, Duncan Feketha. Duncan, the Preparatory

School Foreman, has been a part of the Herschel family for a great number

of years. He had been in his position at the Preparatory School for 10 years

and prior to that worked at the Senior School. During this time he has

grown to be loved and respected by all with whom he worked: academic

staff, grounds, maintenance and estate staff, even our service providers –

kitchen, security and cleaning staff all knew and respected Duncan.

As the news of Duncan’s passing travelled through the community, it was

met with great sadness and many tears. Offers to support his family came

from all areas of the School – staff, parents and pupils and this was a

testimony to the wonderful man he was and the valuable contribution

that he has made to our school.

Duncan was laid to rest in the Eastern Cape on Sunday at his place of birth.

Fifteen members of staff travelled to the Eastern Cape to pay their

respects to Duncan, on behalf of Herschel. This was unprecedented, never

before have we had a group of this size wanting to be at the final resting

of a staff member. Again, this reflects the impact Duncan has made on the

lives of so many.

We held a special service in memory of Duncan in our first assembly where

we honoured his memory.

Duncan set the most wonderful example of leadership to all those with

whom he worked. He led by his daily actions and example. Duncan’s deep

faith was known to all and often it was for this wisdom that staff would

come and ask his advice. He always had a Bible reference or scripture to

share, a message to pass on and with that message there was always an

expression of love, compassion, generosity and empathy. Duncan

emanated a calm strength that many found reassuring. He was an

extremely hard worker and took great pride in ensuring that his team

always worked to the best of their ability, taking pride in all that they did.

HERSCHEL PREPARATORY SCHOOL

Message from our Head MUSIC

LIBRARY PRE-PREPARATORY FOUNDATION INTERMEDIATE & SENIOR

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When asking staff what they would miss most about him or which words they felt would best describe Duncan the most common

ones were: empathetic, quiet, dignified, a true gentleman, fatherly, fair, polite, caring, committed, dependable, calm,

reassuring, humble, insightful, strong, courageous, true, soft spoken, willing to assist, warm and generous of spirit.

He was appreciative of all that others did too and expressed this to them. He was loved, respected and appreciated by all. To

us, Duncan was a father figure. A deeply spiritual man, who was a highly respected elder and leader in the Herschel community.

He was enormously respected by the HR and Operations Manager, Andrew Scott, who had worked with him for many years.

Andrew respected him for his dignity, fairness and his wisdom and the fact that he always fought for what was right, just and

fair for his team. He was a man of his word – honesty, justice and integrity were words often associated with him when he is

described by Andrew. As well as leading the Preparatory School Estate and Maintenance Staff, he was also the Shop Steward

and was unwavering in his commitment to five the very best to the support staff.

His presence will be sorely missed, we mourn the passing of a gentle, sincere, and righteous man.

In the words of Andrew Scott: Rest in Peace Tata! Siza kukukhumbula! (We will miss you) Ubuyinstikelelo kuthi sonke eHerschel!

Winter Uniform

The Uniform Shop at Bishops has confirmed they have all sizes in stock

of the new winter school uniform. The old winter uniform will no longer

be available for purchase. However, should you have the old winter

uniform the girls are permitted to wear this until they outgrow it. There

is no deadline, at present, with regard to the girls having to wear the

new uniform.

Girls will be permitted to wear the summer or winter uniform from 2

May. The full formal winter uniform will only be compulsory from 15

May.

Staff News

On Saturday, 8 April, Claire Harrington married Paul Brittain in a very

touching ceremony in Paarl. She looked absolutely beautiful and her

husband looked so happy! Congratulations to Mr and Mrs Brittain!

Pre-Preparatory

Intermediate Phase

The Grade R girls were very excited to return to school for the second

term. They were eager to get straight down to the important business

of playing, painting and looking at Big Books. The girls were thrilled to

see the Grade 7 monitors in the morning. They have a great time playing

chasing games outdoors or getting the bigger girls to draw them pictures

which they can then colour in.

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International Mathematics Competition 2017

We are so proud of Diyara Govender and Kate Forest who have been

selected to join the Grade 7 team for the International Mathematics

Competition set to take place in India from 25 to 31 July 2017. Well done

girls!

Eco Club

Music

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Outing Saturday, 6 May 2017

All Herschel girls and their families are most welcome to join Mrs Codd

on Saturday, 6 May to visit the False Bay Nature reserve for the annual

Birdathon from 08:00 to 11:00. (You may leave earlier if needed). If you

would like to join, kindly email Mrs Codd on lcodd@herschel.org.za

Directions will be sent directly to those who will be attending. Your

daughter would have to be taken to and from the venue.

BirdLife South Africa, the Cape Bird Club and the City of Cape Town will

be hosting the fourth annual False Bay Nature Reserve Birdathon: Fun

Walk and Festival on the 6 May 2017 at the False Bay Nature Reserve.

The Fun Walk approach will once again have a continuous start from

08:00 – 09:30; enabling participants to register and begin walking at a

slow pace to enhance their learning experience. Cape Bird Club members

will be stationed along the route to assist the participants with bird ID

and give them the opportunity to view birds through a scope (a first for

many of them). You can also bring along your own pair of binoculars if

you have.

The Bird Festival component (from 09:00 – 13:00) will include many of

the favourite exhibitors, such as Eagle Encounters, the Cape Reptile

Association, the Fire services and “carnival” - like atmosphere at the

picnic area on the Eastern Shore of Zeekoevlei.

Chloe Boyd, Georgina Stewart, Priya Moodaley and Daniella Jähnig

pictured here with the guest conductor, Craig Nicholas (Cape Town Youth

Orchestra) attended the Parklands College Festival of Music on Saturday,

25 March. The girls thoroughly enjoyed a day of musical collaboration.

Orchestra Rehearsals - Term 2

Weekly rehearsals for the whole orchestra will resume on Thursday,

4 May from 07:00 – 07:40

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Our focus for Term 2 is JOY. We will be launching this theme at our assembly next Tuesday. The girls will be taught that even

during the most difficult and challenging times that it is possible to feel genuine joy. Lessons in Life Orientation and during

assembly will relate to the theme of joy.

Two great spiritual leaders, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama, have led by example. In their lives, when

they have both faced enormous challenges personally and as part of their respective nations – South Africa and Tibet, they

have shown that genuine joy can be experienced in times of distress. These wise men said the following:

“Why be unhappy about something if it can be remedied? And what is the use of being unhappy if it

cannot be remedied?”

― Dalai Lama,

The Book of Joy

“Discovering more joy does not save us from the inevitability of hardship and heartbreak. In fact, we

may cry more easily, but we will laugh more easily too. Perhaps we are just more alive. Yet as we

discover more joy, we can face suffering in a way that ennobles rather than embitters. We have

hardship without becoming hard. We have heartbreaks without being broken.”

― Desmond Tutu,

The Book of Joy

Wishing you a very joy filled weekend with your family.

Mrs Belinda Heidmann

Head of Preparatory

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Easter Service

Grade 1 – 7 celebrated Easter at the annual Easter Service held at St

Saviour’s this morning.

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