MARCH 2013
MICHÈLE CUMPS AND HER TEAM TRIUMPH!
A
wildly enthusiastic audience filled
the RVSS hall on March 13th. They
roared their approval as pupils strutted
their stuff on the catwalk modelling a
selection of clothes made from assorted
junk. Thunderous applause greeted each
new outfit.
The show was the idea of Michèle Cumps,
who comes from Belgium. She is a creative
superwoman who enthused a team of
teachers, friends and pupils to create an
extra‐ordinary range of clothes made from
re‐cycled rubbish ‐ newspaper, plastic
bottles, bags, lids and more. Apart from junk fashion pupils modelled
superb outfits (conventional materials this
time!) made in Lucile Bezhuidenhoutʹs
classes. Also there were dance troupes,
singing and music. On Michèleʹs team were: Ilse Blaaw, Ersta
Coetzee, Eric Cumps, Susan Fortuin,
Ricardo Ricketts, Jean Wright and many
pupils!
ʺThis was a fantastic effort.ʺ said RVSS head
master Jeff Petersen, ʺIt just shows what can
be achieved when school staff and Friends
get together.ʺ
The event raised R2400 for school funds. Michèle and Eric Cumps; High style ‐ finished costumes; Lucille Bezhuidenhout with her class who
made and modelled their own clothes.
From left to right: Jean Wright helps a pupil make a Greek tunic from newspaper and sticky tape; Intricate work to transform a Mr Price plastic bag;
Michèle Cumps shows a pupil how to decorate a discarded rug with the bottoms of lemonade bottles; Susan Fortuin adjusts a garment made from
gauze, lemonade bottles and lids.
ʺWhy should I sponsor a pupil in a state funded school? I have heard that they get government funding ‐ so
why should I help?ʺ is the sort of reply that Alice Houghton, who is in charge of the school sponsorship
scheme, sometimes gets. It is a good question.
Friends of Riebeeck Valley Special School
SPONSOR A PUPIL
PLEASE USE BLOCK CAPITALS IN BLUE OR BLACK INK
Date Individual Sponsorship Business Sponsorship (delete as applicable) PAYMENT
Please tell your bank that you will pay all bank charges. This is particularly important if you are
paying in cash through a branch of a bank in South Africa or remitting money from overseas. The current sponsorship fees are: R260 per month or R3000 per year. Alice Houghton who is in charge of the
Sponsor a Pupil scheme
he school does get government
funding but the sums received only
cover the bare minimum. In
particular every pupil must contribute
toward the cost of transport and hostel
accommodation. Also cleanliness is a big
issue. Pupils need items such as tooth
brushes and paste, sanitary towels, odd
items of clothing and so forth. Pupils who
come from the poorest families cannot
afford all this so they tend to drop out of
the system and then their future is assured.
It is not a bright future. They will continue
in grinding hardship until they die an early
death (by standards in developed
countries). Completing their education at
RVSS is frequently the only opportunity
they get to ease themselves into
T
I/we would like to pay:
Monthly Annually (delete as applicable) I enclose payment/I am paying by (If you are paying by EFT or through your bank
please send us proof of payment and use the name you have written below as reference.)
Name Tel Cell Email
Postal address
May we publish your name as a RVSS sponsor in brochures/ leaflets? Yes No
Please complete the form above and post, email or fax it to:
Alice Houghton, PO Box 241 Riebeek Kasteel 7307, South Africa. 0027(0)224481786 [email protected].
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUERIES DO NOT HESITATE TO GET IN TOUCH
employment and so better their lives and the lives of their families. Around fifty students need sponsorship and we now have funding for eleven of these so
we have some way to go! The cost of sponsoring a pupil is not high ‐ R3000 per year or
R260 per month. Some existing sponsors are individuals, others are companies and in a
couple of cases groups (family or friends) have clubbed together.
Roche du Plooy, Marc‐Jo de Bruin and Gregory Langeveldt (left to right) were part of a Boland
cricket team that visited Witrivier, Mpumalanga recently. They played against SWD, North West,
East London and the Free State.
Jeff Petersen,
Principal, Riebeeck
Valley Special
School writes
Shaun Snyers comes from a very sad background.
He is 13 years old. To keep him off the streets he
stays in the hostel during the week and goes back
to his mother at weekends. He has been made a
prefect to help him channel his hyperactivity
into something positive. This has proved to be a
great way to keep him focused and his behaviour
has improved. As the picture shows ‐ he is very
proud to be a prefect.
Get your car meticulously washed and cleaned at
RVSS for only R50. Telephone 0224612241 (and
ask for the motor workshop) to make an
ie jaar 2013 het sy eie uitdagings aan ons
gestel. Die skielike heengaan van Mnr James
en die vertrek van Juffrou Van der Merwe was
gevoelig. Ons is egter geseën met goeie kandidate
vir hierdie posisies in die persone van Me. Sauls,
Mev. Smit en Mnr Booysen. Mev Ersta Coetzee en
juffrou Louise Van Wyk is ook nou amptelik deel
van die breë personeel en doen reuse werk onder
ons leerders. Hulle is voorwaar `n aanwins.
Die tegniese afdeling spog ook met `n nuwe
dinamiese opvoeder in die persoon van Mev
Yallappa. Al hierdie opvoeders het reeds bewyse
gelewer van goeie ondernemingsgees en ywer
wat daagliks bespeur word. WELKOM JULLE !
Geluk aan Rubin Adonis wat uitstaande werk
lewer tydens sy opleiding as motorwerktuigkund‐
ige. Ons is baie trots op jou. Kom ons leer van
Rubin wat uithouvermoë en getrouheid kan
oplewer. Atletiek
Dis lekker om te kan skryf oor suksesse van ons
leerders , veral as ons kan spog met `n reeks
medaljes. Baie geluk julle. Sien julle in Port
Elizabeth by die SA Kampioenskappe.
Rugby
Onthou manne. Die proewe is om die draai. Ons
soek julle in daai span. Lekker oefen.
D
appointment
OPENS
kusasa School of Cooking opened on
IVulcan – failed to deliver cooking
March 4 . Unfortunately suppliers –
th
equipment on time so work was still in
progress when the students arrived for
their first lesson. Together with teacher,
Anne Fischer, they retreated to a class room
for some theoretical work.
Ten students will receive a ten month
course and should leave with a City and
Guilds qualification. Students, who are
between 18 and 21, pay no fees. They will
spend half their time “in the class room”
and half their time doing practical work in
local restaurants.
Installing the kitchen units (left), Don
King (project director) talking to
Ikusasa school administrator Jo
Schrickker (far left) and students in
class with teacher Anne Fischer
(above).
Sokker
Goeie vooruitsigte word hierdie jaar gestel met
Mnr Benjamin aan die voorpunt.
Netbal
Juffrou Pelser kan nie wag om te begin nie. Sy het
`n goeie afrigtingspan bymekaargesit.
Landloop
Ons soek die langasems. Mnr en Mev.Fortuin
wag vir julle.
Mev Bezuidenhout
Dit is ook ongelukkig so dat ons totsiens moet sê
aan ons Naaldwerk en Kleremakery opvoeder,
Mev Bezuidenhout aan die einde van hierdie
kwartaal. Mev Bezuidenhout het `n groot en
waardevolle bydra gelewer tot die
totstandkoming van hierdie werkwinkel onder
andere en sal gemis word. Sy sal gelukkig nie te
vêr wees nie en leerders sal haar gereeld by die
skool raakloop. Welcome To


First year learners
Ikusasa Cooking School

New experiental learning partners


New sponsors of learners

New members on our Friends team (we

appreciate you)

New volunteers

Thanks to


Eric, Michele and their team for the fashion
show.

Ian and Jenny Lees for their part in starting

the Friends. We hope that they enjoy every
moment with their grand children in the UK.

The Friends committee for valued inputs and

contributions
Kyk uit vir
Opleidingstuin, groenteverbouing blok &
steenmakery
We all are all eager and waiting in anticipation to
see what this year holds. Let's stand together as
one to make this world a better place for our
children.
Blessings to you all
Jeff Petersen
WORK EXPERIENCE
Presidentʹs Awards
When ever possible senior pupils are
placed with a local employer to give
them work experience. Getting
employment in South Africa is not easy
and this helps ease youngsters into the
world of work. Currently about 30
pupils are on the programme but more
local employers are needed. If you think
that you might be able to help ‐ please
contact the school (0224612241).
Already some of those in the
programme have been offered
permanent jobs when they leave school.
One of these is Rubin Adonis, pictured
right, who works in Peter Lindenburgʹs
workshop in Malmesbury where high
performance racing cars are built,
repaired and maintained..Peter says that
Rubin has a bright future ahead of him.
WE NEED YOUR
HELP
To gain the silver award students must
undertake a three day hike
L
ast year nine RVSS students gained
bronze awards. This year a number of
pupils are hoping to get silver awards. This
includes a two night hike up Table
Mountain. further pupils are taking the
bronze award this year. The awards are
being presented at Leleibloem House,
Crawford, Cape Town on May 23rd.
RVSS gets state funding but this
barely covers the basics and all
learners are supposed to pay fees.
Many cannot pay since they come
from very poor families. To improve
the school, and enable it to achieve
it's objectives, expertise and money
must be obtained from elsewhere.
Individuals who have available time
and are prepared to share their
knowledge and experience are
needed.
There are four parts at each stage of the
Award programme one of which is service
to the community (the others are skills,
physical recreation, adventurous journey).
Participants have:
visited old age homes and handed out
biscuits and cakes they have made
cleaned the church and municipal
gardens
washed cars treated elderly ladies to a foot rub hair
wash and manicure
cleared rubbish from the streets
helped at the POP centre
The above items are made in the school
workshops and sold. The konkes (braziers) are
R250 and the braais are R500. Available from
Still Pure on the square in Riebeek Kasteel or the
school.
Although the Friends have only been
in existence for a short time there is
already a small group looking at the
school's IT requirements. Another is
setting up a specialised catering
school and others have been teaching
art, craft and cooking skills. Fund
raising events have been run,
publicity material has been produced
and a web site has been set up.
As Jeff Petersen, the headmaster
said, “To see the response to Friends
in such a short space of time is truly
amazing. We really value their
commitment and involvement.”
WHATEVER YOUR EXPERTISE - WE
WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU
Valentines Day celebrations are a tradition in many Western Cape Schools. The picture shows Mr
and Miss Valentine with their attendants.
RVSS NEWS
Contact the chairman ‐ Mike Herzfeld.
This is the second of what will hopefully be regular newsletters keeping you in touch with what
is going on at RVSS. This newsletter was edited and compiled by Louise van Wyk and Chris
Wright. Contact us on 0224481081 or email [email protected]
To contact the school phone (0224612241)
or email [email protected]
0224481126 [email protected]