Westerford High SchooL
Newsletter 13
NETBALL TOUR
The 1st Team vs Knysna
5 MAY 2017
Thursday 20 April, was the start of a very exciting chapter
for netball at Westerford, as we went on our first ever
netball tour!
Early on Thursday morning, about 60 eager netball girls
piled into a bus and started our journey to Knysna. The
teams going on tour were the U14 A and B, U15A, U16A,
2nds and 1sts. We were aiming to do our best but many of
our teams had only had one or two practices leading up to
our departure so we really didn't know what kinds of results
to expect.
The tour started with a drive to Riversdal, where all the teams played matches - in the very hot sun - against
Langenhoven High School. The U14As, U16s and 2nds lost their matches - the 2nds, narrowly - and the U14Bs and
1sts won theirs.
On the first night, we stayed at the ATKV campsite in
Hartenbos and kept up our fitness with a late-evening walk to
the beach. The following morning we got up early and started
the day off with a trip to the ‘Pretpark’ where we slid down a
waterslide about a hundred times and played putt putt! We
were also treated to the Knysna Featherbed experience,
where we took a boat ride across the Knysna lagoon, were
fed a delicious lunch, were driven through the nature reserve
in tractors and then we hiked back to the harbour. Clearly,
this trip had an emphasis on exercise and fitness but we were
all very keen to take part in these fun activities and bond with our teammates, as
well as with the teams of the other age-groups.
Featherbed Nature Reserve
On Saturday, we took part in a mini tournament with Knysna High School and Wittedrif High School, from Plettenberg
Bay. The day was much-anticipated, and we were all itching to get ourselves onto the court to play some excellent
netball - and we didn't disappoint: the scores at the end of the day were mostly in favour of Westerford. A special
mention needs to be made of the 1st Team who won all their matches, thus starting their season off unbeaten!
The support for every team was indescribable and when the 1st Team
played their last game, every Westerford team came together and cheered
our girls along, ending it all off with a very loud group rendition of ‘Vukani’!
The teams all definitely bonded and developed some much-needed team
spirit.
1st Team vs Langenhoven
The first netball tour at Westerford was a huge success. Westerford netball
is impressing all with our outstanding scores against some very good netball schools,
and we are all amped for the fantastic season ahead!
Thank you to Ms Hugo, Mrs Grobbelaar, Mrs Bosman and Jackie Kotze for organizing the tour and for looking
after us for the weekend. We are looking forward to next year’s tour very much!
Dalya Zimbler, Grade 11
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Westerford High SchooL
CONGRATULATIONS!
In the Western Province lead
rock climbing competition held in
Cape Town over the weekend of
22-23 April, Anneke Eberhard,
Grade 11, was awarded the gold
medal for U17 Girls and Luke
Eberhard, Grade 8, was awarded
the bronze medal for U15 Boys.


Liam Jeffries, Grade 8, has numerous medals ranging from Bronze to Gold which he acquired in
the regional and national tournaments over the last few years. He represented South Africa for the
first time last year at the Kimura Shukokai International Karate World Champs in Berlin and obtained
a Gold medal for Kumite under 13. So far this year he has won Gold for Kata and Bronze for Kumite
at both regional championships held in February and April. Liam is hoping to make it through to the
next Nationals which will be held in August in order to qualify to represent South Africa next year in
Sweden.
Tatler 2016: World champion Liam
Jeffries, right, going through some
training drills with sensei, Bruce van
Rensburg, at the Samurai Karate
dojo, in Claremont.
Thank you
Thank you to Mrs Anne Anderson, the grandmother of Cameron Anderson, Grade 12, who has put together
two beautiful blankets from knitted squares.
Keep Knitting! Please collect squares if you can sew a blanket together.
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Westerford High School
DIS LEKKER BY DIE KKNK!
Whilst many would have stayed snuggled up in bed on one of the few cold mornings in
Cape Town, thirteen Grade 11s and Mr Dicks got up bright and early for an exciting trip
to the Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees (KKNK) in Oudtshoorn. The KKNK, the largest
Afrikaans cultural festival in South Africa, turns the sleepy town of Oudtshoorn into a
colourful and chaotic melting pot of performance, theatre, sound and visual art for just
one week each year and is a great place for local talent to be discovered and appreciated.
As everyone climbed onto the bus, the excitement kicked in and we were all raring to go and get started on the fivehour journey. Unfortunately the bus wasn’t as ready as we were to leave and it was another hour before we set off for
the gruelling trip to the Klein Karoo. After hours of singing, sleeping and sitting, Oudtshoorn came into sight and we
could finally get off the bus and stretch our legs. We met up with Ms Hanekom and two other pupils who had come
from nearby towns and then all headed out for some much-needed lunch. Later in the afternoon we attended the
hilarious comedy show, Ooms, which tells the tale of two old men attempting to escape an old-age home. After much
laughter, we all were left to explore the unique town of Oudtshoorn. It was definitely an excellent start to the tour!
On the second day, we set off straight after breakfast, eager to make as many memories as
possible with a limited amount of time. We visited Rivierbuurt which was home to
musicians, a flea market, rides and much more. After lots of shopping and being attacked
by bees, it was off to a play called Die Vrou uit die See which tells the story of a sick
woman who is involved in a complex love triangle. Although the play was confusing for
most, it was an excellent showcase piece of Afrikaans work.
As a result of our moods having been slightly dampened by the sad play, we decided to liven things up and attend a
concert by the legendary South African singer, Bobby Van Jaarsveld. Despite being the only English-speaking people
in the crowd, we contributed our share of fun with our dancing and best efforts to sing along to his songs. It was
definitely a highlight of the entire tour.
The third day was a truly unforgettable day as we had the unusual privilege of being able to
feed elephants! After hugs and kisses from the elephants at Buffelsdrift Game Lodge and
some fighting back tears of joy, we were served a delicious breakfast of fruit salad, muffins
and more which all made a great morning event even better. Later in the afternoon, a smaller
group headed off in the bus to tour the world-famous Cango Caves just outside Oudtshoorn. The caves put everyone
in awe and some pupils and Mr Dicks even braved the Adventure Tour which included leopard-crawling through a
tunnel of a mere 31cm in height! After a full-on workout in the caves, the group climbed back onto the bus with many
needing a good shower. The evening ended with a bang as we all attended a hilarious comedy by great South African
comedian, Schalk Bezuidenhout. The day was definitely one to remember!
When we awoke on the fourth and final day, everyone was sad to realise we would soon be leaving the small town of
Oudtshoorn to return to normal life in the busy streets of Cape Town. Fortunately, the whole KKK experience ended
on a high note with our attending an emotional play called Fragment performed by a cast from Durbanville High
School; many of us regarded Fragment as the best play we’d ever seen. Soon after, it was time to say goodbye to
Huis Sommers and get back on the road. After a long journey, everyone returned safely home with many memories to
hold onto … and a good few handy Afrikaans phrases!
Thank you to Ms Hanekom and Mr Dicks for being our parents for three days and for organising such an incredible
tour! It was definitely “puik!”
Sarah Woolard, Grade 11
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Westerford High SchooL
Drama Society Hosts Guess the Emoji Movies Quiz
It’s the latest trivia game climbing the charts in the iTunes and Google Play stores. Guess The Emoji Movies tests
your movie knowledge through the use of a variety of emoji combinations. More than 40 brave Westerfordians rose
to the challenge presented by the Drama Society to decipher which famous films were represented by selected
cartoon emoticons which everyone loves to include in their texts - as in the examples below.
Nobody had the deduction skills to score 100% but the winning team of movie buffs did manage to get a
remarkable 13/15 to take the prize. Thank you to Drama Society for kickstarting the second term with a thrilling
challenge!
Jessica Nicklin, Grade 12
= Spiderman
= Hunger Games
= James Bond
= Star Wars
FOREIGN CULTURES SOCIETY’S QUIZ WEEK
Last week, the Foreign Cultures Society held a Foreign Cultures Quiz Week. Foreign Cultures is a society which
aims to expose all Westerfordians to the many different cultures in South Africa, throughout the world, but most
importantly the cultures that are a part of Westerford. Three quizzes took place, one each day at first break, at which
time pupils were free to arrive and take part. Each quiz was made up of ten marks, the overall mark of the week being
thirty marks.
The first quiz, compiled by committee member Lucas Rosenfield (10), asked for pupils to name the country in which
a capital city was based. This quiz was won by Jesse Schuller (11). The second quiz, put together by committee
member Sarah Woolard (11), asked pupils to name the continent in which a country was based. This quiz was won
by Shuaib Akoojee (10). One of Westerford’s Physical Science teachers, Mr Gabru, took part in this particular quiz
too, which hilariously increased the competitiveness of the students taking part. The third quiz, drawn up by
committee member Aileen Lee (11), asked pupils to choose which country a particular national symbol belonged to;
four options were provided. Josh Robins (10) was the winner.
The three quizzes challenged all who took part, as some had never heard of the countries or cities mentioned. This
proved that the society was fulfilling its purpose through creating awareness of the many unique places that exist
throughout the world.
Well done to Greg Orpen-Lyall, who was the overall winner of all three quizzes.
Thank you to everyone who contributed and took part in this event.
Rebecca Helman, Grade 12
Greg Orpen-Lyall, overall winner of the Foreign Cultures Society Quiz
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Westerford High School
A spectacular ‘Last Night of the Proms’
People were chattering. Glasses were clinking. The sound of marimbas welcoming the guests and Ms Ainsworth’s
enthusiastic encouragement could be heard in the distance. The City Hall was illuminated to its full brilliance and
balloons and streamers covered the ceiling. On the stage, the choir and orchestra waited expectantly. The air of
excitement was unmistakable. Nothing, however, could have prepared anyone for what happened next.
On 22 and 23 April, the Westerford Choir was invited to sing at The Rotary Club of Wynberg’s ‘Last Night of the
Proms’. This concert is inspired by The Proms, an annual eight-week summer music festival in England, which
consists of over 100 performances all over the country. It ends with the ‘Last Night of the Proms’; a massive “musical
party” held in the Albert Hall in London. The Cape Town ‘Last Night of the Proms’ held on the weekend did not
disappoint.
It was a truly incredible event, and nothing like anyone had ever experienced before. Both evenings were both
fantastic, the music was enchanting and the spirit was overwhelming.
The programme included celebrated pieces, such as Leonard Cohen’s
‘Hallelujah’, a Paul McCartney medley, Carl Orff’s ‘Carmina Burana’,
and ending with the traditional ‘Land of Hope and Glory’. The whole
concert was conducted by South Africa’s best conductor: the famous
Richard Cock. As the newbies soon found out, the ‘Last Night of the
Proms’ truly was a “musical party”. The second half of the show
involved the audience, choir and orchestra going absolutely crazy: with
balloon races, streamers flying everywhere, proud flag-waving, wild
whistling, funky hats and even a group of bagpipers. The evening was
broadcast live on Fine Music Radio.
It was the first time a High School Choir has been invited to sing, so well done to the choir for - once again - making
Westerford proud. An even bigger congratulations must go to Mr Haigh, Mr Daniell and Ms Ainsworth, for their
amazing dedication and commitment in preparing the choir for this prestigious event. The beautiful music was all
thanks to their unwavering hard work.
Thanks must also go to everyone who came and supported. All of the funds raised will be donated to charity. Last
year, Wynberg Rotary was able to donate R150 000 to Volunteer Wildfire Services and R50 000 to the Red Cross
Children’s Hospital, and this year they hope to donate more to Child Line. If you are sad that you missed this
fantastic event, go check out Mr Daniell’s YouTube channel ‘Charles Daniell’ for some of the highlights.
Rebecca Edmunds, Grade 12
DATES TO REMEMBER - MAY
Sat
6 Camps Bay Derby @ Camps Bay
Tues 9 2nd Quarterly Concert @19h30
Wed
10
Fri
12
Sat
World Challenge Parents Meeting @ 19h00
Fri
19 Settlers Derby @ WHS
Sat
20 Settlers Derby @ WHS
Exams start
22 Gr 10 to Greyton (10 C & 10 D)
Mon
Maths Olympiad Round 2
Tues 23 Greyton (10 A & 10 B)
Music exams start (until 19/5)
Edgemead Derby @ WHS
Wed
13 Edgemead Derby @WHS
Blood Clinic
Tues 16
Music Tour Parents meeting @19h00
24 Greyton (10 E & 10 F)
Thurs 25 Greyton
Fri
26 Bergvliet Derby @ Bergvliet
Sat
27 Bergvliet Derby @ Bergvliet
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CLASSIFIEDS
THE WRITERS’ SALON
Whether writing is a hobby, a career ambition, or a lifelong dream, join a community of writers as we learn new
skills, develop our unique ‘voices’ and get writing!
Next course: • Let’s Write: general review of the craft of
writing.
Start: 15th May Times: Mondays; 10:00 - 12:00.
Venue: David Krut Gallery, Montebello Design Center,
Newlands Avenue, Newlands.
For more info/sign-up please contact : Melissa Webster
(MA in writing, Johns Hopkins University)
[email protected] 060 3838420
FOR HIRE - bakkie, canopy, trailer with driver!
Call Allan on 074 132 6224
(Mr Allan Adriaanse is the WHS Maintenance Manager)
FOR SALE
Tall oregon cupboard with glass doors
- R7500 onco.
Military chest - stained pine wood
- R3000
Tel: Carol 0794275217
THE CARPORT PLACE
Visit our website to view our picture gallery of products on
www.thecarportplace.co.za
Contact details:
Cell: 079 496 2728
Email: [email protected]
ENGLISH AND AFRIKAANS TUTORING
I teach from home in Observatory, easily accessible via Main Road or highway. I am qualified (BA HDE TEFL) and
have many years of experience, both private and in schools. Focus is on both literature and grammar; all grades are
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Please contact Hildegarde [email protected] or phone 021/ 448 3166 and 078 755 6834
APPETITE CATERING prepares delicious food at reasonable prices for all types of private and
corporate events and functions. Our services include organising the waiters, bar, flowers,
decor & hiring. Call Clare today for a free consultation and quote.
Contact details: 021 689 8547 or 082 412 7211 [email protected]
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