Rector’s eNews – 02 March 2022
/ Rector's eNewsIt is astonishing how life can change within a week and, though the European crisis sparked by Putin’s marching into the Ukraine may seem not to have a direct impact upon South Africa, there will, doubtless, be a knock-on effect on this and other countries in all sorts of ways such as in the increase in the price of fuel. That single factor, of course, influences many other aspects of our economy and that of similar nations. What was particularly chilling was the sight of an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) being photographed in Moscow – a projectile that has the capacity to destroy a city such as New York at the press of a button. A variety of problems face different people all over the world but, at present, our thoughts and prayers at school have been directed to those thousands of people in the Ukraine who have had to flee from their homes or have been subjected to the Russian onslaught.
On another matter entirely, some parents have asked if we are able to restore or make available the Names and Faces App or a similar app to them but, regrettably, we are very limited in the information about others which we are legally able to disseminate as a result of the POPI Act. I am sorry about this as it was a very useful tool, but I am sure that you will understand our position.
We are now considering beginning to re-develop our exchange programme with other schools in the USA, Canada, the UK and Australia. At this stage, we are “putting out feelers” to previous exchange school partners in these countries with a view to moving on this later in the year – in all likelihood, we might have boys from partner schools joining us in September to October with our boys from the C Block going abroad in the October to November period. Mrs Mary McMichael (marmcm@www.michaelhouse.org) is in charge of this aspect of Michaelhouse and you may like to contact her in this regard. It is likely that there will be a selection process as there will be considerable demand for places on this programme.