July 17, 2024

Rector’s eNews 21 : 17 July 2024

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It is great to have the boys back at school after what we hope has been a relaxing and rejuvenating holiday for them – at least for most of them as we are aware of several boys having represented KZN Inland at hockey or the Sharks at rugby over the holidays, as well as practising music and participating in other activities. They received a challenge from me in assembly, as is usual at the beginning of a term, to analyse areas for improvement, particularly in the academic arena, when reflecting on the past six months. The challenge entails drawing on the experience and expertise of their teachers as they would from a top-class sports coach and to implement change where it is needed in terms of effort and focus. It is that sort of strategy which enables them to maximise their potential – and that is, naturally, all that parents and Michaelhouse teachers expect of them. The boys know the difference between being active learners and passive learners – perhaps you could question them on this topic at some stage in the weeks ahead as articulating the difference between the two sharpens their understanding of the learning process?

I have also encouraged the boys to commit themselves to the Michaelhouse values and the principles on which the school was founded so that they may, in due course, regard themselves and be regarded as significant men. The platform for success and happiness is built steadily in one’s formative years and is largely created by young people identifying with values that have shaped men at Michaelhouse and similar schools over the years and strengthening that platform on a daily, weekly and termly basis in a way which is endorsed by parents and significant teachers.

At the beginning of this term we welcome some staff and boys who are new to us: Sister Yvette McDonald is our new Senior San Sister. Having spent a number of years at Hilton, she is very experienced and we are delighted that she has joined us in this key position. Sister Umme Haani is another significant acquisition to our San Nursing staff and Mrs Gina Mitchell-Innes who used to manage the coffee shop has now taken over the catering under the banner of Feedem. We welcome her too. Mr Hayden Hankinson has joined us as an intern, complementing the outstanding group of potential teachers who we have amongst our interns; Hayden will be based in Tatham.

We also welcome Gareth D ‘Oyley a new boy in E Block Pascoe and a range of exchange students from the United States, Germany and Australia: Jack Hawkings and Clayton Lindberg from the United States, Justus van Hussen from Germany and James Guest and Daniel Richards from Australia.

At the end of this week, we celebrate Mandela Day. In practical terms, our boys have been asked to sign up either to commit themselves to developing their coaching capacity in sport through Old Boy, Michael Flockhart, who leads an organisation Sportstec so that the boys will be better equipped to coach the pupils at the Michaelhouse footprint or other schools or to spend a portion of Sunday making soup which will then be distributed by each House on Monday to the learners in each of the schools. The latter activity will be done on a House basis – each House making soup for the school it supports, and strengthening the bond between students of our schools and the footprint schools we support in a practical way.

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