To all Parents, Old Boys and Members of the Prep Community

FROM THE HEADMASTER

Dear Parents, Old Boys, Staff Members, former Staff, Friends and Boys,

‘Cometh the moment, cometh the man’ South Africans are standing by to be exemplary hosts of the Soccer World Cup. The moment has arrived for each and every one of us to be at our best. We need to follow the daily example set by Prep boys and offer visitors to our country courtesy, friendliness and respect. The lifting of a cap and a greeting, ‘Morning Ma’me or Morning Sir! Can I help you?’ will go a long way towards making visitors feel welcome. Soccer fever at DPHS will be at a high on Monday and Tuesday of next week when the entire school, boys from Grade 0 to Grade 7, teachers and staff will take to the Smith and Walshaw fields to play Inter House Soccer colourfully attired in House jerseys very generously sponsored by Gem Sports and School wear. The school is most grateful to Prep Dads from Gem School wear Idrees Pandor and Yusuf Vanker. I will signal the close of term and the start of the approaching holidays and Soccer World Cup with a blast on my Vuvuzela at the end of assembly on Wednesday. School closes at 11h00 on Wednesday 9 June.

On Friday morning this week at a Fathers Day Assembly, presented by the Grade 3 classes as a tribute to Fathers, the school will take pleasure hosting our many wonderful Prep Dads who support the school and their sons so passionately. I hope many of our Prep Dads will be able to attend.

A big thank you to our ‘Mums who Pray’ for the beautifully prepared and presented breakfast treats the staff enjoyed at tea break this morning. This was a very kind, inspirational and generous gesture and one which we greatly appreciated.

Congratulations to our two staff members, Sam Parry and Leonie van der Westhuizen who completed the Comrades Marathon on Sunday. We may not have any Iron men on the staff but we do have Iron women! Well done – the school are proud of you and every parent or grandparent who set out to run this world famous endurance race.

My good wishes to all the boys running in the school inter house cross-country tomorrow. Every boy who finishes is a winner and that is the ultimate prize.

I wish to commend the boys and the coaches on the quality of rugby played by the school teams this season. Those who have coached rugby will know how challenging a task this is. A test of a well coached team is how well they play away from home and our rugby boys will need to be at their best for their matches against Pelham in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday.

RICHARD NEAVE
Headmaster

CONGRATULATIONS

Matthew Trichardt was chosen as Cross Country captain
Luke Miloszewski (U13A) and Kyle Mertsch (U12A) were selected for KZN Coastal Hockey.

Leonie van der Westhuizen finished the Comrades Marathon in 08:22:46 and was awarded Silver-Bronze Medal (Under 9 hours)
Samantha Parry finished the Comrades Marathon in 11:37:01 and was awarded a Vic Clapham Medal

Luke Dodds and Luke Chisholm shared the “BEST U10 BATTER” award at the 2010 Rockets Baseball prize giving.
Matthew Pender-Smith was awarded a red belt and a medal for excellence at his Karate Grading.

CALENDAR

DPHS GEMSPORT 2010 SOCCER WORLD CUP INTER-HOUSE FESTIVAL

It is time to fasten seat belts, rev the engines, turn up the volume and go full steam ahead! It is World Cup Soccer time in our country and at DPHS, in our Centenary Year. The occasion does not get bigger than this! The excitement at school has reached boiling point. The teams have been chosen, the draw has taken place, and the preparations are well under way. We can all come together as a school and celebrate the World Cup and our centenary as one.

On Monday 7 and Tuesday 8 June, every single person at DPHS from the Headmaster to the security guards, from the grade seven to the reception unit boys, will all come together for a two-day soccer festival. The boys have been divided into teams within their grades and within their houses. The teams in the respective houses will be identified by their house colours, together with a name of a participating country which will be allocated to them.

The attached programme will give you a clear indication of how the soccer will work and the various times that your son’s grade and team will be playing. You are welcome to support your son and his team during the soccer tournament. Please note that the boys have been divided into the teams by the various class teaches and they have been selected on a random basis. The teams will remain the same for the two days, each team will play two games of 18 minutes. The teams will consist of approximately 6 to 8 boys per team depending on the grade. The boys may go home after the whole grade has finished the matches for the day.

The boys will wear the following:
White shorts, school socks (black ones) house soccer shirt and sports shoes. Please note there are no boots as not everybody has a pair. No headgear will be necessary.

The Prep boys and staff will be dressed for the occasion. Our sincere and appreciative thanks go to Idrees Pandor and Yusuf Vanker, both Prep parents from GEMSCHOOLWEAR AND GEMSPORT for the huge donation and sponsorship of the 850 soccer shirts for everybody to wear. Without their support and donation, our festival would not have been possible.

A whole school photograph will take place on Tuesday 8 June at 09h00; everybody will arrive at DPHS in their house soccer shirt. The boys and staff will form up in the numbers “2010” with each house standing in a number and a photo will be taken from the top of the Windermere Centre with our school as the background.

Tea will be served in the Functions Room from 14h00 to 15h00 on both days. We look forward to an enjoyable celebration and festival.

RECEPTION UNIT NEWS

Congratulations to our two super moms who completed the Comrades Marathon – Samantha Parry, mom of Jake and Fen van Tonder, mom of Brandon. We are so proud of you both!

The Reception Unit boys are gearing up for their own mini Comrades Marathon, which is taking place on the lower field at Main Campus on Thursday. The race will be started by our own Max Trimborn – Mr Neave – and the boys will then proceed to run around half the field for 10 laps, ably assisted by our mothers who will be manning tables with water, sponges and cut up oranges. This will be followed by a picnic under the trees with our friends from Gordon Road Girls School, who will be joining us for the morning. The boys will all receive a special badge as a memento of this fun event.

JUNIOR PRIMARY NEWS

On Monday the JP boys enjoyed the wonderfully entertaining and educational Puppet World presentation entitled “2010 World Cup Soccer”. It was a visually appealing show which covered a wide variety of related topics and included audience participation.

The prospective new parents who attended the tour of the school on Tuesday were very impressed by the diverse programme as well as the boys and their positive response and good manners.

The Grade Three boys have been working very hard preparing for the Fathers’ Day Assembly which we are looking forward to on Friday morning. Very best wishes to the boys as they make this special presentation. Junior Primary dads are invited for a brief visit to their son’s classroom after the JP presentation which will begin at 08h30. The boys look forward to this visit with much excitement and pride and so we urge all dads to make every effort to attend and trust that they will all enjoy a very happy Fathers’ Day on Sunday 20 June.

MERIT AWARDS

Congratulations to this week’s recipients

Junior Primary Paper Recycling Challenge – Recyclers of the Week

• 1st Grade 2 Marklew (6m30cm)
  
• 2nd Grade 1 Vosloo (1m46cm)
  

SPORT

RESULTS

Wednesday 26 and Saturday 29 May - Rugby vs Northlands/ Penzance and Merchiston

FIXTURES
Saturday 5 June - Rugby v Pelham

Friday 21 and Saturday 22 May – Rugby vs Chelsea and Highbury

FIXTURES
Wednesday 26 and Saturday 29 May - Rugby vs Northlands/Penzance and Merchiston

TENNIS

Monday 24 May

GENERAL

DPHS EDUCATIONAL TRUST CENTENARY GOLF DAY - 20 AUGUST 2010
The Centenary Golf Day will be held at Mount Edgecombe Country Club on Course 1 and 2 on 20 August 2010. All Old Boys, past and present parents and friends of Prep are invited to participate either by sponsoring a tee/green and or entering a fourball.

For further details please email Liz Elliott – trust@dphs.co.za

NEWS FROM DHS

Last Friday saw virtually the whole school dressed in Bafana supporter shirts for a very special Football Friday. It started with Springbok prop and old boy, B.J.Botha, handing over the jerseys to the 1st XV at assembly and then later in the morning the school gathered on the field to make a sign, DHS 2010, which was photographed from a helicopter. Supersport were in attendance, and the whole event was extremely festive. My thanks to all involved!

This weekend is Founders’ Day, and all old boys were invited to attend the festivities. A special ceremony will be held in Founders’ Room at 10.30 to honour Tony Human, and the rugby is against Kearsney, with the 1st XV playing under lights at 5pm. See you here!

Regards
Dave Magner
Class of 1968