Today’s Prep Patter signals that we have 17 school days left to celebrate in this third quarter. I am also aware that we have close to fifty events/activities to still monitor, prepare for and enjoy until break-up day on Friday 20 September. Once again, I can proudly state that “all DPHS hands are on deck” to bravely steer us through each day and event until we can all rest in these rapidly approaching holidays.
FRIENDS’ AND FOUNDERS’ DAY
I would like to pay respects again to all the staff for their combined efforts in hosting this day with the expected levels of excellence.
It was so encouraging to note the large turn-out of guests, parents and especially High School Old Boys who joined our staff and boys to celebrate the start to the day. The assembly reminds us of our 109 year history as well as our combined partnership in promoting the brand of Prep, a brand that all present so strongly believe in. Thank you and well done to Mr Shaun Ferreira who co-ordinated the programme for this assembly.
Congratulations follow through to the JP and SP sports days with respective acknowledgement given to Mrs Veerasamy and Mrs Pullen (JP) co-ordinators, Mr Dick (SP co-cordinator) and all the staff involved throughout the day. Special mention must also be made of our boys for their ‘full of spirit’ energy noted in each event and in vocal support cheering on their houses, from the stands.
The champions for the meetings were:
JP – Bullimore House
SP – Evans House
The finale to the day was the hosting of our F & F Social Function down on the ramp outside the Prep Club ie. – overlooking the fields. This was a champion initiative of Mrs Tarryn Hunter to co-ordinate the event for the first time at this venue and what an amazing success it turned out to be. We were blessed with wonderful weather, amazing food from the Prep Club, music entertainment by Old Boy Rorke Kemp and great company of staff, parents and Old Boys to proudly celebrate our Friends’ and Founders’ Day for 2019
COUNTRIES AND CULTURES
This annual event hosted by our Grade 4 section involves a partnership of the staff, boys and parents and takes place in the hall tomorrow followed by the Countries/Cultures Assembly for the school on Friday. An enormous amount of pre-planning and setting up the group exhibition stalls in the hall is noticed yearly under the guidance of Grade leader Mrs Miloszewski, Life Skills Subject Head Mr Jaffar and the grade staff members. This presentation is essential to the academic programme in this grade and thus enhances the class teaching process for our boys. Best Prep wishes to all involved for a most enjoyable learning experience.
SA PREP FESTIVAL
Our 1st team hockey squad is playing an outstanding style of hockey drawing much praise and recognition from our own supporters and that of the opposition. We as Prep are still unbeaten in the 1st team inter-school fixtures and hopefully this will continue at the National Hockey Festival this coming weekend at St Stithians in Johannesburg.
Thank you to Mr Carrol (Director of Hockey), Coach Tiny Nxumalo, and Mr Dick for accompanying the boys on tour – may you and the boys be rewarded with further victories in each game ahead. I look forward to joining our staff management, parents and 1st team on tour to enjoy a festival of excellent hockey and DPHS success. Here we go Prep – let’s go!
FITH FESTIVAL
Our cultural pillar under our Director Mrs Briscoe will also be involved next Friday at the Festival in the Hills programme in Hillcrest. Our school choir will participate with 14 other school choirs as well as the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra and the Drakensberg Boys Choir performing live on stage. DPHS have now also become co-organizers of this wonderful event, with Curro Hillcrest, with our own Mrs Briscoe involved as Concert Director. I, on behalf of our school, congratulate Mrs Briscoe and loudly applaud her for the months of planning as well as to highlighting the talents of our Prep boys at this respected cultural event. Please look out for the advertising posters around the city that you should see up shortly and please help to promote this event which is now also a DPHS driven event on the inter-schools calendar.
I hereby call on all Prep families to please join us at:
Venue : “City Hill” – Hillcrest
Date : Friday 6 September (next Friday)
Time : 18h00
Tickets : Booking through Computicket/or at the door.
Come on DPHS – let us book out the venue to a sell our capacity in support of our School Choir and this FITH event.
ACADEMIC REMINDER
Notification has already gone out explaining the Open Time for parents in all three sections of the school to visit the class teacher and specialist teachers. This opportunity must not go to waste as it will be important for families to receive the feedback relating to progress or areas of concern for your son to focus on. We only have the final quarter left so it is necessary to emphasize to each child that term four needs his very best focus and attention. Each and every grade carries this importance right through the school so please note the time and dates set below.
Next Tuesday 3 September : both JP and SP grades/16h00 – 18h00
Please remember that Grade R have scheduled parent – teacher meetings.
We look forward to your attendance as parents and request that you inform your son of the information shared when you return home afterwards.
QUALITY TIME
I have recently shared some advice about spending quality family time together through playing some board games at home or taking out the photo albums to share with the family relating to those earlier years and fond memories.
I now extend that “Quality Time” with the family each taking a book/reader at home and setting a time period in the lounge, for all members to spend quietly reading. You will be amazed as to how meaningful this time becomes especially if this reading time is followed up with the family enjoying a milo/hot chocolate drink etc. This idea will also tie in perfectly with the Media Centres outreach request, from Mrs Muthusamy, to please send in any reader for the Learn Programme drive, in our combined efforts to support the launch of a Media Centre in a disadvantaged school.
Prep families – I challenge you to initiate ‘quality time’ spent in reading as a family in the very near future.
JP LITERACY OUTREACH
Our JP section will be hosting our Grade 3 friends, boys and girls, from Sophunga Primary here at school next Tuesday. All our grades in the JP phase will be involved throughout the morning in some way with the main emphasis on spending quality time in ‘sharing and caring’ for our friends during the programme. This idea was launched last year and the staff and boys still talk fondly of this experience that was created for all to celebrate and enjoy. Thank you to Miss Gilroy, the JP staff, boys and families for supporting and encouraging this learning and life skills programme.
Sophunga Primary choir has also been included by our Prep cultural pillar to join us in the Festival in the Hills combined choir programme next Friday 6 September.
Thank you Prep in welcoming Sophunga Primary with open arms!
PREP BOYS
| DON’T | DO |
| Forget the important message of Friends’ and Founders’ Day. | Celebrate the message of Friends and Founders Day. |
| Miss out on any Inter House event. | Represent their ‘House’ with pride. |
| Perform at average level when on tour or at festivals. | Rise to the levels of excellence whilst representing our school. |
| Let their parents miss the academic open time opportunity. | Insist that their parents give immediate feedback from those academic meetings. |
| Think that reading is a waste of time. | Respect that reading is spent as quality time. |
HOUSE PLAYS
Watch the space – House Play rehearsals are in full swing with our House Play Evenings soon to be advertised – not to be missed!
“Congratulations”
MR PREP
JP – Luthando Sisilana – Grade 1 Langley
SP – James Whatmore – Grade 4 Miloszewski
WORLD CUP
I proudly congratulate, on behalf of DPHS, the Springbok Rugby Squad and officials who have been selected to lead our country at the World Cup in Japan.
May your journey ahead be a most rewarding experience for you as the team and our amazing and proud country – South Africa.
Go Bokke!
HEADMASTER’S QUOTE FOR THE WEEK
Life is to be enjoyed, not to be endured.
B WILSON
Headmaster
