Now we drop down into the ‘twenties’ which means that there are ‘27’ school days left to celebrate until break-up day on Friday 20 March. We are basically in the middle of the term now starting to head for that ‘term-end’ approach with many activities still to focus on.
OPEN DAY
What an amazing morning! We had many visitors to our school yesterday who arrived for the tour of DPHS. There were so many Prep partners who combined their efforts in the planning, presentation, catering and hosting of the event to those levels of excellence that we are so proud of. Many families commented to me on how impressed they were with the professional manner in which the programme was conducted, with even further glowing praise expressed about the behaviour and manners of our boys, noticed right through their tour from Grade R and along the Junior/Senior Primary corridors. Prep was buzzing with positive energy as noted in the classrooms, specialist areas and on the sports-fields with staff, coaches, boys, parents and Mothers Committee working together. Please join me Prep, in acknowledging our entire team and in particular our Director of Marketing Mrs Tarryn Hunter, who enthusiastically led the way with the attention to detail noted in all aspects. Congratulations and thank you in abundance Mrs Hunter and the DPHS Community – a proudly Prep experience!
BOOK FAIR
We greatly appreciate the support shown by our families at the ‘Books2You’ Fair held at school last week. We value the important life skills learnt in our boys browsing through the books on display and then been afforded the opportunity to purchase a book/s that is of much interest to them. It is so encouraging to see our boys leaving the book fair proudly sharing their new purchases with their class mates. Thank you again to Mrs Muthusamy for arranging for the ‘fair’ to take place and for overseeing the programme for the school – another Proudly Prep achievement!
AQUATICS
It really warmed the heart to note how many family members were present, in vocal support, at the respective inter school galas held last week. Our A team definitely led the way at the Durban Central A gala with our B/C/D flying the Prep flag at the top of the mast at the Durban Central B gala last Thursday. It is so pleasing to note that our swimming squads have been working so hard at training with more work still to be done – as we prepare for the rapidly approaching D & D galas at Kings Park.
The water polo teams in all age groups again did Prep proud by winning 6 and drawing 2 of the eight matches played against Clifton yesterday. Our team structures and commitment was definitely noted and appreciated by all present as DPHS excelled in this inter-school future. Well done Prep 1st team on your 12-2 victory.
PREP PAL
Our well respected ‘pastoral care’ programme takes place this Friday for the first time in 2020, after assembly. All the boys from Grade 1 through to Grade 7 will be placed into their ‘Prep Pal’ family groups with our Grade 7 Senior leading his group as ‘big brother’ for the year. The value gained from these meetings where the boys interact with each other is immense as the boys display ‘brotherly’ support for each member in their group. Each ‘family group’ has a boy from each grade in it so the boys willingly and automatically adopt a sense of pride in caring for their ‘Prep Pals’ in their respective groups. This relationship is extended even further on a daily basis thereafter as the boy’s throughout the school, now identify with their pals when passing on the corridors or on the fields at break. To add to the sentiments of the programme this relationship building drive is further linked to house spirit where the boys will gather in the groups under each house colour ie – that sense of belonging is not only emphasized in the group but also in a group of ‘Prep brothers’ from the same house. This means that the boys are allowed to come to school for the day in their house kit – house cap, ‘golf’ shirt, white shorts, white Prep socks and ‘white’ running shoes. Please note that boys playing cricket fixtures etc in the afternoon must remember their correct kit and blazer/school cap for the fixture. Enjoy the first Prep Pal meeting – Go Prep!
ACADEMIC NEWS
Now that we are well into the term I do wish to highlight how impressed I am with the work ethic noted in the teaching areas. Our boys have continued with that positive focus noted in many academic tasks and responsibilities with boys been sent to my office to celebrate their ‘lighthouse’ academic efforts in their work books. It is so inspiring to see a group of young men – Grade 1/2 – arriving at the office door beaming with pride to share their “busy work” and general efforts. This is endorsed with many positive comments from staff expressed in the marking of these books. However I do encourage all families to keep that focus on these academic responsibilities during this latter half of the term when further academic assessments will take place for the compiling of marks for this first term report. All boys are encouraged to get their academic year off to a great start as I look forward to hosting the top 10 senior primary boys per class at the “Headmasters Tea” at the end of the term.
APPEARANCE
Please continue to monitor your son’s appearance for school on a daily basis. It is at this stage that boys do become casual with regards to the polishing of their shoes as well as to maintaining the correct hairstyles/length of hair etc. The boys will be monitored and reminded shortly with respect to their neatness in appearance.
BEST WISHES
I call on all cricket teams to approach this round of fixtures for the week with the respected DPHS spirit and desire to achieve in their individual and combined team efforts. I say this due to the fact that many fixtures against Merchiston last weekend were cancelled due to the weather.
I look forward to our teams thus responding with an even more eager attitude to play each match set down for this week. May I also apologise to those many parents/families who travelled up to Merchiston on Saturday, only for there to be a sudden change in the weather resulting in the matches been called off without a ball bowled. I too had to basically turn my car around on arrival there. I look forward to positive Prep scores and achievements as we play Glenwood Prep and Northlands in a combined fixture so that our many teams can get a full round of teams to play against – Go Prep!
PREP BOYS
| DON’T | DO |
| Let the school down on our Open Day. | Display beautiful manners and warm hospitality on Open Day and every day. |
| Miss out on reading a good book. | Enjoy the opportunity to purchase at the book fair each year. |
| Waste the life skills shared at Prep Pal meetings. | Value the new friendships formed amongst the Prep Pals in their group. |
| Become casual in their academic efforts. | Raise their academic efforts at this stage of the term. |
| Let their appearance become untidy. | Remain proudly Mr Prep in appearance. |
‘SECRET CODE’
Thank you to those families who do encourage their son to come to my office to share the secret code from the Prep Patter. I encourage even more boys to be part of this fun challenge – their reward is waiting in my office.
Secret code for this week is: “I proudly raise my Prep cap”
MR PREP – CONGRATULATIONS
JP – Prince Jordan – Grade 2 Hardouin
SP – Mitchell Garreau – Grade 7 Turner
HEADMASTERS QUOTE FOR THE WEEK
“To the man who only has a hammer, everything he encounters begins to look like a nail”
B WILSON
Headmaster
