Untitled - Parktown High School for Girls

Subject
awards
ERNST AND YOUNG TROPHY
FOR ACCOUNTING
Top Achiever – 86%
Aa’isha Dollie
EM MCGREGOR MEMORIAL
AWARD FOR LIFE SCIENCES
Top Achiever - 89%
Aqeela Meer
THE MATHEMATICS SHIELD
Top Achiever – 94%
Aqeela Meer
ADVANCED PROGRAMME
MATHEMATICS
Top Achiever – 92%
Ria Parbhoo
AFRIKAANS AWARD
Top Achiever – 89%
Isabella de Gouveia Pinto
HISTORY AWARDS
THE B E PAYNTER HISTORY AWARD
Top Achiever – 89%
Manthipe Moila
GEOGRAPHY AWARD
Top Achiever – 82%
Shaakirah Madhi
PHYSICAL SCIENCE AWARD
Top Achiever – 93%
Aqeela Meer and Ria Parbhoo
THE CONSUMER STUDIES
CUP
Top Achiever – 88%
Celeste Holden
CONSUMER STUDIES
PRACTICAL AWARD
Presented to the top Practical Student
in Consumer Studies - Marissa van
Niekerk/ Roxanne Farquharson
DRAMATIC ARTS AWARD
Top Achiever – 80%
Kerryn Gammie
HICKS DRAMATIC ARTS
AWARD
Presented to the top practical student
in Dramatic Arts
Kerryn Gammie
ENGLISH AWARD
Top Achiever – 86%
Kiah Johnson and Aqeela Meer
FRENCH AWARD
Top Achiever – 71%
Gemma Ritchie
THE YUILL HISTORY CUP
Awarded to the learner with a passion
for History - Wynona Latham
Valediction
ISIZULU AWARD
Top Achiever – 89%
Thokozani Majozi
LIFE ORIENTATION AWARD
Top Achievers – 93%
Aqeela Meer and Amy Pearson
MATHEMATICAL LITERACY
AWARD
Top Achiever – 87%
Tatum Bedworth
LYONS-ZWARENSTEIN
TROPHY
For Mathematics: Endeavour
Awarded to a Higher Grade learner
who through persistent effort has
improved in her Grade 12 year - Janita
Kassanjee
VISUAL ARTS AWARD
Top Achiever in Theory - 92%
Danika Corrall
THE DESIGN SCHOOL
TROPHY
THE DESIGN SCHOOL TROPHY FOR
ART PRACTICAL
Yuliya Konovodova
McRAE CUP
Awarded to a learner with a special
interest in Geography
Peta Batchelor
Academic half colours, colours and honours
Valediction
page 26
33 learners in Grade 12 achieved an average of 70% or more for 2012 and met the requirements for a Scholarship Scroll.
Academic Half Colours are awarded for two Scholarships Scrolls, one of which must be awarded in Grade 10, 11 or 12.
Full Colours are awarded for three Scholarship Scrolls, two of which must be for achievement in Grade 10, 11 or 12.
Academic Honours are awarded for re-Award of Full Colours and an Average above 80%.
The names are in ascending order.
33. Kerryn Gammie
70% Full Colours (Re-award)
32. Tebogo Seima
71% Full Colours (Re-award)
31 .Amma Sarfo-Adomah
71% Full Colours (New award)
30. Mikara Maharaj
71% Half Colours (New award)
29. Ameesha Vallabh
72% Full Colours (New award)
28. Amy Grose
72% Half Colours (New award)
27. Mihlali Vezi
73% Full Colours (New award)
26. Amy Pearson
73% Full Colours (Re-award)
25. Tasneem van Schalk
74% Full Colours (Re-award)
24. Safoora Tikly
74% Half Colours (New award)
23. Danika Corrall
74% Full Colours (New award)
22. Manthipe Moila
74% Full Colours (Re-award)
21. Geena Parker
75% Full Colours (Re-award)
20. Alexandria Green-Thompson
75% Full Colours (Re-award)
19. Azraa Parak
76% Full Colours (New award)
18. Gemma Ritchie
76% Full Colours (Re-award)
17. Elisa Moyane
77% Full Colours (Re-award)
16. Karishma Magan
77% Full Colours (Re-award)
15. Gemma Hart
77% Full Colours (Re-award)
14. Zarreen Cassim
77% Full Colours (Re-award)
13. Naeema Hussein El Kout
78% Half Colours (New award)
12. Kiah Johnson
78% Full Colours (Re-award)
11. Whitney Baartman
78% Full Colours (Re-award)
10. Raadhiya Perin
79% Full Colours (Re-award)
9. Miranda Hunt
79% Full Colours (Re-award)
8. Khadija Kharsany
79% Full Colours (New award)
7. Isabel Tollman
79% Full Colours (Re-award)
6. Munawwar Tayob
80% Academic Honours
5. Aa’isha Dollie
80% Full Colours (New award)
4. Amisha Desai
81% Academic Honours
3. Shaakirah Madhi
84% Academic Honours
2. Ria Parbhoo
85% Academic Honours
1. Aqeela Meer
89% Academic Honours
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.

Tours Academic
Tours Academic
page 34
WALTER SISULU BOTANICAL
GARDENS
This year the Grade 9s had the privilege of going on a field trip to the exquisite Walter
Sisulu Botanical Gardens. On the trip we were given a booklet to fill in by finding the
answers around the gardens. Everyone spent the morning scrambling around in the
hot sun, looking for answers. Eventually when afternoon arrived, we were rounded up
and headed back home. It was a wonderful day filled with sunshine, friends and a whole
lot of learning!
Emma van der Spuy,
Grade 9
THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT
This year the Grade 10s were privileged to visit Constitutional Hill as part of our Life
Orientation curriculum. We visited the old prison and learned about the justice system
and prison life during Apartheid. Seeing how different races were treated made us
really grateful for our new South Africa. We then visited the actual court where we
learned about how the rights of all citizens are protected by the highest set of laws in
the country – the Constitution. The beautiful architecture served as a reminder of our
heritage, but also for us never to go back to an oppressive regime.
After a tour through the art gallery, we ended the day by discussing the importance of
South Africa’s unique justice system and other political ideas surrounding our human
rights. This outing was an exciting and inspiring experience, showing how far our
country has come.
Rebecca Jasper,
Grade 10
THE WAR MUSEUM
The Grade 8s were lucky enough to visit the Johannesburg War Museum this
year, which proved to be a very stimulating experience for all. After a tour of
the Museum, we were given interesting quizzes and asked to draw some of
the machines, planes, guns and cars that interested us, paying attention to the
colours and textures of everything around us. The day was fun and exciting,
and we learned a lot about the wars that our country, as well as others, has
fought..
Hannah Littlewood,
Grade 8
THE JOHANNESBURG ZOO
TThe Grade 11s went to the Johannesburg Zoo as part of their Life Sciences
curriculum, to learn about animal phylum and their characteristics. After
informative lectures by the staff at the Zoo, we were given worksheets about
biodiversity and how to classify animals, and then were challenged to a quiz
which took us all around the Zoo and tested our recently gained knowledge.
The experience was greatly informative and ensured that we were wellprepared
for the section on biodiversity in our June exams.
Holly
Leventhorpe,
People never learn anything
by being told, they have to
find out for themselves.
Paulo Coelho
JUNE 16 HISTORY TOUR
To begin the tour, our tour guide Lebo Malepa spoke about the
courage of the youth of 1976 and the nature of their protest.
He spoke about the importance of the event, the tour and our
involvement - about how we “were the future of the country.”
We were given placards and the freedom to write what we wanted
on them. There were signs with “Equal education for all!” and
“Corruption is disruption for our education!” After that we were
herded up the road and we began the protest. We sang protest songs
and marched uphill. We received curious looks and the occasional
bystander joined in with a cry of “Amandla, Awetu!” Occasionally
Lebo stopped us to point out and tell us of the various points where
more students poured in and joined the rest of the protest in 1976.
When we reached the Hector Peterson Memorial we were tired,
hungry and out of breath. We could almost appreciate the effort
that the students had to put into the march - how much energy and
passion were needed to pull it off.
When we reached the Hector Peterson Museum, we had the
opportunity to meet Antoinette Peterson, Hector Peterson’s sister.
She was just as awed at our presence as we were at hers and looked
around, trying to take in all that we had written on the placards. More
than anything, it seemed like she appreciated the fact that today’s
youth was acknowledging the difficulties that were faced by children
our age in the past, as well as the difficulties that some of us are
facing now.
The Grade 12 learners realised during the tour that as far as we have
come from 36 years ago, there are still injustices that need to be
addressed regarding education in South Africa. This proved to me
that there could still be a unifying force, a cause that could unite
today’s youth as it had 36 years ago and there is no better time to
stand up than now. We could make history.
.
Manthipe Moila,
Grade 12
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.

Grade 8 Tour
A Journey of Experience
The prospect of tour has only ever roused a few emotions in me, none
of which are positive. Dread takes centre stage on my emotional plane,
with anxiety and terror creeping out from behind the wings. So, with
this piece of information taken into consideration, you probably
have quite an accurate idea of what was going through
my mind on the bus to camp. It was something along
the lines of, ‘Help! Take me home!’ and ‘I’m going
to die,’ and “This is the beginning of the end.” The
bland sign reading Eksderde that rose out of the
dry, barren landscape in front of us confirmed
my suspicions. All that lay ahead of me for the
next three days was dust, allergies, unappetising
food, boredom and sunburn. Boy, was I wrong.
The three days I spent at the Eksderde camp were
a major turn of events for me. The Grade 8s of 2012
stepped off the buses, blinking at the sight of the
African veld surrounding us. Lugging our over-sized bags
behind us, we were led to Eksderde’s very own amphitheatre.
We were introduced to the councillors, who were an enthusiastic
and humorous bunch, and shown to our dormitories. From that moment
onwards our days were filled with interesting activities that focused
mainly on team building.
It
was a brilliant
end to the first tour
of our high school
careers.
On our final night at Eksderde, we were given the most exciting activity
of all: a fashion show! Each group was given a theme and told to make
two outfits that would best express the theme. Our resources consisted
of newspaper, black rubbish bags, string and sellotape. Everyone went
mad, looking for makeup or accessories that would be their ticket to
first place. It was a brilliant end to the first tour of our high
school careers.
The best possible way to sum up the tour is that it
completely contradicted the over-active emotions
of the teenager that overcame me on the bus.
The only negative aspect that I can think of
is that no one wanted to go back to school -
unless it was going to be as exciting as camp
had been.
Mia Rose Penn, Grade 8
Jessica van Wyk, Grade 8
page 35
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.

Grade 9 Tour
Grade 9 Tour
The Building Blocks of Fun
It was on a sunny day in March when over 200 excited and chatty
Grade 9 Parktonians heaved large bags up Kildare Avenue and
loaded them on to the buses. There was a buzz in
the air that one only finds during the annual
Enrichment Week.
After spending the previous night
trying to Google the mysterious
Warthog Inn, girls clambered
onto the buses lugging
their pillows behind them.
The noise lasted the entire
journey and girls squealed
with excitement when they
at last saw the turn-off sign
pointing to where we would
be spending the next few days.
As the dust created by the buses
cleared, the beautiful facilities of
Warthog Inn came into view. A large
thatched lapa surrounded by a cluster of
dormitories that were shaded by acacia trees was
to be our home for the next few days.
We
went from
building lofty towers out
of spaghetti and marshmallows
to designing the perfect
parachute for an egg.
After a quick briefing from our camp manager, Nelson, we were
sorted into our teams and immediately sent off to do various
activities that would test our logic, strength and teamwork skills.
The best activity by far was the notorious Mudstacle Course which
no one was able to escape without becoming covered in mud
and dust. Miss Dowling showed off her acrobatic skills
by skipping over each obstacle like a rock rabbit,
although she did skip the mud...
Every night we were sent off to do a night
activity, each more challenging than the
one before. We went from building lofty
towers out of spaghetti and marshmallows
to designing the perfect parachute for an
egg. War cries were belted out with passion
in a true Parktonian fashion.
Overall, it was an experience that brought us
all closer together and reminded us that we
are all stars (even if it meant being soaked to
the skin at least once a day). We cannot go without
thanking Project Summit for a fantastic and fun-filled
experience which we will surely never forget.
Alexandra Bench,
Grade 9
page 36 We have a vision We have of confident a vision of and confident courageous and courageous young women, young ready women, and willing ready and to meet willing every to meet challenge every on challenge the way on to the achieving way to their achieving dreams. their dreams. page 36

Grade 10 Tour
Inspirational Escapades
Lead to Success Camp: every teenage
girl’s secret thrill. The dreaded day sneaks its way up on you
and all you can hear is a buzz of moans and cries wafting
around the corridors of Parktown Girls’. The Grade 10s of
2012 seemed beyond tired of this repetitious routine by
having experienced it twice. The novel thrill of venturing
out into the wilderness was worn out by now. Who
would have guessed that the Sediba Kwele Camp
would be the site of the historic unification of
our grade?
The drive was a never-ending chatter of
teenage girls squealing and giggling to the
deep grumble of the monstrous bus. Finally
the bus trudged its way through the gates of
the camp. Instead of ogling out the window
at the thriving bushveld, the entire bus was in
hysteria because it was at this exact moment
that everyone’s phones lost their signal. The
distressed bus of teenagers was left traumatised by
this life-changing catastrophe! The conspiracy theorists
immediately saw this as the work of our kind teachers, a tactic
to protect us from the ills of social media as we became one
with nature and the bush.
Whatever the case was, the bevy of deflated teenage girls was
low-spirited and demotivated. Not a great introduction to
three days of “Camp”. This situation was quickly remedied by
the boisterous arrival of the energized camp facilitators who
gave us no option but to join in the songs and dances which
seemed to unite our grade eternally. We leaped, twisted and
jumped to the sound of our own voices singing the familiar,
catchy camp songs we knew oh-so-well. The Grade 10 Camp
of 2012 had officially been ignited!
Before we knew it, we had been herded into groups, equipped
with camp gear and ready to take on the challenges of the day!
Our days were jam-packed with rock climbing,
foofy sliding, compass navigating,
swimming, weaving through
Encouraging,
motivating and
cheering each other on,
wallowing in our newly found
camaraderie…
obstacle courses, studying
ecosystems and so much
more… Our grade unified
and co-operated with each
other like never before -
encouraging, motivating
and cheering each other
on, wallowing in our newly
found camaraderie!
In a flash, our Camp of
Camaraderie ended. However,
the spirit, heart and passion we
radiated throughout Camp were not
abandoned after our three day trip. Our
grade arrived back home with a bond that had
been solidified like never before. White Badges forever!
Kiara Govender,
Grade 10
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.
page 37

Grade 11Tour
The Final Adventure
It was our last camp and we had three full days to make
it count! Early Tuesday morning the Grade 11s were
lined up and ready to embark on their journey.
After what seemed like forever, we arrived at
Melstroom Lodge. The excellent standard of
the Lodge was hard to believe with single
beds and pleasant bathrooms. Compared to
our previous camps, this was royalty!
We started off the day with some ice-breaker
activities and the enthusiastic councillors
assigned us to our groups using our shoes,
which led to much confusion and loss of shoes.
After lunch we started the much dreaded activities,
but to our surprise they were the best we had ever
Our
last camp and
we had three full
days to make it
count!
experienced! That night we watched a movie entitled “Forever Strong” about
leadership qualities. The next morning, bright and early, we started more
exciting activities. Some of us were doing archery; others attempted the very
Grade 11 Tour
frustrating balloon walk; the rest of us busied ourselves building a rocket with
coke bottles which we launched on our last day at the camp. The day flew by
and before we knew it, dinner came along. Our camp director had informed
us to put on our best outfits and get ready to party. The outfits were
incomparable. At seven o’clock the doors opened and unleashed
loud music and bright lights. The girls danced the night away and
some even took a dip in the pool. We woke up to a gloomy and
rainy day but that did not stop us from launching our rockets
into the air.
Camp 2012: we made it count: from the steel-framed beds, to
sharing bathrooms with hardly any hot water and sleep-overs in
the bush! It was a truly incredible experience and one that none
of us will forget.
Shireen Mia,
Grade 11
page 38
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.

Matric Dance Committee
The Bloom of the Cherry
Blossoms
Matric Dance Committee
Row 3: L le Hane, C Mcmahon, C Taylor, F Zoghby, C Dry, M Wakefield, D Smit,
R Olivier, I Adams, A Rushmere
Row 2: K Makhene, I Ganijee, L Mayambala, S Bosman, A Cronje, L Moletsane,
F Ali, M Moletsane, S Mia, J Ramanlal
Row1: A du Preez, K Mataboge, Ms Rodrigues, Ms Moreira, Mrs Clay, J Keung,
R Nel
One of the highlights of every Matriculant’s year is the Matric
Dance. At the end of the first term, all the Matrics were invited to
the amphitheatre by the Matric Dance Committee, where they
were given a little treasure chest filled with the delights of what
was to come on 19 May 2012. Hair, nails, shoes and dresses, this
was to be the talk of the day for the next few weeks. Finally, the
journey came to an end; everyone had reached their destination
- Indaba Hotel.
Earlier this year, Mrs Robinson spoke about how the Matrics
are the cherries of the school and so the Committee felt it was
appropriate for the theme of the Dance to be: “The Bloom of
the Cherry Blossoms”. All the girls looked
stunning and beautifully made up
Our
Matrics looked
like princesses, dancing
the night away until the
clock struck twelve.
- with vibrantly multi-coloured
dresses, beautiful hairstyles and
killer heels.
The evening started with each
girl formally greeting Mr and
Mrs Cereseto and the Head
Girl. The doors were then
opened at seven o’clock and
each girl was presented with
a Matric silver ring followed by
an evening filled with blooming
flowers, a candlelit dinner and
photographs. That evening our
Matrics looked like princesses, dancing
the night away until the clock struck twelve.
Francis Zoghby,
Grade 11
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.
page 39

Potted Spor ts Committee
Potted Spor ts
We didn’t just stay
awake for the bling,
but to be part of the
year that the world
didn’t end…
The Mayans predicted the world’s end to be this year,
but the Grade 11s decided to prove them wrong. They
underestimated our capability to ‘save the world’ and,
ultimately, save the worlds of the residents of Logwood
Village (our chosen charity). With this goal in mind,
we began our explosive journey as the Potted Sports
Committee of 2012.
The year started off with the Grade 8 Stay-Awake
where our newest additions to the Parktown family
had to survive 14 hours of no sleep. The night began
with our very own Mama T welcoming the ‘survivors’
to our Survivor-themed night. Excitement soon turned
to exhaustion, but with games, dances, singing and, of
course, sugar, the Grade 8s survived the night. Thank
you to the Grade 8s for their enthusiasm and support.
The next event we tackled was Bling Day which was an
amazing success! We made a record amount and we
thank the school for their support. Competition was
high to see which family could collect the most coins
and decorate the best cartoon character. The drive was
gleaming with the images of several cartoons such as
Dexter, Johnny Bravo and the impressive Bubbles. The
process of counting was extremely long, but worth it
after we deposited the money into the account.
Finally, our big day arrived - the school’s 89th Birthday.
It was a celebration that will not be forgotten soon.
After days of stress, laughter, tears and paint (lots of
paint) we were finally ready to ‘save the world’. The hall
was beautifully decorated with a balance between the
supposed end and the bright future that lay ahead of
us. Vladimir the mad scientist was stopped by our very
own Parktown girls in the hilarious play and the much
anticipated t-shirt was finally revealed. The school was
then treated to a variety of foods, drinks and games
from the colourfully decorated stalls.
Thank you to the staff, parents/guardians, maintenance
staff and all the learners for their support and
assistance throughout the year. Thank you to the
amazing Committee who taught me so much, from the
importance of patience, laughter and support to how to
do the ‘Woza’ hands. We have become a family that I
know we can always depend on no matter what. Thank
you to the Grade 11s who were the real heroes of the
year after putting in hours of effort and always being
determined and enthusiastic. Lastly, thank you to Miss
Hulley, Mrs Law and Mrs Davidson for the continued
support and assistance throughout the year.
Regardless of when the world will actually end, live your
life to the fullest, brightening the world of someone
else.
Potted Sports Committee
Row 3: B Moila, T Mthombeni, S Mcitwa, T Putu, M Mbele, Z Pillay
Row 2: C Sathekge, N Van Wyk, J Naidoo, L Swartz, L Bismark, K Mayet, M Eilers
Row 1: G Rochecouste, F Thomas, Ms Davidson, M Elgoni, Ms Hulley, P Klepper, L Mohube
Maryam Elgoni,
Captain
page 40
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.

Headmistress’s Repor t
Headmistress’ Repor t
page 2
“We have a vision of confident
and courageous young
women, ready and willing
to meet every challenge on
the way to achieving their
dreams.”
- Vision of Parktown High School for Girls
This annual school magazine presents a proud record
of the activities of our school in 2012. The school
is bursting at the seams and in dire need of extra
classrooms. The hall, enlarged in 1996, is really too
small to fit the entire school in one sitting. Our current
enrolment is 1127 and there is always pressure from
parents and guardians and the Gauteng Department
of Education to take more learners. We believe
that we have lived up to our slogan “Parktown the
Place of Possibilities: a leading learning school”.
We are constantly seeking new and better ways of
teaching so that our girls can learn more effectively.
We are mindful of what will be required when they
leave the protected environment of the school. We
try our best to include the teaching of twenty-first
century skills as identified by the Partnership for
21st Century Skills. These include critical thinking,
problem solving, communication, collaborating,
information and technology literacy, being flexible,
adaptable, innovative, creative, globally competent,
and financially literate. All of these skills must be built
on a solid core of academic subject knowledge.
We continue to be acknowledged as a top school
in South Africa and were recognised as the Top
School in the Johannesburg North District which
now takes into account the quality of the Grade 12 passes
and not only the number as in past years. The University
of the Witwatersrand again recognised us as their
top feeder school. From time to time we receive
Mrs Cereseto, Headmistress
We value all our involved
and suppor tive parents.
Without them our
learners would not be as
successful.
information, both formally and informally, from
various universities about the successes of our
learners. The list of our former learners who win
prizes each year is very encouraging.
The exceptional commitment of our 68
teachers ably supported by two psychologists,
12 administration and 14 maintenance staff
members and, of course, the substantial financial
contribution of parents/guardians make all the
above possible.
Although the Grade 12s of 2011 achieved a 99,5%
pass rate instead of the customary 100% we are extremely
proud of the quality of their passes. 99% of them qualified for
tertiary education at bachelor degree level. 16,3% of our girls achieved
A aggregates, 35% B aggregates, 35% C aggregates, 14% D aggregates and
no E aggregates.
None of this comes without effort and many a learner regrets that she started
her preparation too late. We continue to try to convince all our learners of the
need to work hard on a daily basis in order to achieve good results. Many do
not believe that it is effort that counts. They choose to opt out by declaring
themselves not very good at the subject. Higher achievement is possible for
every single learner at Parktown provided the necessary effort is applied.
The reasons for the failure of the one Grade 12 learner (the first in more than
20 years) are worth some reflection. Her failure was not because of inherent
lack of academic ability. She achieved, in fact, a pleasing average for the five
subjects she passed. It was her choice of subjects that was the problem
combined with her and her family’s refusal to be guided by the advice of the
school’s professional staff. The unthinkable happened in her final examinations.
Perhaps lulled by her passing year mark in Science which included marks for
tasks that did not require the difficult application of Science knowledge tested
in the examination, she was unable to demonstrate sufficient knowledge
to achieve a passing mark in the finals which demand application and real
understanding of the concepts. She consequently failed both Mathematics
and Science and therefore failed the entire NSC examination. This was an
avoidable tragedy. If this learner had taken Mathematical Literacy she would
have passed it well, and although she failed Science she would still have
passed Grade 12 and have obtained entrance for bachelor degree study at
university. That would have been a far happier outcome for her but denial of
her academic reality doomed her to the very distressing outcome.
This sad story was repeated across the length and breadth of the country
and certain leading educationists who promote the belief that all learners are
capable of passing Science and Mathematics must take some blame for this.
In an ideal education environment where every learner is
assured of solid teaching in every grade and good yearly
achievement this might be so. Unfortunately far too
many learners enter high school with exceptionally poor
Mathematical understanding which is also needed for
success in Science.
We are currently implementing what is commonly known
as CAPS incrementally. This is the official South African
curriculum and was gazetted as the National Curriculum
Statement Grades R-12 which comprises the Curriculum
and Assessment Policy Statements for all approved
subjects for Grades R-12; the National Policy Pertaining
to the Programme and Promotion Requirements of the
National Curriculum Statement Grades R-12; and the
National Protocol for Assessment Grades R-12. This year
CAPS was implemented in Grade 10. Next year we will
implement the CAPS in Grade 11 and finally in Grades 8, 9
and 12 in 2014. The “new” curriculum is not very different
from the previous one in most subjects. In some subjects
the order in which topics are covered has changed but in
Mathematics and Physical Sciences there are significant
changes which, in the opinion of the teachers, make the
curriculums more challenging and will take longer to
complete.
In order to live up to our slogan of being a “leading
learning school” staff members have participated in a
variety of professional development opportunities. Teachers
try to implement new learning into their classroom practice.
Management and curriculum leadership decisions are
influenced by these inputs. A further six members of
the school management team have participated in a
fourteen week coaching programme in leadership.
Teachers have attended in-school professional
development sessions as well as attending
conferences. The Deputy Headmistresses and I have
attended various conferences this year that focus on
school leadership.
As a “leading learning school” our school has a moral
responsibility to help close the gap between achieving
schools and those that are struggling. Our Networked
Learning Community (NLC) teacher development project
has continued to operate this year with new schools and
members joining periodically. The participants report that they find
the sessions beneficial and attribute their learners’ improved results in Grade
12 last year to their participation in the NLC. We thank Absa Capital which is
the main funder and the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust which has funded the
additional schools and teachers for their support.
The Exit Equity Project is a new project that aims to close the gap between
learners from educated middle-class families whose parents/guardians
supplement their school education in so many ways through, for example,
outings to the theatre, libraries, museums, restaurants and cultural heritage
sites and those whose parents who have not been able to do that because
of their own limited education and resources. The Exit Equity Project aims to
provide similar learning experiences for identified learners. The learners in
the project speak with great enthusiasm of the activities they have enjoyed,
mostly on Saturdays, in addition to the once a week preparation session for
each activity. We are already able to see a growth in confidence amongst the
participants. This project is also externally funded by the Optima and Epoch
Trusts. We would welcome parent and community members’ involvement in
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.

this project.
Parktown girls have been extensively involved in community activities. This
year the community service learners decided to support the Village Safe
Haven, a home for abused and abandoned children. To celebrate Mothers’
Day and Fathers’ Day, they arranged an afternoon tea for the residents of
the Salvation Army Eventide Old Age Home in Emmarentia and collected
old clothes and appliances for their jumble sales. They also held a very
successful Easter Egg Drive for the Salvation Army Old Age Home, Meals on
Wheels, FLOC (a pre-school in central Johannesburg) and the Village Safe
Haven. Each week learners and teachers brought sandwiches for FLOC;
the YCD learners visited the Princess Alice Adoption Home and
made cupcakes for Nkosi’s Haven. Clothing was collected
for the Village Safe Haven, Meals on Wheels and The
Kids’ Haven. In winter, packet soups were given to
Meals on Wheels and blankets to the homeless. On
National Clean-up Day, our learners organised a
clean-up at the Emmarentia Dam and Botanical
Gardens. Girls painted the Charlotte Maxeke
Hospital’s ophthalmology ward and the
children’s ward and the playroom of the Soweto
Hospice. During the July school holidays, a
group of learners and teachers volunteered
to tutor learners at the Inkwenkwezi Primary
School in Soweto. They also donated soup and
bread to the school for the meals that they provide
to the learners. The Grade 11s and the Potted Sports
Committee have to-date raised R122 608,00 for the
Logwood Village, a facility that provides holistic care for people
with intellectual disabilities.
We believe that we have
lived up to our slogan
“Parktown the Place of
Possibilities: a leading
learning school”.
Parktown girls have continued to be actively involved in various forms
of extra-curricular activities competing against learners from the rest of
the country and shown that they have what it takes to be national and
regional winners. Thirty girls were selected to represent the province and
one achieved at the national level. I highlight only a few achievements in
this report. Our sports teams continue to compete in the top leagues and
we were placed comfortably in the middle of the league in most sports.
The Canoeing, Equestrian, Indoor Hockey, Softball and Touch Rugby teams
achieved particularly well with the latter three winning their leagues. The
Choir, Dance team, Traditional Dancers and Marimba band won diplomas
(the highest award) at the National Eisteddfod Academy Festival. The
Marimba band won two major competitions this year. The Debating team
won the debating competition at the All Girls’ Schools Festival and Maryam
Elgoni was selected for the Gauteng Team. Helena Milne came 17th and
achieved a gold certificate in the English Olympiad and two learners were
placed in the top one hundred of the Mathematics Olympiad. The rocketbuilding
team achieved third place and the team that entered the Element
Six Material Trails Video Competition also achieved third place; the JSE
Business Game team achieved 29th position out of 100 which is a very
pleasing achievement. Shaakirah Madhi was placed first in the Witwatersrand
University Geography Exploration Day. At the Night of Stars Lindsay Collett
was named Sportswoman of the Year, Monique Prior was awarded the Tucker
Trophy for sportsmanship, Keabetswe Nyamane was named Cultural Woman
of the Year, and Kerryn Gammie received the Lazenby Trophy for her passion
and dedication to cultural activities.
There is generally very good support for the sporting, service and cultural
activities. While most activities are managed, coached or directed by
teachers, we have increasingly had to pay for coaches sourced from outside
the school, particularly for the sports. This has contributed significantly to
increasing the costs of running the extra-curricular programme.
Next year will be an extra busy one as we celebrate the school’s 90th birthday
and host the All Girls’ Schools Festival of Sport and Culture in which about
twenty-two schools participate.
In August the SGB parents, staff, and RCL members reflected on the findings
from the surveys of parents, learners and staff we conducted in June. Our
planning was informed by findings of the surveys and ideas from two
books: Results Now: How can we achieve unprecedented improvements in
teaching and learning? by Mike Schmoker and How to Create a Culture of
Achievement in your school and classroom by Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey
and Ian Pumpian. Four main focus areas and five supporting functions were
identified for our three-year School Development Plan.
My special thanks go to the Deputy Headmistresses: Mrs Robinson, Mrs
Megom, and Mrs Bremner, for their unfailing support and great wisdom. It is
wonderful to have a full team of exceptionally committed and capable senior
school leaders each entrusted with her particular portfolio. This has enabled
the school to run as smoothly as it is possible for such a busy organisation
to do. My thanks also go to the other members of the School Management
Team and all the teachers who have once again given so much to the school
thereby enabling us to accomplish so much.
Those who work behind-the-scenes are vital to the efficient and effective
functioning of the school and we must emphasise their contribution to our
success. Without the support and hard work of our administration
and maintenance staff we would not have been able to
accomplish all that we have. Their task is a thankless one
and they are often not able to see what their actions
contribute to the total success of the school so
we thank them very sincerely for another year’s
excellent work in the service of the school.
Thanks must also be extended to an essential and
sometimes taken-for-granted component of a
successful school, our parent community. We value
all our involved and supportive parents. Without
them our learners would not be as successful. We
are very fortunate in that most Parktown parents
value education and support the vision and values
of the school, thereby helping us do the best for their
children. Staff members appreciate enormously the
interest and involvement of parents. Broadening the base of
parent involvement in school activities has again been identified as
focus area of school development. We need to make more progress in this
regard in the coming year.
The members of the newly elected School Governing Body and Parents’
Association must be specifically thanked for their commitment to
performing their respective roles in a serious and responsible manner. I
must thank, in particular, the Chairperson of the SGB, Prof Cathi Albertyn,
for the commitment she has shown to her role and her invaluable personal
support to me. I also thank the new Chairperson of the Parents’ Association,
Ms Jo da Silva, for enlivening the Parents’ Association and ensuring that the
fund-raising target was met, Mr Godfrey Bench, who took up the portfolio of
Finance Committee Chairperson and has been heavily involved in the many
financial technicalities concerning our school infrastructure development,
and all the other SGB members for carrying out the duties of their respective
portfolios and especially their willingness to give hours of their personal
time to serve this school. I must also thank, in particular, Dr Julie Reddy,
outgoing Deputy Chairperson, for her years of service to Parktown Girls’ High
School and wish her well on the SGB at our brother school as well as Mr Peter
Champion who stepped down from the portfolio of Parents’ Association
Chairperson which he had worked so hard at for many years.
We say farewell to the Grade 12s of 2012 and wish them happiness
and success as they confidently and courageously pursue their dreams,
remembering the words of Louis Pasteur: “Chance favours the prepared
mind”. We trust that we have achieved our school’s vision and helped them
prepare well for the challenges that lie ahead. I encourage these young
women to make their lives a colourful masterpiece: “When the artist is alive
in any person, whatever her kind of work may be, she becomes an inventive,
searching, daring, self-expressive creature. She becomes interesting to other
people. She disturbs, upsets, enlightens, and opens the way for a better
understanding. Where those who are not artists are trying to close the book,
she opens it and shows there are still more pages possible.” - gender-adapted
from The Art Spirit by Robert Henri.
We thank each of the Grade 12s for her unique contribution to the school.
Our special thanks go to the leaders of the school: Head Girl, Elisa Moyane,
Deputy Head Girls, Lindsay Collett and Alexandria Green-Thompson, RCL
members, House Captains and Extra-mural Captains for contributing their
time, talents and leadership qualities.
With the commitment of all our parents, learners and staff to the continued
provision of excellent education we look forward to remaining a world class,
leading learning school in South Africa.
Mrs A Cereseto, Headmistress
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.
page 3

Editorial
Yearbook
Committee
Row 2: K Makhene,
S Mia, S Mcitwa,
R Jasper, C Morris,
M Allingham, A Fenton,
R Houliston
Row 1: H Shaikjee,
H Milne, C Forbes,
Ms Schmidt, H Singh, C
Taylor K Govender,
G Morobi
Absent: A Mayet,
A Ismail, N Dudan
Magazine Committee
Written in the Stars
“The Yearbook – the world of Parktown High School for Girls captured
in a time capsule of success, memories and accomplished dreams.
Comprising of eighteen spirited individuals, the yearbook committee
embarked on an invigorating journey to develop a phenomenal
yearbook. The creative process of editing that we signed up for soon
became less of a duty and more
of an out-of-body experience of
composing and transforming this
annual piece of memorabilia
into a work of art. Focusing
on attention to detail with
the design and content of
the pages, the committee
tackled every task
enthusiastically. By having
fully immersed ourselves in
this yearbook, we believe it
is a part of us and a part of
the school’s legacy.
Our first thrilling task was
establishing a fitting theme. After
much deliberation, we settled on
the idea of “Written in the Stars”. We
This year’s theme shows
the limitless potential
of every member of the
Parktown community.
are passionate about this theme because i t
highlights the limitless potential of every member of the Parktown
community, yet still incorporates the tradition of the ‘Five Pointed Star’.
It accurately portrays the school’s vision to develop learners who are
young, independent and courageous women, always shining. All these
‘stars’ are what the yearbook is essentially filled with. The purpose is to
let the girls take a magical trip down memory lane, or rather across the
Milky Way amongst the stars, to their precious days at school this year.
This year’s committee also made it part of our vision to involve the
school more in our creative process, with the introduction of the
first ever yearbook notice board that built excitement, activity and
anticipation around the school. The school was able to communicate
more effectively with the committee, and we felt more capable of
representing the thoughts and opinions of our fellow learners.
I could not have produced such an enchanted creation without my
entire committee who were constantly bursting with optimism and
ideas, and always ready to offer comfort and support. With much
comedic relief contributing to the creativity, a better committee could
not have been on board! Thanks go to Caitlin Taylor and Cathryn Forbes,
my brilliant and vigilant assistant editors – with their help, everything
always fell into place. Also, thank you to the “mother” of all creations,
comedic shows and constant support,
Miss Schmidt, who never failed to put
smiles on our faces and hope within
us: without her none of this could have
been possible!
Hemlata Singh, Editor
page 4
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.

Proud to still be associated with
Parktown Girls
Parktown Alumnae
Our Parktown Old Girls’ database has continued to grow during 2012
with the help of our web page as well as all the social networks.
Unfortunately, so many of our alumnae live outside of South Africa, but
they do enjoy getting my newsletters and often respond
by saying how proud they are to be associated
with Parktown. During the year, I was able to
take some of our visiting Old Girls from the
‘fifties and ‘forties, now living in Europe and
Cape Town, on tours of the school. They
just loved seeing the girls in action, often
stopping to take photos and ask questions.
Our tour usually ends with coffee at one of
the coffee shops in Tyrone Avenue, which
also brings back memories for them.
The highlight of the year is always our lunch
that takes place on the Saturday after Potted
Sports. This year’s lunch was smaller than usual,
hopefully because everyone is waiting for the 90th
birthday lunch next year! For my year (the Class of 1977)
this year was special, as we were celebrating our 35th reunion. It was
wonderful having our much loved and respected Geography teacher,
Miss Gonnie Leurs, and our special Biology teacher, Mrs Helen Button
(who is also an Old Girl), join our celebration. The class of 1972 also
As has become tradition
we ended the afternoon
with the school war cry,
Akuluma Bani.
gathered in celebration of 40 years. Representatives from both these
years attended the Potted Sports assembly.
Other special guests at the lunch were Mrs Pamela Quin (an Old Girl and
former Headmistress) and Miss Violet Ettershank (a former teacher).
We were privileged to have Mrs Jeanne Roman (née Partington) from
the Class of 1936 and Mrs Dylis Cooper from the Class of 1939.
The Harmony group entertained us with three beautiful
songs which literally brought tears to some eyes, this
year’s Head Girl blessed our event and food and Mrs
Cereseto addressed the ladies. As has become
tradition we ended the afternoon with the school
war cry, Akuluma Bani.
Thank you to the Parents’ Association and RCL
members for their help on the day of the lunch
and my family members who are Old Girls - my
daughters, my sisters and my niece - who give
me so much support with everything throughout
the year. Mrs Erika Metcalfe is the Alumnae’s liaison
person at the school and I thank her for all the effort
she has put into the Archives and Old Girls.
We look forward to the 90th birthday celebrations in 2013!
For further detail regarding The PHSG Alumnae, visit :
parktownoldgirls.co.za
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.
page 5

Representative Council of Learners
Matric RCL
Row 3: T van Wyk, T Pretorius, G Ritchie, M Prior,
J Blane, A Grose, F le Roux
Row 2: S Madhi, T Seima, J Beeby, W Baartman,
T Makhoali, G Parker, A Meer
Row 1: A Pearson, L Collett, Mrs Bouwer, E Moyane,
Mrs Cereseto, A Green-Thompson, D Jeram
Head Girls
L Collett, E Moyane, Mrs Cereseto, A Green-Thompson
Representative Council of Learners
Discipline through Pride
The year 2012 will be recorded as one of the most experimental years
in terms of Parktown’s Representative Council of Learners (RCL) history.
Being disarmed of our merit and demerit system, we as the council
had to be particularly innovative with our methods of maintaining
a controlled environment around the school. We were required to
be much more active in our leadership and authority as we did not
have detention as a crutch to fall back on. As expected, implementing
the new system proved to be difficult. However, our approach of
DISCIPLINE THROUGH PRIDE set the pace for an exciting year.
One of our main goals for the year was to uplift the Parktown
spirit. We did so by having more Inter-house events and
creating a larger “buzz” around the pre-existing ones.
Seeing all the bright colours representing our nymphs,
and the zeal being exerted by the girls, served as
evidence that the Parktown Spirit was alive and roaming
through our corridors.
A major highlight was the Parktown Fashion Show – we
made it happen! After many hours of convincing Mrs Cereseto to let us
host a fashion show, on 24 August the hall came alive with song, dance
and of course FASHION! Not only was the event an ideal platform to
showcase our school’s hidden talent but it was also a major fundraiser
for the school. With the help of Miss Machileka, we put on a show to
remember.
RCL 2012 – a large variety of personalities. As expected, we had our
conflicts, but we were unique in that we channelled our frustrations
and used the energy for productivity. This year
we became a 19-member family with Mrs
Bouwer as our mother. This year we
The Parktown Spirit was
alive and roaming through
our corridors.
lived, we loved and we laughed …
mostly laughed.
Elisa Moyane, President
page 6
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.

Representative Council of Learners
Whatever you do,
do it well.
RCL (Whole Body)
Row 4: K Zulu, K Crozet, A Grose, J Blane, M Prior,
G Ritchie, A Bench, M Bunge, R Gurajena
Row 3: A Pearson, R Motlhaloga, W Baartman,
Z Pillay, I Patel, T van Wyk, P Bashman, T Pretorius,
F Le Roux, T Mthombeni, T Makhoali, L Mayambala,
T Harilal
Row 2: O Postman, K Miller, A Mayet, G Parker,
L Mzizi, J Beeby, K Morwane, M Collier, T Seima,
J Stehr, A Meer, S Madhi
Row 1: N Gumbo, L Collett, Mrs Bouwer, E Moyane,
Mrs Cereseto, A Green-Thompson, D Jeram
RCL: Vice President’s Report
Approaching the end of an extraordinary five-year journey at Parktown
is both awesome and heart breaking. However, the perfect way to end
off our journey was to find a sisterhood in the RCL. It was an honour
being elected as the Deputy Presidents of such a diverse working force
that was supportive when needed and stepped up when asked to.
This year, the RCL was responsible for the Valentine’s assembly - always
such a great hit with the girls, the Parktown Social - themed “Nerds” and
completely sold out, Cultural Evening - a successful showcase
of the diverse talent of Parktown and Parkies Day -
a warm interaction with our brother school. All
of these events came together because of
a strong RCL body. Knowing this, we also
We hope that the girls
inherit the pride in
Parktown that we will
always carry with us.
have to acknowledge that none of this
year’s successes could have happened
without the entire school’s support and
enthusiasm. This enthusiasm and pride
of Parktown was felt most when shaking
the stands at the Inter-high Gala 2012.
Our loud cheers could be heard beyond
the walls of the stadium and our swimmers
were able to draw energy from our spirits, and
excel.
As we leave the school, we hope that the girls inherit
the pride in Parktown that we will always carry with us, and grab
every opportunity that comes their way! We leave this school confident
that it will only continue to mould girls into the women they want to be.
We wish the school the best of luck as it continues to evolve.
Most of all, we wish our fellow matrics all the happiness they deserve.
Whatever you do, do it well. It has been an amazing five years and they
have prepared you for an even better future!
Alexandria Green-Thompson and Lindsay Collett,
D e p u t y P re s i dents
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.
page 7

The School Governing Body
SGB & PA
Passionate and Proud
A new School Governing Body was
elected into office in March 2012
and will serve the school until 2015.
The Governing Body is responsible
for overall governance at the school,
including financial governance.
A primary goal of the Governing
Body is to develop and maintain the
school infrastructure and facilities.
This has meant using the school fund
to preserve and improve the school’s
heritage buildings, and to extend the
facilities to meet the ever-growing
needs of providing an excellent
education at Parktown. After receiving a mandate from the school Annual
General Meeting in October 2011, the Governing Body has proceeded with
planning a new Science Centre and hopes to see construction commence
in the first half of 2013. In addition, the Governing Body has overseen the
purchase of 80 Emmarentia Avenue, which will provide much needed extramural
and counseling facilities for the school. We expect to supplement the
costs of these with significant fundraising.
The school has a number of policies regulating its financial, educational and
extra-mural functions, including admissions, language, religious observance,
discipline, finance, fundraising and so forth. The Governing Body has reviewed
and updated most of these policies for its new term.
Parktown is a proudly state school, serving a diverse community of learners and
offering each learner the opportunity to meet her full potential. To maintain
its reputation as an excellent state school, Parktown needs the support of
parents/guardians in many ways. Ensuring the payment of school fees
We
are grateful to
parents’/guardians’
continuing willingness
to suppor t the
school
and contributions is a major part of the work of the Governing
Body. We recognise that payment sometimes requires an
extra effort for some families, and that sacrifices may have
to be made. In doing this, parents/ guardians understand
that our ability to maintain a level of fee income is critical
to Parktown’s ability to maintain levels of excellence.
We are grateful to parents’/ guardians’ continuing
willingness to support the school.
The parents/guardians, staff and learners on the
Governing Body contribute ideas, support, energy and
time to ensure that Parktown remains a leading, learning
girls’ school. Special thanks are due to all Governing Body
members in 2012: to outgoing Deputy Chair Julie Reddy, and
to the Governing Body of 2012: Theresa Moila (Deputy Chair), Lata
Parbhoo (Secretary) and Godfrey Bench (Treasurer) on the executive. Colin
Jones has done sterling work on the Building and Grounds Committee, as have
Claude Courtois, Jo da Silva (Parent’s Association), Mohammed Laher, Michael
McKenna (Marketing) and Praveen Naidoo. The long hours devoted to the
school are much valued and appreciated. Thanks also to the learners on the
Governing Body: Aqeela Meer, Elisa Moyane, Geena Parker and Monique Prior.
Our principal, Anthea Cereseto, provides inspiring leadership, professionalism
and educational innovation, together with her three deputies, Cherie Robinson,
Tracey Megom and Candice Bremner. Thanks also to Desmond Zondo who
represents non-teaching staff, and educator members, Deidre du Plessis, Lisa
van Blerk and Meghan van Lelyveld. Many thanks also to minute secretary, Roni
Pugh. The experience, passion and commitment of the entire Governing Body
contributes to making Parktown a truly great school.
Next year Parktown will celebrate 90 years of being a leading, learning
government school. It remains a top school because it is able to attract and
retain excellent teachers and educational leadership; maintain its facilities and
meet the growing need for innovation and space; keep a secure funding base
through school fees and prudent financial management; and attract a loyal
parent body. As ever, we can always do better. In particular, we can expand
parent/guardian involvement and commitment, and improve communication
with parents/guardians and with alumnae. In 2013, we will also be looking for
greater parent/guardian help in fundraising around the many needs of the
school, including the Science Centre. Most importantly, we need to continue to
market Parktown as a school that offers the best education for girls.
Professor C Albertyn, Chairperson
Parents’
Association
The historical objectives of the Parents’ Association have always been to
facilitate the involvement of all parents/guardians in the school, to support
our teachers and to raise funds to be used for various projects undertaken by
the school. In 2012 we added a couple more objectives: to build a genuine
sense of community and pride within the school amongst parents/guardians
in particular and to create a professional and committed core committee. It
was a year of new beginnings and new challenges and we
delighted to announce that we feel we have achieved
what we intended to and while we still have a way
to GROW we have certainly sown the seeds for a
fabulous fundraising future.
We formalised our structure with a dedicated
core committee broken down into subcommittees
to oversee each event. We also
dedicated ourselves to a more professional
approach and started a branding campaign
within the committee with supporter shirts, name
badges and bumper stickers. We are passionate and
proud and inspired by the passion and pride we see in
our daughters/wards. We committed ourselves to staying in contact with
the rest of the parent body through the school newsletter and have seen a
gratifying increase in support at both meetings and events.
We have promised never to take ourselves too seriously but to be very serious
about our commitment to the school and the result is a group of parents/
guardians who work hard but have a lot of fun doing so. Noteworthy events
were the “Are You Smarter than an 8th Grader?” Quiz and Golf Day – both were
a wonderful success.
Our target was R140 000.00 to contribute towards the improvement and
upgrade of the Consumer Studies classrooms. We have no reason to believe
we will not achieve a total of close to R250 000.00 by the end of the year. We
still have one event to go at the time of this information going to print and
at present we have achieved a proud total of R238 246.17. Not only are we
far ahead of target but it is the highest fundraising total achieved for several
years.
To every single proud and passionate parent or guardian who contributed
towards this achievement – thank you. Please join with us again next year as
we continue to support the school administration in not only maintaining the
high standards of which we are so proud but in striving to continually update
and improve facilities and equipment to support these standards.
Our sincere thanks must also be extended to all teaching and administrative
staff for their unconditional support of all our events.
Ms J da Silva, Chairperson
are
We
are inspired
by the passion and
pride we see in our
daughters.
page 8
Ra’eesah Benefeldt - Winner of the
Winter Raffle
Quizmaster da Silva
Golf Day
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.
New Consumer Studies Classroom

Academic Awards for 2011 (Awarded January 2011)
Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration
Thomas Edison
GRADE 8
GRADE 8 TROPHY
GRADE 9 TROPHY
GRADE 9
TOP 5 LEARNERS
1. 87% Mika Bunge
1. 87% Alexandra Bench
2. 86% Azraa Adam
2. 86% Zakiya Ameer
3. 85% Caitlin Rabe
TOP 5 LEARNERS
1. 89% Amaarah Mayet
2. 88% Klara Bunge
3. 86% Rebecca Houliston
4. 85% Annabel Fenton
4. 85% Laura Gertzen
Alexandra Bench and
Mika Bunge
Scholarship Scrolls
Amaarah Mayet
Scholarship Scrolls
Giulia Vanzini
Laura Paixao
Keitumetse Mogadingoane
Leniesha Haskins
Fathima Hajee
Melissa Westig
Nicola Vial
Emma van der Spuy
Leila Raffee
Melayna Nel
Jagruti Nagar
Aneesah Laher
Carmelia Rammekoa
Keziah Marais
Anastasia Gandini
Chyanne Bester
Mari-Elle Sudarkasa
Neha Kooverjee
Tasneem Essa
Palesa Bashman
Reyna Morar
Nimisha Bhutt
Erin Gradidge
Kiara Gandhi
Layla Carrim
Ammaarah Noormohamed
Tegan Jacobs
Layla Cassim
Taskeen Bata
Tyler Jacobs
Zakeeya Jhetam
Shristi Misser
Fathima Rahiman
Aaminah Adam
Shazia Abbas
Emma Stowe
Maselaelo Phaswana
Merissa Naidoo
Vrenika Naicker
Darshana Govender
Masindi Tshgitangano
Nafeesa Patel
Helena Milne
Fatima Essop
Samantha Booysens
Maria Allingham
Lindsay Whitton
Faaizah Nakhooda
Nandi Bau
Melissa-Jayne Anthony
Gillian Robertson
Kashmira Pillay
Sarah Fletcher
Faatimah Mahomed
Svenja Bottner
Trisha Parbhoo
Kiara Govender
Kate Crozet
Farah Winkler
Kayla Mizen
Priyanka Kala
Rebecca Jasper
Radiyyah Hassim
Raheel Waja
Academic Awards
Trophy winners
Row 2: M Bunge, Z Pillay, Z Bulbulia, J Naidoo
Row 1: A Kara, A Mayet, A Meer, M Moila
page 2
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.

SCHOLARSHIP SCROLL
Awarded to a learner with an overall
aggregate of 75% or above in Grades
8 and 9; and 70% or above in Grade
10 and 11
Awards Information
ACADEMIC HALF COLOURS
Awarded at the end of Grades 10, 11
or 12
Awarded to a learner who has
received at least 2 Scholarship
Scrolls, provided that
1 of the 2 Scrolls is attained at the
senior level
ACADEMIC FULL COLOURS
Awarded at the end of Grades 11
or 12
Awarded to a learner who has
received 3 Scholarship Scrolls
provided that 2 of the 3 Scrolls are
attained at the senior level
GRADE AWARD
Awarded to the learner who has
achieved the highest overall
aggregate in her Grade
GRADE 10 GRADE 11
GRADE 10 TROPHY
GRADE 11 TROPHY
TOP 5 LEARNERS
1. 85% Zeenat Bulbulia
2. 84% Aaliya Kara
2. 84% Josie Everatt
3. 82% Senna-Marie
Bosman
3. 82% Nabeelah Nalla
TOP 6 LEARNERS
1. 89% Aqeela Meer
2. 85% Shaakira Madhi
2. 85% Ria Parbhoo
3. 82% Amisha Desai
4. 81% Khadija Kharsany
4. 81% Azraa Parak
Zeenat Bulbulia
Aqeela Meer
Academic Half Colours
Full Colours
Khanyisa Zulu
Haafizah Khota
Farnaaz Ali
Krupa Prag
Reabetswe Motlhaloga
Hayley Wulffers-Davies
Caitlin Taylor
Zandalee Pillay
Sibongiseni Mcitwa
Lerato Baloyi
Isabel Nel
Rumaiysa Bhyat
Cassady Morris
Robyn-Christie Bremner
Prishani Gopal
Laicken Swartz
Shahrain Coovadia
Farha Jhetam
Bronwyn Doust
Kirsten-Leigh Herbert
Johara Naidoo
Alanna James
Fiona Xiong
Olivia McMichael
Paige Klepper
Nabeelah Johnson
Keabetswe Nyamane
Maryam Elgoni
Ithra Ganijee
Amy Pearson
Tebogo Seima
Monique Prior
Kerryn Gammie
Manthipe Moila
Pooja Morar
Tasneem van Schalk
Zarreen Cassim
Karishma Magan
Isabel Tollman
Gemma Ritchie
Alexandria Green-Thompson
Whitney Baartman
Kiah Johnson
Gemma Hart
Miranda Hunt
Geena Parker
Munawwar Tayob
Raadhiya Perin
Eliza Moyane
Scholarship Scrolls
(70% average and above)
Leyya Hoosen
Tesslyn Francis
Ráeesah Vally
Tingo Mthombeni
Marcel Jibodh
Maya Sudarkasa
Yumna Bham
Rachna Prema
Leila le Hane
Lindsey Raymond
Claudia Sathekge
(Two scholarship scrolls, one from Grade 10 or 11)
Amma Sarfo-Adoma
Ameesha Vallabh
Jade Beeby
Aa’isha Dollie
Mihlali Vezi
Layla Radosavljevic
Mikara Maharaj
Half Colours
Scholarship Scrolls
(70% average and above)
Safoora Tikly
Naeema Hussein El Kout
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.
page 21

Special Awards and Colours
SPECIAL AWARDS
(Awarded in January 2012)
DI VAN ZYL
TROPHY
Awarded to the best all-rounder in
Grade 11 in 2011
AALIYAH KARA and JOHARA NAIDOO
ANGELA SIMPSON
TROPHY
Awarded to an academically able learner
in Grade 10 2011 who also participates
enthusiastically in extra-mural activities
Academic Full Colours
Row 3: W Baartman, R Perin, M Hunt, G Hart, G Ritchie, M Prior, E Moyane, R Parbhoo, P Morar, Z Cassim,
A Desai
Row 2: M Moila, K Johnson, M Tayob, A Green-Thompson, T Van Schalk, G Parker, K Gammie, T Seima
Row 1: K Magan, S Madhi, A Meer, Cereseto, A Parak, A Pearson, I Tollman
Row2: S Bhabha, S Hanif, M Moila, H Milne, K Gammie, T Seima, R Jappie, A Parak, S Bhamjee, S Madhi
Row 1: S Tikly, G Rochecouste, H Singh, N Johnson, K Kharsany, A Kara, S Tikly, K Mphahlele
ZANDALEE PILLAY
Cultural Full Colours
I Tollman, S Madhi, G Parker, L Radosavljevic, Mrs Cereseto, T Sithole, A Partridge, K Nyamane
Row2: S Bhabha, S Hanif, M Moila, H Milne, K Gammie, T Seima, R Jappie, A Parak, S Bhamjee, S Madhi
Row 1: S Tikly, G Rochecouste, H Singh, N Johnson, K Kharsany, A Kara, S Tikly, K Mphahlele
Speical Awards
PAM QUIN TROPHY
Awarded to an academically able learner
in Grade 11 2011 who also participates
enthusiastically in extra-mural activities
MANTHIPE MOILA
Sports Full Colours
F Thomas, S Fuller, K Breckle, L Collett, Mrs Cereseto, C van der Toorn, T Becks, S Bosman
Row2: S Bhabha, S Hanif, M Moila, H Milne, K Gammie, T Seima, R Jappie, A Parak, S Bhamjee, S Madhi
Row 1: S Tikly, G Rochecouste, H Singh, N Johnson, K Kharsany, A Kara, S Tikly, K Mphahlele
page 222
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.

Night of Stars
Honouring Achievements in Culture, Sport and Service
Night of the Stars
The Night of Stars is arguably one of the
most prestigious, glamorous occasions
on the school calendar. The purpose
– to formally honour and congratulate
the top sport and cultural girls in the
school, to announce the Cultural Woman
and Sportswoman of the Year and to
announce the winners of the Lazenby
Trophy (culture) and Tucker Trophy
(sport), which go to learners who have
participated selflessly in the extra-mural
programme on an ongoing basis for five
years without receiving recognition in
the form of school or provincial colours.
These learners must be role models and
display the positive attitude that we
expect from all Parktown learners. We also
highlighted all provincial and national
cultural and sporting achievements over
the year and we announced the new
activity captains for 2013. The hall was
beautifully and appropriately decorated
in the Olympic colours with an elegance
befitting this prestigious and very special
evening.
It was with great pleasure that the
Lazenby Trophy was awarded to Kerryn
Gammie and the Tucker Trophy to
Monique Prior. The Cultural Woman of
the Year went to Keabetswe Nyamane for
her talent and extensive contribution to
Music (Marimbas, Choir and Pan Drums
in particular) and the Sportswoman of
the Year went to Lindsay Collett for her
continuous excellence and contribution
to Equestrian, Swimming, Outdoor and
Indoor Hockey.
The function was a showcase of school
talent and in addition to honouring girls
for achievements we were entertained
by the Dancers, the Traditional Dancers,
the Choir and Harmony Group, the
Orchestra and the Marimba Band, all of
whom make us proud to be associated
with the school.
As part of our Olympic theme, we were
very privileged to have Bridgette Hartley,
one of South Africa’s 2012 London
Olympic athletes, who won a bronze
medal for kayaking, as our guest speaker.
She spoke about her training and what
it took for her to get to this level - the
commitment, the perseverance and the
courage. The audience really connected
with her and the fact that she brought her
medal for everyone to see did not hurt.
Bridgette, who went to school at Pretoria
High School for Girls, is an excellent role
model for our young sportswomen and
will hopefully inspire some of our young
stars to reach for their dreams. Nothing
is impossible.
Congratulations go to all the finalists –
you are all Parktown stars and we are
very proud of your achievements. You
participate enthusiastically for your
school, your province and, in some
cases, your country with a spirit of
sportsmanship and no matter what the
outcome you always hold your school
high, giving us a wonderful reputation
within the community, and for this we
thank you. We encourage the younger
girls in the school to aspire to the heights
reached by these individuals:
Cultural Woman Finalists
Sportswoman Finalists
Prishani Gopal
Tyler Botha
Shaakirah Madhi
Lindsay Collett
Manthipe Moila
Divya Johnson
Johara Naidoo
Zandalee Pillay
Keabetswe Nyamane
Gillian Robertson
We would sincerely like to thank Mrs
Megom, Mr France, Mrs van Lelyveld and
Mrs Maneli for coordinating the event as
well as to everyone else who contributed
to the success of the evening.
Mrs T Megom, Deputy
Headmistress
National and
Provincial
Canoeing:
Holly Spencer made the Gauteng Sprints
Team and competed at the National
Sprints Championships where she was
placed eleventh in South Africa as a
junior girl. Lara van der Merwe received
two gold medals in the provincial trials
for K1 and K2 marathons earning her
a place in the Gauteng Marathon Team
which participated at the South African
Championships. She placed in the top
six in South Africa in the U16 category
and second in the K2 category in the
U18 age group. Lara also participated
in the SA Sprints earlier in the year
where she placed in the top ten in the
U16 age group. The following girls
were selected for the Gauteng Ladies’
Canoe Polo Teams which participated
against Kwazulu Natal: Gauteng A Team
– Lara van der Merwe and Alexandria
Green-Thompson; Gauteng B Team –
Sarah Goldschagg, Kirsten Noome and
Rebecca Jasper. Holly Spencer and
Yuliya Konovodova were selected for the
A and B Teams respectively but did not
participate in the competition.
Choir:
The choir made it through to the
second round of the National GDE Choir
Competition. Anela Feleza got 97% in the
National Eisteddfod and was awarded a
diploma. She has been nominated for a
national award.
Cross Country:
Genviève Rochecouste and Colleen
Mothoagae were selected for the
Northern Districts Cross Country Teams
and participated at the Inter-district
Championships where Geneviève
finished in the top ten in the Senior Age
Group.
Dance:
At this year’s Eisteddfod our dancers did
us proud: we received nine Silver awards,
eleven Gold awards and the following
items received Diplomas (which is
the highest award) – Jeanne-Marié
Koekemoer (solo), Melissa Constable’s
student choreographed piece (group)
and a lyrical contemporary dance piece
(group). The Inter-high Dance Team
participated in the annual Inter-high
Dance Competition in October 2010.
The Theme Team (choreographed by
Melissa Constable and Sarah Malherbe)
came second in their category as did
the Voluntary Group (choreographed
by Lindiwe Sithole and Ashleigh-Rose
Wiggett). Julia Denham has been
selected to participate in the South
African Ballet Theatre’s performance of
the “Nut Cracker”.
Debating:
Our SACEE Junior Team made the
provincial rounds of the competition
and the following girls were selected to
attend provincial trials: Annabel Fenton
and Raheel Waja – Annabel Fenton
made the Gauteng Junior Team. The
SACEE Senior Team made the provincial
semi-finals and the following girls were
selected to attend the provincial trials:
Kiah Johnson, Maryam Elgoni and Geena
Parker
Drum Majorettes:
Ranique Nel has received her Gauteng
Colours and competed at Nationals in
Durban where her squad came 8th in
the Elite League.
Equestrian:
Courtney Smith has been selected for
the Gauteng Provincial Team and rode
at the SA Championships where she won
gold and received her Gauteng Colours.
Laura Gertzen made the Gauteng C Team
in Working Riding Level 1 and rode at
the SANESA Nationals. Mika Bunge was
selected for the Gauteng A and B Teams
at the SANESA National Competition
where she finished third in the 70 cm
show-jumping class. The Gauteng B
Team, in which she participated, finished
first at the competition.
Jeanne-Marié Koekemoer made the
Central Gauteng A and B teams where
she rode at the SANESA National
Competition and was awarded her
Gauteng Colours. Lindsay Collett made
the SANEF Gauteng A Team for Working
Riding Level 3. She finished first at
Nationals and was awarded Gauteng Full
Colours.
First Aid:
The St John’s Inter-high Schools’
Competition took place in September
and our novice team consisting of Kiara
Gandhi, Shristi Misser, Nicola Vial and
Alexandra Bench came second; our
Junior Team consisting of Alanna James,
Payal Ramjee, Kimberley Wilson and
Shahrain Coovadia won their section and
the Senior Team consisting of Serena
Bearne, Noorunnisha Kahn, Boitumelo
Setati and Jasmina Govind went through
to the finals and finished second. Kerri
Thornton took third place in the written
competition.
Hockey:
The following girls were selected for the
district and provincial hockey teams:
District U16B
Gillian Robertson; District U18B – Kirstyn
Lloyd and Jennifer Cressey. Tayla Gandy
made the Southern
Gauteng U18D Team and participated at
the IPT in Bloemfontein and Nomonde
Mtetwa was selected to
represent Southern Gauteng in the U16B
Team and participated at the National
Tournament where her
team won their section.
Karate:
Jessica Holloway has received her
provincial Colours for Karate. She was
selected for the Western Gauteng Team
in the divisions of Kuimte and Kata and
participated at the National Tournament
in Uitenhage in June.
Model United Nations Debating:
Shaakirah Madhi was chosen to
represent South Africa in the delegation
that went to New York in March this
year. The South African Team won the
International Model United Nations
competition. Shaakirah Mahdi, Ivy
Nganga and Shalom Obisie-Orlu came
third in the SAIIA Security Council debate
in May 2011
Orchestra:
Tshegofatso Matabane plays the violin
in the Soweto String Ensemble. She has
travelled all around the world and last
year went to Damascus in Syria and this
year to Cartagena in Columbia.
The following girls are part of the various
Youth Orchestra Groups: Melanie Brown
– Beginner Winds;
Mika Bunge – Jazz Orchestra and the
Foundation Orchestra; Klara Bunge - Jazz
Orchestra and the Foundation Orchestra;
Danika Corrall – The Johannesburg
Youth Orchestra
RAPS:
Parktown entered the RAPS Play Festival
this year and we received numerous
awards. We entered an original script
called “The Patient” written by Melissa
Constable and directed by Alexandra
Maggs and Melissa Constable. The play
page 24
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.

A
Kaleidoscope
of Cultures
Fun Day
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.
page 41

Potted Spor ts
We didn’t just stay awake for the bling,
page 42 page 42
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.

ut to be par t of the
year that the world didn’t end…
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.
page 43 page 43

Alseids
Why so serious?
Our theme this year was “The Joker”
from the Batman movies. The girls
were all spirited and passionate
throughout the year. This was
evident when we won the Spirit Cup
in the Inter-house Grade 8 Gala. We
also won the Inter-house Tennis. We
came first in the junior Inter-house
hockey and second in Inter-house
Senior and Junior Netball. Our Senior
House Play cast did well as some of the girls
received individual awards, and our Junior House
Play won the competition. 2012 was a year of growth
and absolute bliss for all the Alseids learners.
Thank you to all the matrics for their support and
undying spirit. Thank you to our House Head Ms
Moreira and all the Alseids teachers for making this
year a prosperous one. Keep on shining. Go Alseids,
Go!!!
Tebogo Seima,
House Captain
Thank
you to all
the matrics for
their suppor t and
undying spirit.
page 44 page 44
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.

Dryads
Because green is the
only colour to be!
The ladies of Dryads started 2012 armed with our
theme, Pascal from Tangled, determined to
win the House Cup back. The year started
with Dryads placing third in the Grade 8
Gala and sixth in the Inter-house Gala.
Although no Spirit Cup was awarded
this year there is no doubt that Dryads
would have snatched it up, blowing
the other houses away with our green
spirit. Our enthusiasm and spirit
continued to rocket as the year went
on with Dryads tying fourth in Senior
House Plays, fifth overall in Inter-house
hockey and second and third in senior and
junior Inter-house netball respectively. However,
what the Dryads ladies lacked on the field we made
up for in charitable spirit, making a staggering 800
peanut butter and jam sandwiches placing first for
Inter-house FLOC. Although Dryads did not succeed
in claiming back the coveted House Cup the ladies in
green enjoyed a fun-filled year laughing and singing
to the infectious tune that is the Dryads spirit.
Special thanks must go to Mrs Davidson, our House
Head, for all the hard work and effort she puts in
to making Dryads the amazing house it is.
Thanks also go to all the Dryads register
teachers for their unending enthusiasm
and to my second-in-command, Amy Grose,
without whom this year would not have been
half as successful. Lastly, thank you to all
the Green ladies, especially the Matrics, who
participated and supported Dryads this year. It
has been an absolute honour to serve as your
House Captain.
To next year’s Captain, I wish you the best of luck and
remember that those chairs are green for a reason;
let’s put Dryads back at the top where we belong!
Dryads - because green is the only colour to be!
The
ladies in green
enjoyed a fun-filled
year, laughing and singing
to the infectious tune
that is the Dryads
spirit.
Amy Pearson,
House Captain
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.
page 45 page 45

Hesperides
Never before has anyone been
SO pink and SO proud!
Pink. Pink. Pink. Never before has anyone been SO pink and SO
proud. In 2012, Hesperides made pink the new black.
This year, we set out with pink hearts, ready to conquer. With
Hello Kitty as our mascot, we started the year off with a splash.
After coming second in the Grade 8 gala, our girls swam to first
place in the inter-house Gala, cheered on endlessly by a sea of
pink kitties who had sore throats by the end of the day. With this
success, we went on to win the House competition in the first term
and our Matrics enjoyed sitting on the comfortable chairs during
assembly.
We continued to strive for excellence during the rest of the year
with Fun Day, interhouse Tennis, Netball and Hockey, and House
Plays. A thank-you must go to all the girls who
represented our pink house perfectly. Big thanks must
go to our organised House Head, Mrs Seery, and all the
wonderful teachers in Hesperides. Most of all, the girls
must be thanked for their hard work, commitment and
undying spirit. Win or lose, they were
always there to cheer on our team.
We
went on to win
the House competition
in the first term and our
Matrics enjoyed sitting on the
comfor table chairs during
assembly.
Finally, I would like to thank
my passionate Matrics for
bursting with pink pride
and always being there
to support me. I could
not have done it without
you.
I wish the best of luck
to next year’s captain.
The pink house is full of
potential. Our blood may
be blue, but our hearts will
forever be pink.
Aqeela Meer, Captain
page 46 page 46
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.

This
year our mascot
was the fierce, feisty,
courageous Wonder
Woman.
Nereids
Red - it is in our blood, it
is in our hearts.
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s just the Nereids
Wonder Women of 2012 soaring to new heights!
Our year started off with a BANG, as new Grade
8s joined our super family. This year our mascot
was the fierce, feisty, courageous Wonder Woman
because this powerful woman represents the
powerful family bond that is Nereids. Each time
we geared up in red for battle against other
houses, each time we roared our war cries at the
top of our lungs, our pride in Nereids increased in volumes.
One thing each Nereids superhero learned, from uniting at
Interhouse events this year, is the power of pride. It took
us from strength to strength and made each Nereid proud
to be a red nymph. Every single red nymph makes the
experience of being a member of Nereids worthwhile.
“Being part of Nereids is not an obligation, it is an honour.”
Fazlin Le Roux,
Captain
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.
page 47 page 47

Oreads
Float like a butterfly,
sting like a bee!
Yellow + A Touch of Black, Wings, Antennas + Spirit +
Dedication + Passion + Pride = A Successful Bumble
Bee.
This equation sums up Oreads. From the pool to
the stage to the courts to the field, wherever there
was competition, there was Oreads. We started the
year welcoming eager Grade 8s into our Bumble Bee
family and they performed well at the Grade 8 Gala.
Unfortunately, we were one point away from winning
Interhouse swimming but not even that could dampen
our loud cheering. Our seniors did us proud by coming
out first at the Senior House Plays, netball and hockey
competitions. We also put our all into Bling Day and
Fun Day.
A big thank you must go to all the Oreads ladies;
especially those who participated, those who cheered
and those who tried. To my Matrics - the Queen Bees
- thank you for your endless spirit. It definitely kept
the house going. Lastly, to our King Bee, Mr Pasques,
and all the Oreads teachers – thank you for your
enthusiasm and support.
Remember: Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee,
because we kick butt like Muhammad Ali!
Yellow
+ A Touch of
Black, Wings, Antennas
+ Spirit + Dedication
+ Passion + Pride = A
Successful Bumble
Bee.
Dyani Jeram,
House Captain
page 48
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.

g g
g
g g
g
g g
g
Pleiades
“Why fit in when you
were born to stand
out?”
Dr Seuss
“White is not just a colour. It is an attitude, a spirit
and a way of life. But most of all, white is a family.”
These are the words, said by Waydene Laing,
that have captured the essence of the power of
Pleiades. The year started off with our new “Cat in
the Hats” being faced with the looming legacy of
being number one at the Grade 8 Gala. Needless
to say they smothered all claims of cats not
being able to swim and they brought the trophy
home. The Pleiades spirit did not stop there: the
girls displayed their true Pleiades pride as they
dressed up and cheered at the Inter-house Gala.
These clever cats are not just talented on the
sports field but they had the audience roaring
with laughter with their modern interpretation of
Fawlty Towers. This Senior House Play spiced up
the episode “The Wedding” with its South African
twist. We clawed our way into second place. The
white flag flew high again in term three as our
junior hockey team came a phenomenal second
and our seniors third.
Leading the Pleiades family this year was a
huge privilege and honour. Many thanks go to
Mrs Carstens, our House Head, for her undying
love and commitment to every Pleiades girl.
To all the Pleiades teachers, thank you for your
support and help during the year. To the Matrics,
thank you for making this year an unforgettable
one! And lastly to all my Pleiades girls: I was
extremely proud to be your captain. Thank you
for everything and keep the Pleiades name high.
Remember: “Why fit in when you were born to
stand out?” - Dr Seuss
Monique Prior,
House Captain
The
white
flag flew high
again.
g g
g
g g
g
g g
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams. page 49
g

“And so she glided to the ball,
Matric Dance
page 50
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.

with her glass slippers
shimmering…”
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.
page 51

All Star
Fashion Show
Parktown’s got
Designer
Talent!
Never in my Wildest Dreams
“Never in my wildest dreams did I entertain the idea that
I would become a fashion designer.” - Giorgio Armani
Never in my wildest dreams did I picture myself
designing for Parktown’s first All Star Fashion Show - let
alone placing first in the “Adapted Designs” category! It
was challenging: from choosing designs, material and a
dress maker, to shopping and attending rehearsals. All
in all, hard work proves that it really does pay off. It has
been one of the best experiences I have ever undergone.
I appreciate the opportunity that Parktown and Miss
Machileka have given me to expose myself as an up-andcoming
young designer. As for my wildest dreams now, I
hope to be a successful fashion entrepreneur in the years
to come.
Ranaa Patel, Grade 12
A Day and a Night to Remember
Pricked fingers, broken nails and sore feet. Preparations
for the Fashion Show took a toll on the designers, the
models, the teachers and everyone else involved. But, it
was an experience that I think we will cherish forever. As
a designer, I had a lot to prepare and think about, such
as what final designs to use, what colours and fabric to
use, or simply what shoes and accessories would match
with the finished product. It was stressful meeting all
the deadlines. I had to work late most nights, sitting at
the sewing machine stitching bits of material together,
or trying to match the garment with my sketches. But in
the end, it all paid off. My designs were ready and looked
impressive.
Then it was time for the dress rehearsal. The outfits fit
the models perfectly, except for the “Elegant” design.
I realised my measurements were wrong and that the
strapless bodice of the dress was too big. The bodice had
to be pinned up at the sides, so that it would not fall off
my model. Unfortunately, the pins did not hold, and if
it was not for the quick thinking of her Parktown Boys’
partner, who held the bodice up, my model would have
been in an embarrassing situation! On the day of the
fashion show, all the hard work and stress got to most
of the participants, but what a show! A day and a night
to remember. And to add a cherry on top, I won “Best
Original Designer” overall. Thank you to my models for
putting up with my complaining, Parktown for allowing
us to have the event and a special thank you to Miss
Machileka for allowing us to express our individuality
and our artistic talent.
Thank
you to Ms
Machileka for allowing
us to express our
individuality and our
ar tistic talent.
page 52
Kelly Mawa, Grade 9
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.

The Staff
Dedicated to
Work and Play!
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.
page 53

“I realised not to worry about small, insignificant events in
life.” - Deshanya
“Dreams can be as crazy as they
want.” - Sebo
The Big Blue Family:
what we have learned in assembly
“If you’re happy and you know
it, nod your head –
Noddy noddy.” - Anon
“You are not special.”
- Anon
“…If everyone is special,
nobody is special.” - Mojaki
“When we sing Akhuluma
bani in assembly I feel as if I
am a par t of one huge, blue
family.”
- Anon
“When we sing Akhuluma
bani, I become proud to be
Parktownian.” - Nabeelah
“Everybody has their own
type of special and my
own is no better than
anybody else’s.”
- Mojaki
“…It’s not all about
growing up, it’s about
where you are and about
how grounded you are.” -
Nicola
“Charlie bit me.”
- Anon
“It brings excitement,
especially if you’ve had a
bad day.”
- Tshego
Assemblies
page 60
“People are who
they are because
of the way they
choose to live.”
- Lady
“…It made me
realise that I don’t
need make-up or
anything to be
pretty. I’m perfect
the way I am.”
“It made me realise that there’s more to life: it’s
the little things in life that count.” - Nabeelah
“If you do what you’ve
always done, you will get
what you’ve always got.”
- Anon
“It made me realise that
chauvinism exists and that we as
women should not accept it.”
- Lesego
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.
“When we sing
Akhuluma bani I
feel empowered.”
- Nicola

Culture
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Cultural Woman of the year 2012
Keabetswe Nyamane
Y
Lazenby Trophy K
kerryn gammie

Service
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.
page 75

Spor t
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Spor tswoman of the year
Lyndsay ColletT
Tucker Trophy
MONIQUE PRIOR
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.
page 81

Danika Corrall, Grade 12
Kirsten Noome, Grade 12
Maxine Crankshaw, Grade 12
Alyssa Lewis Grade 12 Yulia Konovodov Grade 12
Orepa Mosidi, Grade 12
Heema Gopar, Gr12
Yulia Konovodov Gr12 Munawwar Tayob Gr12
Isabel Tollman, Grade 12
Nazneen Vilbro, Grade 12
Ashleigh Bachelor Grade 12
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.

Ashleigh Cope Morgan, Grade 12
Kiah Johnson, Grade 12
Chanda Mwila, Grade 12
Gemma Hart, Grade 12
Kirsten Gracie, Grade 12
Millicent Mthunzi, Grade 12
Anthoneal Waites, Grade 12
Iman Ganijee, Grade 12
Raadhiya Perin, Grade 12
Shane Sibindi, Grade 12
Naseerah Essop, Grade 12
Tanith van Wyk, Grade 12
Ruth Pasques, Grade 12
Jessica Janse Van Rensburg, Grade 12
We have a vision of confident and courageous young women, ready and willing to meet every challenge on the way to achieving their dreams.

We have a vision of confident
and courageous young women,
ready and willing to meet
every challenge on the way to
achieving their dreams.
Tel: (011) 481 5900, (011) 646 5423
Parktown High School for Girls
Fax: (011) 486 1828 Tyrone Avenue, Parkview, 2193 www.parktowngirls.co.za