Headmaster's Newsletter - June 2013 - St Andrew's College

SACEE DeBeers English Olympiad 2013With over 7500 candidates from around SouthernAfrica entering the 2013 English Olympiad,competition for places was always going to beintense. St Andrew’s College and DSG combinedfor study sessions before the Olympiad and thehard work paid off as the two schools achievedtheir best ever results in the competition.Together DSG and St Andrew’s College made up10% of the top 50 candidates.The Grahamstown Foundation, whichadministers the Olympiad, recently released thetop 15 and top 50 rankings. The final placing’swill be announced during The National Schools’Festival in July. The top 50 candidates will eachwin a year’s tuition at Rhodes University.We are very proud of the following pupils:James Holmes placed in the top 50Frans van Hoek placed in the top 50Pupils from St Andrew’s College and DSG who make up 10% of the top 50 EnglishOlympiad candidates in the Eastern Cape. From the left: Silvie van Onselen, Frans vanHoek, Carmen Nangolo, James Holmes and Samantha van HeerdenExchangeSt Andrew’s College is thrilled to have set up anexchange with Pinegrove School and The DoonSchool in India. Four students spent 6 weeks at ourschools and experienced all aspects of school life.James Marriner and Keenan Bush, will exchangewith The Doon School and Frank Norval and RahulGopal will exchange with the Pinegrove School. Welook forward to the start of a special relationshipbetween St Andrew’s College and these twoexcellent schools from India.Aditya Gupta’s words from his farewell speech inassembly:Aditya Gupta : “I would like to thank the Headmasterand Mr Marx who have made my six weeks at StAndrew’s College so enjoyable and possible. I mustthank Matie for helping me with all the tasks thatseemed so small initially but are actual missions inFarewell to our Indian exchange students. Back row from the left: Ross Marriner,Aditha Ranjan, Keenan Bush, James Marriner, Sudhanshu Agarwal, Mahesh Gopal.Middle row: Angie Marriner, Frank Norval, Rahul Gopal and Jenny Gopal. Front row:Yatinder Pal Singh, Yash Gopal and Aditya Gupta.themselves. Mr Hoefnagels, for helping me sort myself out. I remember sir when you told me first of the many times, “Come now Gupta,let’s sort ourselves out shall we?” Thank you Sir.To my dorm and the grade 10s, thank you for being so warm and understanding. Veli, Lawrence, Nick, Adam, Smartie, everyone, forbeing there when I was completely lost, wandering onto matric lawns, completely unaware of the consequences. To the grade 8 and9s, thank you for showing respect, holding doors and treating us like grade 10s and not the outsiders that we were. To the seniors andthe prefects, thank you for tolerating our being late for roll call and not knowing the war cries.This exchange was truly amazing and I wouldn’t have been so without the host families. I must thank the Gopal’s and specially Rahul’smother, for being so hospitable and giving us the most delicious Indian food. Keenan and his family, for the wonderful weekend at theirgame farm.Finally, I must thank my host family. I couldn’t have asked for better hosts than the Marriners. Thank you for helping me settle in and notletting me feel any sort of discomfort. Paul, for trying to teach me all the names of the animals and the buck, even though I miserablyfailed and James, for always being there. From my first ever shave to all the subway surf sessions.Thank you College, I couldn’t possibly forget any of it.”

Michael Bennett selected for the SA Junior National Team and recipient of Rowing HonoursMichael Bennett has been selected for the SA Junior National Team which is due to compete in theJunior World Championships in Trakai, Lithuania in August. He is one of, if not the strongest sweeprowers in the country and has received his Eastern Cape Rowing Colours for the past two seasons.Michael had a very successful 2013 Club season, winning the Junior U10 Pair event with MatthewKroon at the SA Schools Championships in March. In addition, on land, he bettered the RowingClubs 2 000 metre and 5 000 metre ergo records, as well as the Eastern Cape JMU18 2 000 metrerecord. Michael also won the Open Men’s Coxed Four Event at the Senior SA Championships, thusattaining his first senior national title to go along with his junior national title attained in March inthe pair.He has shown absolute commitment and ded Dication to his club and crew, and was awardedRowing Honours at Assembly on 19 June 2013.Mr Don CechConclusionWe are all looking forward to the Half Term and I am sure the boys will enjoy a break from the frenetic activities of St Andrew’s.I am sure you are looking forward to having them at home.We wish the 1st XI Cricket Tour under theleadership of Mr Carl Bradfield, and accompaniedby Messrs Jackson and Posthumus, everything ofthe best as they go on a wonderful tour of theUnited Kingdom. For cricket results please follow@SACcricket. Match reports and photos will beposted on our website when we receive them.Mr Lucas-Bull will be accompanying the U16’sto the Independent Schools’ Rugby Festival at StAlban’s as part of that schools’ 50th anniversary,and Ms Potgieter will be taking a group of boysand girls away on a Scuba Diving trip to Sodwana.We also wish our Inter-Provincial players inHockey and Rugby all the best as they head offfor the annual Inter-Provincial Tournaments andCraven Week. Half the EP Country Districts’Rugby Side is made up of College boys and thecoach is Mr Allan Miles. We hope that they dowell.1st XV TourStanding from the left: Mbulelo Mama, Andrew Mills, Charl Pellissier, BenjaminDovey, Zach Melvill, Brendan Owen, Grant Dixie, Gordon Everard, Steven Green, BrianFerguson, Panashe MuyeyeSeated from the left: Mr Scott Jackson, Murray Leith (Vice-Capt), Mr Carl Bradfield,Andrew Rushmere (Capt), Mr Gerard Posthumus, Grant StrettonWe return to the tail end of the Grahamstown Festival and that is always something to look forward to. Enjoy your Half Termand return safely.Yours sincerelyPaul EdeyHEADMASTER