Community Engagement Newsletter July 2012

Mandela DayEach house has been tasked with planning their own Mandela Day project in which we ask everyone in our communityto give at least 67 minutes for the common good on the 22nd of July. We hope at least one House will choose towork with the Manley Flats farm school, and are actively looking for projects which large numbers of boys can tacklesimultaneously without becoming a management challenge.Last year the St Andrew’s staff cleaned and painted the Somerset Street bridge over the Kowie ditch. This year we hopeto combine with our colleagues from Kingswood to tackle a similar project. We are grateful for the support of Paul Edey,Jon Trafford and Tracey van Molendorf in this experiment of détente and engagement.Good News from St Matthew’sWhen St Matthew’s came to play rugby against College on K-day, they were accompanied by Celinah Damoyi, who hadtaken over the teaching of matric Mathematics for the first time, following the tragic death of her colleague Mr Kali. Bothhad accompanied the St Matthew’s pupils to last year’s residential Maths Camp at St Andrew’s. I asked Celinah abouther mid-year Maths results. She has been working really hard with the matric group, offering extra afternoon classes withthe support of Tony Ukekwe, the Maths HOD, Thomas Hagsphil and Anna Jacobs. The mid-year exams, externally setin State schools, were a triumph. Celinah’s Maths class improved from below 50% to a 94% pass-rate, with a number ofdistinctions. Celinah is one of the newly qualified teachers who, despite her passion and commitment, has not had hertemporary contract renewed. In spite of the desperate need for Maths teachers and the vacancies for both temporaryand permanent teachers, she has not been paid by the provincial Department of Education since last November.The relationship between St Andrew’s and St Matthew’s depends on exactly the sort of relationship that has beenestablished between Anna and Celinah, and we are so pleased to see the one-on-one contact between colleagues grow.Eight boys and eight girls spent a day at St Matthew’s as part of a day exchange programme we have re-instituted.Currently we have eight points of contact with St Matthew’s each year, each offering different opportunities for learning.We look forward to more contact between Maths departments, pupil exchange, and staff visits to St Matthew’s.What lies aheadEarly in the Michaelmas term, we have two significant overnight activities. Mnr Ferriera will be leading the Good ShepherdOutdoor education project, which takes place on Table Farm. The Good Shepherd School Grade 7 class will have anight out in tents, having hiked out and engaged in a variety of activities. The second experience, run by Ms Salzwedelin co-operation with Fr Gary and the SCA committee, was trialed last year. A group of boys and staff spent a night out onChurch Square to build an understanding of what it’s like to be homeless. We were all profoundly affected.Every year each Grade 10 pupil on the Fish River Journey has the opportunity to give a day’s service to the communitiesthrough whom we travel. Ms Potgieter and I will be looking for five meaningful activities which can involve 35 peopleproductively for a day. Our experience as a group-leader has often been that these days are where we see hugepersonal growth, when the focus shifts from dealing with the physical challenges the pupils face, to looking outwards.We hope to see the St Mary’s Field Band play and march soon (they began rehearsing ten days ago). We continue tosupport and assist pupils from Grades 6, 7, 10, 11 and 12 in our Academic Extension programs and will continue toprovide opportunities for boys to serve both the school and broader community.The third term is the time for leadership handovers, and I want to express my gratitude to the President’s AwardCommittee, led by Edward Iputo and Mitch Foster, and the Community Engagement Portfolio Committee, led by MartinChandler. We know they have done a good job and have ensured that their committees are sufficiently robust to beready for a seamless transition.Warm regardsTim Barnard