Jan 12, 2018 - awards at both regional and national Eskom. Expo for Young Scientists competitions and having attended tw
COLLEGE NEWS No 1 www.bridgehouse.org.za 12 January 2018 ____________________________________________________________________
Welcome back! Matric Results 2017 Congratulations are due to the Class of 2017 for their results in the Independent Examinations Board National Senior Certificate examinations. Thank you to their teachers for the extra miles walked over the years, to their parents for their support and to the IEB for yet another wonderfully administered NSC examination. Miss Linda Castaldo You will have received an email with the summary of results which can be found on our website: https://www.bridgehouse.org.za/college/academics/matric-results
Newest Alumni On Thursday evening, the Class of 2017 joined their teachers in celebration of their results and to receive the past pupil ties and scarves. It was a relaxed, joyful occasion where they were officially welcomed as alumni. Traditionally at this occasion, the Dux student is recognised with a certificate and small trophy but Emma Fourie was excused in order to attend a Cape Winelands District Western Cape Government Education Department function for top students in the area. She will receive her recognition at another occasion.
International Science Fair Invitation
After the final newsletter had been published last year we received notice that, after winning awards at both regional and national Eskom Expo for Young Scientists competitions and having attended two rounds of interviews, Albert Ottesen has been selected to participate in an International Science Fair. His project is on Mixed Reality. For those of us who are not really sure what Mixed Reality is this is a description: “Mixed reality (MR), sometimes referred to as hybrid reality, is the merging of real and virtual worlds to produce new environments and visualizations where physical and digital objects co-exist and interact in real time.” Albert accomplished this by using off the shelf componentry and code to create this effect. Well done, Albert! We are very proud of you.
Visual Arts Students Achieve National Recognition The Visual Arts Department is extremely proud that TWO Bridge House 2017 Matrics achieved results that placed them in the top 1% of IEB Visual Arts students in the country. This is an exceptional achievement and it is clear that hours of hard work and commitment throughout the year as well as talent paid off for Jean Arnott and Emma Fourie. Emma was also placed in the top 1% for English. Those of us who saw their exhibitions at the end of last year will be pleased but not surprised. Some of Jean’s work below and Emma’s work on the next page.
The previous Bridge House student to achieve this honour was Alexander van Rensburg who graduated from UCT last year (2017) with a degree in Architecture. He was their top student, and finished with distinction. Some of Alex’s work while he was at school below.
Headlines I extend a warm welcome back to Bridge House and and Happy New year to all. I hope the summer break was special, and that you have brought wonderful memories from it that will keep you energised, into this new year,. May 2018 be a great year for our country, our school and our families. Thank you to all who played a leading and organisational role in the week’s Orientation programme for our new students, and thank you to the catering, admin, clothing shop, grounds, maintenance, cleaning and IT teams for work none of us see, and for the results we too often take for granted. If you take the time to walk this campus, especially when it’s relatively quiet, with your eyes and ears open, you see something different, some improvement, large or small, but something that says this place moves forward. All the time. I thank many people responsible for these touches on your behalf. We can thank them by looking after the place in terms of litter, water usage, looking after our property and so on. I also extend a special welcome to the following new staff-members who joied us on Monday: Mrs Mala Naidoo (Maths, AP Maths, and introducing robotics in due course); Ms Regina Pieterse (Commerce and Maths); Ms Lize Marie Engelbrecht (LO and Phys Ed); Mr Dirk de Villiers (Computer Applications Technology) and Ms Elmaret Lang (Creative Arts (Dance)) Welcome too, to the many new students and Round Square exchange students joining us for the first time. May all of you – returning and new – thrive in this unique environment! At the 2017 Awards in College and Prep, I focused on exponential technological advancement: the challenges of AI and augmented reality, instant access to any information or content, the power that comes with this, and my belief in our responsibility in schools to develop tech abilities, but to focus on the human stuff: values, principles, the way we treat each other, creativity, wonder, care, empathy, perseverance. Not just because these make a place a more pleasant environment, but because they will be the differentiators in whatever the workplace is like when our young people are out there making a living and, more importantly, living a life of significance. The student body has elected strong, positive student leadership with initiative and a concern for the people of the school. We have experienced and caring teachers who come to work to give our students the chance to be something they haven’t yet become: the best adult they can be, the happiest adult they can be; the most balanced and mindful adult they can be. While they use their subjects as their script, their role goes way beyond transferring content. They do what they do for others, not for the salary, or glory or fame. A school career is a bit like a round of golf (except that in golf, you want to finish with the lowest numbers possible!) Each hole is separate. You spend time in the rough; you stretch your ability and fail with a high-risk shot; you stretch your ability with a high-risk shot, and it comes off. Each new hole is an opportunity to recover, to do better. No other sport works like that. At school, each new year, each new term, each test or exam or performance is like a new hole: a chance to re-focus, re-boot, re-strategise, revise past behaviours and put into place choices to do things better this time. 2017 was a tough year. 2018 is a chance to tee off again and get this hole and this round right. So let’s focus on what I’ll call “the right stuff’, not Tom Wolfe’s “right stuff” from the book of that title, but simply doing the right thing, emphasising the right stuff, focusing on success. Mr Mike Russell
Welcome! The SLC were ready bright and early on Wednesday with a warm welcome for all the Grade 8s and our new pupils who attended the Orientation Day. The term started in earnest on Thursday and it is all systems go.
Have you entered the Bridge House Mile (200m, 400m, 800m and Mile Open Water Swimming Races available) which will take place on 4 February at Val de Vie? There is a STRICT CUT-OFF DATE for entries i.e. 28 January. NO LATE ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED. Enter now to be sure of a place. If you are not swimming come and join the fun and support the swimmers. Have a look at the website www.bridgehousemile.co.za for more information.
Sports Update Dressage Shannon Lindhorst travelled to Johannesburg at the beginning of the December holidays and competed in the South African Junior Dressage Championships. She competed against stiff competition and earned second place in both the classical and musical advance dressage classes. She also represented Western Cape in the team event, earning provincial colours. The team was placed second overall.
Dance Cameron Alderslade represented Phox Dance Academy at the SADF Social National Championship 2017 and received the following results: Smooth Ballroom: Waltz: Quickstep: Rhythm Latin: Cha cha Interternational Rumba Jive
1st place 1st place 1st place 1st place 1st place
Pictured right with her coach Phil du Plessis.
SPORT NEXT WEEK Please note: Parents are most welcome to join us at the various Inter-House Athletics events that will take place during the week! Because of the water crisis, we are unable to use our pool. Alternative arrangements for our aquatics (swimming and water polo) programme are currently being investigated. We encourage swimmers and water polo players to join the fitness and conditioning sessions. MONDAY 15 JANUARY BOYS & GIRLS U14 FIELD EVENTS 15:00 HIGH JUMP 16:00 LONG JUMP 16:30 SHOT PUT TUESDAY 16 JANUARY BOYS & GIRLS U15, U17 & U19 FIELD EVENTS 08:10 – 08:40 Boys & Girls U15 High Jump Boys & Girls U17 Long Jump Boys & Girls U19 Shot Put 08:40 – 09:10 Boys & Girls U15 Shot Put Boys & Girls U17 High Jump Boys & Girls U19 Long Jump 09:10 – 09:40 Boys & Girls U15 Long Jump Boys & Girls U17 Shot Put Boys & Girls U19 High Jump 15:00 – 16:30 TEAM TENNIS New pupils who would also like to try out for team tennis should join this session. 16:30 – 17:30 SOCIAL TENNIS 15:00 – 17:00 CRICKET 15:00 – 16:30 GIRLS SUMMER HOCKEY 15:00 – 16:30 CROSS COUNTRY 15:00 – 17:00 MOUNTAIN BIKING WEDNESDAY 17 JANUARY ATHLETICS: If the inter-house field events have not been completed on Tuesday 16 January they will continue today from 15:00 – 17:00. Pupils involved in field events will be excused from sport. 15:00 – 16:30 BOYS SUMMER HOCKEY 15:00 – 16:30 CROSS COUNTRY 15:00 – 17:00 MOUNTAIN BIKING 15:00 – 16:00 FITNESS & CONDITIONING 15:00 – 16:30 ST ANDREW’s NETBALL SQUAD THURSDAY 18 JANUARY 16:00 – 19:00 COLLEGE INTER HOUSE TRACK EVENTS (200m, 400m, 100m & relays)
Calendar of Events You will find the Calendar of Events for Term 1 on the D6 Communicator under General: College and Prep or on the website https://www.bridgehouse.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Term-1-2018.pdf Please diarise the following important upcoming dates to which parents are invited: Grade 12 parents/pupils meeting - Tuesday 16 January, Theatre 18h00 All College parents - Thursday 18 January, College Inter-house Athletics 16h00 – 19h00 Parents who are new to the school - Wednesday 24 January, PA welcome function Theatre 18h00 Grade 8 and 9 parents – Friday 26 January, Grade 8 &9 Electives prize giving Theatre 13h15 All College parents – Thursday 1 February, Re-opening the Art Room 18h00 All College parents – Thursday 1 February, Awards Ceremony Theatre 19h00 All parents – Sunday 4 February, Bridge House Mile at Val de Vie Estate
Online Shopping at the Uniform Shop – the way to go! Would you like to avoid the queue at the Uniform Shop! How can you do this? If you know your child’s or children’s clothing sizes, the online option is the way to go! Click on this link https://www.sageonlinetools.co.za/Render/Index/blruim and away you go. The trolley icon on our website www.bridgehouse.org.za is another way into the shop. You can collect your order from the uniform shop 48 hours later. It’s never been easier!
Bridge House on Social Media Are you following Bridge House on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BridgeHouseSchl/ A mystery prize will be awarded to the Bridge House parent or pupil who reaches an unannounced milestone number of followers on our page.
Are you following @BridgeHouseSchl on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BridgeHouseSchl
You can also follow bridgehouseschl on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bridgehouseschl/?hl=en Advertisement
Art Classes for Adults and Children Cathy Milner teaches art classes for children from Grade 4 to 8 on a Monday from 4:30-5:30 at her Studio on Natte Valleij Farm in Klapmuts. She also has morning and evening classes for adults and high school learners. Contact her on 073 1959082 or
[email protected] for more information
Please download the D6 Communicator where you will find school notices.
