25 MAY 2010
Dear Parents
FINANCING OF THE POOL UPGRADE
Camps Bay High School has a vibrant sports programme. This includes our water sports of swimming and waterpolo. We are fortunate to have our own pool on the premises. This pool was built over 30 years ago. Some of our current parents, who are also past pupils, remember when the pool was originally built. We have enjoyed 30 good years of service, but the pool is urgently in need of an upgrade. The pool lining (the gunnite) has degraded and so the chlorine is reacting with the underlying cement and making it impossible to manage the pH properly. Also, the filtration system is constantly breaking as various parts wear out. When the Governors started addressing the considerable cost of relining the pool and replacing the filter (and all the pipes) they decided this was the time to address two other issues with the pool.
1. Depth of Pool for Waterpolo
Thirty years ago when the pool was built waterpolo was not a popular school sport, but diving was. So our pool is very deep at one end and shallow at the other. Today it is unfair to the waterpolo sides, as one side can stand in the shallow end. We plan to increase the depth of the pool to acceptable waterpolo standards.
2. Width of the Pool
As Camps Bay High swimming team has grown, we regularly host the mid-week, Wednesday galas at our pool. For this it would be beneficial to have an extra lane. We therefore also plan to widen our pool by 1m to accommodate an extra lane.
A long term plan for the pool was to cover it. This would allow us to heat the pool and extend our swimming season. This is not planned for now. However, while we are digging up the pool area to replace the pipes, and digging out the pool itself, the Governors decided to put the concrete foundations in for a future roof.
The refurbishing of the pool will cost between R1,3 and R1,7 million rand. R400 000 from the R1,3 to R1,7 million is the cost estimate to deepen the pool on the shallow end, if we are unfortunate enough to strike rock. If we find sand under the shallow end then we will save this money
To cover this cost, the school will be applying for a bank loan of R1,7 million. This will be over and above our current overdraft facility of R200 000. The Governors will be applying for the loan in June, and hope to start with the renovations as soon as it is approved.
If you have any questions relating to this please, e-mail me on dekorte@campsbayhigh.co.za. The Governor who is in charge of this project is Mr Colin Harvey.
Those of you who have pools are probably wondering what we plan to do for the new filter. We will change the pool over to a salt water pool.
I am sure that when our pool has been renovated, we will enjoy another 30 years of good service from it.
SECOND TERM REPORTS
The last week of term two is far from normal. It is a three day week, with exams ending on the 4th June 2010, and school closing on the 9th June 2010. This leaves very little time for us to do all the usual ‘end of term’ administration. We plan to manage this in the following way:
On Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd June 2010 the Grade 10 and 11s will have a chance to check their exam scripts that have been marked. This is because they will be away the following week, on Community Service and Work Experience respectively. On Monday and Tuesday (7th and 8th June) the Grade 8, 9 and 12s will go over their exam papers and check the marking. Sadly we are not able to fit a parent meeting into this three day week, that will have to wait until the third term. However, we are resolved to get the reports out this term and so they will be posted on Thursday morning (10th June).
THE LONG HOLIDAYS
We are concerned about the long holidays and the possibility that pupils will forget a lot of the work that has been taught. We don’t want to spoil a wonderful holiday by setting lots of work for the children to do. We will, however, provide work sheets and some assignments to allow our children to do a little work from time to time. None of this will be compulsory, but will allow those that want to refresh their school work to have something to do.
Yours sincerely
D De Korte
PRINCIPAL
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