Welcome to the first PLB newsletter! My aim is to inform you about all the happenings and events at school and to keep you updated with important information from time to time. This newsletter does not replace the Principal Mr de Korte’s newsletter you normally receive via your children and via this blogspot.
PLB
The PLB (Parent Liaison Body) was formed in 2009 to provide a platform to parents at Camps Bay High School through communication, consulting, organising and networking, also providing a link between home and school. The number of active parents has grown considerably and 2011 was a very successful and busy year for this forum.
THE PURPOSE OF THE PLB
The Parent Liaison Body exists to:
- PROVIDE a forum to facilitate parent participation in CBHS by offering advice and feedback to our School's principal, staff and governors;
- SOURCE a base of parents with special skills and resources to assist the many needs of Camps Bay High School in its many academic, cultural, sports and social events;
- FOSTER friendly school community development;
- CREATE a sense of pride in our School amongst our families and pupils.
After a very jam-packed First Term with sports days, camps and various tours I hope your children have settled in and are enjoying our vibrant and active school. The Second Term is not as busy as the First but, as it’s the first official Exam Term of the year, the focus is mainly on academic matters. You should have received your child’s Tests and Assignments Calendar by now but if not, they are available at reception. Exam timetables will be handed out shortly. Please go through with your child and encourage your children to plan and start studying as soon as possible.
You should also have received a Second Term Calendar with your child’s report, but here just a quick recap of some of the dates:
24/ 25 April – Inter-house Play Competition
Every year, the different houses put on plays written, directed and acted out by the students of their house. Parents and siblings are encouraged to come to both nights as and support. Three houses perform on the first night and then three on the second night. The evening does not end late. Come and see the incredible talent and support these wonderful shows – R5-00 entry fee.
27 April – School closed (Freedom day)
30 April – School closed
1 May – School closed (Workers day)
3 May – Careers Evening
This is a very important evening for Grade 9 – 11 pupils and parents alike but all grades are welcome. At this evening, we have stalls from all the major universities, colleges, technikons and after-school tertiary educational establishments, to help the children understand more about what options are available after their high school years, and what subjects they need to study for a specific career. We also have very important talks from different professionals to help the children understand more about a careers in a specific field, what subjects to take and to ask important questions they might want answered.
5 May – Westerford Derby (away)
This is our second
Big Derby of the year where we compete against Westerford High in hockey, soccer, netball and rugby. This year the Derby will be held at Westerford and is compulsory for all Grade 8 and 9’s regardless of whether they play the competing sports or not. We do however encourage
all students and parents to come and support this very exciting day. All children must please be dressed in full school uniform. Times of all games will be given closer to the event.
11 May – Founders Day Assembly
This assembly is held at all three of the Camps Bay Schools to honour our establishment as Camps Bay Schools. A guest speaker (often a former pupil) is invited in to talk and join the assemblys. The students remember aspects of the School in years gone by, our heritage in the village of Camps Bay and are encouraged to recognise the uniqueness of the Camps Bay Schools' community.
18 / 19 May – Facets Concert (The three Camps Bay Schools staff and kids concert)
Please put this in your diaries and come and support this very enjoyable and exciting concert which feature the children and staff from
all three Camps Bay schools. More information to follow.
23 May 18.15 PM – Parent Liaison Body (PLB) Initiative: Talk by Annette Miller
(Please note: This event does not appear on the Calendar)
The PLB has secured the services of a well-known personality who is very active in the Southern Suburb schools. (Several of the Camps Bay Parents have used Annette’s services and were so impressed they wanted all CBHS parents to be exposed to her skills).
Annette runs a highly successful Career Guidance practise, specialising in Personality Assessment of both children and adults alike. She gives very detailed career guidance as well as advice on those specific educational institutions that offer the suggested courses suitable.
Please come and find out more about her talk, which will focus on Career choices in the 21st Century and what parents need to know and understand when guiding their children into their place of learning, career and working life. This is an invaluable talk, so parents -
do not miss it.
Who is ANNETTE MILLER?
In 1994, Annette Miller opened her Career Development Consultancy. Her aim was to fill the need of many learners to discover more about themselves and thus be enabled to make wise and informed career decisions.
Since that time, the practise has grown exponentially into the thriving and well-known organisation that it is today. Yet growth has in no way diminished the key facets of this consultancy, which are:
- The foundational belief in the worth and dignity of every person;
- The belief that there are career possibilities for everybody;
- The desire that the insights gained though the career development counseling process will have an impact, not only on the person’s career choice, but on all areas of his/her life;
- The ongoing relationship with the client which enables him/her to continue to touch base with Annette when the need arises or when new decisions need to be made.
However, the practice is not only aimed at senior High School learners and students. With a Masters degree in Industrial Psychology (Human Resource Development), Annette has the capacity to help all people at whatever stage in their working lives they are, from entry level till retirement and beyond.
Some of the services offered are:
- Personality assessment and counseling for career change;
- Recruitment testing and counseling for industry;
- Skills assessment of staff members for decisions relating to skills development needs or correct positioning;
- Mentoring.
Such a process involves the use of psychometric testing but always in combination with a great deal of narrative. Every client is encouraged to encounter who they are and to explore their life story in the process of making an optimal career choice.
Annette is registered with the Health Professionals Council of SA as well as with the Board of Healthcare Funders.
Her services are therefore covered by most medical aids. Career decisions are not one-of affairs. Good career choices are made over a period of time as you mature personally and develop career maturity. The two do not necessarily happen simultaneously. Some people have a level of career maturity and insight to enable them to make sound career choices in their mid-teens, while others might make them a fair bit later on. Many people try out a number of options before finding out their real career niche in midlife.
Effective career guidance is essential if you are to make wise and informed career decisions. Most career guidance involves a combination of some psychometric testing with lots of talking (narrative). While the psychometric tests give one valuable insights in a variety of areas, it is the time spent talking about these results, as well as one’s dreams and aspirations, with a trained and experienced counselor, that enables one to derive the maximum benefit from career assessment.
An informed career choice rests on:
- Knowledge of yourself (your aptitudes, personality, interests, and values);
- Knowledge of the world of work and what is marketable;
- The ability to weigh up the options and to make an optimum decision.
30 May – Exams start
15 June – Exams end
21 June – Parent Evening:
On this evening, you can collect your child’s report and have the opportunity to talk to all the teachers.
22 June – Term ends
Winter Sports
Winter sport is also in full swing with Netball, Hockey, Soccer and Rugby. Please come and support the children when they are playing matches. It’s also a fantastic time to meet new people and connect with old friends. All while supporting our children.
Uniform Shop
Please make sure your children have the correct sports uniform for the various sports. If you are unsure of the uniform, please give the clothing shop a call. Contact
Sally Preen on
021-498-1507 ext 6.
A recap of the uniform shop hours:
Mon / Wed – 7.30 am to 2.00 pm;
Tue / Thurs – 12.00 pm to 5.00 pm;
Friday – Closed.
The clothing shop also supplies Camps Bay Crew Tops (for supporters), picnic blankets, key rings and flash drives.
Website
Please go and check out our amazing
website and
Flickr photo site.
or you can follow us on Twitter
@CBHSinteract and on
Facebook.
MySchool
Everyone should please get connected to the MySchool organisation. Not only does a percentage go to our own school, but also to various charities and organizations. If you have a My School card please go online and make sure that Camps Bay High School is connected to your card.
Sigrid Mc Gregor is going to run this project and if you would like to have a MySchool card she will gladly apply for you and do all the necessary administration. Please e-mail her at
sigridmcg@mweb.co.za.
If you have already filled in a form and not yet received your card, please let her know and she will follow it up for you. We are aiming to get every single parent a My School card by the end of next term, so please support this initiative. Go to
www.myschool.co.za to see where you can use your card and swipe away. We are also aiming to link the application form to the website. Watch this space. The link to the application form is to be found
here.
Rotary Exchange Student
We are urgently looking for families who are willing to host an Italian Rotary exchange student next year 2013 for three months at a time (or less). She will be attending Grade 11 from July 2012 at our school and have a host family till December 2012. It would be preferable if the family lives in the vicinity of the school but does not necessarily have to have a child in the school either. We are reaching out to the community on this issue please. If you can help in any way to host her or know of a family who would be able to help please email me as soon as possible and we can discuss dates and sustenance allowance information with her current hosts.
School Governing Body
The role of the governing body is to support the principal and teachers in ensuring that all the children receive a high standard of education in a supportive environment. In practical terms this means making decisions with regard to a wide range of policies and tracking the progress and direction taken by the school. The full governing body meets every month; in addition to which all governors are attached to a number of subcommittees which meet regularly throughout the year. The governing body is composed of parents, educators, learners and members of the school community. The day-to-day running of the school is the responsibility of the Principal and should you have any suggestions or concerns they should first be discussed with your child’s class teacher or the Principal, as appropriate.
Last term we had new Governing Board elections and here again is a quick recap of the governors who were elected:
Eddy Cassar – Chairman
Susie Joubert – Vice chair
Brian Williams – Finance
Simone Segall – PLB
Colin Harvey – Building and grounds
Hajir Salie – Discipline
Michele Harvey – Special projects
Ashraf Abrahams – Co-opted
Ingrid van Diemen – Co-opted
David de Korte – Principal
Louis Mostert – Vice Principal
Ettie Cronje – Discipline
Vic van Heerden – Estate manager
Vivienne Ashcroft – Marketing and Public Relations
Lynette Olivier – Bursar
Wish List for the PLB –Can any family assist?
We are looking for a
pair of standing vases to be donated to the school to use at all our functions.
If anyone would be prepared to purchase and donate or can make these, has a contact or perhaps even has and no longer require these vases we would be so grateful if you would consider donation them to the school for our functions.
Statue for Front Garden
We are also looking for a sculptor to make us statue’s (not necessarily from bronze) for the front garden of CBHS. The subject will be a male and female figure engaged in reading. If anyone has this skills or knows of an accomplished person who has the skill, please give us their contact details. We will then start negotiating a commission based on our research.
Prefects 2012
The prefect body will be raising funds for their present which they buy and present to the school at the Celebration Assembly. It is usually a substantial item for all pupils to enjoy and has become a tradition. This year one of their initiatives is to sell tickets for the Vodacom Funny festival which have been kindly given to them at a reduced rate by Eddy Cassar. These are available for R140-00 at Reception at Camps Bay High School and the prefects will also be selling them directly to families and friends. You can also e-mail
michele@tictac.co.za
Representative Council of Learners
The RCL (Representative Council of Learners) is a student-elected body that stands as the representative voice of each of its members' respective grades. Three representatives are elected from each grade by their respective grades, and they remain RCL representatives throughout the year. The RCL seeks to promote the school's image at public events and displays, and we strive for open lines of communication between us and the pupils in our grade with regards to matters concerning life at CBHS and how the learners feel it can be improved, or what they feel should be addressed.
Our primary focus and drive for 2012 is
recycling. Our ultimate goal is to embed recycling as a way of life in the CBHS family, and to encourage the school to do the same by spreading the initiative to friends and family. We believe strongly in the importance of recycling and the relevance and subsequent reality it holds, not only to our school, but also to our planet. This is why we openly accept ideas from anybody at Camps Bay High who wishes to share them with us.
We will be hosting a conference (currently dated for 21 July 2012) where other schools and their RCL bodies will be invited to attend, and we will proceed to share our views on recycling and why we are seeking to spread the initiative throughout our community, our province, and hopefully our country too. This will place Camps Bay High School's name on the map and will create a solid reputation and standing for the School as an active player in the South African community, and it will assert Camps Bay as a 'force to be reckoned with'.
Parent Assistance and Involvement
We are continuously looking for parents to assist us with various projects and initiatives and welcome all ideas and input submitted. If you have any concerns, ideas or thoughts please don’t hesitate to mail me at
segal123@telkomsa.net and I will be happy to help and try and assist as much as possible.
If you know of any parent not receiving this newsletter, but who would like to, please ask them to e-mail me with following information:
- Their name;
- Telephone number/s;
- Occupation;
- E-mail address, and
- Their request to be put on the mailing list
(this gives me permission to use their e-mail address for this purpose).
I will then add them to the mailing list.
We are also constantly looking to improve our school so if you have any services that you could add or help out with please send me an e-mail and I can get into contact with you to discuss the many projects we want to tackle,awaiting your skills and enthusiasm.
“Old men can make war, but it is children who will make history “– Ray Merritt
Happy times to all.
Simone Segall
segal123@telkomsa.net
