Thursday, February 18, 2010

Pack your picnic basket

and join us for....



Date: 26 February 2010
Time: 6pm
Where: At school
Cost: R10 per adult - children are free
Dress: South African - eg rugby jersery, soccer jersey, safari suit, traditional outfit or even just a face painting tattoo.
Bring: Your picnic (or food to braai with your own utensils), a lantern, something to sit on, some money to buy goodies

Be prepared to have lots of F-U-N!!!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

AFRITHON FACT SHEET

NB!! These are the only answers you need to learn.... the questions and answers have been researched on the internet from various sources.

1. I am the largest living being in the world, and I weigh more than thirty elephants. I live in the oceans and I love sea food. What am I?
BLUE WHALE


2. I am a pure vegetarian, but most people think I eat anything that moves. I spend most of my time sleeping, and resting in shallow parts of ponds, lakes and rivers. Since I am heavy, I don't float to the surface of the water. I can swim fast, walk on the river bed and remain submerged for as long as 10 minutes at a time. What am I?
HIPPOPOTAMUS

3. When do leopards hunt?
AT NIGHT

4. What is our country's national animal?
THE SPRINGBOK

5. What does our National flag look like?


6. What is an impala?
AFRICAN ANTELOPE WITH CURVED HORNS; MOVES WITH ENORMOUS LEAPS


7. Who is the present South African President?
PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA

8. What is the South African rugby team called?
THE SPRINGBOKS

9. What is a vuvuzela?
A PLASTIC TRUMPET LIKE OBJECT ABOUT A METER LONG THAT SOUTH AFRICAN SOCCER FANS BLOW AT SOCCER MATCHES

10. How many national anthems does South Africa have?
ONE

---------- Grade 0 ----------

11. What is the national flower of our country?
THE GIANT OR KING PROTEA

12. What is South Africa's national fish?
GALJOEN –ONLY FOUND ALONG SOUTH AFRICAN COAST LINE

13. What is our national tree?
THE REAL YELLOWWOOD (GRADE 7: PODOCARPUS LATIFOLIUS)

14. Who is the main hunter in the lion pride?
THE FEMALE

15. What does “Sawubona” mean?
GREETING – HELLO

16. How many official languages are spoken in South Africa?
ELEVEN

17. How do warthogs enter their burrows?
BACKWARDS SO THAT THEY ARE IN A POSITION TO ATTACK

18. What is a Genet?
A BEAUTIFUL CAT-LIKE ANIMAL THAT SLEEPS BY DAY AMONG LOOSE BOULDERS AT THE FOOT OF THE CLIFFS, EMERGING AT NIGHT TO FEED ON RATS, LIZARDS AND BIRDS WHICH IT OFTEN HUNTS BY SCENT. WHEN CORNERED, THE GENET LETS OUT A NAUSEATING MUSKY SMELL.

19. What is the national bird of South Africa?
THE BLUE CRANE (GRADE 7: ANTHROPOIDES PARADISE)

20. What is the South African currency?
RANDS

---------- Grade 1 ----------

21. Who is Johnny Clegg?
SOUTH AFRICAN SINGER/SONG WRITER

22. Where is Table Mountain?
IN CAPE TOWN

23. Why is the white rhino so called?
THIS ENGLISH NAME ORIGINATED AS A PHONETIC FORM OF THE DESCRIPTIVE DUTCH SETTLERS' NAME "WYD", WHICH MEANS "WIDE", REFERRING TO ITS WIDE, SQUARE MUZZLE.

24. Where is the Kruger National Park?
IN SOUTH AFRICA

25. How long can a crocodile go without food?
6 to 8 MONTHS

---------- Grade 2 ----------

26. It weighs in at a hefty 700kg and clicks as it walks ... it is Africa's biggest antelope - what is it?
ELAND

27. Gary Player is famous for which sport?
GOLF

28. What are the big five animals of Africa?
LION, BUFFALO, LEOPARD, RHINO AND ELEPHANT

29. What does “Baie dankie” mean?
THANK YOU VERY MUCH IN AFRIKAANS

30. Which commonly seen bird in Southern Africa has a head shaped like a hammer?
HAMMERKOP BIRD

---------- Grade 3 ----------

31. What fish is known to travel north between the months of May and July, in their millions, hugging the shore as they make their way up along the coastline?
SARDINES

32. Which city is the capital city of South Africa?
PRETORIA

33. What is Charlise Theron famous for?
FIRST SOUTH AFRICAN ACTRESS TO WIN AN OSCAR

34. Who became the South African President in 1994?
NELSON MANDELA

35. When does a hippo feed?
AT NIGHT

---------- Grade 4 ----------

36. What animal makes this spoor?


LEOPARD

37. How do elephants cool down their body temperatures?
FLAPPING THEIR EARS. STANDING IN THE SHADE. WALLOWING IN WATER.

38. Which animal is the lion’s natural enemy?
MAN AND HYENA

39. Who is Graham Smith?
SOUTH AFRICAN (PROTEA) CRICKET CAPTAIN

40. How many litres of water can an average elephant hold in its trunk?
8,5 LITRES

---------- Grade 5 ----------

41. Who is Bafana Bafana?
SOUTH AFRICAN SOCCER TEAM


42. What animal is the buffalo’s major predator?
MAN AND LIONS

43. What sense of a black rhino is very poorly developed?
POOR EYE SIGHT

44. Everyone knows that South Africa's national animal is a springbok, but what's Zimbabwe's national animal?
SABLE ANTELOPE

45. In which year did Jan van Riebeeck arrive in South Africa?
6 APRIL 1652

---------- Grade 6 ----------

46. What animal makes this spoor?

WARTHOG

47. Who are the Parletones?
SOUTH AFRICAN BAND

48. Who are Ryk Neethling and Roland Schoeman?
SOUTH AFRICAN SWIMMERS

49. What is a group of owls called?
A PARLIAMENT OF OWLS

50. What is the name of Durban's brand new awe-inspiring, 70,000 capacity stadium?
MOSES MABHIDA STADIUM

---------- Grade 7----------

Download the complete list in pdf here.

Good luck to all the pupils. Don't forget to get your sponsorship forms filled in... all money to be handed in by 19 March 2010.

Friday, February 5, 2010

We care

We've all read about and seen TV reports on the Haiti earthquake.  Well even our children were touched by this tragedy.  On Friday 29th January the children held a prayer service for the victims of the earthquake.


We might not be able to do much, but PRAYER is a mighty tool.  What a great example our children set for us each day.  Let us as parents not forget to prayer too!

We're expanding

You might have realised that we are being pushed for classroom space... well we are expanding.  Construction has started on 3 new classrooms... even in amongst all the rain we've had.

We will definitely keep you up to date on the progress.

Grade 0 Picnic

The Grade 0 picnic was held on 29 January 2010. It started raining just as the picnic was meant to start, so we had it in the hall. It then poured fit to flood us, but we all had a great picnic nonetheless. Lots of wet, muddy children, but all shrieking happily.



Thanks to Megan Chronis for the photos.

Interhouse Swimming Gala

On Friday 15 January we held our annual inter-house swimming gala. A lot of fun and competition between the three houses took place. Well done to the winning house, Caleb and to Samson who won the Spirit Cup.

The results were as follows:
Caleb 354
Samson 327
David 324

Congratulation to the following swimmers who broke records:

NameRaceTime
C WilsonJunior Boys Individual Medley01.20.15
C WilsonUnder 10 Boys Butterfly00.22.37
C De La ReyUnder 12 Girls Butterfly00.20.14
K De AlmeidaUnder 8 Girls Backstroke00.25.42
D LoserUnder 9 Girls Backstroke00.26.46
M EdwardsUnder 9 Boys Backstroke00.22.77
C WilsonUnder 10 Boys Backstroke00.22.97
K DawsonUnder 11 Girls Backstroke00.56.33
C de la ReyUnder 12 Girls Backstroke00.48.92
S du PlessisOpen Girls Backstroke00.43.82
C WilsonUnder 10 Boys Breaststroke00.26.20
K DawsonUnder 11 Girls Breaststroke00.50.82
C ReinekeUnder 8 Girls Freestyle00.23.20
M EdwardsUnder 9 Boys Freestyle00.21.59
C WilsonUnder 10 Boys Freestyle00.19.37
K DawsonUnder 11 Girls Freestyle00.41.69



ps - if you have any photos taken on the day, please send them to me so that we can showcase our children's talent.

The South African Safari Adventure 22 to 26 February

This will basically run along the same lines as our “Swimathon” last year. Children will be given sponsorship forms and fact sheets relating to South Africa. In order to do the necessary research, answers will be posted on the school blog, on the school notice board and in the library. 


The "Afrithon" will be on Friday 26 February, during school hours and depending on the number of correct answers they will collect the appropriate sponsorship money. The emphasis is on fun and will not be a learning test as such. Although the actual “Afrithon” will be on the Friday, the PTA will be building up to the event during the course of the week from Monday 22 February, to create a real "vibe” in the school to motivate families to get as many sponsors as possible. There will be FANTASTIC prizes for the children who raise the most money, for children who get 100% and for the class that raises the most money.

The whole event will end off on the Friday night with the first social event of the year, our "Picnic under the Stars". Where we encourage families to bring their blankets and baskets and join us for a picnic. This event is always loads of fun!

More details to follow....  

Agapanthus Day

Each year our Grade 6’s raise funds for the Grade 7 Farewell.  On Thursday and Friday, 11 and 12 February will be having a sale to celebrate the traditional day of Valentine…we would love to extend this day of love to our friends, family and people we care about and focus on the Agape or Agapanthus love of caring for each other …..

John 13:34 “So now I am giving you a new commandment: love one other. As I have loved you, so you must love one other.”  

There will also be a civvies day on Friday 12  Feb  (R5 per child)  the money made from this will be given to a less fortunate school as our gesture of love and care.

……………So Please support us and share in the beautiful day of Love………….