The School Corridor Tatler

At Mykonos All we did was go to Gumtree and punched in Mykonos holiday and up popped the West Coast Holidays advert, promising a   not-to-break-the –bank deals for a Mon-Fri stay at Mykonos during the first week of the school holidays. Well, in Superman style, Val   Hopley , our ‘travel agent’, promptly sorted out all the hiccups that we experienced in Levona's kaliva.. Then we were ready to soak up the pleasures of our own piece of Greece.   We are now on to day 3. Mykonos is the ideal getaway even for consummate homebodies Mykonos is your ideal winter getaway and caters for all kinds of holidaymakers – the seasoned ones and the ones who are terrified of going on holiday. Okay, I am exaggerating ,but goodness – the reasons we manufacture to justify why we can’t go on even a   ‘cheapie’! The reasons are often elaborate, pseudo-valid ones. There are some who would say “ No, we have to choose. Our children want a flatscreen TV or others would say “ ...

Ocean View High School had a fantastic Motivational session for their Grade 12s post June Examinations Grade 12s visualise and share their dreams of their future with one another By 8h30 the Grade 12s had gathered in the hall and the excitement was visible. An NGO was invited by the school to facilitate a motivational session. Soon everybody was busy in their groups discussing their dreams. The animated expressions and the intensity of the exchanges showed that these young people were enjoying themselves. The Head of Grade, Andrew Saunders, stayed in the background, just making sure that all was well.   Two community speakers and entertainment by Cafda School of skills   During the second part of the programme, the learners were entertained by the newly-established jazz band of Cafda School of Skills. Two speakers, Adele Campbell, the SGB chairperson of Prince George Primary School and Elgan Fortune who works in the mayor's office were the keynote speakers. Taswell, ...

Schools in the Retreat-Lavender Hill-Steenberg Belt are working tirelessly to stem the tide of social collapse. The key drivers of safety, security and care and support are the Principal and his(her) Safer Schools Head/coordinator. The so-called soft issues are the ones that are difficult to fast track. One needs all the role players - government and non-governmental agencies to work in sync.  There is no short cut and one has to take literally one step at a time.  Retreat Safer Schools Cluster Today we had our safer schools cluster meeting at one of my favourite venues, Blouvlei LSEN school. As usual, there is always such warmth and camaraderie at these gatherings.  Steenberg Safer Schools Cluster The Arts and Culture Festival planned for 4 October  There is quite a bit of excitement because the Arts and Culture Festival of the circuit is taking shape. There are already 15 schools that have committed. Chief concerns are raised about the transport logistics and the fact t...

I was shell-shocked for a few minutes and re-read the mail from our registry. There it was: the funeral arrangements of a colleague I had never met face to face, Lolita Macrill, yet someone who helped to ease my load. Goodness, I exclaim to Basil, when did all this happen? How? Did I miss a previous mail to inform us Lolita had passed on? All these questions raced through my head as I tried to process the death of a friend and colleague I had never ever seen. I search my mailbox and there I find the mail: Lolita suffered a heart attack. I had missed that mail - somehow I had... Immaculate service from Lolita I am talking about Lolita Mackrill, our CEMIS Head office contact person. Whenever we were stuck with some administrative or technical problem regarding our central education management system, I would phone Lolita. Whenever the schools I serve struggled, I happily directed them to Lolita to assist. All our queries were managed professionally and whenever we spoke, Lolita would...

The Reunion Hideout There we were at Vanantheo ( Theo)’s place, welcomed by a huge sign, a personalized glass filled with a pen and blank business card for your networking contacts.   That set the scene for a glorious, mad, spontaneous reunion of folk who have not seen one another for 24 years! Imagine – almost 2,5 decades yet one would have sworn it was just the other day.   Group pic - there may be some on the sides - sorry (blame Junior Theo,Lol) The troop arrives ... Bonita breezed in and immediately tackled Nino for pretending NOT to know her in public, Lesley, the quiet youngster darted from place to place, enthralling us with his anecdotes of years gone by and then Alistair arrived with aplomb.   After stomping at the entrance to the ‘chill section’, he gave us all the once over and then with a mixture of typical Cape Flats lingo, he worked his way round the circle to greet everyone.    Selena just glanced around, sitting serenely and allowing the more vo...

Thanksgiving service is more like a homecoming celebration Today I attended Sullivan Primary School’s 50 th Anniversary Thanksgiving service. There we sat, under the red marquee in the quad complete with makeshift stage under an arch of maroon and yellow balloons. It was this simple and dignified. No hiring of civic halls or private halls for this private, intimate function. I did not expect any different from Ernest Moore, the Head of Sullivan Primary School. The school is the treasure house of rich memories of the foundational years of many a South African community builder and what better place to have the thanksgiving ceremony than at the heritage place? All the alumni of Sullivan, please stand up… The Thanksgiving event was like one massive homecoming. There were at least four of the first pupils who started Sub A when the school – then known as the nameless “Steenberg No.4”- started in 1963. Professor Jonathan Jansen, who specially flew in for the event, was one of them. Jonatha...

Ocean View High School chose April month to re-open their library, the significant month when we celebrate our freedom and look forward to all the possibilities to get all South Africans to soar. The Ocean View High School community after the unveiling of the plaque in the newly re-opened library. Last night, while the rain beat down and the wind ran through trees and roads, Ocean View High school re-opened their school library. Why you ask, did the school choose to have the opening and unveiling of the library/resource centre at 19h00. Well, this school is working hard at involving and embracing the community in their work. If you want the community present, if you want the parents and the School Governing Body to be celebrating with you, you host the events at a time that suits them.   Powerful messages of walking the talk. Trumpeting our National Anthem A trumpet recital of our National anthem, Nkosi Sikelel’ IAfrika, was played by one of Ocean View High students. Yes, Go...