1 August 2015
News from the Horse's Mouth
26 May 2015
Newsletter 17
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Letter from the Editor |
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Please find the Scripture for the week here.
Some points of particular interest in the expanded sections below include:
Classifieds View the Classifieds here! Need an Aupair? Housesitter? Evening Dresses for Hire? Mobile Hairstylist!
Comrades - to all staff and parents who are running the Comrades Marathon on Sunday, wishing you an enjoyable and safe run.
Our Facebook page has been well recieved and we thank you for "liking" our page. If you would like to send any photographs that we could possibly consider for the Facebook page please email them, with a very brief description, to socialmedia@thomasmore.co.za.
Have a great week, |
Google Calendars for parents
We plan ahead as far as possible for test dates and sporting fixtures, and so information gets added into these areas often. For this reason, we have set up a number of different Google Calendars to allow parents and students to access information as soon as it is available, so that they may also plan ahead.
We have a separate calendar for each Grade’s academic deadlines starting from Grade 5 onwards. This allows teachers to make sure that a grade is not getting overloaded with deadlines bunching up. We also have separate sporting calendars for each Phase of the school.
We have included a section at the end of the newsletter to explain google calendars in more detail. Your login details for the portal have been included in the email sent to you for this newsletter – please note the easy to use address for the portal: http://parents.thomasmore.co.za
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| Achievements | Extra-mural Calendars | Academic Calendars | ||
| Week Ahead | Quick Links | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Many thanks to the management, staff, parents and kids who responded so well to last week’s Christian Arts Festival. Our theme was “Wonderfully Made” taken from the above scripture Psalm 139:14. A special thanks to Mrs Selley, the CAF 2015 committee and all the youth guys from the Highway area especially Colin, Graydon, Brian, Bernice and teams. Also a huge big thank you to all who donated clothes for the’ Pop Up’ street market to be held at St. Agnes Church on Saturday 27th June. For many of us it was a reminder how fearfully and wonderfully made we are. That God truly values, treasures and cares for us and that each and every one of us has a purpose and destiny along with the gifts and talents both natural and spiritual He has given to us. To be able to serve a loving God who has created us. Our sympathies also go out to the Batchelor family, John, Camilla and St. John on the loss of Sharlene. Our sincere condolences go out to the family. Shalom (peace) God bless |
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Allan Chandler will retire in December after 20 years of outstanding service to Thomas More College. He was first appointed as the Deputy Headmaster in 1996 and went on to attain the position of High School Headmaster January 2009. I am sure that many tributes will be paid to Allan during the next 6 months. The Board of Trustees has over the last few months been engaged in an exhaustive search for a new head. We believe that we have found the perfect replacement. The new appointee is Mr. Dave Wiggett, who is currently Headmaster of CURRO Aurora in Johannesburg, a post which he has held for the past 4 years.
In addition to his academic career, Dave has been heavily involved in both the cultural and sporting areas of school life. He has produced a number of drama productions, including variety concerts, “Godspell” and the “Insect Play”. He has coached hockey and cricket at first team level and has coached Provincial hockey in both the Western Province and Gauteng. He has also managed the National u16 hockey team on several occasions. Dave is full of exuberance and energy and according to all reports he sees the positive side of life. In his own words, he has “a passion for –and commitment to – academic rigor, cultural pursuits, sporting endeavors and the capacity in every individual to lead through maximizing his/her uniqueness and God-given individuality.” Dave is married to Nikki and they have two daughters Jaime (Grade 11) and Kailin (Grade 7). 
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I invite you all to join us in the Habberton Hall on Thursday night for the annual Supper and Song. The event has been a highlight in our cultural programme over the past few years, and the 2015 rendition promises to surpass all previous efforts.  |
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Our Christian Art festival last week was a great success and the theme will long be remembered by our children- you are fearfully and wonderfully made! Our Grade 7s should be well into their studies as they start writing exams next week Thursday in the Mackenzie Centre. The important thing to remember, using all the tips already given, is that we are trying to test what they know and not unearth what they don’t know. It is simply a larger test, forms part of continuous assessment and prepares them for the High School. We also wish our High School pupils well as they too start writing. We look forward to the High School “Supper and Song” on Thursday and hope we will see many of the cultural participants having come through our Primary School. Both our Primary and High School marimba groups and choirs will perform for the “young at hearts” from Kloof Rest Home and Rob Roy next Tuesday afternoon, 2 June, at 3pm in the Habberton Hall. The grandparents of the performers are also welcome to attend. We wish our Foundation Phase lots of fun and great learning experiences this week, with our Grade 2 Polar experience in the classrooms and the MacKenzie Centre, and our Grade 1s as they visit the NooNoo farm on Friday. Many of our Senior Primary pupils are also in for lots of fun, as they take part in the termly “Toppies and tots” on Friday. This week Saturday we will be busy with the Grade 1-7 screenings of prospective pupils for possible enrolment in 2016. Please do remember to enroll your child’s siblings if you have not already done so. This week with its balance of sport and cultural activities and element of fun is so typical a week for Thomas More- The School for all Seasons! All the best for all the activities and best wishes not only for the challenging matches (the boys play Highbury) but also for our own Vincent Mbatha and any parents running the Comrades Marathon on Saturday.
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Weekly Achievers - Sponsored by Debonairs & Steers – Kloof
Weekly Achievers will resume next week.
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Vocals Congratulations to Luyanda Mbele, Jamie Lamb and Dinah Frey on their wonderful results in the Trinity College Rock and Pop Vocal exams. Luyanda and Jamie both received distinctions. Well done to them!
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PADSSA/KZN Hockey Congratulations tothe following children on their KZN selection for Hockey: Salaelo Mashiloane and Lola Lee (U13 A) Mia Chetty (U13 B) Stephanie Tshuma (U12 A) Ile Bothma (U12 B) Amy Balarin (U18 B) At the same time we congratulate Michael Sim for representing PADSSA U12.
Gymnastics Congratulations to Jenna Blofield who was placed 2nd in the Pinetown Invitational, 1st in Pietermaritzburg Invitational and 1st again in Pinetown KZN Qualifier. She has been chosen for the KZN Team. She will compete in Level 8, 13-18 age group, for Nationals in Cape Town on the 6 June 2015. Well done Jenna.
SP Netball 2nd Team vs Lyndurst won 8 - 4 1st Team vs Lyndhurst won 28 - 4
HS Girls' Hockey at TMC
HS Boys' Hockey at TMC 1st TMC 3 Madsen XI 4 2nd TMC 0 1st Ashton 3
Boys' Tennis at TMC
U10A TMPS won 45 - 0 U11's TMPS won 32 - 0 2nd's TMPS won 34 - 0 1st TMPS lost 22 - 27
U10A TMPS won 35 - 10 U10B TMPS won 35 - 0 U11's TMPS won 35 - 0 2nd's TMPS won 32 - 25 1st TMPS lost 0 - 7
U9 Rugby vs Atholl Heights Our U9s played in their 1st ever rugby match on Wednesday against Atholl Heights. They did so well but we unfortunately lost both our A & B matches.
U9 Rugby vs Northdene Our U9s played in their 2nd rugby match for the term against Northdene on Saturday. They played so well and we won both our games.
Grade 1 Soccer Tournaments Boys: vs Winston Park 2 drew 0-0 vs Hillcrest 2 drew 0-0 vs Hillcrest 3 drew 0-0 vs Curro HCA 2 drew 0-0 vs Highbury 3 won 2-0 vs Forest View 2 drew 0-0 vs Curro HCA 1 drew 0-0 vs Highbury 4 lost 0-1 vs Hillcrest 2 drew 0-0 Girls: vs Hillcrest drew 0-0 vs Curro HCA 3 won 3-0 vs Curro HCA 1 drew 0-0 vs Forest View drew 0-0 vs Curro HCA 1 drew 0-0 vs Winston Park drew 0-0
Grade 2 Soccer Tournaments Boys vs Winston Park 2 drew 0-0 vs Kloof 2 drew 0-0 vs Forest View 1 won 2-0 vs Forest View 2 drew 0-0 vs Winston Park 1 drew 0-0 vs Winston Park 3 won 1-0 Girls: vs Kloof 1 drew 0-0 vs Atholl Heights drew 0-0 vs Curro HCA 2 lost 0-1 vs Kloof 2won 1-0 vs Forest View drew 1-1 vs Curro HCA 1 drew 0-0
Grade 3 soccer tournaments Boys: vs Hillcrest 1 lost 0-1 vs Highbury 1 drew 1-1 vs Winston Park 2 drew 0-0 vs Kloof 2 lost 0-1 vs Curro HCA 1 drew 0-0 vs Forest View 1 won 2-1 Girls: vs St. Mary’s 1 lost 0-1 vs Curro HCA 2 drew 0-0 vs Forest View 1 won 1-0 vs Kloof lost 0-1 vs St. Mary’s 3 drew 0-0 vs Curro HCA 2 drew 0-0 vs Hillcrest 1 lost 0-3 vs Winston Park 1 drew 0-0
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| Google Calendars for parents | |||
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All of these calendars start out with basic information and then details are added as we find them out. E.g. at the start of a term, a subject test will be booked for a later date. As the time draws closer, the teacher is able to determine more fully what syllabus the class has managed to cover thus far, and will fill in details of what will be in the test at that stage. It is important to note that this information is “live” and needs to be checked regularly. We have links to the different calendars available inside our website, found under the different Phase sections. We also have links to the same calendars inside the Parent Portal. The calendars that apply can be found under each of your child’s subheadings.
The Horse’s Mouth Newsletter has all calendar links available to be able to easily find whichever calendars you need to.
How to use the Google Calendar: After you have clicked on the relevant calendar link, it will show you the default monthly view of the calendar:
There are navigation buttons at the top left to change dates easily to look back or to future events:
You are able to change the view of the calendar using the buttons at the top right to show only a week at a time, the default monthly view, or if you click on “Agenda” then you will see a list of events scheduled:
Please note – it is not a good idea to print the calendar out, as the information might get updated and you will not realize this if you are referring to a print out of a calendar at a certain point in time. To see more details about a heading in the calendar, you need to click on that heading – it will pop-up a small window giving you what details have been filled in already. This is where we have information such as which teams are playing and times, and also what material will be covered in a test/examination:
It is important to note here that it is also not a good idea to click on the bottom option “Copy to my calendar” here, for the same reason as printing, you will not receive updated information if anything changes in the live calendar. |
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He was educated at Bishops in Cape Town and went on to obtain a BA in History and Biblical Studies at UCT. This was followed with a HDE (UCT) in History and English and a post graduate ACE in School Management (UNISA). During his career,
Dave has held positions at Milnerton High School (CT), Abbots College (CT) and Redhill (JHB) before moving to Aurora College (JHB) in 2010, to take up the position of Senior Deputy Principal. He was appointed as Headmaster of the High School in October 2011.
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