God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble. Psalm 46:1

With great sadness we mourn the loss of Blake Kerdachi during the holidays and our heartfelt condolences go out to the family. Our condolences also go out to other members of our community who have recently lost members of their families. It is at these times one feels so helpless even when supporting families that everything one does seems so inadequate. However, one’s faith is often the only thing that sees us through despair and grief. Trust and believe in God’s hand upon our lives and who leads us through these dark times.

Tragic Loss

The tragic death of Blake Kerdachi (Grade 11) during the holidays has left the entire school community in shock.  Blake had been on the High School sports tour to Hong Kong when he collapsed early on Good Friday on the flight home via Dubai. He had been ill with Influenza B and was under medical treatment. He was evacuated from the plane to a private hospital in Kempton Park but passed away in the early evening after heart failure.

Social media platforms were absolutely abuzz with messages of sympathy and offers of help as everyone wanted to do something to ease the pain of the Kerdachi family. Blake was finally laid to rest on Friday 1^st April in a funeral held at St. Dominic's Catholic Church in Hillcrest. This was followed by a Memorial Service at Thomas More College. Attendance at these events was enormous. We were all devastated but took some relief from the incredible way that the community pulled together.

In the last week of the holidays, sessions of trauma counseling were held for the tour group members, tour group parents and Blake’s friends. This will be ongoing.

It will take the school a long time to recover. We will never forget Blake! He was cheerful, enthusiastic and committed and was hugely respected by pupils, parents and staff. We are indeed privileged to have known him. Blake’s parents, Antony and Debbie, and sister Rachel will need lots of support but I have no doubt that this community will rally around them in the years to come.

Matric Dance

The Matric Dance is this Friday 8^th April in the Habberton Hall. Not only is the dance a very special event, but the arrival is also something to witness. The magnificently attired guests arrive in all modes of transport, ranging from Italian sports cars to grocery trolleys. Be there by 17:30pm to enjoy the spectacle.

 

“We cannot change time, but we can change our approach to time.” (John Maxwell)

I’ve witnessed an inspired approach to what has been a very dark time recently.

Our school hosted an unbridled celebration of life here on Friday: Blake Kerdachi’s life. Our school family heeded a call in our darkest hour, and responded with courage, love, community mindedness, empathy and an overwhelming connectedness.

Our family shone brightly. Amy and Karabo opened the memorial service beautifully. Our ensemble sang from the soul. Our FP and SP staff rallied generously behind the scenes. Mrs Rae Griesel’s logistical planning was perfect. Michelle and Malcolm Wight, along with their respective teams, rendered the hall and campus magnificent. Mr Stephen Ireland’s and Brandon Berry’s programme planning was superb. Ms Shelley Dawe’s design thereof was deeply thoughtful. All of our speakers – Mr Chandler, Mrs Dunlop, Mrs Selley, Mr Garrett, Jodi, Jordan, Dom, Nicole, Jeremy, Ryan, Kendall, Ashley, Brandon and Jonathan – your sincerity, love and courage was truly overwhelming.

Rev Easson – I thank you for your quiet, unassuming strength throughout last week’s many challenges. Mr Ireland – your leadership was strong, focused and decisive. The school family thanks you, sir.

Boys and girls – you and your parents’ love, support and prayers have buoyed and carried this school community through this dark time.

HS staff – it is an unequivocal privilege to be counted amongst your number. The support chain was immediate, tangible, enveloping and all-encompassing.

Mr Cuthbertson – your leadership has been brave, honest and, quite frankly, sublime. You managed the difficult conversations and pulled this family together – and you did so selflessly. I offer you our unreserved gratitude.

Now, how will we approach this moment in time? With grace, with humility, with patience. We have little choice but to do the next right thing.

As per the orchestra metaphor in my Prizegiving address, this TMC family will continue to play our magnificent music. It will be loud, proud and clear. Yes, we will feel incredible loss, hurt, anger, confusion and moments of dire loneliness. Embrace these feelings; they will make us stronger, wiser and more humane.

I urge us all to throw ourselves into this term’s opportunities. Let’s make out time together matter.

 

Welcome back to all our Thomas More families after the Easter holidays. An extra warm and special welcome to all of the new families! I hope you were blessed at this important time in our Christian calendar, and also had an opportunity to relax with your family and have an enjoyable break. I certainly had a rest and our family spent meaningful quality time in Cape Town and Hermanus with my brother and his wife and my sister and her husband who had come out from Melbourne. It was however devastating to hear the tragic news about Blake - our sincere sympathy from the entire Primary School to Debbie, Antony and Rachel Kerdachi.

I am glad that our Cape Town cultural Grade 7 pupils had a terrific time and learnt much while enjoying themselves. Thank you to the teachers who gave up part of their holiday to accompany them

Best wishes to Mrs McCreedy on the birth of her daughter, Demi-Lee. Welcome to Mrs Caroline Jooste who will be filling in for her while she is on accouchement leave until the end of July.

Our first Merit Assembly this year, to acknowledge those receiving academic merit and effort certificates, takes place next Wednesday at 07:30. Parents are welcome to attend.

Sport commences next week unless notified of sport practices on Tuesday and Thursday. Please remember to retick the winter sports and correct grades on the communicator and to check regularly for notices re your child’s sport.

A reminder that school closes at 12:30 tomorrow, Wednesday, for the SP, to accommodate staff development. Children who are unable to be fetched will be looked after until normal Aftercare times set in.

The Inter-house Cross country takes place this Thursday from 08:00 to 10:00. Children may come to school in their Phys. Ed. shorts, House T-shirts and takkies and do not have to change after the run.

All the best to you all for the new term and the week ahead. 

 

A very warm welcome back to what promises to be yet another busy term packed with many exciting events. Whilst Easter was a great time for remembering our blessings, for some families the holidays proved to be a tragic time and our heartfelt sympathy lies with the Kerdachi family on the loss of their precious Grade 11 boy, Blake. Blake started in our Grade 00 year and blessed us with his warmth and genuine love for fun and life in general as he moved through the Foundation Phase. He made a mark on the hearts of those who taught him.

We have many events lined up for the term and parents are urged to keep a close eye on all communication channels in order to keep children motivated for the term and its commitments.

"Kids want to please their parents," says Dr. Kennedy-Moore. "That sense of connection is powerfully motivating." Praise your kids when you mean it, but be careful about how you praise; focus on effort and growth more than outcome.

We look forward to sharing in the childrens’ efforts and growth this term. 

 

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Weekly Achievers

Junior Debating

Our TMC 1 team won their debate against St Marys' and Sarah Gonggryp was Best Speaker.

Our TMC 2 team narrowly lost to Holy Family College.

Heart of Gold

It is wonderful to hear about our children who give selflessly to those in need, these include our little furry friends.  A big thank you to Ciara Valentine in Grade 2 who asked all her friends to bring cat food instead of presents for her birthday, so that she could give the food to the foster homes of stray and feral cats and kittens in Durban. Well done Ciara we are very proud of you.

Irish Dancing

Congratulations to Steph de Moor who danced at the KZN Feis for Irish Dancing and placed 1st in 3 of her dances.

Bun Ghrad Reel (gold medal and trophy)

Bun Ghrad Light Jig (gold medal)

Bun Ghrad Single Jig (gold medal)

U11A Cricket vs Kloof - 12 March 2016 

Kloof batted first and scored 81 all out

Nikolaos Bratos 5.1 overs 7/5; Sam Renard 3 overs 7/1; Ethan McCormick 6 overs 18/2; Jonathon Daniel 3 overs 12/2

Thomas More scored 74 all out. Nicholas Butler 14.  Thomas More lost by 7 runs.

3rd Team Cricket vs Kloof

KSP won toss and batted 1st.

56 all out.

Bowlers: M. Barrett 4 overs , 8 runs, 4 wickets

TMPS 3rd Team 57 for 6. TMPS won by 4 wickets.

HS Girls' & Boys' PADSSA Hockey Teams

U18A: Amy Balarin, Robyn Phipps

U18B: Michaela Meyer, Summer Robertson

U16A: Cassy Balarin, Andani Mashige, Carmen Vicent

U16B: Kayleigh Du Toit, Alex Hanger, Kim Lerwick, Tatum Olivier, Hannah Robinson, Courtney Sim

U14A: Lola Lee, Nicole Phipps, Gemma Weeder

U14B: Christine Heyns, Alexa Vicent

U14A: - Brian Riddle

U14B: - Josh Hooper, Ntandoyenkosi Nyandeni, Ndima Nkosi

Cycling

SA Track Championships held in Port Elizabeth, Courtney Smith (Grade 10) won Gold and broke the SA U16 Team pursuit record. She also earned 1 Silver and 5 Bronze medals over the 5 days of racing.  Keagan Brand (Grade 5) also competed and got a Silver medal in the Team pursuit.

The 3rd round of the SA XCO Cup series was held at Wolwerspruit in Pretoria (26th March 2016)

U14 Sub Junior Boys - Travis Stedman (Grade 8) = 2nd

Mitchel Potgieter (Grade 8) = 8th

U16 Boys - Cian Leveridge (Grade 10) = 21st

The 2nd round of the SA and KZN Downhill mountain bike series was held together at Giba Gorge (27 March 2016). With Keagan Brand (Grade 5) taking the win in his age group for both the SA and KZN competition.

The Forever Resorts National Youth Road tour was held at Loskopdam over the first weekend of the schools holidays. Cian Leveridge (Grade 10) ended 5th overall after the 4 days of hard road racing.

Well done to all our TMC cyclists.

BMX 

Well done to Levi Smith (Grade 0) on competing in the SA BMX National Age Group Series at Lahee Park over the weekend.  Levi received 3 gold medals for the 3 legs in the U6 Experts class (although there are only 2 boys in the U6 Experts Class, Levi is holding his own whilst racing against U8 Experts keeping hot on the heals of the older boys).  The track was exceptionally slippery on both Saturday and Sunday making the races technical and treacherous at the same time.   Well done Levi. 

Equestrian

Congratulations to Rachel Kerdachi on winning the SA Pony Rider 1.20 Grand Prix class in JHB on Monday 28 March. Despite what the Kerdachi family were going through Rachel really excelled with her Big Match Temperament. We are sure her brother Blake was standing proud watching over her. Well done Rachel. (pictured right, and below)

Congratulations to Tatum Olivier on winning the Junior 1.20 class in JHB also held on 28 March.  We are exceptionally proud of both these young ladies.

KZN Midlands Action Netball

Congratulations to Jess Nozaic (Grade 8) who received two bronze medals for the U16 mixed 7-a-side and U16 mixed 6-a-side.

She was also selected as a non travelling reserve for the U15 SA team! Well done Jess.

Nippers Life Saving

Dayna Deeble (Grade 4) competed in the SA National Nipper Champs this past weekend. There were 41 girls in her age group. She did extremely well by placing:

3rd in beach sprints

3rd in body board race

4th in surf swim

5th in long run

7th in run, swim, run

This gives her a top 10 place in 5 of her 6 individual events. Well done Dayna.

HS Boys’ U14A Hockey (Tuks Clinic in Pretoria)

1-0 win vs Menlo Park U14A

3-0 win vs Zwartkop U14A

2-1 loss vs Noordheuwel U14A

2-2 vs Pietersburg U14A

2-1 loss vs Windhoek U14A

3-0 win vs Windhoek U14A

HS Girls’ U14A Hockey (Tuks Clinic in Pretoria)

2-1 loss vs Noordheuwel U14A

3-0 loss vs Menlo Park U14A

3-0 win vs Zwartkop U14A

1-0 loss vs Affies Meisies U14A

2-2 draw vs Affies Meisies U14B

1-0 loss vs Ermelo U14A

HS Girls’ U16A Hockey (St. Dunstan’s College 1^st Team Festival in JHB)

2-1 win vs St. Peter’s College 1^st Team

4-2 win vs Hellenic Academy 1^st Team

2-2 vs Hillcrest College 1^st Team (from Zimbabwe)

4-2 loss vs St. Dunstan’s College 1^st Team

7-0 win vs Hans Moore 1^st Team

2-0 win vs Heronbridge 1^st Team

HS Boys’ 1^st Team (Crawford La Lucia Open Festival)

2-2 draw vs Kearsney College 2^nd Team

0-0 draw vs Westville BHS 2^nd Team

1-0 win Crawford NC 1^st Team

1-0 loss vs Northwood 2nd Team

1-0 win vs Glenwood 2nd Team

Boys' 1st Team ended 3rd in the festival.

HS Girls’ 1^st Team Crawford La Lucia Open Festival

2-0 win St. Mary’s 2^nd Team

0-0 draw Crawford La Lucia 1^st Team

2-0 win Crawford NC 1^st Team

0-2 loss vs Kloof HS 1st Team

0-0 draw vs Durban GHS 1st Team, TMC won on shoot-out.

Girls' 1st Team ended 3rd in the festival.

SA Regional Paintball League

Congratulations to Keshav Gounden and Rowan Hendry on achieving a second place at the South African Regional Paintball league competition.  Well done boys.

Vaulting

Congratulations to Violet du Plessis who took part in a vaulting competition and achieved two 1st places.  Well done Violet.

Congratulations to Ruby du Plessis who took part in her first vaulting competition and achieved 3rd place in the U11 age group.  Well done Ruby.

Swimming

Congratulations to Keira Browning for winning a silver for breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly at the KZN Mini Olympics Gala.  Well done Keira.