CLASS OF 2021
Dear Matrics, on behalf of Assumption Convent School, we wish you the very best for your future, we will miss you, make us proud and remember that Assumption Convent School will always be your second home.
You are beautiful, you are worthy, you are important, you are special, you are unique, you are wonderful, you are talented! God Bless you always.
Link: https://www.facebook.com/490865964395871/videos/640777433626528
Link: https://www.assumptionconvent.co.za/Gallery/Video-Gallery
MERRY CHRISTMAS
ACS 75th ANNIVERSARY
FROM THE PRINCIPAL'S DESK
WRAPPING UP ACADEMIC YEAR 2021
Today is our last newsletter for the year. Our examinations are complete and we are now wrapping up our academic year of 2021.
Thank you so much to everyone; parents, pupils and staff, our Trustees, the Missionary Sisters of the Assumption, our Board of Governors, PTA, our School Finance Committee, and so many others within our wider school community for your encouragement, advise and support during these most challenging times. We wish you a safe, blessed Christmas and restful holiday.
Vaccinations are now open to all over the age of 12 years. If you haven’t had your vaccination, please do so as soon as possible. We now have confirmation that a new heavily mutated B.1.1.529 variant has arrived in South Africa and is potentially more transmissible. So far there have been 82 confirmed cases; 77 in Gauteng, four in Botswana and one in Hong Kong. The empirical evidence that vaccinations saves lives is overwhelming, (please google: “Vaccinations save live.).”
IMPORTANT DATES TO DIARISE
- 26 – 04 December – Swimming camp
- Monday 29 November - Teachers will be available in their classrooms from 8am until 10am. Pupils may come into school to view their exam papers.
- Friday 3rd December - Reports will be published.
- 04 - 08 January – Rowing Camp
- 04 – 11 January – Swimming Camp
- 11 January -- Grade 8 Orientation Day
- 12 January – Term one starts. Individual school photographs will be taken.
- 13 January – Grade 12 Retreat
- 14 January – Grade 8 Retreat
- 19 January – Grade 8 – 11 Prizegiving
- 20 January – Grade 8 and new parent information evening
- 26 January – Grade 12 information evening
Neville Workman
Principal
DISCOUNT FOR EARLY PAYMENT - FEES 2022
DISCOUNT FOR EARLY PAYMENT OF SCHOOL FEES FOR 2022
- You are entitled to a discount of 7½% should you pay your daughter’s school fees for 2022 in full on or before 31 December 2021.
- We strongly advise that you make use of EFT or credit card online payments as these are the safest and most cost-effective payment options.
- EFT payments can be made into the school’s bank account anytime during the holidays.
- The 7½% discount will be awarded to all school fee payments reflecting in our bank account in full on or before 31 December 2021.
- A discount of 5% will be awarded should you pay your daughter’s school fees for 2022 in full between 01 January 2022 and 31 January 2022.
- The finance offices will be open until 15 December 2021, daily between 08:00 and 12:00.
Finance Department
OPEN DAY 2022
Our Open Day will take place on Saturday 12 February 2022 from 09h00 to 12h00, please inform your family and friends, this will allow them an opportunity come through to view our beautiful
school and interact with our staff and pupils.
LINKS TO ACS
https://www.facebook.com/Assumption-Convent-School-490865964395871/
https://www.instagram.com/assumptionconvent/
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PLEASE FOLLOW US, LIKE OUR PAGES AND PLEASE SHARE WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY
HIGH SCHOOL PROMOTIONAL VIDEO
We have just launched our High School promotional video. This video showcases and captures our High School in a short but fuzzy-feeling video. This video is available on all our social media platforms as well as You Tube, School app, LED outdoor board and our website. Please share with family and friends and promote this video on your own private social media platforms.
HIGH SCHOOL RELIGION
1ST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
This Sunday, 28 November, the church begins a new Liturgical year with the 1st Sunday of Advent.
The season of Advent is a 4-week preparation for Christmas; and the theme of the readings and teachings (especially in the Mass), is often to prepare for Christ’s Second Coming while commemorating His First Coming at Christmas.
There are various practices and observances of Advent, even outside of church circles. Some people would keep an Advent Calendar or burn an Advent Candle. The church normally has an Advent wreathe with four or five candles for each week of the season. The fifth candle is then lit on Christmas Day.
The four candles symbolize the qualities of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love, with the fifth candle symbolizing Christ. In faith, we wait in joyful expectation for the coming of our saviour who will bring peace (and goodwill) into our world.
A blessed Advent Season to all!
Sr Moloto
CONDOLENCES
Our thoughts and prayers are with Jansen family (Laura Grade 9) who's grandfather passed away.
HIGH SCHOOL
SPELLATHON 2021
The end of September saw the annual Spellathon back in the calendar.
This initiative was really well supported by all grades and even saw the young ones in the Grade 0 class taking up the challenge.
A big thank you to all of the girls for their participation, all of the form teachers and admin staff for their part in making this a really successful fundraiser. A total of approximately R 62,000.00 profit was made through the great effort of all involved.
Prize winners for most money raised Primary School:
1. Siena Ramos 02S – R 750.00 Gift voucher
2. Kyra Kodasso 01B – R 500.00 Gift voucher
3. Jessica Riley 01B – R 300.00 Gift voucher
Winning Primary school class, Grade 01B, Mrs Brown.
Prize winners for most money raised High School:
1. Katie Hyde 10G – R 750.00 Gift voucher
2. Tayla Swift 09L – R 500.00 Gift voucher
3. Taele Hewson 08K – R 300.00 Gift voucher
Winning High school class, Grade 8O, Mr Owusu and Ms Rivera.
The PTA
FINAL AWARDS ASSEMBLY – NOVEMBER 26TH
We congratulate our Sports and Service award winners for Term 3 2021. Under difficult circumstances, these pupils rose to the occasion and represented the school with pride.
A) SERVICE
1. First Aid
- Catarina Regal
2. Community Service (50 hours)
- Daniella De Goede (over 50)
- Yasmine de Goede (over 50)
B) SPORT
Athletics
1. Participation
- Ruby de Laat
- Lisa Klopper
- Lana James
- Kayla Eibl
- Madison Meyer
- Samantha Chiwara
- Rutendo Amoda
- Laura Jansen
- Bryanna Abaidoo
- Gabriella Whitfield
- Jorja da Cunha
- Mulalo Baloyi
- Tatum Lauf
- Sabrina Tenente
- Erin Bannister
- Ayomide Gudu
- Hayley Else
- Kyasha Moodley
- Palesa Nkopane
- Leandri du Plooy
- Natasha Snyders
- Bianca Naude
- Emma James
- Kieznar Benham
2. Achievement
N/A
3. Scroll
- Abigail Mangold
- Victoria Goatcher
4. Half Colours
N/A
5. Full Colours
N/A
6. Team Award
- Grace Keegan
- Tiara Raphael
- Jessica Ramos
7. Grade 11 Leavers Certificates
- Grace Keegan
- Tiara Raphael
- Jessica Ramos
- Chumwe Ngandwe
- Sarah-Paige Greenwood
C) CHESS
Participation Certificates:
- Miksha Rawjee
- Tayla Abrahams
- Taela Hewson
- Amy Jackson
- Mbali Mdlalose
- Lara Kruger
- Allyssa Dennes
- Thatohatse Motsabi
Achievement Certificates:
- Keziah Singh
- Emma Lauf
- Haleigh Knipe
- Oluchi Jones
- Nina Pantovic
- Chloe Quan
- Daniela de Goede
- Yasmin de Goede
Half colours
- Jackie Musakwa
Mr Owusu
SCHOOL INDIVIDUAL PHOTOGRAPHS
School individual photos will be taken on:
- 12 January 2022 – High School individual photos (Grade 8-12)
Mrs Sousa
ALUMNI
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
ROWING FUNDRAISER
PRIMARY SCHOOL RELIGION
THANKSGIVING
“ Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your night prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good,”wrote Maya Angelou, famous American author, actress, screenwriter, poet, and civil rights activist. I came across this quote when I was doing some research about the Thanksgiving holiday which is celebrated in America and Canada in November. It is generally believed that Thanksgiving is modelled on a 1621 harvest feast shared by English colonists, known as Pilgrims, and the Indigenous Wampanoag people. A friend of mine who immigrated to the States many years ago, explained the meaning of the national holiday. She said that unlike other holidays that are more gift-focused, Thanksgiving is focused on giving thanks for what we have and the special people in our lives. It is a lovely way for family and friends to celebrate and make wonderful memories. I tend to agree with Charmaine J. Forde, another bestselling author and poet, when she said,”Don’t wait until the fourth Thursday in November, to sit with family and friends to give thanks. Make every day a day of thanksgiving.”
When we give thanks for our blessings, it enables us to see past our experiences and embrace how God is working in our lives. Each day when we see something good in our lives, we should point it out and thank God. As we draw to the end of a challenging year, we are all tired. It has been a long and difficult road for many of us, with many potholes, speed bumps, breakdowns and road works along the way. Sometimes we are too caught up in the hectic race to reach our destination, trying to avoid the potholes and go around the speedbumps, we forget to actually appreciate the journey. Finding things to be thankful for helps us to recognise the good in our lives instead of only identifying the bad. Having an “attitude of gratitude” adds to our spiritual and physical health. In class we discussed giving thanks and the proverb, “It’s the little things that count,” and one of the girls explained it beautifully. She said that at Christmas, her family may not have had the biggest meal, or exchanged the most gifts, but they had each other. To her the little things meant the most and she was so grateful for them. Her granny had baked Christmas biscuits, her mom was happy when an aunt from overseas unexpectantly phoned, her dad fell into the swimming pool. Little things, little blessings to be thankful for.
“Let us come before Him with Thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great king above all gods.”Psalm 95:2-3
Dear God,
Thank you for your amazing power and work in our lives, thank you for your goodness and for your blessings over us. Thank you for your great love and care. Thank you for your sacrifice so that we might have freedom and life. Forgive us for when we don't thank you enough, for who you are, for all that you do, for all that you've given. Help us to set our eyes and our hearts on you each day. Amen
Mrs Bondonno
FROM THE PRIMARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL'S DESK
IMPORTANT DATES TO DIARISE
November 2021
26 meet your new teacher - 12h00
27 – 3 Dec Gr 4 – 7 swimming camp
29 Gr 7 Farewell breakfast
30 Foundation Phase Celebration of Achievement
December 2021
1 Senior Phase Celebration of Achievement
3 School closes at 11h00
January 2022
4 – 8 Rowing Camp (Gr 7 only)
5 – 11 Gr 3 – 7 Swimming camp
12 School opens for pupils
13 Individual School Photos
17 Foundation Phase Information Evening 17h00
18 Senior Phase Information Evening 17h00
22 Gr 4 – 12 50m swim challenge
25 School Lunch Card photos
28 Primary School Mass
29 Inter-House swimming gala
HOLIDAY CARE
School officially closes on 3 December at 11h00. Aftercare will be available until Friday 3 December for all parents.
Unfortunately, Sherpa Kids did not receive enough interest in holiday care to make this service available from 6 December.
However, Baby Steps 2 Assumption will be open until 12h00 on 15 December. They are offering holiday care to all Assumption girls in December at the following rate:
R200 per day, snacks provided. A lunch box can be packed.
There will be some entertainment and craft activities on the go during this time.
If you are interested please contact Tracey Urquhart at Baby Steps – tel: 082 616 5830 or email: turquhart@assumptionconvent.co.za
CELEBRATION OF ACHIEVEMENT
As the final week of school approaches teaches are working hard to ensure that we end the year celebrating our girls’ wonderful achievements this year.
We are currently still on Alert Level 1 restrictions due to the pandemic, as a result we are restricted to 50% of the capacity in the Convent Hall. Unfortunately, due to capacity constraints, parents will not be able to attend the Junior Primary and Senior Primary Celebration of Achievement. Both these events will be recorded. The recording will be posted on Teams in your daughter’s homeroom. Recordings will be accessible to parents to watch and download until 6 December 2021.
Foundation Phase Celebration of Achievement will take place on 30 November at 08h00. Senior Phase Celebration of Achievement will take place on 1 December 2021 at 11h00.
All girls must wear full school uniform for the Celebration of Achievement. Please ensure that your daughter is wearing the correct school uniform until the end of term.
SCHOOL CLOSING TIMES
School will close for all pupils at 13h00 from Monday 29 November to Thursday 2 December 2021. School will close at 11h00 on Friday 3 December.
Once pupils have attended their Celebration of Achievement and received their final report they do not have to attend school and may stay at home. Pupils who choose to attend school on Thursday (2 December) and Friday (3 December) will be able to assist their teachers in their preparation for 2022.
Mrs Van Wyk
Primary School Principal
PRIMARY SCHOOL
MATHLETICS NOVEMBER NUMERACY CHALLANGE
Our girls have loved playing Live Mathletics and sharpening their number fluency in November. There were over 1600 schools participating in the Challenge from 57 different countries globally. We are super excited that we ranked in 270th place. Well done girls, this is a super achievement!
Mrs Knipe
JHB MINI COUNCIL
Our first big activity as mini councilors was to collect sweets for various charities. On 15th October we asked all the girls in the primary school to please collect as many sweets as they could. As a whole we collected 10403 sweets and 7760 of those sweets were collected by the Assumption girls in just one month! We want to give a big thank you to the Assumption families that donated as well as the staff and business associates at Accumulo Consulting for donating 2743 sweets!
On Sunday 21st November the councilors packed hampers of sweets for 15 different charities. These charities and organizations help children, the elderly, physically and mentally disabled children and adults, abandoned children and also older people with mental disabilities such as dementia and Alzheimer's. Some charities required over 1000 of each sweet and we were happy when we were able to give them a greater quantity than what they asked for.
There is a bible verse in Luke that says, “Give and you shall receive,” but it doesn’t always mean that when you give something to somebody, you will get a physical gift like a toy. For us the gift is the joy of knowing that we are helping someone and making them smile. It’s the feeling of being happy when you know you are doing a good thing for others. Thank you to all the girls who brought sweets, it is greatly appreciated not just by the mini councilors but by all the people who are getting something sweet for Christmas. Thank you!
 
Ashleigh Knipe and Tanesha Barnes (2022 Joburg Mini Councillors)
SCHOOL INDIVIDUAL PHOTOGRAPHS
School individual photos will be taken on:
- 13 January 2022 – Primary School individual photos (Grade 1-7)
Mrs Sousa
PRIMARY SCHOOL PROMOTIONAL VIDEO
BABY STEPS 2 ASSUMPTION
Top Row (left to right): Peyton Petersen, Kiyan Marday, Orani Selamolela, Nonhle Khumalo, Michaela Steffens, Sienna Peters, Londizizwe Pholi.
Bottom Row (left to right): Imanathi Dlamini, Noah Lemphane, Londiwe Kubeka, Kirei Burgess, Roanne Liu, Bella-Fiore Setjeo, Alessandra Goncalves.
A message from the principal Tracey Urqhuart
To the graduates of 2021,
It is always a bitter sweet moment having to say goodbye and watching our little ones leave and enter their formal schooling years. We have enjoyed all the learning and laughter and watching your child grow throughout the years.
We can only hope that your children will never forget how much they were loved and all the fun they had at Baby Steps 2 Assumption. We are comforted in the fact that they are right next door so we can continue to see them succeed and grow. For those leaving our establishment, we hope that you will keep in contact and come and visit us and share your children’s achievements in years to come.
We are very proud of how well all of our children do and know that we have prepared them well and given them a solid foundation. It is not about being the best but giving of your best in all you do.
We hope that you have enjoyed your time with us and made memories that will last a lifetime. Our door is always open and hope that you will come and visit us to show us how smart you look in your “big” school uniform.
Our school is truly blessed to have had you and your family part of our family and we are thankful and appreciative of the love and support you have always given us.
Graduates, all the best for big school and remember to always follow your dreams, one baby step at a time.
Yours in love and education
Tracey Urquhart
Principal
Please make sure you join our Prosum school app. Please contact Boni for your password and username. This app allows you to see your school fees statement, school announcements, events coming up and more.
Please take note: if you child is not well please do all possible to keep them at home until they are better. The safety of our children and staff are of the utmost importance and with Covid we can not take a chance. I do apologise for the inconvenience this may cause but we have to be strict and adhere to rules that the Covid inspectors have set out for our school. Thank you for your understanding in this regard.
Holiday programme: We will have a holiday programme available for the primary school children who need aftercare until the 15th of December 2021. Please contact Boni 067 407 0290 ifyou are interested. R200 per/day and a small packed lunch.
What are we learning about next week?
Christmas
Letter – Aa-Zz Revision
- Raffle draw has been postponed until the 3rd December 2021 – please support and hand in your forms by the 2nd December (babies to grade 00). Thank you
- Grade R’s can wear civvies from 29 November to 15 December.
- 3 December: Santa comes to visit and reports go out provided that school fees for December have been paid.
- 15 December – Break up day (please see poster below).
Mrs Smith is leaving Baby Steps 2 Assumption
It is with much sadness we inform you that Mrs Tessa Smith will be leaving us at the end of this year.
Mrs Smith joined Assumption Convent School in May 2017, heading up the pre-grade section. In January 2020, Mrs Smith played an invaluable role in assisting us to navigate the challenging but most rewarding task of bringing our two very special schools together, and thereby creating Baby Steps 2 Assumption. On behalf of Baby Steps 2 Assumption, I sincerely thank Tessa for all that she has done for us. Thank you Tessa for your dedication; for always being cheerful, and for your caring and loving nature.
In January, Tessa will be taking up a new position at St John’s College in Houghton, and our very best wishes go with her.
Thank you
Tracey Urquhart
Principal (Baby Steps 2 Assumption)
HOLIDAY CLUB
Tracey Urquhart
Baby Steps 2 Assumption Principal
My School
MySchool
Dear Parents, great news, MySchool has a new partner, Builders Warehouse.
School-Days Fundraiser
OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH MERCEDES-BENZ
BABY STEPS 2 ASSUMPTION
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