CONDOLENCES

Mr Richard Ramogayane ( 5 March 1961 to 14 September 2017)

Richard Ramogayane passed away suddenly yesterday in the early afternoon. This comes as a huge shock to all his friends and colleagues at Assumption. Richard was his normal cheerful self on Tuesday but become ill on Wednesday.  He was rushed to hospital yesterday.  The casualty doctors successfully stabilised Richard and he appeared to be recovering when he suddenly suffered cardiac arrest. 

Richard was one of the longest serving staff members at Assumption Convent and had completed 29 years of  loyal service,  maintaining our school grounds and buildings.  Richard will be greatly missed and he will be especially remembered for his cheerful and kind disposition.  Richard is survived by his mother, sisters, brother, daughter and four grand-children. We will be organising a memorial service to celebrate Richard’s life.  Richard’s family are very much in our thoughts and prays in this very difficult time.

N Workman 

Our thoughts and prayers are also with the following families who have lost close family members:

• Mrs Nienaber
• Our IT Technician - Tobi Louw his wife Andrea and her brother Brian

DEBUTANTES' BALL

MOBILE APP LAUNCH

CHOIR FESTIVAL

On Wednesday 13 September, the school choirs attended the Catholic Schools’ Choir Festival at Holy Rosary School. Each of the girls – from Grade 2 to Grade 11 – had tremendous fun learning new songs with the pupils from other schools before performing them at a concert. As well as meeting – and making – friends from other schools, to sing in a choir of 300 people is a very special thing which will be long remembered.

Mr Stewardson

TERM DATES, 2018

Holy Rosary, St Benedict's and Assumption Convent recognise the need to work together for as many cultural and sporting events as possible.   Logistically this can prove difficult but in an effort to continue do this the three schools have agreed that we will all need to move Term 1, Mid-Term Break 2018 to 23 February to 26 February 2018.  Note these are NOT the dates advertised in the ISASA calendar. 

Mrs Watkins

MUSIC LESSONS

There are places available with all of our instrumental music teachers. Lessons are R150 per half hour lesson per week. Please contact Mr Stewardson for further enquiries, or the music teacher directly at their email address listed below.

• Cara Saunders - Rockschool Vocals:  carasparkle@gmail.com
• Edith Klug - Trinity College Vocals:  edithklugmusic@yahoo.com
• Travis Johnston – Drums:  travisj@live.co.za
• Elizabeth Green – Piano:  Elizabethann001@gmail.com
• Ute Smyth – Violin:  ute@smythemail.za.net
• Gideon Jones – Guitar:  guitarsqueal@gmail.com
• Mr Stewardson – Piano and Brass – rstewardson@assumptionconvent.co.za 

PRIMARY SCHOOL

GRADE 6 CAMP - KWAGGASRUS 

Link:  www.assumptionconvent.co.za/gallery/photoalbums.aspx?Albumid=377

Grade 6 enjoyed a wonderful leadership camp at Kwaggasrus, in the North West, last week. The girls enjoyed a variety of activities which were aimed to develop their leadership and problem solving skills. From zip-lining to night orienteering, it was wonderful to see how they embraced the challenges presented to them. A big thank you to the Ubungani facilitators for the delicious food, fun activities and many opportunities for growth.

Mrs Gers

GRADE 7 CAMP - KWAGGASRUS

Photo Link - www.assumptionconvent.co.za/gallery/photoalbums.aspx?Albumid=378

From 6 – 8 September the Grade 7s went on their annual grade camp to Kwaggasrus Game Farm in the North West Province. The accommodation was commendable and the appetizing food made many hungry girls smile. The roar of the nearby (and luckily enclosed) lions were heard early in the mornings and evenings, and ostriches made their appearance at camp ever so often. At Simba camp one could even see some crocodiles and various antelope roamed the farm.

The professional facilitators of Ubungani Wilderness Experience conducted all the activities. These activities included zip lining and enjoying the cool water of the nearby dam after a morning of eco challenges such as the scavenger hunt and building a fire place with a unique story using only things from nature. The girls had to catch insects and had to find their way through the veld using a compass. There is no better way to end a hot and tiring afternoon than with a messy but amusing mud fight. 
Apart from all the exhilarating things the girls were challenged in various ways to use Edward De Bono’s six thinking hats to solve problems. They had to stabilize an obstacle bridge and complete a quiz. Who knew that you could set SMART goals for your personal life through kattie shooting?  The messages of all these challenges were to follow instructions carefully, the importance of teamwork and patience. 
Through the game of “Octopus” and a sitting challenge the girls had to use willpower to overcome physical problems (mind over matter) and all the groups portrayed a spirit of camaraderie by singing long forgotten nursery songs. That definitely made them forget about the pain in their legs and encouraged them to never give up.
Many girls learnt a lot about themselves, were taught about the importance of believing in themselves and to have a positive outlook on life. During Appreciation each girl had the opportunity to appreciate her group members by telling each other what made them special.
Ubungani means friendship and at the end of camp many girls left feeling loved and cared for.
Kwaggasrus was a wonderful experience!

Mrs Swanepoel; Nokutenda Madziwa; Hannah Abrosie and Storm Sheerin

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION - IMPORTANT EVENTS AND DATES TO REMEMBER

CONGRATULATIONS

• To Bianca Naudé was awarded Entry Level Award in Graded Examination in Music Performance (Entry 3) - Initial Piano by Trinity College London.
• Eryn Ash was awarded certificates from the South African Dance Teachers Association in Freestyle Dance - Highly Commended for the Juvenile Badge Test AND International ONE DANCE TEST in Hip Hop Level 2.

MUSIC FESTIVAL

The following pupils took part in the Johannesburg Music Festival and obtained excellent results:

• Araviana Lamothe: Honours (20th Century)
• Joy Prince: Honours (20th Century)
• Ana Cordeiro:  (20th Century)
• Jody da Silva:  (20th Century)
• Bianca Naudé:  (20th Century)
• Chiara Szabo:  Honours (Classical), Diploma (20th Century); Diploma (Romantic) and Diploma (Unisa).  Chiara was also awarded the Unisa Piano Prize for the most promising pianist. Category Pre grade 1-4.

Congratulations to all the pupils who participated in the Music Festival

Mrs Green

HIGH SCHOOL 

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS CHESS TOURNAMENT

Assumption Convent School looks forward to hosting the Catholic Schools Chess tournament on Saturday 16 September. 
This will be our fourth year organizing and hosting this event. Last year’s winners Sacred Heart will be joined by previous winners St. Benedict's and Dominican Convent as well as a number of other schools across Gauteng; from Veritas College (Springs) to St. Matthew’s School (Soweto). The matches will be played in the Blitz format, over six rounds. Blitz chess is a faster format of play that allows for high excitement and memorable contests. We are very grateful to Knights Insurance who are our sponsor this year. 

Listen to Radio Veritas on Monday for the tournament results.

Mr Lauf

INTER-HOUSE DEBATING 2017 

This week our girls participated in rounds 1 and 2 of the inter-house debating, with Ntokozo Mbonani of the law faculty at Wits university, as chair and adjudicator. The motion for Round 1 was, ‘A sugar tax will be beneficial to South African society’. ‘The personal lives of leaders are an essential part of their leadership roles’ was the motion for Round 2.  Fun was had by all (especially the floor in round 2) and the girls are now experts on these very topical issues.
 Best speaker for round 1 was Kiran Molloy in grade 11. There was a three-way tie between Gabriella Dunn, Monique Gomes Dos Santos and Chiara Bonanni for Best Speaker in round 2.  Well done to all of you!
The overall winning team was Rosaria, with Paulist and Assumpta in second and third place. 
Thank you to Ms Faull and Mr Mthombeni for their help, Mr Workman for his support, Andy McIntyre and his team for the lovely eats and to Mrs Weinerlein who came to support on both days. 
A special thank you and a sad farewell to Ntokozo, who has had a long and happy association with Assumption. Ntokozo is graduating from Wits and taking up a new position in corporate law. We wish him well in his new venture. 

Mrs  Markantonatos

SACEE LANGUAGE CHALLENGE

Grades 8 – 11 all participated in the 25th Annual SACEE Language Challenge on Tuesday, 5 September 2017. The Challenge was introduced in order to provide an English language benchmarking service to schools. This year, over 31 000 learners participated from schools across South Africa. We would like to congratulate the following top scorers of our school who all attained 85% or more in the Challenge. 

Grade 8: Brittany Pearson, Zama Magubane, Cailtin Lam and Angela Sue
Grade 9: Camryn Brennan, Erin Lewis, Ncumisa Mthi, Belinda Paine and Genevieve Reid
Grade 10: Mohini Doramsamy, Teah Slabbert and Jodie Langdon
Grade 11: Natasha Kasambira, Kristen Edwards, Emilie Godwin, Katie-Meg Weinerlein, Kimberley Klette, Kiana van der Schyff and Kiran Molloy. 

I would like to thank Mrs Markantonatos and Ms Faull for assisting with this very enriching endeavour for the English Department.

Ms Riveriera

SACEE SHAKESPEARE CHALLENGE

Congratulations to the six Grade 10s who participated in the first ever SACEE (South African Council for English Education) Shakespeare Challenge, on the evening of 14 September: Alexia Markantonatos, Jade McIver, Carmen Mileder, Chinenye Ngwu, Téah Slabbert and Olivia Wood. The participants were quizzed on historical content from Shakespeare’s time, as well as five of his most famous plays. This being the first Challenge, the girls bravely went into it, having almost no idea of what to expect. Some of the questions they faced were incredibly obscure! Our two teams placed fourth and eighth out of eight teams. Well done, girls, for a valiant effort, in a very tough Challenge!

Ms Faull

DRAMA

Drama girls with the cast from “ Calling me home” at the JHB theatre.

BLOOD DRIVE - 19 SEPTEMBER 2017

 SANBS faces drought of its own: a lack of blood 

While the Western Cape battles a severe, prolonged drought, the rest of South Africa is currently facing scarcity of a different kind – a critical lack of blood.
Blood supply in South Africa as gone down to just 1.5 days of Group O stock, according to the South African National Blood Service (SANBS).
The blood service is calling on all blood donors to come forward to donate blood urgently, to stop cancer sufferers, people in life-threatening situations and anyone else who needs or relies on blood transfusions being at risk.
“The blood stock is dangerously low. The blood supply is currently at just 1.5 days Group O stock, amounting to less than 1500 units of O blood available around the country,” says Silungile Mlambo, national marketing manager for the SANBS.
“A healthy blood stock is 5000 units of O blood a day. The situation, simply, is critical. We are appealing to South Africans – active donors, lapsed donors and potential donors – to stand together right now to bolster the national blood stock, and we thank them, in advance, for pulling together.” 
Mlambo says blood is critical for cancer patients and women in childbirth – who constitute by far the greatest groups of people requiring blood transfusions.
“So many people in life-threatening situations require blood. It’s what saves a haemorrhaging mother’s life, so that she can raise and love the baby she has just brought into the world. It’s what saves someone suffering complications during major surgery. It’s what helps cancer patients endure and survive treatment.
“And that’s the point: it’s not just blood. It’s saving people’s lives, through a simple, easy donation,” says Mlambo.
The SANBS is therefore urgently appealing to South Africans to step forward and donate blood immediately.
“More than that, however, the SANBS appeals to residents to become regular donors. By donating blood only four times a year, we can easily avoid situations such as the one in which we find ourselves,” says Mlambo.
To find out more about donating blood and to locate your nearest SANBS donor centre, visit sanbs.org.za or call 0800 11 90 31.
For more information, contact Apaphia Lefatle on apaphia@flowsa.com or 011 440 4841 / 076 7910 913

CONGRATULATIONS

• To Melissa de Jesus performing Swan Lake in the International Ballet Gala.  She performed at Pecanwood Golf Estate, Mountain Cambridge school and the Mosaeik Teatero together with international artists from Russia, Cuba, Spain, Mexico, Egypt, Armenia and South Africa.
• To Tamara Adreani who competed in the Commonwealth Dance Championships an International dance competition which took place at Sun City on 6 and 7 September.  The Omega crew came in 4th position and Affliction did not place.
• To Chiara Bonnani in grade 10, who has recently competed at an International dance competition taking place in Sun City on the  6-7 September. This competition is called the Commonwealth Dance Championships and the countries that took part in this competition were South Africa, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and Gibraltar.   In the 15-16 age category, Chiara placed 2nd and 3rd for her performances which is a great achievement.  

ROWING

ADVERT

DEBUTANTES' FUNDRAISERS

ESPETADA EVENING

Daniella da Silva

PTA 

i-Collect - FUND RAISING

116 bags have been collected as at 11 September 2017. Please keep on supporting.

SPCA VOLUNTEER OPEN DAY AND GOLF DAY

CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS

Want to help animals by volunteering at the SPCA but don't know how to get started?  Come join our Volunteer Open Day at the SPCA Germiston and Bedfordview on the 23rd of September. We'll take you on a tour of our kennels, tell you about the challenges faced by animals and help you understand how you can contribute by being a volunteer.  For more information, contact Nikki on 011-825-5033 or email liaison@spcagermiston.co.za

GOLF DAY 2017 - GERMISTON GOLF COURSE

Help animals by playing Golf.  Come join us on the 1st of October at the Germiston Golf Club for our annual Golf day.

•  R1600 per four ball
• Green sponsorships opportunities available

For more information, contact Nikki on 011-825-5033 or email liaison@spcagermiston.co.za

OUTREACH PROGRAMME

LAMBANO

We are hoping to do the HATS ON civvies collection R10.00 to wear a hat.  See attached flyer.  We will also be sending out a list of items for donating/collecting on a weekly basis:

SEPTEMBER:
Toilet rolls; deodorant (roll-on unisex); soap (hand); toothpaste (any); vaseline (small tub); sanitary pads (any); shampoo (limited quantities – big bottle to be used by everyone) 

OCTOBER:
Tinned food (samp, beans, carrots, peas etc.); rice(any); maize meal; pasta (any) cereals like Matabella; sugar; tea

NOVEMBER:
Christmas Box for each of the children at Lambano (28 in total)ranging in age from 10 – 19.  The hospice can take up to 16 patients at one time (usually infants with life threatening illnesses)

The Christmas box will be whatever we are able to collect .i. soft toy, stationery, chocolate, hard toy, pr of socks (unisex).  We will place these items in a shoe box covered in Christmas wrapping paper.  I will erect the Christmas tree in my classroom again with these boxes positioned around the tree.  My grade 5 pupils will then do Christmas carols etc when the girls come round to see the tree.

The Outreach group for 2017 have called themselves, ” God’s Little Fingers”

Mrs Ritky

BLESSED SACRAMENT CHURCH

PARTNERSHIP WITH MERCEDES-BENZ

Yours sincerely  

Neville Workman - Principal