DELEGATES (Adults & Students):
Ms. Sibusisiwe Thembela
Ms. Pumla Mbandlwa
Khanyisile Morudu
Luyolo Mtiyane
Aviwe Mncwabe
Charmaine Rantsieng
Boipelo Mooki
Magdeline Kgapola
 
The Round Square African Regional Conference highlighted the significance of unity and diversity within the conference theme of Breaking Chains and Forging Links. Delegates were given the opportunity to explore what service means to Africans. We are born with the principles of service and compassion but we don’t really acknowledge and make use of them in our day-to-day lives. The conference allowed us to serve, acquire new values, have fun and form new friendships.
Keynote speakers such as Lewis Pugh and Pie-Pacifique enlightened us on the true essence of being an African and one who strives to achieve what you truly believe in. Other inspiring keynote speakers included the gorgeous Ella Bella, the co-founder of Generation Earth.
 
Delegates were assigned to various service projects such as alien hacking, an emotional trip to the local hospice as well as an inspiring soccer tournament with an energetic group of boys from the neighbouring community. Participating in 5km or 10 km “draaf “with the community members was both exciting and exhausting and delegates truly felt part of the Franschoek family. .
 
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The time has finally come - OWLA's first class will be entering university! 72 learners in Grade 12 have completed writing their Matric exams, and are expected to earn their National Senior Certificates in January 2012. OWLAG can officially pride itself on the fact that every single member of its first Matric group will be attending university or another form of tertiary education. This is a noteworthy achievement for a remarkable group of young women, OWLA’s “pioneer” class.   Ms. Sue Norval, the Director of University Guidance for South African universities, has worked extremely hard all year to ensure that the Matrics were able to navigate the complicated system and complete myriad piles of paperwork for university entrance, not to mention beat ever-looming deadlines for scholarship applications. OWLA learners have been admitted in droves to some of the country’s finest universities, with the highest number of acceptances at Rhodes University (21), University of Cape Town (15), University of Johannesburg (13), University of Pretoria (10) and University of Witwatersrand (7). On top of these impressive results, several learners have been awarded full scholarships that cover university tuition and residence:

  • Sharlotte Mkansi ’11 has been awarded a scholarship from the Department of Mining and Energy and will be studying Geology and Environmental Science at
    University of Pretoria.
  • Nonhlahla Kgwedi ’11 has received the Gallagher Scholarship award to pursue her degree in Medicine at the University of Cape Town.
  • Magnolia Van Wyk ’11 has received the Anglo-Coal Scholarship to study her B.A. in Accounting Sciences at University of Cape Town.
  • Juliet Mantso has received a scholarship to study medicine at Stellenbosch University.
  • Marwiya James ’11, Noxolo Dyulavane ’11, Sinethemba Mbatha ’11, Nothando Kunene ’11, Livhuwani Rapalalani ’11, and Bongeka Zuma '11 have each
    received a scholarship from Ernst & Young that covers tuition and residence, and also includes job offers upon completion of their degrees.
 
A dozen other learners received merit scholarships from their universities based on their Grade 11 results; such scholarships range from R10,000-R16,000. Numerous learners also made it to the final round interviews for extremely competitive scholarships such as that sponsored by Alan Gray Orbis. While the scholarships were ultimately awarded elsewhere, that these learners were selected from thousands of applicants for final interviews is a testament to their achievements at OWLA.

At the time of publication, approximately eight Matrics have elected to continue in their pursuit of admission to colleges or university in the United States under the guidance of Ms. Wendy Chang, Director of University Guidance for the U.S. Due to the difference in the U.S. academic calendar, which has a delayed timeline for university acceptance compared to that of South Africa, the admission results are still to be determined. All of these Matrics have secured places at South African universities, however, and are sure to be successful regardless of which path they choose.   To date every single Grade 12 learner has been placed at a university in South Africa, which is an amazing feat. Congratulations to the OWLA Class of 2011!

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Run For Your Life, OWLAG’s recreational distance running club, has become a favourite co-curricular for many learners during its short period of existence. Known in short as "RFYL," the club had a modest yet solid beginning in January 2011, with a handful of learners trying their hand (and feet) on beginner training runs - led each weekday by staff members Ms. Wendy Chang and Mr. Roger Bourquin. The string of OWLAG runners snaking its way through the neighbourhood streets is a familiar sight to local denizens of Henley-on-Klip. OWLAG staff members take the lead and bring up the rear on the various 4-6 kilometre routes, always accompanied by the school's dedicated security team ensuring everyone's safety.   Depending on the day of the week, anywhere from five to as many as twenty learners participate in the daily training runs. OWLAG runners have learned that RFYL is not about speed or athleticism, but rather consistency and dedication. Membership in the group is open; as long as one is willing to put forth effort and give of her best, she is welcome to join Run For Your Life. Learners who at first struggled to run one kilometre without stopping are now steadily running five kilometres several times a week.

Participation in local Gauteng club-sponsored road races is a new and exciting facet of RFYL. Over the past five months, OWLAG has sent a RFYL team to the Pirates' 10km Race in Greenside, the Gerald Fox 10km at the Johannesburg Zoo, the Spar Ladies' 10km Race in Randburg, and the popular Soweto 10km. Original club members Stacey-Lee Scott '13 and Nosipho Shangase '12 have participated in all the races to date. And while they are not yet old enough to participate in 10km or longer races, several of our dedicated Grade 7 and 8 members ran the 5km "fun runs" of our most recent races. RFYL anticipates having a full race calendar for 2012.
 
Staff participation in RFYL has increased dramatically as well. Ms. Chang and Mr. Bourquin have been joined by Mr. P.J. “Dude” Christians, Ms. Andiswa Nyovane, and Ms. Marna Bosch as regular coaches/participants, and Ms. Tarryn Macaskill, when not coaching her numerous other sports, has also found time to don her running shoes. OWLAG learners and staff of all abilities are encouraged to "Run For Your Lives!"
   
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The focus of our department this term has been on our annual independent music examinations. Twelve candidates were entered for the Rock School option, and a further 89 opted for the Trinity/Guildhall practical exams. This comprises a total of 101 entries compared with 64 the year before, and 38 in 2009. These numbers show a healthy 55% year on year growth rate in enrolments over the past three years. While this year’s results are still outstanding at the time of going to print, we trust that they will once again be in line with our excellent average of 85% achieved cumulatively over previous years.
 
Preceding the October exams, there were several other activities which included a visit by our choir to St. Mary’s Waverley. The choir performed in the school’s beautiful new auditorium and was on top form, sharing the stage with their hosts for the evening. All the choristers together with their director, Ms. Nomvula Mehlomakhulu, are to be commended on a very noteworthy achievement.
 

Our marimba ensemble performed over two evenings at the Market Theatre together with Dr. Sello Galane. Along with their coach, Mr. Magalane Phoshoko, they have had an excellent year, which culminated in this magnificent event at one of South Africa’s most important venues. Our string ensemble attended a workshop hosted by Professor Francois Henkins who is head of strings at the Free State University. Prof. Henkins commented afterwards that he had never before seen such progress in a school string programme over such a short period. He was particularly impressed that the learners could perform a complete 5 movement work, in which they demonstrated their acquired skills over a wide range of genres - from jazz to classical and from rock to reggae.   I would like to thank all the music programme learners for the way in which they have risen to the challenge, and wish them all the very best that the future could possibly bring them.

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The OWLAG 2011 House Play Festival took place on 10 September, with Renos Spanoudes and Lindiwe Matshikiza as the adjudicators.
 
Mangau House opened the festival with ‘You strike a woman you strike a rock’.
 
The title of the play is a traditional Zulu saying that became popular in 1965 when 20 000 women from various racial groups rose up and marched to declare their dissidence against the Dompass and the Apartheid government - and to fight for their voices to be heard. The play offers brief vignettes showing the daily lives of women struggling to survive in an oppressive environment. The play was directed by Lebo Mokoena who bravely tackled sensitive as well as hard-hitting issues.
‘Housing for all’ by Fatime Dike and Ditshkudu House and directed by Refilwe Digoamaje, was the inspirational story of one woman who never gave up and ensured that her township received the brick houses that they had been promised by Government. With startling ensemble work, flashy Diva musical routines and clever design, the play showcased OWLAG’s performance talent.
 
‘Nongogo’ by Izindlovu depicted 1950s township life and how the lives of Queeny, a shebeen Queen, and Johnny, a tablecloth salesman, became intertwined. The cast, directed by Cleopatra Cindi, vibrantly portrayed the politically charged urban life with delightful characters who often ‘stole the show.’
 
‘Curl up and Dye’, originally written by Sue Pam Grant and performed by Amabhubesi, showed the diverse lives of five different women working in a hair dressing salon. Many conflicts arose between the racially diverse clients who had been thrown together by South African society in the 80s. The play explored relationships, humour and the uncomfortable reality of life in Johannesburg. Directed by Lindiwe Tsope, the cast bravely explored the compelling stories of these five women ‘living on the edge.’

The awards for the evening were as follows:   Best Backstage Crew: Mangau Best Publicity: Amabhubesi Best Junior actress: Anita ndlovu Best Senior actress: Pretty Mabaso Best Director: Lebohang Mokoena Best Play: Housing for All, Ditshkudu Special mentions: Designer: Nombuso Hlengwa Ensemble work: Antonette, Cindi, Devidine and Chantelle Entire Cast Ensemble work: Ditshkudu House Portrayal of Old Lady: Mandisa Kunene Performance as Johnny: Sasha Lee Setzin

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The Grade 10 Economics learners embarked on an exciting and educational journey to the very cold and small town of Kimberly from 7 - 9 June, 2011.   We began our journey with excitement churning in our stomachs as we made our way to Gold Reef City. Our experience began with an educational video on the history of gold, and then we went on a trip deep into the earth to see a gold mine. The teachers then allowed us to explore the Gold Reef City theme park. We were like children set loose in a candy store – filled with adrenaline as we went on ride, after ride, after ride! Then followed the long, tiresome ‘road trip’ to Kimberly.   On arrival in Kimberly, however, we forgot all about how tired we were and dressed up for our dinner at the Kimberley Club. The dress code was smart casual and, as expected, we looked gorgeous! We then went to bed tired but happy. We began the next day early in the morning and soon realised that Kimberly was such a small town - as we got to all our destinations by foot in just minutes. On touring the sights and sounds of Kimberly, we learned a lot about the history of the city and its economic development throughout the years. Just when we thought our day could not get any better, we were serenaded by the melodious voices of the boys of Philadelphian choir at the Anglican Cathedral. Smiling from ear to ear, we then went to the Big Hole and were fascinated by its majesty and size. We headed back to the Gum Tree Lodge and changed before we went to the mall. At the mall, we watched movies and ordered junk food while chatting with friends about the small yet exciting town of Kimberly.

Early the next morning, we finished packing and had a scrumptious breakfast before we made our way to the headquarters of the most powerful mine in Kimberly. There we were informed about historical giants in diamond mining, such as the likes of Cecil John Rhodes and Barney Bernato who made fortunes through the discovery of diamonds. After the tour of the headquarters, we were all so sad when we realised that it marked the end of an amazing trip. We made our way to the buses and endured the long drive to Johannesburg.
 
The trip to Kimberly was an exciting experience for us which we will forever treasure. We extend our gratitude to all the special people who made it possible. We would also like to extend a special thank you to our amazing teacher, Mrs. Etzinger, without whom the trip wouldn’t have been possible..
 
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John and Poppy (the new MYP coordinator)	Colleen (the present MYP coordinator) and Claudia (one of the learners) with an example of her personal project exhibits.	Lorna Ferguson and her personal project presentation.

John Luis and Jane Webb spent two very informative days learning about the IB MYP from our wonderful hosts. We visited different classes, had meetings with many of the teachers, and were honoured to attend the Personal Project evening during which MYP Year 5 learners each presented their Personal Projects to fellow members of the school and visitors.
 
Our hosts were willing to share their experiences and work with us, and plans were put in place to form an ongoing relationship between our respective schools in the future.
 
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A day that was preceded by a phone call on Friday night notifying us of heavy rains and the likelihood of cancellation ended up being a great occasion filled with fun and excitement!

We boarded the buses at 7h30, feeling cold and nervous. When we arrived at Brescia House, we were greeted with tea, coffee and delicious muffins. The opening statement from Mrs. Nott was moving and she wished all the participants well.

Our teams were enthusiastic and did their best. Here are some of the results:

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Six Grade 9 learners, namely Angelica Le Roux, Boitshoko Kalebe, Dominique Tarr, Dorothy Mohamed, Gugulthu Resha and Lee-ann Mokoena were selected to attend the Junior Round Square conference in Namibia. We prepared a gumboot dance presentation three weeks ahead for the opening ceremony to introduce ourselves, our school and our country at the host school, St. Georges, Namibia, Windhoek.

For some of us, it was our first time flying so it was a truly remarkable experience. Arriving at the Hosea Kutako Airport in Namibia after a two-hour long flight, we were escorted by two staff members from St.Georges School alongside other students from Brooke House College in Kenya. We were then divided into separate groups and were picked up by our various host parents.

We participated in many activities in the hopes of understanding and enforcing the IDEALS of Round Square. Concerning the IDEAL Internationalism, we had the opportunity to meet students from other countries and schools as well as explore a different and new country -Namibia.

An evening was allocated to carry out the second IDEAL, Democracy. During this meeting we discussed the Childrens’ Rights based on extracts from the Constitution of Namibia as well as a few case studies. One of our favorite IDEALS was Environmentalism. In our different groups, we had to create a mascot illustrating the IDEALS of the conference through the use of recycled materials.

On one occasion, we went on a night walk in the Namib Desert, where we had an informative lesson about the different types of stars, their sizes and significance. Afterward we were given an opportunity to play a game in the dark where one group had to spot the members of the other using our torches. That was great fun until our instructor made us do 50 or so push-ups, because someone had spoken while he was explaining. Even though one of our members, Angelica, gained a few bruises, Adventure was one of the most fun IDEALS. Divided into our groups, we were taken to a well-known sand dune boarding spot near a town called Swakopmund. There, we walked up to the top of the dunes and had to lie on our bellies on a flat board and slide all the way down at a thrillingly fast speed. Before leaving, we all took part in a contest to see who could travel the furthest down. Gugulethu claimed the name “Fastest Girl on Sand”.

When we had to carry out the fifth IDEAL, we learnt many new things to take back to OWLAG and share with our sisters.  As you know, a great leader is a great follower; and we were required to practice this principle. We were split into different groups, and each group was assigned a group leader from St. Georges School. We had to portray our followership through respecting and working with our leader.

The sixth and most important IDEAL ended our amazing trip: Service.  A day was set aside whereby we were sent to the beach at Swakopmund, not to swim and relax, but to pick up all the litter and strange objects that were regarded as harmful to the marine life and the birds in the area.

During the time that we carried out these IDEALS, we learnt that it sure is fun to make a change in others’ lives!

We thank Ms. Abed for accompanying us on the trip and Ms. van Zyl for giving us the opportunity to be a part of Round Square.

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On Sunday, 16 January the Grade 11s boarded the buses bound for O R Tambo International to fly to Cape Town to attend a leadership camp at Rocklands Centre in Simon’s Town. They were accompanied by the Grade supervisors, Sandy Kerr and Tasnim Abed, and other Grade 11 teachers including Marion Plantagie, Pat Jay, Paul Wilton, Roshnie Pillay and Sue Norval. Erna Weideman was part of the team and was a real superstar --rushing around fetching Halaal meals and any other necessities that the students required.

Many of the students had never flown before so they were very nervous. However, the flight was smooth and they all enjoyed the new experience. On arrival, the weather was fine and Mrs Van Zyl had booked tickets to go up Table Mountain. We had spectacular views of Cape Town, and especially of the stunning beaches. The fine weather changed dramatically when orographic uplift took place and all of a sudden we were all up in the clouds. This was a wonderful example for the Geography students. After descending Table Mountain, we headed off to Muizenberg Beach where the students swam and strolled along the beach, all the while taking note of the “talented surfers.”

We then took a drive around the coast to Simon’s Town and booked in at Rocklands. We unpacked, enjoyed a lovely dinner and had an early night as the next six days were going to be action-packed. After breakfast on Monday we explored the Boulders penguin colony which is home to a growing colony of the vulnerable African Penguins. Wooden walkways allow visitors to view the penguins in their natural habitat. Mr Wilton also gave an interesting talk about the penguins. We then headed off to Cape Point. We were dropped at the beach and we walked, climbed, moaned and groaned all the way to the top and then proceeded to extend ourselves a little more and made it up to the light house. It was a really challenging walk and certainly created a great spirit and camaraderie amongst the students and staff. In the afternoon we started with the Rocklands activities and the students eagerly awaited their instructions. They were divided into groups and were allocated a country. The groups were identifiable by the beaded bracelets that they made and they then had to compose an anthem or war cry for their group. This activity created plenty of energy and noise. During their break most of the students leapt into the pool and Ms Jay and Ms Norval gave some basic swimming lessons and were on duty at the pool. After dinner they participated in some fun activities and then met in the dining room for hot chocolate and reflections.

Tuesday was another beautiful day so the decision was made to go to the beach. Long Beach at Kommetjie was our first stop, but rough seas and mountains of kelp forced us to move on to Fishhoek. There the beach was beautiful and the sea was calm. Everyone swam, relaxed and played on the beach. There was a great ice cream shop on the beach which did a roaring trade. We had packed lunches so we just picnicked on the beach. In the afternoon the students participated in a number of activities and rotated from one activity to the other. These included archery, pencil beading, communication games, looking for items around the camp and deciphering a code and the climbing wall. They were fun and some were quite challenging. The students worked effectively in their groups and were able to fathom out problems in a logical and peaceful way.

On Wednesday and Thursday the students were involved all day at Rocklands. The programme included adventure obstacle courses, talks on birds and snakes, fun team activities such as soccer, pool volleyball, table tennis and pool. The students swam every day and many of them progressed so well that in the evenings’ reflections one of them said, ”I am now a professional swimmer!” We decided to braai for dinner on Wednesday evening. It was great fun and many of the students offered to show off their culinary talents and took charge of the braai ... it was delicious! After dinner we donned our track suites, trainers and torches and headed off up the mountain for our night hike. It was a full moon so we were hoping for a spectacular view of the reflections of the moon on the water. The students sang all the way up the mountain. Unfortunately, whilst we were on the walk the clouds moved in and we came down the mountain in the pouring rain ... but our spirits were never dampened. We all gathered in the dining room and swallowed down a cup of hot chocolate before retiring to bed.

On Thursday one of the activities was beach art. The students walked down to the little beach in front of the camp and got to work on their “beach art.” Their art included things such as dolphins, crocodiles and people. The team that designed the crocodile won the Golden Bucket and Spade trophy. Thursday night was the talent contest. The students could choose their own groups or partner or perform on their own. The performances were outstanding with a couple of special mentions: Charmain Rantsieng singing ‘time after time’, Siphokazi Lumkile presenting her poetry, Lebogang Maraba dancing to ‘cold case love’, and a startling performance by a group of ‘talentless’ students who ironically, wowed us with their talents! The judges from Rocklands were speechless and tears welled up in their eyes as they could not believe the amazing talent and confidence that the OWLAG students demonstrated.

The team were up bright and early on Friday morning as we had an appointment at the University of Cape Town. We arrived on middle campus and were welcomed by the student recruitment team and ushered into a lecture venue in the Kramer Law building. Mrs Van Zyl and Mrs Moore joined us at UCT. The students were very attentive and listened carefully to the admission requirements for 2012 entry to the various faculties at UCT. They asked some very interesting questions and they all realised how important their Grade 11 results were for the application process. We then toured the campus, went into a residence and had our photograph taken on the famous steps of UCT.

The next destination was the Slave Lodge. We had a guide to explain the history of slavery and watched a fascinating video. By this stage the students were ready for lunch so we had a picnic in the town gardens. Camps Bay beach was our next port of call, the weather was spectacular and so was the beach. The students all changed and were ready for a swim when the well-known South Easter started to blow. It blew the sand along the beach and stung their legs. There was a combination of screaming and laughing and definitely laughing when the students found Mrs Moore and Ms Jay huddled up behind a beach chaise lounge covered with towels. It took a long time to remove the sand from our costumes, ears and eyes. A quiet trip along the coast to Hout Bay led to our having take-aways at Mariners Wharf. Everyone was so delighted to be indoors protected from the howling gale and enjoyed having fried fish and chips. The journey back to Rocklands took us over Chapman’s Peak with amazing views of the coastline, beaches and mountains. It had been a very busy day and everyone was happy to climb into bed.

All too soon it was breakfast, wash up and we were on our way to the Waterfront. We had bookings for the 09:00 ferry to Robben Island. We boarded the huge catamaran named Sikhululekile which can seat 300 passengers. The 45 minute journey across was calm and we boarded buses on Robben Island for a guided tour of the historic island. The bus trip was followed by a tour of the high security prison. The tour guides are ex-prisoners so their stories are very real and interesting, and they really help to understand the hardships the prisoners experienced. Whilst touring the island the wind had picked up considerably so our return trip was bumpy and many of the students experienced their first bout of sea sickness. Once on terra firma they bounced back, ready to enjoy their free time at the Waterfront. We all moved to the big amphitheatre at the Waterfront as this was to be our meeting point. The students who live in Cape Town or who have family there were allowed to meet them at the Waterfront and spend some time with them. Everyone dashed off in their little groups and made their purchases, grabbed a bite to eat and did some window shopping. At five o’clock there was a live band playing in the amphitheatre and the students bopped away to the music.

Congratulations to all the students - everyone was at the meeting point on time and everyone had had a wonderful day. Back at Rocklands, the students finished off their packing and went to bed. Breakfast was followed by our farewell to Rocklands staff, last minute pictures and then off to Cape Town International airport. An easy check-in and then we were on board our Mango flight to Johannesburg - enjoying final reflections on a wonderful Grade 11 tour and returning back to school.
 

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