Newsletter No.

3 26 June 2015
Dear Parents
Its been another term where all our girls have been given opportunities to participate and excel
in the many academic, sporting and cultural ventures that Girls High has to offer. And in the
throes of all of this, we are still trying to focus on and grasp the extent of our theme for the
year How to be authentic
Our attentions have also been focussed upon the development and progress of the Astro Turf,
which has been incredibly exciting. With all the anticipation surrounding the completion of this
project, we have also been left to ponder upon the value that this project will ultimately add to
Girls High as a whole.
Fundraising for the project has been quite successful through the contributions made from our
raffle as well as the Old Girls. What is exceptional is the number of Old Girls residing overseas
who have made substantial contributions to their Alma Mater. Additional funding is still
required for the completion of the whole project, and with that in mind, we have included a
few fundraising projects for the remainder of the year. Please support these functions and see
them as an opportunity to bond with your daughter and family rather than from just a financial
point of view.
We hope you enjoy your winter holiday, and I would like to take the opportunity to express my
gratitude to my wonderful staff corps, who always put duty above self.

INVITATION to all Parents, Girls and Old Girls Opening of the Astro
Please attend an exciting weekend at Girls High. This weekend will be recorded in our history
books for generations to come. The celebrations begin on Friday, 28th August and culminate
on Saturday evening, 29th August 2015. Overnight in Potchefstroom at one of the many Guest
Houses. The SGB is investigating special discounts at the guest houses and will inform you later
where you will be able to stay overnight at a special rate.
28 August

Friday

29 August

Saturday
08:30-12:00

Exciting news
dates to diarise
15-18 July
GHS Winter School
1 August
Derby Day
Reports collected
Big Walk
28 August
Golf Day
29 August
Parents Day
Opening of Astro
Boma Braai
1 October
Father / Daughter Dance
24 October
Mother, Daughter &
Granny Morning Tea

GHS Golf Day

Parents Day / Subject Teachers meeting

Hockey matches on the Astro

12:00-14:00

Lunch for sale or bring a picnic basket

14:00

Official Opening of the Astro

14:30

Opening match with our 1st Hockey Team

16:30

GHS Boma Braai a winter experience

I am ORIGINALLY ME!
The more of ME I be,
the clearer I can see!

Girls High Greetings!

Tel: 018 294 3228

EF Meyer (Mrs)
Headmistress

Fax: 018 293 1052

1

office@girlshigh.co.za
www.potchgirlshigh.co.za

Academic

Grade 8 & 9 Music

Parents Day: Saturday 29 August 08:30 12:00.

Grade 8s and 9s have to learn to play a musical instrument.

The recorder for the subject Creative Arts was chosen as it is
inexpensive, easy to carry and easy to use.
Playing a musical instrument enhances the way the brain
processes language and improves reasoning functioning. It
also improves memory and concentration. It promotes
discipline, emotional well-being and a sense of achievement.
It is fun playing the recorder especially if you have never had
an opportunity to experiment with a musical instrument
before and in the process it relieves stress.
Lets support our grade 8 & 9 learners and we hope that they
continue with recorders and perhaps move on to other
musical instruments later. It is true when they say: Music
feeds more than just the soul It feeds the brain in a very real
way!

Parents have the opportunity to meet with the subject

teachers ...to discuss your daughters academic
progress and to help plan intervention strategies for
her improvement. All meetings with the subject
teachers will take place in the hall.
General Parents Meeting @ 10:00
There will also be a general meeting with all parents in
the Hall at 10:00. After this meeting, the subject
teachers will continue meeting with parents.
Grade 9 Parents Subject Choice Meeting
Venue: Pavilion 11:30

GHS Winter School Grade 12

On Parents Day there will also be a meeting with ALL

the Grade 9 parents regarding the grade 10 Subject
Choice for 2016. The documents regarding the subject
choice as well as the results of the Abilities Testing will
be sent home on Derby Day for your perusal.
At the meeting we will advise you on how to make an
informed decision concerning your daughters final
subject choice for Grade 10 12.
Please bring all the documents regarding subject
choices to the meeting

The winter school for our grade 12s will start at 08:00 on
Wednesday 15 July and will continue until 18:00 each day
ending at 18:00 on Saturday 18 July. It is compulsory for
every grade 12 learner to attend. This time will be used for
the teaching of curriculum and will not be revision time.
This is new work that will not be repeated next term.
The Grade 12 boarders may stay in the hostel and must
arrive between 17:00 and 19:00 on Tuesday 14 July. Not
earlier or later!
Supper will NOT be provided on the Tuesday evening. All
boarders will stay in their own hostels under the
supervision of their SHM. There is no accommodation for
daygirls.
Daygirl parents please arrive on time in the evenings to
fetch your daughter (i.e. 18:00).
Boarders will also have study every evening from 19:00 to
21:00. Day girls must please also do the same with parents
supporting them.
The winter school for English and Afrikaans winter school
will take place over weekends in the third term. Refer to
the Term Planner. Attendance at these lessons is
compulsory

Reading Programme
All learners in Grade 8 & 9 have English as well as
Afrikaans reading lessons. We have found the Reading
Programme beneficial to all learners with regards to
improvement in spelling, thinking and reasoning skills and
concentration levels in both languages as well as other
subjects.
The grade 8 & 9 learners will also receive a reading
analysis report together with their academic reports. This
indicates their progress with regards to their reading
speed, word recognition and comprehension.
The learners in grade 10, 11, & 12 are able to work on this
programme in the afternoons. This is really beneficial for
their concentration and study methods. Please encourage
them to make time for this in the afternoons.

Grade 12 Boarders Finance Office

The finance office will be open on Tuesday 14 July
between 17:00 and 19:00.
Alternatively make an EFT payment. Boarding fees for
term 3 for the grade 12s must be paid by internet or
direct banking before Saturday 11 July.
Proof of payment must be faxed to the finance office for
admission to the hostel.

Extended learning
All grade 10 & 11 learners will be required to attend
evening classes every Tuesday & Thursday evening from
17:30 to 19:00 during the 3rd term. This is compulsory for
all learners in grade 10 & 11. With these lessons we aim
to improve the academic results by trying to finish the
curriculum earlier, to allow time to revise specific topics
before exams.

Derby Day & Big Walk

The Astro Turf

We are officially opening the new Astro Turf on Saturday 29
August. This is the same day as Parents Day.
Hockey matches will be taking place on the Astro from early
morning and at 14H00 we will officially open the Astro
followed by the main match of the day. We would like all
parents, families and learners to be part of this exciting
memorable moment!
Old Girls are also invited, as well as playing hockey.

Derby Day & Collect Report

We will be holding our Inter-House Derby for all our InterHouse Sports and Cultural activities.
The Derby starts on:
Monday 27 July with Inter House Squash
Tuesday 28 July: Inter House Chess & Debating
Wednesday 29 July: Tennis
Thursday 30 July: Public Speaking
Friday 30 July: Tennis
Saturday 1 August: DERBY DAY
08:30
09:40
09:20
13:30
13:45

Programme:
Opening & welcome
Drummie competition
Inter House: Hockey & Netball & Tennis
competition
Family Big Walk
Lunch, family bonding & interaction with other
families at the Pavilion

Your daughter will inform you of when she will be

participating. It is always a fun, exciting and a very noisy
weekend where everything is yellow, green or red!
Every girl should participate in some way and this will be
followed by a Big Walk for the family organised by the
parent forum ...for the Girls

GHS Boma Braai

Big Walk after Inter-house Derby

After the Opening of the Astro, we will celebrate with

A GHS BOMA BRAAI at the
school.
This is going to be a night to
remember, so dont miss out!

This walk is for our parents, brothers, sisters, grannies and

grandpas. Every parent participating in the Big Walk will
earn points for his / her daughters house. Parents
dressed in the colour of the house will be awarded an
extra point. All points will count towards the final house
points at prize giving.

Date: Saturday 29 August

Time: 16:30 till late
Cost: R140 per person
The concept of this event:

GHS Golf Day

Friday 28 August Potchefstroom Country Club
We will be having a GHS Golf Day at the Potchefstroom
Golf Country club. We are calling all our parents and your
business associates and your family members to support
and to participate. Outstanding prizes can be won. The
golf day will also provide an opportunity to strengthen
professional and social ties with the parents and friends
of the school and the community of Potchefstroom.

We request your support and participation to make a

success of this event. Any contributions towards the
prizes or other support will be welcomed and
appreciated.

You can support by participate in the following ways:

Entering a 4 ball R2 000 (4 golfers form a team)
Sponsoring a hole to an amount between R3 000 and
R5 000. Depending on the hole you want to sponsor.
Advertising your business at the sponsored hole.
Donations by means of vouchers, products and / or
cash which can be used for prizes.
Please complete the attached reply slip or contact Leon
(076 766 2916) or Madaleen (072 224 4947) or enquire
via email leon@beeanalyst.co.za
3

There will be approximately 20 Bomas with 20 30

people at a Boma. Each Boma has a Host & Hostess. The
function of the hosts is to decorate the boma and create
an outdoor winter atmosphere. All food will be prepared
and provided to each hostess; who will then be
responsible for serving their guests. Each boma will have
their own fires burning.
To complement the celebratory atmosphere there will be
music and dancing under the stars.
Parents of the LRC and Class captains of every class will
be the hosts and hostesses and will sell the tickets to the
parents of that class. The homeroom teacher will be of
assistance at that boma. Please complete the attached
reply slip.
Alternatively a parent can buy all the tickets for a boma
and invite their own guests to the function. Or a sponsor
could treat their clients and use the boma for advertising.

Father Daughter Dinner Dance

FINANCE

Potch Girls High will be hosting a

formal and elegant Dinner Dance for
fathers and their daughters.

Payment of School and Hostel Fees

If payments are made by means of direct banking or
electronic transfers, please fax proof of this to
0866 161 261 and bring it with you to registration.
All proof of payments MUST indicate the learners NAME
and SURNAME. We will not be able to identify the
payment without the faxed document and your
daughters surname.
Please use standard Finance Fax Format with all
payments. See Booklet.
NOTE: The hostel has a separate bank account to that of
the school. Please DO NOT pay hostel fees into the school
account or vice versa.

DATE: THURSDAY 1 October 2015

Venue: The Mary Hart Hall
Dress code: Formal evening wear
Time: 18:30 for 19:00
Cost: R150 per person
Girls will be able to leave with their
fathers after the dinner dance for
the end of term holidays.

Another date to diarise

Saturday 24 October Mother, Daughter &
Granny Morning Tea.
This promises to be a
wonderful morning. Details
to follow but please set
aside the date.

SCHOOL FEES: Account details:

HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS, POTCHEFSTROOM SCHOOL
Bank:
Branch Code:
Account No:

Parent
Questionnaire

FNB Potchefstroom
240438
621 221 770 34

HOSTEL FEES: Account Details:

HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS, POTCHEFSTROOM HOSTEL

A questionnaire was sent out to parents earlier this year.

Please see below some of the answers to the questions
being asked.
Academic
1. New teachers are orientated and mentored in various
ways by the induction committee as well as receiving
support and monitoring by the Head of Departments.
2. An interaction programme is in place to assist learners
with remediation in all subjects. Over and above this,
there are the Maths Buddy and EML Reading
Programmes
3. Individual educators provide extra Maths classes for
all grades.
4. The Academic scope of subjects is already very broad
with a variety of practical subjects and is fixed by our
Dinaledi status.

Bank:
Branch Code:
Account No:

FNB Potchefstroom
240438
621 221 800 79

We would like to encourage parents to pay the hostel and

school fees directly into the bank account rather than bringing
the cash to school. If payments are made before 16 July,
parents will be able to collect admission slips more quickly
without having to stand in long queues. However, payments
made after this date may not be reflected on the account by
the 16 July and you may have to stand in the queue. The full
amount as per your statement is due and no arrangements
will be made.
Pocket Money
It is advisable to let your daughter have an ATM card so that
she will be able to draw money on Wednesdays (for bus
bookings only) and during official Town Leave on Saturdays.
The ATMs closest to the hostels are FNB and ABSA machines.
This is a safer option than having cash on hand.

Hostels
5. Upgrading of North House Hostel is under discussion
6. A quality control of all meals is done on a daily basis
7. Hygiene practices are being checked in all kitchens
8. Cleaning of the hostels is checked and monitored on a
daily basis
9. Upgrades to all the hostels are in constant discussion

Bus tickets
Please note that the bus tickets are no longer sold by the
school. No money may be deposited into the school
account for bus tickets and any such money will not be
refunded. Contacts for purchasing bus tickets are as
follows:
Mr Leon Pieters 076 766 2916. Bus tickets can still be
bought by your daughter using her bank card.

Tshepeho Seobi, Zaheeda Patelia, Sintu Nkosi, Melissa Son and

Faydene Fourie will be representing Girls High at the National final
round of the YCAP competition (Youth Citizens Action Programme).
4

HOSTELS

Contact with the Senior Housemistress

The Senior House Mistress of every hostel will be available to
take phone calls between 20:00 and 21:00 from Mondays to
Thursdays. Please remember that, as a full time teacher at the
school, she will not be available during the mornings and
afternoons.

Laptops
The use of electronic devices as learning and teaching aid
in the classroom is not compulsory yet. Learners will
however, be allowed to bring their different devices to
school for educational purposes only.
This will enable them to
a) Take class notes in an electronic format and
b) Develop study notes using the educators actual digital
preparation as a starting point.
Thank you to all parents who have been able to equip
their daughters with Lenovo Idea Pads.
We again urge parents to add these devices to their
personal insurance as school cannot be liable for any theft
or damage to the devices used on the property. Parents
must please discuss the responsible use of devices at
school and in the hostel. Learners are solely responsible
for looking after their personal belongings including the
Idea Pad device.

Dietary needs
It has become very difficult to accommodate all the dietary
requirements of the girls. The hostel can only prepare special
food for girls who are diabetic. All girls who are vegetarian, in
some form or other, will have to eat from the given menu.
However, vegetarians must cater for extra snacks to ensure
that they are eating enough proteins for their bodies needs to
ensure healthy living.

Cell Phone Policy at Hostel

Cell phones are to be switched off during study, at meal times,
during rest and after lights out. Cell phones MAY NOT be
taken to church. Problems in this regard will result in your
daughter losing the privilege of having a cell phone at hostel.
It will be confiscated until she goes home for a weekend when
she will be required to take it home and leave it there.

Requests for weekends out

1. On weekends when matches are played or other

school activities take place, girls may only go home

after the scheduled activity.
2. On closed weekends there will only be a return bus
on the Sunday evening but no bus on the Friday. The
ticket for the return journey must be bought in the
normal way during the week prior to that weekend.
3. You will have noticed that there are compulsory
weekends out. While it is important that learners
maintain regular contact with home by going home for
these weekends, I would strongly advise that your
daughter stay in for the other weekends. Staying in
hostel helps the girls to adjust to boarding school and
to make friends.
4. If it is not the parents doing the signing out, the person
transporting your daughter must please have proof of
identification.

Head Lamps
It seems that load shedding is going to be a way of life. We
have to accept it and make the necessary plans on how to deal
with it.
We have found that a head lamp works best for boarders as
well as for the day girls. A head lamp allows them to study and
do homework with the light focussed on the school work. It is
the safest option and is also convenient to walk about in the
hostels as well as to go to the bathroom.
Please buy a head lamp as soon as possible for your daughter.
Tests and exams cannot be postponed because there was no
light to study. Please also buy a spare set of batteries for the
lamp.
Good luck to our Drummies taking part in the national
competition in Bloemfontein these holidays.

Weekends Home
It is recommended that Boarders go home at least every
3rd weekend to bond with their own families. It is not ideal
to keep your daughter in the hostel every weekend,
neither is it ideal to allow her to keep visiting friends. The
girls are with their friends all week and need a break. She
needs to see her family.

Medical Information
A reminder to please ensure that your daughters medical
information is correct and if there are any changes please
inform the school/hostels immediately. If it is necessary
to obtain the medication after seeing the doctor please
also ensure that a pharmacy account has been opened,
otherwise your daughter cannot receive the medication.
Neither the school nor hostel can pay money on loan to
get your ill daughter treated.

Tayton Nel, our Drummie Captain

5

CHECK LIST: NEWSLETTER 3 OF 2015

The following documents have been sent home with your daughter. Use this as a checklist to ensure that you have received
all the documents. It will not be necessary to return this slip as it serves only as a checklist for you.
I have received:
Newsletter 3 of 2015
3rd Term Planner 2015
Account Statement
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

REPLY SLIP: Golf Day 28 August 2015

Please complete and the organiser will contact you as soon as possible.
Learners Name: ______________________________

Grade: _____________________

I would like to enter a team of four (4) players for R2 000

I would like to sponsor a hole for between R3 000 and R5 000
I would like to make a financial donation for prizes
I would like to sponsor products
Parents Name: _______________________________ Cell No: ___________________________
Parents E-mail:________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________
REPLY SLIP: GHS Boma Braai 29 August 2015
Organisers per class will contact you to provide you with your tickets and final arrangements for a great evening.
This event is for the whole family.
Cost R140 per person Adults and teenagers same price. Children under 10 years old do not pay.
Learners Name: ______________________________ Grade: ____________________________
Parents Name: _______________________________ Cell No: ___________________________
Parents E-mail:________________________________
Adults:

Children:

Cost:

REPLY SLIP: Father Daughter Dance 1 October 2015

Cost R150 per person.
Learners Name: ______________________________ Grade: ____________________________
Fathers Name: _______________________________ Cell No: ___________________________
Fathers E-mail:________________________________
I would like to attend with my daughter / s:

Total attending:

I am unable to attend: