EUNICE HIGH SCHOOL

Principal’s Newsletter 01/2007 24 January 2007
Dear Parents
One thing is for certain. The holiday spirit is a distant memory. The New Year is in full swing. Our new
Eunice boarders can slowly feel their blood turning green but they’re off home today and coming back on
Sunday or Monday will be a little easier than last time. I certainly felt in need of a break come December –
and I enjoyed a very restful one at the coast before returning to receive that bulky departmental envelope
which I privately open and hone in on that magic zero at the end of the last page which confirms that 100%
pass which we all spend so much time, effort and anxiety in ensuring. The 28 th of December is not the best
day to don suit and tie to attend the Premier’s Well Done Function in a marquee tent on the lawn of her
beautiful home. But it has its compensation in the form of the Department of Education’s Top School
Trophy which I gratefully and modestly receive on behalf of a proud and deserving Eunice community.
Only Grey (2005) and Tsoseletso (1999) have had their hands on the Province’s Top School Trophy. Except
for Eunice, that is. Our name now appears on the trophy six times – a telling statistic which should make
parents and pupils happy that we certainly do a few things right. Among these factors are the school’s
academic focus, the atmosphere of high expectation, the positive school climate and most significantly, the
expertise, experience and attitude of our teachers who willingly go the extra mile in our girls’ interest. It is
always a source of pride to me to hear our Board Medal winners speak with such admiration and appreciation
of their teachers. But six Top School Trophies and six Top School in Mathematics and Physical Science
Trophies are a special tribute to our staff who show that class after class can produce the goods.
Excuse me labouring the award and its significance but there are things I need parents to hear or read first
hand. When we refer to the ‘atmosphere of high expectation’ we are not expecting unrealistically high
standards from all girls, we are simply doing justice to our mission to ‘bring out the best in our girls’. We
expect our girls to strive for their own personal best. Incidentally, the Top School award is based on a
formula which gives a 60% weighting to our matric class’ average aggregate – a measure which takes into
account every girls’ performance, not just our top academics. And that’s where Eunice comes out top. Our
latter 71 (we had 171 candidates) are that much better prepared in terms of teacher expertise and
commitment, a balanced subject package and a more positive learner response to encouragement.
As always I attach a detailed summary of matric results. Allow me to highlight the exploits of Barbara
Neethling who earned a record 12 distinctions (Computer Studies SG was written in Grade 10 in 2004) with
the highest mark (399/400) in Mathematics HG in the Province. She also earned 97% for Accounting and
93% for Additional Mathematics. Not just an academic boffin, Barbara committed the last term of Grade 11
to her part in our Pantomime and the first term of matric to swimming the Midmar Mile. Congratulations too
to Esteé van Wyk, grand-daughter of the legendary Eunice Primary teacher and former headgirl, Mrs Trudy
van Wyk, on producing her best ever effort of a full house of 9 distinctions.
Our Board Medal winners (five or more distinctions) whose results are detailed below were: Barbara
Neethling, Esteé van Wyk, Lara de Villiers, Lisa Jose, Joy Theron-Allwright, Annelise Visser, Angel Chan,
Donielle Dampier, Mareli Ferreira, Delwen Henderson, Jolynn Minnaar, Mia Pepler, Alana Smith, Alida Lans,
Candice Reynolds, Letshego Tlhakung, Katrien van Zyl and Hymne Schleckter.

At our Opening Assembly attended by a large group of parents (thank you so much for making the effort!)
We welcomed Mrs Shormenay Wesso as a temporary EMS and Business Studies teacher. A graduate of the
Peninsula Technicon, she is an experienced matric Accounting teacher. We receive regular e-mails from Dr
Niel van Niekerk whose Rotary Group Study Exchange in India is crammed with opportunity, diversity and
unique expertise.
Hats off to our headgirls who have worked tirelessly these last three weeks to involve our new grade 8s in a
host of activities from special gala, to quiz, to milkshakes to slide shows, to granny picnics, to graduation.
But it was the Thaba Nchu Hike which welcomed our girls both to grade 8 and to grade 12 in traditional
style. I always get the feel of a biblical movie as 360 girls stretch from bottom to top. But the sheer
number of girls necessitates a carefully planned operation involving six Big Sky buses, a base camp for the
distribution of ice cold icies and medical TLC and a principal armed with walking stick and a megaphone.
Thank you Mrs Frances Coetzee for the arrangements for the 15 th time (especially that half-way chair) and
thanks, too, to our staff team: Mr Leon van Rensburg, Mrs Karin Kok, Mrs Amanda Raven and Mr Garth
Harris.
I remind parents that they undertake to pay quarterly school fees in advance. The revised Norms and
Standards for School Funding Amendment to the South African Schools Act has made provision for the
introduction of ‘no fee schools’ and ‘revised fee exemption regulations’. The latter needs to be
handled with the utmost care and sensitivity as exemption or partial exemption of fees implies that
other parents need to make up the resultant shortfall in the funding of our school. It is my duty as
principal to inform parents that Mr Pat Uys, our long serving Financial Manager is at your service to
assist and process these applications in the best interest of both parents and the school. Such
applications, which will require substantial supporting documentation such as salary slips, tax
assessment and bank statements, must be tabled annually by the first Friday of February (2 February
2007). Details of the amended legislation are available from My Uys.
Human Progress Management is a company which approaches individual parents with a view to marketing a
customised study skill package which includes ongoing assistance. There is no kickback or school commission
involved. As these packages are expensive I invite parents to approach staff to help you come to an
informed decision. Mr Leon van Rensburg has first hand experience of the package. Feel free to approach
him for feedback. Please do not feel compelled to purchase.
The Annual General Meeting of our Parents’ Association will be held on Monday 29 January at 17:30 in the
Eunice IT Centre (near the tuckshop). The purpose of the meeting is to muster parental support for the
school’s fund-raising activities. It includes a short summary of activities, a financial report, an opportunity
for parents to ask questions and a short talk by the principal on the ‘Challenges facing Top Schools’. The
meeting was published in our final newsletter and calendar distributed with reports at the end of last year
and by means of a reminder during the week. Please join us.
The Grey Gala is an early highlight on our girls’ social calendar as, armed with school uniform and a smile,
they combine cheering the boys elaborate walk-ins and swimming events with an eye focused on identifying
and persuading (by sms!) a young unsuspecting Grey gentleman to accompany them to the weekend’s Eunice
Valentine’s Ball. What was meant to be traditional Eunice/Oranje rivalry in the pool was somewhat hijacked
this year by a superb Sentraal team who pushed Eunice into second and Oranje into third place. Noses out
of joint but still all smiles!
The White Sensation Valentine’s Ball, held on Saturday in the beautifully decorated Adele de Jager Hall was
a formal affair attended by 500 girls and their partners. By all accounts – I was at an old girl’s wedding – it
was a superb evening arranged by the indefatigable Mrs June Norval and her Consumer Studies girls.
Congratulations to our Valentine Queen, Simoné Wessels and her princesses Mandelise van Loggenberg (1 st
princess) and Anneliene Fourie (2 nd Princess).
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On this Saturday (27 th ) Eunice will host the National Girls’ Schools’ Aquatics festival at the stadium pool. It
promises to be a top class event arranged by Mrs Louise Rienecke, our sports organiser. The Eunice Primary
School choir will open the gala in their inimitable way at 08:30. You are all invited to join us for an occasion
which has attracted national TV coverage (Telkom Splash) Participating schools are: St Mary’s Girls’ School
(JHB); Clarendon High School for Girls (EL); Durban Girls’ High School; Durban Girls’ College; Eunice Girls’
High School (BFN); Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School; Pretoria High School for Girls; St Stithians Girls
College – (JHB); Our Lady of Fatima Convent – (DBN) and Oranje Meisieskool (BFN).
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Naude family (Nelmarie, Matric 2003 and Salome, Matric 2006)
following the tragic death in a car accident of Mrs Naude and with Portia Thobela who lost her mother
suddenly in mid-December.
Kindly note that I will be away the week after next (5-9 February) to take Kristina to Cape Town. Till next
time.
_____________
PAUL CASSAR
HEADMASTER
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