Horizons Term 3 2016 FINAL 3 LARGE PDF

JUSTIN WARDLE
I know one reads the usual cliché about no school day
being the same as another, but it really is the case with
us school teachers. The only constant is that alarm
clock in the morning and the promise of an exciting
adventure awaiting; especially when one spends a day
with young boys.
Over the past 17 years that I have been teaching music
a little over half of that has been in a boys’ primary
school environment. From the Eastern Cape where I
grew up, attended school and university (and first started
teaching) to Cape Town, where I was most recently
teaching, being able to share the joy that is music with
children is indeed a privilege. I really enjoy the sense of
community being a teacher affords me in my job and
I am very happy to have joined The Ridge School this
term.
THULUSILE ZULU WEDDING
UMEMBESO 18 JUNE 2016
I couldn’t believe it, I was so excited and worried at
the same time because of the amount of people that
we were expecting, Nathi (my husband) comes from a
big family, our friends from Johannesburg and friends
from back home. But deep down I knew that my aunts
were going to do their best to see that my day was
successful.
At around 12pm the Ngwenya’s arrived, neighbours,
friends and family members were ululating outside.
The Ngwenya’s came in to formally announce their
arrival and asked my family to take me outside the yard
so they could dress me properly as their daughter-in-law.
The Ngwenya’s started giving my family gifts, blankets,
groceries, clothes etc.
STAFF PROFILES
A theory class, a whole grade, then Choir. More Choir,
some piano boys and then Orchestra. Waiting for the
Grade 6’s to finish changing after break and hurry
along to watching the Grade 1’s tearing across the lawn
to get to music with such enthusiasm: “Mr. Wardle!
You’ll never guess what…”, Hearing the boys in Junior
Choir give a perfect rendition of a piece that transports
you to another time and place, Grade 2’s arriving and
then off to Wind Band… Just a few snippets of my life
at The Ridge.
From enjoying learning a new song with the Grade 1’s,
to watching a Grade 7 boy perform with success and
maturity in his last concert or show at school and every
step in between is one of the truly magical moments in
my day, week, term and year at school.
When they started calling out names, I got so emotional
because they started with my mom’s name, my eldest
aunt had to take the place of my mom. It is every
girl’s dream to have her mother present on such happy
days. All I could think about was my mom and how she
would have felt if she was here.
Everything went well on the day. We went on to have a
private after-party with close friends and family in the
evening.
The Ridge School Horizons Term 2 2016 5