CRAWFORD APRIL 2018 ONLINE

AUTUMN - APRIL MAY JUNE 2018 

A LOOK BACK AT CRAWFORD SCHOOLS PAST AND PRESENT 

Every child a a masterpiece | 1 

PLUS: MATRIC SPECIAL ALL ABOUT YOUR BIG NIGHT + RAGE FESTIVAL 

| 1

2 | Crawford Times

CONTENTS 

02 | SPOTLIGHT NEWS 

06 | CRAWFORD THEN AND NOW 

10 | FEATURE: Calling time-out on criticism 

14 | FEATURE: Check your regrets 

19 | CRAWFORD CATCH-UP 

20 | SCHOOL NEWS 

58 | CAREER FILES: Archeology 

64 | KIDS PAGES 

69 | TRAVEL: Gone too Soon 

77 | GADGETS: Time after time 

80 | TIME MANAGEMENT: Study Tips for Teens 

83 | MATRIC DANCE SPECIAL: Dresses for her, 

suits for him; accessories, hair, make up and 

Matric Rage. 

Published by: Contact Media 

Publishers: Donna Verrydt/Sean Press 

Editorial Director: Shelley Carroll (ADvTECH) 

Editorial Manager: Christelle Wolmarans (ADvTECH) 

Editorial Assistant: Kumari Lewis (ADvTECH) 

Editor: Donna Verrydt (Contact Media) 

Head of Finance: Lesley Fox (Contact Media) 

Design Director: Candice Masson 

Copy Editor: Angie Snyman 

Production Coordinator: Gwen Sebogodi 

Writers / Contributors: Dominique Wolf, Donna Verrydt, 

Margot Bertelsmann. 

Repro & Print: Kadimah Print 

Every child a masterpiece | 1

| SPOTLIGHT NEWS | 

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2 | Crawford Times 

We messed up! 

Sometimes we get it very wrong, and we are the first to 

admit when we do. We made a few errors in our last 

issue, which we are very sorry about! 

Chrisna Swanepoel is the newly appointed Principal of 

Crawford Preparatory Pretoria and not College. 

On page 40 Yumnaa Walele from Sandton and Courtney Fitchat 

from North Coast had the same face as did Brandon Yelland from 

Lonehill and Ismaa’eel Fortune from La Lucia. 

Yumnaa Walele Courtney Fitchat Brandon Yelland Ismaa’eel Fortune 

On page 43 of the 

previous issue, Tanika 

Schram is a La Lucia 

student and not a 

Sandton student.


4 | Crawford Times


| CRAWFORD THEN & NOW | 

Hall of Fame 

Meet founding teacher and administrator, Mr. Patrick MacMahon 

Accolades: 

• Founding teacher 

• Deputy Principal 

• Chief History moderator (1983-2007) 

• Well-loved teacher 

• All-round legend 

Years: Eight years at Greenside High School; 

26 years at Crawford Sandton. 

2018 marks Mr. MacMahon’s 44th year of teaching! 

Famous saying: “I’m one of the only History teachers 

around who can actually remember the Cuban 

Missile Crisis!” 

Then: This is where we question the History guru about 

his Crawford history! Where did it all begin? 

My Crawford history began in 1992 with Graeme 

Crawford (founder) and Jeff Wiggle (financial backer)! 

Of course, the school only opened in 1993, but much 

work was going on behind the scenes. 

Then: Where were you situated? 

We didn’t even have a building at the start! In fact, we 

began working in Jeff Wiggle’s house, until of course, 

we got our first office block in Killarney. Now look how 

Crawford has grown – Sandton and all the schools. 


Then: What inspired you back then? 

Graeme Crawford, he was very inspirational and 

students as well as teachers followed him from other 

schools when he opened Crawford. This didn’t make 

him very popular but he was recruiting the best – staff 

and students! 

Then & Now: Crawford was and still is an exciting 

place to be... 

It was very exciting back then because it was so 

different and there were very big ideas and a lot of

passion! I mean, how do you run a sports department 

from an office block? But we did! Even our first 

valedictory assembly was an occasion to behold. It 

was held in the Great Hall of Wits University and 

Tony Leon was the speaker. We still do things in 

grand style today. 

Now: what do you think has been and is the 

differentiator? 

It has a lot to do with the thinking. Crawford thinks 

completely out of the box, where other schools don’t 

even know where the box is! Did I say that out loud?! 

Ha, ha, ha... 

Now: Congratulations on 44 years of teaching (and 

remaining sane!) You must have changed the way you 

teach over the years? 

Yes, we’ve all had to change the ways we teach to 

remain relevant. For instance, in the old days, we taught 

about the Battle of Dunkirk with books and stories. Now, 

we have the benefit of Hollywood and CGI to bring 

those very important events in history to life! We use that 

and kids are enjoying history more for it. 

Now: History has always been one of those groanworthy 

subjects for the majority of kids! 

It’s interesting that 81 out of 120 Crawford Sandton 

matrics are doing History! And 67 

Grade 10s! You know, History is a 

subject that anyone can do if they put 

the work in – unlike subjects such as 

Maths or Science, for instance. And 

here’s an interesting fact: when overseas 

universities are considering sports 

bursaries, they insist on a social science 

subject, which History is. So History has 

become more popular and is taking 

students places. And besides that, it is a 

fascinating subject and students learn to 

be analytical thinkers. 

Then & Now: How have students 

changed over the years? 

It’s a case of the more things change 

the more they stay the same.Throughout 

school history, there have always been 

diligent students who want to study and 

others who don’t. What has changed, 

however, is the attitude towards the 

“diligents”. In the past, students who 

were academic were often teased 

for being nerds, or teacher’s pets, but now, especially at 

Crawford, students strive to achieve because it’s cool to 

succeed. 

Now: Do you remember any “diligents” who have made 

you proud beyond Crawford? 

Oh yes, there have been many. Off the top of my head 

there’s Matthew Brittain (Olympic Gold medallist for 

Rowing); Gil Oved (Creative Counsel creator), Yusuf 

Randera-Rees (chief executive officer and co-founder of 

the Awethu Project) and Dr. Benjamin Rosman 

(Robotics expert). 

Then & Now: How has Crawford, as a school, changed 

over the years? 

Since we opened, Crawford has become completely 

multi-cultural. I’m not just talking about race but religion 

too. Crawford is one of the only schools that recognises 

and celebrates all religious holidays. 

Then: Your fondest memory? 

When we only had about 450 students at Crawford, we 

used to give each student a little cake for their birthday! 

Now: What do you love about the school for the kids? 

I love that every grade goes on bonding tour at the 

beginning of the year. Umhlanga, Drakensberg, 

Magalies Park, Mpumalanga and Sugar Bay have 


| CRAWFORD THEN & NOW | 

That’s good news 

for South Africa. My 

own daughter studied 

to be an architect, 

worked as one for 

a year and hated it. 

She then went and 

studied marketing 

administration and 

opened her own 

company. 

all been the locations for some amazing learnings 

and memories! 

Now: What has been your favourite school trip? 

In October 2017, the American Consulate was out for 

Black History Month, and after meeting with them I was 

offered a three-week trip to Illinois in the USA, to learn all 

about the civil war. It was fascinating! 

Now: It’s all about 

choices, isn’t it! 

Yes, and Crawford 

is a big facilitator of 

choice. Do you know 

why we are called 

a college and not a 

high school? There 

are two reasons... 

1. Flexible uniform – students are able to choose how 

they dress within some guidelines to remain a part of the 

Crawford community. 

Now: what worries you? 

Even though we have grown so much, we have also lost 

star students to the “brain drain”. Some great talent has 

left our country, sadly. 

Now: Can you see a change in the career choices our 

students are making? 

No doubt! Years ago students looked to become doctors 

and actuaries. Now they want to become entrepreneurs. 

2. Flexible timetable – kids can change their subjects 

(except for the required subjects of languages and 

Maths). If a student has chosen Accounting but it just 

isn’t for them they can change to another subject, even 

in Grade 11. Obviously it can be a little tricky to change 

because they do lose out on work previously done, but 

better to do a subject where you can get a 65% than 

stick with one that you are failing! 

Now: What is your advice for students, parents and other 

teachers for the future? 

Always think creatively! Too many people are thinking 

the same way. Don’t do things how they’ve always been 

done. Avoid becoming staid at all costs and that will 

keep you ahead of the curve. 

8 | Crawford Times

ADCOCK IMUENZA 


| FEATURE ARTICLE FOR THE PARENTS | 

CALLING “TIMEOUT” 

ON CRITICISM 

THE RELATIONSHIP KILLER 

By Donna Verrydt 

It’s a relationship problem that dates way back to when the grandparents of our grandparents first got married — and probably long before 

that too. It’s a problem that has caused sadness and destruction in the past, and continues to do so today. It’s time to put a stop to criticism – 

the age-old relationship killer! 

Have you heard of Professor John Gottman? He’s a 

contemporary psychologist, famous for his extensive 

research into marriage, and particularly for highlighting 

four key behaviours that pave the way to divorce courts 

across the globe. 

John Gottman researched more than 3 000 couples and 

became known for his ability to predict the likelihood of 

divorce in newlyweds, with a 90% accuracy rate. Gottman 

likes to call the four behaviours the “four horsemen of 

the Apocolypse” and these include criticism, contempt, 

defensiveness and stonewalling. 

In this article, we deal with criticism! 

Criticism, the marriage murderer! 

When you are young, or first married, criticism is often 

disguised in endearing banter. For instance, ‘Young 

Husband’ may say something like, “I can’t believe you cut 

tomatoes like that, it just doesn’t make sense... but then 

again it doesn’t make sense how beautiful you are either!” 

Cue vomit for us and loving giggle for them. For now... 

Fast forward 20 years: ‘Not-so-young Husband’ says, “I 

can’t believe you cut tomatoes like that, it just doesn’t make 

sense!” Wife replies, “I want a divorce, then you can cut 

your own tomatoes!” 

Criticism escalates over time, spirals out of control and 

always ends in resentment, and it’s basis often rests in 

control. Nobody likes to be controlled and eventually 

those who are, push back. This leads to the critical 

person becoming even more controlling to try and 

regain control! Round like a circle, in a spiral, in a 

wheel within a destructive wheel! 

Constructive vs Destructive criticism 

There’s a difference between constructive criticism 

and destructive criticism. Constructive criticism isn’t 

personal, it usually appeals to a behaviour and is 

10 | Crawford Times

intended to improve a situation. Then there’s destructive 

criticism, which is more about: 

• personality or character, rather than behaviour 

• blame 

• the intention to devalue and not to improve 

• insisting there is only one “right way” to do things 

• belittling 

Destructive criticism will never bring about positive 

behavioural change because it embodies two things that 

Professor Gottman says human beings hate: submission and 

being devalued. The bottom line is that a valued person 

will always co-operate while a devalued person will always 

resist. 

It’s all about ego! 

Critical people know that criticism doesn’t work (they know 

this because their relationship will be falling apart), but they 

continue to criticise. Why? They do this because it’s an easy 

form of ego defence. People don’t really criticise others 

because they want to change that person’s behaviour or 

attitude. They criticise others because they themselves feel 

devalued by the other person’s behaviour or attitude. Critical 

people themselves tend to be easily insulted and they need 

ego defence. 

Way, way back... 

If you delve into the past of someone who is hyper-critical, 

more often than not you will discover that they were criticised 

in early childhood by people closest to them, such as a 

nanny, a parent, a brother or sister or even a friend. Criticism 

is especially painful for children and they often feel rejected 

when it happens. Kids under seven especially will take 

criticism (even with good intention) as a sign that they are not 

good enough. 

When children are criticised, their survival instincts kick in 

and they immediately seek emotional support from people 

(often their peers) who are stronger and who they feel can 

take care of them. (This often rolls over into adulthood too.) 

But criticism is a funny thing; even though a criticised child 

or early adolescent feels the destruction of criticism, they 

eventually start to be overly self-critical too... better to criticise 

yourself than feel the rejection of being criticised by others. 

By late adolescence, this self-criticism flips over to becoming 

critical of others – and so the cycle continues into adulthood, 

destroying perfectly healthy relationships. 


FEATURE ARTICLE 

12 | Crawford Times

Are you critical? 

Think of what you say to yourself when you make a 

mistake. Critical people will typically think, “Oh you 

idiot!” If you do that to yourself, you most likely do it to 

others as well. Accidents and mistakes happen, and how 

you deal with them says a lot about who you are and 

where you came from. 

Pulling the wool 

Critical people like to convince themselves, and try to 

convince others too, that their criticism is actually “helpful 

feedback”. You can tell if it is criticism or feedback by 

how it is said: 

• Criticism focuses on what’s wrong, whereas feedback 

focuses on how to improve. For example: “You’re too 

soft on the kids!” vs “Let’s see how we can make the 

kids listen more”. 

• Criticism attacks the worst in the other person’s 

personality, while feedback focuses on behaviour and 

how to help. For example: “You’re a weak person” vs 

“You’re allowing the kids too much freedom”. 

• Criticism devalues while feedback encourages. For 

example: “You can’t do it, I’ll have to do it myself” vs 

“You’re creative, think of a way to creatively discipline 

the kids”. 

• Criticism implies blame, while feedback focuses on 

the solution. For example: “It’s your fault our child 

was naughty today” vs “Let’s see how we can do this 

together going forward”. 

• Criticism attempts to control while feedback respects 

autonomy. For example: “I know what’s best; I’m a 

better parent” vs “I respect your decisions, even though 

I don’t agree”. 

• Criticism is coercive while feedback isn’t. For example: 

“You’re not going to do it my way, so I don’t want to talk 

to you anymore” vs “I know we can find a solution that 

works for both of us”. 

If you are, in fact, giving your partner positive feedback but 

the person is not responding well, then check how you are 

giving that feedback. People respond to emotional tone, 

not to intention. Think about how you are going to say 

something before you say it! 

How to stop criticism in its tracks! 

Think before you talk; is the feedback really necessary? If 

you are a critical person you must get a handle on your 

impulse to criticise before it crushes your marriage. 

Never criticise your partner in front of others. Undermining 

or disrespecting your spouse in company will send your 

relationship into the deep-end of resentment. 

Resist the urge to “punish” your spouse by giving them the 

silent treatment or withdrawing affection – this is tantamount 

to blackmail. 

Focus on how to improve, how to think with an open and 

accepting heart and how to sincerely want to help rather 

than undermine. 


| FEATURE ARTICLE | 

CHECK YOUR 

REGRETS 

Don’t leave your emotional baggage unattended, but do find 

out what items are really not worth going back for. A freer 

future is now boarding at Gate 6… 

By Margot Bertelsmann 

There is a crack in everything, croons Leonard Cohen, 

that’s how the light gets in. But wait, this may not be just 

another Facebook platitude. Actual psychological studies 

show that human lives need a balance between ease and 

adversity in order for us to feel our happiest. After all, if we 

lived blissful lives unencumbered by any ills, how would 

we even know, having nothing to compare it to? 

As Dr. Melanie Greenberg writes in Psychology Today, 

“exposure to a moderate level of stress that you can master 

can actually make you stronger and better able to manage 

stress, just like a vaccine, which contains a tiny amount of 

the bug, can immunise you against getting the disease. 

Richard Dienstbier’s (1989) theory of mental toughness 

suggests that experiencing some manageable stressors, 

with recovery in between, can make us more mentally and 

physically tough and less reactive to future stress.” 

So a little bit of bad luck is good for us. If nothing else, 

it’s character-building and throws into relief life’s more 

pleasant moments, leading us to value them more. Luckily 

(ha!) social scientists have yet to discover a human life 

that has remained completely unexposed to the dark 

side. One person’s business fails, shattering their dream 

of financial independence. Another’s marriage ends in 

divorce, and with it, the hope of escaping a cycle of 

family dysfunctionality fades. Most of us will lose at least 

one friendship in adulthood, endure an ugly family feud, 

make a costly mistake at work, place our trust in the wrong 

hands, or treat our children in ways we can no longer 

justify to ourselves later in life. 

Regrets, we’ve had a few. 

14 | Crawford Times

Use regret wisely 

If you feel burdened by any past behaviours, it indicates 

at least one positive (but it’s a big one): that you are 

willing to reflect critically on yourself, and you have the 

potential to evolve into a better version of yourself. And 

that’s no small achievement. It also lessens the likelihood 

that you will continue to make the same mistake. There 

can be no growth without understanding. 

What’s the point of regret? It’s a horrible feeling. 

And if on top of that it doesn’t have the effect of 

changing your future, it is completely useless. Clinical 

psychologist Joanna Kleovoulou from PsychMatters 

Centre in Johannesburg says, “Many of us who get 

stuck in regret or guilt about our 

past do not understand that it is 

our psyche’s attempt to find a 

way (a lopsided, ineffective way) 

to control the outcome or to have 

wanted a different ending.” She 

says that sense of “If only…” or 

“I should have…” can be your 

clue to understand that “it’s your 

unconscious need to have felt 

more competent and masterful in a 

particular painful event. When you 

understand this, you free yourself 

up to give yourself more choices 

about how to do things differently, 

rather than sabotaging yourself by 

hovering in the past, with negative 

thoughts and feelings.” 

“The healing can take place in the ‘repair’ of what you 

did or said that was hurtful to your child,” says Joanna. 

“It can give your child the opportunity to learn that 

relationships are based on mutual respect. The values of 

honesty get ingrained; they get to distinguish between 

right and wrong and you are setting the template for 

appropriate behaviour. You’re teaching them that we’re 

all imperfect, and how to take responsibility for our 

actions. And that ultimately builds self-esteem.” 

Teenagers are already intimately acquainted with the 

idea that their parents – the heroes of their childhoods 

– have clay feet. You remove much of their ammunition 

when you, too, admit you are fallible. 

Nobody is saying you should skip 

out of the shattered remains of 

your marriage humming, “Well, 

it’ll all be all right in the end.” No. 

You can take the time to grieve 

and mourn for what was lost, and 

own your part in it (that’s “take 

responsibility for it” in psychologist 

speak.) But you’re allowed to park 

the guilt, eventually. 

Model ‘good’ regret 

The second crucial point to make 

about regret is that you cannot 

go back and change the past, no 

matter how much you may want to. 

But you can admit to the mistakes 

you’ve made. Recognising that 

you’ve messed up is an important 

step – and it’s also good for children 

in a family to see because you’re 

modelling emotional maturity. The 

most important thing a parent can 

do, says Joanna, is to be mindful 

and conscious about your parenting. 


| FEATURE ARTICLE | 

Speaking of teens, parents of adolescents are sometimes 

counselled that this is the season they must learn to let 

go. Dr. Carl E Pickhardt, writing in Psychology Today on 

Surviving (Your Child’s) Adolescence, says: “In response 

to their teenager’s quickly changing moods, parents 

can become emotionally enmeshed when they ride the 

emotional rollercoaster of their teenager’s highs and 

lows, good days and bad days, allowing the young 

person’s emotional life to become their own.” 

Emotional enmeshment, he says, is saying, “We can’t 

stand seeing her unhappy without feeling unhappy too. 

Then the only way to cheer ourselves up is getting her to 

feel better.” On the other hand, attribution is when you 

attribute your own emotional state to how your teen is 

behaving: She is driving us crazy! It’s hell here since he’s 

become a teenager. 

Why mention this here? Because, if you haven’t yet let the 

sniffer dogs examine your regrets, particularly regrets about 

perceived parenting mistakes when your kids were small, 

this stage of their lives with you can be extra difficult. 

You might torture yourself with any of the following: “I 

should have/should not have quit working to look after 

my kids/I should not have spanked/circumcised/shouted 

so much/had the food battles/divorced their mother/ 

father.” But think of it this way: If we smooth away every 

single obstacle we can for our kids, they won’t ever 

learn how to manage their own hardships – you know, 

those ones we’ve argued every human needs in order to 

feel happy? And in that way lies the annoying, entitled, 

ambition-free millennial brat we all hope our children 

won’t grow into. 

You know what? You showed up. With all your flaws. 

That’s a pretty good start to becoming a good parent – 

and a good human. 

If you are struggling to find resolve, or need 

help with your parenting, Joanna Kleovoulou 

offers a series of Parenting Wisely workshops – 

visit www.psychmatters.co.za to find out more. 

16 | Crawford Times



P ROFESSIONAL SPORTS SURFACES

CRAWFORD 

CATCH UP 


PREPARATORY 

FOURWAYS 

A lot has changed from when this picture was taken, but the 

feeling of freedom and open space remains. 

More playing space and a soccer field in 

progress. 

The first principal, Mrs. 

Heather Drage, awarding 

a prize in the hall which is 

now the tuckshop. 

An unexpected visitor at the 

preschool. 

Induction Ceremony in the Amphitheatre. 

Breffani 

Whitehead 

showing his 

mother how to use 

a computer in the 

Computer Room 

which is now the 

Music Room. 

Honours Morning 

in a marquee. 

Friendship Day Assembly in the Amphitheatre. 

20 | Crawford Times

The property on which the present 

Crawford Fourways is standing 

was initially owned by Woodmead 

Preparatory and was acquired by 

Carwford in 1998. The idea was 

to establish a Foundation Phase 

Crawford School that would feed 

into the Crawford Preparatory 

School in Lonehill that was started at 

the same time. 

Crawford Fourways was “born” on 

the first day of January 1999, and 

Heather Drage was at the helm of 

this tiny little country school. There 

was plenty of space for the children 

to play and to be free. After a 

couple of years, a pre-primary was 

erected where the current netball 

courts and staff car park is. 

Joe’s Place or the sport’s pavilion made 

way for therapy rooms. 

The AstroTurf. 

Over the last 19 years, the school 

has changed so much, the former 

school is almost unrecognisable! 

We’ve built three sets of classroom 

blocks, a state-of-the-art hall, an 

AstroTurf and a huge sports field. 

The pool was also extended and the 

parking paved. 

Crawford Preparatory 

Fourways wishes Mr. 

Isaakidis, good luck on his 

new venture. 

This is what happens at 

Crawford Fourways! 

The mosaic-tiled wall 

depicting the school values 

made by pupils in Dream! 

Innovate Yourself. 

In the latter half of 2004, Jopie 

Maasdam became principal of our 

‘barefoot’ little school. 

In 2009 Crawford Fourways 

celebrated its 10th birthday with a 

birthday bash for young and old. 

Assemblies were held under the 

blue sky and scorching sun in the 

amphitheatre and photos were taken 

in the school hall which now serves 

as the tuckshop. Honour’s Mornings 

and Valediction Ceremonies were 

a great challenge. We either had 

to transport everything we needed 

to Lonehill College or a marquee 

had to be erected, drapes put up, a 

stage built, extra electricity relayed 

to the top field and the catering had 

to be carried up to the area. 

In 2010 the pre-primary moved to 

Randa Road and the dust and mortar 

started flying at the preparatory 

campus. The school hall was built 

and officially opened, with bagpipes 

and the cutting of a red ribbon, in 

August 2011. 

The new entrance to Crawford Fourways. 

The opening of the hall. 

Fourways was always a 

forerunner. The teachers were 

trained to use iPads and write 

textbooks. Excitement reigned as 

the Grade 5-7 pupils could use 

iPads at school. 

In July 2013, Ian Rothman took over 

the reign of this happy little school. 

Jungle gyms for the Foundation Phase pupils. 

Playing fields made space for the Grade 1 classrooms 

and the Accelerated Learning Centre. 

Through all of this, Crawford 

Fourways has retained the caring 

atmosphere of a ‘little’ school 

whose ethos is based on care and 

respect for the individual. It also 

still has a “country” feel to it with 

a large number of indigenous trees 

on the property and a rich wildlifefilled 

wetland. 


PRE-PRIMARY 

FOURWAYS 

An exceptional teacher reflects. 

By Brenda Fenner, teacher at Crawford Pre-Primary Fourways 

I started teaching at Crawford Pre-Primary Fourways 

in 2000. I began at our new grounds in 2011 and 

my earliest memory of the current school premises is 

walking around the building site and being amazed 

at how much care was being taken to preserve the 

natural environment. Our beautiful and vast gardens 

make our school unique. Our pupils are privileged to 

have such a large and interesting area to play and learn 

in. I love the calm and tranquil atmosphere at our school 

and the caring and nurturing staff who work there. 

have always enjoyed young children as they are so 

I enthusiastic and keen to learn. To become a teacher 

was my career of choice but I was persuaded to 

rather follow an IT career. I enjoyed this for many 

years. After my first child was born I decided to follow 

my heart and change careers. I am so fortunate as 

now I can combine my two careers and passions by 

educating children in the field of digital literacy. 

I find it so exciting to watch those little minds pick up the 

concept of computational thinking. The most rewarding 

part of my job is making a difference in the lives of 

children and helping them to fulfil their potential. 

The most significant change has been the development 

and urbanisation of the surrounding area. I remember 

passing people riding horses on the way to school. It has 

become a truly metropolitan area that has come to life 

with urbanisation, yet the school remains a sanctuary 

for wildlife. 

My favourite tradition at the school is our Sports Day. 

It is a day where I get to witness our families enjoying 

themselves and having fun. We can engage with our 

bigger Crawford family and everyone gets involved. It’s 

also a good way of connecting with older siblings who 

are former students and meeting younger siblings. 

22 | Crawford Times

A place where magic happens. 

By Barbara Killian, Principal of 

Crawford Pre-Primary Fourways 

In a busy city, exists a uniquely tranquil, 

well-established beautiful Pre-Primary 

school, nestled among the buzz of the 

suburb of Craigavon. 

This school is magical on many scores; we 

have the privilege of creating this magic 

each day with children who laugh and play 

while learning, in the calmness and serenity 

of the beautiful natural surroundings. 

Our school opened its doors in January 

2011; with great excitement, we started 

an educational journey for 180 children. 

The founding members of our school are 

now almost ready to enter high school. 

We were, and still are so very proud of 

the fact that our daily activities, allow for 

plenty of time outdoors for learning through 

play. We know that over the years we have 

worked extremely hard to ensure play is 

work for our little children and that work is 

play! The two go hand in hand, as we go 

about preparing pupils for their adventures 

beyond our school. 

We aim to create, for each child, a wellbalanced, 

integrated and inspiring daily 

routine. It helps that our physical natural 

surroundings provide the platform for a 

perfectly balanced ecosystem and ecofriendly 

environment, which enhances 

children’s fascination with nature and its 

bursting wonderments. We embrace the fact 

that nature is the third teacher! 

Our vast grounds provide learning experiences set in nature. 

Barbara Killian celebrates the first day of school with the Grade 00s. 

As much as nature inspires us, our school 

has evolved and we are undoubtedly well 

equipped to embrace 21st Century Learning. 

Our focus is on bringing together a 

community of little people who are capable 

of using critical thinking to communicate 

their feelings and aspirations, their concerns 

and opinions, and who can collaborate and 

work together for a common cause. Our 

children are creative and are encouraged to 

be imaginative, daring to dream. 

We are proud to salute our core values. 

We cannot wait for the next seven years 

and we cannot wait to make more 

marvellous magic. 

Digital skills are an imperative part of 

21st Century Learning. 

Brenda Fenner (our Digital Literacy teacher) 

introduces Bee Bots. 


ITALIA 

Back in October of 2013, Crawford 

Italia started as a shop in the 

Bedford Centre. Manned by Mr. 

Owen Kuyper (Founding Principal) 

and Mrs. Shannon Dickson, 

enrolments were done and pupils 

bought uniforms ready for the school 

to open in January 2014. With six 

teachers from Grade 0-3, and Mr. 

Kuyper at the helm, the school started. 

Admin staff helped in every way they 

could, with Shannon, Aroshini and 

Mathilda making up the admin team. 

Sifiso was employed as the driver and 

handyman. The staff helped bring in 

desks and chairs at the 11th hour – 

with grass being planted on the day 

school started! There were about 60 

pupils in total. Slowly the pupils started 

competing in teams for sports and the 

school started some of its traditions, 

such as the Grade 3 Masterchef 

competition. This year we will have 

our 5th Masterchef title up for grabs. 

In 2014 we entered our 1st team into 

the Inter-Crawford Festival, with seven 

pupils being involved in Tech and 

Chess. This year we will be sending 

35 pupils to play Netball, Soccer, 

Chess, and to Dance and participate 

in Tech. 

The school grew and new teachers 

and classes were added the following 

year. Now we had Grade 4s and an 

Art teacher. 

At the end of 2015, Mr. Kuyper 

moved on to become the principal 

at Crawford Lonehill and Mrs Jill 

Meintjes took over at Italia. The 

school went up another grade and 

our InterSen phase was growing! In 

2017 the second phase of building 

began and the new block took shape. 

We moved into the new classrooms 


Installing the roofing for the 

soon-to-be classrooms 

Masterchef 

2014 winner, 

Ismael Smith 

Masterchef 2015 

winner, Bree 

Scott-Anderson 

at the end of 2017 and are loving 

the new facilities now available. The 

GOLab is a place of wonder and 

teamwork, developing a little more 

each day. We are working on getting 

the Science Lab up and running with 

the last of the furniture being delivered. 

We welcomed our first year of Grade 

7, and the children were all inducted 

as Counsellors at a special assembly. 

Our beautiful Dance Studio ensures 

the children are staying fit and being 

Planting the first tree at Crawford Italia. 

Mr. Kuyper (Founding Principal) 

enjoying a chocolate cake 


winner, Angelo 

Sorban 

2016 Festival Team 2017 Technology Team 

at Lonehill 


winner, Keagan 

Crombie 

Mr. Kuyper thanking 

the Admin Staff 

The 2015 

Festival Team, off 

to La Lucia. 

Italia’s first Festival 

Team in 2014 

creative, with Teacher Paula sharing 

her energy and enthusiasm. We are still 

finishing off our Resource Room and 

hope to have that completed this term. 

We have also moved into our new offices 

with so much more available space. 

So, as the youngest sibling in the 

Crawford Schools group, we’re starting 

to walk tall and thank the other schools 

for being patient and kind in helping us 

grow stronger!

Crawford Italia 2018 

The water feature adds to the new 

school entrance. 

Chino gardening with the 

Grade 3 class. 

Crawford Italia from the sky. Drone flown 

by Arthur. 

The new buildings take shape. 

The second storey in progress. 

Jonathan and his friends having fun in 

the GOLab. 

Mrs Meintjes with Gia, Aria and Gometse. 

Mrs Meintjes at Buffelspoort. 


COLLEGE 

LA LUCIA 

The organisation and planning of Crawford College took place 

in a container, serving as an office where the first headmaster 

was stationed. Joining him was a handful of staff which included 

two co-ordinators, a bursar and an administrator, all of whom 

rallied together to ensure that new students were interviewed and 

enrolled, timetables set and stationery as well as textbook lists 

finalised and distributed. 

One of the most notable early memories occurred when the 

container was blown down the embankment along with the 

office equipment housed within it. Files and papers were strewn 

everywhere as a result, yet even the unexpected force of Mother 

Nature was no match for our resilient team! 

For seventeen teachers their association 

with Crawford College La Lucia started 

with a meeting in September in a big white 

marquee tent on a bare field. These highly 

qualified, reputable and experienced 

teachers from the Durban area had signed 

up with CrawfordSchools TM after being 

“headhunted”. 

The bond which existed from the very first meeting was a single vision 

– to make a success of this new school. Nothing was too daunting, 

not even the three bare fields with no buildings. Today we have an 

exquisite campus which looks directly over the Indian Ocean. 

The first registration day was chaotic! 

The school hall and administration 

building were still to be completed. 

Computers were carried up and 

down the banks as many members of 

staff worked at school to complete all 

the admin needed for the start of the 

school year. 

In the first few years, with the use of an 

industrial roller to try to “level” the playing 

surface and the loss of countless hockey 

balls to the conservancy, many a “grassy”, 

dusty and bumpy session was had on 

Breakers Field. Queensmead was initially 

the only AstroTurf in Durban. It gave 

students the best advantage over other 

schools at a time when it became essential 

to practice and play on Astro.Over time, 

more schools installed AstroTurfs and as a 

result, all our fixtures were “away games”. 

After three proposals, Crawford College La 

Lucia got the go-ahead for their incredible 

facility, and at last, our very own AstroTurf 

was built! 

26 | Crawford Times

Twenty years later, Crawford College La Lucia has solidified its reputation for 

academic excellence, under the premise of education without fear, where good 

citizenship, leadership and sportsmanship are developed by placing emphasis 

on the needs of every child. 

The value of a Crawford education is evident in 

our graduates who are well rounded, confident 

and capable of applying the knowledge and life 

skills they’ve been equipped with. 

The GO Lab was introduced in the college at 

the start of the year and is aiding students to 

fill in the gaps of the huge scope of new-age 

technological advancements impacting society. 

The AstroTurf was met 

with great anticipation 

when completed towards 

the end of 2012. It’s 

proved to be a welcome 

addition to the already 

extensive offering of 

amenities available on 

the campus. 


PREPARATORY 

LA LUCIA 

The Preparatory school and the College initially shared 

the present College buildings for two years until the 

preparatory school was completed. This meant that all 

facilities were shared. The management teams of both 

schools, together with their administrators, shared the 

admin building. The first two years proved trying, with 

many shared frustrations and successes. The overriding 

factor, however, was the common goal to make this new 

school a huge triumph! 

From humble beginnings and the 

modest blackboard, years gone by 

has seen the introduction of latest 

technologies into the classrooms to 

enhance and optimise the learning 

experience. 

The planning and organisation of Crawford 

Preparatory began in earnest in the intense heat 

of summer ’99. Working out of a container which 

was fuelled by a noisy generator, the academic 

programme, timetables and class groups were 

finalised. 

In 2002/2003, the final 

stage of development 

brought us to the completion 

of the Preparatory school. 

This was the building of the 

hall. The fields had no builtin 

stands at this stage, and 

we made use of portable 

ones to provide a place to 

sit. 

The school began with 217 

pupils and 18 permanent 

staff. Mr Rob Thatcher was 

Crawford Preparatory’s first 

principal. 

The Preparatory was the last school to 

be built on the campus, with the College 

and Pre-Primary having been built 

first. Construction of the Preparatory 

started and staff recall fondly, visiting 

the campus expecting to see three 

completed schools. What awaited 

them, however, was some evidence of 

a building site, along with a lot of mud, 

dust and general confusion! 


Built along Armstrong Avenue, Crawford La Lucia was one of the 

first organisations to “set up shop”, surrounded then mostly by 

conservancy and bush.

When we arrived at Preparatory La Lucia, our fields were 

bare. The few trees that had been planted were practically 

twigs. As the school grew, so too did the staff, and what an 

incredible journey it has been for those who can still recall 

seeing it, quite literally, being built from the ground up. 

Our school’s PRIDE Values 

Our PRIDE focus areas for staff are: 

Personal growth and development 

Respect and relationships matter 

Inspire and innovate 

Do your best, be caring and be positive 

Educational excellence and enthusiasm 

Using 21st-century 

educational tools, 

Crawford is able to 

tap into the potential of 

young, enquiring minds 

to encourage creativity 

and innovation, and to 

ensure that pupils develop 

a modernised and relevant 

skillset. 

The Preparatory now boasts a 

total staff complement of 64, with 

Mr. Alan Angel as the Principal. 

Today, 20 years later, 

we continue to develop 

an ethos and tradition 

based on a “Commitment 

to Excellence”. As a 

progressive school, we 

strive to provide a relevant 

and stimulating educational 

experience. 


PRE-PRIMARY 

LA LUCIA 

THEN 

The Pre-Primary 

then and now... 

NOW 

THEN 

GRADE 000 – Now and Then 

Nursery rhymes have been around since the 19th Century. In the old days, it was thought that the rhymes were 

political comments of the time. Our modern take on the rhymes may not be political but they are definitely a 

comment on our times... 

Humpty Dumpty 

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall 

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall 

The structure of the wall was incorrect 

So he won ten grand with claims direct. 

It’s raining it’s pouring 


The old man is snoring 

He went to bed and bumped his head 

And couldn’t get up in the morning. 



Of course, it’s global warming… 

Jack and Jill 

Jack and Jill went up the hill 

To fetch a pail of water 

Jack fell down and broke his crown 

And Jill came tumbling after. 

Jack and Jill went into town 

To fetch some chips and sweeties. 

Now he can’t keep his heart rate 

down 

And she’s got diabetes. 

After learning our modern version of 

Humpty Dumpty, the Grade 000 pupils 

were set a design problem-solving task. 

Together as a team, they had to build 

the strongest wall for Humpty Dumpty 

with the giant Lego blocks. After several 

attempts and much testing, the children 

decided that using the overlapping 

blocks did indeed build the strongest 

wall. 


Our environmentally aware Grade 

000 pupils can offer many ways of 

saving water after we had collected 

5-litre bottles of water for the Gift 

of the Givers to take to Cape Town. 

With the words “global warming” 

used in our modern rhyme, the 

teacher used the globe to show how 

we in Durban, South Africa, are one 

of many countries in the world. The 

sun shining down on Earth is drying 

the rivers and dams, causing drought 

in many places. 

After learning their new version 

of Jack and Jill, the pupils shared 

their opinions in a discussion on 

what was healthy and unhealthy 

to eat. Together in a group, they 

sorted food into a circle map of 

healthy and unhealthy food, and 

certainly used good persuasive 

communication skills to debate 

whether pizza was healthy or 

unhealthy!

GRADE 0 – Alternative seating in the modern Pre-Primary classroom 

Out with the old traditional rows of desks and in with group seating. Working in small groups is a key learning tool 

in the Pre-Primary and promotes better attention, more participation and improved behaviour and core strength – all 

of which lead to better academic performance. The options are varied and include: 

Traditional seating on a 

chair at a table, which 

encourages good sitting 

posture. 

A standing table. Pupils 

maintain their upright 

posture for the duration of 

the activity, encouraging 

strong backs and core 

muscles, and allows 

mobility as they work. 

A table with 

stools and 

Pilates balls, 

encouraging 

strong core whilst 

upper body 

muscles and 

develops balance 

and body control. 

A kneeling table, 

encourages good core 

and upper body muscles. 

A vertical wall, developing 

shoulder girdle and upper 

body strength. 

Our reading area has a 

couch and some camping 

chairs. 

Initially, the teacher guides the pupils and each pupil must perform their daily task in the area that the teacher selects. 

Once the pupils have been exposed to all the areas, they’re given the opportunity to choose the area that suits their 

type of learning best. 

GRADE 00 – Teaching ICT 

A few years ago, technology was about going to 

a computer lesson in the Computer Room with Mrs. 

Simmer who used a stand-alone computer to link to 

the Smartboard. Pupils took turns to interact with the 

Smartboard while their peers observed. 

Today, technology is a wonderful teaching resource. 

Over the course of the year, our Grade 00 pupils 

are exposed to the Smartboard and iPad which are 

used strategically as supportive learning resources. 

Initially, much time is spent explaining how to use the 

resources effectively, but later the pupils record their 

group work through photographs or videos. By the 

end of the year, they even compete with their friends 

during an interactive game relating to topics, such as 

number recognition or rhyming pairs, while utilising 

a combination of the Smartboard and iPad. We’re 

preparing our pupils for a rapidly evolving future and 

are so excited about our 21st-century classroom! 

Playgroup 

The pre-primary training pool was built in 2008 and 

the 25-metre pool was built in 2012. Our Playgroup 

learners are first exposed to water in the training 

pool and then move on to the bigger pool where 

they experience real swimming events. All pupils 

participate in a gala in Grade 0. 

Pre-Primary training pool 

The Grade 0 Gala 


COLLEGE 

LONEHILL 

Lonehill Country Club – Taken in 1972, prior 

to any plans of building a school. 

Girls 1st Team Water Polo goalie in 2007 

Heritage Day was 

fresh in the minds of all 

students in 2001 and is 

still celebrated annually 

at the college. 

Our estate managers and facilities coordinators 

were taken on a trip to Cape 

Town with Mr. Pike (Former Principal). Frans 

Mosepele (middle) and Willie Masilela 

(right), who are still on the staff of CCL. 

Boys 1st Team Hockey players 2001 

The tradition of the Matric Breakfast in 

2001. Perhaps a little less noisy than it 

is today! 

There were a number of 

unusual sports, such as 

Archery and Fencing that 

were included on the 

extramural list. 

Malcolm Pike: 

“I was principal of the college for 12 

years and in that time it grew to be a 

well-balanced academic institution, strong 

in sport and cultural activities educating 

students to think independently and become 

self-confident leaders. Our proof of success 

is in the achievements of our past students 

who have excelled at universities in SA and 

abroad, and many have become leaders in 

their professions”. 

Matric Dance photo 2007 


Three of the founding staff of the college, Felicia 

Visser, Barbara Vickers and Jenine Van Duyn with 

the former principal, Malcolm Pike.

Crawford Lonehill College was built 

on the original grounds of the Lonehill 

Country Club. 

Girls 1st Team Water Polo goalie, 

Georgia O’Flaherty, 2018 

Annual yearbook, ‘Then’ and ‘Now’ 

Heritage Day in recent years 

Ten years on, the Matric Dance 2017 

Matric Breakfast 2017. Same excitement as 

the early days! 

Frans Mosepele has been 

working on these premises 

for the last 31 years. First 

in the employ of the Lonehill 

Country Club and then 

Crawford Lonehill, since 

1998. When asked what’s 

been the biggest change 

over the years, his reply 

was of the fond memories 

working in the country, with 

lots of bush around and 

very few houses. He does 

say that his job has become 

more exciting as more and 

more people joined him in 

his place of work. 

Boys 1st Team Hockey and the same 

enthusiasm as in the early years, and now on 

our own hockey AstroTurf. 

Mr. Ingo Vogt, Principal of 

the College since 2017 

Front view of the building as it 

stands today. 

The staff that were on the founders’ roll 

in 1999 and are still part of our present 

staff contingent include: 

Barbara Vickers. 

Felicia Visser. 

Jenine Van Duyn. Gari Coppin. Patricia Moyo. 


PREPARATORY 

LONEHILL 

Once upon a time, long, looonnggg ago, it was 1999. On the 

banks of the Jukskei River, a golf course was being converted to a 

majestic building. First one building, then two and then more! And 

finally, rising from the earth, Crawford Preparatory Lonehill school 

emerged, and stood tall! 

Our campus boasts a top-notch 25-metre swimming pool that was 

added to the facilities in 2002. It is hard to believe that this too was 

once just a hole in the ground. 

One of the last buildings to be completed on the campus was the 

school hall. Pupils and staff would sit outside on the grass and 

assemblies were held in the open air. 

It must be something 

in the Lonehill water – 

time hasn’t changed 

for these lovely ladies! 

These photographs 

were taken in 2002 

and then and now, 

they’re just the same. 

Ms. Lindsay Gaydon Mrs. Anne Nicholls 


Our buildings have been designed in a 

classical and timeless fashion which means that 

from 1999 until today, the look of our campus 

has stayed relevant and up to date. One of 

the most interesting things to note is how the 

natural elements, especially the trees, have 

grown and flourished on our campus. (Much 

like our pupils!) 

Mrs. Kate Shabalala 

Our very first principal on 

the new, alone-standing 

campus, was Mr. Neville 

Swain. Neville was at 

the helm of our school 

from 2000 to 2013 

when he retired and 

moved to the UK, where 

he now teaches a few 

classes from time to time 

because being a teacher 

is not a profession, but a 

calling that doesn’t seem 

to adhere to the rules of 

retirement! 

Do you recognise this 

young superstar? Tony de 

Zorzi is a South African 

cricketer. He was included 

in the Northerns squad for 

the 2016 Africa T20 Cup. 

He made his Twenty20 

debut for Northerns against 

Kenya on 16 September 

2016. And yes, he was the 

1st Team Cricket captain at 

our school in 2010! Tony 

showed great potential 

from a very young age 

and we are proud of the 

fact that we had a hand 

in developing his talents. 

Crawford Preparatory 

Lonehill has been part of 

the journey to greatness for 

many pupils!

Today, our beautiful school is well established and thriving. 

Our 1st Team Cricket Captain 

of 2018 is Ayush Ramnarain. 

This young man shows as much 

potential as his predecessor, 

Tony de Zorzi, and we will 

be watching his progress on 

the field with proud Crawford 

Lonehill hearts! 

Here stands our school hall where so many memories have been made throughout the 16 

years of its existence. Productions, valedictions and ceremonies of all sorts have been held in 

this beautiful facility. How far we’ve come from assemblies on the front lawn! 

Our campus has truly evolved, much like the trees 

all over the property. From a little seed with great 

potential to a mighty tree, with deep roots that 

anchor it during stormy times and high branches 

that reach higher and higher into the sky as time 

goes by! 

Mr. Gordon Ewen has been 

climbing the ranks in the 

CrawfordSchools TM system, 

starting as a teacher at 

Crawford Sandton in 2000 to 

being the Principal at Crawford 

Preparatory Lonehill since 

January 2018. 

Today our swimming pool is one of 

the facilities that makes Crawford 

Preparatory Lonehill’s sporting 

activities great. The school boasts 

two competitive swimming teams that 

utilise this fantastic facility five days a 

week! 

The Jukskei River 

might just be the 

fountain of youth 

Mrs. Kate Shabalala Mrs. Anne Nicholls Ms. Lindsay Gaydon 


PRE-PRIMARY 

LONEHILL 

“New beginnings 

are often disguised 

as peaceful 

endings...” 

– Lao Tzu 

Crawford Pre-Primary Lonehill opened 

its doors in 1999. The school 

expanded at a rapid rate, which meant 

that new premises had to be found to 

accommodate this growing demand for 

innovative and exciting education. Many 

happy memories were shared as we 

waited patiently for our new school to be 

built. We had to make do with prefab 

classrooms and a makeshift cycle track, 

which was a tennis court. We had a tiny 

car park which led to a few frustrations 

in the mornings, but Taryn and Lebo 

greeted our parents at our drop off, with 

a happy smile and a wave goodbye. 

Former Principal, Ros Truelock was 

innovative in ensuring that every nook 

and cranny was utilised and children 

could always learn and discover. Our 

mud pits, where much fun was had 

exploring, was one of the children’s 

favourite activities! Old storerooms 

became offices and even classrooms, 

but no expense was spared in ensuring 

that the children had an exceptionally 

well-resourced educational environment. 

The ‘old’ Pre-Primary building 

Our classrooms 

Our cycle track was originally a tennis court 

The tennis courts that we shared with 

the college. 

Our access to the college grounds. 

Our entrance into the school 

Our administration block was 

converted from old classrooms. 

Our sandpits 

Former 

Principal, 

Ros Truelock 

who started 

at the old 

Crawford 

campus in 

2000. 

36 | Crawford Times

In May 2017 we finally moved into 

our much anticipated new premises in 

Cheyney Road. New facilities including 

a multipurpose venue, library, tennis 

courts, new classrooms, specialist venues 

and lots of parking awaited us. We have 

state-of-the-art facilities with sprawling 

gardens and space for the children to 

learn through play. With our new school, 

we were able to design and implement 

structures to benefit the development of 

each child. Mrs. Caroline Miller (current 

Principal) joined our school in October 

2017 and brought some wonderful 

new ideas to our school. Our Discovery 

Centre opened in February this year. This 

centre sees the children in Grade 0 and 

00 exploring the wonders of Science, 

Computer Literacy, Lego construction 

and general exploration using the 

framework of rigour and relevance. In 

addition to the inquiry-based research, 

our remedial specialist, Di Holm spends 

some quality time with small groups of 

children reinforcing essential perceptual 

skills. Jacqui Smallbone, our Deputy 

Principal, teaches our new Digital 

Literacy programme during this time. 

Here the children are exposed to iPad’s 

and laptops as well as robotics, where 

Beebots start us on the exciting journey of 

coding. Although we absolutely love and 

value having our own space, we do miss 

the daily interaction with the college staff 

and students as well as the easy access to 

the “big facilities”. 

Our new Discovery Centre 

Our new impressive entrance 

Wide-open spaces for the 

children to run and play. 

Beautiful water 

features in our 

sensory gardens 

Mrs. Caroline Miller, 

our new Principal. 

Our beautiful library with many spaces for the 

children to sit and read. 

The entrance to our 

Grade 0000 

Jelly Tots classes. 

Covered large sandpits to shield 

us from the Jozi sun. 

Our much-loved fire engine that came 

with us from the old premises. 

Finally, a carpark to accommodate all 

our parents! 

Jungle gyms and Wendy houses for 

the children to re-enact fantasy play. 

Courtyards with obstacle courses 

between all the classrooms 


COLLEGE 

NORTH COAST 

The Crawford North Coast 

campus opened in January 

1998 on the grounds of the 

Uthongathi School. 

Three schools came into 

operation – all three schools 

occupied the classrooms 

presently on the southern side 

of the sports fields (College). 

The Pre-Primary and the 

Preparatory classrooms were 

situated in the ex-girls’ hostel 

dormitories. 

Ten new classrooms and an 

admin block were built on the 

southern side of the school 

during 1998. The Pre-Primary 

and Grade 1-3 classes of the 

Preparatory moved into this 

section of the campus on 18 

January 1999. 

17 October 1997 – ‘Open 

Meeting’ newspaper article. 

Aerial view – early 2000s. 

15 February 1998 – Crawford College list 

of staff members 

“In our first school yearbook of 

1998, I wrote: ‘I have a sense 

of being profoundly privileged 

to be part of the birth of 

Crawford North Coast and I 

am confident that we are all 

playing a part in the shaping 

of an important historic 

moment.’ My continued theme 

throughout my principalship 

was to stress the importance of 

“building our own traditions” 

and being able to look back 

in years to come with a proud 

sense of achievement,” said 

Dr. Peter Hawkey, Founder 

Principal of Crawford College 

North Coast. 

27 January 1999 – ‘Crawford 

College congratulates its 1998 

students’ news article 

17 October 

1997 – ‘Crawford 

confirms take-over’ 

newspaper article. 

15 January 1998 – 

Crawford College 

scholarships advertisement 

8 May 1998 

– ‘Crawford 

College North 

Coast’ news 

article 

15 January 

1999 – 

‘Crawford’s 

straight A’s’ 

news article 

38 | Crawford Times

Twenty years of excellence, 8 October 2017. 

Aerial view March 2018 

Welcome to Crawford College North Coast! 

Mr. André Loots, 

Principal with Sachin 

Naidoo – Dux 94.77% 

(on right) and Saneshan 

Narainsamy – Proxime 

Accessit 94.08% (on 

left) awarded 1st and 

2nd position overall 

at the ADvTECH Top 

Achievers Awards 

Ceremony on 18 

January 2018. 

Crawford College North Coast Teaching Staff 2018. 

New on the curriculum at Crawford College North Coast – 

GO Lab has arrived at Crawford 

College North Coast! Empowering 

students with the confidence to work with 

modern technologies, applying STEAM 

principles and using global sustainable 

development goals as their core guide. 

The aim is to promote the synergies of 

science, technology, engineering, art and 

mathematics with viable projects in a fun, 

open and dynamic learning environment. 

Crawford College North 

Coast has partnered with the 

Confucius Institute at DUT to 

offer Mandarin to the Grade 8s 

and 9s. Not only have students 

learnt greetings, conversational 

language and songs but also 

interesting aspects of Chinese 

culture, like the ancient art of the 

tea ceremony. 


PREPARATORY 

NORTH COAST 

Crawford North Coast 

originated in 1998 from 

the progressive boarding and 

educational establishment, 

Uthongathi, a beautiful school 

nestled in amongst the sugar 

cane overlooking the Indian 

Ocean. Today, our Crawford 

North Coast campus has 

expanded to include three 

separate schools on the campus: 

the College, the Preparatory 

school and, most recently, the Pre- 

Primary school that moved into 

their own buildings. 

Our Preparatory school was built 

in stages with classes moving 

from the current College buildings 

to new classrooms that were 

completed in phases to where we 

are now. 

Staff and children took time to 

plan and plant trees in 1999 for 

the future children to enjoy. 

Crawford Preparatory North Coast – 

our teaching staff in 2000. 


Children enjoyed having access to the 

computers that were the latest technology in 

2000. 

Pupils wrote and read poems 

and love letters to celebrate the 

planting of the trees.

The Preparatory, from Grade 1-7, 

started with 185 pupils, taught by 

14 teachers and headed by 

Mr. Mike Ford. 

In January 2002, Mr. Owen Kuyper 

relocated from Crawford Pretoria 

to become the second Principal of 

Crawford Pre-Primary North Coast 

and Preparatory. Bjorn Teunissen 

was his successor in 2009, and his 

team of management and teachers 

strived to maintain the ‘magic of 

individuality’ that had become the 

identity of the Crawford campus on 

the North Coast. His positive actions 

and attitude inspired the staff and 

pupils to work towards embracing 

the values system (R.E.A.C.H. 

– Respect, Empathy, Attitude, 

Commitment and Honesty). 

Sally-Anne Henegan joined the 

management team in 2012 and 

worked boldly beside Bjorn 

Teunissen. The strong balance of 

academic, culture and sporting 

acumen remained the priority and 

the direction of ensuring growth and 

stability in the daily education of the 

boys and girls who had chosen to be 

part of this unique campus. 

In 2016 Sally-Anne Henegen 

became the Principal of the 

Preparatory school. 

Crawford has led the way in 

education for many years and has 

a solid reputation for academic 

excellence. However, to remain 

ahead of the pack, it is necessary 

to reflect, learn and make changes 

in order to grow and embrace the 

challenges of the 21st century. 

Aerial photo of our reception, administration 

and part of our Intersen classrooms 

The Intersen building from across Acorns Field 

Crawford Preparatory North Coast staff 2017 

Reading in Grade 1 

Our beautiful reception and 

administration building 

Crawford Preparatory North Coast 

children are often involved in 

becoming more environmentally 

aware. Our scenic campus 

constantly reminds us of our 

precious environment. 

Look at our trees now! We love 

enjoying the trees that were planted 

all those years ago. 

Crawford Preparatory North Coast 

Music 

Former Principals, Owen Kuyper (left) and 

Bjorn Teunissen (right) together with our 

current Principal Mrs. Sally-Anne Henegan 

(middle) 

Integrating the use of technology in 

a science lesson. 


PRE-PRIMARY 

NORTH COAST 

Aerial view of the Pre-Primary, 2007 

Crawford Pre-Primary opened its doors to 12 pupils in January 1998, occupying a part of the College building. It relocated 

to its new building in 1999, which is now presently occupied by the Foundation Phase of the Preparatory school. By 2007 

the school had grown substantially and Rose Humphries was appointed as principal. 

At play, at the old school and the old playground. 

Farewell Rose Humphries 

After 37 years in education, 20 of 

which have been with Crawford 

Schools, Rose Humphries retired as 

Principal of Crawford Pre-Primary 

North Coast, on 31 December 

2017. She has left a legacy behind 

characterised by dedication and a love 

for her school, staff and pupils. 

Pupils of Crawford Pre-Primary, North 

Coast 2009 

It is with pride that the staff at 

Crawford Pre-Primary North Coast 

continue her vision for providing a 

happy, structured, safe and caring 

environment where children can grow 

as individuals and realise their full 

potential. 

To quote Nelson Mandela, 

“Our Children are our greatest treasure. 

They are our future.” 

Rose embraced this in all that she did 

and we miss her! 

Pre-Primary Staff 2007- Rose 

Humphries, Carol Sheehan, Cheryl 

Koenig, Natalie Brits, Geertje 

Wadsworth and Tanya Page 

Maureen Thompson Grade 000 

teacher- mentor to all 

Reception at ‘Old School’ 

42 | Crawford Times

As the campus continued 

to grow, a need for an 

independent Pre-Primary 

arose. Late in 2013 

construction began, and on 5 

May 2014, the classrooms of 

the new Crawford Pre-Primary, 

North Coast were filled with 

happy children, ready to make 

the most of all the learning 

opportunities of their new 

magnificent school! 

Crawford Pre-Primary, 

North Coast - 2018 

The opening of the new Crawford 

Pre-Primary, North Coast. 

Welcome to our school! 

At Crawford Pre-Primary, 

North Coast the children are 

given many opportunities to 

develop skills that they need 

to help ensure their future 

success – collaboration, 

communication, critical 

thinking and creativity. The 

challenge is to ensure that 

children have as much fun 

as possible while learning, 

instilling a positive attitude 

towards lifelong learning. 

Michela and Prathana collaborating to 

create a robot. 

Friendship at Crawford Pre-Primary, 

North Coast. 

Exploring our Sensory 

Garden. 

Busybubbles ‘Learn to Swim’ was introduced in the 4th term of 2017, and is now part of the 

“intracurricular” programme for Grade 00 to 0. 

Nokwanda, Vidya and Kajal 

using their collaborative 

skills to create a house out of 

various materials. 

Grade 0000, the Playgroup opened its doors 

in January 2016. Bringing with it the chatter of 

toddlers, laughter and exploration. 

Priyasha busy 

with a numeracy 

program on the 

iPad. 

Grade 000 pupils having fun at the giant 

outdoor chalkboard. 

Crawford Pre-Primary, North Coast - 2018. 


PRE-PRIMARY 

PRETORIA 

A Timeline for Crawford Pretoria 

Before 1995: Carmel Primary and High School were 

occupying the campus. It was specifically a school 

for Jewish students. 

The Crawford group, commenced with negotiations 

and Crawford Pretoria College and Preparatory was 

founded in 1996. The school flooded on its first day of 

existence due to heavy rains. 

Rod Conacher was the first College Principal in 1996, 

and Syd Gosher was the Preparatory Principal. He 

was then appointed as the College Principal in 1997 

and Owen Kuyper took over from Dr. Gosher as the 

Preparatory Principal. 

Mr. Kuyper fulfilled this role until 2002, when Ian McLeod 

became the Principal of the Preparatory School, where 

he was a popular Principal until his untimely passing in 

October 2017. He also initiated the Pre-Primary from 

2005 onwards, until Mrs. Sulochnee Nair was appointed 

as Pre-Primary Principal in 2010, where she still looks after 

our little ones. 

The Deputy Principal, Mrs. Chrisna Swanepoel, is now 

filling the shoes of Mr. Red Card McLeod, as he was often 

referred to because of his strong ties with Soccer. 

André Botha was appointed as College Principal in 2003 

after Dr. Gosher announced his retirement. Mr. Botha is 

still steering the College, which is acclaimed for the high 

academic standards maintained every year. 

THEN 

NOW 

Our beautiful 

campus with 

swimming pool, 

tennis courts and 

sports fields as it 

looks today. 

An aerial view of the Crawford 

campus when the expansions 

were built. 

THEN 

Mrs. Sulochnee Nair was a preparatory 

teacher before she became Principal of the 

Pre-Primary school. 

Mrs. Nair, our beloved 

Pre-Primary Principal 

THEN 

NOW 

NOW 


Cecile Brits was a 

Pre-Primary pupil 

many years ago. 

Cecile has gone full circle – she is now the 

ballet teacher at the Preparatory school, 

pictured here with her 00 Ballet class.

THEN 

NOW 

THEN 

A group of Grade 0s showing 

their talent for dancing. 

Raeesah Gani matriculated in 

2005 and is pictured here with 

Mrs Voutsas. 

Raeesah with her son 

Muhammed Zaydaan, 

currently in Grade 3. 

The same girls, now in 

Grade 8 in the College, are 

still great friends! 

NOW 

THEN NOW 

THEN NOW 

Neuza de Oliveria playing on 

the Pre-Primary playground. 

Neuza continued her school 

career at Crawford and is now 

in Grade 8. 

Pre-Primary pupil, Jade 

Rens in her dancing 

clothes. 

Jade still has her dancing 

moves. She is currently in 

Grade 8 in the College. 

The Life Time of a Crawford Student 

Connor Gordon was one of the many students who was in Crawford Pretoria from Grade 0 until Matric. He is an example of a true 

Crawfordian, who worked hard and performed well in his academics and participated in the various sport and culture programmes 

the Pre-Primary, Preparatory and College have to offer. He is the son of a College teacher Mrs. Megan Gordon and is described as 

a true gentleman. He displayed the qualities of the Crawford ethos: respect, accountability and compassion for others. He embodies 

Crawford Confidence. 

Connor achieved Full Academic Colours throughout his high school career and was awarded a Gold Certificate, a Bronze 

medal for Physical Science and a Silver Medal for Mathematics in Matric. He passed the IEB Exam with 6 Distinctions. 

Connor is currently enrolled at the University of Pretoria where is completing a Degree in Actuarial Science. 

Connor Gordon in Grade 0, 

Pre-Primary 2004 

Connor Gordon in Grade 8, 

College 2012. 

Connor Gordon in Matric, 

2017. Connor achieved 6 

distinctions! 

Connor Gordon, 1st year 

University of Pretoria 2018. He 

is studying Actuarial Science. 


THEN 

PREPARATORY 

PRETORIA 

THEN 

NOW 

The Preparatory staff 2005 – look for the 

familiar faces… 

NOW 

Computer classes with the old box 

computers. 

THEN 

The computer classes are now equipped 

with the latest Apple Mac computers. 

NOW 

Preparatory staff 2017, a photo taken a 

month before the passing of our beloved 

Principal, Mr Ian Mcleod. 

THEN 

The Preparatory management used to be Mrs. 

Cheryl Naidoo and Mr. Ian Rothmann (Deputies) 

with late Principal Mr. Ian McLeod. Mrs. Naidoo is 

currently the Principal of another ADvTECH school, 

Summit College, and Mr. Rothman is Principal at 

Crawford Fourways. 

THEN 

Our wonderful management team, 

Mrs. Chrisna Swanepoel (Principal) 

and Deputy Principals, Mrs. 

Anthea Jordaan and Mrs. Shavani 

Sahedeo 

NOW 

The Foundation Phase was one of 

the first expansions on the campus 

to make space for the Grade 0, 1, 

2 and 3s. 

NOW 

The traditional class set-up with pupils in rows. 


The grouping of students to ensure 

more interactive and engaging 

teaching and learning. 

The beautiful Foundation Phase 

building as it looks today.

THEN 

NOW 

A lot of improvements 

have been made to the 

Intersen building. There 

is also an outdoor 

Chess board. Chess is a 

focus at the preparatory 

school as the teams 

were Gauteng winners 

in 2017! 

The Intersen Phase building as it looked 

like then. 

THEN 

NOW 

THEN 

Many of the Preparatory pupils started school 

at our Pre-Primary. Here are sisters Kelly and 

Ashleigh Lingerfelder playing in the Pre-Primary. 

Look at us now! Sisters Kelly and 

Ashleigh Lingerfelder in their 

preparatory uniform 

THEN 

Wilson Molele 

joined the 

maintenance team 

in 1997. 

NOW 

Mrs. Traci Salter-Willis was a 

teacher at the Preparatory school. 

Wilson received his 

Long-service Award 

last year for 20 

years of devoted 

service! 

NOW 

THEN 

Mrs. Chrisna 

Swanepoel started 

as a Drama teacher 

at the preparatory 

school, 21 years 

ago. 

NOW 

Mrs. Swanepoel 

was appointed as 

Principal of the 

preparatory school 

in January 2018. 

Mrs. Traci Salter-Willis is now the 

Strategic Development Advisor for the 

ADvTECH Schools Division. We are 

proud that she started her career at 

Crawford Pretoria! 


COLLEGE 

PRETORIA 

THEN 

THEN 

NOW 

NOW 

Previous College Principal, Dr. Syd 

Gosher with a student at Awards 

Evening. 

College Principal Mr. André Botha 

with 2017 Dux Scholar Catherine 

Brink at the Awards Evening 2018. 

Facade of the College 

THEN 

NOW 

College staff 

THEN 

NOW 

THEN 

NOW 

College Admin staff, Philene Lewkowicz, 

Robyn Schroder and Wendy Burdzik 


College Admin staff Sheryl 

Joubert and Philene Lewkowicz 

(back) and Robyn Schroder 

and Wendy Burdzik (front) 

Lucas Kgopane 

was the first 

maintenance 

staff member at 

Crawford 

Lucas is still working at the 

College after 22 years of 

service

THEN 

NOW 

THEN 

A coach inspiring the Netball team. 

Our Hockey team at Interschools 

Students posing in front of the 

old signage. 

THEN 

NOW 

NOW 

Students posing in front of the 

College entrance 

Our College Administrator, Philene Lewkowicz, has a very interesting history with campus. She 

was a student at the Carmel Primary and High School. She then came back as a staff member 

of Carmel and then became a staff member of Crawford College, where she still is a very loyal 

staff member. All her children were in Crawford during their schooling years. 

THEN 

THEN 

NOW 

The fountain forms the centre of the campus. 

THEN 

The wall at the fountain displays the beautiful 

art works produced by the College students 

NOW 

Sheryl Joubert was the receptionist 

for the preparatory school when 

Carmel Primary and High School 

was replaced with Crawford, 22 

years ago. 

NOW 

The wooden chalets were removed to make 

space for new classrooms. 

6 new class rooms were inaugurated in 

2018 to accommodate the growing number 

of students 

Sheryl is now the receptionist at 

the College and boasts 24 years 

of service. She knows most of the 

students from when they were in Pre- 

Primary. 


COLLEGE 

SANDTON 

Reminiscence of the past – 

25-Year Anniversary! 

Student Executive 1996, photographed in 

the new auditorium in Killarney. The school 

started in an office block in Killarney. The 

Grade 8s and 9s had to exit the office block 

and walk on the outside of the building to get 

to their next lesson as the passages were too 

small for all the students. 

Rowing was one of our early 

extramurals. The headquarters in 

the beginning was at Germiston 

Lake. Matthew Brittain took part 

in the 2012 National Olympic 

Rowing Team. His team won 

a Gold Medal in the Men’s 

Lightweight Four Rowing event. 

Swimming was an inaugural 

sport at the college. As a 

newcomer, Crawford Sandton 

had to proceed up the 

various swimming leagues 

and reached the A-League in 

1999. Since then we have 

never looked back! 

Here we see the college students supporting 

the construction of Sandton Preparatory. The 

iconic Preparatory fountain was built in the 

1990s and the college students obviously are 

delighted by it in this photograph! 

Music teachers taught classical Music inside 

the timetable and as an extramural. Students 

specialised in different musical instruments, 

such as violin, piano, flute and harp. 

Students at Killarney enjoyed 

Volleyball and Table Tennis during 

breaks and after school. Today, 

students still play Table Tennis and 

Chess on the giant Chess set at break! 


We performed very successfully 

at RAPS and later started 

our own Play Festival. John 

Trengove, director of ‘Inxeba’, 

matriculated from Sandton 

College, then Killarney, in 1996. 

Crawford Killarney 

and Sandton have 

always been known 

for their incredible 

Art Department and 

creative, talented 

students.

“Crawford College has taught us to be 

individual – but individuals who never 

forget that they are part of a group; 

individuals who never forget they are part 

of a world; individuals who won’t let you 

forget that it is individuals who make up 

the groups; individuals who make up the 

world, and that it is individuals who stand 

up and stand out in the world.” 

Stasia Bednarek, Grade 12 1995. 

As we are celebrating our 25-year 

anniversary at Crawford College 

Sandton, we are reminiscing about the 

past; from staff meetings around the large 

boardroom table to the Grade 10 tour 

to the Drakensberg at the beginning of 

every year. The Grade 10s hiked up the 

mountain, went up the chain ladder and 

spent the night on the top of the mountain 

in tents! From alumni studying at Yale, 

Brown, Columbia and Harvard to sharing 

alumni’s 21st birthdays, weddings and 

children’s birthdays! We are proud 

of our Olympians: Michael Meyer 

(Swimming), Matthew Brittan (Rowing), 

Dylan Bosch (Swimming) and Stephanie 

Sandler (Gymnastics) and alumni who 

have gone into education to carry on 

the legacy of Crawford. But above all, 

we celebrate what hasn’t waned and 

is still the essence of Crawford College 

Killarney/Sandton – academic excellence, 

celebrating diversity, innovation, 

cultivating ‘mavericks’ and developing the 

whole individual. 

The school recognised our Grade 12 students 

at their Leadership Induction on Monday 

29 January in a special assembly. Ms Lall, 

their Grade Controller reminded them of the 

pledge they made to the school in Grade 8 

2014. Both the Student Executive and Student 

Representative Council were also inducted at 

this assembly. 

Crawford College Sandton’s 1st XI Cricket 

Team took on Hyde Park High School’s 1st 

XI on Saturday 24 February and won the 

match by 104 runs! In the photo is Gary Van 

Draanen bowling at the match. 

The environment in which we 

teach, grow and support each 

other has developed from 

when we began in 1993. 

Kamohelo Khetsi, together with 

other dancers, spurred on the 

Crawford supporters at the 

A-League Gala. The We are 

Africa! spirit rippled over the 

stands as our students shouted, 

chanted and danced on the 

day to support our swimmers. 

The Dramatic Arts students attended 

Another One’s Bread by Mike van 

Graan at the Market Theatre on 

Thursday, 25 January. It was a 

phenomenal piece of theatre as it 

addressed hard-hitting South African 

issues like gender and poverty in a 

satirical format. We also had the 

honour and privilege of hosting Mike 

van Graan on campus. He’s also an 

acclaimed playwright, and the writer 

of one of the prescribed IEB play-texts 

for Grade 12 – ‘Green Man Flashing’. 

Jordan-Jenna Rolfe has qualified to compete 

at The South African Junior National 

Swimming Championships and The South 

African Senior National Swimming Champs. 

Congratulations to Jordan-Jenna on her Grade 8, 9 and 12s supported 

achievement of first place at Prestige in the our swimmers at the A-League 

200 breaststroke. 

Gala with great enthusiasm! 

Congratulations to Ryan Zasas and 

Chenay Date-Line for being selected to 

represent Swim SA in the Cana Zone 

IV competition in Malawi. Ryan Zasas 

achieved a first place at Prestige Gala in 

the 200 IM & 50 breaststroke as well as 

a record in the 50 breaststroke. 


PREPARATORY 

SANDTON 

It all began one Sunday afternoon 

in 1995... a group of passionate 

teachers, each headhunted for their 

expertise, met to begin building a 

school... a school that was to be 

started without walls or windows 

but with passion, dynamic vision 

and trust. Crawford Preparatory 

Sandton laid its foundations in these 

strengths even before the buildings’ 

foundations were laid. 

Once upon a time in our Media Centre... 

There may have been no uniforms, 

classrooms, parking, sports facilities, 

bells or intercoms, but the spirit of 

those teachers, parents and pupils who 

embraced the Crawford vision, started 

a small revolution in education. Even 

though other schools laughed at our 

children with their long hair, earrings 

and trendy shoes, they could not deny 

the spirit of Crawford. With Ronnie 

de Klerk at the helm, the schooling 

community soon began to understand 

that Crawford was a school that valued 

diversity, freedom of expression, 

and the development of the child as 

an individual. Offering subjects like 

Drama, Music, Dance, Eco-Education, 

Music and Art, ignited a passion for 

education that was holistic, while 

French, Greek and Hebrew were to be 

the start of the global family we have 

grown into today. 

From bussing children between 

the Killarney campus and Summer 

Place, to a muddy construction site – 

complete with rain – to trees shading 

outdoor classrooms and parking lots 

transforming into netball courts; we 

have steadily grown a sanctuary in the 

heart of Sandton, where magnificent 

buildings and venues now stand. 


Building a brighter future. 

Some of our very first Senators/ 

Councillors 

More than 50% are still here. How 

many can you recognise? 

How the principals got around at the 

Inter-Crawford Sports Festival.

Our campus is a truly global 

community. Our diversity amongst our 

pupils is echoed in our staff. We celebrate 

our family the whole year through, 

across all religions and cultures, proudly 

growing generations that have a deeper 

understanding and true appreciation of the 

strength that lies in diversity. 

Our family extends to the biodiversity all 

around us. What was once the famous 

Benmore Farm, renowned for its Ayrshire 

herd of cattle, is now a Blue Plaque 

Heritage Site. Inspired by the history of 

the land and its farming heritage, our 

Grade 3s tend to their very own herb 

garden. We have earned our Green Flag 

(Platinum Status) as an Eco-School through 

sustainable initiatives that strive to lessen 

our footprint. Our Intersen Phase Eco- 

Education pupils have the added privilege 

and responsibility of raising and releasing 

owlets every year. 

Loving every day at 

Crawford Sandton. 

Celebrating our Friendship 

Day spirit. 

Team-building on tour. 

Our colourful Holi Festival. 

Good old-fashioned mud 

splashing. 

The foundations of passion, dynamic vision 

and trust have stood the test of 21 years 

inspiring world-class Drama productions, 

including ‘The King and I’ (complete with 

original costumes for the State Theatre), 

fashion shows, Grade 7 Market Day, 

Grade 6 Elections, food fairs to name but 

‘a handful’. 

Making new 

friends on bonding 

tour. 

Diving into 2018 with gusto. 

Modern scientists apply the 

latest techniques. 

Our 25-metre heated pool has seen 

our swimming team reach the A-League 

with our Athletics Team following suit. 

Our passion on the sports field extends 

to Soccer, Netball, Hockey, Softball 

and Chess. 

Musically, our campus has always 

danced to its own beat. Today we offer 

Music Production, Drums, Saxophone, 

Guitar, Violin, Piano, Keyboard, as well 

as the wind instruments. Collaboration 

across the Arts constantly pushes the 

boundaries of our creativity, celebrating 

our talented artists. 

Crawford Preparatory Sandton has 

grown in size and stature but at our 

core, we remain true to our vision 

of growing the individual child in a 

nurturing, inspiring environment. Our 

passion for academic excellence, 

sport and culture continues to drive us 

forward, always looking to tomorrow 

while making sure every day counts! 

Always 

celebrating our 

multiculturalism. 

Building tomorrow’s 

entrepreneurs. 

Taking to the stage in one of our latest productions, ‘Walt’. 

Fashion meets Ecology 

Whipping up some modern 

cuisine. 

Some golden oldies who 

have been here from the Principals – then and now. 

beginning. 


PRE-PRIMARY 

SANDTON 

Pyjama parties were – and still are – such fun! 

Back then, pre-primary taught us so much about preparing 

for big school 

Look how little we were!!! 

You make amazing friends that can last a lifetime at school. 

Celebrating our moms never goes out of date! 

54 | Crawford Times

This year is being filled with new 

adventures! 

If you ask anyone about time travel, you’ll 

get fascinating answers as it’s a fascinating 

subject! Time travel back into the past 

or forward into the future is the stuff of 

science fiction and always has been. Even 

Dr Seuss has a few famous sayings to add 

to our first term, however, this is the one 

we chose to go with… 

You’re off to great places! Today is your 

day! Your mountain is waiting, so get on 

your way! 

On that note, we welcome you to the 

Crawford Pre-Primary Sandton time travel 

station, where wonderful and marvellous 

experiences take place. 

Designing fashion 

for the future. 

Step inside my 

time travel block 

machine. 

A knight in shining armour coming to 

the rescue. 

We’ve spent a very busy term getting into 

the swing of things and wow, what a fun 

time we’ve had! We explored shapes, 

colours, the human body and how it grows 

and changes, dressing up as characters 

from the olden days, and learning about 

fairy tales and nursery rhymes and where 

they originate from. 

The time police – 

time waits for no-one! 

Hanging around waiting for 

time to pass us by. 

Let the countdown begin to 

blast off in our rocket. 

With all this excitement and so much more, 

we cannot wait to see what to see what 

next term has in store for us. 

Building tall towers 

Modern-day princesses and their charming smiles. 

Who needs 

technology when 

you can go back 

in time and play 

lawn games. 

Looking at faces past and present. 

Potion 

making 

and water 

experiments. 

Seeing into the future – it’s so bright! 

Astronauts taking us back in time to see the 

dinosaurs 


PRE-PRIMARY 

VILLAGE 

Spring Day picnic, 2008 

Sports Day, 1989. Children participate in the “march past”. 

Teacher Gwen gets comfortable at the camp out 

with her students in 2004. 

The children get cosy for story time in 2009. 

Sensory Day, 2001. Sucking jelly through a 

straw is such fun! 

Grade 0s of 1991 perform their concert. 


The Orange Group get ready at the 

start line in 1997. 

Barbara, John, Patricia and Ingrid 

at John’s farewell in 2001

Parents pitch their tents and get cosy for the 2017 Camp Out. 

Sensory Day 2015 – mud, mud, 

glorious mud! 

2002 Grade 0s get ready for their race. 

Stomping through the forest, the class of 2016 perform their concert to a 

keen audience. 

Barbara, Ingrid and Patricia at Crawford 

Village’s 30-year party in 2016. 

Spring Day picnic in 2011. 

Children prepare themselves for their sporting events after the “march past”. 


CAREER FILES 

DIGGING 

UP THE 

PAST! 


The job may not be as hazardous as Indiana Jones, Lara 

Croft or everybody who works at Jurassic Park has made 

out. If you become an archaeologist you probably won’t 

be trying to outrun massive boulders, hanging off cliffs 

or dodging giant lizards but you do get to be a treasure 

hunter every single day! Sold? Now how do you go about 

becoming a Dr. Jones? 

What is archaeology? 

‘Archaeology’ means “the study of ancient things”, including 

the people of the past: how they lived, where they lived, 

what they ate, and their environment. 

How is an archaeologist different to a historian? 

Historians use documents, letters and drawings to 

understand how people lived, while archaeologists use 

tools, houses, plant and animal remains, pollen, shells and 

other evidence that they dig up in excavations. 

How does archaeology differ from palaeontology? 

Palaeontology is the study of plant and animal fossils, while 

archaeology is the study of human artefacts and remains. 

However, both work closely together. 


Why do people study archaeology? 

The past is the key to the present and the future. Everyone 

should know where they came from – their heritage – and 

the lessons that they can take out of past events to make the 

present and the future better.

“STUDENTS AT ALL 

UNIVERSITIES RATE 

ARCHAEOLOGY 

AMONG THE 

MOST INTERESTING 

OF THE MANY 

SUBJECTS OFFERED 

BY THE UNIVERSITY.” 

What do archaeologists do? 

Dig: Archaeologists make a grid of squares 

with string on the ground and each square is 

excavated carefully with a trowel, brush, dustpan 

and bucket. They record and draw everything 

that they find. Things they find include pottery, 

animal bones, stone tools and beads. 

Study rock art: Some archaeologists study rock 

art painted or engraved by our ancestors. Using 

special techniques they’re able to trace the rock 

art and record their findings. 

Work in labs: Lab archaeologists work on all 

the artefacts found out in the field. They sort the 

artefacts into different categories (stone, metal, 

bone, charcoal, beads, etc.), they count how 

many there are in each group and they test the 

elements. They then record all their workings and 

present their findings to relevant and interested 

organisations. 

Record and write: All archaeological findings 

need to be recorded so that people can 

read about the past, in books and museums, 

and find out about their heritage. Recording 

archaeologists write books, make television 

shows, give speeches, create information 

websites, etc. 


| CAREER FILES: ARCHAEOLOGY | 

What do I need to study archaeology? 

A matric exemption is first and foremost on the list. 

Some universities place archaeology in the Sciences 

Faculty while others place it in the Arts/Humanities 

Faculty. Your archaeology direction depends on what 

other subjects you take: 

Archaeology with scientific subjects such as Chemistry, 

Physics, Anatomy, Zoology and Botany, will allow you to: 

Cool archaeological sites 

(below and above the ground) 

An interesting archaeological site that was once buried 

by ash from a nearby volcano, thousands of years ago, 

is Pompeii in Italy. Today it’s a popular excavation site 

that tourists flock to, to see the discovered ruins of a 

once bustling Roman city. 

• Analyse bones of animals 

• Analyse plant remains and pollens to find out how 

climate has changed and what vegetation existed in 

the past 

• Analyse bones of fossil hominids and DNA to explain 

the evolution of humans and how we are all related 

• Analyse isotopes from bones to discover what people 

once ate 

• Analyse methods for dating archaeological materials 

such as charcoal, shell and bones 

Archaeology with arts subjects such as History, 

Geography, Anthropology, Political Studies and 

Philosophy will allow you to study: 

But not all archaeological sites are buried. Some 

stand tall above the ground for all to see, for example, 

Stonehenge in England, the pyramids in Egypt, the 

Parthenon in Greece and the city of Great Zimbabwe 

in Zimbabwe. 

• Anthropology: reconstructing the social organisation 

of people 

• Historical Archaeology: finding clues to understand 

events at historical sites 

• Geography: analysing where people lived in the 

past, and why they chose those places 

• Art: to analyse and interpret rock paintings and 

engravings 

Which universities in South Africa offer Archaeology 

degrees? 

• The University of Cape Town (UCT) 

www.uct.ac.za 

• The University of Pretoria (UP) 

www.up.ac.za 

• The University of South Africa (UNISA) 

www.unisa.ac.za 

• The University of the Witwatersrand (WITS) 

www.wits.ac.za 

• The University of Limpopo (UL) 

www.ul.ac.za 

For more information on careers in archaeology in South 

Africa, visit the website of the Association of Southern 

African Professional Archaeologists (ASAPA) – 

http://asapa.co.za. 

60 | Crawford Times

HEADER HERE 

WHY WITS? 

WITS HAS A GLOBAL FOOTPRINT 

Amongst Wits alumni are illustrious 

artists, lawyers, politicians, business 

leaders, accountants and scientists who 

reflect the significant difference that our 

graduates make in the world today. 

Over 

160 000 

alumni 

5 

FACULTIES 

Wits is the only South African university to be ranked in the Global University 

Employability Ranking published by Times Higher Education. According to 

this survey, Wits has the most employable graduates on the African continent. 

Wits is also ranked FIRST in South Africa by the Centre for World University 

Rankings 2017. 

Commerce, Law & 

Management 

The only globally 

ranked university in 

Johannesburg, the 

economic heartland 

of the continent. 

Vibrant sports 

culture 

over 30 active clubs 

5 high performance 

sports codes 

• Wits has a culture of academic 

excellence, ground breaking research 

and civic engagement 

• Wits is the largest producer of medical 

specialists and sub/super-specialists in 

southern Africa 

• Wits has a diverse student population 

and offers an holistic student 

experience 

• Wits has a host of facilities including 

counselling and careers development, 

residences and a free bus service 

• Wits is the benchmark for disabled 

student facilities and programmes 

• At Wits, safety is taken very seriously, 

with 24 hour security personnel 

available on patrol, or for personal 

escorts 

Engineering & the 

Built Environment 

Health Sciences 

Humanities 

Science 

A solid history of nearly 

100 years 

Be part of a winning University 

YOUR DESTINY AWAITS ... 

www.wits.ac.za/applications www.wits.ac.za/askwits 


62 | Crawford Times

THE GOOD 

LIFE 


| KIDS’ PAGES | 

Kids’ Pages 

A-Mazing Time Travel 

Help Barney find his way back 

through time to find a dino. 

Find the 

differences 

Things change over time, 

find the differences! 

Word Clue 

Find the name of the 

prehistoric animal by 

following the picture clues. 

64 | Crawford Times


News to you! 

CHIMP & ZEE AT THE VALLEY OF WAVES 

R190 per person | www.suninternational.co.za 

Chimp & Zee, a rope adventure park has officially launched over Sun 

City’s Valley of Waves. The roped web of fun is made up of individual 

obstacles placed high in the trees, which are interconnected to form an 

exciting adventure course featuring: high balancing beams, zip lines, 

hanging spider nets and jungle rope bridges, to name a few! 

Fitness 

A degree of physical fitness is 

required but if you can run up a 

flight of stairs, you should be fine. 

Restrictions 

Maximum weight 120kg 

Minimum height 1.2m 

KIDZANIA IS COMING TO FOURWAYS! 

Opening: Later in 2018 

In February 2018, a massive Boeing 747, on the back 

of a flatbed truck, disrupted traffic on the N1 highway as 

it made its way from OR Tambo airport to its new home, 

KidZania soon to open in Fourways Mall! 

What is KidZania? 

KidZania is an interactive city combining fun and 

learning through realistic role play for children up to 

the age of 18. It’s a scaled-down replica of the real 

world, complete with streets, buildings, a transport 

system and a functioning economy. In KidZania 

children can discover, explore and learn through 

What are the activities inside KidZania? 

There are more than 100 interactive activities to choose 

from, including: 

• Aviation 

• Science and Technology 

(e.g. careers of the 

future) 

• Automotive (e.g. driving 

school, driving streets) 

• Health and Healthcare 

(e.g. Medicine) 

• Finance 

• Arts & Culture 

• Education 

• Private Sector Services 

(e.g. courier service, 

beauty salon) 

• Public Sector Services 

(e.g. fire station, police 

station, tax office) 

• Early Childhood 

Development 

• Restaurants 

• Retail 

• Sports 

• Media 

• Transportation 

On average, activities take 30 minutes. An average of 

6 activities can be completed during your 4-hour visit 

depending on the activities you choose. 

What To Bring 

• Closed shoes or go barefoot 

• Sunscreen 

• Comfortable clothing for the journey 

• Must wear a shirt or top 

• Long hair to be tied up 

role-playing different real-life jobs, such as pilots, 

journalists, scientists, firemen, TV broadcasters, 

surgeons, and many more. 

How does it work? 

When you arrive at KidZania, you’ll find yourself at our 

airport check-in area. When you check in, parents and 

kids will each receive a security bracelet with a GPS 

tracking device. Children get 50 complimentary kidZos 

(the currency of KidZania) and a map of the city. Once 

inside, all kids can explore the city and take part in the 

activities they choose. Each activity will be facilitated by 

a trained supervisor. 



Out With the Old robot, in With The new 

HELLO PEPPER 

Hey kids, moms and dads! 

My name is Pepper, and I am a humanoid robot. 

I am intended to make people happy, to enhance 

lives, facilitate relationships, introduce fun 

and learning and to connect people to the 

outside world. 

How many Peppers are there? 

There are currently four Pepper Robots in South Africa 

with more on their way! The companies investing in 

Pepper are looking to support interactions with clients that 

are repetitive and informative allowing for their current 

employees to be better utilised and upskilled to enhance 

their employees’ abilities, and thus their business. 

What is a humanoid robot? 

A humanoid robot is a device that has a body shaped 

like that of a human and which is designed for 

research or functional purposes, such as interacting 

with and in human environments. 

Pepper has been designed to identify your emotions 

and to select the behaviour best suited to the situation. 

Based on your voice, the expression on your 

face, your body movements and the words you 

use, Pepper will interpret your emotion and offer 

appropriate content. 

Where did Pepper come from? 

Pepper Robot was launched in Japan in 2014 by the 

French Company Aldebaran, which is owned by the 

Japanese company, Softbank. We’re still in the early 

days of robot and human interaction. 

Scott Giles 

MD Deftech 

010 590 0740 

scott@deftech.co 

www.deftech.co 

You can find out more at 

@pepperrobotsa on an 

educational series on Pepper 

that’s being run in South Africa. 

Or Tweet them, by using the 

handle @pepperrobotsa and 

#pepperrobotinsa. 

Robots, as we South Africans know them, are either 

found at busy intersections or on production lines but 

that is all changing now. Pepper is currently deployed 

around the world in retail, hospitality, elderly care, 

airports and banking environments, with developers 

developing more apps to support different sectors all 

the time. 

Would you like Pepper to come 

and visit your school? 

Cut this box out and give it to your teacher by 

18 June and Pepper could come and visit you! 

66 | Crawford Times

HEADER HERE 

SUNDAY, 27 MAY 2018 

Join us for a family fun day on Sunday, 27 May as Melrose Arch plays host to ducklings, 

bunnies, foxes and lions. Prams, street slider scooters, tricycles and bikes are all welcome! 

The fun starts on the Piazza with a loop around Melrose Arch and ends with rewarding hugs, medals, 

kids’ entertainment, spot prizes and a raffle. 

DUCKLINGS 

18 months - 3 years 

9:00 to 9:45 

BUNNIES 

4 years - 6 years 

10:00 to 10:45 

FOXES 


11:00 to 11:45 

LIONS 


12:00 to 13:00 

ENTER AT www.smilefoundation.co.za TODAY! 

SPONSORED BY: 


68 | Crawford Times

The Avenue of the Baobabs in Madagascar 

| TRAVEL | 

GONE TOO SOON 

There are so many factors destroying our world. If it’s not climate change, 

deforestation, poaching or plastic, it’s politics! Whatever the reason for the 

destruction of our planet, we need to realise that things need to change and lessons 

need to be taught to our children. Why not start with visits to these five places that 

currently exist on a timer... 

Madagascar on the move 

Madagascar is a huge island nation off the southeast coast of Africa. 

It’s home to thousands of animal species, rainforests, beaches and reefs. 

Estimated time left: About 35 years 

Why is it disappearing? Did you know Madagascar is the world’s 

fourth-largest island? It was once covered in 300 000 square kilometres 

of forest, but today that number is sitting at a lowly 50 000! Forest 

ecosystems are being destroyed by logging, burning by subsistence 

farms, and poaching. Lemurs, which are native to Madagascar are in 

serious danger of extinction, along with many other species that have 

not even been recorded yet. Even though there are game reserves, 

these only occupy 5% of the island and animals aren’t contained, 

meaning they can leave the safe area at any time and venture into notso-safe 

areas. 

Book me a ticket! Madagascar’s wet season is from late December to 

March – often involving cyclones, so it’s probably best to avoid the area 

then. The best time to go is between April and mid-December. 

Don’t miss... While Baobab trees can be found all over the island, the 

most majestic experience is a sunset at the Avenue of Baobabs located 

in Kirindy, where one sandy “avenue” proudly lies lined with the giants 

posing for captivating pictures. If lemurs are more your thing, catch the 

lemur baby season (October to November) when cuddly babies can be 

seen in abundance. And from July to September, on the east coast of 

Madagascar humpback whales can be spotted migrating through this 

eastern oceanic corridor, specifically around Île Sainte-Marie. 

Antanarivo 

Traditional Malagasy sailboat in Morondava, Madagascar 

An angry panther chameleon 


| Beacon Island Resort 

CAN YOU AFFORD 

TO GAMBLE WITH 

YOUR FAMILY 

VACATION? 

| Ngwenya Lodge 

When busy work schedules demand 50 weeks 

of the year and leave us with only a 2-week 

break – can you afford to gamble with your 

family vacation? 

You could look at a holiday brochure and pay the package 

price, but the rest is a gamble until you get there and open 

the door to your room. And, we all know that standards not 

up to par will completely ruin your much-anticipated vacation 

experience. 

Alternatively, you can join 750 000 timeshare owners and 

vacation club members in South Africa, and more than 25 

million worldwide, who are enjoying an unparalleled level of 

style and quality vacations with access to over 400 resorts 

in southern Africa and 5 000 globally through exchange 

companies such as RCI. 

Spacious condominium-style accommodations provide 

enough room for the family to unwind as well as privacy for 

holiday romance. 

| Mabalingwe Nature Reserve 

The wide array of resort amenities and first-class service 

is synonymous with internationally recognised brands. 

Hospitality giants such as Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, Sheraton, 

Wyndham, Disney and locally Tsogo Sun and Sun International 

have all dramatically changed the face of the industry and 

heightened the awareness of shared vacation ownership as 

a viable and credible vacation choice that makes the world 

your playground. 

When you think about it, parents have on average only 18 

annual family holiday experiences to give their children. So, 

don’t gamble on those memories - take the sure bet with 

shared vacation ownership. 

TO GET IN TOUCH WITH US VISIT: 

www.voasa.co.za 

70 | Crawford Times

| TRAVEL | 

The-not-so (For)Everglades 

The Everglades National Park is a 1.5 million-acre wetland 

preserve on the southern tip of the US state of Florida. 

Estimated time left: 40 years 

Why is it disappearing? In 1900, the Florida Everglades 

were double the size that they are today. This decrease is 

due to pollution from farms, invasive species, encroaching 

developments and more than 60% of the region’s water 

being diverted to nearby cities and farms. There are 

now less than 100 Florida panthers left in the wild (the 

Everglades being their sole habitat) and at least 20 species 

in the area also expected to be extinct in the next 40 years. 

These include snapping turtles, manatees and wading birds. 

Alligator crossing 

Book me a ticket! December through to April is considered 

the “dry season”. Temperatures are pleasant and are 

recorded at between 24 and 30 degrees Celcius. 

Don’t miss... The Everglades National Park is the only 

pristine portion of the original Everglades. There are many 

swampy hikes, breathtaking views, wildlife encounters 

(steer clear of the ‘gators), camping spots and cool kayak 

paddles through the mangroves. Shark Valley is an area 

located close to Shark River Slough, a primary freshwater 

route, and a hotspot, naturally, for wildlife in search of 

fresh water. For a bit of excitement take a water tour on a 

famous Air Boat, hovering on the water surface and getting 

you up close with alligators, all kinds of Florida birds, 

racoons and even dolphins. 

Everglades Air Boat 

Kayaking in Everglades National Park 


72 | Crawford Times

| TRAVEL | TRAVEL | | 

The Poles (the Arctic and Antarctica) 

Earth has two geographic poles: the North Pole and the South 

Pole. They’re the places on Earth that the imaginary spin axis 

passes through. Both are covered in ice and snow. 

Estimated time left: In 20-40 years’ time, no ice will form in 

Antarctica. 

Why is it disappearing? You’ve heard that global warming 

is causing the polar ice caps to melt, which affects entire 

ecosystems such as the phytoplankton that grows under ice 

sheets which feeds zooplankton and small crustaceans like 

krill, which are on the food chain for fish, seals, whales, polar 

bears and penguins. A non-profit ocean research group has 

predicted that 80% of the emperor penguin population of 

Antarctica will be lost and the rest is in danger of extinction 

if global warming continues. In the Arctic, the polar bear is 

also endangered by the steady loss of sea ice (which has 

decreased 3% per decade since the 1970s). 

Camping beneath the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) 

Book me a ticket! The polar spring or summer months are 

good because daylight lasts between 18 and 24 hours – so 

you get the most out of your days in the snow (June and July in 

the Arctic, and January and February in Antartica). 

Don’t miss... If being at the top of the world isn’t enough for 

you, jump in a basket a get higher in a balloon ride over the 

Arctic. If you don’t like gas, then a helicopter ride should do 

the trick. Spotting polar bears is obviously a huge motivator 

for people to visit the polar region, but the latest extreme 

sport is to actually dive with them. It’s said to be like cave 

diving except the walls are moving all the time, the water is 

freezing... and has bears in it! 

Emperor penguins 

Polar bear 

Inuit Eskimo houses in Greenland 

Scientists exploring Antarctic icebergs by boat. 


74 | Crawford Times

| TRAVEL | TRAVEL | | 

The Dead Sea is dying 

This Great Rift Valley inland lake has an incredibly high salt 

content due to evaporation being the only water outlet. 

Estimated time left: 50 years 

Why is it disappearing? Seaside hotels and cafés along the Dead 

Sea are not so “seaside” any longer. In just 40 years, the Dead 

Sea has reduced by nearly a third, leaving seaside establishments 

now 1.5 kilometres from the water! 

A mud spa bath with sought-after natural minerals 

The disappearance has been blamed on surrounding countries 

increasingly tapping into the Jordan River – the lake’s sole source 

of water; and cosmetic companies making big business out of the 

natural minerals of the Dead Sea said to rejuvenate the skin. 

Book me a ticket! The Dead Sea weather is generally sunny and 

dry all year round, with temperatures mostly above 30°C. There’s 

lots of activity here in June, July and August (summer); while 

a cooler and more chilled time is during the winter months of 

December, January and February. 

Don’t miss... Obviously, taking a float (you can’t sink) in the 

Dead Sea is the number-one thing to do here, but the surrounding 

escarpment also has some interesting historical sights to see. The 

caves of Qumran is where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered 

in 1947 – the oldest surviving manuscripts of the Bible. Wadi 

Bokek is a great Dead Sea hike that offers gorgeous greenery 

and gushing springs, a stark contrast to the sandy cliffs. The 

hiking is easygoing and a nice burst of energy after floating on 

the sea all day! 

Eastern Jordan resorts are plentiful 

Dead Sea salt crystals at sunset 


76 | Crawford Times

| GADGETS | 

TIME AFTER TIME 


Keycraft Banana Powered Clock 

Experiment Kit 

Demonstrate the basic principles of batteries and electricity with 

this absolutely bananas experiment! Batteries work by moving 

and storing charges; a lot like electricity. In order for a fruit to be 

a battery, it needs to be able to conduct electricity. The acids in 

the fruit make ions, or charged particles, when put in a solution 

like water. These charged particles are the same type as the 

charged particles in an electric current. 

www.thegadgetshop.co.za 

R149 

Kikkerland Triple Gear 

Wall Clock 

There is something quite majestic about the workings 

of the cogs in a watch or clock – so why hide the 

engineering ingenuity with a cover and glass? 

Display those cogs on your wall with this triple gear 

wall clock. Watch as precision gears interlock to turn 

the bold minute and hour hands to give you the most 

accurate time. 

www.thegadgetshop.co.za 

Tomato Watch 

Tomato’s tagline is ‘complete your look’ and 

with their variety of trendy watches, it doesn’t 

matter what you’re wearing, your look will be 

complete. Local designers at Tomato bring fresh, 

fashionable and affordable watches to your 

range of accessories. Check out the website for 

the whole range. 

www.bacherco.co.za 

R1 699 

R649 


Personal Styling 

Personal Shopping 

Wardrobe Organising 

Corporate Uniforms 

Corporate Image 

Styling For Shoots 


Dominique Wolf 

www.thestylecoach.co.za 

dom@thestylecoach.co.za

| GADGETS | 

Salvador Dali Melting Clock 

Inspired by Salvador Dali’s The Persistence of Memory, 

this unusual melting clock looks like it tick-tocked 

straight out of the famous painting! Designed to look 

like a large melting pocket watch, complete with 

a winder on top, this stylish timepiece is perfectly 

designed to hang off any flat surface. What’s more, 

thanks to the clock’s quartz precision movement, it 

keeps perfect track of the time – so no blaming your 

lateness on your clock melting! 

www.mantality.co.za 

Pylones – Chef Timer 

This will be the only time a chef will ever let you 

mess with his or her hat – so take advantage! 

Twirl his hat so your cake won’t go flat! And 

although he is a bit of an old-timer, he’s a stickler 

for punctuality... and invaluable in the kitchen. 

www.takealot.com 

R180 

R200 

GPS Kids Watch 

Tracking your kids may sound like a cool 

thing to do, but in this day and age, 

having the ability to track your children is 

possibly life-saving. This trendy kid’s watch 

comes with a voice intercom, two-way 

communication, GPS, WiFi-enabled and 

SOS emergency call. Download the app to 

your smartphone to monitor and view your 

child’s location. This watch is also classified 

as waterproof so is great for washing 

hands, getting wet in the rain or a short time 

swimming in the pool. 

www.gpskidswatch.co.za/gw400s 

R1 599 


| TIME MANAGEMENT: | 

STUDY TIPS 

FOR TEENS 

Compiled by Donna Verrydt 

ACE YOUR EXAMS WITH THE POMODORO TECHNIQUE 

It’s almost too simple. And it doesn’t even 

have to cost a thing... unless of course, 

you need a fancy novelty timer. 

The Pomodoro Technique was created 

by developer, entrepreneur and author 

Francesco Cirillo, who named the system 

“Pomodoro” after the tomato-shaped timer 

that he used to break down large amounts 

of studying into smaller chunks, while he 

was a university student. 

The technique is simple and probably 

something you have heard about before, 

but if you use it properly, nobody will ever 

throw tomatoes at you for lousy marks! 

What is the outline? 

When faced with any big task or lots of 

tasks, break the work down into sprints – 

short, timed intervals (called “Pomodoros”). 

These sprints end in short breaks. This 

trains your brain to focus and concentrate 

for short periods of time and to get the 

maximum amount of quality learning done. 

With frequent use, this technique may 

even improve your attention span and 

concentration. 

Here are the 5 steps you need to do: 

1. Outline what you need to study – make a list and a checkbox. 

2. Set the Pomodoro (that’s the timer) to 25 minutes. 

3. Study your chosen section until the Pomodoro rings, then tick that box. 

4. Take a short break (5 minutes should be enough). 

5. After every four Pomodoros (that’s 25 minutes x 4), take a longer 

break (15-30 minutes, or whatever it takes to make you feel 

recharged), and then start your next 25-minute study sprint. 

Repeat this process a few times over your study day and you’ll see how 

much you get done. 

What if I get distracted? 

Unless the house is on fire, of course, no sibling, parent or telephone 

call should distract you. Postpone the distraction until your Pomodoro 

is finished. You can do this by using the “inform, negotiate, and call 

back” strategy: 

1. Inform the distractor that you’re in the middle of studying. 

2. Negotiate a time when you will be free to see them or call them back. 

3. Call back when you say you are going to – of course, only after 

your Pomodoro! 

Sure, not every distraction is that simple, and if it is an absolute “must” 

that you stop your study sprint before your Pomodoro is finished, then 

stop your timer, save your study notes and when you get back to it, 

start this Pomodoro from the beginning – a new 25-minute session. 

80 | Crawford Times

How do I get started with the Pomodoro 

Technique? 

Since a timer is the only tool you need, choose 

your timer wisely! You can go with a cellphone 

timer app, a stopwatch or a plain old egg timer 

– even one shaped like a tomato. 

For those more tech-savvy, we’ve outlined a 

number of Pomodoro apps that offer more 

features than a simple timer. Here are a few to 

consider: 

Marinara Timer: This is a web app that you can 

keep open in a tab on your laptop or iPad. You 

can select your timer alerts so you know when 

to take a break, or reconfigure the work times 

and break times up to suit you. It’s very flexible, 

and you don’t have to install anything. 

Tomighty (Win/Mac/Linux): This is a crossplatform 

desktop Pomodoro timer that you 

can fire and forget, following the traditional 

Pomodoro rules, or use to customise your own 

work and break periods. 

Eggscellent (formerly Pomodorable, OSX): offers 

an exciting and adorable approach to get work 

done! Based on effective time management 

principles, Eggscellent transforms your to-do 

list into manageable activities. You commit to 

finishing your goals, and Eggscellent lets you 

strategise when and how to accomplish them. 

It features an innovative visual timer that allows 

you to watch your eggs hatch! 

Simple Pomodoro (Android): This is a free, opensource 

timer that is minimalistic. Tap to start the 

timer and get to work, and take your breaks 

when your phone’s alarm goes off. You can’t do 

a lot of adapting to the sprint sessions, but you 

get notifications when to take your breaks and 

when to go back to work, and you can go back 

over your day to see how many Pomodoros 

you’ve accomplished. It even integrates with 

Google Tasks. 

Focus Timer (iOS): This used to be called 

PomodoroPro, and is a good-looking feature for 

iPhone and iPad. You can customise your study 

sprints and breaks, review your work history to 

see how your focus is improving, and the app 

even offers a star-based rating system to keep 

you motivated. You can even customise the 

sounds, and hear the clock ticking when you 

lock your phone so you stay on task. 


MAKE YOUR MATRIC DANCE 

Let Khaliques dress you for your matric dance, from top to toe, 

whatever your personal style. 

Their experts will have you looking hot, for a lot less. 

Trust in Khaliques to look your best. 


Sandton +27 (0)11 783 2468 The Oriental Plaza +27 (0)11 836 4418 Cedar Square +27 (0)11 465 1613 Mall Of Africa +27 (0)10 007 3506 

www.khaliques.co.za

MATRIC DANCE 

SPECIAL 

By Dominique Wolf 


The Dress 

The international ‘red carpet’ is a wealth of 

insight into the trends, colours and styles of 

evening dresses for the year ahead. 

If you still can’t decide on a dress for your 

matric dance, here are some tips on the 

hottest, up-to-the-minute celeb styles. 

COLOURS 

White 

There is absolutely nothing 

wedding-like about the white 

dresses seen on the red 

carpet this season. No fancy 

feathers, frills or lace – the 

dresses were super tailored 

and angular. This is a very 

brave colour to wear if you 

don’t have a long, slim body. 

White is a very unforgiving 

colour. 

www.worldcelebritydress.com 

and www.pinterest.com 

Blush 

If you prefer a more muted 

tone, this ballet-slipper 

pink is beautifully feminine 

and was used as appliqué 

and embellishment on the 

same colour dresses. Very 

light fabrics tend to need 

some texture like this to 

give the otherwise bland 

shade some life. www. 

footwearnews.com and 

www.pinterest.com 

Hot red 

This is a massive colour for evening dresses and 

for Winter 2018. This red has a slightly orange 

undertone and looks great on almost everyone. 

“Lady In red” is very much still a thing! 

www.variety.com and www.pinterest.com 

Metallic and black 

A delicate combination of silver or gold and black 

gives your dress a shimmer with a bit of an edge. The 

black tones down the shine and makes the dress look 

more sophisticated. 

www.oscar.go.com and www.pinterest.com

DRESSMAKER WISHLIST: 

Vesselina Pencheva 

www.vesselina.co.za 

| TRAVEL | 

Annie Potgieter: 082 654 8599 

Gert Johann Coetzee 

www.gertjohancoetzee.com 

Roxanne Pengilly 

www.dressesbyroxanne.co.za 

Asanda Madyibi 

www.asandamadyibi.com 

House of Superior Clothing 

www.superiorclothing.co.za 

READY-TO-WEAR: 

Rubicon Clothing 

www.rubiconclothing.co.za 

STYLES 

This year it’s a lot more Star Wars than Cinderella with a lot of edginess 

and less fairytale prettiness. 

Naked backs 

In previous years, there have 

always been individuals who’ve 

stood out simply because of the 

outrageous amount of skin they 

bared. This year there’s a more 

conservative feel with more dignity 

in place. Instead of plunging 

necklines and thigh-high slits, the 

focus is on deep V-cut backs, large 

open-keyhole detail and voluminous 

sleeve support. 

www.pinterest.com and 

www.dresses.news 

Minimal simplicity 

Statement colours like sunflower 

yellow, bright pink and royal purple 

were seen on simple, uncomplicated 

designs and clean, minimal 

designs. In these cases, less was 

definitely more because the colour 

said enough. 

www.vogue.mx and 

www.writethisrun.co.uk 

Black magic 

Dramatic sheer black fabrics mixed 

with lace, chiffon and even velvet 

with high necklines, accentuated 

shoulders and elaborate detail gave 

a little bit of a medieval feel to the 

dresses, leaving a whole lot more to 

the imagination than the usual sheer 

fabrics. 


Sharp tailoring 

Besides the ladies that were dressed 

in amazing tuxedos and suits, a 

lot of the dresses showed sharp, 

tailored lines and structure with 

collars and shoulder pads and 

geometric silhouettes. 

www.refinery29.com and 


Pallu 

The Zone, Rosebank: 011 447-6366 

Edgars 

www.edgars.co.za 

Democratic Republic 

www.drepublicstyle.com 

(Sandton City and Mall of Africa) 

YDE 

To find your closest store go to 

www.yde.co.za. 


Suit-able for gentlemen 

The classic black tuxedo is never going to be passé, but if it feels a little too dull for you, here are 

some of the menswear trends for 2018 and ideas of how to really shake up a boring old suit. 

Full-colour suits 

Obviously, there are some colours that work better 

than others, but suits in forest green, ruby red and 

blue made waves on the red carpet this year. 

Velvet jackets 

A massive trend last year and even more so this year 

are different colour velvet jackets, paired with black 

pants and bowties. Emerald green was the standout 

colour, but sapphire, ruby and mustard are also great 

in velvet. 

Checked fabric 

Now, we’re not talking about tartan or gingham, but 

rather large, subtle checked fabrics worn on entire 

suits or just on the jackets. 

Turtlenecks 

Does the mere thought of a tie or bowtie make you 

want to cringe? Luckily for you, the turtleneck is back 

with a bang and looks rocking under a beautifully 

tailored suit. 

Shades of colour 

So if you are going to be the adventurous guy who 

opts for a bit of colour, try different shades i.e. an 

emerald green suit, with a light green shirt and forest 

green tie. It’s 50 shades of any colour, giving your 

whole look depth and a whole lot more life than a 

flat black suit. 

Dancing shoes 

Don’t let your entire outfit down with bad shoes. 

Choose black or tan with a pointed toe or a pair of 

classic brogues. If you feel more comfortable with 

loafers or slip-ons, you can really play with different 

fabrics and colour. It’s yet another way to liven up 

your look. 

WHERE TO SHOP: 

TailorMe: 

51-6th Street Parkhurst 

074 884 4848 

Frank Bespoke: 

12-4th Ave Parkhurst 

079 015 9623 

Row-G: 

www.row-g.com 

011 482-1980; 

Mr SlimFit: 

info@mrslimfit.com 

082 462 0808 

Khaliques: 

Cedar Square Fourways, Sandton City, Oriental 

Plaza and Mall of Africa. 

CREDITS: Photography: Karoo Biking, Images courtesy of TailorMe 

Model: @the_great_duch, Suit design: Celeste McTurk 


READY-TO-WEAR: 

Woolworths 

Trenery 

ZARA 

Edgars 

H&M 

Topshop 

SHOES: 

Frank Bespoke 

ALDO 

Steve Madden 

Edgars 

Woolworths 

www.spree.co.za 

www.zando.co.za

For a night to 

Eastgate’s ultimate fashion collection for the Matric Dance 

David 

Jones Classic 

Collection 

Shirt, R450 and 

David Jones tie 

for R150 from 

Woolworths, 

011 677 4511 

FOR HIM 

20% 

Discount on 

presentation of 

this ad @ 

Carlo 

Pignatelli 

Suits 

from Carlo 

Pignatelli 

ranging from 

R14 000, 

011 615 3912 

Silver Metallic 

shoe from Carlo 

Pignatelli, R5 500, 

011 677 4511 

David Jones leather upper 

from Woolworths, R799 

011 677 4511 

Black XS 

100ml from 

Edgars, 

R1 245, 

011 621 2800 

Samantha 

blush embroided 

dress, 

R 1 999 from 

Forever New, 

011 616 7779 

Coloni Suit 

Jacket from 

Fabiani Men 

ranging from 

R3699, 

011 621 8906 

FOR HER 

Bralette from La Senza, 

R599, 011 615 6798 

ON 

SALE 

Geometric Collar Necklace 

50% off, R150 from Accessorize, 

011 616 7755 

JDO romy fit 

flare dress from 

Nicci Boutique, 

R1 550, 

011 616 5745 

Suit Jacket 

from Fabiani 

Woman, 

R2 499, 011 

621 8920 

Nails at less 10% for Matric Girls at 

Sorbet Nail Bar, 011 615 2286 

10% 

Discount 

Earrings from 

Lovisa, R275, 

011 615 9017 

Faviana black 

beaded top 

dress from Bella 

Allure, R7 990, 

011 615 2161 

Sweetest Sandal R1 399 and Rose Gold 

BZOE Clutch Bag R799 from Steve Madden, 

011 615 9212 

Matric dance 

upstyle package from 

Franco International 

Hair trial & final, R615 

Trial to take place 

Monday or Thursday 

(T’s & C’s Apply) 

011 622 9492 

Gucci Bloom 

100ml from 

Edgars, 

R1 710, 

011 621 2800 

Grand 

Illusion 

Lipcolour 

from MAC, 

R300, 

087 820 6090 

www.eastgateshops.com 

Tel: 011 479 6000 | 43 Bradford Road, Bedfordview 

ENTER INTO MORE 


Let’s make it a night to remember. 

With a range of exclusive luxury vehicles to choose from, you won’t just feel like a VIP, you’ll be treated like one too. 

Plus, our wold-class service ensures that you get the red carpet treatment, with a personalised meet-and-greet on 

pickup and delivery of your vehicle. So choose Avis Luxury Cars because it’s not just about a classy rental vehicle, 

it’s about the way we make you feel on your matric dance night. 

Avis. We Try Harder. 

For more info, visit avis.co.za or call 0861 021 111 

88 | Crawford Times

Drop Off 

Making a memorable entrance in front of your peers is obviously very important, but what lengths 

will you go to, to arrive with a bang? It depends on the budget. Here are some options… 

Horse and carriage 

You can be a real Cinderella and arrive at the ball in 

a horse-drawn carriage, except with your prince in 

tow. For R3 500, you’ll be collected from your home 

and taken to the venue with enough time allowed for 

a great photo shoot. You’ll most likely have to clear 

the trip with the traffic department in your area for 

your fairytale ride too. www.horseandcarriage.co.za 

offer their services in Johannesburg and Pretoria. 

Vintage or classic car 

Classic and vintage cars always create a stir, so if 

you’re a lover of things old and beautiful, go to 

www.bookaclassic.co.za and pick your ride from one 

of South Africa’s largest selections of dream cars. 

Tuk tuk 

Why not go for the unique and fun experience 

of a tuk tuk? You’ll get to your dance using a safe, 

reliable and affordable mode of transport which 

is super cute and funky too. 

Visit www.e-tuktuk.co.za or call 072 316 8099. 

A helicopter 

Not only the most expensive and extravagant option 

but also the diciest. There are factors to consider like 

the weather, availability of a helipad or space to 

land and aviation authority permissions. You can hire 

a helicopter for a minimum of three hours from R25 

000. If this is your option, contact www.kriekheli.com 

and be sure to book at least two weeks in advance 

and pay in full upfront. 

Limousine 

Enjoy your ride with your friends and arrive in red 

carpet style in a stretch limo! The packages usually 

include petrol, mileage, a chauffeur and sparkling 

wine. Book your limo at www.limo.co.za. 


Spruce it up! 

You’ve decided on the outfit, now the question… what do you put with it? The general rule is that if what 

you are wearing is very ornate or detailed, the accessories need to be minimal and vice versa. If your 

dress is minimalistic or you are wearing a classic black tux, add a bit of colour or bling detail. 

FOR THE LADIES: 

Gemstones and diamonds 

This is a massive trend this year and looks incredible on 

a necklace if you have a low neckline or sleeveless dress. 

Alternatively, gemstones and diamonds look great on 

long dangly earrings. It’s also better not to wear both the 

necklace and earrings at once. Rubies, sapphires and 

emeralds are your best option. Make sure that the fake 

versions don’t look cheap and nasty because it will ruin 

your entire look. 

Chandelier earrings 

These never go out of fashion and there are hundreds of 

different options out there. Again, if you are wearing long 

earrings, it’s not necessary to wear a neck piece as well. 

Chokers 

Jewel-encrusted or simple gold or silver chokers work 

beautifully with a formal dress. Try and avoid fabric 

chokers which sit mid-neck – they’re just not formal 

enough. If you have a short neck, try a longer necklace 

rather. 

Hair accessories 

Rather than a cheesy tiara, wear an embellished clip 

in your hair; or if you have very thick hair or a weave, 

thread something gold or metallic through it to finish off 

your look. Flowers can also be very beautiful but just 

avoid looking too bridal. 

Matching clutch bag 

If you’re having a dress made, get your dressmaker 

to make a matching clutch or cover an existing one. 

Alternatively buy one as close to the colour of your dress 

as possible. It makes the whole look really polished and 

sophisticated. 

90 | Crawford Times

FOR THE MEN: 

Lapel pin 

Kind of like a brooch for men – this can be in the form of a flower 

or something more ornate. Scour drawers for a vintage lapel pin. 

Cufflinks 

There are so many options to choose from – colourful, fabric balls 

to metallic, square or studded. Such a great way to polish off 

your look and show a bit of class. 

Pocket square 

Play around with colour and patterns with a pocket square. It 

doesn’t have to match your tie/bowtie, it just adds a pop of 

colour and a little bit of attitude. 

Socks 

Take the stiffness out of the formal and inject some colour and 

sass into your outfit with some bright, playful socks. 

Watch 

If there was ever a time to wear a great timepiece, it’s now. 

It may be the only accessory you want to wear, so make 

it count! 


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92 | Crawford Times

Picture Perfect 

Whether you’re going for a super glam look 

or a more minimalist approach, we have 

picked some really great make-up looks for you to 

try for your dance. 

EYES 

Metal lids 

Add some shine and sass by using a metallic 

eyeshadow to cover your entire lid. This looks 

great with a thin, delicate line above the lashes 

and under the eye. Try copper or gold instead of 

the predictable silver shades. We love the Essence 

Metal Shock Eyeshadow range. 

Cat eyes 

Stand out from the sea of smokey eyes with bold 

cat eyes. Make a full circle around your eyes with 

a wing on both sides with your favourite eyeliner. 

Liquid eyeliner is best for this look as it gives a 

great, sharp flick. Try Revlon ColorStay Exactify 

Liner – Intense Black. 

Naturally smoked 

If you prefer a more natural look 

but still want to be super glam, 

find a colour palette of shadows 

that are in the same category as 

your skin tone. Layering these 

hues will bring your eyes out and 

complement your complexion. 

For a comprehensive palette, 

try NYX Professional Makeup 

Ultimate Shadow Palette. 

Ocean eyes 

Use a light shade of blue or green to cover your 

eyelids and then add a smokey grey to the crease 

of your eye for a soft and fresh look. Finish it off 

by adding a brighter emerald green or navy blue 

under the lashes. Try Maybelline Eyestudio Colour 

in Satin Baby Blues or Maybelline Diamond Glow 

Eyeshadow Quad Forest Drama. 


25 Lucky ladies stand the chance to win 

a full set of nails and pedicures for their 

matric farewell. To enter, SMS the name 

Tammy Taylor to 072 059 4643

Lips 

Paintbox brights 

Also called ‘pop lips’, this is a super bright colour like 

red, orange and fuschia. Liquid lipsticks are great for 

this because they give a really intense colour, but they 

can dry your lips out. To make sure your lips don’t flake 

and the colour stays on, use a bit of lipstick in the same 

shade to keep your lips moisturised. We love L’Oréal’s 

Designer Colour Riche L’Extraordinaire in Fuschia Drama 

and Revlon’s Colorburst Balm Stain in Rendezvous. 

Glittery gloss 

Most make-up brands do gloss with a bit of glitter or 

shimmer in them. This is a great alternative to a lip 

colour, especially if you have very made-up eyes and 

want to tone down your lips. The shine in the gloss 

keeps your look glam but sophisticated. Try Urban 

Decay Stardust Sparkling Lips Glosses or Bobbi Brown 

Shimmer Lip Gloss in Confetti. 

Classic red 

There will always be a place for the classic red lip. Find 

a shade of red that works with your skin tone and pair 

it with natural, minimally made-up eyes for a super chic 

face. One of our favourites is Estée Lauder’s Pure Color 

Love red. 

Nearly nude 

Nude lips are not the same colour as your skin nor do 

they blend in with your foundation. There needs to be 

a hint of colour like blush or toffee to give your lips 

shape and not make your face look washed out. Try 

Flirtatiously Flushed by Smashbox. 

Plum pout 

A deep plum pout is beautifully paired with soft greys on 

the eyes if you’re wearing black. Choose a matte lipstick 

and avoid pairing deep shades like this with heavy eyes 

if you don’t want to look like a goth! Maybelline Colour 

Sensational Lipstick in Midnight Plum is spot on. 

5 MAKE-UP HACKS 

1. Cover your eyelid with white liner to make any 

eyeshadow colour pop. 

2. Dust translucent powder on lashes in between 

coating on mascara to plump them up. 

3. Banish dark circles and puffy eyes by creating a 

triangle under your eye with your concealer. 

4. Sweep your mascara towards your nose instead 

of upwards to make lashes look fuller and eyes 

wider. 

5. Use a lip balm or Vaseline to naturally smooth 

out your eyebrows and keep their shape. 


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Bag It! 

I 

t’s going to be a long night, so be sure you 

have everything you need for the dance as 

well as the after party. Here’s a comprehensive 

checklist for you.. 

At the dance 

1. Cellphone: for all the obvious reasons, but most 

importantly because it has a camera. Also, don’t 

forget your portable charger... an essential. 

2. Debit/credit card: much safer than cash and takes up 

less space. 

3. Make-up: for the girls, bring along your lipstick, 

powder or concealer and mascara to touch up 

throughout the night, so that you’re photo ready at 

the drop of a hat. 

4. Mints: don’t even think about chewing gum, where 

will you put it when you’re done? Go with mints all 

the way. 

5. Driver’s license: if you’re driving, then it’s a nobrainer, 

but even if you’re not, this doubles up as a 

form of ID. 

6. Hairbands: there’s nothing worse than wanting to tie 

your hair back and having no hair band – especially 

if you’re getting sweaty dancing or your curls are 

starting to drop. 

9. Essentiale: drinking is not advisable but it is a reality, 

and you don’t want alcohol to ruin your night. 

If you’re planning to drink, make sure you take 

Essentiale before, during and after the dance to keep 

you sober. 

10. Face spritzer: a little face spritz to hydrate your skin 

and wake you up a bit is a brilliant idea for guys 

and girls, and you’ll be very popular if you’re the 

only one who has thought of it! 

11. Face wipes: when the night is done and you’re too 

shattered to do a full make-up removal, clean your 

skin with some facial wipes quickly before hitting 

the sack. Waking up in the morning with racoon 

eyes is not a good look. 

The after party 

Besides a change of clothing, you’ll need a few other 

things to see you through the night. 

7. Flat shoes: there will come a time at some point of 

the night ladies, that your heels will become your 

worst enemy. Kick those suckers off and get flat and 

comfy. Gents, you may also want to change your 

formals for something laidback. 

8. Deodorant: don’t laugh! The nerves, excitement and 

long hours are going to wear off even the most hardcore 

anti-perspirant. Be prepared and have some on 

you for reapplication. 


Let’s talk about 

Rage, Baby! 

Interview by Donna Verydt 

recent discussion amongst parents gave rise to some 

A concerns around the annual Rage Festival in Ballito/ 

Umhlanga. So we decided to get answers directly from 

the horse’s mouth or mouths. Thank you, Marina Oreb 

(Marketing & Sales Manager), Greg Walsh (CEO) and 

William Mcintyre (Rage Festival Director) for answering 

our questions! 

1. How prevalent are drugs at The Rage Festival? 

Rage Festival maintains a zero-tolerance policy for 

dealing and consuming of any banned substances. 

We work closely with local SAPS, The Red Frogs 

and an ace undercover team to prevent, locate and 

apprehend persons involved with dealing. While the 

consumption of drugs is a reality in modern society, 

we deal with very few drug-related cases. We find 

the vast majority of the Rage Festival audience to be 

well brought-up and well aware of the risks involved 

in drug use. Ragers, no part of drug taking is cool! It’s 

risky and never worth it. Never consume any banned 

substances and don’t condone your friends doing so 

either. If you’re confused, nervous, tempted by or have 

information regarding banned substances, please 

make contact with any Rage Festival staff member, Red 

Frogs volunteer or SAPS official at any Rage Festival 

event. We are all here to help you and information 

given is strictly anonymous. 

2. Have there been many personal thefts or muggings 

at Rage Festival? 

Not really, but theft is also a reality of life and we 

encourage all Ragers to move in groups and report 

any suspicious behaviour. Being responsible for 

yourself, your friends and your personal belongings 

will significantly minimise the unlikely risk of your 

possessions being nicked. 

3. Have there been many kids hospitalised with 

alcohol poisoning? 

Alcohol intoxication is probably “the worst of it” at 

Rage Festival. While it’s only a few people each year 

(maybe 30 or 40 medical cases out of nearly 50 000 

Ragers over the week) it’s something we try to prevent. 

Once again, balanced young people make the right 

decisions and know when to stop. Should a Rager get 

carried away, our world-class medical teams and the 

Red Frogs are there to provide free water and to make 

pancakes to help them sober up. 

4. Have there been any significant road accidents 

involving Ragers? 

No, all Rage Festival attendees use either the Rage 

Rides bus network or other private or taxi transfer 

services. Ragers... Don’t drive! 

5. There were reports of a rape incident at Rage 

Festival 2017. What happened and what was the 

outcome? 

Rage Festival is aware of a charge of “alleged Rape” 

that was laid on Tuesday 5 December 2017 by a 

girl staying in Umhlanga against a boy staying at the 

same hotel. Rage Festival takes any accusations in 

a most serious light and will always seek to support 

the party (/parties) in any way possible. It must 

also be noted that Rage Festival takes “false rape 

allegations” equally seriously. We are not in direct 

contact with either party involved but have been 

informed that all charges have been withdrawn. 

This is unconfirmed at the time of writing this. This 

was the first charge of “alleged rape” laid by one 

Rage Festival patron against another in the 15-year 

festival history; however, rape remains an ongoing 

issue in South Africa, and so we offer the following 

recommendations: 

98 | Crawford Times

• Always travel in groups of friends. 

• Make sure your friends always know where you are. 

• Use either Rage Rides or another well-trusted transport 

source known to you. 

• Have a Rage Festival Passport and keep it loaded with 

Rage Credits (this avoids having to travel to an ATM at 

night). 

• Do not accept invitations to go home, or out with 

anyone you don’t know well. 

• Don’t get overly inebriated – moral boundaries could 

become compromised. 

• Familiarise yourself with all the guides on the Rage 

Festival website (https://ragefestival.co.za) and get 

acquainted with the Red Frogs on arrival. 

6. How about fights? Have you had many of those to 

deal with? 

Not many these days. In about 2006, a hundred 

boys or so from two Durban schools had a go at each 

other. It was a challenge to curb but was eventually 

diffused. But that was a long time ago. It’s more or 

less impossible now with the Rage Festival security 

and police presence. It’s simple, you fight (we don’t 

care whose fault it is) and you’ll be removed from the 

festival, your Rage Festival Passport revoked and you 

will be handed over to the SAPS. If there is a fight 

today, it doesn’t last more than about 20 seconds due 

to the significant security and police presence in place 

to stop it. 

7. Taking all the above into account, if there is one 

important thing you would like to say to parents about 

Rage, what would that be? 

If you’re a good parent and you’ve done your best 

to raise your child well, giving them the life skills 

required to live in our modern and complex world, 

then they will be absolutely fine at Rage Festival. It is 

a once in a lifetime experience not to be missed, so let 

your child come; let them celebrate their achievements 

and they’ll come home tired and happy! 

It is, without question, the safest festival in South 

Africa. The festival offers comprehensive medical 

facilities, completely over-the-top security presence, 

on-site police management and some 200 volunteers 

from the Red Frogs to assist with “safeguarding” each 

generation as they celebrate their freedom. 

It’s a once in a lifetime event! The opportunity to go 

away, on a holiday for a week of parties, near a 

beach is not uncommon. Ibiza, Mallorca, Mykonos, 

Cancun and many others come to mind, but the 

opportunity to do it with 100+ people you know is a 

once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. 

9. At Rage Festival, kids are encouraged to get a 

“Rage Festival Passport”, what is that? 

The Rage Festival Passport is the all-inclusive weeklong 

ticket. It’s also the Rage Festival attendees’ wallet 

which they use all week to pay for transport, food and 

drinks. 

10. Policing a bunch of wild 18 year olds must be 

harrowing – and dealing with some of the parents 

even worse! How can parents work with you? 

Please bring up your children to be good adults! 

And remember, just because we organise a “party”, 

doesn’t mean we are not people too. We’re an 

awesome bunch of mostly young, enthusiastic 

entrepreneurs and like any business, not everything 

goes perfectly. But no matter what your request or 

issue is, please know we’re doing our best, always! 

11. Are kids younger than 18 allowed at Rage? Are 

“old” people allowed at Rage? 

Strictly no under 18s, it’s the law! Also, no over 25s. 

We deeply sympathise with Matrics who are 17 years 

and 10 months old and we agree that they’re no 

different to their counterpart who is 18 years and 1 

month old but the decision isn’t ours, it’s the law and 

we must abide by it without compromise. 

8. Why should kids attend the Rage Festival? 

It’s the best festival in South Africa – from the music, 

content, duration, production and experience 

perspective. A chance to see international artists from 

all over the world alongside SA’s biggest talent in a 

beautiful location. 

It’s a whole week! Nothing else in South Africa offers 

anything similar other than maybe AfrikaBurn.

12. Many other Rage options have popped up, like parties in other 

areas or on commercial cruise liners, for instance. Do you feel that 

these spin-off parties water down your focused efforts to keep people 

safe? 

Absolutely! It took 15 years, millions of rands and all the blood, 

sweat and tears you can imagine to get to where we are today. It’s no 

surprise that anything successful will attract copycats. Other options 

offer far less health and safety measures and are far less spectacular 

too. You have a lifetime to go on cruises but only one opportunity to go 

to Rage Festival with all your friends. If we had a rand for every time 

we heard 19, 20 and 21 year olds say they regret doing something 

else instead of Rage Festival... 

13. What does the Rage Festival offer the local KZN communities and 

tourism? 

A total GDP contribution of some R150 million with significant job 

creation. It’s a major event for KZN. 

14. Please give our Matrics your top tip for Rage Festival Ballito/ 

Umhlanga: 

DOWNLOAD THE RAGE FESTIVAL APP: The Rage Festival App is a 

complete festival guide in your pocket with the most up-to-date music 

set times, maps and preferred outlet listings. The App allows you to 

flag the acts you want to see and will remind you when they’re about 

to hit the stage! https://ragefestival.co.za/rage-tips 

15. Please give our parents your top tip in dealing with Rage: 

DISCUSS A ‘CHECK-IN’ SYSTEM: Ask your child to check-in with you 

at set times of the day. A Whatsapp can be reassuring and will prevent 

the “annoying parent” having to check up all the time. 

Rage Festival Ballito/Umhlanga 

partners 

THE RED FROGS: 

You’ll find them throughout our 

festival grounds, on the streets, 

around the hotels, beaches and 

everywhere! They offer a volunteer 

support network available free to all 

attendees. These heroic friends of 

the festival stay on their feet all night 

until the sun comes up or the last 

Rager is home safely. We’ve been 

working together for 10 years and 

give them an annual donation as do 

other sponsors. 

CRISIS MEDICAL: 

At both the Umhlanga and Ballito 

festivals 

ALLIANCE SAFETY: 

Our health and safety consultants 

ETHEKWINI and KWADUKUZA: 

All department heads from the cities 

involved 

16. Final word… 

Parents, trust us we have been doing this for years! Your child is far 

safer at Rage Festival than at an average high 

street club on a Saturday night. 

100 | Crawford Times

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All goods are imported and guaranteed by the official South African distributors. Pictures are an approximate representation of products sold and variances may occur. 

Valid TV licenses and South African ID Numbers are required for all television purchases. E&OE.

CRAWFORD APRIL 2018 ONLINE

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