Applewood Weekly Newsletter 2 September 2016
The Maths Teacher’s Lesson
One day a school teacher wrote the following on the board:
When she was done she looked at her children, most of whom were laughing at her because of the first equation, which was wrong. Then the teacher said the following:
“I wrote that first one wrong on purpose because I wanted you to learn something important. This is for you to know how the world out there will treat you. You can see that I wrote nine equations correct, but the only thing you focused on was the one wrong thing I did. So here’s the lesson: the world will always criticise the one wrong thing you did while ignoring the good you do. Don’t get discouraged, rise above the criticism and stay strong!”
Communications specialists tell us that bad news is repeated to a factor of seven times more than that of good news – isn’t that why newspapers sell? A colleague of mine has dedicated much of his life to selling good news. His website can be found here if you want to see the good that’s happening in South Africa.
If ever you need to see good news – come and watch a Grade 1 rugby game! My little lads are playing tackle rugby for the first time. We played against Curro Sitari on Wednesday afternoon in wet and windy conditions – but that did not dampen the enthusiasm of the boys at all. The fact too, that they were playing a bigger, stronger side (and eventually went down four tries to three) didn’t reduce their willingness to get stuck in nor their ability to make a plan. They tried everything – and I mean everything – to get the ball across the line, but mostly they had grand old fun! It’s really heart-warming to see.
Congratulations to Emma Green who received a gold medal at the Overberg Eisteddfod’s Prestige Concert on Wednesday evening. She was the winner in the symphony instruments (strings-violin) category.
Mrs Moodie found herself on the wrong end of a thrombosis thanks to falling off a mountain earlier this month and is in hospital having treatment. I received a message from Jane this morning saying that things are going well and she expects to be back on Monday. Jane did express a “small” amount of frustration at not being able to get through her planned Maths lessons this week but letting me know that she is spending the time in hospital on the curriculum revision programme we have undertaken. Only Jane!
Mrs Annie Aplas Hill returns on Monday after her maternity leave. Our grateful thanks to Mrs Marisa Malan who filled in for Annie in Grade R while she was away. I am delighted that Marisa has agreed to stay on for the balance of this year as a Maths support teacher and she will be working in Grades 3 to 7 with the teachers supporting Maths development and ensuring the “bedding down” of our Singapore Maths curriculum.
Marisa will resume official full-time employment at Applewood in January 2017 as the Grade 4 teacher. Mrs Bands has decided that after 35 years of teaching (nine of which has been at Applewood) the little house in Pringle Bay and long days on the beach are her next step in life. We will thank Sharon for her outstanding service to Applewood more appropriately later in the year but I would like to take this opportunity to thank Sharon for her wisdom, insight into children, patience, care and love for her classes and her wonderful spirit. Mrs Bands will be missed!
I’ll be away with the Grade 6 and 7 children in the Cederburg next week (Tuesday to Friday) chasing the Cape Mountain Leopard, searching for rock paintings and dinosaur footprints and staring at the stars.
Emma Green and Lisa-Mari Janse van Rensburg.
Die Wiskunde onderwyser se les
‘n Onderwyser het eendag die volgende op die bord geskryf:
Toe sy klaar was kyk sy na die kinders, die meeste van wie gelag het oor haar eerste som, wat natuurlik verkeerd was. Toe sê die onderwyser die volgende:
“Ek het met opset die eerste som verkeerd geskryf, want ek wou gehad het dat julle iets belangrik moes leer. Dit is vir jou om te besef hoe die wêreld daar buite jou sal behandel. Jy kan sien dat ek nege somme reg beantwoord het, maar al wat julle na gekyk het, was die een ding wat ek verkeerd gedoen het. So, hier’s die les: die wêreld sal altyd die een ding wat jy verkeerd doen kritiseer terwyl hulle die goed wat jy doen ignoreer. Moenie ontmoedig word nie, styg uit bo die kritiek en bly sterk!”
Kommunikasie spesialiste vertel ons dat slegte nuus tot sewe keer meer herhaal word as goeie nuus – is dit nie die rede hoekom koerante verkoop nie? ‘n Kollega van my het die meeste van sy lewe toegewy aan die verkoop van goeie nuus. Sy webtuiste kan hier gevind word as u wil sien watse goeie dinge in Suid-Afrika gebeur.
As u ooit goeie nuus wil sien – kom kyk gerus na ‘n Graad 1 rugbywedstryd! My klein outjies speel vir die heel eerste keer duikslagrugby. Ons het op Woensdagmiddag in nat en winderige kondisies teen Curro Sitari gespeel – maar dit het nie ‘n demper op die mannetjies se entoesiasme geplaas nie. Die feit ook, dat hulle ‘n groter, sterker kant gespeel het (en uiteindelik ‘n verlies van drie teenoor vier drieë gehad het), het nie hulle vermoë om in te spring en ‘n plan te maak lamgelê nie. Hulle het alles probeer – en ek bedoel álles – om die bal oor die doellyn te kry, maar hulle het grotendeels net lekker, vet pret gehad! Dit was werklik bemoedigend om te sien.
Baie geluk aan Emma Green wat ‘n goue medalje op Woensdagaand by die Overberg Eisteddfod se “Prestige Concert” verwerf het. Sy was die wenner van die simfoniese instrumente (snaar instrumente - viool) kategorie.
Mev. Moodie het haar aan die verkeerde kant van ‘n trombose bevind, toe sy vroeër hierdie maand van ‘n helling afgeval het en ontvang tans behandeling in die hospitaal. Ek het vanoggend ‘n boodskap van Jane ontvang om te sê dat alles goed gaan en dat sy verwag om op Maandag terug te wees in die tuig. Jane het ‘n “klein” mate van frustrasie uitgespreek oor sy nie hierdie week in staat is om deur haar beplande Wiskundelesse te kom nie en dat sy die tyd in die hospitaal aanwend om aan die hersiende kurrikulum te werk. Dis net Jane!
Mev. Annie Aplas-Hill keer Maandag terug na haar kraamverlof. Ons innige dank aan Mev. Marisa Malan wie in Graad R ingestaan het in Annie se afwesigheid. Ek is verjeug dat Marisa ingestem het om vir die balans van die jaar aan te bly as ‘n Wiskunde-ondersteuningsonderwyser. Sy sal in Graad 3 tot 7 met die onderwysers werk en hulle in die ontwikkeling en finalisering van die Singapore-Wiskunde kurrikulum bystaan.
Marisa sal as Graad 4 onderwyser voortgaan met amptelike voltydse indiensneming by Applewood in Januarie 2017. Mev. Bands het, na 35 jaar in die onderwys (waarvan nege by Applewood was), besluit dat die klein huisie in Pringlebaai en lang dae op die strand die volgende stap in haar lewe is. Ons sal Sharon op ‘n latere stadium en op ‘n meer gepaste wyse bedank vir haar uitnemende diens aan Applewood, maar ek wil graag van hierdie geleentheid gebruik maak om Sharon te bedank vir haar wysheid, insig teenoor kinders, geduld, versorging van en liefde vir haar klasse en haar wonderlike geesdrif. Ons sal Mev. Bands waarlik mis!
Ek is aanstaande week weg saam met die Graad 6 en 7 kinders in die Cedarberg (Dinsdag tot Vrydag), besig om Kaapse Bergluiperde rond te jaag, op soek na rotstekeninge en dinosourus voetspore en besig om na die sterre te staar.
Pre-Primary children having fun!
Grade 5 Water Filters
If you had a million rand what would you spend it on?
Brooke: I would buy a school a bus and a huge tree to plant.
Daniel: I would buy a Ferrari or a Bugatti, a PlayStation 2, a DVD player, a massive flat screen TV and a mist spraying fan.
Gabriella: I would spend the money on a fancy house, an iPad and a science lab.
Sophie: I would buy an iPad and a house with a nice couch and bed.
Jody: I would go on holiday for a year and buy a car.
Michael: I would spend it on video games for my Xbox and I would buy my own video room.
Grade 4 Orals
Tru-Cape 5 km fun run last Saturday at the country club.