Dear Parents

Work on our playground began last week. On 10 February, the health and safety inspection as well as compliance requirements were implemented. Work has begun in the Grade R playground. The timeline for expected completion is 31 March. Play Safe continue to be involved in ensuring the new equipment laid meet all the safety requirements.

The playground design is rooted in four key principles of play: functional, symbolic, sensory, and constructive. Each aspect aims to address the developmental needs of learners, providing opportunities for physical, cognitive, and emotional growth. Neutral colours and organic shapes create a calming environment, helping children feel at ease while encouraging creativity. The design incorporates imaginative shapes and non-prescriptive play elements, allowing children to engage in open-ended play that stimulates their imagination and problem-solving skills. Sensory-rich textures and interactive components invite children to explore their surroundings, enhancing their sensory development. The playground’s versatility supports a wide range of activities, fostering cooperative play, physical activity, and exploration. By balancing structured and free-form play areas, the design encourages both social interaction and independent exploration, making it an inclusive space for all developmental stages.
We will continue to add elements to the playground over the next few years.

LATE COMING

We have a number of boys arriving late to school, our teacher's start teaching promptly at 8:00 and I am urging parents' to please arrive at school timeously, allowing the boys enough time to unpack and settle into their day. A reminder that if you arrive after 8:00 the boys must enter at the office where a register of the boys arrival late is kept.

Mr Brown celebrates his 65th birthday on Thursday 27th February. Mr Brown's hard work and dedication to our school is truly admirable. On this special day, we wish Mr Brown the happiest of birthday celebrations. Happy birthday to Coach Jeanne for the 26th February too.

Wishing all our Muslim families a Ramadan Mubarak.

Kind regards

TARYN BAIN
HEAD: PRE-PREP

Morning 7h15 – 8h30 session

Afternoon 12h30 – 14h00 session.

We have a fair amount of lost property that has been here for a while. Any lost property not collected will be sent to the Prep School next week.

The Pre-Prep collected a vast array of food, a bed, leads, toys and more food for our Valentine's Civvies Day this year. Helpapaw and Wolwerivier Wow Project will be the recipients of our collection.

Thank you to our parents for the generous donations.

 Helpapaw
https://www.instagram.com/helpapaw_za?igsh=NnVrd2wwNGIzZmNi

And 

Wolwerivier WOW Project
https://clickndonate.com/sterilising-township-animals-goal-r-36-000/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZeEjlptLyZyJ0pYx-FekPMjurb2YKgpLSst-y8h2hRx4d81J4lPYkw2vA_aem_G73QIoxdGiOkKekAd-4zdg

Behaviour policy

We are half way through the first term and our boys are well in the swing of things. It is a good time to remind them about our MITRE values and behaviour policy. We will be sending a hard copy of the Pre-Prep's behaviour policy home with the boys soon. Please read through it with your son, sign where applicable and return the relevant page to your son's teacher.

Please click HERE and select 2026 Term Dates.

Resilience: Trusting Through Challenges

"It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer." – Albert Einstein

Life is full of challenges—unexpected changes, setbacks, and moments when things don’t go as planned. As educators and parents, we see this daily in our children. Whether it’s struggling with a new concept in class, navigating friendships, or facing disappointment on the sports field, the ability to persevere is a vital life skill.
In Luke 5:1-11, we find a powerful lesson on resilience. Simon Peter, an experienced fisherman, had spent the entire night casting his nets without catching a single fish. Exhausted and discouraged, he was ready to call it a day. Then Jesus told him to go back out and try again. From a logical perspective, it made no sense—but Simon Peter chose to trust Jesus. He cast his nets once more, and this time, they overflowed with fish.

This story reminds us that resilience is not just about trying again—it’s about trusting through the process. There are times when we may feel like giving up, when parenting feels exhausting, when work is overwhelming, or when children hit roadblocks in their learning. But resilience means choosing to keep going, even when things don’t make sense.
As a school community, we have the opportunity to model and cultivate resilience in our boys. We can encourage them to approach challenges with a mindset of growth, to see setbacks as opportunities, and to lean on their faith when things feel difficult.

Just as Simon Peter’s trust in Jesus led to an incredible outcome, our persistence in the face of difficulties can lead to unexpected blessings. So, the next time you or your child faces a challenge, remember resilience isn’t about never struggling—it’s about never giving up.

Sir Robert Baden-Powell founded Scouts in 1908. Each year members of the Movement celebrate by wearing their uniforms to school on or around 22 February, his birthday. This year we will allow our boys to wear their Cub uniform on Friday, 21 February.

In Grade N we have been exploring all the many different learning areas and the opportunities to discover and learn make school such fun. We were lucky to have an amazing puppet show put together by Mrs Gedu. Lots of giggles and fun was had as we followed the conversation of the puppets on display. During our music lesson, Mrs Swanich taught us all about rhythm and the importance of a beat in music. We are learning some lovely songs from the famous Lion King Movie. Our Grade N boys spend plenty of valuable time in the garden and we continue to explore our sensory world with some fun dinosaurs and reptiles in a display of sand and seeds. Coach Jeanne always has some energetic games to play during our Kinderkinetics lessons on the field. The boys are getting stronger and fitter as the term progresses! Well done boys! 

For the next 3 weeks the Grade Rs will be exploring our senses. Each class will be focusing on a different sense each week. There is an exciting outing on the cards for next week to further delve into our senses and how they enrich our daily lives. We are also learning about the letter M and Munching Mike while making Marble Mazes and Mosaic artworks. With our playground under construction, despite the smaller area to play for a little while, the boys are observing the daily construction with much anticipation.

Mrs. Daames’ Grade 2 class had an exciting outing to Sillery Farm, where they had the opportunity to get up close and personal with nature! The boys spent the day searching for bugs, building bug hotels, and learning about different insects and their vital roles on the farm and in our environment. It was an engaging and educational experience for all! For Valentine’s Day, the boys embraced the spirit of giving by dressing in red, white, and pink civvies and generously donating pet food. It was a heartwarming gesture that showed their kindness and compassion.
In the classroom, we’ve been focusing on improving handwriting and working on pattern skills, which the boys have been enjoying. They also love using the Wikisticks to make learning fun and interactive. When all the work is done, the boys get creative with the Magnetic Tiles, collaborating in groups to build some very interesting and imaginative structures.
It’s been a busy and enjoyable time in Grade 2, filled with learning, creativity, and kindness!