Letter from the DSG Headmistress - 2010 Matric Results
CURRENT NEWSLETTER
1 December 2010
Dear Parents
I write this letter the evening before the academic year-end with a heavy heart. This afternoon I have had to ask two of our Grade Nine girls to leave the school. Decisions such as this are never easily made and I am very aware that tonight at the DSG the girls are sad and some are feeling defensive and angry. The two girls involved bunked out at about 01h00 on Friday night. In the process they placed themselves as well as the sustainability of the DSG at considerable risk. I believe that they will have a second chance in a new school environment and that, thankfully for them and the rest of the pupil population, in many ways a soft lesson has been learnt.
While I have spoken to the girls on at least three occasions during the last year about the seriousness of bunking out, teenagers have a strong sense of fairness and they have expressed a wish to understand clearly why some actions constitute harsher sanctions than others. Obviously each case needs to be viewed on its merits and often the records of the girls have to be taken into account. I am, however, relieved that, in collaboration with Council, the management of the DSG is in the process of drawing up a Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Procedure which will be available to be signed off in the first term of next year. Meanwhile I wish to refer you and your daughters to the enrolment form you signed which lists Head’s offences and clearly states expulsion as a possible consequence of these.
As always at the end of a year, there are people whom we bid farewell to and others we will be welcoming in the new year. Mrs Chantal Le Guillou, a French teacher, has resigned to explore other interests aside from teaching. I thank her for her service to the DSG and her loyalty and I wish her well. Mrs Rose Southgate retires after many years of service as the manager of the Clothing Shop. We shall miss her efficient service and wish her and Roger, our former Estate Manager, a happy retirement. Dr Mellony Graven, Director of Mathematics for SAC and DSG, has taken up a Chair as a professor in the Rhodes University Education Department. We shall miss her undivided expertise, yet we are delighted that she will remain in the region and committed to the betterment of Mathematics in schools for all pupils. While Ms Frith van der Merwe will remain on the SAC staff, she has resigned as Housemistress of Merriman. I bid her a fond farewell and thank her for two years of sincere service to the Merriman girls. Lastly, Mrs Nicky Rosslee, who was on a one year contract teaching Grade Six, has been employed by SAP in 2011. Knowing they have a gem, we are delighted that she will be remaining within our school community.
In 2011 we will welcome Mr Thomas Hagspihl as Director of Mathematics. He has been Director at St Stithians, was the Founder Headmaster of Elkanah House and resigned as Headmaster of Healdtown to join us. Mr Hagspihl has a prestigious record both as a Mathematics teacher and a school leader and we are privileged to have him join our staff. Mrs Salome Roche has taught piano part-time for some time at DSG and SAC and she will join our Music Department full-time from January next year. She is highly regarded as a piano teacher and a very valuable acquisition for us. I welcome her most warmly. Dr Petra Gentz has also been with us as a part-time Life Sciences teacher in 2010. She is young, energetic and a stunning role model for our girls. We are fortunate to have employed her services as a full-time teacher from 2011.
Mr Simthembile Xeketwana will join our staff next year as a full-time Xhosa teacher. He is a young man who completed his studies at Rhodes University, where has been part of the Chamber Choir for four years and in the last year has been co-conductor. We look forward to him sharing his many talents and wide interests with us. Also starting out in the teaching profession is Mr Neale Howarth who joins us as the Junior School Sports Coordinator. Mr Howarth is a qualified LO and English teacher and I shall be looking to expand his work into these areas also. Mrs Jane Jarvis, educational psychologist, has been appointed Housemistress of Merriman. She is bustling with energy and will be a wise, considered voice on the management team. I also welcome Ms Lauren Drenner, an Old Girl, onto the administrative staff. Lastly, celebratory congratulations are due to Mr Peter Zingela. He has worked at the DSG for over twenty years from when he was a young man! Mr Zingela has been promoted to Head of Transport – a thoroughly deserved promotion.
As usual, the DSG has ended the year with Outdoor Education camps for all pupils from Grade Eight through to Grade Eleven. The value of these camps is immeasurable from the personal growth they afford our girls to the opportunities for leadership, social integration, Community Engagement down to the building of a sincere understanding and appreciation for all we tend to take for granted. None of this would be possible without staff prepared to give up personal and family time as well as the staff who are part of the home team. I thank them all for their commitment and energy; in particular Mrs Dorothy Holder, Grade 11 Outward Bound Coordinator; Mr David Wright, Mr Deon Boschoff and Mrs Barbara Scott, Grade `10 Journey organizers; Ms Ann Smailes who heads the Kirkwood Grade Nine excursion; and Mrs Shelly Roodt who organizes the Grade 8 trip to Hobbiton.
An exciting development between the DSG and SAC is the establishment of a Joint Foundation Office. This office will manage Alumnae Affairs, reunions and other events, as well as fundraising initiatives. Although personnel in the office will be directly assigned to SAC or DSG, the office will be jointly run and share expertise, resources and common initiatives. The office will be managed by Mrs Bev McCarthy. Mrs Angie Marriner, a DSG Old Girl, will be the Director of Development for the DSG as an interim contract position. This is a vital position as the DSG embarks on Phase One of its Development in 2011; the building of a new DSG Junior School.
As always, I need to convey to you some day-to-day matters integral to the smooth running of our school:
· The Clothing Shop will open from Friday 14 to Wednesday 19 January from 09h00 to 16h00. Thereafter it will open every Wednesday afternoon as usual.
· Next year we will provide suntan lotion dispensers at the exits to all Houses as well as the Aquatic Centre and Gym. I encourage you not to absolve all responsibility for sun screening to us, but to continue providing for and educating your daughters in the importance of sun protection.
· We are fully aware of how quickly our school bathing costumes wear and tear. We have thoroughly investigated the materials of them and have come to the conclusion that little can be done other than to ask you to encourage your daughters to rinse the chemicals from the costumes after every training session.
· I would like to draw your attention to the insurance information sent to you by our Business Manager, Mrs Cavel Mullins. This allows you to insure your daughter’s fees are paid should she be ill and unable to attend school for a significant period of time.
· There has been an increase in complaints about the quality of catering. Sister Mary Kruiskamp has taken on the responsibility of this area and, together with an independent nutritionist, has been negotiating with the catering company. In the past month the feedback has been considerably more positive. Please liaise with her should you have queries or concerns in this area.
· Some parents have once again raised concerns over the quality of the water in Grahamstown. I remind you that the DSG has had its own osmosis water filtration system installed in the kitchen. This system removes all heavy metals, toxins and bacteria from the water. There are water dispensers in all the Houses and in the Gym which are filled from our kitchen. The girls are often reminded not to drink the tap water.
· As of next year all girls from Grades 4 to 11 will be expected to wear the formal DSG white golf shirt when wearing ‘whites’ or tracksuits. Matric girls may wear plain white golf shirts, however no t-shirts or vests will be permitted. The girls have repeatedly been warned about this throughout the year.
I wish our rowers, swimmers and water polo players well as they compete in various competitions over the holiday period. The year begins early for all these athletes as well as for the tennis players. You will already have received notification of these training camps from the sports department.
DSG is very proud to communicate to you that Laura Brooks, an Old Girl (2006), is the 2011 recipient of the Mandela Rhodes Scholarship. This scholarship is open to young people throughout Africa and it is a credit to us that she is the third DSG girl to have won it in the past decade. We are very proud of Laura!
I also wish you and your families a blessed Christmas and a happy New Year. Finally, I thank my wonderful staff, administrative, academic and support, for the vital part they play in keeping our engine going. I wish them all a restful, fulfilling and safe holiday!
Yours sincerely
Shelley Frayne
Headmistress
Kelly Long represents South Africa 10th May 2012
Kelly Long represented South Africa at the 5th International Sustainable World Project Olympiad in the USA
