Robert  Carruthers  School

The  Carruthers  Chronicle

11^th September 2019

Dear Parents  

This week has brought up a whirlwind of emotions that left us outraged, concerned, but most of all utterly speechless. It seems that the world has gone mad. Gender-based violence was a hot topic, kidnapping and the safety of children made headlines; and the country’s big cities were burning in the latest spate of xenophobic attacks. I wish the country can follow this school’s example. At RCS we take pride in our diversity (as was seen at the recent Grade 4 Cultural Day) and we celebrate the fact that the successes of this school has been built on the hard work of generations of strong, independent women. Because of this, I know that this school does its job, for the highest form of education, is tolerance.

A very intelligent person once said that the most infectious disease, is hysteria. Luckily this pandemic has passed RCS by. During the week other schools were inundated by parents concerned about the safety of their children. We can assure you that we take the safety of your children extremely seriously and have plans in place for any eventuality. We ask that you, as parents, assist us with this. Please ensure that you have submitted your correct contact information to the school and follow the rules (they are in place to ensure the safety and well-being of all persons on the premises). We ask that parents make every effort to collect their children no more than 30 minutes after their child’s last activity. Together we can keep our children safe.

Phew, now that was a mouthful! While the world has seemingly been turned upside-down, RCS carried on with business as usual. Looking back at what has been a busy, and overall successful term, we are astonished (and very proud) at what our children can achieve. The past week has been jam-packed with sporting, academic and cultural activities.

The Artium Arts Festival finished off on a high note (pun intended). This week was our singers’ turn to impress. We are very proud to boast the most dedicated and experienced music department in town! Well done to Mrs C Cilliers, Mrs M van Niekerk and Mrs L Vermaak. RCS took part in over 50 items! Wow! Results will be in next week’s Chronicle.

Not only can we boast about our singers, we have a few budding paparazzi as well. The children were given the task of taking photographs with the theme of “perspective”. A tough and vague topic, if you ask me, but as usual our kids shone! Ubuhle Malinga and Thembelihle Skhosana both received silver. Madison van der Merwe got a gold, and Danica Behr’s photo was awarded with a diploma. Apparently, Fezile Mshiyane’s photo was picture perfect, she was awarded 100% for her effort and even made the local paper. Wow, Fezile! We are so proud of you all!

Speaking of photographs, I would like to remind you of the school photographs being taken early in the fourth term. Ideal to practise those smiles during the holidays, boys and girls.

Hundreds of runs, countless rallies and points and plenty of goals have brought us to the end of the regular sporting season. Thank you to all parents for your support and the coaches for your hard work.

The last cricket match of the season saw our u13 boys beat Duvhapark by a whopping 72 runs. Well done to these boys and their coaches, Ms P Smith and Mr K Dorfling. What a way to end of the season!

The girls’ hockey travelled all the way to Delmas for their last do-or-die fixture of the season. Unfortunately they could not come away with a win. Well done to all the girls and their coaches on a very successful season.

This weekend sees our u11, u12 and u13 hockey boys taking on the province in the Mpumalanga Schools Hockey Playoffs. If there was any luck involved, I’d wish it to these boys and coaches. What matters most now is putting into practice what you have learnt throughout this season. Go get ‘em, boys!

We have some polar bears in our midst too. Annabelle Davel represented Mpumalanga at a recent swimming gala at Curro Nelspruit. She was like a fish in water (seemingly I enjoy puns this week) and won bronze in all her races. Well done on the results, Annabelle! I have to question your sanity though. Nobody could pay me enough to get into a pool this time of year. I applaud your dedication to your chosen sport.

Last week you might have seen some pretty grownup-looking children at school. This was due to the Grade 7 Career Dress-up Day. We had everything from chefs to geneticists. One career left me scratching my head. Who has ever heard of a Phlebotomist? Certainly not me! Apparently Noluthando Vilane wants to draw and test people’s blood. One is never too old to learn, not even the ancient editor. Well done to all the boys and girls that took part in this initiative!

The curiosity in the sciences was evident during this dress-up day, thanks, in no small part to the efforts of Mrs A Murdoch, Mrs S Visser and Ms M Spottiswoode. These women work hard to make science fun, interesting and engaging. The Kalahari Scientist will be visiting our school in the fourth term. I am assured his ability to lower his voice to scary levels and to sink a ship using air is not magic but science, I will be sceptical until proven otherwise.

Ladies enjoy nothing more than dressing up for a morning with friends. Saturday was just such a morning. A group of moms and friends of the school were treated to guest speakers and some social time at the Denim and Diamond Ladies’ Tea. What a successful day it was! Congratulations to Ms A Mulder and her team for organising the event. Thank you to our sponsors: Nails by Chantelle; Style Hair With Flair and La Vie Est Belle. Your support of the school is appreciated.

I am extremely excited about the Ninja Warrior Day happening on the 19^th of September. It was decided to appeal to your child’s vanity instead of their stomachs this time around. Children who pay their money may wear civvies on the day they pay. This has proven to be very successful! A hint to parents raising their children in the 21^st century…bribe with clothes rather than treats. You see results faster.

In turbulent times such as these, I am astonished at the level of insight and empathy our children are capable of. I walked past a group of children having a conversation about what was happening in the country and how it might affect them, why it’s happening, and how to stop it from happening again. One particularly outraged girl said, people want to see what makes us different, not what makes us the same. Now that’s a girl going places! If we can see that we are all human beings, deserving of being treated with dignity, so much of the world’s problems would just disappear. If we can teach our children to embrace our similarities, celebrate diversity and tolerate differences; they will all be successful grownups one day.

 

Warm RCS regards

The Editor

Robert  Carruthers  School

The  Carruthers  Chronicle

26^th August 2019

Dear Parents  

In a conversation with a group of children about the changing seasons (believe it or not, folk, spring is here), I could not help but giggle when a boy told me why he was not looking forward to wearing his summer uniform. It seems that some of the boys dread the summer because they have to apply lotion to their legs on a daily basis. Full summer uniform (worn without addition or subtraction) will be compulsory from Monday, 2^nd September 2019. Sorry boys – your lotion free days are numbered.

At RCS we believe in raising children who have opinions, and believe me, they are not afraid to voice them. On Tuesday, 20^th August 2019, we heard many opinions, a plethora of excuses and quite a few whines as the deworming took place. Many children were very upset with you, as parents, when they realised that you gave permission for this to happen. Much to the Grade 6s’ delight the deworming took the form of a tablet – not the injection as was promised to them.

On the cricketing front, the news of the week took some interesting “twists and turns”. Our u11 cricket team set off, on Tuesday,  to play a match against Laerskool Onverwacht on Tuesday, only to drive to the wrong Laerskool Onverwacht, in the wrong town, in the wrong province. Luckily they found their way and in the end they beat their opponents by 7 wickets. We are thankful that the ball did not get lost on its way to the boundary. A word of advice to Ms T Jamieson, Mr D van Niekerk and Ms S Marsay – there are prettier places to get lost in, than Kriel.

This hockey season has been jam-packed. On Wednesday the boys went to The Hockey Farm to take on our long-term rivals, CR Swart. Our boys did very well in a series of nail-biting matches. The u11 team won 1-0. The u12s came from behind to beat their opponents 2-1. The u13s won a hard-fought match 2-1. Well done to all teams and their coaches.

The girls played against our old foes, Laerskool Kragbron. They fought hard but could not come away with a win. Keep working hard girls.

The English Drama Artium started this week and the Vocal section starts soon. Keep an eye on the chronicle for all relevant results.

Our senior choir is still hard at work preparing for the finals of “Sing in Harmonie”. Thank you, Mrs C Cilliers, Mrs M van Niekerk, Mrs U Zeelie and Ms A Mulder for all your hard work with these boys and girls.

 School safety has been in the news constantly over the past couple of weeks – parents demanding security guards at schools, a horror crash involving children on their way to school, the list goes on… We want to assure parents that at RCS, your child’s safety is our main concern.

On that note we ask that parents do everything in their powers to adhere to the rules of the road. The scholar patrol have complained about parents parking in areas which have been cordoned off. Please, parents. These measures have been put in place for your children’s safety.

Woolworths MySchool programme is going strong. Thank you to the parents who support our school with this, by swiping your rewards card, every time you shop. To those parents who have not yet registered for a card, please do so as the school benefits from it.

The school is buzzing about our first Ninja Warrior Day. From a blow up sumo wrestling to zorb balls (inflatable balls used to run on the school pool) – this day promises to be heaps of fun. Please pay your child’s monies to his/her register teacher. Parents who are able, are welcome to join in on the fun by visiting us on the day.

The Grade 4s knocked out socks off and tantalised our taste buds with their annual Cultural Day. The children, dressed in traditional clothes and with the help of their parents, set up their stalls early on Friday morning. We were treated to everything from vetkoek and mince to idombolo. Please visit the school’s Facebook page to see some wonderful photos of the day. Wow, Grade 4s! You outdid yourselves. Congratulations to you all and to your teachers.

We are blessed with some of the best parents around. Thank you for your continued support of the school and all our endeavours. We appreciate you!

 Warm RCS regards

The Editor

Robert  Carruthers  School

The  Carruthers  Chronicle

21^st August 2019

Dear Parents  

Many of us know the struggle of a pair of pants being too tight and uncomfortable, all too well. For us grownups, it is usually caused by us overindulging on our favourite treat, resulting in a few extra pounds. Recently we have seen a similar trend at school. It seems that many of our boys have gone through the trouble of having their school pants altered, in order to create a more fashionable “slim-fit” style of trousers. We are of the opinion that school is the last place any child should attempt to be making a fashion statement and as these alterations are costing you a lot of money, we’re sure you agree with us. Please, parents, a normal pair of grey slacks, bought at any retailer, is what is required for your primary school child. We ask that you familiarise yourself with the school Uniform and Hairstyle Policy so that we can keep our boys and girls appropriately dressed for primary school.

Speaking of waste and unnecessary expenses. Mrs A Murdoch presented an assembly on the importance of looking after the environment, focussing specifically on the use of plastic in our daily lives. We have to make every effort to reduce the consumption of single-use plastic items. On an environmental note, the Leader Body of 2019 has launched a glass recycling drive. All glassware collected will be sold to a non-profit organisation that will use the money to feed a destitute community living just outside Witbank. As of next week, this project will be open to the whole school so you can send empty and washed glass bottles, jars or containers to assist us with this worthy initiative. Parents with large donations can phone the front office so a plan can be made for a special delivery. Come one, parents, please get involved and assist us with this. It is amazing what a difference your rubbish can make to a community in desperate need.

Speaking of making a difference in the lives of others, we were in a festive mood the last couple of weeks. During this term some staff members celebrated milestone birthdays. Mrs M van Niekerk, Mrs N Nielsen and Mrs A Botes were birthday girls this term. It has been decided to not reveal their ages, but knowing that they chose to celebrate these big events with their “school family” warms our hearts. A thought for you three “young” ladies: Do not regret growing older, it is a privilege denied many. May your year be filled with love, joy and contentment. We appreciate all you do and hope that you will celebrate a few more birthdays with your RCS family.

RCS hosted the annual AKAS Geletterdheidsdag on Wednesday, 14^th August 2019. On this day, Grade 7 pupils from across the town compete in an Afrikaans spelling and reading competition. Congratulations to Alodia Brown who won the spelling section with an astonishing 100%. Ntshepeng Ntsheroa came in 3^rd in this competition.  Lamees Ayob won gold in the reading section and Deangelo Campbell won silver. Well done, all. Thank you Mrs C Botes for your hard work.

A group of Grade 7s achieved something that can only be described as “out of this world” – pun intended. Jordun Sachse, Tinyiko Khube, Ntshepeng Ntsheroa and Sithembiso Ntuli qualified for the provincial finals of the SAASTA Astro Quiz. They will take on the rest of the province on Thursday 29 August 2019. Congratulations to these boys and girls, and well done to their coach, Mrs S Visser.

Seemingly our children do not only excel in reading, spelling and their knowledge of the stars, the Proteas can learn a thing or two from our u11 cricket team. These boys beat Panorama convincingly by 10 wickets. Well done to Mr D van Niekerk and his team. Special mention has to be made of Zaiyaan Gani, Mthokozisi Mbonani and Pranav Ullas for their outstanding performances. The u9 team also left the field as victors. They beat Panorama by 5 wickets. Well done, boys and Mr J Koen. The u13 team completed a very successful cricketing week with a 5 wicket victory against Panorama. Well done to these boys and their coach, Mr K Dorfling. Whoop whoop, cricket boys and coaches! Keep it up!

It has been a busy hockey week as well. The hockey boys faced off against MPS on Wednesday. Our boys did not disappoint, the u10s won 3-2, the u11s beat MPS 4-0, the u12s won a nail-biting encounter 1-0 and the u13s drew 1-1. Well done to the boys and their coaches. The girls took on cross-town rivals Klipfontein on Thursday. The girls played like stars. The u11s won 5-2. The u12s played beautifully and beat their opponents 5-0 with Rethabile Kubyana scoring 4 of the 5 goals. The u13s were involved in a tight tussle and drew 2-2. Well done to all girls and coaches.On Friday 16^th August the u10 boys and girls played a festival in Middelburg, all teams won the majority of their matches. Well done to these players and coaches. Our u13 girls won both their matches at the festival on Saturday, the highlight being an 8-0 thrashing of Cambridge. Well done, girls! The u11 team was also unbeaten on the day. Looking at these results, RCS is a hockey superpower.

Believe it or not, we have such dedicated swimmers at our school that they even train in the icy cold temperatures of winter. Congratulations to Annabelle Davel who was selected for the Mpumalanga Swimming Team. This makes the early mornings and long hours spent in the pool worthwhile. We are proud of you, Annabelle.

Friday sees the annual Grade 4 Cultural Dress-up and Food Tasting Day. This has become a highlight on the RCS calendar and the Grade 4s, under the leadership of Mrs J Olivier have been hard at work preparing for the day. Parents are invited to come and see how proud our children are of their cultural and religious heritage. We ask all parents who want to attend to please come through the front office.

Mr J Koen has put a lot of effort into planning the Ninja Warrior Day. We ask parents to support this initiative. Please ask your child/children about this as Mr Koen prepared a video to show them what to expect. Hopefully we can open this up to the parents next year to show off your athletic prowess. As we have seen throughout the term, we have supreme athletes at this school, we know they must have inherited this talent from their parents.

Warm RCS regards

The Editor

Robert  Carruthers  School

The  Carruthers  Chronicle

12^th August 2019

Dear Parents  

Being busy and being productive, are two different things. So rather than saying Term 3 has been a busy one thus far, we at RCS like to think of it as having been EXTREMELY productive. Within a blink of an eye, August arrived and not even the unseasonably warm weather could slow us down. With this term being so hectic, we implore parents to assist their children in finding the balance between academic, sport and cultural activities.  We were devastated to hear about the mass shootings in the USA. How sad that hatred and bigotry can cause such horrific devastation. We are proud that we raise our children with a sense of unity, tolerance, love and in celebration of our diversity. The world can learn a thing or two from us.

As we are officially in Women’s Month, RCS would like to thank all the amazing women that make the successes of this school possible. We take time to remember the sacrifices made for us by women which have made it possible for us to appreciate the freedoms we enjoy today. A case in point is our celebrating the fact that the two most successful national sporting teams this year, are FEMALE. Well done to Banyana Banyana and the Spar Proteas! You made us proud, ladies. A big thank you goes out to Mrs P Smith from Sandwich Baron Witbank, for her ongoing support to the school. She donates sandwiches, on a daily basis, for the needy children of the school.

On the topic of Women’s Month, we hope that you enjoyed the long weekend, the last during the school term for 2019. Thank you, parents for making the necessary transport arrangements for your children on Thursday.

We watched with great pride as our Senior Choir knocked the country’s socks off with their television debut. Well done to Mrs C Cilliers and Mrs M van Niekerk who trained these boys and girls for their performance on the KykNet show “Sing in Harmonie”. We cannot wait for their performance in the final of this competition on 13^th  October 2019. Parents who still wish to purchase tickets for this must contact Mrs U Zeelie immediately, as available tickets are running out fast. RCS is not just blessed with singing talent, but our actors are also raking in the accolades. The Artium Arts Festival wrapped up its Afrikaans section and the children yet again achieved some good results.

Afrikaans Monoloog: Yujeneiro Mapanzela 60%,  Lamees Ayob 70%

Gedramatiseerde Prosa: Masego Mashiane 65%, Raven Maider 75%,

Voordrag:     Tumelo Mosimanyana 70%, Ntshepeng Ntsheroa 93%, Machamane Ntilane 95%, Thapelo Malata 95%, Raven Maider 90%, Nobuhle Dladhla 98%, Boikano Makofane 86%, Lusani Budeli 84%, Brooklyn Joubert-Strauss 84%

This has not only been a busy term on the cultural and academic front, our sporting stars have been hard at work too. On Saturday, 3^rd  August, RCS hosted a Mini Hockey and Cricket day. Congratulations to Ms A Ruysschaert, Ms J Harmse and Mrs D Brits for organising the event.

The hockey girls and their coaches were busy on Saturday, too. They participated in the first Nkangala Girls Hockey League Festival at The Hockey Farm. The u11 girls beat Kanonkop 1-0. The u12 team beat Laerskool Middelburg 3-2. The u13 girls beat Laerskool Middelburg 1-0 and were victorious over Kanonkop 1-0. Well done to all girls and respective coaches.

On the cricketing front, our u11 and u13 teams participated in the T10 Day-Night League at Kragbron with some mixed results. Well done to Shakeel Gani for making it through to the second round of the provincial cricketing trials. We are proud of you, Shakeel.

We ask that parents make every effort to support their children when they participate in sporting events. A familiar and loving face next to the field, makes it all worthwhile. Parents, we still struggle with children not being picked up on time after school and practices. Please make the necessary arrangements to collect your children on time.

The Grade 5s went on an excursion to the Sci Bono Discovery Centre in Johannesburg on the 25^th July 2019. The children explored this interactive science museum and the outing was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Thank you to all the Grade 5 teachers for accompanying the children.

The Grade 7 Top Ten Academic Achievers were treated to a visit to the Sasol Techno Expo in Secunda. Besides viewing some pretty interesting gizmos, they could participate in a shark dissection (a smelly exercise by the sounds of it). Thank you to Mrs A Murdoch, Mrs S Visser and Mr K Dorfling for accompanying the children.

Our children once again amazed us with the experiments in the annual Science Expo. Some children found out more about sleep, we had someone investigate the DNA of fruit and Samantha Schultz discovered that there is no such thing as the perfect murder, ruining the hopes of all those bad guys out there.

The support for the Enviro Club’s Slay Day was very positive. Children were asked to make an item of clothing out of recyclable materials. Keep an eye on the Facebook page for some photos.

A busy week lies ahead. Our cricket teams play Panorama on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The tennis team will take on Kragbron on Wednesday. The hockey boys will play matches against MPS on Wednesday. The hockey girls will face off with Klipfontein on Thursday. We remind parents to sign and return the Deworming circular as well.

Lastly, we wish all our Muslim families a blessed and peaceful day as they celebrate Eid-ul-Adha.

Warm RCS regards

The Editor

Robert  Carruthers  School

The  Carruthers  Chronicle

25^th July 2019

Dear Parents  

“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” – Coretta Scott King

 By this standard the RCS community is nothing less than great.  We are extremely proud of every boy, girl, parent and staff member for their efforts on Mandela Day.  Our initiatives were a wonderful success.  Our Mandela Day Activities included:

The Pre – School: Made colourful canvasses to decorate a home for disabled people in Ackerville.

Grade 1: Collected and handed over some necessary items like toiletries and toys to the Victim Support Centre.

Grade 2: Helped out our General Assistants for the day by taking over some of their duties and then spoilt them with a lunch pack too.

Grade 3: Made care packages for the Potterbakker Huis orphanage

Grade 4: Made care packages for the patients at Witbank General Hospital.  The children walked there to visit the patients and hand over the packages.

Grade 5: Decided charity starts at home so they spent their day washing the walls at school and made posters to remind everyone that littering is NOT cool.

Grade 6: Collected items and made care packages for Home of Hope, an orphanage in town.

Grade 7: Collected money to buy some much needed animal food for the local SPCA and then they took to the streets around school to do a litter clean up.

Our u13 hockey boys and girls took part in Middelburg Primary’s Hockey Festival over the weekend.  The boys were the winners of the tournament while the girls won the Plate Finals.  Well done, boys, girls and coaches.  On Wednesday, 24^th July, our boys played hockey against Kragbron and the results were as follow:  u10 won 3 – 0, u11 won 1 – 0, u12 drew and u13 unfortunately lost.  All in all a good day of hockey.

The Artium Arts Festival has started and our children are already achieving excellent results.  Congratulations to these boys and girls and their teachers: Afrikaans Poësie:  Shuaib Saloojee –  95%, Nunilo Brown – 94%, Gabriella Silva –  94%, Abeeha Ghouri –  92%, Raniya Kara –  98%, Minenhle Skosana –  75%, Hamza Chayyi – 96%, Jayvon Francis – 90%, Aphelele Dlamini –  80%, Noluthando Vilane – 75%, Cotrell Roestoff – 88%, Roysten Marshall – 78%, Trenton Blocks – 72%, Lumkile Mashibini – 72%.  Mime: Moipone Mokorotloane – 85%, Palesa Ngomane – 70%.

We welcome Mrs T Lopes, our new Gr 3 teacher, to the RCS team.  We trust her time here will be happy and successful.

 Our Senior Choir’s audition will be broadcast on Channel 146 on the 28^th of July at 17:00, 30^th of July at 13:00 and 1^st of August at 12:00.  THEY NEED YOUR HELP, PARENTS! Our choir can reach the Champ of Champions if they receive enough VOTES.  Please start voting as soon as the first broadcast starts and continue voting until Friday 2^nd of August.

VOTE BY SENDING THE NUMBER 36 AS AN SMS TO 47620. Do not start voting before the first broadcast starts as voting lines will only open then.

Lastly, parents please ensure your children come to school with all the things necessary to make their day successful.  The number of children, who ask to phone their parents during the day because they forgot things at home and parents who constantly bring things to the office that were forgotten at home, is becoming a serious disruption to the office staff.   Another disruption is the horde of children who come to school late on a daily basis.  School times are clearly laid down in the Code of Conduct and must be ADHERED to at all times.  To the parents who make every effort to bring their children to school on time with all their books, bags and belongings, thank you!

Warm RCS regards

The Editor

Robert  Carruthers  School

The  Carruthers  Chronicle

13^th June2019

Dear Parents

A massive thank you to every parent who was here on Saturday for the Inter-House games; either to support your child or to give the teachers a go on the sport’s field/court.  We appreciate your efforts as your participation made the day a huge success.  Thank you again to Mrs I van Antwerp and her team for organising this day.  We saw what some of you as parents can do with a ball and we are relieved no “serious” injuries occurred.  We’ll see you again next year.

We were equally pleased and grateful for the support we received at the Gr RR – R Open Day.  Many parents made use of this opportunity to come and see why we are the best in the business.  We look forward to extending the RCS family next year.  Thank you to Ms A Ruysschaert and her team for their efforts in making the morning a successful.

We are not sure who is more delighted the exams are over, the teachers or your children.  Either way we are all pleased this period ran smoothly.  Thank you to those parents who took the time to ensure their children were thoroughly prepared for each examination.  And of course a big thank you to the RCS teachers who spent all their ‘free-time’ setting and marking scripts and preparing your child’s progress report, whilst on a tight time line.

 Talking about reports, please remember that you can collect these tonight after the AGM at your child’s register teacher’s classroom.   The AGM will start at 18:00 in the school hall.  We hope to see many of you there.

Congratulations to the following boys and girls who made it into the various Mpumalanga Hockey Teams and who will take part in the Inter Provincial Hockey games during the school holidays:

u12 girls – Pheto Mookoo, Courtney Khosa, u12 boys – Andile Nkosi, Mnotho Dludla, u13 girls – Siphesihle Mlotshwa. Thandeka Mnguni, Lethabo Matlala, Kholwani Mathebula, Motheo Manzi, u13 boys – Deangelo Campbell, Amogelang Ntjane, Siphesihle Nkosi, Mthokozisi  Mahlangu, Lesego Nkauta, Ditebogo Masango.  All the best to them.

 Wanga Ndou, who plays in the u13 Puma Rugby Team, will be taking part in the prestige Craven Week tournament in White River during the holidays.  We are proud of him and wish him well.

Gustav Flaubert said, “Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.”  Two of our staff members will be fortunate enough to experience that this holiday as they travel abroad.  Mrs N Nielsen will be visiting her mother (and the sunny beaches) in Italy while Mrs M Creed is leaving for the USA tonight to go and spend some time with her daughter.  Safe travels ladies, and savour the moments that matter.

Another RCS teacher is busy packing her bags for travelling overseas, soon.  Unfortunately, she will not be coming back.  We sadly take leave of Mrs D Heyns this term.  She and her family will be emigrating to Australia in a few days’ time.  Mrs Heyns has been part of the RCS family for the last eight years and we will miss her.  We know that the rest of her family have already made “down under” their home and we are happy that she will soon be reunited with them.  Go well, Mrs Heyns and thank you for the role you played at RCS.

There is no such thing as a ‘quiet term’ at RCS.  Therefore we are always appreciative of the stakeholders who successfully start and finish every term with us.  Thank you to the boys and girls who make our jobs easier by complying with the Code of Conduct, showing good manners and treating others and the environment with respect. Thank you parents for your continuous support throughout this term. Thank you to the incredibly hard-working SGB members who often give up a lot of time for the well-being of Robert Carruthers School; we value you.  Last but not least, to the incredible men and women who make your children their priority, who often go above and beyond what is expected of them, who show up even when they have their own hardships to deal with, who generously share more than just their lunch with the needy and who always act in the best interest of this school, the biggest thanks go to you – RCS Staff.

School closes at 11:00 tomorrow.  I hope this holiday treats us all well enough so we come back ready, revived and relaxed for Term 3.

 Warm RCS regards

The Editor

Robert  Carruthers  School

The  Carruthers  Chronicle

^30th May 2019

Robert  Carruthers  School

The  Carruthers  Chronicle

^23rd  May 2019

Dear Parents

I am sure that by now the struggle to get out of bed in the mornings, has affected every household in the Carruthers family.  Winter is officially here and the days are getting colder.  That may be a good or a bad thing, depending on how comfortable your bed is.  On that note, by now you should already have ensured your children are dressed in the complete winter uniform.  Note that our office currently does not have any ties available.  We are, however, in the process of acquiring more and we’ll let you know the minute they are available.  Most of your children should have a tie but in the rare case that your child does not, please inform the register teacher as soon as possible.

It is that time of the year again! Exams commence on the 27^th May and by now your child should have started preparing. It is essential that all learners come to school prepared, having had a good night’s sleep and a decent breakfast.  We take this opportunity to remind you, as parents, that should your child be absent during an examination, the school requires a doctor’s note.  The dedicated RCS staff have done their bit to ensure your children are academically prepared for these exams and we expect a smooth-running examination period.  For the Gr 7s these are the most important examinations as the majority of high schools will look at Term 2’s progress report for admission purposes.

Talking about admissions, our Enrolment period opened on the 20^th May.  We have already had a large number of parents collect admission enquiry forms for possible admission in 2020.  We know why, RCS offers the best possible education for a child and we wish we could accommodate all applicants, but as is to be expected, space constraints remain a challenge we can do nothing about. The right to education is not only the right to access education but also the right to receive an education of good quality, which is not possible if classroom size prevents all children from having a seat in the room.

We are proud to announce that Wanga Ndou, one of our Gr 7 boys, played his way into the 2019 Puma Rugby Team.  Keep an eye on Wanga, as you can be sure that one of these days he will wear the green and gold with pride.

Congratulations to Mr A Ruschenbaum and the u13 Boys’ soccer team who won the Emalahleni Soccer League last Saturday.  Perhaps Mr Stuart Baxter should come and visit this team to get some inspiration for his future aspirations with Bafana Bafana.

In recent times our Gr 1 teachers took all the Gr 1 learners on a trip to the local Police station.  We are pleased that the children enjoyed it.  Have no fear though parents, no one liked it enough to want to go there permanently.

On that same day our Gr 3 teachers and learners all headed to Johannesburg, where they spent the day at the Zoo and visited the Planetarium.  As you can imagine, we now have a number of Gr 3s looking forward to becoming Astronomers and Zookeepers.

On Saturday we had a most enjoyable time at school during our Mini Netball and Rugby Festival.  We were happy to see the good sportsmanship between teams and the spirit in which the day was enjoyed.  After all, sport is about so much more than winning.  Well done to Mrs I van Antwerp and her team for the organisation of this successful day.

All the best to Mr Olivier, Mrs Visser and the u11 A Netball team who are heading to White River next weekend to represent our school at the Mpumalanga Netball Championships.  Make us proud, girls.

On Monday we distributed re-enrolment forms to the children from Gr RR – 6.  Parents, it is vital that you complete these forms and return them on Friday the 24^th May.

Warm RCS regards

The Editor