WHEN YOU HAVE HAD A TASTE OF EXCELLENCE, YOU CANNOT GO BACK TO MEDIOCRITY.

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1 CIRCULAR NO. 8 1 March 2019 Dear Parent(s) / Guardian(s) WHEN YOU HAVE HAD A TASTE OF EXCELLENCE, YOU CANNOT GO BACK TO MEDIOCRITY. by Maximillian Degenerez Fairmont High School Drummies deliver excellent results at their first competition for (see point 5)

2 1) MESSAGE FROM THE HEADMASTER GRADE 12 S IDENTIFICATION FOR ALL EXAMS AND FINAL EXAMS This is a friendly reminder to our Grade 12 Parents to please ensure that our Grade 12 learners have their South African I.D. Book or Card for their NSC Exams. From the upcoming June exams, our matrics must have official proof when writing their exams. Parents are asked to please ensure that an original I.D. Book or I.D. Card is displayed at each of the learner s exams. SUMMER SPORT PHOTOS The Summer sport photos will be taken on Wednesday, 6 March 2019, for all summer sports and some society groups. Learners must please ensure they know exactly what sport items their Sport Managers / Society Managers require them to wear. 2) ASSESSMENT MEASURES AND PROCEDURES FOR ALL GRADES Please consult the Assessment Calendar for test dates and subject exams. URGENT NOTICE FOR ALL PUPILS NO pupils will be allowed to go home early on any day or after a test without a written letter from the parent requesting this. No s! Permission for going home early will only be allowed for emergencies. If a pupil is too sick to stay for the full day after a test, then they must not come to school to write, but must provide the school with a medical certificate. PLEASE NOTE! All pupils are required to be at school at the regular time - 07h50 - even if they are not writing a test. This time will be used for consolidation or tasks organized by various subject departments. Please consult the Assessment Calendar for test dates and subject exams. All parents are asked to please be aware that when your child misses a Monday or a Thursday test, a letter from the parent and the relevant chemist slip (the date on the slip must pertain to the pupil s absenteeism and medication bought), a certificate from the clinic or a doctor s certificate is required. A medical certificate from either the clinic or the doctor is applicable for missing any exam. A note from you excusing your child from school for the days missed (not test days) is also required.

3 No allowances will be made for pupils missing formal assessments due to holiday arrangements. Grade 9 and Matric pupils must produce a doctor s certificate for tests and exams missed as these are the two exit phases and their marks are externally moderated by the Education Department. Learners are not allowed to go home immediately after a test if they are ill. They have to stay until first break. If they are ill, then they should not come to school. A doctor s certificate will be required. MATRIC CALENDAR (School days until NSC Finals) 92 SCHOOL DAYS School Holidays Public Holidays Exams Jan (0 School Days) Feb (0 School Days) Mar (10 School Days) Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Apr (19 School Days) May (10 School Days) Jun (5 School Days) Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Jul (17 School Days) Aug (10 School Days) Sep (5 School Days) Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Oct (16 School Days) Nov (0 School Days) Dec (0 School Days) Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa ) RCL FEEDBACK The RCL had another busy weekend, taking part in events on Saturday, 23 February. Autumn Neethling (RCL Chairperson) and Savannah Nicolay (RCL Vice-Chairperson) attended the FEDSAS RCL Summit at the Cape Town Civic Centre, while the rest of the RCL spent the day serving at Bella's Gua rdian Angels Animal Shelter. The RCL has had a very busy term, from Spirit Week and Big Brag co-ordination, flower Valentine's Day sales, Sarmie Mommy drives on Friday mornings, New Pupils' Orientation, Grade 8 Athletics Day, hosting the provincial RCL conference, starting the Class Rep. Committee, running school surveys, assisting with locker sales, grade 7 information sessions, and continuing to take in proposals to assist all learners. The RCL is now looking ahead to the Open Days and the teachers' tea! Thank you RCL. Continue to serve and keep holding up the name of FHS in all you do.

4 4) TYGERBERG EISTEDDFOD Entries for the Eisteddfod can be done with Mrs Vermeulen in Studio 3 during 1 st breaks. Categories include singing, instruments, poetry, creative writing, art, public speaking and many more. Entries are R46 per entry and performances are only in the 3rd Term, but all entry fees must be paid to the Fairmont payments office by latest: Thursday, 7 March. Please contact Mrs Vermeulen if you have any further queries on: vermeulen@fairmont.co.za.

5 5) FAIRMONT DRUMMIES DELIVER FANTASTIC RESULTS AT THEIR FIRST COMPETITION A great start to the season for our Drummies! Marching with precision and finesse, and competing with guts and pride delivers great results! Flag Group 3 rd Pom/Non-Prop 1 st Leader, Celine Lucas 1 st Subbies 2 nd Squad 2 nd Display 2 nd Team Overall 2 nd Well done Drummies! You are a true example of a professional team, and we are extremely proud of you. Keep up the excellent work.

6 6) SOCCER 2019

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8 7) POWER TOOLS: MY TOP 5 CALMING TOOLS FOR ANXIETY Have you ever tried to think rationally while an alarm is ringing in your ears, when all you want to do is shut it off as quickly as possible?! That s what the body feels like when it is suddenly flooded with anxiety the alarm starts ringing, signalling an emergency and it can take over your body with a very real intensity. As much as you may want to know what set off the alarm and why, we can only really start thinking clearly once that noise has quietened down. These are my top 5 calming tools and tips for all ages: 5. Get to know that feeling If you try ignore the alarm and pretend it s not happening, how can you turn down the volume? Acknowledge the anxiety as something real and make space for it. You can give the feeling a name or a descriptive word to identify it. You may even have a song that you associate with it, that signals its arrival. I often tell my clients to scoot up on the couch, to make space for that feeling to sit next to them because it s not going to magically disappear, so we may as well try to understand it a bit more. 4. Grounding 5:4:3:2:1 When the alarm is blaring in your ears, it s hard to focus on anything else. This is why the exercise is so valuable it forces you to focus on what is actually in front of you, in the moment. So we start with looking around for 3. Body scan 5 things you can see 4 things you can feel 3 things you can hear 2 things you can smell 1 thing you can taste Similar to the exercise, a body scan gets you really checking in with your body and providing a safe place for your mind to focus on while the volume of the alarm starts to reduce. I encourage you to lie down or find a comfortable position and close your eyes. The body scan can be done from head-to-toes or from toes-to head, so play around and see which direction you prefer. You are going to notice each body part, if they are feeling tight, or sore, or even a bit funny. Breathe in, hold for 2 counts and tighten those muscles as tight as you can. Then breathe out and relax those muscles completely. In the body scan, you can give extra attention to those areas that may hold more anxious tension (head, jaw, neck, shoulders and diaphragm) There are so many guided body scans available online. One of my favourites for kids is the GoZen Body Scan and for adults, both this 5 min body scan and 10 min scan are great shorter options. But I encourage you to try some different options to find the right voice and style that you prefer; and

9 2. Fidgeting tools You may have thought that fidget spinners were just a craze but there is actually some sense in the madness. When that alarm is sounded, adrenaline starts flowing through the body and since most times there isn t an immediate actual threat that you need to run away from or fight off for survival, your body is flowing with excess energy. Rather than tapping your leg, biting your nails or picking at skin, find something to occupy your hands. Some suggestions include bubble wrap, a stress ball, a fluffy soft toy or blanket, an elastic band, specific fidget toys or stretchy putty. These all provide an outlet for that energy as well as providing a soothing sensory experience for your highly alert nervous system. 1. Breathing Often with the alarm ringing so loudly you can forget the most simple, basic tool. My top choice deals with the one aspect of our bodies that is most affected when the alarm goes off. Your breathing is usually quite shallow and fast with anxiety, sometimes we even hold our breath. With younger children, blowing bubbles with long deep breaths is a great way to get things flowing, or lying down with a stuffed toy on their stomachs, making it rise and fall. With older children and adults, hold each side of the diaphragm and try push outwards and fill up your stomach while you take a deep breath in, filling up like a balloon and then breathe out, returning the ribs inwards while deflating the balloon. If you focus on this for several minutes, your anxious mind has a place to focus while things settle down. I encourage you to try out each tool several times, and get a sense of what works best for you. They do require some practice, and the goal is not to never hear the alarm (that s impossible), but rather to be able to turn down the volume while the feeling passes. Join me on the Expresso Show on SABC 3 on Wednesday 20th February where I will be discussing these tools in more detail. If you are interested in attending one of my new Power Fill workshops, where we focus on expanding your coping skills toolbox, please be in touch via my website or events@talyaressel.co.za. The next workshop will be specifically for teenage girls, ages on the 16th of March Talya Ressel February 19, ) GRADE 10 INTAKA ISLAND EXCURSION The grade 10s went to Intaka for their research project on ecosystems. They were tasked with a project that informs us whether the ecosystem is healthy. They looked at samples of indigenous plants, counted birds, examined water samples, took a boat ride, had a chat about the human impact, and studied the aquapoincs system at Intaka.

10 9) FHS CHOIR CAMP 2019 The FHS Choir Camp of 2019 was a raging success! The weekend was filled with great rehearsals, a Friday sleep-over, hot chocolate, fantastic food, team building games, swimming and ice cream! A special word of thanks goes to our parents who helped out: Thank you to the Ludski s, Biesot s and Potgieter s. We made great progress in preparing for our three competitions in April and had a blast of a time all the way. Another word of thanks to Ms Vermeulen for all her hard work behind the scenes. She is truly the backbone of the FHS Choir. It is truly a privilege to work with such a wonderful team. Mr K. de Wet

11 10) JUNIOR & SENIOR MARIMBA BANDS The Jnr and Snr marimba bands performed for an hour at a WCED event for principals and teachers. We received very positive feedback, and the entertainment was enjoyed by all

12 11) CAREERS EXHIBITION

13 12) NETBALL 2019 WINTER SPORT SIGN-UP We are ready for 2019 to be our biggest year yet! We would like to streamline the sign up process and invite ALL netball players to use the following link to register for Netball in 2019: (Please note: all players need to sign up, even if you already registered and played trials for tournament teams) Trials for all teams will take place on the following days: U19 Trials Monday, 4 March 2019 U16 Trials Wednesday, 6 March 2019 U14 Trials Thursday, 7 March 2019 Fairmont High School Netball also has their own Smartphone App. It will keep both players and parents/guardians up-to-date with team news, events, schedules, coaches and much more. To get the full features of your teams App you need to download Team App onto your smartphone. Download Team App here ( Its 100% FREE. To access Fairmont High School Netball, launch Team App, then: 1. Sign-up to Team App. You will be sent an to confirm your registration. 2. Log in, Then search for Fairmont High School Netball and request access to group(s) that apply to you. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to make contact ON: jdewet@fairmont.co.za Netball-greetings! Mrs J de Wet HEAD OF NETBALL 13) MYSCHOOL CARD

14 14) WELL DONE Adrian Kingsley (Gr 8) Adrian competed at the All Styles Western Cape Championships on 16 February. He won: * Gold Unison Kata * Silver Kumite Lauryn Giles (Gr 11) Lauryn also competed at the All Styles Western Cape Championships on 16 February, she won: * Silver Unison Kata 15) FROM THE HEADMASTER S DESK We wish all our families a restful weekend. Yours sincerely Mr L Erasmus HEADMASTER Disclaimer: Fairmont High School does not necessarily endorse the products/services advertised in this circular.

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