Dear Parents, Staff and Friends
February already! Time flies when you are busy. The school is settling into its academic rhythm along with the general activities that are offered to our learners. Its is a very busy place and both staff and learners are committed to making the school not only a place of focused teaching and learning, but also a place of fun and enjoyment.
Meeting with Grade 12 Parents
We held a very successful, well-supported and informative meeting with our Grade 12 parents on Monday. Parents were given hints, help and advice on how to prepare and manage their children through the matric year.
As promised, the school website now has a page where parents can keep track of important SPA topics and deadlines https://mecschool.co.za/help-and-advice-for-matric-parents/
IEB user group meetings
A number of teachers will be attending the IEB subject meeting workshops this weekend. These workshops are offered to Grade12 teachers to discuss items of academic interest and importance.
Lockers
Due to our unforeseen increase in enrolments, we currently face a shortage of lockers for the learners. We are sourcing new lockers and hope to have these in place soon.
Foundation Phase
We are glad to announce that we will support learners after school that are in need of extra English and Maths. This is a first for the foundation phase.
Parents will receive letters for individual learners that are in need of extra academic support. The extra classes started this week already.
Academic activities:
| Grade | Day | Subject |
| 1 A & 1 B | Mondays and Wednesdays | Mathematics / English extra classes |
| 2 A & 2 B | Mondays and Wednesdays | Mathematics / English extra classes |
| 3 A & 3 B | Wednesdays | English extra classes |
| 3 A & 3 B | Mondays | Mathematics extra classes |
Sport activities:
| Grade | Day | Sport |
| Gr.R – Gr. 3 | Tuesdays and Thursdays | Netball and Soccer |
Bicycle Raffle
The bicycle raffle that was run last year raised a splendid R17000 to be used for improvements at the school. The Winner was Mr Muhammad Kara. We were delighted to hand over the prize to Mrs Kara.
Cake Sale
The school was treated to a fun day of sweets and treats on Friday. A special thanks to the Grade 10,11 and 12 parents for their support.
Staffing
Mrs Natascha Vellerman appointed to replace Mrs Rhodes who is relocating to Malelane with her husband at the end of term 1. We have also appointed Mrs Jenny-Lynn Le Roux as a secretary/admin assistant in the Foundation Phase and Mrs Bianca Deysel as a finance and admin assistant in the main office. I would like to welcome all three ladies to MECS and wish them the best of luck in the new appointments.
Food for thought
There’s a beautiful statue of Buddha that sits in a temple called Wat Trai Mitre in Bangkok.
The statue is quite stunning – it stands over seven feet in height and is made of solid gold.
It’s not always looked like that, though. Once upon a time, many years ago, the statue was covered in plaster and very dirty. Then one day, a monk noticed that the statue was peeling in places and needed some restoration and tender loving care. When they came to repair the plaster the monks noticed a glint of shiny yellow underneath. It soon became clear that the statue was not an ordinary Buddha made of plaster. Instead, the Buddha was made of solid gold and quite beautiful.
After some research, the monks agreed that the statue had been deliberately disguised to hide it from robbers and looters.
Today, the Gold Buddha of Bangkok has been restored to its magnificent glory. Its serene and majestic face has a beautiful smile: the keeper, for so many years, of a wonderful secret.
Take a moment to reflect on the story. What does it mean for you?
The observation that immediately springs to mind is…never judge a book by its cover.
It also highlights issues such as self-esteem and latent talents, skills and confidence.
Are you, or someone you know, hiding a golden quality?
Why is this gold hidden from view?
What would happen if the treasure were to be revealed?
What would have to happen to reveal the gold?
What talents/skills do other people have that they do not recognise or use?
How might you help people reveal the value of their true worth?
I first told this story a couple of years ago and I reckon it’s worth a re-tell. The obvious point is that we’re all a bit like Buddha. No, not pot-bellied and cross-legged, but metaphorically – we all accumulate layers…the rules of life, the importance of working hard and being a good person, the ‘scripts and programmes’ given to us by other people, our parents, co-workers and friends. Some of it is helpful, most of it is not.
The problem is that these layers can accumulate until our shine is tarnished. There’s gold inside everyone, but the outside can become heavy and dull.
Your challenge in life is to continually chip away at the crusty stuff so you can tackle life in all of your golden awesomeness!
Have a great weekend
Brian
