|
I started this year with butterflies in my stomach, not knowing what to expect. The first week of school was very busy, sorting out books and stationery, but we managed to find the time to talk about our holidays, then it was back to reality and Grade 11!
The first few weeks flew by and I soon settled down. The month of February was filled with work and more work and tests. Who can forget the endless motivation from our Principal on how we were going to win the “4M” (our annual athletics meeting against three other girls’schools).
After plenty of sing-song sessions the 4M finally arrived and we were lucky enough to ride in luxury buses to Paarl, where the meeting took place. Unfortunately, we did not win or reach our target of 100 points (we only needed six more points!) Even though we came last, we screamed and cheered as if we had won. Sitting on the stadium, I suddenly realised that this 4M was my second last 4M meeting I would attend. I cannot believe I’m almost done with high school. After the 4M it was all work and no play, the work piled up, but there was some excitement amongst the Grade 11’s due to the upcoming event on the 16th March, The Grade 11 Fashion Show! There were thirty models modelling clothing and accessories from different shops. I helped backstage organising the models. It was definitely a hair-raising experience, which got even worse after the show when we had to check all the clothes.
After a long night, I had to wake up at 5am the next morning, because I had to leave at 6am for Artscape Theatre in Cape Town, where together with the rest of my grade I attended the annual Grade 11 Drama Festival. The Drama Festival was organised by the Grahamstown Foundation. Its purpose was to expose teenagers to the cultural side of life and in doing so enrich their lives.
Absolutely brilliant !! That is the first words that come to mind when I think about the festival. As I walked up the stairs of Artscape Theatre (half asleep) excitement filled my body. After waiting 45 minutes for the Rhenish buses to arrive, I was finally put out of my misery and my teacher handed out our programmes and workshop tickets. I did not get any of the workshops I asked for, so I was not very happy. My first workshop was only at 15h30 but I was treated to watching some excellent plays. They were all highly entertaining and provoked a lot of emotion. All my workshops were absolutely great. They involved things like learning to use your voice or sign language to create a piece of theatre. My favourite workshop was “Soul Expressions” during which we used personal problems to create story lines. We were free to express emotions and it really got you thinking. We had the opportunity to work with Grade 11’s from other schools and even made new friends. Sadly, those two days went by too quickly. Hopefully, I will be able to go to the Grahamstown Festival, which is just like the Drama Festival, just bigger, better and longer.
Shortly after the festival, it was holiday again and I was really happy because I was able to catch up on the sleep I missed out on during the term. The holidays were over in a blink of an eye and we had to return to school once again.
I regret thinking that I would be more in control of my schoolwork as the year progressed and I got used to being in Grade 11, the second term made my worst fears come true. It was very busy where academics were concerned. We were kept on our toes and a lot of the time I felt like I was drowning in the work! The exams were looming around the corner and I could see everyone in my grade was just as worried. In May, I performed my first monologue in drama class and even now I can still feel how my heart wanted to jump out of my chest. I can not remember being that nervous before.
My monologue was about a fifteen year old girl speaking to her therapist after her attempted suicide. I was so happy when it was over. To my surprise, I got the second highest mark in the class, but I never want to feel like that again. The days flew by so quickly as we wrote more and more tests. My friend and I decided we needed physical activity to release some “stress” and joined the second team netball. It was great playing netball after leaving it for a year. Unfortunately, we did not win our matches, but I loved the feeling in my body after playing netball.
The exams finally arrived and the tension was high, because I did not know what to expect. While I was writing some of the subjects, I felt as if I have never been in Grade 11 before. But, like everything else, the exams too came to an end. I didn’t do as well as I wanted to, but will definitely try to make up for that in the third term.
At the end of the term, we had to take part in a job shadowing program, but I’m only doing mine in the third term. I want to become a clinical psychologist, so I will do my job shadowing at Lentegeur Psychiatric Hospital. I really cannot wait because I am really passionate about helping people in every way possible. I am also going to volunteer every Wednesday at a community aftercare where I will spend tme and help children with their homework. This community service programme is one of the outreach programmes/societies, in which our school takes part.
I also joined the Cancer Committee this year, which raises funds for a cancer foundation. Before the Easter holidays the RAIDSS (Rhenish Aids Society), which I am involved with, collected easter eggs and handed them out to children at crèches in poor communities. We are now collecting old clothes and toys and anything the crèches could use to keep the children busy. The collection was not very effective during the exams but I am hoping it will get better in the third term.
I know the term ahead will be just as busy as the previous one but for my own sake and the sake of my sanity I hope I will be able to stay afloat in the “rough seas” and I hope I will be able to look back and feel that I have done my best.
Thank you once again to all at the Kay Mason Foundation for all your help and allowing me to attend a school where I am exposed to so many great and good things.
WHO AM I?
I am Abigail Daniels and I am fourteen years old. I have brown eyes and brownish/black dark hair. I am short, well I am shorter than most of my friends. I live in the Strand with my mother. My mother’s name is Reinet and she is a teacher at Eersteriver Secondary School. I have no brothers or sisters, I am an only child which is fun most of the time.
I attend Rhenish Girls’ High School and I am currently in Grade 9. My school is situated in Stellenbosch. It is a wonderful school and is the oldest girl school in South Africa. My favourite subjects are French, Accounting and Afrikaans. My not so favourite subjects are History and Technology.
The most important things / people in my life are my mother, family, friends and schoolwork. My mother’s family is quite small, I have a granny, 4 aunts, 1 uncle and 1 uncle and aunt in-law. They live near to each other in Eersteriver so I visit them almost every weekend. My family is my life and my friends too are extremely important to me. My friends always help me to see the bright side of life.
I love going out and spending time with my friends and family. I love dancing and always wanted to take Latin and jazz lessons but due to circumstances, I cannot. I like listening to music especially Hip hop, RnB and love songs. My favourites are Nelly, 101, Ja rule, Deblah Morgan, Nsinc, Ashanti, Blue..(the list is unending). I do not like snakes, spiders and cats but I totally adore dogs. I love playing netball and have been playing for six years. I am a very sensitive person and my feelings are easily hurt. I am a very self-conscious person and I always worry about what other people think of me. I am caring and understanding. I love meeting new friends, but I struggle at making new friends because I am very shy. I am a hard-worker and I am determined to succeed in life. I believe if you work hard and believe, you can make a great success of your life.
All I want to do is live life the fullest and to enjoy my teenage years. I want to be the best person I can be. I want to make my mother and family proud. I strive to achieve all my goals. I have a dream and that is, that the world could live in peace and harmony with each other, that they could learn to tolerate and respect each other. I hope that they can change from enemies to acquaintances, from acquaintances to friends, from friends to a united world.
I leave you with this:
“You see things and say ‘Why?’
But I dream things that never were
And say ‘Why not?’”
George Bernard Shaw
STORY - My school: Rhenish Girls’ High School
It is early morning and I can still feel the cool morning breeze against my skin as I enter the school grounds. A school surrounded in an atmosphere that is so peaceful and breathtaking. As a student at Rhenish Girls’ High, I feel proud and honoured to be part of a school with such a proud history and promising future.
Rhenish was originally established to educate the daughters of the Rhenish Missionary. It officially opened its doors in 1880, although its roots can be traced to earlier years. It started as the Rhenish Institute with only two teachers and eight students. It was the first Girls’ boarding school and remains to be the oldest girl school in South Africa. The school then moved to another location to accommodate the increasing amount of students. They moved to a location opposite the Braak in Stellenbosch. Almost a hundred years later in 1958, the senior school and hostel moved to the present premises.
Funding from the Rhenish Missionary Society enabled the school to operate. Under the management of Mrs Bertha Vaigt (principal then), the school became self-supporting.
Dates of important historical events
1884 – First Matriculation candidates, Jane Murray passing with honours.
1901 – Rhenish Institute taken over by the Cape Colonial educational authorities as a ‘Girls’ First Class (A1) Public school.
1918 – Rhenish becomes a Secondary school and then becomes a High School.
1958 – The Institute becomes two schools: Rhenish Girls’ High and Rhenish Primary.
1991 – School opens to all races.
I have talked about the school’s history so now it is time to find out what Rhenish has to offer and my experiences at this school.
Rhenish believes in teaching the whole child. What is meant by that is that they concentrate on the child’s academic, cultural and sporting life. They have a wide variety of subjects which include: English, Afrikaans, Mathematics, Biology, Physical Science, Geography, History, Home Economics, Accounting, Xhosa, German, Latin, French, Italian (extra-mural), Music, computer studies (SG) computer science (HG), Technical drawing and of course the OBE subjects for Grade 8 and 9.
From the sporting side, Rhenish has a variety of summer and winter sports which include: tennis, athletics, swimming, water-polo and syncro for the summer and netball, hockey, squash, cross country and the 2 recent sports, girl soccer and volleyball as winter sports. We have our annual inter-house athletics and inter-house swimming gala at the beginning of the 1st term. Events we look forward to are the 4M. Rhenish competes against Bloemhof, La Rochelle and Paarl Girls High in the swimming pool and on the athletics tracks. The other highlight is the annual Boy / Girl gala at which we compete once again against each other on the tracks and in the pool; the only difference is that most boys and girls’ schools compete. This occasion allow us to interact with other boys and girls’ schools.
Do not forget the cultural life of our school. The school offers speech and drama classes, inter-house plays, school dramatic / musical production, Choir and various small singing groups and an ensemble and flute Choir. We have a variety of clubs and societies: the Grapevine (school newspaper), SCA (Student Christian Association), cultural society, debating society, Interact, Earthlife Africa, riding club, recycling club and RAIDS (Rhenish Against Aids Society).
The school hostel which is situated on the school premises, accommodates girls who live far away. The boarders often have a better opportunity to be involved in the life of the school. Girls who live at the hostel say it is a home away from home.
Rhenish has so much to offer a girl who wants to make a success of her life. At Rhenish, we are one big family and from the first day you enter the school, you feel part of the family. Rhenish has great teachers who are always willing to assist you whenever you need help. I am truly happy at this school and would not change. They say: “once a Rhenisher, always a Rhenisher.” It is because even when you leave this school, you always feel welcome to come back.
“ The hope of each and all of us is that Rhenish may excel. Ebenezer is our watch word, for our school our hearts beat strong.”
|
