News of 21 January 2025

Weekly Activities News

21-01-2025

STAFF We are excited to welcome the following new staff members to the Collegiate family:

Mr McLachlan joins us in a promotion post to the School Management Team and to head up Information Technology and Computer Literacy
Miss Mashigo has been appointed into the Visual Arts position.
Miss Kholwane joins the Consumer Studies and Life Orientation Departments.
Mrs Rodrigues Leana joins the Afrikaans Department.
Mr Posthumus, who facilitated classes in the IT and CAT departments in the second half of last year, has now been appointed in a part-time position teaching Economic Management Sciences and Computer Literacy.
Miss Nonkontwane joins us in the Educator Internship position. She comes from Makhanda, having attended Victoria Girls’ High School and studied at Rhodes University, graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce degree. The internship is for two years during which time she will complete a PGCE part-time, while learning on the job. Ms. Nonkontwane’s subjects are EMS and CAT. The internship is a whole-school experience, including the hostel where she will reside and fulfil duties.
Mrs Shone is our new Hostel Superintendent, a role which we affectionately refer to as Hostel Mother.
Mr Gerber is our in-house Biokineticist who will be operating from the Collegiate SouthSure Fitness Centre.
Mrs Arthur has been appointed as the new Grade Nine Head.

ACADEMICS

MATRIC RESULTS

With a decade-long run of achieving a 100% pass rate, Collegiate yet again saw the successful completion of an academic year with the class of 2024. Not only did Collegiate score a 100% pass rate, but increased the percentage of bachelor’s passes to 98.5% with the remaining 1.5% achieving a diploma pass. At Collegiate the classroom context is enriched with a plethora of co-curricular activities, highly qualified and engaged educators who commit to the well-being of learners. We salute the staff and learners for their academic excellence. We celebrate our achievement with the primary schools who lay the foundation on which we build.

TOWARDS 2030

The Grade Eight ‘New Pots’ met with their respective Grade Twelve ‘Old Pots’ in establishing connections as the future class of 2030 start their high school journey with us. During a session hosted at the school, the Class of 2025 welcomed the future class of 2030 to the Collegiate Sisterhood with much joy and camaraderie as they chatted and laughed to make our new Grade Eight learners feel at home.

SPORT

HOCKEY

Collegiate girls and coaches thrived at Pro Series Indoor Hockey Nationals

Many of our Collegiate hockey girls participated in the Pro Series Indoor year-end Nationals in Cape Town in December. This is a huge annual event, where teams from all over South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe compete for top honours.

Coached by Mr Cody Posthumus and managed by Mrs Melisa Gillies, the U16s (Green team) won Gold in the A section (Cup Section), with Kerrin Gillies, Salome Oosthuizen and Jana Prinsloo being selected to the National All Stars team. Jade Grobler was also a member of this team. Additionally, Kerrin Gillies was the player of the tournament and Salome Oosthuizen was the goalkeeper of the tournament.

Taryn Peltenburg, Jenna Coetzee and Casey Grobler were part of the Vipers U16 YELLOW team, won a bronze medal in the shield section (B Section).

Charlotte Eary, Rachel Creighton, Peyton Brooks, Hunter Dutton and Lauren Duckworth won a silver medal in an epic final match of the plate section (C Section).

In the U14 division, Lauren Duckworth and Gaby de Doncker were outstanding in the Cup Section (A Section). Lara Foster, Isabel Rudman, Anda Ntlangani, Rachel Embery and Ava Filmer represented the Vipers YELLOW team in a very competitive plate section (B Section).

In the U18 section, Collegiate were represented by Anna Porter, Cassidy Williams and Darcey Brown in a very tough under 18 Cup section.

In the newly launched U23 section, several Collegiate old girls kept the flag flying high. The under 23 side coached by Mr Michael Abrahams achieved a silver medal in the final after being unbeaten up until this point in all pool games and play-offs. Congratulations to Alulutho Adams, Elizabeth Porter, Isabella Bisdee, Kyla Nienaber, Caitlin Gillies and Jaime Gillies.

WATER POLO

Elizabeth Horn was part of the U19A side who competed at IPTs in East London where her team came third.

ARTISTIC SWIMMING

Rachel Taylor, Aneesah Lindoor, Kim Dell Robertson and Shiloh Walsh competed in the National Age Group Championships in December in Cape Town. Shiloh Walsh came 1st in the Novice Trio. Aneesah Lindoor and Rachel Taylor, came 3rd in Free Solo and Tech Duet. Kim Dell Robertson came 3rd in the Tech team and Free Duet.

HOSTEL

Hostel: the Place Where Sisters Are Found and Memories Are Made

The hostel recently hosted its annual Boarder Stay-In weekend, a weekend where girls seized the opportunity to forge new friendships and welcomed the Grade 8’s to the life of a boarder. The weekend was packed with exciting activities, including a dress-up, a fashion show, and a social event with Grey Hostel, Meriway, and many other unforgettable events. To top it off, the boarders took full advantage of the sunny weather by heading to Splash Waterworld!

THE MATRIC SUCCESS STORY

Over the last few months, we have featured the stories of Old Girls and their successes on social media. This week, our Old Girl success story was a different one as we celebrated all our matrics, our youngest Old Girls, of our class of 2024 on their matric results. We asked some of the class members about their matric and beyond stories.

Jessica Smith’s secret to success in matric was to work hard throughout the year and she gave of her best whether it was a project, oral or test as it all added up. Jessica believes that consistency pays off, especially in Grade 12. By putting in effort throughout the year, it took the stress away as she did not have to overwork during trials and finals, as she had already covered all the content.

This year Jessica is going to study Actuarial Science at Stellenbosch University. She is looking forward to staying in res. She is excited to be closer to her sister who is studying at UCT, and Jessica is looking forward to making friends in a new environment. Her favourite quotes are “Everything happens for a reason’ and ‘Good better best, don't let it rest. Not until your good is better, and your better is best.”

She would advise the Class of 2025 that when preparing for trials and finals- DO PAST PAPERS as it really does help and can increase your mark by 10%. When people say that matric goes by quickly, believe them! Absorb every moment and take every opportunity you can in school events… it is your last year!!

Blessing Melariri is feeling hopeful, expectant and a little bit nervous about the future but she is also feeling optimistic because of God’s grace.

Her secret to success in matric was to create a study timetable before exams which she tried her best to follow each day. She appreciated the role her family plays in her life. ⁠Blessing’s sister was in matric in 2023 and she constantly motivated Blessing throughout the year and helped her to know that if she did it, Blessing could do it too! Her parents were her biggest supporters and inspired her always to give of her best.

Blessing will be studying in the field of Health Sciences and she is leaning mostly towards medicine. Her favourite quote is ⁠” Anything under God’s control is never out of control.” She would advise this year’s Grade Twelves to ⁠be organised and plan out your week so that you’re always on track with everything you need to do. ⁠

Tyra Naidoo felt quite nervous to see her results. However, she was optimistic about the outcome as she felt that she worked hard. Tyra prepared for the final examinations by making use of past papers and she tried to learn from the mistakes made in the Trial examinations.

The people who inspired Tyra the most were her peers at Collegiate. Everyone had their eyes on the goal of achieving in the Final examinations and that only pushed her harder to work towards that same goal Tyra plans to study Chemical Engineering at the University of Cape Town this year.

A quote that always reminds her that adaptation to change is key to success is, “You can’t control the winds but you can adjust your sails.”

Her advice to the class of 2025 is to appreciate every moment, good and bad. Although your focus should be on your studies, appreciate and enjoy the time you have left as a high school student!

MUSIC

We are extremely proud of the following Violinists who were selected for the Eastern Cape String Orchestra Senior Course in December 2024:

Caitlin de Souza

Cailin Louw

Omhle Manona

Unako Nondlazi

Cwenga Williams

We are extremely proud of the following learners who were selected for the Eastern Cape Wind Orchestra Senior Course in December 2024:

Hannah Campbell (Trumpet)

Rebecca Coombes (Trombone)

Amy Elliott (Percussion) – Grade 12 2024

Maria Freercks (Flute)