SAHETI ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – WEDNESDAY 4 JUNE 2014

REPORT OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN HELLENIC

EDUCATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL INSTITUTE

In Memoriam:

Nelson Mandela - memorial service held in Chapel addressed by Advocate George Bizos.

Mrs Paraskevi Skoura-Thiriou - The Educational Attaché of the Hellenic Consulate General in Johannesburg.

Nicholas Papadimos - SAHETI school pupil

Costas Vasiliadis – Father of SAHETI Parent and grandfather of SAHETI pupils.

Yianni Tserpes - Father of SAHETI teacher, and grandparent of SAHETI School pupils.

Constantine Mitrosparas - Parent of SAHETI school pupil.

Sean Noel-Barham - Parent of SAHETI school pupil and recently ordained as a priest (Father Anastasios).

Christina Nicolopoulos - Parent of SAHETI school pupil. Ioannis Revelas - Parent of SAHETI school pupil and of SAHETI alumni

Spiros Spiliopoulos - Parent of SAHETI alumni

Elia Roussos – Parent of SAHETI alumni and grandparent of SAHETI pupils

Ioanna Pouliadou – Parent of SAHETI teacher, Demetra Spanos and grandparent of SAHETI pupils

John Kalliatakis – Father of SAHETI parent and grandfather of SAHETI pupils

Appreciation I would like to thank the following for their guidance and support:

Our Patrons

The Archbishop of Johannesburg and Pretoria - His Eminence Metropolitan Damaskinos

The Ambassador of Greece - Her Excellency Mrs Maria Diamantopoulos

The High Commissioner of Cyprus - His Excellency Mr Petros Nacouzis.

Life Vice Presidents of SAHETI Thank you for their wise counsel:

Advocate George Bizos

Mr Vaios Kokkoris

Mr Yanni Ioannides

Mr Spyros Bylos

Executive members of the SAHETI Board

Mr Nick Kokkoris

Elizabeth Sidiropoulos

Ms Gary Ttappous

Mr Andreas Stephanou Mr Anthony Katakuzinos

Mr Spiro Georgopoulos

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For their many hours of commitment, their unstinting support, advice and encouragement during often challenging times

Board members For their dedication and commitment to governance. Your support and individual contributions in your areas of strength is much appreciated. The fact that we never resorted to a vote exemplifies your commitment to governance by consensus.

Mr Spiro Georgopoulos has served the Board and the school until recently; Mr Georgopoulos was a member of the board for approximately years and held the position of Vice Chair Strategy. At the beginning of 2014, Mr Georgopoulos decided to step down due to work commitments.

The Board over the last 2 years has ensured that SAHETI continues to grow, is financially stable and is well governed.

Parents and Guardians Thank you to all parents and guardians who have entrusted their children’s foundations and education to SAHETI School.

The Executive Heads

Mrs Anastasia Krystallides (retired December 2013)

Mr Warwick Taylor (commenced January 2014)

The Principals

The Principal of the Primary School - Mrs Sophia Zachariou

The Principal of Pre-Primary School and Play School Mrs Terri Ohannessian

The Principal of Greek Studies - Mrs Tonia Papazoglou

The Directors of the High School

Director of Academics - Mrs Daniela Pitt Director of Culture - Mrs Maretha Senekal

Director of Student Affairs - Mr Jaco Kruger

Director of Sport - Mr Grant Jansen (resigned)

The Educators I thank each and every one of our educators throughout the schools for their commitment and hard work in ensuring a quality education for the learners of SAHETI School.

The Bursar and Finance Department They ensured financial control and a superb campus. My thanks to the Bursar, Mrs Rebecca Babiolakis and her team, Mrs Colleen Pistorius, Mrs Tina Antypas, Mrs Margie Hoffman (now Admissions Secretary), and Mrs Sofia Holland.

The Operations Staff

The Operations Manager, Mr Ernest Dinky Boucher (retired in December 2013)

Grounds - Mr Moses Nengwane

Maintenance - Mr Billy Harris

Security - Sound and Lighting - Mr Chris Sutherland

Caretaker – Mrs Jaa-Mie-Lah Wessels The School Nurse - Mrs Christine Maraschin

The Board’s Administrative Secretary

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Thank you to Mrs Christina Michas (Administrative Secretary of the SAHETI Board) for her professionalism,

efficiency and for always going the extra mile. Her institutional knowledge and dedicated administrative

support has been invaluable during my tenure as chairperson over the last 4 years.

Strategic Relationships This position is still relatively new to the SAHETI landscape and is tasked with the job of ensuring that the important relationships of the school are cultivated and developed. The benefits of this position are long- term and I thank Mrs Tonia Yiannoulakis for her patience and professionalism in seeing the development of this role through during its early phases.

Secretaries and Personal Assistants to the three schools

We extend thanks to Mrs Helen Panayotakis, Mrs Frine De la Porte, Mrs Danae Sclanders, Mrs Gina Kikillus,

and Mrs Denise Harmer for their hard work and commitment.

Marketing Department

Mrs Anna Botha and Mrs Christine Papademetriou have achieved great successes in the promotion of the

school – for which we thank them. The school punches above its weight in terms of publicity and especially

the matric results. Well Done!

Functions Founders Day - SAHETI School celebrated its 40th birthday in 2013. At the Founders’ day celebration on Friday 31st May 2013, the Avli was full of learners, parents, staff and guests. Congratulations to the newly appointed head prefects.

Each learner donated a book to the School and a donation of Desks was made to the Realogile High School in Alexandra. This was followed by “Putting on the Hits” on Friday Evening in the George Bizos Hall.

Chapel Service and 40th Birthday Fete On Sunday 2 June 2013, a school chapel was held where the SAHETI’s founders were honoured. This was

followed by an amazingly successful 40th Birthday Fete. Over 6000 friends of SAHETI enjoyed a day filled with fun, games, good food, varied entertainment and a spectacular fireworks display. I was pleased that so many alumni and past parents attended. Mrs Tonia Yiannoulakis and the marketing department organised an amazing exhibition that brought back memories for the alumni who attended. The SAHETI Board would like to thank all those who made these events possible.

Kyria Soula, the teaching and support staff, the PTA’s and many parents worked hard in planning and

executing these events and are to be congratulated. A special thanks to Mrs Anna Botha and Mrs Christine

Papademetriou whose marketing skills helped ensure a massive turnout for the Fete.

A very special thanks to Mr Terry Lentzakis, Mr Dion Karagiannis, Mr Michael Wright and all those PTA members and volunteers who assisted in ensuring that the Fete was a very special and memorable day.

Annual SAHETI Prize Giving I attended the Annual SAHETI Prize giving on Sunday 21 July 2013. Matriculants, graduates and postgraduates from Gauteng of Greek descent are honoured for their achievements. The list of the outstanding achievers continues to grow in number and quality, illustrating the value that Hellenes place on education. Mrs Katy Katopodis was the keynote speaker and emphasized the role of the press in ensuring that we remain informed as well as some of the threats to press freedom. She also encouraged all to use their skills and knowledge to have a social conscience and to make a difference.

Lecture I was privileged to attend a lecture by Judge Gregory Charles Wright of The North and South Gauteng High Courts, who addressed the senior learners. Although not of Greek heritage, Judge Wright displayed his comprehensive knowledge of Greek Music including that of Mikis Theodorakis. The full version of his address is available on the SAHETI Website.

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Mrs Anastasia Krystallidis - Farewell Cocktail Mrs Anastasia Krystallidis retired at the end of 2014. A Farewell cocktail organised by members of staff, held on 11 October 2013, was well attended.

Mrs Krystallidis unveiled a magnificent reproduction of a painting, “The school of Athens”, painted by our very own talented Director of Culturals, Mrs Maretha Senekal, at the 25 March celebrations in 2014.

The Board thanks Mrs Krystallidis for 39 years of service and 18 years of leadership during which SAHETI enhanced its reputation as a leading private school and has been recognised by the University of Witwatersrand as a leading feeder school. The Matric results were impressive with a record number of distinctions and distinctions per learner.

Search Committee The search for a new executive head commenced early in 2013. The Search Committee consisted of:

Professor Damon Bizos, Chair of SAHETI, Adjunct Professor of Surgery at the University of the

Witwatersrand.

Ms Elizabeth Sidiropoulos, SAHETI Vice Chair Greek and CEO of the South African Institute of

International Affairs.

Mr Naki Stylianou, Advocate at the Johannesburg Bar and member of SAHETI Board.

Mrs Roula Hadjipaschalis – SAHETI Board Member, Director, Corporate Tax Expert, Admitted Attorney of

the High Court of South Africa, KPMG Services.

Ms Meg Fargher, Educational expert and consultant Previous Head of St Mary’s School for Girls.

Mrs Lisa Mariano, Recruitment specialist and a SAHETI Alumna (Head Prefect).

Mr Dion Karagiannis, Chair of SAHETI School PTA.

Mr Ivor Crabbia, SAHETI alumnus (Head Prefect) and member of Pre Primary and Play School PTA.

The Search Committee decided that a recruitment specialist be appointed. Three potential search

consultants were identified and interviewed. The Search Committee was unanimous that it should employ

Mr Don Jones, from the St Thomas Group. Mr Jones has extensive experience in placing Executive Heads and

other senior staff at private schools throughout South Africa.

The attributes and job description of the Executive Head Position at SAHETI was researched and a detailed

advertisement was prepared. This was placed in the Sunday Times, on the ISASA website, on a UK

educational website and similar websites in Greece and Cyprus. The Ambassadors of Greece and Cyprus were

provided with the information as well as with copies of the advertisements. The deadline for response was

extended to allow for further applications to arrive.

The appointed recruitment specialist screened the candidates and made contact with those considered as

most suitable. All candidates were discussed at meetings of the Search Committee and a short list of 9

applicants was agreed upon.

These 9 candidates were then interviewed by the Selection Committee which consisted of:

Professor Damon Bizos, Mr Nick Kokkoris (SAHETI Board Vice Chair), Ms Elizabeth Sideropoulos (Vice Chair –

Greek), Mrs Lisa Mariano, Mrs Roula Hadjipaschalis (SAHETI Board Member), Ms Meg Fargher, Mr Dion

Karagiannis and Dr Andreas Stephanou (Assistant Secretary SAHETI Board).

The Selection Committee recommended final short listing for 2 candidates. More extensive referencing and

psychometric testing were then performed. The 2 shortlisted candidates were interviewed by an extended

selection committee comprising of 2 groups. The initial selection committee with the addition of Mr Gary

Ttappous (Executive Secretary SAHETI Board and Alumni Chair) and a second group consisting of Advocate

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George Bizos, Mr Vaios Kokkoris, Mr Yanni Joannides (all Hon life Vice Presidents of SAHETI), Mr Spiro

Georgopoulos, Vice Chair (Strategy) of SAHETI Board and CEO of the South African Bank of Athens and the

current Executive Head of SAHETI, Mrs A Krystallides.

The Selection Panel decided to offer Mr Warwick Taylor the Executive Headship, which he accepted. The recruitment process was professional, fair and robust. I take this opportunity to thank all those who spent significant amounts of time and energy on this extremely important endeavour. A special word of thanks to Mr Don Jones, Mrs Lisa Mariano (SAHETI alumna) and Ms Meg Fargher, Educational Consultant for their expertise and wisdom.

Mr Warwick Taylor’s Abbreviated CV is as follows: Mr Taylor matriculated from Springs Boy’s High where he won the Old Boy’s Award for Academic Excellence in 1983. He holds a BSc Degree, majoring in Chemistry and Chemical Sciences and a Higher Diploma in Education, both from the University of the Witwatersrand. In 2009 he completed a BEd Honours Degree with majors in School Management and Leadership from the University of Johannesburg. He taught Science at Parktown Boy’s High from 1991 to 1994 and was HOD Science at King David School, Victory Park for five years (1995-2000). He was promoted to Vice Principal at King David Victory Park for his final 2 years of his tenure. Since 2001, Warwick was employed at St John’s College, Johannesburg as HOD Science. He was promoted to Senior Master in 2009 and was appointed to one of the Deputy Headmaster posts in May 2010. He continues to teach Science.

He was involved and responsible for numerous initiatives and projects at St John’s including:

Teaching and learning. He was the IEB science convener and worked with the IEB to develop assessment

guidelines,

Staff Development and quality assurance. He developed the appraisal system with an emphasis on

reflection as well as incorporation of IT in the classroom

Managing the academic timetable

Student exchanges

Strategic planning around growth and development

In addition he was Master in charge of Tennis, facilitator of the new wilderness school outdoor

curriculum, organiser of the On the Night (Fireworks display and Fundraiser) as well as the eco school

coordinator.

Mr Taylor is married to Mrs Brigitte Taylor and they have 2 children. Their son Mathew, will be completing Matric this year and their daughter Jessica, will continue schooling at her current school. He enjoys gardening and reading. Positive messages about the appointment of Mr Warwick Taylor, as our Executive Head designate were received from parents and alumni. Mr Taylor was introduced to the senior academic staff and then to all teaching and academic support staff on Friday 19 July 2013, and to the full Board of SAHETI on Monday 22 July 2013. He was warmly welcomed in true Greek and SAHETI tradition.

A carefully considered and comprehensive induction process followed during which Mr Taylor met with many stakeholders as well as senior staff members. He met with Mrs Krystallidis on numerous occasions to ensure a smooth transition.

He assumed duty in January 2014. A cocktail function to welcome him and his wife Bridgette and children Mathew and Jessica was held on 18 February 2014.

The school and Board also welcome Mr Brett Nicolson, the new Deputy Head, of the Primary School in

charge of student affairs and Primary School sport. Mr Nicolson commenced on 1 March 2014.

Greek Department

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The teaching of Greek at SAHETI remains a priority of the Board. There is also a new emphasis on expanding SAHETI’ s role in the teaching of Greek in the rest of South Africa. Kyria Tonia Papazoglou, as Principal of Greek works closely with the educational Attaché to ensure that our links with Greece, and in particular with the Education Ministry are maintained. Due to the financial crisis, the number of fully paid seconded teachers has dwindled. Fortunately, the Board foresaw this and ensured that the appropriate provision was made in the budget to cover the salaries of these teachers. The programme run by Professor Diamanakis in Crete, has come to an end and Mrs Krystallidis assisted by Mrs Tonia Papazoglou are busy compiling a final report which is nearing completion. It is uncertain as to what will happen with the Crete e-learning programme and we may have to consider other Greek universities as partners. Kyria Tonia has met with counterparts from Doukas School in Athens to organize future collaboration and twinning opportunities. Kyria Tonia Papazoglou, the educational attaché and members of the executive have met with Gauteng

based Greek communities to discuss how SAHETI can help with Greek learning due to challenges with

decreased provision of seconded Greek teachers to community schools.

High School bursary evening High School Bursary evenings are held annually and these have become increasingly popular with high achievers from surrounding primary schools. SAHETI provides scholarships, bursaries, rebates and a reduced rate for children of staff. The staff reductions are similar to those offered by other private schools. The George Bizos SAHETI Scholarship and Bursary fund provides bursaries and scholarships for deserving children. Some of these bursaries and scholarships are designated by the funders for previously disadvantaged children. The school provides for scholarships for top achievers (dux scholars), as well as for those that excel in sporting and cultural fields. Rebates are granted to parents who find themselves in financial difficulty. The PTA has started a “crisis” fund which is allocated, after consultation with the Executive Head, to a pupil in financial need. We at the Board would like to accommodate all who would like to partake of SAHETI's offering.

At a recent board meeting it was decided that we would offer additional bursaries to children of Greek origin in surrounding communities in Gauteng through their respective Greek communities on the recommendation of the communities. SAHETI will ensure the process is fair and transparent

The Tuck shop Committee The Tuck shop Committee is responsible to ensure a quality offering. A nutritionist has recently been appointed to help ensure a balanced food offering for our children.

The Health and Safety Committee The Health and Safety Committee is headed by Dr Andreas Stephanou and reports directly to the Board. All Health and Safety Committee minutes are reviewed by the Board as it is a function that remains the direct responsibility of the Chairman of the Board. Chris Sutherland took over as health and Safety officer on the retirement of Dinky Boucher after completing the necessary training. This committee attends to all aspects of Health and Safety and implements changes in infrastructure and policy. It has been agreed that an external safety audit be completed in the latter half of 2014. The last external review was performed in 2012 and its recommendations were acted upon.

The Energy Committee This has been active in trying to decrease electricity consumption. This committee has been renamed the Eco committee. Mr Taylor and his team have taken over the functions of the committee. Investigations into a possible solar energy solution are underway.

Information and Communications Technology In 2012 it was identified that ICT at the school needed substantial upgrading. An ICT committee was set up and a significant percentage of the Capital development fund as well as a newly introduced ICT levy has been used to support the initiative. We are in the middle of the 3 year ICT development programme and as can be seen by the comprehensive ICT committee report significant progress has been made in various domains. I would like to thank the members of the ICT committee for their dedication and hard work.

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ICT Committee Members are: (in alphabetical order) Mr N Akakios (Board) Mr V Eleftheriades (Board) Mr J Harper (ICT Manager) Mr J Kruger (Director Student affairs) Mr M Langston (Parent) Mr N Marle (Board co-opt) Dr A Stephanou (Board) Mr W Taylor (Executive Head)

The 3 year strategy consists of 8 pillars and is internally referred to as the Parthenon (Παρθενώνας) Strategy

Pillar 1 - Core Infrastructure Pillar 2 - School / Class of Tomorrow Pillar 3 - Electronic Content Pillar 4 - Access (physical & Logical) Pillar 5 - Business Continuity (Disaster Protection & Recovery) Pillar 6 - Management & Governance Pillar 7 - Resources / Partners Pillar 8 - Community

This committee and staff members have a daunting task. Computer technology changes fast. In addition to ensuring that the core infrastructure is modern, fast and has capacity they need to provide our educators with the skills and resources to effectively use e-learning in the class of tomorrow.

School’s Retirement policy The current retirement policy states that all employees retire at the age of 60. Policies regarding this were fine-tuned over the last year. All teachers and employees over 60 have had their extension contracts defined and those approaching 60 will be approached timeously to discuss extensions that are mutually acceptable.

Hostel/boarding school SAHETI has previously considered establishing a hostel/ boarding facility. During the Chairmanship of the late Mr Greg Grigoratos a subcommittee investigated the possibility but came to the conclusion that it was not a feasible project at the time. As SAHETI tries to fulfil its mandate as a South African institution, the Board has asked the Executive Head to investigate the desirability and feasibility of establishing a hostel. Mr Taylor and his team will look at the specifics of the educational and practical aspects of a co-educational school on the premises. Advocate George Bizos, the Ambassador of Greece as well as the educational attaché have all declared their interest in helping to establish a hostel. Nick Kokkoris and other Board members together with Mrs Tonia Papazoglou have met with various Gauteng based Greek Communities to gauge interest in the project. Discussions with Greek communities in other cities in South Africa as well as in certain Sub-Saharan countries need to take place. If SAHETI is to attract scholars from surrounding countries, the need to offer additional curricula and exams needs to be evaluated. Significant funds would need to be raised if this project is to succeed. This will be a focus area for the incoming board.

Mini Marathon / Athens Classic Marathon The inaugural George Bizos mini marathon was organised by Mr Grant Jansen and his enthusiastic subcommittee in 2012. The mini marathon was held again in 2013 and will be held annually. This is a joint responsibility of the school, sports department and the George Bizos SAHETI Scholarship and Bursary fund. Hopefully this will grow from strength to strength.

Data Base Mrs Tonia Yiannoulakis has spent a considerable amount of time and effort ensuring that the database of alumni, past parents, stakeholders and friends of SAHETI is updated. As one can see from her comprehensive report this has progressed well but still needs substantial input to maintain it. All databases

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at the school will need to be consolidated and a committee has been set up to ensure this. The protection of Personal Information (POPI) Act and other applicable regulations have made this increasingly complex. Mrs Yiannoulakis has been tracking the success stories of SAHETI matriculants to see how they are progressing within their selected fields of study or vocation. SAHETI alumni continue to excel at their chosen universities and in their chosen fields of further study and endeavour

Annual Prize Giving The Annual SAHETI Prize giving function, which recognises graduates and matriculants of Hellenic descent and ex SAHETIANS was as successful as ever. Thank you to Mrs Anna Botha and Mrs Christine Papademetriou of the Marketing Department, Mrs Christine Michas, Ms Elizabeth Sideropoulos and Mrs Antigone Spyropoulos for their hard work and perseverance in organising this function. This year’s SAHETI prize giving will be held on 20 July 2014 and I encourage you all to attend. Contacting Matriculants, graduates and postgraduates has become a lot more difficult as universities and schools are increasingly reluctant to release personal information. The value of an up to date and comprehensive database is critical in this regard.

Attracting teachers SAHETI offers prizes to the best Honours and Masters Students in Education at Wits. I attended the Wits Prize Giving to award the SAHETI Prizes. We received a very complimentary letter from one of the recipients. It has been a strategy of SAHETI to establish and maintain close contacts with the universities in Gauteng that train our future teachers. In addition, we provide bursaries for students wishing to pursue teaching as a career.

Remuneration Committee (RemCom) The Remuneration Committee was established in mid-2013 and has met regularly since. The Chairman, The Executive Head, the Treasurer and the Executive Secretary are members of the committee. A lot of work has been put in to ensure that remuneration is fair. ISASA provides us with benchmarks for various categories of employees. The aim is for SAHETI to be a preferred employer.

Huddle Park Golf Course and SIzwe Development Huddle Park Golf Course has been redeveloped and is open. There are plans to redevelop the Huddle park corner nearest SAHETI as residential (600 units) as well as retail properties. The sale of Huddle Park is currently being investigated by the Public Protector and is on hold. The Sizwe property is to be redeveloped with mixed usage and a possible 6000 residential units. There would be serious traffic implications if one or both of the developments take place. SAHETI has employed the services of a town planner and we have lodged objections. Mrs Tonia Yiannoulakis has been tasked to monitor the situation.

SAHETI Trust Fund The previous Foundation which once used to raise funds is dormant. The Board had decided, as mandated by the constitution to establish a Trust Fund which will act to build an endowment to help fund the strategic initiatives defined by the Board. The Head of Strategic Relationships, Mrs Tonia Yiannoulakis has been tasked to do this. Trustees have been identified and the legal documents are in the final phase of completion.

George Bizos SAHETI Scholarship and Bursary Fund The George Bizos SAHETI Scholarship and Bursary fund under the chairmanship of Mr Vaios Kokkoris continues to plan activities which highlight the fund as well as SAHETI. In addition, money is raised for the fund. We are grateful to Mr John Generalis and the Salamander team for their innovations in this regard. The Fund’s Activities included:

George Bizos Mini Marathon on 29 September 2013

Group Exhibition entitled Interrupted - UJ Arts and Culture in Collaboration with GBSS&B Fund on Saturday 5 October 2013

George Bizos 85th Birthday Gala Dinner (Arethe Bizos Annual Exhibition and Art Auction) in partnership with the Legal resources Centre – 30 November 2013; with the Deputy President of South Africa, Mr Kgalema Motlanthe as the honoured guest .

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Mr Vaios Kokkoris has stepped down as chair of the GBSSBF. I thank him for his leadership and dedication. During his tenure the fund has grown considerably whilst putting the GBSSBF on the cultural map.

Professor Damon Bizos will take over as Chairman of the Fund.

Lyceum Pouroulion and archive building The Lyceum Pouroulion building at SAHETI, which includes the Maria Katrakis South African Hellenic Archives

and recently joined by the SAHETI archives, was completed in 2012. Further building works in the form of

enclosure of the outside area were carried out in 2013. This was funded by the Lyceum with a generous

donation by Mrs Artemis Pouroullis. The opening of the archives took place on 19 May 2013. The Archives

committee comprising representatives of the Lyceum and SAHETI Board will continue to meet regularly. The

area below the archives is being extensively used by the school and the Lyceum for various educational and

cultural events. An evening of literature, poetry and Art “Kazantzakis meets Cavafy” in co-ordination with the

department of Greek and Latin studies at the University of Johannesburg was held on Saturday 16 November

2013, was organised by the Lyceum in the Lyceum Pouroulion building at SAHETI. The event was dedicated to

Advocate George Bizos on the occasion of his 85th birthday. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the

Lyceum committee, under the leadership of Mrs Souris, for helping to make this possible.

New members Numerous new members applied for membership and were conferred membership on acceptance of the board and payment of R50.

New Foundation Members

Mr G Ttappous

Mr John Makrides

Mrs Anna Bizos

“The History of SAHETI” Book A draft of this book which commenced some years ago, has been completed, but will be further enhanced before final completion and publication, in order to include anecdotal and interesting aspects by individuals who have been involved with SAHETI over the years. SAHETI alumni have been asked to add their contributions. In addition, historian Mrs Luli Callinicos and a team have been tasked to see this project through to completion and publication.

POPI ACT The Protection of Personal Information (POPI) Act was gazetted and passed on 22 November 2013. It effectively comes into force a year from 22 November 2013. It is critical that data base records regarding personal information, contact details etc., are complete as well as data retention policies; i.e. how long the school keeps information for; communications regarding parents and teachers / learners etc. We will need to ensure that the entire staff is educated on what POPI means; e.g. if one sends an email out with personal details, it needs to be encrypted in future. This will have some cost implications and will be managed by the Executive Head.

Art Works The art works owned by the school as well as the icons of the chapel have been catalogued by Mrs Senekal. A copy has been sent to the archives.

Pick and Pay Marathon This annual event continues to grow and we renegotiated the fee for use of our facilities. This needs to be reviewed annually.

ISASA ISASA, provide us with certain invaluable information, training courses and guidance. ISASA monitors

legislation that might affect independent education. ISASA often appoints legal counsel to ensure that the

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interests of independent education in South Africa are protected. Dr Jane Hofmeyr has retired as Chair of

ISASA and has been replaced by Advocate Lebogang Montjane who attended our welcoming party for Mr

Warwick Taylor.

25 March Independence Day Celebrations The school hosted the Federation annual 25 March celebrations on 23 March. The turnout despite being a long weekend was commendable and SAHETI learners, led by the Executive Head Mr Taylor and the staff, were a fine advertisement for the school. This was followed by superb performances by the SAHETI Greek dancing and Greek music groups. The school celebrations on the 25 March were a showcase for the talent of ur learners. Congratulations to Mr Tonia Papazoglou and the Greek Department for ensuring the participation of the majority of the learners in the Primary School, Pre Primary School and Play School.

The wonderful “School of Athens” mural in the entrance of the school, painted by Mrs Senekal was unveiled

by Kyria Soula.

Visit by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of The Hellenic Republic On Monday 18 November 2013, the school hosted a successful visit by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Gerondopoulos, Mr Mihalos, Secretary General for International Economic Development in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and senior staff of their departments. The school presented its goals, objectives and plans going forward, with particular emphasis on the need to protect and enhance Greek language teaching, education and culture throughout South Africa. The Deputy Minister was impressed by the work done by SAHETI and a good relationship was established upon which the School can build. Thank you to the HIP Alliance for their assistance in making the visit successful.

Pupil Numbers Our learner numbers have grown steadily since 2009. This has ensured sustainability. The number of learners at the high school is disproportionately low and this is one area that will need continuous monitoring. We have decided to increase the number of classes in the Foundation phase to 5 classes per grade. This will mean slightly smaller classes in Grades 1-3. There is a policy decision that classes will not exceed 25 learners except under exceptional circumstances. The facilities committee are currently investigating the possibility of the building of additional Foundation phase classrooms.

Building Projects The facilities committee have numerous possible projects in the pipeline. These will be outlined in a strategy document that will be finalised with the registration of the Trust. Mr Taylor and his team have identified certain priority projects.

Bursaries for Grade 8 A successful Bursary evening for learners in Grade 7 was held. A large number of external applicants wrote the qualifying exams. Eleven external applicants have accepted the offers of bursaries (mostly partial) to attend SAHETI School in 2015. This is in line with the strategy of growing numbers at the High School.

The SAHETI Board has decided to approach surrounding Hellenic communities who have educational

programmes to see where we can be of assistance. This has become urgent due to a decrease in funding for

seconded teachers from Greece. Our strategy has been presented to the Ambassador of the Hellenic

Republic, Mrs. Maria Diamantopoulos and the Consul General, Mrs Evangelia Grammatika and it is now

being communicated to the Communities with the assistance of the newly appointed Educational Attaché ,

Mr Themistoklis Leonditsis.

School Feedback The Board meets at least 8 times per year. The Executive meets every second week during term time. The Executive has a system of receiving and discussing annual reports from the different departments of the school e.g. marketing, security, health and safety, psychology, academic, sport, cultural, and Greek. The

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reports take place throughout the year. Each department is invited to cover and highlight their achievements and set a strategy and objectives for the ensuing year. A talent management system is in place. Staff is managed and rewarded using this system. Members of the

Board hold annual matric exit interviews with the pupils and exit interviews with staff leaving the school. This

information is fed back anonymously to the Executive Head, principals and Directors.

The Educational Attaché Since the untimely passing of Mrs Skoura, we initially worked with the acting educational attaché Mr Axios, a seconded teacher from the Vaal triangle. Since then, after the appointment of the new Educational Attaché, Mr Themistoklis Leonditsis, we have been in close discussions and working relationship with him. Greek books for SAHETI learners were shipped from Greece by SAHETI. The board has resolved that going

forward SAHETI will ensure shipment of its books whilst also at the same time being willing to help with

books required by other South African and sub-Saharan centres as requested by the Educational Attaché.

Saheti Ladies Committee The SAHETI ladies committee under the able leadership of Mrs Julie Christodoulou continue to organise the wonderful SAHETI Debutantes ball. A very successful Debs ball was held on 8 June 2013 and substantial amounts were transferred to SAHETI on 22 July 2013. An amount of R100 000 was transferred to the GBSSBF. Once again the Ladies Committee organised glittering Debs Ball on 31 May 2014. Despite difficult economic times a significant amount of money has been raised. Congratulations to all the Debs, their families and supporters.

The Parent Teachers’ Association The Pre-primary and Play School PTA and the Primary and High school PTAs continue to be very active under

the leadership of Mr Michael Wright and Dion Karagiannis. A wonderful 40th Birthday school fete as well as the George Dalaras concert (hosted by Africa Pacific Promotions was held on 20 October 2013). The Pre-primary PTA spent considerable time and effort designing a suitable replacement for the “Sputnik”.

The new spider (Charlotte’s web), was unveiled on 31 May 2014, coinciding with the mini-walk.

Alumni All or most established schools are supported by their alumni. The alumni association’s goals are to develop this association into one of SAHETI’s main support structures going forward. The Head of Strategic Relationships, Mrs Tonia Yiannoulakis is the officer responsible for the development

and management of this all important stakeholder constituency of the school and has made significant

progress in creating and developing the association. Although still in its infancy, there has been progress in

many respects. A superb series of newsletters was devised and distributed electronically to the alumni during

the year. The alumni association as a whole is finding its place within the school and there are plans to

expand the ability of the association to communicate with alumni and develop the database. The association

addressed the valedictory service of the matrics at the Valedictory diner of 2103. Mr Gary Ttappous delivered

a short address explaining the purpose of the alumni association; a very brief history of the Alumni

Association and what its aim is.

Update on Future Plans (as stated at 2013 AGM) The school is on a sound footing and hopefully will grow from strength to strength. The Board intends to ensure that it functions effectively in supporting SAHETI School to maintain its excellence and ethos, whilst ensuring that innovation and maintaining the cutting edge in education is enhanced. The Board also intends to expand the educational and cultural offering of SAHETI to all Hellenes in South Africa. Some priorities include:

IT equipment and infrastructure 3 year development plan well on track and is well funded.

Infrastructure development; No major building so far in 2014 but plans for complete refurbishment and

additions to “compound’, 4 new primary school classrooms as well as upgrading of potential exam

venues. There are numerous potential projects that will need funding before concrete plans are made.

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Increase contacts in Greece so as to ensure that Greek language and culture are enhanced and further

developed both within SAHETI and within South Africa.

Increase the number of pupil tours to Greece- Mrs Tonia Papazoglou has met with representatives of

prominent schools (including Doukas) to discuss twinning opportunities.

The Executive head and his team have developed a new tours policy. An added potential idea is to tour

cities outside Greece that have significant Greek populations and to interact with them.

The Corfu Cricket tour and Mathitiada continue.

Ensure Greek e learning flourishes- This has been hampered by the shutting down of the University of

Crete programme under Professor Damanakis.

The School’s IT capability has been substantially expanded - This is one of the strategic goals that will

need funding from outside school funds and is one of the stated goals in the strategic document being

developed for the Proposed Trust.

Ensure the successful establishment of the SAHETI trust with a strategic plan for both SAHETI School and

the Institute- this is well advanced with the strategic plan for school issues being fine tuned with the

Executive Head.

I thank you all for your continued support of SAHETI and of the spirit that drives everything we do for our wonderful School and Institute. I have no doubt that SAHETI will grow from strength to strength with your support and encouragement. We need to help SAHETI School to maintain its excellence and ethos, whilst ensuring that innovation and maintaining the cutting edge in education is enhanced. I have no doubt that Mr Warwick Taylor and his excellent team are well placed to take the School to new heights.

Gratitude I wish the incoming Board all the best in ensuring that the stated aims of the Institute are achieved. May it be

wise in its choice of leadership and appointment of the Executive.

I have been privileged to have been able to lead such a hardworking, resourceful and committed team of

people - I thank each and every one of you.

Professor Damon Bizos CHAIRMAN – SAHETI BOARD Johannesburg 4 June 2014