cedar house newsletter 2

5 February 2016 Dear Cedar House families 2016 has started strongly and our community is being supported, as well as led, by an extremely strong group of Staff and Students. Leading a progressive School in 2016 in Cape Town and in South African and in the World is no simple task and I feel very grateful to the calibre of people who are serving the advancement of our School. Cedar House is deeply committed to the growth of everyone who is a part of our vision to develop courageous, kind and “big” people, thinkers and do-ers. We hope you enjoyed our Parents’ welcome function. We hope that you are finding our new School communicator system useful and that you feel supported by the support structures that are in place for you and your children. A sincere thank you to our parent body whose support of our School is a primary reason for its public appeal; our 2017 Grade 8 class is heading towards a waiting list and over 52 high calibre Grade 7s wrote our annual Scholarship examination for the Grade 8 class of 2017. We wish our Staff who are attending national (in Johannesburg) and regional IEB Subject conferences, this weekend, well and thank them for the time they devote to ensuring that our children are prepared as rigorously as possible for their annual examinations.

High School (021) 762 0649 Prep School (021) 762 0649 ext. 2 Fax (021) 761 8556 5 Ascot Road Kenilworth Cape Town 7708 www.cedarhouse.co.za

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SOME IMPORTANT DATES Monday 8 Feb Careers Roadshow for Senior students Wed 10-Thu 11 Feb Grades 10-12 Drama camp Thu 11-Sat 13 Feb Montagu camp Wed 17 Feb Junior and Senior Stages Maths evening Thu 18 Feb US Exchange feedback evening Wed 24 Feb 17h00: Parents’ Forum for new SS parents

18h00: Parents’ Forum using Grade Shakespeare setwork, “Coriolanus”, as a base (VENUE: Nassau Centre auditorium, Groote Schuur High School, Palmyra Road, Newlands)

Thu 25 Feb Cedar House Chess Day Tue 1 Mar National English Olympiad Wed 2 Mar 17h00-20h00 Mentor groups 1 + 2 + 3 parents’ evening Royston Pieterse, Jonathan Livingstone, JP le Roux and Priscilla

Rhoda. Fri 4-Sun 6 Mar Sutherland Astronomy weekend camp Mon 7 Mar Life Orientation Grade 12 Human Rights Day week starts Wed 9 Mar 17h00-20h00 Mentor groups 4 + 5 + 6 parents’ evening Thu 10 Mar Cedar House Trust meeting PLEASE NOTE TALENT SHOW REHEARSAL SCHEDULE AS INDICATED ON D6

SCHOOL COMMUNICATOR Tue 15 and Wed 16 Mar Talent Show at Bergvliet High School Thu 17 Mar Last day of Term Excursion to Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees in holidays Wed 6 Apr First day of Term 2 CEDAR HOUSE CHESS DAY Cedar House Chess Day is fast approaching! It is a day at the end of the first term on which we can celebrate the rich tradition and history of Chess and have lots of fun. Four teachers will participate in a knockout tournament comprising of three matches in total, which will take place on the Ascot campus using a giant garden chess set. The school will get involved by watching the matches and having loads of fun in the process. Who is going to be crowned as the 2016 champion? In addition, Chess Day will double-up as a fundraiser which will contribute towards the Social Justice Fund. Information will be distributed soon regarding the collection of pledges. Each student will ask their friends and family to make a pledge. For example, if Suzie’s aunt pledges R0,50 for each point JPK scores in the tournament, and JPK ends up scoring 200 points (points are based on the pieces captured - pawn=1 point, boshop/knight = 3 points, rook = 5 points, queen=9 points, checkmate = 20 points), then Suzie’s aunt will contribute 200 x R0,50 = R100 towards the social justice fund. We are hoping to raise at least R5000 through this initiative. In addition, students will wear fancy-dress based on a “chess” theme, and chess-related foods will be on sale.

We are very excited about this event, which is going to be the first-of-its-kind at the school. Let’s keep chessing! JP Kotze REPORT FROM OUR NEW DIVERSITY DISCOURSE LEADER Thank you all for a warm Cedar House welcome. I really appreciate the teachers, support staff and students’ willingness to participate in the project. Cedar House has embarked on the diversity project. The basic objective of this project is to make everyone within the Cedar House family recognize and comprehend what is meant by diversity. It is a mammoth undertaking and I am certain that working together we will succeed in making this progressive school advance further in making the school a desired place to be for all young people of our country. So far we have come up with a definition that we think will best suit us; and have since distributed the definition to all within the school for their comments. Parents will get their chance to comment in due course. We have gone through the responses. We are motivated by the responses. We have a fair number of volunteers sourced through the distributed slips. We call them Diversity Role Models. They will function as ambassadors of diversity. They will be dealing with various tasks; and working together with the diversity discourse leader and student leaders. The intention is to come up with a diversity policy for the school. The diversity pledge will be a by product of the policy. We intend keeping diversity discourses alive within Cedar House School by having debates on current issues locally and internationally, round table discussions, inviting guest speakers and many more. Suggestions and criticism are most welcomed. Please email me on khalifah.makgotlho@cedarhouse.co.za Let us keep on keeping on – a quote by a South African Premier. Khalifah Makgotlho DRAMA OUTING TO SHAKESPEARE’S “THE WINTER’S TALE” On Thursday 21 January, the Grade 10, 11 and 12 Drama students attended a performance of Shakespeare’s A Winter’s Tale, starring Kenneth Branagh and Judi Dench. The National Theatre Live on Film is a fantastic initiative that films live performances of plays to screen them at cinemas all over the world, and means that students are exposed to internationally acclaimed productions of plays. The screenings are preceded by interviews with directors and cast members, and give an insight as to the background and conceptual workings of the production, which is an invaluable resource. This production was set in early 1900’s Russia, and the staging, set design and costumes reflected the “fairy tale” aspect of this unusual Shakespearean text. Tamsyn Lancaster

Here are some responses from the students: Shakespeare is really hard to follow purely because the language barrier is gigantic! But watching this play made it easier to understand what Shakespeare was getting at. It was really nice to see Judy Dench up on stage. I'm very appreciative of Ma'amsyn for exposing me to this drama community and I look forward to seeing more and more plays! Emma Sharwood, Gr10 I thoroughly enjoyed the play, as it featured extremely talented and gifted actors, as well as being directed in a professional and exquisite manner. I found the play valuable as it showed me how modern technologies in terms of lighting, sound, staging, costume design etc. could be utilised so well even in a play set very long ago, and not just in film. There were also actors such as Judi Dench who had also previously been in films, and I was pleasantly surprised to see how they are still acting in plays, as well as acting very well in them. Daniel Remoundos-Green, Gr11 I found that the outing to the Winter’s Tale was a really nice outing, I loved the performance and the fact there was a interval, even though it’s a movie. I thought the play in itself was amazing as well, it portrays a man and his thoughts and fixations on his brother and his wife and how he is sure that they are up to something. I really enjoyed seeing this and if there is a play I would love to see it again. It maintains great energy throughout the play, more somber beginning in which everything is quite relaxed yet intense, to the end where a bit of comic relief kicks in and makes you feel good again. All the way to the end where it holds a nice ending in your heart. Jasper Megan, Gr10 On the Thursday of the second week of school the grade 10s, 11s and 12s went on a drama outing to see a screening of Shakespeare's "The Winters Tale" live from the Garrick Theatre in London. The play was directed by Kenneth Branagh and starred both him and Judy Dench. It was beautifully done and Kenneth Branagh portrayed his character Leontes brilliantly. They managed to make the poetic Shakespearean language seem like normal speech so you managed to catch on to what they where saying because of the careful timing and pace with which they spoke. I learnt how voice modulation can make that complex way of speaking seem ordinary and normal. Over all it was a beautiful performance to watch. Phoebe Redman, Gr10 I thoroughly enjoyed the outing to The Winter's Tale. It is not a play I have seen before and I had no idea what to expect, but I was blown away. The cast was so good and I so enjoyed seeing Judy Dench acting in a play for a change. For me, the best part of the play were the transitions between scenes, using lighting and key objects to change locations and times. Being able to see plays that are being performed overseas is fantastic! Nicole Thiel, Gr12 Getting the chance to go and watch a West End Shakespearian play that actually happened live in London was, needless to say, awesome. I had actually never heard of A Winter's Tale previous to the outing, so I had no idea of what to expect when going in. I was expecting to be completely confused by the use of Shakespearian English without the usual

explanatory annotations that you find in hard copies of the books, but the acting was actually so good that I completely followed everything that was going on. Megan O’Neil, Grade 10 I found that the most entertaining part of the outing was the scene with the pickpocket singing and dancing. I found that this man was like the clown but he was also one to give valuable life lessons. I found that the lesson behind A winters tale is quite useful and very valuable. It tells us of the dangers of jumping to conclusions, and I find that this was an excellent display of the possible outcomes. A part of the outing that I found very interesting was the fact that the play was being performed live in England. I really enjoyed the outing and would gladly go on another. Damon Powell, Gr10 Coming from a school where culture, let alone cultural outings, was scarce, I really enjoyed this experience. I love the Nouveau theatre and it was so much fun to have the entire class crowded into a place I enjoy going to. I’ve never watched a live streamed show, and I felt as if I were being transported to the West End. The close-up shots of all the actors gave me a new perspective and appreciation for theatre acting, and I think it’s a good medium to learn acting techniques from. I also liked that I was able to analyse such an intricate work with so many people. We were able to do it articulately and knowledgeably because the actors translated the work so well through their expression and movement. I can’t wait for the next outing, I think they’re exciting learning experiences as well as entertaining social events. Ruby McGowan, Gr 10 REPORTS FROM DIRECTORS ON FUNNY SHORTS: ONE ACT PLAYS PRODUCTION This year the Drama department is giving students the opportunity to direct short one-act plays. We are very excited about the educational value of this project, and the possibility of encouraging and supporting new directorial voices. I look forward to working alongside a group of talented and capable students, and developing a new tradition in the department that will be repeated every two years. The student directors, in collaboration with their cast, stage managers, and technical teams will present six short one-act plays on the 17th, 18th and 19th of May. The casting process is complete, and rehearsals start on Friday 5 February. I would like to thank the directors for the enthusiasm and commitment they have displayed thus far, and look forward to sharing their work with you. Tamsyn Lancaster The cast lists and reports from the directors follow: This year the one act plays have been handed over to several student directors. I'm so lucky to be a part of this project and I think it is important as a drama student to experience the other side of a production as a director. So far I have enjoyed watching the auditions and experiencing the casting process from another point of view. I am looking forward to working with my peers and hopefully bringing my play to life. My play is about two men who find them selves interested in each other's wives and the use of teeth in a metaphorical sense. My hope is that my actors, my team and I will be able to do a good job with this opportunity and that it will be enjoyed by the audience.

Phoebe Redman When I signed up for this directors job, I was very eager and quite thrilled to be experiencing my potential career as a theatre director, thinking that it would be a simple matter bearing in mind that the play was already written, and I had once work-shopped an entire play which turned out to be a lot more challenging than I had anticipated. What I did realize was that no amount of experience could prepare me for this roller coaster I was about to embark on. After two meetings, I realized that this would be a process and the preparation I had done was nowhere near what was expected of me. As a director, my extensive research was crucial toward making my play a success. I had to gain clear understanding of the play and have a thorough understanding of each character in my play and link those roles to students who possess these very qualities. The audition process was very exciting and equally nerve-wracking as I now had to cast my actors based on the talent I had just witnessed. But it turned out to be a lot easier than expected. Throughout the whole process, I had to bear in mind who the comics were and put them in the comic parts. The play I have chosen to direct lacks clarity and I want to bring clarity to a not so clear play. It’s my job as director to set up the joke. With my comic play, I had to find the humour in my play and pay extra attention to the rhythm, timing, pace and energy and in so doing I would be able to keep my audience engaged and tell my story visually, creating pictures and action. My hopes in this directing experience would be to follow my intuition successfully and as director to make everyone involved feel comfortable and to lead, but at the same time be open and flexible and still keep the story amusing. I acknowledge that what we as directors do is a collaborative process in which we set up the situation, put together the necessary elements bearing in mind that with comedy, there is no guarantee if the audience will laugh about it or not, but still keep them engaged. My wish is to bring my reality to the stage, create magic for the audience. The Hat, is a two character play, about a salesman and a customer and it explores the fun and frivolity of everyday lunacy in the life of many women. The joke is simply the situation. And thus it began… Zanele Tlali To work with other students in directing a short play. It has been tons of fun so far, from interacting with the other directors to the audition and casting process. As I am generally on stage rather than behind the scenes, I think being able to direct will be an incredibly enriching experience and allow me to see both sides of theatre. The short I am directing, "Ferris Wheel", follows Dorie and John, two complete strangers stuck on a ferris wheel with lots to talk about. Megan O Neil I am so excited to be directing a one-act play for Funny Shorts this year. Selecting a play and beginning to conceptualise it has already taught me a lot about directing. The casting process was an interesting experience and I am looking forward to starting rehearsals. The play I am directing is called The Fifteen Minute Minimum, starring Vaughn Powell and

Jesse Mason. This play humorously explores the minimum requirements of a play through absurd-tinted glasses. Nicole Thiel I've recently been given the opportunity to direct a One-Act play, for the production of 2016. The One-Act play I will be directing is Arabian Nights by Mary Zimmerman. So far we have discussed and chosen our pieces and cast them, it has been an eye opening experience getting to know the workings of theatre and has helped me understand a side of theatre I only played around with in my matric year. I hope that my direction will be up to the standard to the rest of the One-Act plays. The play I'm doing, Arabian Nights, is about a man and a woman who both speak English but require an interpreter, the interpreter takes advantage of this to have a little bit of fun. Oscar Megan A comedic short is a light topic but the opportunity to direct and shape one is quite the opposite. I am really grateful to be able to embark on this project and feel that this production will be an enlightening experience for both actor and director. Theory is one thing but it's the experience factor that really is the educational gold mine that my fellow peers and I will gladly take on. I will be directing 'Time Flies' by David Ives. The one act play gives an Animal planet type documentary on the everyday love life of the lowly but romantic none the less Mayfly(Liam ker-fox and Emily Boolsen). Bug Love with an existential spin, all narrated by none other than David Attenborough (Lorcan Berg) himself. Look forward to it James Vaughan SOME WRITTEN PIECES FROM THE SENIOR STAGE DRAMA/LO MODULE Arabian Nights Director: Oscar Megan Stage Manager: Emma Sharwood CAST Norm: Calum Williams Flora: Rebekah Moolman Interpreter: Daniel Remoundos-Green Understudies/First Option: Emma Sharwood, Tariq Haffegee The Hat Director: Zanele Tlali Stage Manager: Diego Then Thij CAST

Salesman: Christopher Worthington-Smith Customer: Jasmine Walters Understudies/First Option: Diego Then Thij, Hannah Cheadle Ferris Wheel Director: Megan O’Neil Stage Manager: Agree Ngxatu CAST Dorie: Taryn Basel John: Jasper Megan Understudies/First Option: Damon Powell 15 Minute Minimum Director: Nicole Thiel Stage Manager: Amir Methvin CAST Stanislov: Vaughn Powell Boris: Jesse Mason Time Flies Director: James Vaughan Stage Manager: Mbali Mokotse CAST David Attenborough: Lorcan Berg May: Emily Boolsen Horace: Liam Ker-Fox Understudies/First Option: Damon Powell, Tariq Haffegee, Mbali Mokotse Teeth Director: Phoebe Redman Stage Manager: Christopher Worthington-Smith CAST: George Pollock: Josh Jamieson Harry Dunn: Lucas Carr The Wife: Ruby McGowan Agnes: Emma van der Spuy Flora: Grace Boraine

SOUND and LIGHTING: Tamsyn Lancaster + Damon Powell COSTUMES: The Hat: Diego Then Thij Time Flies: Hannah Cheadle Teeth: Emma van der Spuy and Josh Jamieson Ferris Wheel: Taryn Basel Arabian Nights: Rebekah Moolman 15 Minute Minimum: Sasha Stammers SET & PROPS: The Hat: Milan Harichiran Arabian Nights: Emma Sharwood Ferris Wheel: Agree Ngxatu Time Flies: Mbali Mokotse Teeth: Lucas Carr 15 Minute Minimum: Amir Mehtvin Time Flies: Tariq Haffegee PROMPT: Stage Managers will cover Prompting HAIR and MAKE-UP: Tamsyn Lancaster, Grace Boraine, Sasha Stammers + Make-up course students PREP SCHOOL REPORT The Prep School is off to a flying start in 2016. We have had two camps and, by all accounts, these were thoroughly enjoyed by our students. The proximity of everything at Water’s Edge allowed our children to enjoy all the facilities on offer – the beach, market, coffee shop, ice cream and juice ‘hole in the wall’ and the eagerly awaited ‘slap’ chips from Seaforth Restaurant. What an amazing group of young people to take away on camp. This was a bonding time for our children and many new friendships were made, as well as allowing the children to get to know their teachers on a more personal level. Such a valuable experience. All Prep students were asked for feedback after the first few weeks of school and we were delighted with their positivity, mature observations and, especially, their enthusiasm. Here are some examples” “ I’m loving the whole Cedar House vibe once again and the first few weeks and grade camp have been amazing.” “ I have had a fantastic first few weeks at Cedar House. The lessons have been loads of fun. Cedar House definitely confirms that learning CAN be fun.” “ This is the best school I have ever gone to. Everyone is so friendly. Thanks for all the work that you guys do to make this such a great school.” “ Being in Grade 7 is awesome. I especially enjoyed camp, because I got to know new

people I had never talked to.” “ I am settling in fine. The first few days were somewhat overwhelming, as it was all such a surprise.” " I have loved every second of this wonderful school. I’ve made friends and have fun people to dance with in the Talent Show. I have felt like I am in a dream.” “ Things are going good. I really enjoy Art and wish we had it more often. I went to an all girls school and now I’m seeing boys in a more positive light.” We are hard at work on our number for the Talent Show and our students are so committed and looking forward to showing off their dance moves with you on the 15th and 16th March. Get your tickets as soon as sales open. This is a highly popular event. We are loving having the opportunity to work with your children and guide them in the year ahead. Janine Veitch JS1 CAMP The Junior Stage 1 camp was, as always, a wonderful time away for all. We love seeing the students connecting with each other and particularly enjoy observing blossoming friendships. Below are some responses from the students. Haidar I enjoyed camp and the best part is when my friends and I went to the beach. Then my friend Mikah bought us slap chips. Although I was injured, I enjoyed the camp. Zachary I thought the camp was amazing. I thought the food was excellent as well. I loved the beach and the coffee shop. The accommodation was cozy =) Naia I loved the camp because I got to swim in the sea with my lovely teacher Priscilla. The camp was the best and I cannot wait for the one next year. Thank you Leo F The camp was very fun and it was active. The camp was very tiring because we were at the beach the whole time. It was hard to go to sleep. Senna-Mia This year’s camp was spectacular. I loved everything about it, especially how beautiful the place was. Thank you so much Cedar House! I’m very excited for next year’s camp. Jenna My camp was so much fun at Simonstown because I swam with Priscilla and all that. I made a lot of BFF on camp. Erin My camp was soo nice! I loved swimming in the sea with all my friends. All the teachers were so very nice! I loved it and cant wait for the next one.

Sofia I really enjoyed camp. My favourite part was goofing off with my new friends. Thank you to everyone for these wonderful memories of camp. Niamh Camp was AMAZING I had so much fun. My favourite part was swimming with my friends. The food was delicious. THANK YOU CEDAR HOUSE! Leo K I liked camp because it was cold and windy. I liked camp because of the beach had penguins and rocks to jump off. Ethan I really enjoyed camp it was so much fun. My favourite part was jumping off the rocks into the sea!! Elle Camp was awesome. I had the best time ever. I loved seeing the penguins at the beach. The girl’s dorm was huge. Thanks for the best camps ever: Jess, Priscilla, Shanaaz and Sikombuzo Sydney The camp was sooo awesome. I think it’s the best camp ever. It was fun, exciting, hot and we ate delicious food. My favourite part was the dorms. They were awesome. Sasha I really enjoyed camp. It was so much fun. My favourite part was seeing the penguins and playing in the ocean. Oh, and the market was amazing! Sino I have felt comfortable at this school the teachers have really comforted me. I have an amazing mentor and she came with us on camp. She is a teacher and mentor her name is Shanaaz. At camp we had lots of fun. Most things were expensive at the coffee shop. Geneva The camp was amazing because everyone had a great time. The whole class went swimming in the beautiful water. I loved the camp so much I wish it was longer. Mikah I found camp amazing I got to learn everyone a lot better, I made friends and we jumped off rocks. I had lovely chats with the teachers and I met this really nice guy called Emanuel. The camp was amazing; every aspect of it was amazing. I loved it and recommend it.

JS2 CAMP On Monday, the 25th of January, 65 Junior Stage 2 students made their way to Waters Edge, Simon’s Town for camp. There was much excitement and a buzz in the air. The bus ride was full of laughter and singing! When we arrived at the Waters Edge accommodation, students were placed in their dormitories. The first group of keen beach-goers were then taken down to Seaforth beach. It was wonderful to see them embracing the spirit of camp and braving the freezing sea-water. Elaborate sandcastles were built on the beach and students had so much fun jumping off the sea rocks into the chilly sea! Camp food was tasty and there was much time spent at Café Penguino buying iced coffees, as well as hot chips at Seaforth restaurant. It was a wonderful time for students to bond and form new friendships. Staff members enjoyed this quality time, getting to know the Grade 6 and 7 students. An exhausted group arrived back at school, having had a wonderful experience, filled with laughter, too little sleep, new connections, good food and lots of fresh air and exercise. This camp remains a favourite on our school calendar and is thoroughly enjoyed by both students and staff. Keri Veitch Camp was extremely nice. It was boiling hot and we swam all day. We did lots of cool activities and had the best food in the world. Across the road was a café that sells the best iced-coffee’s that you can find! I had lots of fun and I can’t wait until next year. Nikita Daniels Grade 7 In general, camp was amazing! The company, the food, the views and sights! There were so many things to do. Sitting down with friends, playing awesome games. At the end of the day we would watch a movie, such as “Antman” and “The Good Dinosaur”. We went to the beach and met a penguin. He had a bit of a problem – he had a toothpick stuck in his leg, we saved him. Then we named him Jerry Jerome. Mo Settler Grade 6 REPORTS FROM GRADE BONDING CAMPS Our grade camps took place over a period of 21/2 weeks from 25 January to 2 February. The camps were held at the Waters Edge site in Simonstown. The idea behind the camp is to integrate new students and to create a space for students to bond as a grade. Water's Edge Centre's beautiful seaside setting provides the perfect environment for students to do this. Boulder's Beach, famous for penguin viewing, is within walking distance. Our first term grade focus is the Talent Show. Students spent much time practising for this important Cedar House community building event. Thank you to all staff who accompanied the students . Benita November A DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK BEING DONE BY MIKE IN ONE OF OUR NEW SENIOR STAGE MODULES : ENGINEERING GRAPHICS AND DESIGN This has been an exciting addition to our Senior Stage module, we have started off looking at typography creating our own fonts, both hand drawn and using an online font-maker, Fontstruct. We have also been watching the quirky documentary on Helvetica, well worth a

watch for the linking to design and contextualization of the modern and post modern movements. Freehand drawings are an important part of the process, and here we have been seeing how straight lines and circles can lead to the drawing of diverse objects such as dragons and skyscrapers. Coming soon, we are going to be involved in the design and implementation of a low cost housing project seeing how design can improve lives and give people a step up economically. Along with the layout and planning we will study the design of 3d structures using orthographic and isometric representations. This will culminate in the transfer of our designs to CAD software and finally we will print them out with our three-d printer. It is great to be teaching something with a strong socially important narrative as well as being able to teach the use of software such as CAD which is skill that is useful far beyond the classroom. Mike Thiem

PREP SCHOOL MOBILES Our first Project Based Learning took place on the 20th of January. Gail Gubb gave a short introductory lesson on the process and requirements which were initially met with mixed emotions from the learners. The understanding of Project Based Learning quickly changed when they were allowed to work in their own groups. The brief was to create a mobile (not a cellular mobile) about your group and the values that each of the groups represented. They had to come up with a name for their group as well as use various materials found to create their mobile. Each group had to have five members with each one of the members with a specific role. This is when lots of discussion and decision making took place. It was extremely interesting to see how the students made each of their mobiles their own. Well done Prep students!! Shanaaz Abrahams and Gail Gubb

IT INTEGRATION @ CEDAR HOUSE UPDATE 2016 IT integration is off with renewed energy this year. We continue with our aim of going paperless in the long term in the interests of having a greener, more cost effective and efficient learning environment. The first few weeks have seen the implementation of school email addresses across the student community. Staff tackled a new virtual learning area – Google Classroom. This is simply a virtual space that links with Gmail and Google Drive to provide a space for work to be disseminated and submitted - preventing unnecessary paper usage. We are seeing more and more students opting to bring their own devices to school. For many of them digital learning lightens their school bags and helps them become more organized. This year we aim to use technology more effectively to enhance and extend what can be experienced and achieved. Our first digital students are now in Grade 12 and Grade 10s are the newbies who should all be bringing their own devices to school. (A very significant proportion of all our students, from Grade 4 upwards, already bring their devices to school.) Cedar House is an Apple school and we offer full support to students who are using Apple devices. With the introduction of Google classroom, we are able to provide content to students across all types of devices, including Macbooks. Those who are using iPhones and iPads often prefer to use iTunesU and we cater for this, too. Any parents who are seeking advice about which device to buy should contact Nic Marzio on Nicholas.marzio@cedarhouse.co.za. Hazel Gubb

STUDENT LEADERS’ ATTENDANCE AT BOOK LAUNCH OF FERIAL HAFFAJEE’S NEW BOOK : WHAT IF THERE WERE NOT WHITES IN SOUTH AFRICA? A number of students and staff, including our new diversity discourse leader, Khalifah Makgotlho, attended the discussion at Exclusive Books in Cavendish, where Helen Zille was in discussion with Ferial Haffajee, the editor of City Press, about Haffajee's new book. Haffajee told the audience that talking about race was not one of her favourite activities, and she preferred talking about the beach, for example, or why sales of red lipstick increase during economic recession. It was true, she conceded, that if there were no whites in South Africa, this event would probably not take place, because the number of black people (in the Biko sense) present was small. Haffajee was inspired to write the book, she told us, because of the current unpopularity of non-racialism, which she strongly supports. Non-racialism is one of the central principles of the Constitution and a driving force of the struggle for liberation, but seems to be disparaged by the new generation. Non-racialism is not, of course, colour blindness, as Haffajee is quick to point out. But the aim and purpose of the struggle for racial equality (which has to involve initiatives that favour black people in order to overcome structural inequities) is to create a society, ultimately, where race no longer has any significance. That is a long-term project. It’s easy to lose purpose and become despondent, especially when there are so many battles to be fought en route and we seem much closer to the beginning than the end of this journey. But it’s important to have the goal in mind or it’s easy to lose sight of what the struggle is for. Jonathan Livingstone

NEW CEDAR LAB The year’s science and technology extramural got off to an astronomical start by building a cloud chamber to observe subatomic particles coming from cosmic rays. Made from a fish tank and a box of dry ice; the chamber “sees” these charged particles when they fly through and leave a trail similar to that left by an aeroplane as it flies across the sky. Following in the footsteps of larger scale science projects like MeerKAT (Karoo Array Telescope) and SALT (Southern African Large Telescope) we christened the detector CHEAPO (Cedar House Energetic Astronomical Particle Observatory). Once the cloud chamber was up and running and initial design flaws had been ironed out, we gathered around and watched open-mouthed as we saw the gossamer-like particle tracks lacing their way through the mist at the bottom of the chamber. We were able to pick out tracks caused by muons coming from cosmic rays and, in so doing, saw direct evidence for time dilation, as predicted by Einstein’s special theory of relativity. Over the next few weeks, we will use our new detector to investigate the cosmic rays further and to look at radioactivity (we already observed some tracks from radioactive decay occurring in the air). Later in the semester, we will design and build rockets and attempt to make biodiesel from used cooking oil. Anyone in the high school is welcome (and encouraged) to join us in room 8 from 3:00-4:30 on a Thursday. If you have any ideas for the cloud chamber, or any other projects that CedarLab could take on, please contact Tom Nowak (tom.nowak@cedarhouse.co.za) or Ian Watkins (ian.watkins@cedarhouse.co.za)

Students gather round the cloud chamber. (Photo: Tom Nowak)

A particle track photographed in our cloud chamber. We think this is most likely a cosmic

ray muon colliding with an electron in an atom in the chamber. (Photo: Tom Nowak) SENIOR STAGE ZOOLOGY: SEA URCHIN EMBRYOLOGY EXPLORATION

Tom’s zoology class saw life unite under a microscope with Sea Urchin gametes generously donated from Mark Cyrus from Sea Point Labs and obtained from Bruna Galvao. Thank you to them! Students practiced proper microscope technique zooming in on the cells and identified egg and sperm cells turning into a zygote. The sperm were very difficult to observe yet students eventually witnessed the fertilization of some of the eggs with the accompanied cell division in the process of creating a blastula the subsequent day. This class now has direct observable evidence about how LIFE is created! Tom Nowak SENIOR STAGE PHYSICS CLASS: AIR TROLLEY INVESTIGATION

Tom’s intermediate Physics classes conducted a full investigation on the motion of an air trolley. They collaborated with their group on designing, identifying manipulations of the trolley system to improve speed, built and tested their system before documenting results and analyzing error in a final conclusion. Students chose to manipulate the trolley string to minimize friction, increase mass and raise the gradient of the string to analyze potential energy, add balloons to explore potential energy in stored air pressure and using a sling shot with the potential energy stored in the elastic band. This class is off to a FAST start! Tom Nowak

MATHEMATICS AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES ONLINE CURRICULUM SIYAVULA’s EVERYTHING MATH INTELLIGENT PRACTICE

Cedar House Physical Science and Math department switched to a new on line curriculum practice service called Intelligent Practice from local South African Siyavula’s EverythingMath. This service allows students and parents to access textbooks for Grade 10, 11, 12 as well as the Intelligent Practice service. Students get instantaneous feedback on their accuracy and are redirected to other relevant questions to empower students to revise their conceptual understanding and improve more efficiently. Students, Parents and Teachers can view student overall mastery for each specific content area as well as time management to ensure proper exam preparation. Students should achieve at least a 3 out of 4 stars for every specific content area and seek extra help Wednesdays or by appointment with Ian, Tom or Delia as needed. Thanks for a great start to the year. Tom Nowak STUDENTS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE After a very successful first year in 2015 the students for Social justice initiative is looking onwards and upwards with new and exiting developments on every front. We are currently funding 3 students at the school, and will need to work very hard to enable that number to grow for the beginning of next year. With exiting new fund raising events and initiatives being planned there will be plenty of opportunities to support the initiative throughout the year. We have also (with the help of our two new and wonderful student leaders Dominique James and Cyla Jones) started to develop and expand moving into social network to connect with, and encourage other students across the world to work towards a more socially just society. We have recently received our first donation from a group of peers in America. We are grateful for the success of 2015. Those who supported the student initiative including our wonderful staff, students ,Principal and our incredible Bursars Mary Anne and Beulah. They have all helped us is so many different ways. Also right at the top of that list the parents of Cedar for their incredibly generous donations of time and money as well as their continued support for all of the social action programs at the school. As all ways the opportunity to donate is available by talking to any one of the SSJ coordinators or by going directly to Mary Anne.

GRADE 10 LIFE SCIENCES EXCURSION The grade 10’s went on a short field trip to Stodels nursery in Kenilworth on Tuesday the 2nd of February to investigate the different types of plants that the nursery supplies to its customers and the varying conditions they require to grow in and flourish. This is part of the plant ecology and physiology section that they are currently studying. The aim is to gain an awareness of local plants and the specific abiotic factors that they are adapted to. They will also investigate soil types and how and why different plants require different fertilisers to thrive. The grade 10 pupils will be interviewing the staff at Stodels and writing a report on what they have found out about these specific requirements for plants. They will gain an awareness of the plants in and around Cape Town and that are seen growing in gardens and next to the roads. Grade 10’s will also investigate how Stodels has laid out its plant sections to ensure that plants are receiving the right amount of sunlight, water etc in the nursery. The “bestsellers” will be identified and the reasons for their popularity amongst gardeners. After this excursion the grade 10’s will be well-equipped to provide parents with knowledgeable gardening advice! Susan Taylor PROPOSED LIFE SCIENCES TALK BY UCT LECTURER On the 15th of February the Grade 10 Life Sciences students will be welcoming Evolutionary geneticist and Conservation biologist Dr Jacqui Bishop from UCT. Jacqui uses molecular, behavioural and ecological data to understand the relative contributions of genetic drift and selection in shaping variation in natural populations of vertebrates. She has an ongoing interest in the evolutionary drivers of mate choice behaviour and understanding the relative importance of adaptive genetic variation in free-living populations. She works with a number of models on animals such as crocodiles, rhinoceros, baboons and mole-rats, and more recently seabirds, bats and marine fish. She will be talking to us about her work on baboons and caracal which she tracks around the Cape region. She studies various aspects of their lives like the effect of habitat fragmentation on the genetic diversity of the animal populations. Her talk will provide a great opportunity for the learners to find out what local scientists are working on in this field and it links well with the biosphere and ecosystems topic that they are busy studying. They will also have an opportunity to ask questions and may even be inspired to an exciting career in Life Sciences! Susan Taylor SUPPORT OF SENIOR STUDENTS PLANNING TO WRITE UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE NATIONAL BENCHMARKING TESTS (NBT’s) All students who apply to study at a South African University are required to write the National Benchmarking Tests or NBT’s as part of the application process (see http://www.nbt.ac.za). Students taking these tests are required to write the Academic and Quantitative Literacy test (AQL). Depending on the course of study being applied for, some students will also be required to write the Mathematics test. JP le Roux will be arranging workshops to prepare students for the Mathematics tests and further information will be supplied about this later in the year. Gail and Warrick will be covering preparation for the AQL test in Mathematical Literacy lessons, where this content is partially curriculum based and there is sufficient time to make

this available to students. Maths Lit students will be required to purchase a workbook at an approximate cost of R140. More details will follow when we are ready to commence with this programme during term 2. Gail Gubb ADVANCED PROGRAMMES FOR ASPIRANT STUDENTS Cedar House offers high order and cognitively challenging programmes for Senior Students. The courses are designed to deepen thinking and prepare students for tertiary demands. At the Senior Stage level, we also offer enrichment courses such as the following programme in Mathematics: REMINDER OF TERM 1 EXTRA MURAL PROGRAMME AND REPORT FROM GRANT We have started off the term very well. The extra mural programme is in full swing and is running as smoothly as ever. We are never without a few speed bumps, but they are quickly being worked through as we go along. Our new extra murals like tennis and mini cricket have been well attended and are looking like they are in our programme to stay. Running with Dries has become increasingly popular, which I am very grateful for. The extra mural timetable is well balanced with a good offering of sport and academics. There have been a few changes with regards to times and days that extra murals run, but the kids have adapted to these changes well and I am proud of them for feeling free to come to me with issues they may have. A big thank you goes out to Ruth De Freitas for taking over the Marimba programme this year. As the Marimba is a long running tradition at Cedar House, I am happy to have a former student of our community running this awesome programme. I would like to thank all our staff who are involved, as well as the external facilitators for everything that they do in making this programme as successful as it is. Well done and keep up the great work. To our parents, thank you for your continued support. If you have any queries around the timetable, please feel free to mail me grant.apollis@cedarhouse.co.za

INTERESTING ARTICLE:

• “How measurement fails doctors and teachers”

We wish our families a happy and successful few weeks ahead and assure you of our support. Yours sincerely FRANK RUMBOLL Principal