General News – applies to all three phases
School Reopens on Tuesday
Term 2 starts on Tuesday 7 May and runs until 28 June 2019.
Welcome Back
We welcome all our families back after a restful Autumn holiday session and extend best wishes for a joyful and productive term ahead.
New Families
A special, warm and hearty welcome is extended to the new families who have recently joined the schools. We hope that their time with us will be a happy and memorable one.
Thank You
We express sincere gratitude to Dave Jennings, our maintenance manager, and his excellent team of support staff for all their hard work in maintaining the school and thoroughly cleaning all classrooms and school buildings during the holiday. The team worked tirelessly to get all projects done and we are truly grateful to all of them. Thank you Dave; Elliot; Thomas; Robert; Pietie; Lizzie; Lindie; Ziphora; Christina; Jeannet; Malindi; Deyvie; Cynthia and Julia.
Thank you, too, to Shirley and Thelma, our office administrators, for keeping the office up and running during the holiday.
Voting Day Public Holiday
Due to National Elections, Wednesday 8th May has been declared a Public Holiday (Bank Holiday) there will be no school on Wednesday 8 May.
My Fair Lady at The Brooklyn Theatre
Congratulations to Deirdré van Schalkwyk for her magnificent co-producing of and stunning performance in ‘My Fair Lady’ at the Brooklyn Theatre during April-May. Congratulations too, to Teacher CJ, for her spectacular performance on stage. We are extremely proud of our theatrical members of the teaching team.
Public Holiday in June
There is no school on Monday 17 June due to the public holiday (bank holiday) on 16 June which is Youth Day.
International Day
Please keep Saturday 14 September 2019 open for the ever-popular Courtney House International Day event. This is a lovely, family day of fun whereby families can represent and showcase their countries of origin with a stall of traditional food, clothing, accessories etc. More details to follow soon.
Term Dates for 2019
Term 2 7 May – 28 June 2019
Term 3 23 July – 20 September 2019
Term 4 7 October – 11 December 2019
Term Dates for 2020
Term 1 15 January – 20 March 2020
Term 2 1 April – 12 June 2020
Term 3 7 July – 18 September 2020
Term 4 5 October – 11 December 2020
Courtney Kids News – applies to children in Tiny Tots, Grades 000 and 00
Extra Murals
All extra mural activities will start from Monday 13 May.
Snacks and Lunchboxes
Please pack in a sufficient supply of healthy, nutritious snacks and food for your child, particularly as the weather becomes colder. Children who stay in the afternoons for the aftercare programme must have an adequate supply of extra food for the afternoons.
Courtney House News – applies to children in Reception Year to Year 6
New Developments and Installations at the Campus
We are thrilled to announce that air-con units have been installed in all classrooms at the primary campus which will help with temperature control and make the learning environment more comfortable for the children.
A large shade-net area has been established on the paving at the playground to create shade and cover for outside play and outdoor learning.
Parking Poles have been erected at the front of the school to make the walkway safer for the children and to stop cars and large SUV’s from driving up too close to the walkway.
Academic Progress Report Feedback Forms
Report feedback forms can be handed in at the school office once the new term starts.
New and Exciting Extra Murals
Children will receive extra mural selection forms this week. Extra mural activities commence from Monday 13 May. We ask that parents return all forms and payment to the school office by Friday 10 May.
A variety of new and different extra murals have been introduced this term. We are thrilled to announce the following two outsourced activities presented by external professionals:
Chem Wize is a science based extra mural focusing on conducting different experiments within the fields of physics, chemistry, biology and archaeology. All classes are presented by highly qualified post-graduate students in the Sciences. This extra mural will be available for children in Reception Year to Grade 5. There is a display at the front of the school for parents who would like more information about this club. Chem Wize will be extended to Grade 6 students from Term 3.
Canvas Club is a fun-filled, vibrant arts-and-crafts club whereby children will be encouraged to design, create, sculpt and complete a variety of art-related projects which they can take home and use. This club will be available for children in Reception Year to Grade 6.
Environmental Awareness Presentation
Puppet World will be presenting an educational show on environmental awareness entitled ‘Our World, Our Responsibility’ on Wednesday 15 May. To show support for our environment and the preservation of our beautiful world, we request that all children dress in green or wear green accessories such as aprons, hats, beanies, scarves, shoes, jewellery etc. on this day.
Asher Farm Sanctuary Visit
The Grade 4 class, together with Teachers Danielle and Chloe, will visit Asher Farm Sanctuary on Friday 17 May. Children may wear civvies for this outing.
Mid-Year Examinations
Children in Grade 3 to 6 will write their mid-year exams in all subjects from Tuesday 18 June until Wednesday 26 June. Exam timetables will be handed out during the week.
Mid-Year Academic Reports
Mid-Year progress reports shall be available for collection from the school office on Wednesday 7 August.
Classroom Showcase
We invite parents and students to go to www.courtney.co.za and view ‘classroom showcase’ of the primary campus. You will locate this under the Courtney House link on the website. Updated visuals of important events and visits are posted on this platform.
Emotional Intelligence Development
Each month a different selection of specialised books covering themes to aid the development of emotional intelligence shall be provided by Teacher Demi (registered Educational Psychologist) for teachers to use in the classroom. The content shall be read and discussed with all the classes to encourage discussions and engage the children in activities to inspire greater awareness of their personal-, social- and emotional development. Themes relate predominantly to universal values and value systems but also deal with aspects of EQ Development such as personal responsibility; social interaction; intra- and inter-personal skills; confidence; resilience; assertiveness training; effective communication; empathy building; self-control and leadership.
Leadership Adventure Camp 2020 in Cape Town
The leadership/adventure/educational camp for children in Grades 3 to 6 (2020) has been extended to include the current Grade 6 class who will be in Grade 7 next year.
Information packs have been made available as parents are required to make reservation bookings and first payments now already to secure their spaces for 2020. Closing date for reservations and initial payment is 31 May 2019.
School Uniform Website and Online Shop
The website for ordering and purchasing school uniform items is www.schooluniformshop.co.za
All official Courtney House uniform is branded with the school logo.
Documents pertaining to school uniform and dress code policies were included in the report envelopes. Parents are asked to please abide by these policies and follow the guidelines given.
Children are to please wear the official Courtney House school uniform as supplied. We kindly ask that all children are dressed in the official Courtney House uniform by 1 June 2019. This applies to all clothing, including jackets, jerseys and hats.
Student of the Week
Each week, a child from each class is identified as ‘Student of the Week’ for showing excellence or great progress in various areas. The children are awarded badges at line-up. There is a display near the school office where the children who receive badges are acknowledged.
Important Dates to Remember
Courtney College News – applies to students in Year 7 to A/AS-Level
Extra Murals
We have plenty of activities planned for Term 2 and we, therefore, encourage our students to participate in our extra mural activities.
Students will receive a form this week, containing a list of possible activities and the costs thereof for administration purposes. All extra mural activities will commence the week of 13 May.
School Times
A friendly reminder of the following school times:
We request that students arrive on time for school daily.
