My first encounter with story-telling and folk tales came when, as a

young teacher, I was introduced to South African writer, Marguerite

Poland and her excellent book, The Wood-Ash Stars. Later I was

fortunate enough to serve under a Headmaster, whose penchant for

telling the children stories in his assemblies, had the youngsters hanging

on his every word.

INSIDE:

LEARNING IS FUN

STORIES FOR SUCCESS

TO INFINITY AND

BEYOND

Follow me to page 2

09/02/2018 I TERM 1 I NEWSLETTER

ISSUE

72

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I would like to take this opportunity to thank the School community for producing yet another great MiMs weekend. In particular, I

would like to thank all the boys for their tremendous resilience, dedication and professionalism during the preparation and the event

itself. We

GOODBYE TO STEVEN AND MELANIE…CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

MESSAGE FROM THE

EXECUTIVE HEAD

MESSAGE FROM OUR

EXECUTIVE HEAD

STORIES FOR SUCCESS…continued from page 1

…CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

For thousands of years, people have used stories to process and make sense of the world around them. Kendall Haven

(2007) refers to people as homo narratus or “story animals”, learning from and through stories. Stories connect us to one

another, and help us to learn about our history and ancestors. We tell our own stories to transform ourselves, inspire

others, and help define our own identity. When we listen to other people’s stories, we develop empathy, understanding,

and a tolerance of difference and “otherness”; we begin to recognize the world from multiple perspectives.

Stories have always held a strong appeal for the human brain. Research shows that when we listen to a good story (one

that includes elements of struggle and conflict, and triumph over adversity) our brains release oxytocin, which in turn

increases our capacity for empathy (Zak, 2014). Empathy helps people ‘‘gain understanding, through narrative, of

experiences they do not share and characters they do not know.’’ My current reading of Ronnie Kasrils’ book, A Simple

Man, illustrates this point, perfectly.

Research also shows that when we learn through stories, we have much better retention of content and recall of key

ideas (Zak, 2014). By attaching emotions to things that happen, by using pathos in the telling of the story, we create what

Nick Morgan calls “sticky memories.” Stories encourage deep learning through establishing significant links and

connections. In the world of business, storytelling is recognized as a strategic tool, one that often determines with whom

we choose to do business.

With an array of digital tools at our disposal, we live in a new “golden age of storytelling.” Creating digital stories through

blogs, podcasts, film, and other visual media has never been easier. Platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram

make sharing these stories with wider and global communities possible. In a learning environment, digital stories appeal

to a diverse range of learning styles and encourage audience engagement and participation. Insofar as boys are

concerned, digital stories allow them to comment, share, and even create their own content and ending.

Crafting our own stories or hearing other people’s stories engages many 21st century skills. Storytelling encourages

creativity and hones communication skills such as writing, editing, presenting, processing feedback and constructive

criticism. Drafting and documenting stories develop research skills, analysis and synthesis of information, and critical

thinking. Learning about other people’s stories cultivates empathy, tolerance, and understanding of diverse and different

groups of people. Discovering other people’s inspirational stories encourages optimism and resilience. Reflecting on our

own stories enables us to find meaning and make sense of our lives.

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But why do I share this with you?

Well, the other day I happened to pop my head into a classroom that was about to watch a YouTube clip of the SpaceX

Falcon Heavy launch. The story of Pretoria boy, Elon Musk, and his success in the motor vehicle and space exploration

industries is something akin to a Boys’ Own annual come to life and the boys were engrossed in the tale. Later, from my

classroom along the corridor, I heard them chanting out aloud, as the count-down to launch commenced.

A few years ago, I took a group of Grade 9s to the Holocaust Museum, where they listened to an Auschwitz survivor tell of

her internment. It was riveting stuff! From this, consider the opportunities for critical thinking, reflection and deep

learning to take place and then for encouraging the boys to tell the right stories about what they learned from that

remarkable woman.

Within the classroom, possibilities abound for boys to craft and share their own stories, whether on paper, electronically

or through performance, in language, music, visual or performing art, or by linking opportunities to a more modern

context like human trafficking, racial diversity and cultural identity and then having people tell their stories.

So, when your boy returns home for half-term, take some time out to sit and share stories of your young life, of how it

was when you grew up, of struggles you faced and obstacles you overcame in forging a life for you and your young family.

Your boy will be captivated by your story. He will contextualise it as part of his family history. It will be a deep and

meaningful experience. It will strengthen those family bonds.

I look forward to receiving some feedback!

(Extracts in this column taken from the International Boys’ Schools Coalition: Action Research Project for 2018)

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

In the light of Ms Couzyn’s excellent column on reading in last week’s Take Note, I thought I’d make an appeal to the

parent community this week, to assist us in promoting reading in the school.

Every school library shares a common problem, namely a constant shortage of good reading material. Books don’t last

very long you see. They frequently find themselves in the bottom of school bags, crushed by the weight of files, lunch

boxes and sports kit above them. They occasionally double as a rugby ball, have tea and jam spilled on them, and dogs - it

seems - have a fascination for them, just as they do for homework. This explains the age-old line, “Sorry Sir, the dog ate

it!”

Our appeal to you is to help us build up a good library of reading material that is age-appropriate and which will appeal to

boys. We hope to do this in two ways:

Book Donations. This is as simple as it sounds. If you have any books lying around at home that have been

read by your family and which are now gathering dust or taking up shelf space, why not drop them off with us,

when you next visit the school? We will go through them and select those most appropriate for display in the

library. Those we cannot use, shall be found a good home, elsewhere.

I recall, as a young teacher, a colleague telling me that one should do whatever it takes to get a boy to read. In

my class was a lad called Paul, who loved fishing… but not reading. I went out that afternoon and bought a

copy of Tight Lines, a popular fishing magazine which I presented to Paul the next morning. It was that simple

start-up that turned him into an avid reader. Whether he ever sat down with an Emily Bronte novel, I’m not

sure, but at least he got immersed in reading. My point is that even magazines, like National Geographic, for

example, can be the catalyst for a reluctant reader. So don’t disregard those as being unsuitable.

, to assist us in promoting reading in the school.

Every school library shares a common problem, namely a constant shortage of good reading material. Books don’t last

very long you see. They frequently find themselves in the bottom of school bags, crushed by the weight of files, lunch

boxes and sports kit above them. They occasionally double as a rugby ball, have tea and jam spilled on them, and dogs it

seems, have a fascination for them, just as they do for homework. This explains the age-old line, “Sorry Sir, the dog ate it!”

4

Birthday Book Scheme. This is a simple yet very effective way in which we can add approximately 120 new

books to our library every year. For the relatively small sum of R120, donated annually, we will help your boy

select a book from a selection we put together, with the help of a local book company. Once chosen, the

book will carry your son’s name, on the inside front cover and on a suitably designed label, acknowledging

his contribution as the donor of the book. He then has first option of reading it, before it goes onto the

shelves for the other boys to enjoy.

Should you wish your child to participate in this, payment of R120 must please be made by EFT into the

school’s bank account with the reference “BB + child’s full name” by Wednesday, 28 February, regardless of

which month your child’s birthday is in. Only those children who make the payment will be eligible to choose

a book. Alternatively they can bring in a book donation of their own choice, should they wish to do so on

their birthday.

Please note that this is not compulsory but it is wonderful for the boys to know that they have left

something behind at the school when the time comes for them to move on.

For security reasons, we do not accept cash at the school so please make payment by electronic transfer or

direct deposit into the following account:

Banking details:

Account Name: Drakensberg Boys Choir School

Bank: First National Bank

Acc. No: 50880023227

Branch Name: Estcourt

Branch Code: 220325

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Last Word.

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counsellors, and the

most patient of teachers. (Charles W. Eliot)

Till next time,

Greg Brooks

Executive Head

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NEWS FROM THE ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT

TO INFINITY AND BEYOND… AND READING WILL GET YOU THERE! Today was special. I decided to capitalize on a fantastic world event, which I had watched live before school and immediately saw the potential to capture interest in the boys. (It’s not ALL poetry and prose and the mechanics of a sentence in English lessons, you know!) Cue the SpaceX launch today of a reusable rocket, the Falcon Heavy. Each class started off being vaguely interested because, hey, who didn’t want to be an astronaut at some point, right? The boys quickly became engrossed and eventually were electrified by what was happening. (I took pictures of the Grade 8s and a video of the Grade 7 boys surreptitiously and their involvement is plain to see.) I wish you could have been there with me, Parents! I was even able to capitalise on Elon Musk’s genius inclusion in the rocket of a set of Isaac Asimov science fiction works, because READING + SCIENCE + SPACE = ELON MUSK. What more incentive can a boy have for reading? Interest in Elon Musk has mushroomed and so the library would welcome a copy of ANY book on Elon Musk, but particularly Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance. Any kind and willing donors out there? Thanks to Mr Musk for being a Saffa originally, for being inspired by the writings of Isaac Asimov to explore space and make a career of it, and for allowing us all to glimpse into the future. We will follow Starman with avid interest. Mr Musk’s car in space has generated much discussion. Parents, watch the launch on YouTube. (The 31 minute clip.) Chat to your sons about it and, above all, seize this opportunity to connect science, human interest and the importance of reading if you want to be part of our future world. Pamela Couzyn Acting Head of Academics

L.J. could not stop smiling and turning to see if I was as

excited as he was

Angus out of his seat in the excitement of the moment

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Earlier this week, our Grade 4s took on a “following instructions” lesson. The instructions to be followed

were contained in a Melting Moments recipe. Much fun was had by all involved and judging from the end

result, we definitely can follow instructions!

Lauren Dookey

Educator

LEARNING IS FUN

“We never knew that learning can be so much fun!”

Future chefs in training

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THE FOREST FIRE

I was walking through the forest with my dog, Otto. The forest was eerily quiet and had a very sinister feeling to it. The trees were densely packed together. The only sound was the occasional snap of a twig beneath my boot or the hoot of an owl. I could smell the woody scent of pine cones. We were walking on the edge of the forest, near the highway, when a car zoomed by. Suddenly the forest became lighter. A fire in summer is one thing, but a fire in the middle of winter is on a level of its own. The fire started catching and the wind wasn’t helping. I ran back to our small thatched cottage on the outskirts of the forest. Mum was at work and my dad had died when I was small. I immediately dialled 911 and told them about the fire. I then dialled Mum’s number and told her. She instructed me to stay where I was, saying that she was coming home. By that time the fire had almost caught onto the second half of the forest. I realised that I could not find Otto anywhere. I tore through the burning forest with the flames licking the sky. The flames crept hungrily through the trees. Then I heard barking and Otto crawled into my arms. I ran back home in time to see the helicopters arrive. The roar and crackle of the fire were deafening. The flames were ever so close to the house when mum approached. We piled our valuables and Otto into the back of the car. We were in the evacuation centre for two days. When the fire burned down, hundreds of acres of forest had been devastated. The man who had caused it was fined 1,7 billion dollars. When we arrived home, there was no home. There was just a black stump. We ended up staying at a friend’s house while the insurance company built our new home. When it was done it was as fresh as a new born baby. It was huge and situated up on a hill. My perfect design. It was a beautiful house with its white tiled floors and upstairs balcony. When we moved in, we put Otto in my room. We decorated the house and, after about three months, it was perfect.

Fin Dalrymple (Grade 6)

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NEWS FROM THE MARKETING DEPARTMENT

PHOTOS

This is an invitation to all parents, to email me some of the stunning photos you take at different events regarding

Drakies, please. My email address is, bespag@dbchoir.com.

This will be appreciated.

Belinda Espag

Marketing Manager

Kevin Jordaan

CLASS REPRESENTATIVES 2018

Thank you to all the parents who offered to be a Class Representative. We accepted the first response we

received in each case.

The following parents have been appointed as Class Representatives for 2018:

Helen Robinson Grade 4 and 5

Shantell van Jaarsveld Grade 6

Shirley Frattaroli Grade 7

Nthabiseng Sibiya Grade 8

Kim Brits Grade 9

The Class Representative’s goal is to improve communication between the staff, PTA and all parents of the

DBCS.

Let’s make 2018 a really special year for all at DBCS.

Belinda Espag

Marketing Manager

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DRAKIES MARKETING COMMITTEE

Kevin Jordaan

Marketing Mentor

Matthew Robinson

Creative Writer

Sean Morrick

Creative Writer

Luke Brown

Photographer

Bandile Nzuza

Photographer

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NEWS FROM THE SPORT DEPARTMENT

Matthew Beuster

Alexander Brits

Brian Brits

Seth Brown

Damien Butt

Noah Coffey

Walther de Bruin

Christopher de Scally

Pierre Esterhuizen

Brett Fernihough

Cameron Gevers

Alec Gibson

Kieran Griffin

Richard Hildebrand

Heath Houston

Jan Kirsten

Henno Klopper

Itebogeng Machobane

Kabo Madi

Qhawe Mafika

Marco Marais

Connor McKenzie Ziphiwe Mpofu Ntando Ngcobo Reece Olsen Katlego Phetla Matthew Robinson Lwenziwe Sibiya Francois Snyman Max Tanesse Luke Torres Douglas Yazbek

DRAKIES WHO ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE MIDMAR MILE SUNDAY, 11 FEBRUARY ARE:

WE SUPPORT YOU ALL THE WAY!

WAGENDRIFT

I stood by the bicycle transition point, shaking in my socks as my swimmer crossed the finish line. It was my

turn to get some action. As my teammate tagged my hand, I sprinted to my bike. I sped up the first hill like a

soldier sprinting for cover in the attack on Normandy! By the time I reached the top of the hill I was gasping

for air like an exhausted dog lying in a park at 100°C! I thought to myself “Oh my gosh, 9999 metres left…” I

pushed myself to the limits, extended my boundaries and basically destroyed my legs but, in the end when I

demolished that finish line, my friends rushed to cheer me and congratulate me!

I hadn’t won the race, but that’s not why I took part. I participated because I didn’t want to sit on the side

lines telling myself “I can’t”, but instead have sweat dripping from my face, sore muscles, a dirty bike and best

of all, the opportunity to say “I can and I did!”

Angus Sommerville

Grade 8

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13

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HALF-TERM ARRANGEMENTS 14/15 FEBRUARY

Boys are to walk back to school after the gala, where they will all have lunch and then change into their

Number 1s. Boys who are leaving at 14:00 with their parents will have to get an exeat slip from their

respective house parents, after their cubicles have been inspected. Every boy is expected to leave the school

dressed in Number 1s and to return on Sunday by 17:00 or Monday by 07:00.

Departure times on Thursday:

Midrand and OR Tambo buses leave at 05:00.

Durban bus leaves at 06:00.

King Shaka vehicle leaves at 07:00.

Boys will have their cell phones. Relevant contact details for the accompanying staff member will be

communicated to you via email before Thursday’s departures.

Sanele Zikhali

Head of Boarding

The Loch Ness Monster emerges from the water much to the consternation of a group of Drakie swimmers.

15

SNIPPETS FROM THE SAN

It gives me enormous pleasure to announce that I have finally been accepted for vocal training by a real voice coach.

Long term readers will know that learning to sing has always been one of my biggest dreams. Over the years, I have

suffered endless bitter Lincolnesque disappointments in this quest for a teacher who recognises my potential.

Whether it is bravery, idiocy, idealism or ignorance, the ever so ebullient Ms Grobbelaar has now agreed to take me

on.

As excited as I am, I do have some reservations about her sanity and occasional dodgy hairdos though. I must admit

that Monday’s sculptural style – although startling - achieved a miraculous blend of beauty and bizarre. Beggars can’t

be choosers though and at least the boys seem to like her. That referral is good enough for me. Concert Status

beckons and from there to Broadway will be a breeze.

Since the boys have mostly kept themselves safe this week, I am free to waffle on about staff matters. On Wednesday

some of us were treated to a lecture and demonstration by a tall young man sporting perfect posture. As a

physiotherapist, he was introducing us to a technique called Muscle Activation. What initially sounded like a lot of

mumbo-jumbo ended with a colleague’s left hamstring being lengthened by about ten centimetres - after only three

minutes of excruciating agony! I don’t know what she’s going to do about her other hamstring now, but the

demonstration certainly was impressive. Chef got terribly excited about what Muscle Activation could do for the boys’

diaphragms and lung capacity. Unless it was the pain component exciting him.

My big concern is that the hamstrings mentioned above belong to my newly found singing teacher. Will she make it

to my first lesson later today? I simply cannot cope with another crippling disappointment in that department.

Sister Lianne

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TUNGAY HOUSE

One fine weekend morning saw the boys, Mr Zikhali and Mr Kabak painting the Dragons dormitory. Sean Morrick

proceeded to get more paint on himself than on the wall!

Mr Kabak definitely thought he was in the classroom. The gesturing and conducting that went on, with a paint roller

rather than a baton, caused more paint to splash onto Richard and Aidan than they really wanted.

Overall, the dormitory survived the attack and the first coat was completed in time for the New Boys’ weekend. The

second coat will be applied during half term.

Mrs Branch made each boy a bookmark with a Bible verse and she also became really creative, putting up a biblical

quotation at each work station. The boys were all very touched by her thoughtfulness.

Keith and Merle Branch

House Parents

Sean, Sean, Sean, paint the wall please

not yourself

Mr Kabak doing his bit

Jared Hildebrand’s version of

book corner

Mr Zikhali assisting in his own way

17

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Jesse Barth

18 February

Nicholas Robinson

21 February

Kieran Griffin

22 February

DATE EVENT TIME

10 February Academics 08:30-12:30

11 February Midmar

Chapel

18:00-19:00

14 February Interhouse Gala 11:00-13:00

15-16 February Gauteng Roadshow

15 – 18 February Mid Term Break

18 February Chapel 18:00-19:00

24 February Choir All Day

25 February Chapel 18:00-19:00

Calendar 9 February – 23 February 2018

DRAKENSBERG BOYS CHOIR SCHOOL

PRIVATE BAG X20 | WINTERTON 3340 | KWAZULU-NATAL | SOUTH AFRICA

Tel: +2736 468 1012 | Fax: +2736 468 1709 | Email: administration@dbchoir.com | www.dbchoir.com

INCORPORATED ASSOCIATION NOT FOR GAIN - NPO 002-106

+

Qhawe Mafika, Ntokozo Dlamini, Kevin Jordaan and Matthew Robinson proudly represented the Drakenberg

Boys Choir School, this week at an Expo at Constantia Kloof Primary School