Category: Updates from Tessa Smit

Our new boy entering Grade 8 is Imtiaaz Abrahams.

Imtiaaz is a good rugby player and has sound academic potential with some application and extra effort needed for he is to gain confidence and achieve – particularly in his Maths.

All in all, Imtiaz is happy at SACS and communication with him and his family is excellent. They celebrated Eid together last Friday and had a happy and blessed time together as a family. I will visit him again at school shortly and report back to you about his progress in his Maths lessons once I have more news.

I did a good in-depth performance review with Imtiaz about his report (with his Mom present) and discussed all his subjects in detail and what he thought his problems and difficulties were.

What a blow for all schools’ rugby players that the sport has been suspended until further notice due to Covid restrictions. Up until now, Imtiaz has so enjoyed the season albeit with a huge loss to Rondebosch in his first game (when he played in the B team) but with a good 22-0 win for the U14A team against Bishops two weeks ago.  Last week they played Boland Landbou and lost 27-7 but Imtiaz says it was a good game and they are getting better and better. While practices on the field have been suspended I’m sure they may still do some (non-contact) cross country running to keep fit for when the ban is lifted.

A Farewell Lunch was held for Melo on writing his Matric.

Melo has been accepted for a Soc Sci at UWC for 2021 and is awaiting
outcomes for B Com and also for UCT.

Enos, Tessa and Melo.
Enos is Melo’s Friend, a Fellow 1st Team Rugby Player, a John Ince Scholar for the last five years and is off to the Sharks Academy in 2021.

Tessa is our Mentor.

Peter, Enos, Melo and Dirk Kemp

Hi Everyone

Just thought I would give you all a quick catch up on Hlumelo and how he is coping. He is well and happy and is on lockdown in his home in Joe Slovo Park, Milnerton, with his mom and sister. His brother Lusanda remained in America for lockdown where he has been working. Melo is, of course, missing his rugby terribly but he has kept fit with exercises and of course, can at least go for a run now in the mornings now that we are on level 4. We have talked through his deep disappointment about the school rugby season that went up in flames with lockdown but he is philosophical about it and tends to look at all the positives instead (at least SACS managed to have their matric dance – other schools have had to cancel!)

Melo has been keeping up with all his schoolwork provided by SACS but felt he needed some help with Maths so I organised online lessons with Heather Race, the Maths teacher I had arranged to take the place of Gill Gull who retired last year. Heather lives a stone’s throw from SACS and was due to start lessons with Melo on Tuesday 17 March. But unfortunately, the SACS hostel was closed rather suddenly on 16 March due to Covid-19 and everyone sent home so the lesson did not take place. We did, however, manage to have a meeting the week before so that Heather and Melo could meet each other.

Melo is enjoying the lessons and says they are a great help and have provided good understanding with problem areas. He is keeping up with his Life Science which improved hugely in the first term (by 20%!) thanks to his Life Science teacher at SACS. Some of his teachers feel he needs to make more effort in some subjects (see attached reports) but on the whole, I am fairly pleased with his Term 1 report, especially Life Science. As you all know the plan at the moment is for matrics to return to school on Monday 1 June but mid-year exams have been scrapped so he has ample time to work hard for his next exams, hopefully in September.

Thus far his family have had enough resources for food and basic necessities but I have asked him to let me know if they have problems and need help in any way.

So all is well with our SACS 1969 Trust scholar and I think we can be proud of the way he has handled all the challenges in a very strange matric year. He is looking forward to returning to school and I will keep you updated with all that happens.

Warm regards as always,

Tess

Starting the year with some fresh threads!

Here is Melo looking pleased as punch with his bespoke shirt  – thanks so much, Brian!  His message to me reads: “Fits perfectly, Ma’am Thank you so much and please send my thanks to Brian ????????????????”

A message from Tess,

Quite suddenly (it seems!) we have come to the end of another school year. I’m not sure if you have all received Hlumelo’s report but apart from English, Afrikaans and Life Orientation, (all satisfactory for Grade 11 and above 60%) his marks were somewhat underwhelming particularly in Maths (40%) and Life Science (48%).

I have spoken to Melo briefly about his report but at the start of the new school year in January we will sit down together and discuss more thoroughly the importance of consistent effort in matric and striving towards excellence in all subjects. He needs to pay particular attention not only to Maths and Life Science but also to Accounting and History in which there were significant declines in the fourth term. I know he found Grade 11 hard and struggled to balance sport and academics but he cannot allow that to happen in matric next year. Hopefully, he can continue with his Accounting tutor, Sara Shaboodien, in 2020 and I have been in touch with a new extra Maths teacher, Fiona Heany, who could take Gill Gull’s place as she has now retired.

But there is much to praise Melo for as well – his election as a prefect, his success in rugby, his ability to be a role model to his peers and his impeccable behaviour record at SACS. The staff speak highly of him for his positive outlook and his respect for himself and for others. I have no doubt that Melo will do well in matric not only in his leadership and sporting roles, but academically too as he has the ability and the will to succeed in matric.

Please see attached his letter to all of you with thanks and a recap of his year. I have so enjoyed working with him and it remains a privilege to be a part of this young man’s life. I will continue to do my best for him in his Matric year in 2020.

Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday season and all the best for a wonderful 2020.

I saw Melo on Monday at his extra Maths lesson and he is really determined to do better in his June exams.  He was selected to go to WP trials for Craven week on Tuesday but to his great disappointment, he remained on the bench and didn’t get any game time.  With his strong character, I’m sure he will recover from his disappointment and not let it affect his state of mind for exams.  On a happier note, he played for the SACS 2^nd team against Rondebosch last Saturday and they won – huge smiles all round!  

 I also had a brief catch-up with his Mom who assures me they are all well and that Melo’s brother, Lusanda, has recently returned from the USA so he will be attending Melo’s rugby games once again.   SACS are playing Paarl Gym this coming Saturday 25 May and their last game of the term on Saturday 1 June is the usual Classic Clash against Wynberg – both games are being played at home at SACS.  For your interest here below is the rugby schedule for the third term.

-Tessa Smit

Low marks for Maths and Life Sciences but there is a support plan.

Excellent (85%) mark for History.

Good marks for Afrikaans (1^st Language), Life orientation, and Accounting.

Tutor’s comment:

“Apart from the disappointing results in two learning areas, This is a wonderful set of results. Hlumelo, I am confident you will improve the marks in those learning areas next term. Keep on working hard and be true to yourself. Good luck for the rugby season.”

(He has made the First team Squad, although only in Grade 11.)

Hlumelo is working hard at his extra maths lessons with Gill Gull. He’ll have the lessons every Monday until his final exams in November. He finds that they really do help so hopefully he can improve on his Maths mark this term and in the fourth term.

Here he is with Enos Ndiao, the John Ince Trust scholar.