The recent Karoo Eisteddfod was a wonderful experience for our learners!
๐๐ข๐ก๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐จ๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก๐ฆ to pianists Joy Merifield, Vivian McEwan, Brigette Oelofsen, Caitrin Spence and Arno Nell on having been awarded Triple Gold certificates for their respective performances.
On Saturday, 24 September, Union High Schoolโs ๐จ/๐ญ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฆ hosted Muir College for a 40-over encounter.
Union lost the toss and was sent to bowl first. Muirโs batsmen got off to a very decent start, managing a run-rate of about 10 an over for the better part of their innings. Union’s bowlers, however, managed to bring that down by taking wickets at regular intervals, resulting in Muir making a total of 155.
Unionโs best bowlers were ๐ฅ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ (2 wickets), ๐ข๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ป (2 wickets) and ๐๐ผ๐ต๐ป-๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด (3 wickets).
The Union side then went in to bat, but got off to a bad start, losing their top order with only 24 runs on the board.
๐ฅ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ managed to build a few partnerships, but the Union side eventually fell short by 43 runs with ๐ฅ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ being the best batsman, scoring 50 not out.
This past Saturday, 24 September, Union had a strong team of 14 ๐๐๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ฆ participating in the second meet of the season in Gqeberha.
The great thing about biathlon is that the participants may run with several different age groups, but it is their OWN time that is important, not winning or losing a particular race. This first event allowed Union’s biathlon team to get both a running and swimming time on record in order for them to now try and beat that time at every following event.
๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ฌ๐ก๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐ง๐ข๐๐ “๐ฟ๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐ค๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐ข” ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐ช๐, with great manners and sportsmanship, and fantastic running results, most notably Luvela Makaula and Qhama Solomon who ran fantastic times to take first and second place respectively in the u/15 boys running category.
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ก๐จ ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ง๐๐ฃ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ง๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐๐จ and mention must be made of Miley Burger and Samantha Gilfillian who, for the first time, had to run 800m – a hard sprint twice around the track!
The swimming was held at Brylin – Independent Learning Centreโs 50m indoor pool, and our athletes did very well considering they haven’t been able to train throughout the winter. They held their own, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it, with two of our athletes improving on their past times (Ben and Taylor)!
Each year, Unionโs Grade 10s spend months anticipating the Odyssey hiking adventure which takes them on a physical, soul-searching journey down the Gats River Canyon, starting in Nieu-Bethesda and ending in Graaff-Reinet five days later.
Bright and early this morning, Friday, 23 September, it was the Grade 10 class of 2022โs time to set off on this adventure.
On Saturday, 17 September, Union High School, Graaff-Reinetโs senior tennis girls played their hearts out in doublesโ and singlesโ encounters against their counterparts from the The Diocesan School for Girls – Senior School on Union’s Bremner and Arthur Kingwill House courts in Graaff-Reinet.
What better time of year to focus on some of the โnew growthโ at the Union Schools!
Over the past couple of weeks, visitors to our school would have seen that there are several areas under construction, with builders hard at work in every nook and cranny of our campus.
โข We were excited to break ground on the new junior school classrooms on the corner of Donkin and Caledon Streets a short while ago. The ๐๐ข๐ก๐ฆ๐ง๐ฅ๐จ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐ก๐๐ช ๐๐ก๐ก๐ข๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฃ๐๐๐ฆ๐ง๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ข๐ข๐ ๐ฆ is taking shape at an incredible pace and is on track for completion before the end of the year.
โข The radical ๐ฅ๐๐๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ง ๐ข๐ ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐ is also well underway. Once completed, Unionโs science lab will be a tech-forward, bright, friendly and comfortable educational space, second to none in the province.
โข The ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ก๐๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐จ๐ก๐๐ข๐ก ๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐ข๐๐ฆ’ ๐ฆ๐ช๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐ฃ๐ข๐ข๐ is also nearing completion. Once finished, the elongated pool will measure exactly 25 metres in length, which will allow the school to host formal swimming galas and in doing so, generate, and allow for, renewed commitment from our swimmers and coaches to take swimming at Union to new heights.
We are incredibly excited about these projects – ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ฐ ๐ฌ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐บโ๐ญ๐ญ ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐น๐ต ๐ค๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ต๐ฉ๐ด – and are exceptionally grateful as a school for the innovative thinking and collaborative teamwork of the Union Schoolsโ Governing Body members in realising these enormous undertakings and the support of the generous sponsors backing the various projects
This past Tuesday afternoon, 6 September, learners from 10 schools in Graaff-Reinet competed for fantastic cash prizes at a ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ข๐จ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ง held at the Botanics Sports Club โ hosted by ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ผ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐.
โข In the Primary School’s A-league, Union placed first through Grade 7 learner ๐๐ฎ๐๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ฒ, who won all five her matches.
In the category for high schools, Unionโs senior players did exceptionally well in both the A and B league, coming out tops in both.
Union extends a special ๐ช๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ก๐๐ฆ to the following sponsors for their contribution to the event: Wรผrth, Haslop & Mason, Mynhardt Construction, Montego Cares and Steel Pipes & Fittings.
Are you a youth looking for an awesome journey? Are you a parent who would like their child to experience the outdoors and learn while doing in a safe and wholesome environment?
Leadership abilities, teamwork, self-motivation, commitment, perseverance, environmental and cultural awareness and strong values are just a few of the life skills scouts acquire whilst having fun and ‘learning by doing’. Positive peer pressure and outdoor activities all contribute to individuals growing up with the belief that they can and are changing the world in order to leave it a better place than how they found it.
The Graaff-Reinet Scout Troop meets every week on Thursday evenings in the Chookie Geard Scout Hall in Neser Street and is open to all boys from Graaff-Reinet in Grade 5 to Grade 12.
๐๐ข๐ก๐ง๐๐๐ง Mrs Tess Neill at 072 178 7699 or tessneillsa@gmail.com to find out more.
This past Friday, 9 September, Union’s ๐จ/๐ญ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ง team played a T20 match against Queen’s College Boys’ Primary School in Queenstown.
Queens batted first and scored 137 runs in their allotted 20 overs. Unionโs best bowlers were ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ถ, ๐๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ and ๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐๐บ ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฏ๐ who took one wicket each.
Union then went in to bat, and, unfortunately, fell short by 18 runs. Unionโs best batsmen were ๐ฅ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐, ๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐๐บ ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฏ๐ and ๐๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ.
The next morning, Saturday, 10 September, Union’s u/13As took on their Queens counterparts again โ this time in a 50 over encounter.
Union went in to bat first. The boys got off to a slow start and, with a regular loss in wickets, only managed to put 68 runs on the scoreboard before they were all bowled out.
Queens managed to chase down the score in the 10th over with two wickets down. Union lost the match by 8 wickets.
This past Saturday, 10 September, Unionโs u/11A cricket team was hosted by Queen’s College Boys’ Primary School in Queenstown for a ๐ฐ๐ฌ-๐ข๐ฉ๐๐ฅ encounter.
Queens won the toss and elected to bowl first on a misty and cool morning.
Union openers got off to a good start and put on seventy runs for the opening stand.
The batting momentum was slightly stalled with a quick loss of wickets in the middle order, however, a good partnership for the seventh wicket ensured they reached a competitive total of 155/8 in their allotted forty overs.
Good performances with the bat included ๐๐ผ๐๐ต ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐๐ถ๐น๐น who made 46, ๐๐ผ๐๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฉ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ (25) and ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ (16).
The Union team showed a spirited performance with the ball by never giving up and eventually bowled Queens out for 138.
The stand out bowlers included ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ who ended with figures of 3-22, ๐๐ผ๐๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฉ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ (2-16), ๐๐ผ๐๐ต ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐๐ถ๐น๐น (2- 31) and ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐น๐บ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฆ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐น (2-32).