๐ช๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ก๐ to our 1st hockey and rugby teams on their respective victories against Bloemfontein’s Hoรซrskool Jim Fouchรฉ on Saturday, 6 May.
Hockey Results: 1st team: 1- 0 2nd team: 2 – 3 U/16A: 1 – 0 U/16B: match abandoned due to inclement weather U/14A: 0 – 2
Rugby Results: 1st XV: 24 – 15 2nd team: U/16A: 3 – 38 U/15A: 0 – 24 U/14A: match abandoned due to inclement weather
Union High School, Graaff-Reinetโs 2023 primary department production, saw the 2010 box office hit, Tangled, translated to the stage for the purposes of delighting local theatre lovers!
The narrative was, for the most part, identical. Snatched from her royal bed at birth, Rapunzel goes about her days locked in a forgotten tower under the ever-watchful eye of the evil Mother Gothel. Seizing her chance to escape with the bandit Flynn Rider, Rapunzel embarks on an adventure to see the lanterns that fill the sky on her birthday each year and discover her past in the process.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ ๐ฎ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐๐๐น๐ฒ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฝ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐น๐บโ๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐บ๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ป๐๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐, ๐๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ผ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐น๐๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ป๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ such as Imagine Dragonsโ โOn Top of the Worldโ, Whitney Houstonโs โWhen You Believeโ and Coldplayโs โSky Full of Starsโ which were performed with such unmistakable Disney flair by the schoolโs junior learners that they felt instantly at home amidst fan-favourites such as โIโve Got a Dreamโ and โI See the Light.โ
The catchy numbers, combined with stunning costumes and beautiful backdrops created an atmosphere that managed to fully immerse the audience in the story.
While Rachel Wenham and Connor Te Water Naude each gave ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ก๐ก๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ค๐ง๐ข๐๐ฃ๐๐๐จ ๐๐จ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ช๐ฃ๐ฏ๐๐ก ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ง ๐ค๐ค๐ฏ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐ฎ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฏ๐๐ฏ๐ฏ, the comedic talents of Aidan Ferreira, who portrayed the detective Maximus, and the vocal talents of Chloe-Ann Fourie as Mother Gothel, made it impossible not to smile at the learnersโ keen sense of belonging to the magical world so well-depicted on stage.
With a cast consisting of almost 180 Grade 5 to 7 learners, Unionโs โTangledโ was a high-jinx, humorous, entertaining, and superb show all round – full of fun and the feel-good factor.
๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ด๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ผ the showโs creators Mrs Avrille Putter and Mrs Sanette Brink, backdrop artists Mrs Janet Kingwill and Miss Lauren Stanley, the technical crew and the members of the cast who made it possible for us to โsee the lightโ with a production that lives up to the near-impossible standards of the phrase ๐๐ช๐ด๐ฏ๐ฆ๐บ ๐ฎ๐ข๐จ๐ช๐ค.
The addition of three new โstate of the artโ classrooms – to meet the needs of the increasing numbers of learners at Union High School, Graaff-Reinet โ was celebrated at a special ceremony on Thursday evening, 4 May.
The event was attended by parents, members of staff, school governing body members and Eastern Cape Department of Education officials, with Union High Schoolโs Governing Body chairman, Mr Kelvin Kayster, being asked to cut the ribbon.
Speaking at the event, Union High School Headmaster, Mr William Pringle commented on the impact and importance of these new classrooms, stating that the classrooms commanded a new sense of dedication and inspiration which will enhance learning at Union for years to come.
The three new classrooms (currently being utilised by the learners in the schoolโs primary department) also forms part of ๐ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ช๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐จ๐จ๐ง๐ค๐ค๐ข ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐ฌ๐๐ก ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐๐๐ฉ, initiated in 2021, which aims to bring all classrooms up to an agreed standard in terms of physical facilities and audio-visual / information technology.
While the project involved the construction of the classrooms from the ground up, the most exciting developments focused on improving the teaching and learning experience. In addition to fully interactive whiteboards, new data projectors, high quality sound equipment and air conditioning units being installed, teaching walls and learner desks were reimagined to provide flexible teaching options.
Union High School, Graaff-Reinet recently had the distinct pleasure of hosting Mr Clive Marriott, Headmaster of Salisbury Cathedral School, during his recent visit to South Africa.
Union has long enjoyed a wonderful learner exchange programme with this 900-year-old school in Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK, with its incomparable setting beneath the famous spire of Salisbury Cathedral. (๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ค๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ญ ๐ช๐ด ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ด๐ต ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ถ๐ค๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ข๐ฃ๐ญ๐ช๐ด๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ด ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ญ๐ฅ, ๐ง๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ฏ 1091 ๐ฃ๐บ ๐๐ต ๐๐ด๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฅ, ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ธ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐ช๐ญ๐ญ๐ช๐ข๐ฎ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐๐ช๐ด๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐ด๐ฃ๐ถ๐ณ๐บ, ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ถ๐ค๐ข๐ต๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ช๐ด๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐๐ข๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ณ๐ข๐ญ ๐ข๐ต ๐๐ญ๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ถ๐ฎ.)
๐๐ป ๐ต๐ผ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ ๐ฟ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ๐๐โ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐, Union hosted an small function in the Tony Burrell Union to welcome him to the school and to celebrate the special connection that exists between the two schools.
Past and present exchange students with Salisbury Headmaster, Mr Clive Marriott, and Union Headmaster, Mr William Pringle.
For 30 years, the Salisbury learners have been coming to Graaff-Reinet as exchange students for a term, followed by Unionโs exchange students spending a term in the UK. Quite a few of these Union learners then go on to do a Gap Year at Salisbury after completing their matric year.
The recent event hosted by the school was attended by some of the exchange students from 2013 to date, as well as their parents. After Mr Pringle welcomed all the guests, Mr Marriott addressed all those present, amusing the audience with a few tales of events that have happened over the years.
The 2023 exchange learners were also presented with their Exchange Student badges during this event, which they will wear for the duration of their years at Union.
Grade 7 Union learners ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐บ๐๐ถ๐ฟ and ๐ญ๐ผรซ ๐ ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ are currently in the UK, where they are spending the term at Salisbury Cathedral School as this year’s exchange students.