Month: Jul 2024

Bulletin

We are thrilled to announce that Mr André Human has joined Union High School, Graaff-Reinet as our new Director of Rugby.

𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘥, 𝘔𝘳 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘣𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘦.

Mr Human has dedicated the past 17 years to the sport of rugby, working as a professional full-time coach at various levels, both nationally and internationally.

His coaching journey has taken him across South Africa, Ireland and even Uzbekistan, where he served as the National Coaching Consultant for their Rugby Federation. 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺.

Beyond his coaching prowess, Mr Human also holds a qualification as a maths educator. This educational background allows him to prioritise the holistic development of our young rugby players, maintaining a healthy balance between academics, rugby and personal growth. 𝙃𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙢𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙣𝙫𝙞𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨.

Notably, Mr Human’s own rugby career adds to his depth of understanding and knowledge.

He played for Stellenbosch University while pursuing his B. Comm. (Maths) degree and later competed in club rugby in Italy and France. He went on to represent the Stormers and Border Bulldogs professionally, as well as the SA Defense and SA Central Union Team.

Mr Human’s coaching journey began at high school level, where he honed his skills at Stirling High, Grens High and Dale College. He then progressed to coaching professional rugby, leading the Border Bulldogs in the Vodacom Cup and Currie Cup for five years.

His expertise also extended to coaching international sides, including Galway Corinthians RFC and Old Crescent RFC in Ireland. Most recently, he made significant contributions as the National Coaching Consultant for the Uzbekistan Rugby Federation, mentoring both men’s and women’s rugby teams in 7s and 15-a-side formats.

With an impressive rugby CV, Mr Human’s experience spans coaching schools, premier club rugby in South Africa and Ireland, as well as the Currie Cup and Super 15 Rugby. His strong understanding of schools’ rugby further enhances our programme, as he brings valuable insights and strategies to elevate our team’s performance.

𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗠𝗿 𝗔𝗻𝗱𝗿é 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗯𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲.

His passion, expertise and commitment to the holistic development of our young rugby players align perfectly with our school’s values.

𝘛𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘸𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘣𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥.

Bulletin

“𝘈 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘢 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘥𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭.” – Nelson Mandela

On Thursday, 17 July, the Union High School, Graaff-Reinet Representative Council for Learners (RCL) embodied Mandela’s wisdom by hosting an impactful event at their school hall. This gathering included guests from Hoër Volkskool, Spandau Secondary School, Nqweba Secondary School and Karel du Toit Hoërskool.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻’𝘀 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟵, 𝗮𝗶𝗺𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀.

The theme for this year’s 67-minute programme was “Drug Abuse and Its Impact on Education.”

The insightful and empowering presentations aimed to equip those present with the knowledge and tools to combat drug abuse, thereby enhancing educational programmes in their schools.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙖 𝙢𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙧𝙨:

– 𝗗𝗿 𝗚𝗮𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗮 𝗛𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿, an Old-Unionite, captivated the audience with a speech on the physiological impacts of drug abuse. She urged students to treat their bodies like Ferraris, emphasizing the importance of self-care.

– 𝗠𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗵 offered a deeply personal perspective on the social consequences of drug abuse and the importance of making good choices. Her presentation resonated strongly with the learners, providing valuable insights.

– 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗟𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗱 addressed the legal ramifications of drug abuse, highlighting its effects on families and communities, as well as the links to domestic and gender-based violence.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦.

Special thanks are due to Mr Elrich Jantjies for organising this significant event and to the event’s sponsors, Karoo Meats and Deli, as well as the school’s Governing Body (SGB), for their generous support.

Bulletin

This week at 𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗖𝗟𝗨𝗕, a wave of fun and creativity swept through as members delved into the fascinating realm of continuous line portraits. The unique twist? Swapping out the ‘sitter’ every 5 minutes added an unpredictable element to the artistic process.

𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘮𝘭𝘺, 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦.

One of the most enchanting aspects of the experience was observing how each artist approached the task before them. Some started with bold strokes, capturing the essence of their subject in a few swift movements. Others took a more gradual approach, allowing the portrait to emerge organically with each connected line.

Despite the fast-paced nature of the exercise, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙛𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 as participants honed their observation skills and delved deeper into the intricacies of the human form.

Bulletin

On Friday afternoon and evening, the Union Schools’ dedicated chess teachers organised an engaging 𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗧𝗖𝗔𝗠𝗣 in the Tony Burrell Union.

The event brought together the junior and senior chess players of Union, providing them with 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙚.

Throughout the bootcamp, participants delved into various chess strategies and endgame techniques, guided by experienced instructors who shared their insights and expertise.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴’ 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴.