Dear Parents

Newsletter No. 13

As I reflect upon the challenges and opportunities with which this year has
presented us here at Girls High, I have come to realise that happiness is certainly
not a destination, it is a way of life. It is a daily choice. And whilst we have not
always managed to achieve true joy every day, our girls have even realised that in
spite of the trials we have endured, we have reached the end of this year with the
understanding that, as a school, our cohesion is cemented by our core values, our
diversity and our ability to reach out in our effort to bring happiness to others.
Over the past 111 years, the High School for Girls Potchefstroom has developed
strong traditions that have set our path and given us the vision to offer the best.
GHS offers a safe environment away from the big cities. The school has excellent
resources and facilities. Our educators are experts and leaders in their fields. They
know their subjects, how to teach and how to relate to girls.

25 November 2016

WHO WILL YOUR

DAUGHTER BECOME?

Shell learn how to have

fun and to show good
sportsmanship.

Shell develop into a selfassured leader in a

Girls High has endeavoured, throughout 2016, to give every girl the opportunity to
participate in as many extra-mural activities as possible. With our outstanding
facilities and the help of our hardworking staff members, we hope that all our girls
have achieved their goals and learned to strive for excellence.

womens world.

She will learn to stand on

her own, growing in
confidence.

In order for us to continue to be successful, we will always need support from each
and every parent. Your commitment to our Code of Conduct, your loyalty and your
support of all our school activities will contribute further to your daughters
happiness and her ultimate success.

She will become a young

lady.

Shell discover all her

talents.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all our staff:
Our educators, thank you for your tireless dedication.
Our administrative staff, thank you for your creativity, your support and
everything you do to make things easier.
Our hostel staff, house mistresses, matrons, all our workers and grounds men,
thank you for your work behind the scenes to make everything that happens at
GHS possible.
Parents and learners, your association with Girls High is valued, and we hope it
will be a long, happy and rewarding one! And may you and your loved ones be
blessed over the holiday period.

HER FUTURE IS NOW!

THEME 2016
Happiness is not a
destination it is a way of
life

We hope that the enclosed information will be of assistance.

Girls High Greetings!

EF Meyer (Mrs)
Headmistress

Tel: 018 294 3228

Fax: 018 293 1052
1

office@girlshigh.co.za
www.potchgirlshigh.co.za

REPORTS

INTER-HOUSE ATHLETICS

Reports may be collected from the front office at the school

on 9 December 2016 between 08:30 and 09:30. Reports not
collected will be e-mailed to you. Please ensure that Mrs
Jagals has your correct e-mail address.

All the girls MUST attend our Inter-House Athletics. Parents are
required to attend and support their daughter whether she is an athlete
or not. This is a very special event and it develops our values of pride
and loyalty in the way we support our different houses.

GRADE 12 RESULTS FOR 2016

The Matric results will be released at the school on Thursday

5 January 2017 between 08:00 and 09:30. All grade 12
learners are welcome to meet at school to collect their official
statements of symbols. The local newspaper, The Herald, will
also be here to capture the moment.

SCHOOL CALENDAR 2017

Please arrive early, as this is a short Athletics meeting. The meeting

also ends early enough, giving you time to travel home while it is still
light. The girls who do not participate will be on the stands singing.
No-one is allowed to leave before the end of the meeting. Please
support us on this day. Parents, support your daughters house by
wearing red, green or yellow!
NOTE: This is also a Compulsory Weekend Out. Everyone goes
home after the event. Also take note that there will only be a bus
returning on the Sunday BUT there will be NO bus on the Friday.

Year Planner
You are cordially invited to attend the
INTER-HOUSE ATHLETICS

A school Year Planner for 2017 is enclosed. Please diarise the

important dates given on the Year Planner as well as the dates
below, as attendance is compulsory for all girls. Girls also
need the support of their parents and family at these functions.

DATE:
VENUE:
TIME:

Term Planner

The planning for the first term has been included.

It is very unlikely that the Year Planner dates will change.
These dates reflect our most important events of the year and
your attendance will be appreciated. Term planner dates are,
however subject to change if something unforeseen happens.
Please note: a compulsory weekend out means the hostels
will close at 18h00 for that weekend and no-one is allowed to
stay over.
A compulsory weekend in means we have activities for
that weekend and no-one may be given permission to go
home. There will also be NO bus service available. Parents,
we need your support over these weekends.
Registration
Day Girls & Boarders

10 January

13:00 17:00

Boarders to Hostel

10 January

13:00 17:00

School starts

11 January

07:10 13:30

Inter-house Athletics

28 January

12:00 18:00

Prestige Athletics

11 February

06:00 19:00

Inter House Gala

23 February

17:00 20:00

Prize Giving

13 October

17:00 20:30

27 January (Friday)
PUK Mc ARTHUR STADIUM
12:00-18:00

Compulsory weekend OUT thereafter!

NB: If your daughter is in Grade 8, she will not be allowed to
contact you until after the Inter-house Athletics weekend. Please
make sure your daughter books her bus ticket back to school on
the Sunday and that she will have the money to do so. The bus
bookings are open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays before the
weekend.

PRESTIGE ATHLETICS
GHS is proud to announce that we are hosting the 2017 Prestige
Athletics. We are responsible for providing all the eats and
refreshments for all the officials and about 3000 spectators from
early morning to late afternoon. A mammoth task for one person
but an easy task if all our parents can assist. Please refer to the
special newsletter in this regard, and follow the link to complete
the forms requesting your support.
PRESTIGE ATHLETICS
DATE:
VENUE:
TIME:

11 February (Saturday)
PUK Mc ARTHUR STADIUM
05:30-19:00

Compulsory weekend IN until after Athletics!

GRADE 12 PARENT MEETING AND LEC INDUCTION

A special meeting has been scheduled at the start of the

new academic year. This meeting is for all Grade 12
learners and their parents. Important information regarding
your daughters matric year will be discussed. Please make
every effort to attend this meeting. See attached letter for
dates and times.
ACADEMIC DINNER Friday 13 January 2017

The Academic Dinner, to acknowledge the Top 5 Achievers

in each grade for 2016, will take place on Friday 13 January
2017 at 18:00. Please note only parents and learner who are
invited may attend. See special invitation sent to the top 5
achievers.

CAMPING ON GHS GROUNDS

Parents are invited to camp out at school after the Prestige
Athletics.
Bring your own tent, bedding, braai food and juice. We will
supply the fires, and promise you an awesome evening. Next
morning, provide your own breakfast. We will make the muffins
and provide the milk for your coffee. The girls are allowed to
camp with their parents. Single parents can do this too!
Diarise the date, but information regarding the camp will be sent
out later.

TERM 1 ARRANGEMENTS

UNIFORM / HAIRSTYLES / BADGES / HYMN BOOKS

Our uniform is to be worn with pride. Please ensure that your

daughter has the correct school uniform. It is compulsory for every
learner to have a complete school tracksuit. The tracksuit is often
worn to school and to extra-mural events. Your daughter also
needs the following items from the first day of the year:

Boarders and Daygirls register on Tuesday 10 January

2017 between 13h00 - 17h00.
School starts on Wednesday 11 January 2017.
Two (2) months school fees must be paid upon
registration in order to receive an admission slip to the
school. Learners WILL NOT be placed in a class on
Wednesday 11 January if they have not registered on line
and paid.
All boarders are to be dressed in full summer uniform on
arrival at the hostel. Bashers and blazers are not necessary
on this day.
Learners WILL NOT be admitted to the hostel without
indicating that the hostel fees and two (2) months school
fees have been paid for the 1st term.
Learners who arrive after the offices have closed (17:00)
will have to return the following day.

GRADE 11 ID DOCUMENTS

The Grade 11s are required to submit certified

copies of their birth certificate / ID document to their
home room teachers on the first day of the new
academic year. This is essential for their Matric
entries.

STATIONERY
Learners must purchase their own stationery - stationery lists
have been included. Please try to buy all the necessary
stationery before your daughter returns to the hostel. Please
also buy paper and plastic to cover books. A homework diary
is absolutely crucial.
SCHOOL MAGAZINE

The 2016 Magazine, The Pearl, with lovely articles and

photos capturing the school year of 2016, will be available at
the end of November. The cost of the magazine is R150.00.

CELL PHONE / LAPTOPS at School

The bringing of cell phones, laptops or any device to school
and hostel is entirely at ones own risk. The school will not
be held liable for the theft of any individuals devices.

WOOLWORTHS: MY SCHOOL-PROJECT
Woolworths has a project called
My School. It entails
registering at Woolies (no cost)
and every time you make a
purchase, an amount of money
based on your purchase, is given
to the school of your choice.
Please register & nominate
Potchefstroom Girls High as your school of choice. An
application form has been emailed to parents.

REQUEST TO MISS A DAY AT SCHOOL

A request to leave school early or miss a day of school can
only be made in writing directly to the Headmistress (Mrs
Meyer) via email: office@girlshigh.co.za. When sending the
request, please state whether your daughter is a boarder
(if so, the hostel where she is boarding), or a day girl and
her grade. The SHM does not have the authority to allow a
girl to miss school or to be signed out from school. Parents
must then inform the SHM in writing that her daughter has
been granted permission to miss school.

School tracksuit
School sport skirt
White school golf shirt
House shirt red / green / yellow
Cap only regulation school cap (optional)
Navy blue school shorts
Navy speedo swimming costume (bought at Sports
shop)

Please abide by the schools Hair Rules. We do not condone

fashionable hair styles when in school uniform.
Pierced tongues, eyebrows and noses, as well as dyed hair;
shaved hair, bongo dreadlocks and visible tattoos are contrary
to our code of dress and are therefore not condoned. Girls with
pierced tongues have difficulty speaking and the stud in the tongue
is usually visible and unacceptable.

BASHERS / PEAK CAPS

It is compulsory to wear the basher to formal assembly every
Monday. Bashers can be purchased from the finance office at the
school. Please mark the basher clearly with your daughters name.
School peak caps may be purchased from the finance office at the
school.

PARKING BAYS
There are parking bays in front of the school as well as in Kock
Street, outside the school on the pavement. Parents may not drive
into the school grounds to drop off or fetch learners. Day girls
arriving by taxi MUST leave and enter the school via the Kock
Street entrance (the Hall area). Taxis and large cars are
requested NOT to park near the gates as it limits the visibility
for educators leaving the premises.
LAPTOPS
If you need to buy a laptop
please note the specifics for
devices recommended by the
school. We have put a great
deal of thought and research
into this and we recommend
the Lenovo Yoga 300. The
school no longer takes
orders for Lenovos, but you
may purchase devices directly from suppliers. Below are the
contact details for Livdigital - the supplier the school made use of.
They do offer finance plans through FNB.
Should you require the device information list, please send an
email to info@girlshigh.co.za.

DAY GIRL FUND

Every day girl is required to contribute R120 per year to the Day
Girl Fund. This will be used for the Christmas Party and for
another fun event with the aim of promoting unity amongst the
Day girls.

EXTRA-MURAL ACTIVITIES
As the school offers a wide variety of activities both in
cultural and sporting fields, every girl should be able to find
something to develop her talents.
The girls only manage to become fully involved in the life of
the school if they participate in the extra-mural programme.
Their enthusiastic support of and involvement in school
activities helps them to join in the spirit of the school and
make friends, making their school lives more enjoyable and
balanced. It is therefore compulsory for every girl to take part
in at least one afternoon activity per term.
The following clothing and equipment is required when
using the Wellness Centre and Squash Courts.
Wellness Centre gym clothing and sweat towel are
essential.
Squash Courts A squash racket is required plus protective
glasses and squash shoes. No other sports shoes may be worn
on the squash courts.

HOSTEL
When Hostel is Home
As a boarder, hostel will become your daughters second
home and there is no better place for her to enjoy it than at the
High School for Girls, Potchefstroom. Shell live in the heart
of the school, and she can participate in all afternoon and
evening activities without the problem of transport. Boarding
staff live on-site and will be on hand to nurture your daughter.

WEEKENDS HOME
A boarding school is a home away from home but it is not
meant to BE HOME. Girls MUST go home at least every 3rd
weekend to bond with their own families. It is not ideal to
keep your daughter in the hostel every weekend, neither is it
ideal to allow her to keep visiting friends. The girls are with
their friends all week and need a break. Your daughter needs
to see her family.
POCKET MONEY
It is advisable to let your daughter have an ATM card so that
she will be able to draw money on Wednesdays (for bus
bookings only) and during official Town Leave on Saturdays.
The ATMs closest to the hostels are FNB (First National
Bank) and ABSA machines. This is a safer option than having
to carry cash.

MEDICAL INFORMATION
Please ensure that your daughters medical information is correct.
It is compulsory for all boarders to open an account at the Wilge
Park or Medicross Facility where you will be issued with a file
number. This makes it easier to arrange an appointment for your
daughter should she fall ill. An account at the adjoining pharmacy
is also necessary to obtain the medication after seeing the doctor.
Without a file number or a pharmacy account, your daughter
cannot be treated. Neither the school nor hostel can provide
money on loan to get your ill daughter treated.

REQUESTS FOR WEEKEND OUT

1. On weekends when matches are played or other school
activities take place, girls may only go home after the
scheduled activity.
2. On closed weekends, there will only be a return bus on the
Sunday evening but no bus on the Friday. The ticket for
the return journey must be bought in the normal way
during the week prior to that weekend.
3. You will have noticed that there are compulsory weekends out
scheduled for the first term. While it is important that learners
maintain regular contact with home by going home for these
weekends, It is strongly advised that your daughter stay in for
the other weekends. The grade 8s are kept very busy during
the first term and staying in helps them to adjust to boarding
school and to make friends.
4. Grade 8s may only be weekly boarders from the 2 nd term
onwards.
5. If it is not the parents signing out, the person transporting your
daughter must please have proof of identification.
6. Parents, when you sign your daughter out please also provide
proof of identification. All the Housemistresses do not
necessarily know all the parents.

HOSTEL RULES
Please familiarise yourselves with the Hostel Rules - especially
those concerning weekend requests, as learners become very
anxious if parents do not adhere to the rules. Please also take
careful note of the rules about spending weekends with Daygirls
(see Code of Conduct). We do encourage the Daygirls and
Boarders to mix with one another, so please ensure that you and
your daughter are aware of the rules in this regard.

CLOTHES AND PERSONAL POSSESSIONS

All possessions should be clearly marked. All items to be sent
to the laundry must have the learners name and laundry
number indicated as well as the Hostel name. These details
should be clearly visible preferably on printed name tags).
Please ensure that laundry markers are used, as other ink tends
to wash out.
CELL PHONE POLICY - at Hostel
Cell phones are to be switched off during study, at meal times,
during rest and after lights out. Cell phones MAY NOT be
taken to church. Problems in this regard will result in your
daughter losing the privilege of having a cell phone in hostel.
It will be confiscated until she goes home for a weekend when
she will be required to take it home and leave it there. Grade
8 learners are NOT allowed to bring cell phones to hostel until
the SHM decides otherwise. We are arrival of our New

Girls for 2017

4

2017 Valedictory Service

FINANCE

MONTHLY INSTALMENTS FOR BOARDING FEES 2017

PAYMENT OF SCHOOL AND HOSTEL FEES

Do you struggle to pay boarding fees at the start of every term? Here
is a plan: did you know that you can pay monthly instalments in
advance for 2017? The annual hostel fees for 2017 is R52 000.00.

School and hostel fees must be paid at the school

administration centre, before reporting to the hostel.
CASH FREE ZONE!!! Pleeease parents, we dont want
cash on the property! Use internet or direct banking.

We would like to encourage parents to pay the hostel and

school fees directly into the bank account rather than
bringing the cash to school. At the start of the term parents
are able to collect their admission slips more quickly and
efficiently without having to stand in long queues if
payments are made in advance.
Please make your payments on the THURSDAY of the
week before the new term in order for the money to show in
the school account. It takes up to 2 days for the money to be
reflected on our account (AND please do not make
payments over weekends as the internet banking does NOT
reflect over weekends).
If payments are made by means of direct banking or
electronic transfers, please fax proof of this to 0866 161 261.
All proof of payment MUST indicate the learners
NAME and SURNAME. We will not be able to identify
the payment without the faxed document and your
daughters surname. Please use the standard Finance
Fax Format with all payments. See Booklet.
The proof of payment must also indicate whether the
payment is for Hostel or School fees.
NOTE: The hostel has a separate bank account to that of the
school. Please DO NOT pay hostel fees into the school
account or vice versa.
Please do not return after hours or over weekends without
personally confirming with the finance office.
Bring proof of payment along for speedy assistance. Email
proofs are only worked through during the first 2 weeks for
correct allocation.

SCHOOL FEES: Account details:

HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS, POTCHEFSTROOM SCHOOL
Bank:
FNB Potchefstroom
Branch Code:
240438
Account No:
621 221 770 34
HOSTEL FEES: Account Details:
HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS, POTCHEFSTROOM HOSTEL
Bank:
FNB Potchefstroom
Branch Code:
240438
Account No:
621 221 800 79

Please see payment schedule for monthly instalments below:

Term 1: 2017

Term 2: 2017

Term 3: 2017

Term 4 2017

1 Nov 2016

R4500

1 Dec 2016

R4500

1 Jan 2017

R4500

1 Feb 2017

R4500

1 Mar 2017

R4500

1 Apr 2017

R4500

1 May 2017

R4500

1 Jun 2017

R4500

1 Jul 2017

R4500

1 Aug 2017

R4500

1 Sept 2017

R4500

1 Oct 2017

R2500

R13 500

R13 500

R13 500

R11 500

This may be arranged with the Finance Office (through Mrs

J Jacobsz) alternatively, there is the option to complete a debit form,
which may also be arranged via our Finance Office.

STAFF NEWS
It is with great sadness that we bid farewell to some members of
our staff:

Mr R. Presher, who is moving with his wife to take up a

teaching post in Oudtshoorn. We thank him for his invaluable
contribution to our Drummies, for his influence in the English
Department, and the wonderful work he has done as Senior
House Master at School House this year.
Mrs M. Botha and Mrs. M Heyman. We thank them for their
contribution.
Christine Makgemeng, who has assisted us with photocopying
and has decided to retire at the end of this year after 40 years
of service at GHS.
We wish to inform you that Mrs S. Erasmus will be taking over
as SHM at School House.

Theme 2016
Happiness.
Is a daily choice
A united school is
a happy school
Reach out for
happiness
Happiness is a way
of life

Tintswalo Mabasa
Deputy Head Girl

5
Mrs EF Meyer
Headmistress

Jade Craigen
Executive Head

Faydene Fourie
Deputy Head Girl

REPLY SLIP:
Dear Parents
I have sent the following documents with your daughter on the last day of term. Use this as a checklist to ensure
you that you received all the documents. It will not be necessary to return this slip as it is now only a checklist
for you.

Learner Name: __________________________________________

Grade: _____________________

CHECK LIST: NEWSLETTER 13 OF 2016

I have received:
Newsletter 13 of 2016
Learner 1st Term Planner January 2017
Grade 12 letter
LEC letter
Code of Conduct School
Code of Conduct Hostel