Author: Tonie Konig

“Today is your opportunity to build the tomorrow you want” – Ken Poirot

As we reach the middle of the Third Term, it is a time to reflect on what preparations have been done in order to ensure a successful remainder of the term.

The decisions and actions made today will directly influence what occurs tomorrow. It is important that the effects of those decisions are always positive. These decisions can only be made by you; therefore, it is important that each decision is made with “tomorrow” always in one’s mind. Every moment counts hence, make sure it counts in your favour! [read more]

Do your children or students know how much you truly care?

I think we adults, (teachers and parents) sometimes take for granted that our students and children really understand the extent of our appreciation, our genuine desire for them to succeed, and the depths of our unconditional love for them.  As parents, we hope that our children understand we are their biggest cheerleaders in life, despite our job to discipline, set boundaries, and not be their best friend.  As teachers, we feel much the same.

We went into teaching because we wanted to make a difference.  Therefore, we want to see our students succeed.  Sometimes this message can get lost behind the routine of daily tasks, tests taken, etc.  While we aspire to maintain a peaceful classroom and home-life, (which may mean setting firm boundaries), we ultimately want our students and children to understand that we want nothing but the best for them.  We want to teach to them in a way that best serves them, and ultimately, we want to connect with them.  For once that connection has been made, trust is formed, and true success may be achieved. [read more]

Below are the test time tables for Grades 1-3, Grades 4-6 & Grades 7-12, click on the links to download....

Test Timetable Grade 1-3 Term 3 download here

Test Timetable Grade 4-6 Term 3 download here

TEST SERIES GRADES 7 - 11 download here

GR 12 TERM 3 2021 SEPTEMBER COMMON PAPER ROSTER download here

The past couple of months have brought along its own challenges and we had to learn to adjust to these new challenges and find our way in the new norm. Some of us adjusted quite quickly, whereas others found it more challenging. Change can be considered a good thing, it only depends on how you CHOOSE to look at the situation. It is always a choice (your choice) whether you want the outcome of change to be positive or negative. When you change the way you think, you change the outcome of the situation.

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.” – Helen Keller  [read more]

My little chat today is all about having an “ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE”.  What do I mean by this you ask… What is the difference between attitude and gratitude?  As nouns, the difference between attitude and gratitude is that attitude is the position of the body or way of carrying oneself; posture, while gratitude is the state of being grateful.

Why gratitude is the best attitude?

Gratitude is an antidote to negative emotions, a neutralizer of envy, hostility, worry, and irritation. many people need to feel that their true value is being recognized.

What are the characteristics of gratitude?

Indeed, many of the specific characteristic adaptations of gratitude may be characterised as prosocial:  grateful people trust others, they help others, they have empathy for others, and they forgive others and do not hold grudges [read more]

In a society in which people are expected to work long hours and pass on vacation days, there is an underlying belief that we must always be productive – which can ultimately take away from opportunities for self-care.

But by taking some time out to engage in self-care, you may relieve the pressures of everyday life and reset yourself to get back to a healthy point where productivity is once again maximized.

Considering the costs associated with mental health services, lost wages and more, spending some time on yourself may ultimately benefit everyone.

Burning the candle at both ends, so-to-speak, comes with significant consequences, which may include but are not limited to burnout, depression, anxiety, resentment, and a whole host of other negative implications.

Engaging in a self-care routine has been clinically proven to reduce or eliminate anxiety and depression, reduce stress, improve concentration, minimize frustration and anger, increase happiness, improve energy, and more.

From a physical health perspective, self-care has been clinically proven to reduce heart disease, stroke and cancer. Spiritually, it may help keep us in tune with our higher power as well as realize our meaning in life. [read more]

In light of Women’s Month, I want to take a moment to show appreciation to the amazing teachers in the Primary School. Each one of these ladies try their best to show love, patience, dedication, and support to every learner at our school.

We see the potential in each learner and encourage them to work hard and believe in themselves, regardless of how difficult the situation is. Having someone believe in you gives you the confidence to believe in yourself and to face any obstacle you come across.

With support from the teachers, parents, and guardians, anything is possible. Believe in yourself, we know you can achieve anything you set your mind to. [read more]

One day a frog decided to reach for the top of a tree. All the frogs shouted ‘It’s impossible, It’s impossible…’ Still the frog reached the top… How? Because he was deaf and he thought that everyone was encouraging him to reach for the top.

But in order to be able to go against such odds, we first need to believe in ourselves. In the story above, our deaf frog really believed he could do it once he DECIDED to climb a tree. And that belief which he had in HIMSELF, made the criticism and disbelief of the frogs below appear as the support to keep on going.

He believed so realistically in his ability to climb a tree that he assumed they must be cheering for him because he was certain that they do believe in him as well. That’s the power of having a strong belief, it turns everything into a steppingstone to keep moving forward.

Have a deaf ear to the obstacles and negative comments, rather use them as motivation to achieve your goals. [read more]

The Olympic Games are currently being held in Tokyo, Japan. From all over the world people are glued to their tv’s or other devices to see if their favorite athlete is going to win the gold medal.

For two weeks, people forget their differences and experience a sense of patriotism. Young and old, black and white, wealthy and poor. We all have a common objective, and that is to support our fellow countryman to achieve the highest accolade that the sporting world has to offer. The Gold medal at an Olympic Games.

The Olympic Games also reminds us that success does not come easy. It takes preparation, planning, and sacrifice to become the best athlete.

Success in life and at school can be viewed in the same way. To achieve your goals, you need to be well prepared, you need to have a plan and you need to make sacrifices.  While you are on this road to success don’t forget to enjoy what you are doing. [read more]

Welcome back to Term 3.  We know we are still facing uncertainty in terms of the Covid 19 pandemic, and we know that there is fear and apprehension around sending our children back to school, but we are looking forward to a happy and successful term, with great results achieved by all.

The Elephant Rope (Belief)

A gentleman was walking through an elephant camp, and he spotted that the elephants weren’t being kept in cages or held by the use of chains.

All that was holding them back from escaping the camp, was a small piece of rope tied to one of their legs.

As the man gazed upon the elephants, he was completely confused as to why the elephants didn’t just use their strength to break the rope and escape the camp. They could easily have done so, but instead, they didn’t try to at all. Curious and wanting to know the answer, he asked a trainer nearby why the elephants were just standing there and never tried to escape.

The trainer replied……

“When they are very young and much smaller, we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.”

The only reason that the elephants weren’t breaking free and escaping from the camp was that over time they adopted the belief that it just wasn’t possible. [read more]