ST THOMAS FAMILY FEST

After a hiatus of many years, this event took place on Saturday 17 September 2011.  The atmosphere was festive, the weather balmy and the crowd wonderfully expectant.  Stallholders displayed their wares and satisfied the hunger of the masses.  Music was siphoned from the Coke monstrosity and two soccer matches entertained the sport-loving few. 

Two jumping castles provided much needed distraction for the little ones, while their parents sauntered through the crowds.  There were, however, a few overgrown infants who bounced their boredom away.

The entertainment was crowd-pleasing - from Hip-Hop dancers to Mr and Miss St Thomas and Mr Port Elizabeth.  The learners were dressed in their finery with one outfit trying to upstage the next and, of course, few missed the opportunity to be immortalised on memory cards.  Facebook will be under siege with the deluge of various images, showcasing potential catwalk stars.

A rather croaky MC kept the crowd informed and even attempted a few dance moves.  Fortunately his voice did not allow him to break into song, thankfully.

 The Dee Jays (Spectrum and Swisha) kept the beat going throughout the day.

It turned out to be a rather pleasant affair.  The food was good, the atmosphere electrifying and the crowd well-behaved.  This will most certainly become an annual event, which will grow through its popularity.



 

THE DA CAPO PIANO DUO

Cindy Barth & Nicholas Luffin

 

 

An accomplished musician, Cindy Barth has a Bachelor of Music Degree from UPE (Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University), where she studied under Barbara van Wyk (piano) and Johan van der Berg (clarinet).  She teaches Life Sciences, English, Mathematics at St Thomas Secondary School.  She is married to Mark who is the Priest-in-Charge St Paul’s.  They have two children, Hannah and Joshua and a third in transit.

 

Nicholas Luffin is a graduate of Rhodes University where he read for a Bachelor of Music Degree, under the tutelage of Betty Shuttleworth (Mark’s grandmother), Daniella Heunis (flute) and Christopher Cockburn (organ).  He is currently Director of Music at St Paul’s Anglican Church.  He is also an educator at St Thomas Secondary School, where he teaches Creative Arts, Computer Applications Technology and Life Orientation.

 

 

REPERTOIRE

DVORAK

Slavonic Dance No. 8

Two Legends (1 and 2) Op. 59
 

J.C. BACH

Rondo

DEBUSSY

Ballet

FAURE

Mi-a-Ou (from Dolly Suite)

TCHAIKOVSKY

Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

SAINT-SAëNS

Danse Macabre

MOSZKOWSKI

Three Spanish Dances

RACHMANINOV

Italian Polka

ARENSKY

Waltz, March

BRAHMS

Hungarian Dances Nos 5 & 6

CHAMINADE
Deux Pièces Romantiques

JOPLIN
Cleopha - March

VINCENT YOUMANS
Tea for Two (Arr. J. Louis Merkur)

ANDERSON
Sleigh Ride Fantasy
(Arr. Zach Heyde and Frank Tedesco)

TARREGA
Gran Vals
(Arr. Nicholas Luffin)

BENJAMIN GODARD
Marche Villageoise
Gavotte


 



HIGH SCHOOLS' QUIZ FINALS - 2011



St Theresa's captain
in the semi-finals



This prestigious event was hosted by Andrew Rabie on 03 August 2011.  The two Junior teams who won their respective matches were Gelvandale and St Thomas.  St Theresa's, the only primary school in the competition, were ousted by St Thomas after a valiant effort to stay afloat.  Woolhope, sadly, succumbed to Gelvandale.





St Thomas juniors in pensive mood



The match between the finalists - Gelvandale and St Thomas was nail-biting at first, but St Thomas proved their mettle in the second half and finally raised the trophy in victory.  It was interesting to note that both teams answered their dam(n) questions incorrectly.



An expectant Gelvandale team member



Andrew Rabie reached the semi-finals after an absence of many years.  In a close match against their rivals, St Thomas managed to proceed to the final match against Sanctor.

A confident Rabie captain

St Thomas and Sanctor battled it out in the Senior finals.  The first half was an intense affair with Sanctor proving to be a tough contender.  However, St Thomas raced through the second half to a victorious conclusion.



Sanctor, Runners-up - Senior 2011



 

St Thomas, Winners - Seniors 2011

Best performing Primary School - St Theresa's

St Thomas, Winners - Juniors 2011




Gelvandale, Runners-up - Juniors 2011





 











HIGH SCHOOLS' QUIZ - 2011

The following results are based on score sheets received.

MATRIC FAREWELL - 2011

This was certainly an event I was looking forward to.  The fact that the Boardwalk was being refurbished was no excuse for the long walk to the reception.  The matriculants all looked fabulous in their finery and they seemed quite excited - not at the venue - but to see what their fellow-learners had conjured up for their outfits.  This seemed to be a well-behaved bunch, but they should know when to be quiet! 

This was not an occasion reserved for the learners.  The educators had proven that they too can throw an outfit together and look stunning.  Well, we are experienced dressers.  We do not need to spend R3000 on haute couture to stand out in the crowd - just something old, something new and voilà!

We certainly had the learners in awe of our dance moves.  They were surprised, stunned, well ... mesmerised by our agility on the dance floor.  We were, by all accounts, teenagers, once before.  A good time was certainly had by all.

The food, however, left  much to be desired.  As Merle Abrahams would say, I've never tasted such hard vegetables in my life.  It was standard fare - nothing out of the ordinary. 

Perhaps the Radisson would be a consideration.   Or perhaps, something closer to home.  The School Auditorium can be transformed into an Arabian Nights affair any time.  Just a bit of planning, good decor and wonderful cuisine.  The venue is secondary.  It is, in essence, the company which makes an event succesful.

Then, of course, there is the Jarman Hall!

Judging from these images, it is quite clear that we still have it. 

HIGH SCHOOLS' QUIZ - 2011

The table is based on score sheets which have been received.  There are still some outstanding.

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HIGH SCHOOLS' QUIZ

HIGH SCHOOLS' QUIZ - 2011

The following table of points is based on score sheets received and processed.  There are still a number of score sheets outstanding and hopefully, you would have been informed about this.

WESTERN CAPE - 2010/11

Diemersfontein

This jaunt was a smorgasbord of colour, incredibly hot weather and a smattering of rain.  My trip included the sights of Wellington, Saron (a little settlement, about 40 minutes from Wellington),         Paarl, Franschhoek, Stellenbosch and Cape Town.

Wellington Minstrels

This was, perhaps, the most picturesque trip I have undertaken.  It included the Taal Monument in Paarl, the Huguenot Monument in Franschhoek, the W. Heuer piano factory in Stellenbosch, the Nederburg Wine Estate (with a complementary glass of bubbly, nogal!), the Seapoint pool and sundowners at the Winchester Mansions.

 

The Cape Town City Ballet did not disappoint with their interpretations of the music of Cole Porter.

V & A Waterfront

The tour of the V & A Waterfront was by all accounts the highlight, courtesy of Mike de Beer, a seasoned traveller and tour guide.  Being in Cape Town makes one feel like a foreigner - Germans on the left, French on the right and Chinese in between.  Gives the word cosmopolitan a whole new meaning.

Despite the hectic schedule, it was one of the most relaxing vacations - certainly since I did not have to drive.  One misses so much in the driver's seat.

Thanks are due to Ramsay and Gavin for a memorable get-together at their humble Woodstock lodgings.  A culinary experience worth repeating!