Category: Uncategorized

Dear Parents and Guardians

Strengthening the Home–School Partnership

We extend our sincere thanks to all parents who attended the recent Parent–Teacher Meetings. Your presence and engagement are deeply valued. The feedback received has been overwhelmingly positive and reinforces the importance of strong, supportive collaboration between home and school in shaping each learner’s journey.

Our teachers also benefitted from thoughtful and constructive input across a range of areas. Several key themes emerged:

• The need for structured study techniques training to better equip learners for academic success
• Increased awareness around the responsible and ethical use of AI in learning
• A review of the cell phone policy, with a view to even stricter control during school hours
• Greater emphasis on health education, particularly regarding the risks of vaping and substance abuse

As a school, we take this feedback seriously. It informs our ongoing review of policies, procedures, and educational initiatives as we continue to prioritise a safe, focused, and healthy learning environment for all students.

Upcoming Parent Engagement Evenings

In direct response to parent input, we are pleased to introduce two conversational-style parent talks addressing key areas of concern:

Exam Success: Study Smarter

Date: Wednesday, 13 May

Time: 18h00

We welcome James Buchanan, a school principal with a strong passion for helping students find fulfilment in their academic work. He is the author of Study Smarter – The Journey to Exam Success and will share practical strategies to support effective study habits at home.

James has also kindly agreed to present a session to our students during Assembly on Friday, 15 May.

Understanding the Risks: Substance Abuse Awareness

Date: Wednesday, 17 June

Time: 18h00

We will host Jacqui de Lange, an experienced counsellor and mental health coach with over 25 years of work in substance abuse, relationships, anxiety, and depression. This session will provide valuable insight into the real and growing risks associated with substance access, and how parents can respond proactively.

RSVP and Booking

Please note that RSVP is essential for both events to ensure appropriate planning. Lily, our Admissions and Front Office Coordinator, will be sending out the booking details shortly. Kindly ensure that your place is secured once communication is received.

Looking Ahead

These engagements form part of our broader commitment to partnering with parents in meaningful, practical ways. By addressing these themes proactively, we aim to strengthen both academic outcomes and learner wellbeing.

We encourage all parents to attend these important sessions and to remain actively involved in the life of the school.

Pieter Steyn

Principal

The Bay Academy

Dear Parents and Guardians

As we approach the end of a full first term, I would like to take a moment to reflect on what has been a very encouraging start to the year. There has been a noticeable shift in tone across the school, with a growing sense of confidence and shared direction. What has stood out most is the strengthening of our community. Staff are working together with greater clarity of purpose, students are taking increasing ownership of their learning, and there is a sense that we are building something meaningful. Our aim is to be a school of academic excellence, grounded in care, where everyone understands their role as a respectful and contributing member of the community.

Thank you to parents for engaging in this process, whether through constructive feedback or by raising concerns when something does not feel right. This kind of engagement matters. My experience this term has been that we are busy creating a solution-focused environment where parents, students, and teachers can raise issues openly, with the shared understanding that we are working towards what is in the best interest of our students.

End-of-Term Reports: What to Expect

Term 1 reports will be emailed to all parents by next Friday 27 March 2026 . In addition to academic results, the Term 1 report will include comments from the tutor class teacher. The tutor class comments will be based on feedback and analysis from subject teachers and are intended to provide a clear and balanced overview of a learner’s progress, highlighting areas of strength, as well as identifying where greater focus, support, or consistency may be required. The aim is to report on performance and to guide each learner along a pathway of growth, helping them to better understand how to improve and take ownership of their progress.

Individual Parent-Teacher Meetings: Wednesday, 15 April

As a follow-up to reports, parent-teacher meetings are scheduled for Wednesday, 15 April, from 15h10 to 19h30. The parent-teacher meetings provide an opportunity for parents to engage with subject teachers individually. The goal is for parents to be able to gain further insight of their child’s performances across various subjects. These conversations are vital to allow us to align expectations, identify what needs attention, and agree on practical next steps.

Parents can book meetings with their child’s teachers via the Bookem system. Lily will send out the details on Monday, 23 March (bookings will open on Tuesday 24 March). Grade 7 parents will be allowed to book a double slot with Mr Pienaar. Should any parent require more time for discussion with specific teachers, these meetings can be scheduled afterwards through the school office.

Assembly Themes & Encouraging Kindness

Our assembly programme is intentionally focused on building both character and awareness in our students. Anchored in our core values of perseverance, integrity, courage, empathy, and self-control, we explored this term what it means to act with purpose and responsibility, both in learning and in relationships. Themes have included navigating social dynamics with maturity, standing up against unkind behaviour, and understanding the influence of social media on wellbeing.

A key thread throughout these discussions is the development of social-emotional intelligence. This is a practical life skill focused on the ability to manage oneself, to understand others, and to respond constructively when relationships are tested. As we know, the teenage years inevitably bring moments of tension, misunderstanding, and emotional complexity. These moments, however, are also opportunities for growth. When approached well, they help young people develop resilience, self-awareness, and the capacity to engage with others in a thoughtful and respectful way.

Dates to Diarise for Term 2:

• Tuesday 14 April – School re-opens
• Wednesday 15 April – Parent-Teacher Meetings
• Monday 27 April – Public Holiday (Freedom Day)
• Tuesday 28 April until Thursday 30 April – School Holiday
• Friday 1 May – Public Holiday (Worker’s Day)
• Monday 4 May – Pearson Edexcel AS Examinations Start
• Friday 8 May – Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Examinations Start
• Wednesday 20 May – Pearson Edexcel AS Examinations Finish
• Thursday 21 May – Grade 12 return to class
• Monday 1 June – Gr 10 & Gr 11 CAPS Examinations Start
• Monday 8 June – Gr 7, 8, 9 CAPS Examinations Start
• Monday 15 June – School Holiday (Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Examinations Finish)
• Tuesday 16 June – Public Holiday (Youth Day)
• Thursday 25 June – CAPS Examinations Finish

Pieter Steyn

Principal

The Bay Academy

Dear Parents and Guardians,

The very first Bay Academy High School camp provided a unique opportunity for students and teachers to make connections and form bonds across grades. It was wonderful to observe students in an unfamiliar setting and unexpected challenges reaching out to each other, showing care and consideration and celebrating not only winning but perseverance. Some of the most powerful moments included simply having to pause, breath, embrace and reflect. Here are extracts from reflections by some of the students who attended:

“Our school camp was an adventure full of laughs and “oopsy” moments. We survived the cold plunge without mentioning our discomfort (mostly), hiked while thinking about “How to let go” and swam under a waterfall like confused mermaids.

The obstacle course tested our balance, some of us looked like newborn giraffes. The map clue hunt turned into a chaotic race to solve riddles, with a few people forgetting that we had a full-on geography teacher basically at arm’s length away. We learned how to make a fire without burning down the world, created ridiculous war cries that only we understood, raced in sprints like our lives depended on it, and spent time reflecting on staying in control.

At the end of the day, we roasted marshmallows, laughed until our stomachs hurt, and proved that our school is basically unstoppable… most of the time.”

• Tracey Kanandha (Grade 11)

“The Bay Academy’s Camp 2026: What a great experience this was. From all the organising, back-and-forth communication and many months of preparation. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all who made this experience happen. In my unbiased opinion, this was one of the best school camps I have participated in – and this is coming from someone who has been on many.

In terms of the actual activities we participated in, I believe that they were exceptionally well planned. Every activity directly correlates to a life lesson that the guides would kindly and patiently point out. All the activities ran well and had great learning experiences. My personal favourite being the mini lectures on stoicism, and life lessons they would hope we would take to heart.”

• Tristan Landi (Grade 11)

“This camp was an enjoyable experience. It really pushed our boundaries and allowed us to learn new skills. Some of the activities were learning how to start a fire with flint and steel and building rafts. Not only did we gain the skills for physical survival we also learnt the skills for mental survival. Each activity was designed to hold a deeper moral. The tents we all slept in were comfortable and furthermore the AC was a life saver to combat that Tulbagh heat. The food was certainly better than I expected, stews, burgers and boere wors rolls that were all so delicious, many people went back for seconds. Overall, an impressive camp.”

• Olivia Steenkamp (Grade 12)

Last week was my first time going on a high school camp. I was so nervous. When we first arrived, the place looked amazing and I knew that there was no point worrying, I just had to make the most of it. Teams were picked and I got the orange team, The Eagles. Each team made war chants and presented it to the other teams, which I found quite cool as my other camp, the names were already given and there were no war chants. Our first lesson was using flint and steel. I managed to set the fire, but with the help of a cotton ball and a grade 12, Olivia. The rest of the day we learnt how to follow maps and we hiked to an amazing waterfall, where we swam.

I feel like I know most kids a little better and I found it really fun. Thanks so much for the camp and I can’t wait for another one!”

• Ivory Cooper (Grade 7)

Assembly Address: Language, Respect, and Responsibility

Today’s Assembly addressed the importance of using language with care, respect, and empathy, particularly when speaking about race, gender, sexual orientation, personality, or neurodiversity. This message is grounded in the values of our school and in the South African Constitution, which affirms the dignity and equality of every person. It is also reflected on the South African Coat of Arms with the words “diverse people unite” (translated from the San language).

We were reminded that while words may not be intended to cause harm, their impact matters, and that integrity calls us to take responsibility for how our language is experienced by others. Students were encouraged to show courage by speaking up or stepping away when language becomes hurtful, or to practice self-control by thinking carefully before saying something that might cause harm or hurt. We also reaffirmed that discriminatory language is taken seriously in terms of the school’s Disciplinary Code, alongside our commitment to fostering a respectful, inclusive community where every learner feels safe, valued, and able to flourish.

Warm Regards

Pieter Steyn

Principal

The Bay Academy

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Welcome to the start of 2026. It has been a pleasure to see our learners returning with purpose. As a school, our job is to take that energy and channel it into good routines, clear expectations, and a culture where each student can thrive.

Academic Focus: Growth Mindset

A major academic focus this year will be to develop learning skills and habits in our students. A core part of that is developing a growth mindset, the belief that ability is not fixed and that progress comes through effort, strategy, feedback, and perseverance. Our Head of Academics, Mr Page, introduced this to learners in Assembly and will keep reinforcing it in practical, age-appropriate ways: how learners respond to challenge, how they use feedback, and how they speak to themselves when work gets difficult.

Welcoming New Staff

A special welcome to new staff joining us this year. They have stepped into a school that values competence, warmth, and professionalism and we are delighted to have them on board.

• Ms Suzanne Greyling – Afrikaans First Additional Language

• Mrs Marietta Hennes – English Home Language and Pearson Edexcel English Language

• Ms Kate Roering – History and English

Communication: Clear Channels, Faster Responses

Good communication prevents small issues from becoming big ones. Please use the following guidelines to aim your communication to the nearest person who will hopefully be able to assist you:

Academic queries (subject/marks/homework):

Subject | Grades | Teacher | Contact details

Afrikaans FAL | 7 | Pieter Pienaar | pieter@thebayacademy.co.za

Drama | 7 | Marietta Hennes | marietta.hennes@thebayacademy.co.za

English | 7 | Pieter Pienaar | pieter@thebayacademy.co.za

Life Orientation | 7 | Pieter Pienaar | pieter@thebayacademy.co.za

Natural Sciences | 7 | Pieter Pienaar | pieter@thebayacademy.co.za

Social Sciences | 7 | Pieter Pienaar | pieter@thebayacademy.co.za

Technology | 7 | Pieter Pienaar | pieter@thebayacademy.co.za

EMS | 7,8,9 | Sarah Hancock | sarah@thebayacademy.co.za

Mathematics | 7,8,9 | Chelsey Snijman | chelsey.snijman@thebayacademy.co.za

English | 8 | Kate Roering | kate.roering@thebayacademy.co.za

Natural Sciences | 8, 9 | Jessica Pienaar | jessica.pienaar@thebayacademy.co.za

Social Sciences | 8,9 | Kate Roering | kate.roering@thebayacademy.co.z

Technology | 8,9 | Franzl Page | franzl@thebayacademy.co.za

Afrikaans FAL | 8, 9, 10, 11 | Suzanne Greyling | suzanne.greyling@thebayacademy.co.za

Life Orientation | 8, 9, 10, 11 | Sarah Hancock | sarah@thebayacademy.co.za

Art & Design | 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 | Christian Graser | christian@thebayacademy.co.za

English | 9, 10, 11 | Marietta Hennes | marietta.hennes@thebayacademy.co.za

Math Lit | 10 | Chelsey Snijman | chelsey.snijman@thebayacademy.co.za

Physical Sciences | 10 | Emily Erasmus | emily.erasmus@thebayacademy.co.za

Business Studies | 10, 11 | Sarah Hancock | sarah@thebayacademy.co.za

CAT | 10, 11 | Franzl Page | franzl@thebayacademy.co.za

Geography | 10, 11 | Ricardo Vasapolli | ricardo@thebayacademy.co.za

History | 10, 11 | Kate Roering | kate.roering@thebayacademy.co.za

Hospitality Studies | 10, 11 | Chelsey Snijman | chelsey.snijman@thebayacademy.co.za

Life Science | 10, 11 | Jessica Pienaar | jessica.pienaar@thebayacademy.co.za

Mathematics | 10, 11 | Emily Erasmus | emily.erasmus@thebayacademy.co.za

Tourism | 10, 11 | Ricardo Vasapolli | ricardo@thebayacademy.co.za

Math Lit | 11 | Ricardo Vasapolli | ricardo@thebayacademy.co.za

Physical Sciences | 11 | Franzl Page | franzl@thebayacademy.co.za

Afrikaans Cambridge | Cambridge | Sabine Wedderburn | sabine@thebayacademy.co.za

If an academic matter is unresolved contact the Head of Academics, Mr Franzl Page via email on franzl@thebayacademy.co.za

Student wellbeing, conduct, or peer concerns: contact tutor class teacher first:

Gr 7 Mr Pienaar (pieter@thebayacademy.co.za )

Gr 8 Ms Roering (kate.roering@thebayacademy.co.za )

Gr 9 Ms Snijman (chelsey.snijman@thebayacademy.co.za )

Gr 0 Ms Hancock (sarah@thebayacademy.co.za )

Gr 11A Mrs Erasmus (emily.erasmus@thebayacademy.co.za )

Gr 11B Mr Graser (christian@thebayacademy.co.za )

If a discipline issue or peer concern issue remain unresolved contact the Head of Student Affairs, Mr Ricardo Vassapoli via email on ricardo@thebayacademy.co.za

Emergent or urgent emotional distress by students – contact School Based Support Team Coordinator, Ms Sarah Hancock (sarah@thebayacademy.co.za )

Admin matters (uniform, attendance, general queries): Lily (reception@thebayacademy.co.za )

Accounts/fees: Mrs Canterbury (accounts@thebayacademy.co.za )

Request to meet the Principal contact PA to the Principal, Ms Isolde Malan (isolde.malan@thebayacademy.co.za )

We are finalising the 2026 school calendar and will circulate it shortly. Once shared, please diarise key dates early.

Merit and Demerit System

We are introducing a clear merit and demerit system to strengthen culture through consistency. The aim is simple: recognise positive contribution and address poor choices early, calmly, and fairly. Merits will acknowledge learning skills and habits as well as putting into practice The Bay Academy’s five core values of:

1. Perseverance: Staying committed through challenge

2. Integrity: Doing the right thing, even when it’s hard

3. Courage: Facing uncertainty and challenge with strength

4. Empathy: Understanding and caring for others

5. Self-Control: Managing emotions, impulses, and attention

Demerits will address repeated lateness, repeated failure to complete homework or academic assignments and projects, class disruptions, and non-compliance with school expectations. Where needed, patterns will trigger restorative conversations and parent communication. Look out for more detail (including the detailed Code of Conduct with thresholds and consequences) that will be shared by Mr Vasapolli in the coming weeks.

Phone-Free School Day (Reminder)

A reminder that our zero cell phone use approach is now in effect. Learners may not use phones from arrival at school until 15:00 each day. This is not about punishment; it is about attention, learning, and social health. We want classrooms and break times to be places where learners are present and engaged.

What this looks like in practice:

• Phones are kept away during the school day.

• If a learner needs to contact home, they do so via reception.

• If parents need to reach a learner urgently, reception will assist immediately.

Dates to Diarise

• Academic Awards Assembly: Friday, 23 January 2026 (more details to follow)

• Valentine’s Day Dance: Friday, 13 February 2026 (tickets and guidelines will be communicated)

Thank you for your continued partnership. When parents and school pull in the same direction children flourish. We are looking forward to a strong start and a year of steady progress.

Warm regards

Pieter Steyn

Principal

The Bay Academy

Dear Teachers, Parents and Students

I am excited to join The Bay Academy and to contribute to its future growth and development as an excellent, innovative, student-focused learning community. As previous head of various schools, my roles and responsibilities have included strategic planning and change management processes. My educational philosophy is based on the belief that the best schools offer an educational experience that shapes confident, curious and well-rounded individuals. My objective is to work closely with teachers, students and parents towards a common vision of excellence at The Bay Academy whereby students can flourish and teachers feel supported to nurture a genuine love for learning.

I am deeply interested in student achievement and success. It is important to recognise that the factors that contribute towards and ultimately determine a child’s achievement and success at school, are complex and varied.

In his book, “An Ethic of Excellence” (2003), Ron Berger highlights the importance of why culture matters when it comes to student success. There is no magic solution to make children succeed at school. The curriculum matters! The physical classroom environment matters! Appropriate technology enhanced equipment and programs matter! But only as part of a strong classroom culture or school culture are those things valuable.

Based on my own observations and experience as principal of various schools over the last 25 years, I agree with Berger that achievement of students is governed to a large degree by their family culture, their neighbourhood culture and their school culture. I would add that powerful social media platforms have possibly surpassed neighbourhood, family, and school as the most important cultural influence for some of our children.

Students may have different potentials, but, as Ron Berger highlights “in general, the attitudes and achievements of students are shaped by the culture around them: students adjust their attitudes and efforts in order to fit into the culture. If it isn’t cool to raise your hand in class, to do your homework, to care openly about school – this is a powerful force. If the peer culture celebrates investment in school – it’s cool to care – this is just as powerful.”

At The Bay Academy, we should commit as teachers, parents and students, to continue to consciously shape our culture as a place where it is safe to care. Let us support each other to strengthen a culture of care and excellence.

Kind regards

Pieter Steyn

Principal

Dear Parents,

Compassion, Carrying Another’s Burden and Time

Daily I witness acts of compassion at The Bay Academy. This may be a student assisting a peer, or a teacher supporting a student, or a teacher caring for another teacher. At times, this can also be the school caring for parents.

These significant acts of compassion reminded me of the notion that one should not aim at carrying one’s friend’s burden, but rather carry the burden with him or her; that is, helping, rather than taking over.

When experiencing these situations, we often try to resolve another person’s problems rather than express compassion by just being there for them.

By being there for them, you penetrate the “dark cave of solitude”. Sometimes the person suffering just needs you to “join them in the lift going down and not to take that person to another lift in another building”. Therefore saying, “I am here for you, rather than this is how you can solve the problem”.

I think we can all acknowledge that everyone has some battle they have had to fight. They may appear to be fine, they may appear to have the perfect life, but deep beneath that seemingly calm veneer, there often lurks the need just to have someone to be there with them. 

Compassion is powerful. It has value that, more than ever, needs to be cherished and nurtured. Tragic world events typified by economic and conflict refugees, environmentally displaced people and local challenges in our beautiful country all contribute to a society that needs to take cognizance of sharing the burden of others, to be compassionate and more importantly, act on it. Being compassionate is a verb after all!

I believe we can all acknowledge that compassion is a virtue we all cherish. However, in some situations, there is a fine balance or point in time when compassion in the form of support needs to be reduced to ensure resilience is developed. The danger of maintaining support when not necessary can lead to an individual developing a reliance on support and becoming dependent. This is a very difficult situation and decision to make when support needs to be tapered off and resilience enhanced.

In my experience with students who need compassion, The Bay Academy is an outstanding environment. It is a space where compassionate teachers are very professional in initially supporting through compassion, and then guiding students to take ownership and accountability, and subsequently develop resilience. In a small school, such as The Bay Academy, this care and individual attention is possible.

I recently watched a wonderful clip from the actor Tom Hanks. He and fellow actors were discussing the important notion that time is your friend and that difficult times, requiring compassion, shall pass.

That, with time, you will traverse these difficult times and be that much more robust on the other side.

I applaud those students who may have needed compassion at the school for some time but have since mastered coping skills to provide them with grit for the future. Know that you have my respect and that you will be better equipped for what inevitably life will throw at you.

Kind regards,

John Alexander

Principal

Dear Parents,

At the end of 2023, I anticipated 2024 as being the year where “dragons be here”. I was intimating that 2024 would be a year of unknown challenges. I echoed this in a School Assembly about how the world is more unpredictable.

We have now reached the end of the 1^st quarter of 2024 and a few “dragons” have emerged. Internationally, to name a few: Presidential elections are becoming more tense and moving away from the perceived norm. The UK and EU are dealing with increased climate change and refugees. The Middle East conflict has intensified and the Cold War tension has been reignited. Southeast Asia has seen rising anxiety with North Korea threatening regional stability.

Closer to home, we have had political and economic scandals, flooding, devastating fires, rising unemployment and the deteriorating status rating of our economy.

I do not think I am alone in feeling the torque of modern life and how difficult it is to be buoyant about where we live and the times in which we live.

However, I happen to watch a series of video clips by Michael Charton. He is a passionate South African. His craft is story-telling and he invites his audience to walk in the shoes of his real-life characters.  His powerful stories allow us to relate. One remembers his stories by how they make you feel.  I urge you to listen to his stories.

I took stock after watching his videos and treasured, that despite the angst we share at the moment, we as South Africans have much of which to be proud. Our history as a country has depth.

I was particularly moved by the story about “Sailor” Malan, a famous South African fighter pilot from the Battle of Britain. Being a bit of a military history aficionado, I know of his exploits. What I did not know, and which Michael Charton so beautifully captures, is his role in protesting against apartheid.

I watched Michael Charton’s short piece on the history of the national anthem, Nkosi Sikele’iAfrica. How it had been introduced during the early rugby tests shortly after the fall of apartheid. How those of us who were there struggled with the new words, but felt that something special was going on. A country, as a whole, was being reinvented.

Another story describes the link between Rudyard Kipling’s “If” poem and South Africa.

How this poem, at the time, a simple collection of paternal thoughts for his then 13-year-old son, John, became a timeless lesson for life.

I always found it so outstanding and yet did not know that as tennis players enter centre court of Wimbeldon, they walk beneath a powerful and moving extract from the poem, “If you can meet triumph and disaster and treat those two imposters the same.” What gravitas in these magnificent value-laden words.

These and other stories, some forgotten, are well-researched and narrated by Michael Charton and bring perspective and pride to living in our troubled but beautiful country.

Reflecting back on the 1^st Quarter, I have been witness to many Bay Academy stories. They are simple ones, nothing to write home about type stories. However, when you perceive them regularly, then you understand why we have such pride in our school.  The genuine care a teacher exhibits for their charges. The child who is sensitive to the needs of others and the parent who acknowledges the extra mile that the school has gone for their child. The smile and warm greeting one hears as you walk between classes. These, and many other small “pay it forward” moments, perhaps singularly do not amount to much, but collectively make our school so special.

If, like me, you are finding that the “dragons” are emerging, then remind yourself of what has been achieved, both in South Africa and at The Bay Academy.

Kind regards

John Alexander

Principal

Dear Parents,

Why are children different these days?

 Welcome back to school and the start of 2024. I trust that the holidays were a special time to spend with family and recharge before commencing the academic year.

It was wonderful to welcome 20 new students at the Student Orientation Day and to see all the High School parents once again at the Meet the Tutor Evening.

The students on the first day of school were excited to return to school and to catch up with all their friends. The teachers, as always, lost no teaching time in class and students even had some homework on their first day!

As always, in these newsletters, I will focus from time to time on broad educational matters. These thoughts will support parenting and in turn, I trust, will enhance your child’s learning and school experience.

I came across an article that after I had finished reading, I  just knew that the next step would be to share the sentiments expressed.

The article was published by Victoria Prooday, an Occupational Therapist and entitled, “Why our children are less patient, more lonely and more entitled than generations before?”

In this article, the author comments in her introduction that she had observed that:

“Children today aren’t prepared for life the way that they used to be. Now they are expecting more but doing less. They are coming to school but struggling to learn and stay focused. They want to do more, but have less focus.”

The full article can be found at: https://yourot.com/parenting-club/2016/5/16/why-our-children-are-so-bored-at-school-cant-wait-and-get-so-easily-frustrated

So what dilemmas have led in the author’s opinion to this concerning state of affairs?

While many points are elaborated on, I will only focus on 3.

1. The increasing amount of screen time:

 That technology is often used as a “baby sitting” service. Playing computer games and surfing the Internet will keep the child occupied. Unfortunately this approach has a detrimental impact. As the author so clearly describes:

“We play with our kids’ nervous systems, with their attention, and with their ability for delayed gratification.”

Compared to virtual reality, everyday life is boring. After hours of virtual reality, processing information in a classroom becomes increasingly challenging for our students because their brains are accustomed to the high levels of stimulation that video games provide. The inability to process lower levels of stimulation leaves students vulnerable to academic challenges. Technology may also disconnect us emotionally.

2^nd The instant gratification syndrome:

 This instant gratification is one of the eroding factors in building resilience. Again as the author so clearly outlines:

“The ability to delay gratification is one of the key factors for future success. We have the best intentions — to make our children happy — but unfortunately, we make them happy at the moment but miserable in the long term.  To be able to delay gratification means to be able to function under stress. Our children are gradually becoming less equipped to deal with even minor stressors, which eventually become huge obstacles to their success in life.

The inability to delay gratification is often seen in classrooms, malls, restaurants, and toy stores the moment the child hears “No” because parents have taught their child’s brain to get what it wants right away.”

3^rd The need for fun all the time:

“We have created an artificial fun world for our children. There are no dull moments. The moment it becomes quiet, we run to entertain them again, because otherwise, we feel that we are not doing our parenting duty. We live in two separate worlds. They have their “fun“ world, and we have our “work” world. Why aren’t children helping us in the kitchen or with laundry? Why don’t they tidy up their toys? This is basic monotonous work that trains the brain to be workable and function under “boredom,” which is the same “muscle” that is required to be eventually teachable at school.  When they come to school and it is time for handwriting their answer is “I can’t. It is too hard. Too boring.” Why? Because the workable “muscle” is not getting trained through endless fun. It gets trained through work.”

In my opinion, when children are bored it is then that they are creative. That is the time when the mind has time to fire up the imagination, to be inquisitive and to daydream.

I have no doubt that being a parent is challenging and parents all try to do their best.

So after reading the article cited above and the 3 highlighted points, what pragmatic advice can be considered?

1. Spend more time with your children but with no screens. Talk to them.
2. Let them be bored. Make them wait for what they want.
3. Replace extrinsic rewards with intrinsic. That it is important to just be told, thank you for emptying the dish washer, cutting the grass or doing school work well. We have started a culture and expectation that it would be abnormal for someone not to be awarded a prize or certificate, even if they achieved nothing significant. Give responsibilities and ask children to do important but monotonous work. This builds resilience and awareness that all activities are not fun and that not all come with rewards.
4. Set boundaries. When do we have family time? When are all electronic media switched off? Have consistent bed and meal times.

As mentioned, I would highly recommend visiting and reading the full article at the link provided at the outset of the article.

I wish you all the very best for 2024. As always I appreciate your support and if there is anything I can do to assist you, please do not hesitate to contact the school.

Kind regards

John Alexander

Principal

Dear Parents,

Spirit of Montessori continues in the High School

I never had any exposure to Montessori teaching before I arrived at The Bay Academy. However, for those who have a sharp memory, you may recall an article I wrote concerning my initial exposure to Montessori teaching when I first arrived at the school. That within an hour, I was a complete convert. In my past High School teaching, I had always propagated the concept of experiential learning. Teaching Geography using mini wind tunnels for hurricane studies, shaker tables for earthquakes and stream table simulators for river studies were typical of my approaches. These were outstanding and enabled Geography laboratories to be established in various schools.  Little did I know, at the time, that my approach supported the Montessori method.

There are 6 core beliefs that constitute the Montesssori method:

1. All children have “absorbent minds”
2. All children pass through “sensitive periods”
3. All children want to learn
4. All children learn through play/work
5. All children pass through stages of development
6. All children want to be independent

I just wish to focus on points 1, 3 and 4. In a High School meeting recently, I asked the teachers to celebrate their “best practices”. That is, describe teaching methods they felt the students enjoyed and experienced enhanced learning. In this manner, the teachers as a team would listen to others celebrating their teaching and in so doing, encourage each other to seek out new innovative teaching strategies. These discussions would also foster collaborative teaching approaches across different subjects.

In summary, it was an outstanding meeting with teachers visibly excited as they outlined their methodologies.

In Grade 7, the students had recently developed electric quiz boxes. These projects encouraged the students to understand electrical circuits, and they had great fun making up the wiring diagrams. When connecting the question with the right answer, lights flashed and buzzers sounded when the correct circuits were completed.

In English, the students have done transactional writing. They learned how language can be used in travel writing to appeal to an audience. In addition, students took on the role of presenting a myth or a legend to the class to deepen their understanding of cultural stories.

In Afrikaans and Spanish, there are plans to take the students on an excursion to a local restaurant. Here they will conduct the entire meal in their 2^nd Language. There is also talk of a “paella versus potjiekos” competition between the students who either study Afrikaans or Spanish.

In Art, the students have been sculpting and using linocut to print their creations.

In Mathematics, they have been using interactive quizzes and using instruments to highlight their learning. In Geography, senior students have been conducting extensive fieldwork. 

In Business Studies, the students have been busy with a product launch. This has involved a survey, then design and finally advertising of the product in front of a panel of adjudicators.

In Drama, students have been performing puppet concerts, writing and editing their own stop-motion video material and creating radio dramas. In History, podcasts have been created.

Physics has seen students creating lava lamps, manufacturing magnets to study magnetic fields and studying gravitational forces.

Environmental Management has seen students starting to work on simulators that illustrate the effects of volcanoes,  earthquakes and tropical cyclones. The effects of these natural disasters are graphed on their severity and impact.

In Biology and Chemistry, students have completed dissections and studied exciting chemical reactions.

These recent examples of High School teaching highlight the nurturing of the 3 Montessori pillars that I mentioned earlier.

That is, every child has a learning absorbent mind and learns well through the method of play.

It has been a privilege to have been invited by the teachers to witness these teaching experiences. The students and teachers jointly shared the excitement of the methodology. I have no doubt that these positive practices will enhance the growing diligent work ethic that is prevalent in the school. This in turn, will translate into students recording even better examination results.

I will end off by expressing my appreciation to the High School teachers for so enthusiastically “thinking out of the box” with their teaching. I also wish to thank our Montessori School for laying the foundation for students who have progressed to the High School campus. The students are so receptive to this style of teaching and their inherent curiosity to be lifelong learners.

Kind regards

John Alexander

Principal

Dear Parents,

Theodore Roosevelt – The man in the arena

Welcome back to the final term of 2023. I cannot believe how time has flown and that the end of the year is approaching with the important final examinations. 

In the first Assembly of the term, I highlighted to the students the 4^th term time frame. That while the term itself is 10 weeks long, there are actually only 7 weeks to the examinations. In light of this, I then encouraged the students to initiate a structured revision programme. To assist with this programme, the school will be conducting weekly sessions on examination techniques and study methods.

I highlighted many points during my Assembly address, but the key component I wish to single out for academic success in this newsletter is hard work. 

To this end, I wish to turn to Theodore Roosevelt.

Theodore Roosevelt eloquently and profoundly commented in his  “man in the arena”:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

In my Assembly, I mentioned that not all students can achieve distinctions, but all students can record their very best, irrespective of ability to succeed in the examination and academics overall, all students, regardless of ability, are required to “be in the arena”. To exhibit determination, commitment and a superlative work ethic. To struggle against procrastination, distractions and other personal challenges.

If a student has been ”in the arena” and invested significant time and effort and recorded their very best work, then they can look back with pride on their academic journey. This sentiment is true for the high-achieving academic scholar who records outstanding excellence in examination results, and it is also true for the student whose results do not come easily. In both situations, the gifted academic and the student who struggles will need to have been “in the arena” to excel and take pride in their work.

I set a challenge to the students. Many schools celebrate 100% pass rates. This pass rate is normally referring to the Grade 12 results. A 100% pass rate at Grade 12 is to be celebrated. However, my challenge to the students is to achieve a 100% pass rate in all Grades. This is a huge challenge, but a goal that is worthy to attain. Am I being unrealistic? I think not.

As I explained to the students in the Assembly, sometimes students do need to repeat a year. It is in their best interest due to missed work or other factors. These are legitimate and well-thought-out decisions made by the school in consultation with the student and family. These students do not form part of my challenge as there are sound grounds for them repeating a year.

For other students, to progress well to the next Grade with their best results is expected. Expected not only by their teachers and their parents but more importantly, should be expected by the students themselves.

As mentioned, the teachers and school will provide important support in exam techniques and study methods. However, each student will need to step into “the arena” and work hard. Parents, we ask that you support your child and the school in our endeavour to achieve a 100% pass in all Grades at the end of the year.

Kind regards

John Alexander

Principal