Month: February 2013

On Saturday 28 May we celebrated our school and heritage as we welcomed many old friends and new to Northwood for a day of fellowship and sport vs Hilton College. The support shown by the community was evident with over 5000 people attending this event.

The day started off with the delicious smell of bacon and boerewors rolls being braaied by our Northwood Fundraising parents, who did a sterling job of helping to keep the crowds well fed. Our Northwood Moms ran two hospitality Tea Gardens which were well attended and much appreciated by visitors to the school. Various vendors also supported the school offering a variety of treats and food options. Once again Northwood offered a beer garden, hosted by the popular George based in Umhlanga which was very well attended by our Old Boys and which we look forward to including in future Old Boy Day events!

Our 1^st XV Rugby score was 19-10 in the visitors favour, with the Northwood 1^st hockey team ending their match on a high with a 4 – 2 win. Thank you to everyone for their unconditional support of Northwood and the Knights.

Northwood School welcomes the appointment of Paul McAvoy as principal of Durban North’s only boys’ high school.

Paul McAvoy, who joined Northwood as a deputy principal last year, studied teaching in Pretoria and Johannesburg and holds an Honours Degree in education, specialising in educational management. He’s an avid sportsman and is a national selector for chess in South Africa.

Speaking about his appointment in this sought-after position, McAvoy said, “Northwood is a school with a proud history stretching back more than six decades. To be tasked with providing direction for such an institution is an honour.

“I intend to use my experience to take the traditions of the school and provide a progressive approach that gives Northwood a leading-edge advantage in terms of technological innovation balanced with traditional values,” said McAvoy.

McAvoy has been teaching for almost two decades, with 15 of those years being mostly in management positions in co-educational high schools in Johannesburg.
“My last appointment was as deputy principal at Rand Park High School in 2008, where I carried many whole-school responsibilities. This provided me with excellent experience for the exciting challenges that lie before me.”

McAvoy praised the support of the Durban North community for the school and said he looked forward to Northwood’s mix of community school and centre of academic, sporting and cultural excellence.
The Northwood School Board of Governors issued a statement on McAvoy’s appointment.

It reads:

‘After the completion of an extensive and thorough selection process the Northwood Board of Governors is privileged to be in a position to congratulate Mr Paul McAvoy in being appointed as principal of Northwood School.  Mr McAvoy is a proven educator, has extensive leadership experience, is a role model to our young men representing the values we believe in, and carries a balance in all that he stewards. He is passionate in all he does. We wish him every support for the significant role he is to perform as principal to Northwood in the school’s exciting journey ahead! The board would also like to record its sincere gratitude to the dedicated staff of the KZN department of education  who have assisted and guided the board to the conclusion of this process. thank you.’

Article Courtesy of Northglen News, Lauren Anthony.

On Saturday the 16th of February our cycling team competed in the Spur Mongoose school series held in Amanzimtoti. Our team of 15 boys was the biggest team present at the event, also looking the most professional in our Northwood Cycling kit.

The competition was extremely tough but the results were great for our first race of the year. Four of our boys managed to finish in the top 10 of their respective categories with the rest of the team not far behind.

Well done to all the boys who competed. It was great to see Northwood compete against the top riders in the Province.

Brothers Aaron (Grade 12) and Ethan Biggar (Grade 8) have made Northwood proud in both being selected to represent KZN for their individual age groups, at the South African Triathlon Championships which will take place on the 17 March 2013 East London.

Aaron was encouraged by his father to compete from age the age of 7 years and has competed in over twenty triathlons. Ethan, has followed in his older brother’s footsteps and has competed in 2 triathlons. Well done boys!

Love was in the air this past Valentines Day as our Northwood prefects visited our local girls high schools in the area bearing roses, cards and tokens of their affection.

The girls were not to be outdone, as hundreds of roses were sent to our boys to be handed out at the grade assemblies, with lots of smiles and laughter (and some blushing!) all round!

On a very wet and windy Friday night, Northwood’s 1^st XV showed why they are so highly regarded by easily accounting for a very spirited and determined Port Shepstone.  It took a mere 100 seconds to open the scoring, with textbook backline play being rounded off with a try by fullback Sasassa Makhanye.  With the rain making the ball wet and slippery, Northwood kept it tight and after some powerful work by the forwards, flank Greg Slater dived over for a try, which was converted by Cameron Du Plessis.

With the half time score on 12-3, the game resumed with Northwood increasing the intensity.  Ngoni “Beast” Chidoma scored another try and not long after,Dovydos Taujanskas crashed over for Northwoods 4^th try.  TC Edmunds brought proceedings to a close with a fifth try, thus ensuring Northwood will contest the finals next Friday.

Having conceded only 17 points in 5 games (1 try and 4 penalties), Northwood has the best defensive record in the competition.  The 1^st XV have also been one of the best attacking teams, scoring 109 points in total (an average of 22 per game).  In what could be billed as a “Clash of the Knights”, Northwood will meet Port Natal (known as the White Knights) in the finals on Friday at 8pm.  This promises to be a fitting finale between the 2 best teams in the competition.