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On Monday 16th September ,the annual Toastmasters Graduation Dinner was held in the AV room at Northwood School. It was an interesting and well-attended evening that showcased the grade 11 talent.

Pupils participated in 3 categories: prepared speech,evaluation and impromptu speeches.

At the end of the evening 3 winners were chosen in each category and every participant graduated with an internationally recognized Toastmaster certificate.

The winners in each category were as follows- Impromptu: 1st- S’boniso Sangweni, 2nd-Keegan Moodley, 3rd- Phehello Makgoe.

Evaluations: 1st -Jamie Pillay,2nd- Garryn Stephens, 3rd- Yurav Bechoo

Prepared speech: 1st-Phehello Makgoe, 2nd-Minenhle Mchunu, 3rd -Mayuran Chettiar.

These winners go through to the semi-finals to be held in October.

Congratulations and well done to all participants.

 

Well done to all the boys who competed in the final of the Spur Mongoose series on Saturday, especially to Cayde Muldoon who placed 2^nd in the Sub Junior division.

Overall Northwood had a total of 69 entries into the races over the series, being the most entries from a single high school. Because of this achievement Northwood won a cash prize of R2500 as well as R2000 in Spur vouchers.

The Northwood Team has also been selected to represent KZN at the national finals to be held in Magaliesberg from the 20-22 September.  Well done and good luck boys.

The Northwood 1^st hockey team defended their indoor crown with a nail biting 4-3 victory over Westville in the final of the KZN Indoor League.

Northwood showed immense character to come from a 3-1 deficit with ten minutes remaining in the game to grab the winner in the last three minutes.

Northwood started as the stronger of the two teams when they played some brilliant passing hockey in the first ten minutes but only managed to capitalise once through Steve McManus.

Westville responded to the goal and took charge of the remainder of the half and after two good goals took a 2-1 lead into the half time break.

Westville came out firing in the second half and extended their lead to 3-1through a well worked penalty corner.

This spurred the Northwood team into action and Greg Wright provided the punch needed when he turned over the ball and showed some individual brilliance to eliminate two Westville defenders and setup Steve McManus with an easy tap in goal.

Northwood continued to pile on the pressure and were eventually rewarded a penalty corner when the skilful Matthew de Sousa was fouled badly. Tylo Remke showed composure to score the resulting penalty corner.

Teaching goes digital with ebooks, tablets.

By Leanne Jansen, The Mercury

Pupils at Northwood School in Durban North are to be among the first in the country to have digital versions of their textbooks.

From next year, the boys will be able to watch physics experiments come to life and complete their maths assignments on e-books downloaded on tablets, by logging on to the school’s wi-fi every morning.

For headmaster Paul McAvoy, who was appointed earlier this year, introducing e-books is the fulfillment of a promise to incorporate more technology in the classroom.

McAvoy explained that teachers would display the contents of the e-books using their projector or touch screen smart boards, and could add their content to the original.

“At R70 for a one-year licence (for the e-book), it is substantially cheaper than the hard copy, which would cost R137,” McAvoy said.

“There’ll be no more excuses from the boys such as ‘My friend has my book’, ‘I’ve lost my notes’ or ‘I was absent when you gave us that’.

“We also get around the problem of publishers not having stock.”

In the science laboratory, hands shot up when Grade 10 pupils were asked whether they would like to lighten their school bags.

Science teacher Sharon Reddy said that after the touch screen smart board had been introduced into her classroom, more of the boys had scored distinctions because they were able to see concepts take on colour and shape.

“Having the curriculum move and live instead of being static in a textbook makes a huge difference in the ways they understand concepts,” she said.

However, McAvoy has also considered the possible problems with rolling out e-books in every grade.

“It will be optional,” he said.

“Boys who want to use the tablets will be able to, those who choose not to or cannot afford to won’t.

“But there are savings in terms of textbook costs.

“Teachers will also have to have proper control measures to check that the tablets aren’t used to send e-mails or play games during class time.”

– The Mercury

An own goal early in the first half opened what was going to be comprehensive victory. Northwood definitely brought their A game for this fixture. A brace by Godfrey Nkabinde, another by Ntobeko Sibisi and a goal by Joshua Janse van Rensburg, made a clinical performance into a route. Hilton were always struggling to get their rhythm thanks to the amount of pressure that they were put under. Final score, Northwood 6 – Hilton 1

To all the parents of boys at John Bruyns House,

I would like to take this opportunity to say farewell.  It has been a privilege to take care of your sons for the past five years.  I have watched the boys develop over the course of their stay at the Boarding Establishment and have come to see them as my own.  For the most part, I can honestly say that your sons have done me, and yourselves, proud.  Thank you for your support and co-operation throughout the time I have spent at John Bruyns House, it is greatly appreciated.  I will still be a member of the Northwood staff and will continue to take an interest in all the boys. I wish them all well for the years ahead.  I would like to thank the masters and Mrs Kayat, who so ably assisted me and trust that they will continue to provide the excellent care for your sons that they have done throughout my tenure as Superintendent.  I would also like to extend a warm welcome to Mr Llewellyn Bragin and his family who will take over from me as from the 1st of September.  I trust he will enjoy his stay and will receive the support and co-operation of the parents.  Thank you to the management and Governing Body of Northwood for giving me this opportunity, I look forward to monitoring the future progress of John Bruyns House.  God Bless.

 

Congratulations to the following pupils who have been elected as Prefects for 2014.

Shasteel Bridgmohan

Wallace de Lange

Tevin du Toit

Warren Ferguson

Derek Fitzgerald

Dean Fouché

Tyler Hale

Brent Haviland

Clayton Holland

Paras Juta

Chad Katz

Shane Kennedy

Muhammad Kolia

Duran Krummeck

Lindokuhle Langa

Jean Paul Langedyk

Brandon Lippiatt

Rowan Maggs

Phehello Makgoe

Minenhle Mchunu

Kabelo Motloung

Ross Muil

Ivan Ndlovu

Riccardo Papini

Jamie Pillay

Shaylen Pillay

Darshil Ramchander

Yetish Ramsurrup

Matthew Robinson

Gregory Slater

Ryan Stanley

Garryn Stephens

Ryan Symington

Nathan van Wyk

Muhammad Vawda

Daniel Willis

Gregory Wright

Paul comes to Northwood from Curro Private School in Nelspruit where he is the Academic Headmaster, having previously been the Deputy Principal of Penryn College, Nelspruit.  He commences at Northwood on the 1^st January 2014.

 Paul has an outstanding organisational and managerial track record within secondary education with wide ranging leadership experience.  His key skills include human resource marketing, financial and strategic management.  Paul has Degrees in Human Resource Management (BA) and Economic and Management Science (B.Com) as well as an Honours Diploma in Education (Cum Laude).

 His speciality experience includes the following key areas of responsibility at a leadership Level:

• Academic performance and achievement.
• Discipline.
• Staff performance and development.
• Sports and Cultural management.
• Boarding House management.
• Outreach and community upliftment.
• Department Head and Curriculum Leader of Business Studies and Economics.

 Paul is a qualified rugby coach and referee and has coached both cricket and rugby at high school first team level.  Paul plays golf to a single figure handicap.

 Paul is an avid lover of sport and extra mural activities and their role in the development of boys at high school.

 Paul is married to Wendy and they are looking forward to joining the Northwood community.

Mr P McAvoy

Principal

Journey Comes Full Circle

FORMER Sharks assistant coach Grant Bashford has gone back to school, accepting a contract at Northwood as the school’s first team rugby coach.

It’s a journey that has reached full circle for Bashford as he is an old boy of the school and taught there for 13 years.
Bashford was part of the Sharks coaching set- up under John Plumtree who was asked to leave the union last month. He is still under contract until the end of this year with the Sharks but relished the opportunity to stay in rugby, albeit at another level.
“That’s the life of a professional coach,” he said. “While the going is good, it’s a job everybody wants, but sooner or later, there reaches a point where you are out of contract and it’s back to the start.
“For me, it’s great to still be involved in rugby as a coach and the timing of this venture could not have been better.”
Focusing on a business where he is in partnership with another Northwood old boy, Bashford is relishing the opportunity to divide his time between this and coaching, plus spend more time with his family.
“Professional coaching is disruptive when it comes to family life. Time away from home, regular commitments — they all add up,” he said. “Now I can spend time with my three boys — Dale (13), Ben (8) and Mitch (3) — and watch them progress to and through high school before considering another high-profile coaching position.”
Bashford acknowledged he had received some offers after leaving the Sharks, locally and internationally. At the end of the day, while the lure of big money was always present, he opted to step back from the big time for a while.
“I have the credentials for coaching at a high level and this will stand me in good stead in the future. As long as I can stay at the coal face of rugby, at any level, I will be happy,” he said.
The appointment at Northwood came about through the school’s strong Old Boys Club.
“I was asked whether I would consider coaching at the school and was keen to return to a place I know well,” said Bashford. “I met with the old boys and the headmaster and I officially start on September 1.
“I have met with the players and had one session with them. It’s far too early to gauge anything yet, but now is the time to work toward next season. It’s a refreshing challenge and I look forward to it.”
Knowing that schoolboy rugby is a “big game these days,” Bashford is under no illusions that he needs the right people and players to ensure that his team and the school remain competitive and be respected.
“Obviously we want great results and want to provide strong opposition for the traditionally strong local rugby schools,” he said. “As time goes on, we will get the right players in the right areas and move forward.”

Bashford Stats
• Played cricket and rugby for Natal. Was a wicket-keeper, batsman and scrumhalf.
• Never had much opportunity for the Sharks as he was understudy to Kevin Putt.
• Was on the bench for the 1993 Currie Cup final in Durban against the Lions.
• Joined the Sharks in 2006 as coach Dick Muir’s assistant.
• Worked with John Plumtree from 2007.
• Took Sharks to Currie Cup glory in 2008 v Bulls in Durban and 2010 v Western Province in Durban.
• Lost Super Rugby final in 2007 v Bulls in Durban and 2012 v Chiefs in Hamilton.

Courtesy of The Witness

Article by:  David Knowles

On Friday morning some of our grade 10 students were able to listen to, and interact with questions and answers with Dr Kamalesh as he chatted to them about his career as an Orthopedic Surgeon.  Dr Kamalesh said he was very impressed with the type of questions asked by our students,  and that it showed maturity and lateral thinking ability. He also encouraged the boys to study and work hard at their chosen subjects, yet still make time to have fun! We thank Dr Kamalesh for taking time out of his busy schedule to share his knowledge and inspire our students.