St Dominic's Test Book

FROM THE HEADMASTER'S DESK As I reflect on the past year, my hope is that yo u When our parents walk through our gates, we want and your family are doing well during the them to be able to notice and feel the significant move challenging times we continue to experience. forward that the school has taken over the pandemic period. In 2020 we as a school, as well as our families, had to buffer the impact of the disruption that I would like to thank Mr. C. Chamboko (Chairman of occurred as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. the Board); Mr. M. Matthysen (Head of Finance); Sr. Stephany Thiel (Region Prioress) as well as all the As we entered 2021, we gained a lot of Board of Governors who have worked tirelessly this experience from the year before. We were year to support the vision of being “ready” for the prepared for the continued impact that Covid-19 future. would have on our daily lives. As a school we took on the following philosophy: 2020 was a This year alone we have spent over R4 million rand on year of survival and we survived 2020! 2021 projects to get ready for when our parents enter the would be a year where we would not only gates of our school again. These projects include: embrace the new world, but we would become Robotics and coding, marimbas, new chairs for the experts at navigating life through the constant hall, swimming starting system, music storeroom, pool change of lockdown levels and protocols. Our blankets and the upgrade of the carpark. purpose was to ensure a quality, holistic, catholic education even during pandemic times. We set ourselves an even bigger objective, to ensure that the school is not only ready to welcome our parents back on the property, but to also place the school ahead of other schools by using this time to develop the school, its facilities as well as its dream to be the leading school in futuristic education. Tributes Jan Kriel Allan Donaldson Sadly, our much-loved swimming pool Allan has received confirmation that he has been accepted into supervisor, Mr Jan Kriel passed away from America. After careful deliberation he has decided to take COVID earlier in the year. retirement and join his family who have been staying in America for some time. We congratulate Allan on his retirement and When the swimming pool was closed, he thank him for his 45 years of service. Allan will be missed by all assisted with morning duties and his of us at St Dominic’s. We are very happy that he will be joining his smiling face will be forever missed. family, but sad that we will be losing a friend, coach and teacher. Our deepest sympathy to Sandy Kriel, \"This decision to announce my family and friends. May cherished retirement is filled with many memories bring you moments of comfort. emotions, not least of which is how sad I feel at no longer being involved with what I regard as the greatest sports team in the world. However, my overriding emotion is one of tremendous pride in what we together have all achieved over the past 45 years!\" - Allan Donaldson

FROM THE HEADMASTER'S DESK It would be remiss of me not to Through the journey we have received immense loyalty, support and commitment from our whole acknowledge the significant sacrifices made family. Every member of our community has by our staff, management team and the rolled up their sleeves, got involved and have three principals, Mrs. Fitzgerald, Mrs. been a huge part of our success. Bradbury and Mrs. Meyer, who have worked A very big thank you to: tirelessly to ensure the school is well run, our parents and learners who have continually well managed and has met all the daily supported us through such challenging times, the Management and Executive Management Team, obligations to protocols without the Chairman and members of the Board of Governors, the Finance Committee, compromising the quality of education that the Transformation and Diversity Committee, the Ethos and Heritage Committee, we love and cherish at St Dominic’s. the Technology Team, the Principals and Deputy Principals, I thank all our staff for their loyalty and the Sisters, commitment. It is our hard working quality the Chairperson and members of the Majorette staff that has been the main contributing Committee, factor to the success of St Dominic’s during the Chairperson and members of the PTP, these tough and challenging times. the Magazine Committee, the Junior and Senior School Head Girls and Deputies, I am acutely aware of the toll the pandemic the Junior and Senior School Executives and has taken on our staff and our families over Committees, the last two years. I encourage you to take the St Dominic’s Parish, time out over the December period to rest, all members of Staff, Sports Coaches, Substitute re-charge and to enjoy special family Teachers and all who have assisted us this year. moments. One thing we have learnt over the last two years is to be grateful for all the You are all angels to the school and our girls. special moments we have in our lives. Particularly over the Christmas period where we remind ourselves how important family “One School, is to us all. One Family, One Spirit” “Family is like music, some hig h notes, some low notes, but always a beautiful song” Have a blessed Christmas and a very special New Year. God Bless. EXECUTIVE HEADMASTER

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD It is that time of the year again and it is hard to We are a small, but integral part of a broader believe that another year has gone by and we are journey where we hope to lay a foundation for now at the end of 2021. Where has the time young adults to become responsible gone? So much has happened and so much has members of the global community. changed. I feel like it was only yesterday that I was drafting the end of year note to parents for On behalf of the Board that I serve I thank our 2020. parents for trusting us and supporting their daughters through this journey. Just like 2020, 2021 was not an easy year and we are still living in extraordinary times, this is If 2020 was about survival, 2021 was about survival compounded by the fact that many of us have and preparation for a world which we are uncertain lost loved ones within our families. Our thoughts of but despite this uncertainty we will be prepared. and prayers go out to those families. We shall continue to develop and improve the The Board is aware and remains very sensitive to facilities of the school and prepare our school to the financial pressure facing our families and the welcome our parents back to our beautiful campus. broader community and I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the Board that I serve to As the sun prepares to set on 2021 it is my hope and thank YOU, our parents for the continuous wish that as a school, as a family and within our sacrifice you make to pay the school fees. We communities we pause to reflect and give thanks know that this is not easy. for the year despite the numerous challenges, obstacles and hurdles that we have faced. Our commitment to providing a world class educational experience within the Dominican I would like to thank my fellow Board Members for ethos remains steadfast as does ensuring the their counsel, their support and the sacrifice of their financial sustainability of our school. time, your efforts are not lost on me and this is reflected in what we have achieved. So, what does this “world class education” mean? For some it is the number of distinctions their Lastly, but most important of all and on behalf of daughter attains, or their ability to make the the Board of St Dominic's I would like to wish our provincial or national sports sides. Others would parents and broader community a Merry Christmas interpret success as reaching the apex of the and prosperous 2022. We wish journey mercies on cultural and spiritual framework provided by the those who may be travelling. school, as such it is important to know that educations means different things to different people. At St Dominics we aspire to ensure that the education we provide is a rigorous test of academia, sporting ability, cultural understanding and spiritual awareness within the framework of the Dominican ethos. God Bless. Mr Clement Chamboko CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

A MESSAGE FROM THE SAINTS 2022 LEADER One term that I can use to describe this year and this team is ‘overcome’. Our first season after COVID, everyone had battles to fight and excel in. The majority of our Saints 2022 team were new girls, yet they marched like seasoned drummies. We had to overcome many barriers together, like building bonds across the team so that we not only look united on the field but also act united off the field. This key element is what helped us carry each other through all the ups and downs we faced at league competitions and tedious 10 hour practices. We worked through our fair share of setbacks this year but we always came back stronger and this was evident at Nationals. Previous Saints teams have dominated at the previous national championships, leaving a legacy of being 7 time champions. It was our turn to add to that legacy. It was not easy, but we definitely turned it up a notch when it came to finals. In the end we overcame our biggest obstacle of the year, and won nationals. I am proud to have led the team of 2022 and prouder to say each and every girl on that field earned the right, through hard work and perseverance, to say “I was part of the eight-time national champion team!” Reabetswe Mobeng SAINTS LEADER SOUTH AFRICAN CHAMPIONS!



WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN CROATIA Elizabeth Chimedza, Karabo Mokhwibitjane, Reabetswe Mobeng, Coach Matthew Higgs, Kutloano Segoo, Nomndeni Zwane and Khutso Mlambo World Championships Six of our majorettes were awarded their South African Majorette and Cheerleading Association (SAMCA) Colours this year. Three of them; Elizabeth Chimedza, Kutloano Segooa and Nomndeni Zwane represented South Africa at the World Championships which took place in September in Zagreb, Croatia. Our St Dominics senior team coach, Matthew Higgs, was one of the Protea coaches who took the team of 52 SAMCA athletes to compete in Croatia. Coach Alisha Venter with Elizabeth, Kutloano and Nomndeni

Undoing by Claire de Graaff | Grade 12 Grade 12 Extended Writing: Descriptive Essay Perhaps the first occurrence that would act as a precursor to the uncomfortable nature of his trip to the Moldova Region of Romania was the bristly, niggling thread protruding ever so slightly from the collar of John Walsham’s brand new tweed coat that had been acquired specifically for this occasion. The jutting, rough – as a result of its lack of wear – fibre had maddeningly scratched at Mr Walsham’s neck the whole journey; and as he sat, uncomfortably, in the clattering horse cart that traversed the long, cobbled path headed towards the derelict town of his believed to be ‘temporary residence’, the incessant chafing persisted along the nape of his neck. The second precursor was maybe the profound annoyance that bloomed in Mr Walsham’s mind as the horse’s hooves clopped down the dreadfully silent street devoid of all sound – nay, sense of life! – save for the constant, rhythmic clopping; John dismissed this surfeiting annoyance as the mere result of an opiate withdrawal – as this was to be his first experience without the drug since the loss of his partner some months ago. The third, and final, precursor (before the strangest of events began to unfold) was then the faint, yet inexorably pervasive fragrance that John noticed spreading through his nostrils. It was laden with notes of wormwood and was somehow, simultaneously piquant.

These occurrences, in isolation, would not be so extraordinary that any person would ponder their nature. However, in unison they should become so pre-eminent that even the least observant individual would think them awry. Ha! – what a shame it is that John had put caution to retaining his aloofness when being confronted by the plethora of tales depicting events of sublime and strange nature that originated from this town. Perhaps, had he not, a seed of conspiracy may have been planted in his subconscious; resulting in his expeditious downfall in Moldova not even coming to pass! Mr Walsham’s trip to Moldova developed as the result of a prospective investigation of an endemic plant within the region – and his superstitious botanist colleagues had found themselves too affrighted to undertake the task. It was – most certainly – the nondescript, yet haunting, mythology surrounded the town that bred this fear which so possessed them. However, it was the detached nature of John’s emotions that had been brewing after the gruesome murder of his partner (being strangled to death!) that had caused him to adopt such a slovenly attitude. Unfortunately – oh, so unfortunately! – this allowed him to overlook the brooding, prospective events to take place in Moldova, and ultimately undertake the trip. It was, in fact, this memory of the strangling that came to be the object over which he pondered upon arrival at his lodgings: the towering, forsaken mansion that had been overrun by years of profuse ivy and exuded a sense of hopeless quite impossible to put into words. Amidst moments of clarity amongst his restless withdrawal, Mr Walsham’s mind was plagued with a question. One that had been swarming his brain with little more resolve than its first posing: How could someone bring themself to murder?

While in conversation with the elderly, Romanian caretaker of the mansion, Mr Dragovei – whose speech seemed to echo resolutely in John’s mind in a heavy, Romanian accent – John beheld the phantasmagorical hallucination that appeared to make the elongated windows of the house look to be empty eyes peering into the even emptier soul that was the mansion. Bereft of any person or feeling. As Mr Walsham’s soles caressed the ebony coloured, solid wood floors lining the branching corridors of the house that seemed to overflow with infinite doors, it became apparent to him – oh so rapidly! – how intensely he disliked Mr Dragovei. Strangely, John reasoned that the cause of this sentiment was the old man’s somewhat murky left eye – as it left him with a palpable sense of unease whenever this eye fell upon his own. Yet, the sheer annoyance that John felt could not merely be explained by a clouded, azure eye. Somehow, still maintaining naïveté, John spurned the notes he took of the number of peculiarities he had noticed, and deemed his conspiracies to be “irrational”. Mr Walsham decided to accredit his inquietude to vexation – as he was still haunted by the jacket fibre that had started to create a feeling of itchy warmth atop the skin on his neck, and the pungent aroma of the town was beginning to leave a burning sensation in his nasal passages with each inhalation. Now, reader, at this point it can be assumed that you find yourselves vividly perplexed by the unadulterated ignorance that so possessed Mr Walsham. It is a truly astounding feat: the ability to neglect paranoia in the face of so many oddities. However, it was this feat, indeed, that was to cause the origin of the ruin of John Walsham – in just a few, short hours!

As Mr Dragovei proceeded into the darker, ever gloomier and macabre East wing of the mansion, his candle light licked the windowless walls; exposing, through frenetic interruptions in the omnipresent shadows, the assemblage of portly flies scattered about the cracking, sepia toned walls that appeared as though they would crumble should one fly move but a centimetre! The presence of the two men in the halls stirred the insects, producing a low, droning, murmur that vibrated through the very walls of the house. Finally, arriving at his chamber once night had fallen, John was unquantifiably exasperated by the nimiety of vexations present within the house. He realized that adorning nearly every item of furnishing within the dark, heavily draped and decorated chamber, were the several, rotted remains of Dianthus spiculifolius flowers within yellow, grimy, glass vases. Mr Walsham remarked to himself that whoever found the dead flowers to be appealing had been deprived of their sanity – and quite plainly – had lost their minds. As Mr Walsham was beginning to be lulled asleep by the incongruous harmony of the flies – monotonous, yet simultaneously fluctuating in pitch regularly – he whispered to himself in the most unsettling of tones, “Quite simply put, it’s a horrendous place. *** How unfortunate it was indeed for Mr Walsham that this very feeling of fear for the oddities of Moldova (that would have dramatically altered the tragic outcome of this tale, by causing him to resist the trip in the first place) visited him just a few minutes prior to his demise within the house!

Escaping the clutches of sleep the following morning, Mr Walsham arose without once noticing the still incessant buzz of the flies or the putrid smell whose, spaces within his conscience had now been occupied by another force: a wistful longing for a memory (a dream, perhaps) of which the all edges and colours of the visions and clarity of the sounds has not yet been realized; yet the remembrance of the feeling of his fingers wrapped the papery, wrinkled neck before him was still palpable. He vividly recalled the heat and pulse of his victim’s neck fading steadily as his fingers gripped ever tighter. Despite being so haunted by the question of murder but a few hours ago, Mr Walsham was not even moderately perturbed (but rather pleased!) as he recalled the energy behind the obscured, azure eye fade out. Still recalling his fond, new memory, John’s day was overcome by a sense of unwavering calm. Not even once did the still protruding thread of his jacket disturb the skin of his neck. It should be clear, reader, by now, that something had shifted within Mr Walsham: the elation of murder had become to him a new drug – one that seemed to eliminate all sense of annoyance (or even recognition) of the peculiarities of Moldova. His sleep within the town had warped him to comply with the eeriness thereof.

Why is this? You find yourself pondering. The answer originates not from what simply had happened to Mr Walsham while in the town – as this, in fact, was not much – but rather as a result of what the town itself had done unto him. Perhaps, reader, the nature of his tragic demise can be made apparent to you through the final scene of this tale. As Mr Walsham entered his chamber that night, with deafening silence replacing the hum of the flies, he caught a glimpse of the parchment-esque, wilted, once-lilac petals of the flowers within the glass vases. He was overwhelmed by their apparent beauty. Experiencing a feeling of sheer, inescapable awe, he exclaimed, “Quite simply put, it’s a wonderful place!”

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