PLUMSTEAD HIGH SCHOOLBASIL ROADPLUMSTEAD 7800

TEL: 021 761 8066/7FAX: 021 7978494

HeadmasterC. George, B.A., B.ED. CIRCULAR NO. TERM 1/1

21 January 2011Dear Parents/Guardians

I trust that you and your children are all well and refreshed after the December break, and that 2011will be a good year for you and your family.We welcome 3 new additions to the staff at Plumstead High school, viz.:

1. Mrs N.Paul- Deputy Principal and English.2. Mr I Solomon - Physical Science.3. Mrs S Dolley - English.4. Ms Engel- Arts and Culture.

This circular has many important points which need to be brought to your attention. Please do takethe time to read the entire circular with your child.

1. GRADE MEETINGSThe staff at Plumstead High have felt it important that each grade team meet with parents andlearners at the start of the year. These are very important meetings for you to attend with yourchild so that we can all work towards the same goal. The meetings are scheduled as follows:A. Grade 12 Parents and learners - Monday - 31 January from 19:00 to 20:00B. Grade 11 Parents and learners -Tuesday - 01 February from 19:00 to 20:00C. Grade 10 Parents and learners - Wednesday - 02 February from 19:00 to 20:00D. Grade 9 Parents and learners - Thursday 03 February from 19:00 to 20:00E. Grade 8 Parents and learners - we have not scheduled a meeting for Grade 8 parents and

learners because of the meeting with new parents at the end oflast year.

2. PRIZE-GIVING -GRADES 8-11Our annual prize-giving (8-11) takes place on Tuesday 08 February at 11:00. School will end atl3:00. Transport arrangements to be made accordingly. All our learners will attend. Due tolimited space, only parents of recipients of prizes will be invited to attend.

3. WORK ETHIC OF OUR LEARNERSLearners achieve results and complete work they can be proud of when they work consistentlyand are properly prepared. Some practical areas that we need help with in 2011 as we attemptto change the work ethic of many of our learners are very basic practical areas.A. Diary. Learners go to six lessons a day and they cannot remember what needs to be done

for homework each day in each of the lessons. In order to plan and prepare properly theymust make use of a decent sized diary.Please assist by:i. Making sure your child has a diary

ii. Checking his/her diary regularly to make sure he/she is using it.B. Timetable. Too many learners arrive at school without a timetable and always have to

check with friends where to go next, which creates problems after break because many sitwith friends who are not in their class.Please ensure that he/she makes a copy ofthe timetable in his/her diary.

C. Books. Too many of our learners do not have text books and/or writing books. Pleasecheck with your child that he/she has the correct books. The deadline for all textbooks andstationery is Monday, 31 January 2011.

2

D. Pens. It is hard to imagine, but a number of our learners arrive at school with no pen atschool.

All of these basic problems cause huge headaches for teachers but are actually very easily solved;however, we do need the help and support of parents.

4. SCHOOL FEESThe compulsory school fees are R7 507 for 2011 payable in 10 equal instalments ofR750 eachmonth from 1st January to October (inclusive) . There is a 10% discount if the fees are paid infull by the latest end of February. Also, note that the application for rebates is closed. If youhave applied and have not heard from the SGB, please pay the R750 for the January instalment.

Please be reminded that fees must be paid into the following current account: StandardBank, account no. 071824464, branch code 025309.

Please be aware that, if you do not pay your school fees, you place the school in a very awkwardposition for two reasons:

A. Legal steps need to be taken to ensure that you pay your school fees. The School GoverningBody does not enjoy taking such steps as it creates an awkward atmosphere. The key iscommunication with the school. Note, this takes place on a term basis. Ensure that you areup to date with your payments as each school term ends.

B. Teachers are employed in good faith by the School Governing Body (12 educators areemployed by the School Governing Body) to ensure that your child receives a bettereducation. How does the Governing Body tell a teacher at the end of the year that there isno money to pay him/her - after he/she has done his/her job?

Many thanks to those parents who so loyally pay their school fees. Your support is ofgreat value to us.

5. FUNDRAISING

Please be aware that part of our budget for 2011 includes raising about RIOO 000 throughfundraising. Please support us on this level - it is not that the school is merely trying to "getmore money out of you". We do have a number of fundraising activities planned throughout theyear and they do form part of our budget for 2011.

We will keep you updated with more information about these fundraisers and do look forwardto your support.

6. COMMUNICATIONAnother area of concern is communication with the home. Many circulars and notices are sentto the home via your children but it is apparent that many parents do not get thesecirculars/notices, because so many parents appear to be unaware of the report collection datesand times, meetings and other details - which are vital for proper communication channels. Forthis reason the Governing Body has enabled an SMS system to be operative where the schoolcan inform you, the parents, of these important meetings, dates and socials.

It is vital that we have your correct cell number. If you are concerned about this fact, thenplease phone the office or send the information via your child to Mrs Tania Apollis, the front-of-house secretary.

7. SHELL GARAGE AND DISMISSAL OF LEARNERS AFTER SCHOOLWhen our learners leave at the end of school, they have a tendency to congregate and thereforeblock the drive-way to the Shell garage. This creates a very bad impression and also preventsthe Shell garage from continuing its daily business.

3

A. Unfortunately, some parents and friends add to this chaos when they stop their cars to pickup learners without any thought to the traffic jams that they are causing. All of this is aterrible advertisement for Plumstead High School! (A problem already exists with deliveryvehicles and shopping centre patrons who park and wait showing scant respect for otherroad users).

B. We have tried on numerous occasions to address this issue and need to stress the following:i. It is for this reason that we are insisting that learners may not wait after school at the

Shell garage. This includes the forecourt of the garage, the wall of the garage and thepavement in front of the garage. We will inform learners that they have to wait on thepavements in Churchill Road, between the fields of John Graham Primary School andour school.

11. We would appreciate co-operation from you, our parents, in this regard. Please do notmake arrangements to collect your children at the Shell garage after school (aftersports' practice is acceptable). We are requesting that the Shell garage forecourt andpavement stay clear after school. Allow them to meet you at another pick-up point 50metres away from the school - it will make your life much easier and ours. Manythanks.

iii. We appeal to parents not to stop on or close to the zebra crossing when collecting yourchildren.

IV. Also, note that no learners are allowed to be dropped off in the school car park area inthe mornings or picked up in the same area after school.Many thanks for your support and co-operation in this area.

8. TEXT BOOKS AND STATIONERYA. All text books and stationery that were to be purchased by the home should already be in

your child's possession on the first day of school. However, we are extending this deadlineto Monday 31 January 2011.

B. Plumstead High School Loan Text Books. The Western Cape Education Department issuesthe school with certain text books which will be lent to your child. These will be issued tolearners in the first week of school. However, those learners who have not returned textbooks from last year will not be issued with text books this year. The options are twofold:

i. They return the books from last year;11. Alternatively a fee of Rl 00 per book will be charged.

111. When one of these two alternatives has been met, then your child will beissued with the Plumstead High School Loan Text Books for this year.

IV. In this regard, we remind you that the school does not lend any other textbooks to learners other than those books designated by the Western CapeEducation Department. The text book list issued last year indicated whichbooks you had to buy.

9. SCHOOL RULE REMINDERSSome gentle reminders about some school rules:

A. CELLPHONES1. Cellphones have been banned from the school since April 2006. This means that your

child may NOT bring a cellphone to school at all! There is no necessity for himlher tohave a cellphone at school (there are two coin phones and two card phones on theschool premises).

11. Any cellphone found on a learner will be confiscated, whether it is on or off, whether itis visible or not, whether it is the learner's phone or somebody else's (including theirparent's or parent's company phone), whether it is on contract or not.

4

Confiscated cellphones will be kept in the school safe until the end of the school year, whenthey will be returned to the learners on payment of a fine ofR20.00 or returned earlier at afee ofR200. Please do not expect us to investigate the theft of a cellphone which has takenplace on school premises (your child should not have a cellphone on school premises!)iii. Some of the reasons for banning cellphones are as follows:

a. Learners are increasingly being targeted by muggers who are aftertheir cellphones;

b. Learners are using their cellphones during lesson time to participate inchat rooms;

c. Learners are able to store or receive information on their cellphones,giving them an unfair advantage during assessments or examinations;(NOTE: The Western Cape Education Department ruling is that alearner found with a cellphone in his/her possession in an examinationcan receive 0 (zero) for that examination);

d. Learners have been using cellphone cameras to invade the privacy ofother learners and educators;

e. Cellphones have become a status symbol, with parents beingpressured to buy their children the latest expensive models; and

f. Senior staff were wasting valuable time having to investigatecell phone thefts.

B. HAIRPlease remember: no colour changes or highlightsllowlights, no patterns cut into the hairand no "Mohican" (even mini-"Mohican") hair styles please!

C. UNIFORM DEFAULTSAny uniform default must be covered by a letter from the parents to the grade head withdetails of the date by which the default will be rectified. The grade head will countersignthe letter and your child will use it as his/her defaulter slip for the time period specified.

10. ATHLETICS (all grades/learners)Sectional Athletics takes place on Monday 14 February 2011 in Bellville (more details tofollow).

$;;!Y~.c.GEORGE

Principal