The 2025 Chronicle

On 8 February I attended the annual IEB National Conference online to keep abreast of the requirements of the IEB and to catch up on new trends in teaching our subject. I always find the examiners’ reports invaluable as they give a good indication of what we need to focus on. I reported back to the other mem bers of the department the following week. As a result of the change to the dates of our terms, Pit Produc tions was unfortunately unable to visit Michaelhouse this year to bring the boys’ setworks to life on stage. I trust that we will be able to make this happen again next year, as this is a very effective teaching aid for the poetry and literature sections for both trials and final examinations. I was fortunate enough to attend the Silwerskerm Film Festival , or Silwerskermfees , in Camps Bay from 21 to 25 August this year. The opportunity to watch a variety of new Afrikaans films, short films and pilot episodes of new television series, as well as to attend discussions with the directors, casts and technical crews of these projects, was extremely enriching and reward ing, and made me realize again that Afrikaans is alive. I came back to school with new energy, vigour and motivation. At the end of the first term Miss Emsone Fourie resigned as she got engaged and was getting ready for a new phase of her life. We were fortunate to welcome Mr Johan van Rooyen back to take over her classes during the second term, and then ap trasting ideologies of capitalism and communism, forming a strong foundation for their study of the Cold War, which marks the starting point of their matric syllabus. They approached the material with energy and insight. As the year progressed they really seemed to enjoy their investigation into Independent Afri ca, and the continent’s decolonisation movements proved both engaging and relevant. With 44 boys in this group, we look for ward to a vibrant and productive matric year in 2026. Our A Block historians spent the year immersed in the full sweep of 20th-century history, from the origins of the Cold War to its conclusion, from both a global and South African perspec tive. They refined their abilities in essay writing, source analysis and historical interpretation. We hold full confidence in their readiness for the final examinations and wish them every suc cess as they prepare to enter university and the broader world beyond Michaelhouse. It is our hope that the study of history has nurtured in them empathy, critical awareness and a deeper understanding of humanity and the world. May they go on to become thoughtful, principled and impactful leaders in a world greatly in need of such men. Men of principle and significance: Men of Michaelhouse. A heartfelt thank you must be extended to William Koopman and Lucy Ivins, whose dedication, mentorship and profession alism have been invaluable to our department. The boys are blessed to have them as their teachers. We also commend our interns, William Hodgkinson and Joshua August, who now move forward into the next phase of their teaching careers. Their con tributions were integral to the success of what has been an exceptional year for the History Department.

national context as well as learning what our public holidays are intended to commemorate. The D Block continued their exploration of global and African historical themes with a visit to the Durban Holocaust and Genocide Centre. This annual excursion remains one of the most impactful experiences of the year. It offers a sobering re minder of the consequences of fascism, intolerance and ha tred; topics particularly resonating in today’s world climate of conflict. The boys engaged deeply with the history of genocide, examining not only the Holocaust of World War II but also the Rwandan genocide, which occurred at the same time as we celebrated our democracy being born. Their enthusiasm for the subject has resulted in unprecedented interest in it for 2026, and for the first time in recent memory, we will offer three C Block history classes next year; an achievement we are cele brating with great pride. For our C Block historians, the year marked significant aca demic maturity. Although a smaller group of two classes, they showed commendable commitment as they learned the es sential skills of historical writing, critical analysis, academic argument development and essay construction. Their studies took them through the complexities of the Middle East, tracing the conflict from its origins to the present crisis in Gaza. They also examined elements of American history, investigating the birth of America to the modern rise of figures such as Donald Trump and considering America’s influence on global politics and economics, including the establishment of the dollar as the world’s reserve currency. Our B Block historians engaged enthusiastically with the con

AFRIKAANS

Head of Department: Mr Chris van der Berg Staff: Miss Marcel Cornelius, Mr J-P Olivier, Miss Emsone Fourie, Mr Wayne Sudding Part-time Staff: Mrs Ilne Visagie

AWARDS Top pupil: Reily Elliot Most improved pupil: Ethan Muir

The Rector’s Afrikaans Essay Prize: Brunton Bigalke The PD Barnard Afrikaans Memorial Prize: Ethan Muir The Michaelhouse Bilingual Prize: Reily Elliot

The 2024 IEB matric results were the best re sults we have had in the history of the school.

Nineteen percent (16) of our boys achieved subject distinc tions, and 69.4% of them scored 60% or higher. The grade av erage was 66.92%. I want to congratulate the boys and staff, and thank them for their hard work. Afrikaans remains a very challenging subject for most pupils in our province, as it is sel dom spoken or heard in KZN (and even less at Michaelhouse), but we seem to have found a recipe for success.

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