The Chronicle 2022

AFRIKAANS

Head of Department: Mr Chris van der Berg Staff: Miss Marcel Cornelius, Mr J-P Olivier, Miss Emsone Fourie Part-time Staff: Mrs Ilne Visagie Intern: Mr Alex Deetlefs he 2021 matric IEB results were some of the best results we have ever had: 15 boys (19%) achieved distinctions and we had 17 B and 24 C symbols. This meant that 71% of our boys achieved above 60% for what remains a very difficult subject for most pupils in KwaZulu-Natal. I want to congratulate both the pupils and the teachers and want to thank them for all their hard work. On 12 February I attended the IEB National Conference online to keep abreast of the requirements of the IEB. Our external academic programme is still not running 100% like it did before Covid: we trust that the ATKV Spelathon and the Taalbond Bilingual Exams will be back on the calendar again next year: we will put up our hand to host the Spelathon like we did for many years before the pandemic. Pitt Productions visited Michaelhouse in May to perform extracts from Asem (the matric set book) and the Touloper anthology (the matric prescribed poems). It was a delightful event, and the boys thoroughly enjoyed the talented actors making these prescribed works come to life on stage. Overall, it has been a very challenging year: as indicated earlier, we returned to normal life at Michaelhouse and most of us found that we were not “Michaelhouse fit” anymore. It was quite a challenge to get back into the normal swing of things. Next year will certainly be easier. What was a huge blessing was to have the boys back in the classroom and on the sports field. Online teaching and learning can never be as effective as the real thing. I am certain that both boys and teachers share these sentiments. Miss Emsone Fourie joined the Afrikaans Department this year and will be relieved that she managed to survive the difficult first year at this very busy school. The challenge remains to keep up with new developments in education and in Afrikaans specifically and to make sure that we motivate and inspire our students to see the subject as a relevant one in South Africa. Mr Olivier has been appointed as IEB marker for the final IEB examinations for 2022. This is an invaluable source of experience for a teacher. T

Die water is weer warm genoeg om te swem. Ons berei die boot voor en maak planne om dam toe te gaan en te swem en te baljaar. My gemoed is gevul met hoop, my bui sien weer kans vir nuwe uitdagings. Alles verander. Die groen is oral om my. Met al hierdie nuwe lewe en pasgebore groenigheid, prag en lewe is daar ‘n verandering oral om. Mense veruil die bed vir ‘n drafsessie, kinders baljaar in die lelies in die veld en die nuwe mooi van ‘n nuwe seisoen oorweldig my. Dinge het verander. Ek word wakker van ‘n verwarmer wat oortyd werk. Die wete dat ek dit vir die eerste keer in maande nie nodig het nie, laat pa se kragrekening glimlag.. Die koue was nêrens te vinde. Sonlig het die kamer dou voor dag begin verlig. Dinge is besig om te verander. Ek kon uiteindelik weer my baadjies agter in my kas pak, en my kortbroeke uit aftrede bring. My bleek bene sal uiteindelik weer sonlig voel en die sproete op my neus gaan weer verdubbel. Dis tyd om buitentoe te gaan en jou beste lewe te lei, want dinge verander. Hierdie verandering vind elke jaar plaas wanneer nuwe lewe gebore word. Dit is groen en pragtig en gevul met vreugde en nuwe lewe. Twee jaar gelede het ‘n asteroïde die aarde getref en Pole en dele van Duitsland vernietig, maar dit was geen gewone asteroïde nie: dit was amper vloeibaar. Dit was die poep van ‘n reuse ruimtebaba! Sedertdien was ek op die voorste linies om hierdie…monsters te beveg. Ek het probeer om met die leier te kommunikeer, maar die blikskottel het my soos ‘n dwaas behandel en my getart met komplekse goo-goo’s en ga-ga’s: ‘n afgryslike ras! Sederd die Poolse doodoo-dood van 2122 was daar die braak-saak van 2123 en die gevreesde urinering-vernedering verlede maand. Ek is nie seker waar hulle vandaan kom nie…Sommige teorieë sê ‘n ras van reuseruimte mense. Wat? Hulle het hul kinders verloor terwyl hulle roomys van die melkweg gekry het, of iets? Al wee tons nie waar hulle vandaan kom nie, weet ek waarheen hulle gaan…HEL toe! Sommige mense gaan hulle wil bestudeer (bleeksiele), maar ek wil net hê hulle moet weggaan. Sodra hulle my uit hierdie opgestopte sel vrygelaat het en ek aan hierdie idiote bewys het dat die REUSE RUIMTEBABAS werklik bestaan, sal ek hierdie tydperk van terreur beeïndig. Ek het hierdie belofte gemaak aan my heer en verlosser: die vlieënde Spaghetti monster. Hy het in ‘n droom aan my verskyn en met my gepraat. Dit is lente. REUSE RUIMTEBABAS Sebastian Bailes (Founders, B Block)

ALLES VERANDER Adrian Hill (East, A Block)

Alles verander om my. Die bruin word groen, blomknoppe begin bloei en insekte gons in die tuin. Nuwe lewe begin stadig sy kop uitsteek. Die voëls begin hul stembande opwarm en dis van vroegdag af lig. Alles verander.

Ek sal die wêreld red…

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