We had a great Founders Weekend this past weekend and I want to thank my staff and the boys who contributed to the success of it. Why was it a great weekend? I would like to list the reasons for this:
- The great talk by Scott Mathie to the boys on Friday morning at the Founders Day Assembly.
- The good attendance of Old Boys at the Golf Day and the Dinner.
- The hard work of the parents and staff in ensuring every function ran smoothly.
- The good performances of our boys. We won important matches, and in those we lost the boys displayed a great deal of courage.
- The great support the teams received from the other boys and this includes the singing and the brass band.
- The vast amount of positivity from the Old Boys. A number commented on the excellent behaviour of our boys.
DHS is a school with a rich heritage that will always be part of the culture of this school. Things might change, but some traditions, standards and values will always remain. These elements will protect the ethos we want to hold onto.
This school has never been a perfect school and it will never be perfect. It has made mistakes before and will continue to do so. Recent reports in the media highlighted these but as a school we must now endeavour to ensure that these mistakes are not repeated.
The June Examinations have started and I want to remind parents what I wrote some time back:
Before the Exam:
- Your son needs to sit at a desk. It is not advisable to lie on a bed or in a lounge chair. He will be asleep in no time. Especially if he studied till late on the day before.
- By now he should have a study timetable on his wall in his room. It needs to be visible so that he, as well as you as parent, are able to monitor it. He does not want you to ask him every time he takes a break, why he is not working and when he will be back at his desk. If he has a timetable up, you will be able to see when his study times are and when he takes his breaks.
- He needs to get fresh air when he takes a break. A walk in the garden will work wonders.
- He needs a quiet room, away from all noise and other distractions. Insist that he puts his electronic devices in another room and on silent.
- Get a good night’s sleep. Your brain needs time to subconsciously digest everything you’ve put into it.
The day of the Exam:
- Eat a healthy breakfast. Breakfast provides your son with the energy and nutrients that lead to increased concentration in the exams.
- Be punctual. If your son is late for his exams, his anxiety levels will increase, which then adds to the stress he already experiences.
Make sure he leaves the house in the correct uniform and he is neat, clean shaved and his hair is acceptable. He will be confronted on this when he arrives at school. Again, it will add to his levels of stress. - Ask him how his exam went. By showing interest you build up a relationship of trust with your son. If he says to you that he struggled with the paper, then you need to calm him down and encourage him for the next exam.
L M Erasmus
14th Head Master
