World Poetry Day

A Typical Teenager

© Courtney Dailey

Published: March 2011

To be a teenager in a world like this is not as easy as some may think.
Nothing comes easy; life passes you by just as fast as you can blink.
Stepping into high school, is like stepping into another world
There's peer pressure, sex, violence, and too many fights to imagine.
People, who you thought were your friends, are the ones you mainly end up fighting.

To be a teenager in a world like this who the people here, just isn't fair.
They will seem cool face to face, but when things go wrong, they act as if they don't care.
They will judge you whether you're doing something good or doing something wrong.
Talk about you, or even laugh in your face as if you're some dumb song.
You got to be careful who you call your "friend"

To be a teenager in a world like this is nothing new.
Just because I have never done drugs, doesn't mean I'm not cool.
I barely get into it with people around me.
But, just because I'm not a fighter doesn't make me weak.
Mama always told me to think before I speak.

To be a teenager in a world like this is what I never thought I'd be like.
Me focusing hard in class, and making good grades is not as easy as riding a bike.
Some, who've seen me, may think I'm quiet.
But, that doesn't mean I don't speak up for what's right.
I'm just a regular teenage girl who's just trying to make it out of high school alright.

Source: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/a-typical-teenager

Learners read in 2012 ... 

Wise words ...

Kgosana Moeketsi

'n Vinnige Vrydag-terugflits - 2016 en 2018

    Mordicai Cau het 'n goue medalje vir die
hoogspring S/17 gekry met 'n hoogte van 1.85!
Hier verskyn die glimlaggende hoogspringer
saam met mnr. Vernon Harding wat ooggetuie
van die hoogte was.

'n Paar foto's van mnr. en mev. Harding wat op die punt is om hulle wortels by HTS Welkom uit te trek. 

Mag die nuwe hoofstuk in hulle lewe vol vreugde en seëninge wees. Dankie vir die saad wat julle in die lewens van Tekkies gesaai het.

Viva aftrede.

Mev. Alet Harding se twee regterhande by die

atletiek is Junior Rantso en Dijane Motseki!

Op 13 Desember 2018 is daar van mnr. Vernon
Harding afskeid geneem. Na 7 jaar se positiewe
insette by die skool, het HTS hom met sy leuse
gegroet: "Sapientia Aurum Que E Profundis"

Mev. Alet Harding se groeteboodskap aan die leerders ...

Wise words ...

 Kearabetswe Tilo, Nhlanhla Radebe and Andile Tshibiyane

Wise words ...

Kgosana Moeketsi, Mthuthuzeli Matholengwe and Alex Manise

Wise words ...

Matrieks 2020 - werkswinkelgroep

Wise words ...

Mr Pieter Swanepoel and Siyabonga Nyathi

Tekkies in aksie ...

Foto: Tyrell Bazley

Benefits of Taking Math Outside ...

Superman is giving extra classes on a Saturday!! 

1. The fresh air and sun is good for their health.

Being outside can increase the levels of serotonin and dopamine in the brain, helping the learners to be happier and less stressed.

Because there is no black board, the concentration is much higher.

2. A change of scenery can be motivating.

Sometimes just a change from the normal, everyday can be exciting and fun for learners. I personally saw greater engagement and participation from high school learners when we worked outside.

RYLA is an intensive leadership experience ...

RYLA is a leadership program coordinated by Rotary Clubs and Districts around the globe. Each year thousands of young people are sponsored by local Rotary Clubs to participate in RYLA programs around the world.

Do you have what it takes to become a dynamic leader and change yourself and the world?

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is an intensive leadership experience organized by Rotary clubs and districts where you develop your skills as a leader while having fun and making connections.

What are the benefits?

Mthuthuzeli Matholengwe from HTS Welkom

Connect with leaders in your community and around the world to: 

Build communication and problem-solving

skills

Discover strategies for becoming a dynamic

leader in your school or community

Learn from community leaders, inspirational

speakers, and peer mentors

Unlock your potential to turn motivation

into action

Have fun and form lasting friendships

Mthuthuzeli Matholengwe and a Rotary Camp

Mthuthuzeli: "I never knew that a profound and powerful bond could be made within just four days, but I learnt, witnessed and felt it. And what made the camp even more fun and worth enjoying, was the people I spent time with.
At first, I contemplated not going to the camp due to academic duties but I'm glad I went anyway. Because during these four days I found and developed myself, but most importantly I grew as a leader."

A bronze medal ...

And we have a medal ... Bronze in 110m hurdles. Congratulations, Unathi Kula, we are very proud of you!

'n Opgewonde Tekkie-hokkiespan ...

Die klomp se gesigte spreek boekdele ... Hulle het Afrikaans Hoër Kroonstad met 1-0 gewen!

Tekkie athletes ...

Read this article here.

Gaan koop die nuwe Enthooz ...

En gaan lees gerus van die verskuilde talent onder HTS se personeel!

HTS se sonneblom ...

Foto: Vernon Harding

Johan Herbst het 'n ongelooflike opening met die personeel gedeel waar hy die lewe van 'n sonneblom vergelyk met dié van die mens. Hy het nege sonneblomme in sy tuin geplant. Hulle het dieselfde bemesting, water en aandag gekry,  maar die diepte verskil. En dan trek hy hierdie omstandighede deur na ons as mense -  die diepte van ons probleme en uitdagings verskil. Daarom reageer ons net soos die sonneblom ook verskillend.

Soggens vroeg, voor die son opkom, draai die sonneblom reeds sy kop na die son - dit wag as't ware die dag in - so moet ons as mens ook die nuwe dag inwag - met ons koppe gedraai na die Bron van energie - gereed vir dit wat die dag ookal mag oplewer.

As die saad gereed is, hang die sonneblom se kop, sodat die saad op die grond kan val en daar weer nuwe lewe kan voortspruit. So moet ons ook ons saad van kennis, geloof, omgee en naasteliefde in ander plant, sodat dit kan voortspruit.

Hierdie sonneblom het Johan vir Alet Harding gegee - HTS se sonneblom vir 2020 met die wense dat die saad van kennis wat sy die afgelope 36 in ander gesaai het, groot vrug sal dra. 

Five Strategies to Help Improve Students’ Reading Levels

The ability for a student to read on his or her grade level is one of the most important skills gained in school, as reading abilities are necessary for nearly every subject and every career.

That’s why, once a student has been identified as needing to improve his or her reading level, teachers must act quickly to keep him or her from falling even farther behind. If that’s the situation you find yourself in right now, you’ve come to the right place.

The five strategies below can help improve a student’s reading levels, address a student’s problems with reading, and also help prevent the student from falling behind in his or her reading level.

Read all the time

The more students read, the more likely they will see their reading levels go up. Make reading something the student does as often as possible. In the classroom, for example, reading should not be limited to language arts or silent reading time. Reading should happen during math, science, art, physical education, social studies, and anytime learning is taking place. This will help expose students to multiple types of texts and show them that reading connects to everything they are learning.

Reading also should happen outside of school. This can be a challenge for students who come from a home where adults struggle with reading or even a home without books. As much as you can, try to work with parents to help them understand the importance of reading and encourage them to read with their children or let their children read to them. For students without books in the home, encourage their families to check out books from the school library or from the classroom library.

Read out loud

Students who struggle with reading may benefit from hearing others read. Try incorporating daily read-aloud sessions in the classroom so students can hear the traits of a strong reader and focus on key vocabulary words or elements of a story in a different way. No matter what grade students are in or at what level of reading they are, they may really benefit from a read-aloud session.

In addition to reading to students, give them the opportunity to read out loud. By hearing a student read out loud, you might more easily identify and address problem areas. Your student may even hear problems when they read-aloud and automatically correct those errors they didn’t realize they were making.

Read it again

Here’s a good reminder for all educators: students don’t always have to read a new page or chapter every time they pick up the same book. Re-reading the same sections over again can help a student become more comfortable with his or her reading abilities and help them become more familiar with key vocabulary words. Re-reading sentences and paragraphs of a story can also help students clear up confusion, correct errors, or discover something they missed the first time.
Talk about reading

Teaching students to talk about what they have read can also help improve their reading levels. As your students make predictions, answer clarifying questions, and analyze what they are reading, they learn to ask questions as they read and build skills to improve comprehension. Talking about reading can be in the form of a formal assessment, such as a specific set of questions for students to answer, or an informal discussion among peers. Simply asking a child what they thought about a book or to share their favorite part of a book can be truly beneficial.

Find the right book

Sometimes a student’s biggest problem when it comes to reading is that reading simply isn’t fun. This may be because the student is not reading books at an appropriate level or because he or she is not reading books that interest them. In other words, if your student says reading is boring, they may just need a new book. Look for something that fits your student’s reading level and their interests—it may just be the one book that transforms their passion for reading.

[By The Room 241 Team - https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/classroom-resources/five-strategies-to-help-improve-students-reading-levels/]

This is Shrek ...

This is Shrek the sheep. He became famous several years ago when he was found after hiding out in caves for six years. Of course, during this time his fleece grew without anyone there to shorn (shave) it. When he was finally found and shaved, his fleece weighed an amazing sixty pounds. Most sheep have a fleece weighing just under ten pounds, with the exception usually reaching fifteen pounds, maximum. For six years, Shrek carried six times the regular weight of his fleece. Simply because he was away from his shepherd.

    This reminds me of John 10 when Jesus compares Himself to a shepherd, and His followers are His sheep. Maybe it’s a stretch, but I think Shrek is much like a person who knows Jesus Christ but has wandered. If we avoid Christ’s constant refining of our character, we’re going to accumulate extra weight in this world—a weight we don’t have to bear.

    When Shrek was found, a professional sheep shearer took care of Shrek’s fleece in twenty-eight minutes. Shrek’s sixty pound fleece was finally removed - enough wool to make suits for 20 men!  All it took was coming home to his shepherd.

    I believe Christ can lift the burdens we carry, if only we stop hiding. He can shave off our ‘fleece’—that is, our self-imposed burdens brought about by wandering from our Good Shepherd.

    “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

[Thank you, JD van den Berg for sharing this with us.]

February ... be there or be told ...

February, the month of love. Often people share love in this month, but I consider February as a month of love and fellowship. You can't have love without fellowship. These are the two essential things that must exist in our lives. We can't have a month of love without celebrating for it. Therefore, I have decided to host an event where we will not only share love, but we will also fellowship. It is time for us as HTS boys to care for one another and this event will bring us care and fellowship within ourselves. Catch me as your organizer and the rest of the organising committee there.

Date: 28 February

Time: 15h00-18h00

 #Be There Or Be Told

Valentynsbloedskenkprojek

One of the most difficult professions ...

Dankie, Lindie dat jy hierdie met ons deel! Baie waar woorde! 

A POST-VALENTINE GET-TOGETHER ...

Save the date!! Be there and take part ...

Alex Manise - the man in charge ...

I introduced the children to two apples ...

Today in one of our classes I introduced the children to two apples (the children didn't know this, but before the class I had repeatedly dropped one of the apples on the floor, you couldn't tell, both apples looked perfect). We talked about the apples and the children described how both apples looked the same; both were red, were of similar size and looked juicy enough to eat.

I picked up the apple I'd dropped on the floor and started to tell the children how I disliked this apple, that I thought it was disgusting, it was a horrible colour and the stem was just too short. I told them that because I didn't like it, I didn't want them to like it either, so they should call it names too.

Some children looked at me like I was insane, but we passed the apple around the circle calling it names, 'you're a smelly apple', 'I don't even know why you exist', 'you've probably got worms inside you' etc.

We really pulled this poor apple apart. I actually started to feel sorry for the little guy.

We then passed another apple around and started to say kind words to it, 'You're a lovely apple', 'Your skin is beautiful', 'What a beautiful colour you are' etc.

I then held up both apples, and again, we talked about the similarities and differences, there was no change, both apples still looked the same.

I then cut the apples open. The apple we'd been kind to was clear, fresh and juicy inside.

The apple we'd said unkind words to was bruised and all mushy inside.

I think there was a lightbulb moment for the children immediately. They really got it, what we saw inside that apple, the bruises, the mush and the broken bits is what is happening inside every one of us when someone mistreats us with their words or actions.

When people are bullied, especially children, they feel horrible inside and sometimes don't show or tell others how they are feeling. If we hadn't have cut that apple open, we would never have known how much pain we had caused it.

I shared my own experience of suffering someone's unkind words last week. On the outside I looked OK, I was still smiling. But, on the inside someone had caused me a lot of pain with their words and I was hurting.

Unlike an apple, we have the ability to stop this from happening. We can teach children that it's not ok to say unkind things to each other and discuss how it makes others feel. We can teach our children to stand up for each other and to stop any form of bullying, just as one little girl did today when she refused to say unkind words to the apple.

More and more hurt and damage happens inside if nobody does anything to stop the bullying. Let's create a generation of kind, caring children.

The tongue has no bones, but is strong enough to break a heart. So be careful with your words.

[Thanks for sharing, Marlene Viljoen]

Die tegniese lanseervergadering ...

Wat is 'n "start up"-vergadering in Afrikaans? Dalk 'n lanseervergadering??

Wel, as die redaksie so na die gesigte van die Tekkie-personeel kyk, dan lyk dit of die lanseerpoging die teiken getref het! Mnre. JD van den Berg, Francois Crauwcamp, Henk van Vuuren, Pieter Swanepoel, Fanie Pretorius en die kameraman - Erick Litjamela. Die enigste roos tussen die dorings is me.  Aletta Makgitla, 

Boomplantdag 1995 ...

Die graad 8's (standerd 6)  moes gate grawe vir
boomplantdag 1995. Daar is besluit op sitrusbome
omdat hulle immergroen is. En daarna het die
matrieks met groot fanfare die bome geplant.
Een van die bome is deur mev. Mariëtte de Witt
geskenk - 'n skeinatonderwyseres by HTS.

Foto's: Alda Welman (1995 en 2020)

Die bome in 2020!

Om 'n boom te plant, is om koelte (vrugte)
vir hulle te gee wat na jou kom.

'n Wiskundige formule vir Valentynsdag ...

Valentynsdag 2020

Wees soos 'n boom ... 'n Valentynsboom ... wat omgee- en liefde- en naasteliefde vrugte elke dag dra ...nie net op 14 Februarie nie. Gelukkige Valentynsdag!

HTS-mentorklub

Elias Samuel ...

Dit is altyd lekker om van oudleerders te hoor. Elias Samuel het so twee weke terug by 'n diplomaplegtigheid in Johannesburg sy diploma in HTD gekry en 20 April gaan hy in Bloemfontein by CUT sy HRM-graad ontvang. Om twee gradeplegtighede in 3 maande by te woon, getuig van baie harde werk.

Elias Samuel was HTS, sowel as Huis Gratia, se hoofseun in 2008. Hy het vir die eerste span rugby gespeel, maar nooit sy skoolwerk afgeskeep nie. Elias was en is nog steeds 'n gebalanseerde harde werker. Volgende jaar lê die MBA-graad vir hom en loer. Gemeenskapswerk was ook hoog op sy prioriteitslysie. Hy het tyd gemaak vir Relay for life, Kansa en 'n groentetuin in Hanipark. Skoolvakansies het hy en Sibusiso Tshabalala hulle tuinmaaktalente in die koshuis se tuin geslyp. 'n Leier wat altyd in stilte gewerk het ... 'n leier wie se dade baie hard gepraat het ... 'n leier wat vandag die vrugte van sy harde werk kan geniet! 
 

Please, we need your vote ...

Respect ...

Let Go and allow God ...

We always wonder why our prayers don't get answered.
We wonder as Christians why things never go our way ...

Problem is ...

God can never reach out to you if you are in an unclean space with unclean deeds.
Let go and allow your Lord to redeem thee.

Let go and allow God to be the first in your life ...

Let go and allow God ...

[Thank you, Shaun Mmutsi]

Impossible ...