SAC School

NEC ASPERA TERRENT . EMBRACING NEW FRONTIERS

Community Engagement

Tim Barnard on Community Engagement at St Andrew's College

Community Newsletter February 2011

Community Engagement Newsletter April 2011

Community Engagement Newletter July 2011

Community Engagement Newsletter November 2011

Community Engagement Term 1 2011

Inclusion:

In addition to a number of academic scholarships offered at St Andrew’s College, we have been able to include a number of learners over the past years: supported by generous individual donors, as a result of the outstanding fund-raising success by the Jubilee 150 team, and as a result of partnering with significant corporate entities. We look back on the successes of young OAs supported in this manner with great pride. Below are links to some of our scholarship partners.

Student Sponsorship Programme: www.ssp.org.za

Allan Gray Orbis Foundation: www.allangrayorbis.org

Ubuntu Education Fund: www.ubuntufund.org

Investec CSI: www.investec.com

If you have any queries, suggestions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact Tim Barnard (t.barnard@sacschool.com)

The President’s Award:

The President’s Award is part of the international Award for Young People, and is run on precisely the same lines as The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in the UK and Australia, and Awards in 30 other countries. The South African version began in Grahamstown in 1983 and at St Andrew’s College as its pilot, and was then referred to as the Gold Shield Award. It fitted unsurprisingly well with the school’s ethos, for both the Award and College had been influenced by the educational philosophies of the German educationist, Kurt Hahn. Our long association with the Award, the remarkable effects in the lives of our young men, and the connections it offers into our community make the President’s Award an important part of our Community Engagement.

The following is drawn from the Handbook for The International Award for Young People:

“The Award concept is one of individual challenge. It presents to young people a

balanced, non-competitive programme of voluntary activities which encourages

personal discovery and growth, self-reliance, perseverance, responsibility to

themselves and service to their community.”

The Award is divided into 3 levels, Bronze, Silver and Gold, requiring different degrees of commitment. Within each level the participant needs to learn or develop a skill, participate in physical recreation, complete significant service to other people, and take part in an adventurous journey. In addition the Gold level requires the participant to reside outside of their normal community for five days/four nights.

The table below summarises the requirements

	Skills	Physical recreation	Service	Adventurous Journey	Residential project	If bronze/silver not complete
Bronze + 3 months’ of extra skills, physical recreation or service	3 months Any new skill or significant improvement in level of skill eg debating, diving, driving	3 months eg running, any sport, canoeing,	3 months 24 hours, of which only 8 may be to the participant’s own community	1 night, 2 days. Minimum of 6 hours activity per day, if hiking about 24km	-
Silver	6 months	6 months	6 months 48 hours, of which only 16 may be to the participant’s own community	2 nights, 3 days, minimum of 7 hours activity per day, if hiking about 48 km		+ additional 6 months of extra skills, physical recreation or service
Gold	12 months	12 months	12 months 72 hours, of which only 24 may be to the participant’s own community	3 nights, 4 days, minimum of 8 hours activity per day, if hiking about 80 km	5 days/four nights out of normal community eg participation in a youth forum, reading camp, attending another school	+ additional 6 months of extra skills, physical recreation or service

College & Home:

College does its best to facilitate as much of this as is possible, but with over 350 boys enrolled, and very limited free time, it is very difficult for boys to complete their service hours in particular. We encourage boys to complete some of their service to others in their home communities, and organize as much of this for themselves as is possible. For example; assisting at a pre-school, marshalling for a road race, helping with a reading group, working at an animal welfare organization, all would “count” as service. We are delighted when a boy takes initiative during the holidays or weekends and completes some of the requirements on their own, but ask that a supervising adult signs the boy’s card or book at the time.

More information:

I have added a link to the PDF of the Handbook for the Award below. Please do not hesitate to contact Tim Barnard (t.barnard@sacschool.com 0832663928) if you have any queries.

Handbook available at:

www.theaward.bm/sitedocs/Award%20Leader%20Resources/IAA%20English%20Handbook%20-%205th%20Edition.pdf

Community Engagement

President's Award:

This is a youth empowerment programme that is modelled on The Duke of Edin¬burgh’s Award where participants become involved in a variety of activities that promote self-development.
There are three different levels: Bronze (14yrs), Silver (15yrs) and Gold (16yrs), with each level requiring progressively increasing demands to complete. For each award, participants have to complete requirements in four sections, namely,
• service
• expeditions
• skills & interests
• physical recreation.
For the Gold Award, a residential project involving nights away from home is also required.
The criterion for gaining an Award is individual improvement through persistence and achievement. College has a fine tradition of involvement in this internationally recognised programme and many boys have been proud recipients of these awards. A Gold Award is regarded highly by universities and scholarship committees.

Student Sponsorship Programme:
The Student Sponsorship Programme is a South African non-profit trust that enables academically talented, low-income students to excel at the country’s best secondary schools.
SSP selects partner schools (St Andrew's College and DSG are the SSP partner schools in Grahamstown) based on:
• Matriculation rates (high school graduation rates)
• University exemption rates (university admission rates)
• Overall academic excellence
• Opportunities for broad learning experiences beyond the classroom
• Support of school leadership
• Acceptance of a critical mass of SSP Scholars annually
• Appointment of a SSP school co-ordinator
To read more please click on the link below:
http://www.sspsa.org

The G'Town Funk concert was held on 28th of May 2011 in the St Andrews Centenary Hall. It is a fundraising event organised by the pupils from St Andrews College Presidents Award Com and the DSG Interact Board in which they invite other schools to participate along with them in showcasing their talent in a variety concert which they organise. The concert ran smoothly and the pupils who attended appeared to really enjoy it. It was also good to see parents wandering in and out watching their children perform. The adults who attended were struck by the positive and encouraging crowd of pupils who supported the performers encouraging them to show case their talent. It appeared to be a great success and the money raised will go to the Amasango Career School in Grahamstown. Click on the link below to view photos:
http://gallery.saprepschool.com/index.php?/category/222

Good Shepherd Outdoor Project 2010

Mandela Day 2010

Service Club Term 2 - 2010

St Matthew's Hike 2010

Glen Midgley, student teacher aka Froman aka Ronald McDonald, had his bush of hair shaved off on the 1st of October 2010, as a fundraiser for hospice. Glen was a popular student teacher and this was his last day: