1. Southern Cross Schools
PO Box 116
Southern Cross Schools
Hoedspruit
1380
Phone: 015 793 0590
E-mail: raptor@scschools.co.za
Weekly Newsletter 21 of 2011
School for the Planet Special Edition-Week 1 of July 2011
SCS Exchange Group Arrives in Germany
A Peek at Last Week … into silence as the long trip took its toll and everyone
nodded off to sleep. A certain amount of apprehension
• SCS academic progress reports permeated the atmosphere on arrival at our host school.
were ready for collection from This soon disappeared as each learner’s host family intro-
the school’s front office at duced themselves with friendly smiles, handshakes and
15h00 on Tuesday 28 June. hugs. Soon everyone had been whisked away to the
homes of their hosts and were experiencing firsthand
• E-mail copies of reports were
various aspects of German culture and lifestyle. Exciting
sent to boarder parents and
those parents who requested times, indeed.
copies by e-mail.
• The Germany Exchange Group
from SCS departed from OR
Tambo Airport at 18h45 on
Saturday 2 July. After a long overnight flight from OR Tambo Airport to
Frankfurt Airport, our exchange group arrived in Ger-
• The Germany Exchange Group
many early on Sunday 3 July. The group was met by Mr
arrived safely at Frankfurt Michael Dohrmann, the representative of the Rhön Bio-
Airport on Sunday 3 July. sphere and Mr Friedrich Steigerwald, the Headmaster of
• Clearing of our new sports fields Martin Pollich Gymnasium. The two hour trip to Mellrich-
got underway on Monday 4 July. stadt started with excited chatter as everyone took in the
German landscape for the first time and then slowly faded
Rekindled Friendships
There was great joy and laughter as Hannah Sopp and the
Important Dates: Southern Cross learners met in the
car park of the Martin Pollich Gym-
SCS / Rhön Exchange
nasium. Hannah spent three
Group head off on 08
months at SCS in 2010. She was a
bike rides in Rhön July great ambassador for her school
Biosphere Reserve. and her country while she was in
South Africa. In the photo left Lau-
SCS / Rhön Exchange
ren Dold, Emma Smith and Precious
Group fly from Frank- 21
Ratshana can be seen with Hannah
furt back to South July shortly after arriving in Germany.
Africa.
Warm Welcome in Cold Germany
SCS learners partici- 22 with all concerned. Everyone socialized over dinner
pate in Tritech compe- July Despite the cold and got to know each other a little better. Some basic
tition in Tzaneen. weather on arrival in information about the next day was shared with the
Germany, the SCS group after which everyone went home with their
Germany Exchange 22 group was warmly wel- hosts.
Group returns to SA. July comed by their hosts.
After spending the af-
Boarders return from 24 ternoon at their new
15h00. July temporary homes and
First day of lessons of 24
catching up on some
much needed sleep,
Term 3 from 07h15. July
everyone met at one of
An SCS team will be the Rhön Biosphere
participating in the 26
Reserve venues. A
“braai” German-style
Hip2Bsquare competi- July
was dinner which went
tion in Tzaneen.
down extremely well

2. School for the Planet - Being Introduced to the Rhön Biosphere Reserve
Southern Cross Schools
PO Box 116
Hoedspruit
Limpopo
1380
Phone: 015 793 0590
Fax: 086 530 5153
E-mail:
raptor@scschools.co.za
On Monday 4 July the SCS Exchange Group accompanied
by their hosts went to one of the information centres of
the Rhön Biosphere Reserve. At the centre Mr Michael
Dohrmann gave them important and interesting informa-
tion about the biosphere. This was followed by a trip to the
SCS PA Events: core zone of the biosphere where the group spent the
morning playing a variety of games which were aimed at
The SCS Parent Association
everyone getting to know each other better. By lunch time
has a number of fundraising
everyone was well acquainted and ready for nourishment.
events lined up:
• 5 August - Night of a Hun-
dred Lots;
• 26 August - Spring Walk;
• 30 Sept to 2 Oct - Sustain-
able Living Festival;
• 12 Nov - SCS Golf Day
Support our PA in these fun
events to raise funds for
school development projects.
. za
ls .co STEPPING THROUGH THE “IRON CURTAIN”
c ho o
sss
n cr o Standing at the site where East and West Germany were divided
her by the “Iron Curtain” during the Cold War was a humbling ex-
out
w.s perience. In the photographs one of the East German guard
ww
towers, that dotted the entire border separating the country, can be seen. On the right Lauren, Mat-
thew, Nick and Dylan pose alongside a border marker. These markers were set up about thirty metres
from the fence and anyone coming as close as the markers was arrested and potentially imprisoned.
Thank You:
The SCS staff and learners Remnants of a Nazi Work Camp
on exchange in Germany are In the core zone of the Rhön Bio-
extremely grateful to all the sphere Reserve there are remnants of
a Nazi Work Camp. These camps
people who are hosting them were established in various places
in Germany. Their hospitality around Germany during Nazi rule and
and kindness has been truly young people were required to spend
overwhelming. We trust that time in these camps doing work for
the state. In this particular area young
there will be an opportunity
men worked at clearing fields of basalt
to reciprocate in the near rocks and planting spruce trees as
future. wind breaks around the cleared fields.
The government envisaged planting
grain crops in the area, but the project
failed because the higher altitude
meant colder average temperatures
and so the crops failed. The picture
shows a side entrance to the camp
that has since disappeared.