WEEKLY LEAFLET 9
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The week has brought a welcome coolness and excitement is stirring for the upcoming Class 12 play, Musical Comedy Murder Mystery, promising laughter and intrigue. Around the school, students have been engaged in crafting and creating, preparing for the beauty of our Harvest Festival, a celebration of abundance and community.
This week also saw the student forum elections take place, and our stationery shelves have been freshly restocked. As Eid-al-Fitr approaches, we extend our warmest wishes to all who celebrate, may it be a joyful and meaningful time.
I hope you have a great weekend.
Kyle Snapper
Marketing
Below is an overview of the meetings, events, and activities happening around the school next week.
23 to 26
March
Class 12 Play
Musical Comedy Murder Mystery
7:00pm to 8:30pm
Class 12 presents a suspenseful, twist filled play at 7pm on 23 to 26 March, with entry by donation.
25
March
Trustee Meeting
6:00pm to 9:30pm
A meeting of the Trustees, taking place in the upstairs meeting room.
25
March
PS Parent Forum Meeting
7:00pm to 9:00pm
Parents and faculty meet in the meeting room to share ideas and support the smooth running of the Primary School.
26
March
PG & KG End of Term 1
11:00am
Playgroup and Kindergarten mark their final day of Term 1, bringing the term to a gentle close.
26
March
PS Harvest Festival Early Closing
12:30pm
With the Harvest Festival taking place, Primary School will finish early on this day.
27
March
PS & HS End of Term 1
11:30pm
Primary School and High School reach the final day of Term 1, closing the term and looking ahead to the upcoming break.
27
March
Market Day
11:30pm to 2:00pm
Our weekly market takes place every Friday at the school entrance.
27
March
Dads, Dudes & Kids Camp
Friday to Sunday
A weekend camp for dads, dudes, and kids featuring outdoor activities, farm fun, and community time at Petervale Farm.
As we approach our Harvest Festival this year, the children will hear the story of Happy-go-Lucky Simon. It is a simple tale about a farmer who always seems cheerful and generous, even though he works harder than everyone else in his village. While the other farmers only do what is necessary, Simon goes much further: he buries old wood in the earth, builds compost heaps, digs ponds to hold water, and sings while he works. His neighbours cannot understand why he spends so much effort on things that appear unnecessary.
When a time of drought arrives, however, something remarkable happens. Simon’s land remains green and fertile while the others struggle. The hidden work he has done beneath the surface, building humus, holding water in the soil, and nurturing the land becomes the source of resilience and abundance. What once seemed like extra work reveals itself as quiet preparation for the future.
The story offers a beautiful image for the meaning of the Harvest Festival. Just as compost transforms slowly underground into rich soil, many of the most important human qualities also develop quietly and unseen: patience, kindness, generosity, and perseverance. Harvest time reminds us that what we cultivate inwardly eventually appears outwardly in the life around us.
Simon’s relationship with the earth also shows how human beings can act as caretakers of the natural world. When he gives generously to the land, the land gives back. When the other farmers begin to follow his example, the prosperity of the harvest becomes something shared by the whole community rather than belonging only to one individual.
In this way, the festival reminds us that harvest is not only about gathering food from the fields, but also about recognising the inner fruits that grow within us. Much of the work we do as teachers, parents, and human beings is unseen, just like the organic matter that slowly becomes fertile soil beneath the earth. Yet through care, patience, and kindness, these quiet efforts become the living ground from which wisdom, compassion, and strength can grow.
Harvest invites us to pause in gratitude and remember that the richest growth often comes from the quiet processes beneath the surface, both in nature and in the human soul.
Next week, our Class 12 students take to the stage in a thrilling production full of intrigue, suspense, and unexpected twists. Lulu Haarhoff van Vollenhoven, a devoted patron of the arts, has devised a clever plan to trap the killer of three dancers. Using the promise of funding for a new production, she invites a group of possible suspects to her grand home.
But when a fierce Cape storm floods the roads, the guests find themselves trapped and isolated. More murders, mix-ups, and surprises ensue, turning the day into a whirlwind of muddled mayhem.
The play will be performed at 7pm on the 23rd, 24th, 25th, and 26th of March. Entry is by donation. Come and enjoy an evening of suspense, drama, and the remarkable talent of our Class 12 students.
As we begin to imagine the beautiful creations for the 2026 Michael Oak Fair, we would like to share our crafting intentions for the year ahead.
In recent years, many of us have felt the weight of expectation—the pressure to produce more, attend every craft day, and ensure a high standard. While our hands have been busy, our hearts have sometimes felt overwhelmed.
This year, we choose a different path. One where we listen inwardly to what we can manage, honour our capacity, and hold clear, gentle boundaries. We remember that we craft for two reasons.
Firstly, for the children. Everything we create is woven with love to enrich their school, strengthen their community, and model meaningful work. Through crafting, we learn and practise skills, often the very same skills our children are learning, deepening our connection to their experience.
Secondly, we craft to build community through connection, shared moments, and the simple rhythm of working together.
Let us come together to craft in joy, for our children and our community.
Each person is warmly invited to contribute what they can. Fewer, thoughtfully made items created in joy hold more value than many made in stress. The spirit in which something is made lives on within it – may ours be filled with warmth and care.
If crafting is not possible, there are some other ways you can support. Please let your classlink know and we can find you another meaningful and manageable task towards the Fair.
May our crafting feel lighter and more meaningful as we prepare for the 2026 Michael Oak Fair.
We hope to see you this Saturday the 21st of March from 10:00 to 13:00 at our second craft day.
The Class 6 Fair Committee
By Helen O'Hagan
We were very touched to hear that the Skukuza Research Centre in Kruger wanted to name their library after my dad, Prof. William Bond, after he passed away on the 4th of December last year. He was a parent of three children who went through Michael Oak as well as being husband to my mother, Mrs. Bond, who taught here for 27 years, so I was asked to share about this event of honouring of him.
They invited us up to Kruger for a ceremonial evening on the 5th of March to remember my dad and name the library. My father was a world-renowned scientist, working on fire ecology and savannahs. He was working passionately on trying to help the world understand how important open ecosystems, grasslands and savannas are and the positive role fire and herbivores play in creating and maintaining these spaces. He was trying (successfully) to debunk the myth that planting trees is the most successful way to save the planet. He was showing how grasslands store more CO2 in their roots than trees and how much damage is currently being done by planting the wrong trees in the wrong places. This is being used as a way for companies/countries to tick their green boxes and look ‘eco-friendly’ and pay off European carbon emissions, while actually destroying African landscapes and ecosystems.
If you are interested have a look on my dad’s website, openecosystems.co.za. To view a short video my dad created a few years back to share about the importance of grasslands with people: The Untold Story of Grasses.
The event was held outside on a hot humid evening; it was the last night of the annual Savannas of the World conference that my dad had regularly been a speaker at. Initially 40 people had been invited but once the word got out that it would be a moment to remember my dad; ±140 people flew in to attend, from many different countries in the world.
As everyone was arriving a big elephant came and walked slowly along the fence, grazing right next to where we were gathering! This set the tone for a very special evening.
It was incredibly moving to hear speeches by people whom I had only known through my dad’s wonderful stories of them from his travels, and to have it sink in that that all those ‘story’ characters were very real people who knew my dad well and who treasured him. With his contacts spread out all over the world I had had very little opportunity to meet them before.
It was a gift to hear other people put into words someone who I loved so dearly, and to hear them do so with such insight, humour and love. It was also lovely to be surrounded by people with similar interests to him and who shared a deep care for the world.
We were treated as VIPS, and we were taken on many game drives by knowledgeable, lovely young scientists who are running research courses in the area. I was so inspired by the work that is happening up there, the camps and the courses that they are running, not only for university students but high school students too… I am very keen to collaborate with them.
It was special to connect with a place that my father had played quite an important role in, and a place he enjoyed being. And of course, just being in Kruger for my first time was a treat, accompanied by my two daughters Ellena and Amelie, and my mom and aunty.
Helen O’Hagan
Class 2 Teacher
This year marks the first time that Michael Oak has participated in the Mathematics Olympiad. The first round took place on 12 March, with the second round set to take place in May. We are delighted that four of our students have qualified to continue to the next stage: Juliet Winks, James McKinney, Julian Barret and Fynn Campbell. We wish them all the very best as they prepare for round two.
In preparation for the Harvest Festival, the Class 5 students made flower pictures using tissue paper. Working from a reference image, each child interpreted the flower in their own way by sticking coloured tissue onto a sheet of paper. When the finished pictures are held up to the window, the light shines through the layers, revealing new detail and bringing the colours to life.
In our last Leaflet, we detailed the steps of making a Viking bracelet. Now, we invite you to feel the rhythm of the work. This video captures the sensory experience of the classroom, the precision of the weaving, the strength required to pull the wire through the wooden board and the quiet satisfaction of a job well done. It’s a wonderful glimpse into the hands-on learning that brings Norse mythology to life.
In preparation for the Harvest Festival, the Class 5 students made flower pictures using tissue paper. Working from a reference image, each child interpreted the flower in their own way by sticking coloured tissue onto a sheet of paper. When the finished pictures are held up to the window, the light shines through the layers, revealing new detail and bringing the colours to life.
The Class 8 students have been studying the Industrial Revolution and brought it to life through charcoal drawing. They began by covering their pages in grey, working with their hands to create texture, and then used erasers to add intricate details. The final results were striking images of factories, echoing the era’s smoke and industry. Charcoal was a fitting medium, reflecting the importance of coal during this transformative period.
Democracy came to life this week as our school held its annual Student Forum elections, with students enthusiastically taking on the role of voters to choose their new representatives. The process mirrored a real national election: each student received an official ballot paper, marked their choice in private, and deposited it into a secure ballot box. To complete the authentic experience and ensure the integrity of the vote, every participant received a mark on their thumb after casting their ballot. It was a fantastic display of civic engagement, teaching students the value of their voice and the importance of the democratic process in a fun and memorable way. We look forward to announcing the newly elected forum members and seeing them represent their peers with pride.
Every great performance needs a great stage, and for almost 20 years, Chris Mathimba has been the quiet, skilled force behind them. Since 2007, he has worked tirelessly on every major play set, transforming our hall into worlds of imagination and providing the perfect foundation for countless students to shine.
Chris says his favourite set to work on was for Twelfth Night, while the most complex set he has ever worked on is for this year’s Class 12 play, Musical Comedy Murder Mystery. Once again, he has brought the story to life with his skill and dedication. From all of us, thank you, Chris, for your artistry and craftsmanship.
All Extramural Sports will proceed as scheduled, even in the event of hot or rainy weather. On these days, sessions will be moved indoors to a hall or classroom setting, where coaches will focus on the theoretical components of the sport. Parents who prefer not to have their child participate in the indoor session are welcome to collect them at the end of the regular academic school day.
We’ve just restocked our favourite stationery essentials:
✒️ Fountain pens
🎨 Stockmar coloured pencils (12 & 24 packs)
🖍️ Lyra coloured pencils (12 packs)
🌈 Crayon blocks (8 packs)
✨ Crayon sticks (12 & 16 packs)
All Stationery is available from reception.
Michael Oak Waldorf School is looking for a registered residential property valuation professional to do a valuation on one of the school properties in order to lodge an objection to the value placed on the property in the General Valuation Roll 2025. If there is one in the school community that can assist please contact Mohamed Abbas on 083 282 9743 for further information.
There are leftover materials from the construction of the high school staff room available for sale in Kenilworth, one door frame and 8 window frames with glazing beads and glass, all pine, all unused, voetstoots:
R 975.00.
Contact Wilfred – 078 006 4765
Mark your calendars and keep an eye out for what’s coming up at Michael Oak.
Upcoming Crafting Days
See poster for dates
High School Harvest Festival
16 to 27 March
Big Walk
9 May
We are constantly striving to make the Leaflet a more vibrant and meaningful way for our community to connect, share, and celebrate the life of our school. Your thoughts, stories, and contributions help us shape each edition, ensuring it reflects the creativity, warmth, and spirit of everyone involved. Whether you have feedback to share or an article to submit, your voice is an important part of making the Leaflet a true reflection of our community.
We Wish You All A Wonderful Week Ahead!!
A supportive in person process group for mothers seeking greater self understanding, emotional resilience, and connection. Through mindfulness, expressive art, and somatic practices, participants explore the patterns of their nervous system, deepen their capacity for self compassion, and discover practical ways to navigate the challenges of parenting with greater awareness and confidence.
The Makery is offering a series of Winter Holiday Craft Workshops filled with creativity, and hands on making. Children can enjoy a variety of morning workshops, from biscuit decorating and origami mobiles to wooden wind spinners and string pictures, all in a warm and creative atmosphere.
Join us for our annual LIVE AUCTION fundraiser at Cape Point Vineyards on Friday, 12 June 2026 at 6:30pm. An evening of community, celebration, and fundraising in support of our school.
Step into the magic of The Fisherman and the Magic Fish, a delightful 30-minute puppet show designed for children aged 4 and up. Perfect for a family outing, this heartwarming tale comes to life with charm and wonder.
Tickets sold at the entrance on the day: R30 per adult, R20 per child
Venue: Novalis Ubuntu, 39 Rosmead Avenue, Wynberg 7800
Join Dr James Dyson for a thought provoking two part talk exploring the spiritual dimensions of human relationships through the lens of Anthroposophy. Drawing on his extensive experience in medicine, psychology, and Rudolf Steiner’s teachings, Dr Dyson offers a holistic perspective on human encounter as a path of inner development and meaningful connection. Donations at the door will support the Southern Cross Eurythmy Therapy Training.
These lectures are all open to the public.
0769047632
juliaoleary021@gmail.com
or Liz Smith (liz@quella.co.za).
Round up a team of friends and join in for an evening of fun, laughter, and friendly competition at Quiz Night on Friday, 19 June. Teams of 4 or 5 players are invited to test their knowledge while enjoying food, drinks, and a lively atmosphere.
Step into a night of glitter, throwback tunes, and 2000s nostalgia at the Class 9 party fundraiser. From iconic fashion to unforgettable hits, it promises an evening of music, dancing, and celebration, with the Football World Cup game streaming live on the big screen.
Join a day of community, connection, and family fun at the Christian Community Family Fair. Enjoy a welcoming atmosphere with activities, entertainment, food, and opportunities to gather with friends and neighbours. All are welcome.
The How to Love course developed by Dr Tessabella Lovemore is now available in Afrikaans for the first time. It is an online course of 12 lessons over 12 months. “These 12 lessons have made a significant change in the way I relate to people, loved ones, colleagues, and strangers.”
Cobie Roelvert
A series of 6 Eurythmy sessions covering the child’s development from three to thirteen as a musical journey. Understand the child (or look back on your own childhood) through dance and song and experience how children’s needs change.
What happens when a strawberry gets run over crossing the street?
Traffic jam.
