Dutch Students Visit Aberdeen Primary

(fltr) Robin, Malinde, Kirsten & Marianne

Four students from a teacher training college in The Netherlands have been on an educational visit to Aberdeen recently. As part of their studies, the students are required to spend two weeks researching language education in another country. While most of their classmates took the easy option and visited neighbouring European countries, these four enterprising young ladies made the trip all the way to South Africa!
When asked why they chose South Africa - and Aberdeen in particular - their reply was unanimous: a desire to see another part of the world and experience a different culture. Aberdeen was chosen as Marianne’s aunt lives in the area and the girls have been fortunate to stay in the beautiful tranquility of the Kriegershoek Nature Reserve.
They were welcomed by the principal of Aberdeen Primary, Mr Minnaar, and have been very impressed by both the teachers and learners at the school. They have found the children to be well-behaved , showing a commendable respect for their teachers – this is unfortunately not always the case in European schools!
Just before they left home, Holland had had a lot of snow, so the hot and dry Karoo took some getting used to! All the students commented on the beauty of the landscape, the wide open spaces, and the friendliness of the people, and hope to visit Aberdeen again. The ladies would like to thank Aberdeen Primary for their willingness to have four visitors in the classrooms at what is a very busy time of year and also Arpana and Bert of Kriegershoek for their wonderful hospitality.

Article By: Sue Shaw

First Week At Big School 2011!

The three Aberdeen primary schools welcomed a total of 181 new learners in Grade 8 last week.

Luxolo’s Grade 1 teacher, Mrs SL Vaster, was firmly in control of her 40 little ones – no easy task! – and they were carefully colouring in pictures. This is the largest Grade 1 class in Aberdeen but Mrs Vaster, with over 20 years experience of teaching Grade 1's, took it all in her stride.

At Camdeboo Primary there are three Grade 1 classes, with a total of 97 children. Mrs de Jager’s class proudly displayed their names for the photographs, Mrs Minnaar quickly rearranged her classroom and Mrs Heinz’s large class of 36 were swiftly and efficiently organized.

Aberdeen Primary has 44 little ones, and they are fortunate to be able to have them divided into two classes. Mrs Adonis’ class, 1B, were ready with huge smiles and a great big “cheese” for the photographs while being very neatly dressed. Mrs Basson’s class, 1A, are fortunate to have two students from the Netherlands helping, and they were in neat lines of boys and girls in very quick time! Mrs Basson was also able to leave them waiting in absolute silence for her return!
All the new Grade1’s and their parents are wished a happy, productive and successful year ahead.

Article By: Sue Shaw

Soccer Clubs Give Back to the Community

On a hot summer’s day at the end of December, close to 60 young soccer players were up at 5am – not to play soccer, but to give something back to the community. These youngsters are all involved in the community development projects coordinated by Luvo Jacobs, and greatly enjoy playing in the soccer tournaments which are organized over the holiday periods. They decided that they would like to say thank you to the community for supporting and sponsoring them, in particular those businesses and individuals who sponsored the Mloza Soccer Tournament in December.

This "thank you" took the form of community work, and, after much discussion, the officials decided that their project for December would be to clean up the cemetery in Lotusville. The players worked very hard, and were justifiably proud of their hard work at the end of a long and tiring day. They are to be commended for their initiative and enthusiasm, and their willingness to “give something back” – a refreshing change from the all-too-common expectations of “everything-for-nothing”!

Mr Jacobs would particularly like to thank Standathu Skosana, who has been involved in the community projects from the beginning and continues to support the initiatives. On this occasion he sponsored refreshments for the hard-working youngsters, which was greatly appreciated.

The next project the players would like to tackle is the tidying up of the Aberdeen town cemetery, as they have seen for themselves the dreadful state it is in. The organisers would like to get more members of the community involved in their clean-up projects and perhaps the municipality as well. Anyone who would like to help can contact Luvo on 079-057-8997.

Well done guys - the organisers and the town is proud of you!

Article By: Luvo Jacobs / Sue Shaw

Hail Storm Hits Aberdeen

The late afternoon of Tuesday 21 December 2010 is a day that Aberdeeners will remember for a long time!

Just before 6pm, a devastating storm passed through the town, with hail stones the size of golf balls, accompanied by gale force winds. In half an hour the storm had passed, leaving behind sunny skies, and an unprecedented trail of destruction.

Hardly a single house escaped the fury of the storm. Windows were shattered, with many householders reporting over fifty panes of broken glass. Roofs, particularly on the older houses, could not cope with the combined force of the wind and hail, and on many houses sections of the roof bent up, causing water leaks through ceilings and down walls. At least four houses in Thembalesizwe had large sections of the roof blown off, and gutters all over were peppered with holes.

Roads were blocked by fallen trees, and in some areas overhead cables were blown down, leaving people without power for up to 24 hours. Trees left standing were stripped of their leaves, creating a green carpet on the ground. Garden pots were shattered, and plants uprooted or battered and stripped.

Residents claim they have never experienced a storm of this ferocity before. Only last March gale force winds ripped through the town, uprooting many trees, but damage to buildings then was mainly limited to that caused by the falling trees. Large hail stones have also been reported previously, but it was the combined force of wind and hail that caused so much destruction this time.

To date, local glass companies have invoiced over R60 000.00 worth of glass. Calls are still coming in to the glass companies as residents return from their holidays and at least two companies have run out of glass, as the suppliers were closed over the Christmas period. New stocks were expected this week. Several residents unfortunately returned to find themselves victims not only of property damage, but also theft, as the broken windows had given easy access to opportunist robbers.

Many stories of generosity and helpfulness have surfaced during this time, and the spirit of caring for one's neighbour has been very evident. Most people who had gone away had had the foresight to leave keys with a friend, and they have expressed their gratitude to these kind folk for all their help. Not only have they had their own homes to repair, but many have worked tirelessly to help those away on holiday. Old people living on their own have been touched by the caring shown by neighbours and friends, who have either helped themselves, or organized labourers to make repairs and replace glass. Some generous residents have also helped financially, unwilling to see eldery and vulnerable people left insecure without window panes.

Since the storm, Aberdeen has received several more days of rain, but this has been something of a mixed blessing. Those with leaking roofs have been up at night emptying buckets, as very little building repair has taken place at this stage. Much needed rain water to fill the tanks has, in many cases, been wasted as guttering leading to the tanks is broken. The leiwater channels are full of rubbish - even more so than normal - so roads and gardens have been flooded due to blockages, leaving a trail of empty bottles, plastic bags, and sundry organic matter all over the streets.

Abridged Article By: Sue Shaw
Photographs By: Dallis Graham, Michael Brown & Sue Shaw

Organ Festival At Aberdeen NGK

A wonderful treat was in store for organ music fans at the Organ Festival in Aberdeen on 20 November. The well-known Professor Albert Troskie from Port Elizabeth enthralled the audience with a varied programme of delights ranging from Psalms to the Trumpet Voluntary.

The organ’s 115th birthday was the main reason for the Festival, but there were many other events to keep the families entertained. Great fun was had by all, including the spectators, as pairs of competitors set off on a race that was a combination of sack, three-legged, and egg-and-spoon. As usual, most of the men cheated by holding the egg firmly in the spoon with their thumbs!
A potjiekos competition attracted many entries, and the mouthwatering aromas wafted around the church enticing many eager tasters. The judges must have had a very difficult task deciding on the winners!

A few brave souls ventured up the front of the church in the Tarantula, which proved to be a wonderful photographic opportunity for those who are not scared of heights!
There were a few stalls in the church grounds and hall, selling cakes, plants, skincare products and crafts. The NGK ladies also did a sterling job manning the various food stalls, from boerewors rolls to pancakes and puddings. One cannot go to any function in Aberdeen without being extremely well fed!

After lunch the activities moved to the church hall, where the powerful voice of Michael Gillman entertained the audience with some of his favourite songs. Michael, who comes from the Boland, has been singing professionally for seven years and is working on his third CD. Despite the heat of nearly 40 degrees, he performed energetic and heartfelt renditions of many popular classics, including several by Neil Diamond.
All in all, the day was a great success and Ds Abé Beyers is already looking forward to celebrating the organ’s 120th birthday in five years time! Ds Beyers would like to thank all those who contributed to the organization of the day, the sponsors who gave so generously and the people of Aberdeen and surrounding areas who came along to enjoy the celebration.

Article By: Sue Shaw