Sister Jennifer Reed is working 12-hour shifts and taking it all in her stride as a professional member of Netcare.
East Coast Drive is on a mission to recognise our frontline heroes in KZN, those people who are considered an essential service and are not able to safely tuck themselves away at home like the rest of us.
Listen to the full podcast on East Coast Radio.
Over the past few weeks I have reminisced over the collection of memories and special moments that I have been blessed with at Treverton. The more I have pondered about it, more epic adventures and special moments come to mind. I want to share these memories with all Trevertonians and others who are fond of the school called Treverton. What a privilege it is to be a part of such a special community and work place. Personally, I don’t have a clue where to start as the more I reminisce the greater the memories and joy it brings me. I have experienced a manifold of experiences on trips and expeditions that we have embarked on over the past few years. However, I am going to start by celebrating Treverton itself. I enjoy embarking on micro adventures around campus to capture and witness some of those perfect moments. I have decided that am going to share with you my Seven Wonders of Treverton to celebrate such a special 270 hectare campus.
Travers Pellew 2019
Yes! That view of the Giant is incredible! Rushing up to the viewpoint by the pool and witnessing the array of colours while the sun sets over the Giants Castle mountain range or a brisk walk up to the viewpoint to inspect for any possible snow on the peaks. On the other side we are privileged to have such a majestic view over the College side of the campus.
Travers Pellew 2020
Travers Pellew 2018
At Treverton we are privileged to have a wild life area that is home to many different plant and animal species. It also boasts some prime landscape to embark on trail running missions that leave you feeling fulfilled and distressed upon your return. On the wild life area there is this somewhat of a koppie or big hill, many students will refer to it as a mountain. The summit of the koppie is the highest point on campus and boasts a 360 degree view of the Midlands and the Drakensberg in the distance. The walk/run to the top of the koppie elevates your heart rate and ensures that you break out into a sweat, while enjoying the company of herds of zebra and buck species surrounding you. The top brings you a sense of achievement and satisfaction that is often accompanied by spectacular views for either a sunrise or sunset coffee. I introduced the ‘Treverton Koppie Climb’ that takes you up and down the koppie in a personally timed effort in which everyone can enjoy the challenge together.
Travers Pellew 2019
Bradley Gebhardt 2016
The Treverton dam is somewhat a hub for activity on a warm summer day, with the renowned zip line operating in full force. The spectacular surroundings that change through the seasons are what make your view completely different each time. Taking an early evening paddle, casting a line or two hoping for that elusive trout to bite and watching the sunrise from the jetty are moments that bring peace in the simplicity and tranquility of such a diverse campus.
Travers Pellew 2019
Travers Pellew 2018
In April and May the campus gloats extreme levels of beauty with multiple shades of orange, yellow and brown leaves that fall from the oak trees. These colours bring joy before the forbidding winter and the frosty daybreaks. Highlights are the toasty days where you can wear a jersey and enjoy the midday sun that keeps you mellow inside. Founder’s day is usually a typical day that celebrates this season and our school.
Travers Pellew 2019
Travers Pellew 2019
Treverton sure does get cold and those who have done polar bear on a frosty morning have felt this first hand. Crackling of the frost as you stumble along to the jetty to then embark on a body numbing escapade, and then feeling that satisfaction of a hot shower (often just a bit longer than your usual shower) on your skin is a feeling that is hard to put into words. The walk to breakfast with ice particles covering the ground, your nose and fingers throbbing, and your warm breath meets with the crisp air and you see how far the steam can float ahead of you. The toasty dining room and cup of coffee beckons as you enjoy the winter wonderland views in between your beanie and scarf.
Travers Pellew 2019
Travers Pellew 2018
How many schools can say that they have an airstrip on campus? The view of the tiny pink and white cosmos flowers blooming in the summer months while planes come in to land in between the spraying of crops is very unique. There is always an audience with the wildlife and horses observing from a distance. Often, early morning mist, or the odd zebra crossing may delay take off.
Travers Pellew 2020
Travers Pellew 2018
Travers Pellew (College Sports Co-ordinator)
“We are in the same storm, but not in the same boat” – unknown
Countless boats of education are out there, doing their best to navigate these new and unpredictable waters. Fortunately, as members of the Treverton family, we are in the same boat.
With each crew member restricted to his or her own cabin, the bridge of the Treverton ship is unusually quiet at the moment. Looking over the foredeck, I see the huge peaks and deep troughs created by the unprecedented turbulence – but our ship forges ahead with purpose. The crew is working with energy and zeal – ready for any challenge.
As a small ship, the seas are buffeting us more than some of the bigger ships around us, but our size gives us the advantage of manoeuvrability. We also have an extraordinary crew who are making the personal sacrifices necessary to keep the ship on course.
Despite the fact that our passengers are on shore leave at the moment, the crew maintains daily contact with every one of them, and the learning, relationships, and sense of team remains strong. Each evening at 5pm, the crew meet online for a time of prayer where they pray for each other, the ship, the passengers, their families, and our country. In many ways, life on board goes on even though we are apart – but we eagerly await the day we are all on board again.
Not all ships are the same. This time in our history will highlight this, and reveal each ship for what it is. Our ship is unique, and the crew is different from most. Each crew member has their eyes fixed on God as the compass for our passage. This does not smooth the voyage, but it keeps our course true.
The extraordinary currents and storms we are facing will forever change the way ships like ours navigate the oceans. But our ship was built for adventure, and this excites us! We see tremendous opportunities ahead, and we are already thinking about our ship of the future. We have a highly adaptable vessel, and an innovative and motivated crew. Our mission is to turn the challenges that we face now into opportunities for improvement and innovation.
Although the ride is bumpy, we look forward with anticipation to where this will take us, and we are glad you are in our boat for this adventure.
We wish you a successful week of lockdown learning!
God bless
Kean, John, and the Treverton Team.
I’m sports crazy and woke up on Saturday morning thinking what can I do on this fine Saturday lockdown. I saw a challenge called “Run withit 24 hour challenge” phoned up Mike Tredway who is part of the organization and a friend, asking him the details and the call ended with “You starting just over an hours time”.
Within the hour I measured a 40m loop through my house suitable for 12 hours of running from 18h00-06h00 up and down the house, negotiating small steps, around corners, and dodging chairs… then the fun and games began with the goal being 2km x 50 times. Through the night I ran, without sleep, managing 20 minute breaks between each slot as it took 40 minutes to get through the route. Coffee, water, juice and toast was all that was consumed.
What inspired me to continue when I felt tired, was the thought of our doctors in South Africa and around the world whose lives had drastically altered since the Covid-19 outbreak. They are working timelessly around the clock to fight for people. Surely I could keep going?
When 7am came I able to finish off my last loops in the garden, completing the challenge by 12h00. I am always reminded that we are so blessed to have the lives we do, God is forever consistent and good!
Josh Marsden (Prep Sports Co-ordinator)
GCS WILD FLIGHT LAUNCHED WITH 2 ECO-SCHOOLS IN SOUTH AFRICA!!
The 13th of March has proven to be a very important day for the Amur Falcon in South Africa in 2019 and 2020. In 2019, the 13th of March was marked as the start of a big rescue and rehabilitation operation of the Amur Falcon after a terrible hailstorm injured more than 1 000 of them in the Midlands area of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa.
On the 13th of March 2020, the WESSA Eco-Schools programme launched a project to learn more about and initiate ways to protect these migratory birds, Amur Falcon, when they are in South Africa. This project is called the Global Citizenship for Sustainability’s Wild Flight and is in partnership with Eco-Schools in India (Centre for Environmental Education) and Mongolia (FEE Mongolia).
Two of the WESSA Eco-Schools, Treverton Preparatory School and College and King’s School, in the KZN Midlands area were selected to take part in this project because they are located close to a few roosting sites of the Amur Falcon. Along with WESSA, these two schools have formed a task team on learning and sharing important facts and stories about the Amur Falcon.
At the launch of the project in South Africa, Cindy-Lee Cloete (WESSA Eco-Schools) facilitated a process of organizing creative ideas for action conservation projects on the Amur Falcon in South Africa, and specifically the Midlands area in KZN. Kristi Garland from BirdLife South Africa gave the task team a good overview of the Amur Falcon in South Africa and also made a generous donation of 7 binoculars and 7 bird identification guides to the project.
As the South African Amur Falcon team, we are very excited to work with the Indian and Mongolian task teams to learn more about how schools from different countries can work together to advance sustainability.
