Thoughts & Reflections | Monica Hundt

LOCKDOWN!! Never in my life, could I have imagined myself experiencing a pandemic, which HALTED the world so rapidly. It came suddenly and it hit HARD! Initially I felt confused, imprisoned and uncertain about the future…. As time goes on, I realise that this is God’s way to say…”Be still my child and acknowledge that I am the Lord. Trust in Me and set aside your own little plans for the future.” Giving piano lessons over a little cellphone was unthinkable, but it WORKS! I am just gaining more and more.. building closer relationships with the children, and parents too! Many parents know now what piano tutoring involves and the best part…. they are willing to sacrifice their cellphones for a lesson. What I have come to realise is self-discipline and encouragement are wonderful keys to success. I am proud of being a Trevertonian and BRAVO to the headmaster, staff, pupils and parents in our school! #thetrevertonexperience www.treverton.co.za

Ms Monica Hundt (Music – Prep)

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Thoughts & Reflections | Shaun Robertson

Treverton College has a unique campus that is filled with life of various kinds. The campus has three main biomes, namely grassland, invasive woodlands and fresh water ponds. In this article I wish to display some of the photographs that I have taken of various organisms found on our school campus.

LONG-CRESTED EAGLE

The long-crested eagle is frequently seen perched high up on a dead pine tree, gumtree or telephone pole. From here it has a perfect vantage point from which to hunt rodents and small reptile species of the Treverton grasslands and invasive woodlands. The long-crested eagle is a smallish eagle that has a long floppy crest on its head. It has white panels on the lower and upper wing, which can be seen during flight.

KINGFISHERS

I have only seen two kingfisher species on the Treverton campus – mainly at the College dam. More species may well frequent the property but I have yet to see or photograph them.

The Pied Kingfisher is a large black and white Kingfisher with a long black bill. It is found around many freshwater wetlands and coastal lagoons in South Africa. The male has two complete black bands around the chest, the female has an incomplete band around her chest. A small family of three birds have been seen around the college dam, frequently hovering high up in the air before plunging on their prey in the dam.

The Giant Kingfisher is infrequently seen at the College dam. It is a massive species of kingfisher with a long black bill and white and black spots on the chest. The male (as in the photo) has a reddish brown (chestnut) coloured chest. The Giant Kingfisher usually hunts from a perch and will only occasionally hover. 

LANNER FALCON

The Lanner Falcon is a large falcon seen in a number of habitats including, but not limited to, grasslands, mountain ranges and deserts (it generally avoids woodlands). It has pinkish-cream underparts and a rufous cap. While it generally feeds on other bird species, it was seen one afternoon after a thundershower, catching and eating flying ants outside Harland House.

AFRICAN HUMMING HAWK-MOTH

This beautiful moth was seen on the TWA dipping its incredibly long proboscis into long cylindrical flowers. The moth beats its wings incredibly fast as it expertly hovers over and manoeuvres itself around these nectar providing flowers.

SECRETARY BIRD

The secretary bird is a large bird (crane-like in size) that roams savanna and open-grasslands in search of snakes, frogs, rodents and other small mammals. These birds are listed as vulnerable due in large part to habitat loss. Treverton has a pair of secretary birds roosting on the Treverton Wildlife Area (TWA). Below they were photographed on the airstrip. Beautiful birds.

#thetrevertonexperience www.treverton.co.za

Mr Shaun Robertson (Physical Science – College)

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Thoughts & Reflections | Elmarie Vosloo

Be prepared to be touched! I firmly believe that language can never express the full “Treverton experience.” Behind the entrance gate lies a hidden gem, interwoven with immense natural beauty, a caring, unified, closely-knit community, and a constant awareness of God’s sovereign splendour. And yet, Treverton encompasses even more… Spectacularly florid orange sunrises introduce warm, blithe days. The aroma of coffee fills the crisp early morning air as I cast my eye contently across luscious green fields. In the distance the majestic hills stretch far beyond the limitless horizon. This place, where time stands still – where silence is audible, where man and Nature cohabitate in perfect unison and one is inspired to stop –  take it all in!

Yet, as if by magic, the aforementioned is but the tip of the iceberg, as in Treverton I have found so, so much more. Here, pupils are empowered to be the very best they can be, inspired to discover their innermost potential and worth. Life is celebrated to the full. Each individual is recognised for his own talents, uniqueness and God given authenticity. The whole child is developed. Education is holistic, activities varied. We revel in academics, literature, culture, poetry, art, environmental science, language, music, physical education and the dramatic arts. We are one, inextricably linked by the fibres of our being – unified by our love for God, care for each other and our respect for our unique planet, Earth. Highly skilled staff, committed adults passionately love and support the young individuals entrusted to them. The Equestrian Centre and Wildlife Reserve steals your breath from your chest, whilst the dam and canoe-club ensure hours of fun, togetherness and a sense of belonging. The spirit of the children is catching and their sense of unity and togetherness, humbling.

Treverton is more than the boarding houses overflowing with love, more than the sports fields bursting with activity, more than the state of the art theatre hosting incredible talent, more than the bustling squash courts, well-equipped classrooms, challenging rock climbing walls, busy gym and the beautiful chapel. It’s a place of solace, a brushstroke on the canvas of the stunning Drakensberg. A playground where barefoot children and teens can skip through grass under the watchful eyes of arching rainbows. Here unlimited stars bedeck the humid, African sky.

Be prepared for the unexpected, be prepared to be surprised – be prepared to be touched!

#thetrevertonexperience www.treverton.co.za

Ms Elmarie Vosloo (Drama – College)

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Treverton Rollout their Online Digital Assessment Solution

One of the biggest stumbling blocks to schools both here and abroad has been secure online assessment. Until recently no-one had an answer. Sweden has one of the most advanced education systems in the world. Due to Covid-19 Sweden has made their Exam.Net platform freely available. We will be using this as our platform for all secure formal online assessments.

“Walk through” the program for a comprehensive “how to” | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFkUy3n-SzE

#thetrevertonexperience www.treverton.co.za

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Thoughts & Reflections | Derek Brown

How has lockdown been for me? What are my impressions? Someone suggested to me that I approach this from the angle of adventure and in some ways I can, but I am not going to use this as an opportunity to tell you an adventure story…you can wait for that as its best done in person.

I have not suffered during this lockdown, and I am including from anxiety. I cannot pretend that the lockdown has impacted me in the same way as it has impacted millions of the poorest members of society. I have not had to wonder about money or food running out. While it might be true to say that I would be foolish to think that my job is secure, I also don’t have to worry about that in the same way as many people who almost certainly will lose theirs through the impact this has had on small and medium-sized businesses country-wide.

Rather, during a time like this, I see it as an opportunity to shift focus to other areas. For many of us, work dominates a major part of our lives and we struggle to balance other areas that should be as or more important.  Importantly, this includes family. I have had the opportunity to spend more time with my wife, Kate, and my daughter Micaela, than ever before because I am basically always at home. These times when Micaela is growing up pass quickly, and they cannot be relived. They are developmental times, and it is really special to see those changes as she faces the challenges of walking and working towards her first words. They are times to be relaxed, to talk, and to just be around one-another.

This also includes time to just catch up with things that you put off because you are busy elsewhere with work. You may catch up with your hobbies, or you may develop a new hobby or skill. You may even look at this as a time to consider your goals. You are living in an increasingly competitive world that you will be stepping out into in the next couple of years. Do you have goals? Are you well equipped with the right skills? Do you even know what skills are needed? There is nothing stopping you from taking stock and considering what goals you really have. And what skills you could need. Can you achieve any of those skills from home? Chances are, many skills can be worked towards from home if you use the internet, especially the YouTube platform to guide yourself.

But what if your goals are sports related as well? You have been encouraged to take part in sports-related activity during the lockdown period, but your response may have been something like…’there is no real point because there is no astro around, no team-mates, and there are no fixtures’. True. But personal skills are part of the deal, and when you emerge from the tunnel of lockdown into the light, you will play. To use hockey as the example, the best players are:

  • Agile
  • Fast
  • Have stamina
  • Have good ball skills
  • Have refined their position but are useful elsewhere
  • Conditioned against injury
  • Have a sense for group tactics
  • Have a sense for team spirit on and off the field

My bet is that no one ticks all those boxes. But the best player can work towards ticking a box or boxes that they know need ticking. So why don’t you? You can work at many of these in your home or in your yard. I have a niggling injury that was affecting my kayaking last term. The lockdown provided an opportunity to rest and to see if I could work at rehabilitating it. That is not time wasted.

To use an analogy from adventure…the time taken waiting in a tent for a storm to pass is not time wasted. For one, it is wise and safe, but it is also a time of physical and mental recovery, and a time to plan ahead in such a way as to increase the chance of achieving your goal. So, again, what are your goals?

But above all, lockdown can be likened to a wilderness experience. Biblically, it would seem that a wilderness experience is important. Instant social gratification is removed. We see Moses spending 40 days on Mount Sinai, we see Elijah having a wilderness experience at Horeb for 40 days, and we see Jesus in the wilderness for 40 days as well. Well, as I write this, we are not far from our own proverbial 40 days.

But the purpose of these three examples of wilderness experiences was to spend more time with God, often at a pivotal time in their lives. COVID-19 is not really in the hands of man. If it was there would not be any COVID-19. Any control of COVID-19 has been through that which God has blessed us with anyway, and what I mean by that is that, as an example, the immune systems of the survivors of COVID-19 are a gift from God – no man made your immune system. And that is a small example. Do you see COVID-19 as part of a world fallen in sin? Do you see the need for the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in the face of the enormity of sin? Concerning the 200 000 deaths due to COVID-19, have you thought about where these people have gone…. where are their souls?

The point is this: Who is God to you in your lockdown period? Have you read his word? Have you prayed? For yourself, for your friends, for the poor, and for your leaders? Have you prayed for Treverton and especially your headmaster who has had to navigate a very difficult scenario?

This is a great opportunity for that kind of connection. We, as the staff, have been able to meet for prayer every day at 5:00pm. And what a wonderful thing that is. You could do much the same.

#thetrevertonexperience www.treverton.co.za

Mr Derek Brown (Head of Life Sciences – College)

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