Last week we welcomed our Grade 8’s for 2020.  They are an enthusiastic bunch of learners and are settling into our Silvermine family. The adjustment to high school with having to move classes for different subjects caught some leaners unawares, but they are already moving between venues like pros! We are getting to know each learner’s individual personality, strengths and[Read More…]

Recently a group of Silvermine students had the privilege of visiting the Netherlands. Reflecting on why it is valuable is an interesting exercise. The opportunity to visit historic places that dates back way before South Africa was even first colonised, is amazing. Visiting the Rijks museum and being able to see the work of great artists like Vermeer, Van Gogh[Read More…]

Our theme for this term in Afrikaans is: Protecting our environment (“Beskerm ons omgewing”).  If we educate the youth and they can change their ways, we can help the environment on a large scale. The purpose of this theme is to educate our kids about a serious situation, but being creative and having fun while learning. At the end of[Read More…]

Our matrics are writing their first official matric exam and it is AFRIKAANS FAL! This can be very daunting, and I heard quite a few comments that expressed the Grade 12’s anxiety about the exam. Fortunately, being a boutique school, the students can tap into their teachers’ knowledge and ask for help anytime.  We offer daily study classes with subject[Read More…]

Riemvasmaak is a beautiful Afrikaans poem by Willie Adams that tells the story of a group of people who were forcibly removed from their land by the Apartheid government in 1975.  Even though the story of the people of Riemvasmaak started sadly, it has a happy ending as this community was one of the first to be relocated and today they[Read More…]

In the first few weeks of the term the Grade 9s have been learning about some Afrikaans contemporary artists like Karen Zoid, Francois van Coke and Arno Carstens.  They have enjoyed discovering how many SAMA awards our own Arno Carstens have won and that he lives in the Valley.  Some learners bumped into him and relayed their experiences with great[Read More…]

According to research, self and peer assessment are important aspects of ‘assessment for learning’ practice. Assessing their own work or that of others can help students to develop their understanding of the  Learning Outcomes and the Assessment Criteria. Research has shown that learners make more progress when they are actively involved in their own learning and assessment. This term students[Read More…]

The matrics are in the home stretch of their school career and the Prelim and Final Exams are looming. Most of their Afrikaans assessments for the portfolios are done, except the CAT assessments which consists of a blog, prepared speech and prepared reading. The theme for the Afrikaans CAT this year is, ” Afrikaans- ‘n taal vir vandag” in which[Read More…]

This past week the Grade 11’s had to present a prepared reading to the class, but at the IEB it is so much more than just reading! Choosing a suitable passage is easy.  Finding a passage where you can motivate why you chose it, makes it slightly more challenging.  Students have to be knowledgable about the content and the topic[Read More…]

The first theme for Term 2 in Grade 8 Afrikaans is animals. The kids loved the video clip of the donkey farmer who uses donkey milk to make skin products, ranging from anti-aging to eczema creams. They were charmed by the story in their comprehension test of the rescued donkey who had twin donkeys in Oudsthoorn. Their reading passage is[Read More…]