Newsletter 24/2011 - 1 December 2011
MESSAGE FROM THE HEADMASTER
On the 17th November, the Annual General Meeting was held in the Payne Hall where the main order of business was the presentation and acceptance of the 2012 budget. An extremely encouraging aspect of the AGM was the high number of parents in attendance - by far the largest number since I have been headmaster at Jeppe. In addition, the parents present asked insightful and relevant questions and were unequivocal in their support of the various resolutions passed on the evening.
As seen later in this newsletter in the Message from the SGB Chairman, Kevin Jarvis, the parent body also sent a strong message of support in relation to the School’s fee collection effort and the fact that parents who are not honouring their obligations, and in so doing hindering the ability of the School to provide a quality education for all our learners, will not be tolerated.
It was encouraging to note the presence of a representative from the Gauteng Department of Education who were there to observe proceedings and who commended the SGB and School on the manner in which the AGM was conducted
As exams draw to a close, I would like to wish all our learners and parents a blessed festive season and safe travels on their holidays. We look forward to welcoming you back at school on Wednesday, 18th January for another exciting year.
Anton Dempsey
Headmaster
MESSAGE FROM THE SGB CHAIRMAN
At the AGM which took place last week, a number of important decisions were made by the many parents who were present and who voted in favour of the various resolutions. These include:
- The 8% increase in school and hostel fees for 2012
The fee increase is comparable, and in some cases lower, than that at other schools such as Pretoria Boys, KES, Parktown and Jeppe Girls and, even with the 2011 increase, our fees are significantly lower than that charged by both KES and Parktown, despite a comparable educational offering
- The adoption of the school budget in its entirety
The parents once again voted in favour of the 2012 budget, a comprehensive document which we believe will continue to improve the holistic educational offering at Jeppe High School for Boys.
- The resolution adopted which gives the school the option to prohibit Grade 12 boys from attending the matric dance should their school fee payments be in arrears and their parents have not made an arrangement with the finance office to bring their accounts up to date. This resolution, which has precedence in the courts and which was supported by the GDE representative present at the AGM, is designed to ensure that fee paying parents are not penalised by having to subsidise boys whose parents do not make an effort to honour their fee obligations.
- The resolution which requires matric parents to pay their fees over an 8 month period (January – August 2012) as opposed to 10 months. This is because, based on past experience, it is extremely difficult to get certain matric parents to honour their fee obligations once their sons have commenced their prelim exams.
As mentioned by the headmaster, it was encouraging to see so many parents at the AGM and the support which they voiced for the governing body and, in particular, the quality of the budget presentation
As in previous years, I would like to encourage parents to attend functions such as the AGM so that your voice can be heard and so that you understand the complexities involved in the running of the school. Your sons are extremely privileged to attend a school of Jeppe’s calibre with dedicated educators, ever-improving facilities and a committed group of parents and they deserve your support and active involvement in the school.
Kevin Jarvis
SGB Chairman
2012 SCHOOL FEES
The School fees for 2012 will be R25 400 for all Grades, from 8-12, subject to the following discounts:
COLLECTION OF YEAR END REPORTS
Year end reports can be collected on Friday, 9th December between 8AM and 10AM at the School. No reports will be distributed before Friday 9th December. Any reports not collected on that day will be posted.
JEPPE LOSES A FAMILY MEMBER
It is with great sadness that we say farewell to Felis Morais, Headmistress of Jeppe Prep who passed away on 10 November 2011. Below is the obituary prepared by Kevin Tait:-
People who knew Felis and observed her unswerving commitment to the Jeppe family would be surprised to learn that she was not a Jeppe Old Girl. However, she did grow up in the eastern suburbs of Johannesburg, and upon qualifying, joined the staff of Jeppe High Preparatory School as a junior primary teacher in 1978. When educational policy changed and her Teachers’ Diploma was no longer considered adequate she studied part-time and obtained a Higher Diploma in Education. Although this fulfilled the new requirements, Felis went on to complete a BA followed by a B Ed and then an M Ed.
In 1978 she also married Minch, a Jeppe Old Boy (Koodoo 1974) who as a chartered accountant enjoyed a successful business career until his recent retirement. Their sons Rui (Koodoo 2001) and Carlos (Koodoo 2003) followed in their father’s footsteps attending the Prep and Jeppe Boys, excelling at hockey and also qualifying as CAs.
Apart from a secondment for a year’s lecturing at the Johannesburg College of Education in 1994, Felis devoted her professional career to the Prep. She rose through the ranks and was appointed Deputy Head in 1999 and Headmistress in November 2004.
Jeppe Prep has been blessed with a long line of illustrious women principals - Miss Hanna, Miss Gemmel and Miss Macrory come to mind (there were also some excellent men!) but Felis was the first among them to be a married woman as until quite recently education policy did not allow married women to be appointed to permanent positions.
And it is perhaps as a caring, compassionate mother figure that most of her pupils will remember Felis who was also a positive role model to the staff and parents.
Her elegant, stylish and gracious exterior, however, masked a woman made of steel. She was undaunted by major challenges and tackled them head on. When her application for the post of Principal was disqualified on technical administrative grounds she took the GDE to court and won. Recently she was involved in a serious conflict with the most senior officials in the GDE over the future of a child. Putting the needs of children first was for her a self-evident principle of education. As ill as she was, it was a principle from which she refused to back down.
In May 2010 Felis was diagnosed with serious cancer. Surgery was followed by three grueling courses of chemotherapy. Undeterred by her health challenges she returned to work as soon as she could. At the end of the third term this year her health started to deteriorate rapidly and she was unable to return to school. Radiation therapy was prescribed but it was not enough to stem the cancerous tide. At lunch time on Thursday 10th November, she lost the unequal battle and slipped away.
To lose a staff member in office, especially the head of the school, is completely devastating for the whole community, as numerous generations of families who knew and loved her are affected. The extensive Jeppe family mourns her passing and offers heartfelt condolences to those who will feel her loss most keenly - her family, her colleagues, her many friends and all her current and past pupils.
Kevin Tait
SCHOOL RE-OPENS ON WEDNESDAY, 18th JANUARY 2012
Please could all parents be aware that school officially re-opens for learners on Wednesday, 18th January 2012. All boarders are required to report to their boarding houses on Tuesday, 17th January.
We respectfully request that all parents ensure that your sons are properly attired for school and have the correct uniform. In addition, hair is expected to conform to school regulations in terms of length, cut and style. Should learners not be properly attired or their hair not conform to school regulations, the educators will have no hesitation in sending boys home or contacting parents to come and fetch their boys until such time as they have conformed with the necessary regulations.
On the 17th November, the Annual General Meeting was held in the Payne Hall where the main order of business was the presentation and acceptance of the 2012 budget. An extremely encouraging aspect of the AGM was the high number of parents in attendance - by far the largest number since I have been headmaster at Jeppe. In addition, the parents present asked insightful and relevant questions and were unequivocal in their support of the various resolutions passed on the evening.
As seen later in this newsletter in the Message from the SGB Chairman, Kevin Jarvis, the parent body also sent a strong message of support in relation to the School’s fee collection effort and the fact that parents who are not honouring their obligations, and in so doing hindering the ability of the School to provide a quality education for all our learners, will not be tolerated.
It was encouraging to note the presence of a representative from the Gauteng Department of Education who were there to observe proceedings and who commended the SGB and School on the manner in which the AGM was conducted
As exams draw to a close, I would like to wish all our learners and parents a blessed festive season and safe travels on their holidays. We look forward to welcoming you back at school on Wednesday, 18th January for another exciting year.
Anton Dempsey
Headmaster
MESSAGE FROM THE SGB CHAIRMAN
At the AGM which took place last week, a number of important decisions were made by the many parents who were present and who voted in favour of the various resolutions. These include:
- The 8% increase in school and hostel fees for 2012
The fee increase is comparable, and in some cases lower, than that at other schools such as Pretoria Boys, KES, Parktown and Jeppe Girls and, even with the 2011 increase, our fees are significantly lower than that charged by both KES and Parktown, despite a comparable educational offering
- The adoption of the school budget in its entirety
The parents once again voted in favour of the 2012 budget, a comprehensive document which we believe will continue to improve the holistic educational offering at Jeppe High School for Boys.
- The resolution adopted which gives the school the option to prohibit Grade 12 boys from attending the matric dance should their school fee payments be in arrears and their parents have not made an arrangement with the finance office to bring their accounts up to date. This resolution, which has precedence in the courts and which was supported by the GDE representative present at the AGM, is designed to ensure that fee paying parents are not penalised by having to subsidise boys whose parents do not make an effort to honour their fee obligations.
- The resolution which requires matric parents to pay their fees over an 8 month period (January – August 2012) as opposed to 10 months. This is because, based on past experience, it is extremely difficult to get certain matric parents to honour their fee obligations once their sons have commenced their prelim exams.
As mentioned by the headmaster, it was encouraging to see so many parents at the AGM and the support which they voiced for the governing body and, in particular, the quality of the budget presentation
As in previous years, I would like to encourage parents to attend functions such as the AGM so that your voice can be heard and so that you understand the complexities involved in the running of the school. Your sons are extremely privileged to attend a school of Jeppe’s calibre with dedicated educators, ever-improving facilities and a committed group of parents and they deserve your support and active involvement in the school.
Kevin Jarvis
SGB Chairman
2012 SCHOOL FEES
The School fees for 2012 will be R25 400 for all Grades, from 8-12, subject to the following discounts:
- an early payment discount of R3 000 if paid in full by 16 December 2011.
- a early payment discount of R1 500 if paid in full by 31 January 2012
- a debit order discount of R1 000 if monthly debit orders payable over 10 months are received by the School before 31 January 2012. All debit orders would have to be honoured for the discount to remain valid.
- Monthly post-dated cheques from January to October.
- Weekly boarder fees for 2012 – R28 500. Discount of 10% if paid by 31 January 2012
- Termly boarder fees for 2012 – R32 000. Discount of 10% if paid by 31 January 2012
COLLECTION OF YEAR END REPORTS
Year end reports can be collected on Friday, 9th December between 8AM and 10AM at the School. No reports will be distributed before Friday 9th December. Any reports not collected on that day will be posted.
JEPPE LOSES A FAMILY MEMBER
People who knew Felis and observed her unswerving commitment to the Jeppe family would be surprised to learn that she was not a Jeppe Old Girl. However, she did grow up in the eastern suburbs of Johannesburg, and upon qualifying, joined the staff of Jeppe High Preparatory School as a junior primary teacher in 1978. When educational policy changed and her Teachers’ Diploma was no longer considered adequate she studied part-time and obtained a Higher Diploma in Education. Although this fulfilled the new requirements, Felis went on to complete a BA followed by a B Ed and then an M Ed.
In 1978 she also married Minch, a Jeppe Old Boy (Koodoo 1974) who as a chartered accountant enjoyed a successful business career until his recent retirement. Their sons Rui (Koodoo 2001) and Carlos (Koodoo 2003) followed in their father’s footsteps attending the Prep and Jeppe Boys, excelling at hockey and also qualifying as CAs.
Apart from a secondment for a year’s lecturing at the Johannesburg College of Education in 1994, Felis devoted her professional career to the Prep. She rose through the ranks and was appointed Deputy Head in 1999 and Headmistress in November 2004.
Jeppe Prep has been blessed with a long line of illustrious women principals - Miss Hanna, Miss Gemmel and Miss Macrory come to mind (there were also some excellent men!) but Felis was the first among them to be a married woman as until quite recently education policy did not allow married women to be appointed to permanent positions.
And it is perhaps as a caring, compassionate mother figure that most of her pupils will remember Felis who was also a positive role model to the staff and parents.
Her elegant, stylish and gracious exterior, however, masked a woman made of steel. She was undaunted by major challenges and tackled them head on. When her application for the post of Principal was disqualified on technical administrative grounds she took the GDE to court and won. Recently she was involved in a serious conflict with the most senior officials in the GDE over the future of a child. Putting the needs of children first was for her a self-evident principle of education. As ill as she was, it was a principle from which she refused to back down.
In May 2010 Felis was diagnosed with serious cancer. Surgery was followed by three grueling courses of chemotherapy. Undeterred by her health challenges she returned to work as soon as she could. At the end of the third term this year her health started to deteriorate rapidly and she was unable to return to school. Radiation therapy was prescribed but it was not enough to stem the cancerous tide. At lunch time on Thursday 10th November, she lost the unequal battle and slipped away.
To lose a staff member in office, especially the head of the school, is completely devastating for the whole community, as numerous generations of families who knew and loved her are affected. The extensive Jeppe family mourns her passing and offers heartfelt condolences to those who will feel her loss most keenly - her family, her colleagues, her many friends and all her current and past pupils.
Kevin Tait
SCHOOL RE-OPENS ON WEDNESDAY, 18th JANUARY 2012
Please could all parents be aware that school officially re-opens for learners on Wednesday, 18th January 2012. All boarders are required to report to their boarding houses on Tuesday, 17th January.
We respectfully request that all parents ensure that your sons are properly attired for school and have the correct uniform. In addition, hair is expected to conform to school regulations in terms of length, cut and style. Should learners not be properly attired or their hair not conform to school regulations, the educators will have no hesitation in sending boys home or contacting parents to come and fetch their boys until such time as they have conformed with the necessary regulations.
