South Peninsula High School hosted a valedictory for their 2021 matric class over two nights last week.
Speakers at the events on Wednesday and Thursday, October 20 and 21 included former pupils Simon Sonn and Royston Pillay. Top achievers in academic performance, sport, the arts and various co-curricular programmes received recognition for their effort spanning a period of five years at the school.
Three top achievers, Imaan Abrahams and Kirsten Links (joint first academically) and Qaasim Solomon (second). Imaan has been accepted at UWC (University of Western Cape), for pharmacy and both Kirsten and Qaasim have been accepted at Stellenbosch University, to study medicine and engineering respectively. Four pupils at the school will be writing the very first NSC Marine Sciences examination in November. According to principal Zeid Baker, the subject encapsulates knowledge from various disciplines such as oceanography, life sciences and physical sciences. Pictured are Mr Baker, Imaan, Kirsten, Qaasim, Royston Pillay (Registrar at the University of Cape Town) and Barry Saunders (deputy principal).
Top pupil Boitumelo Medupe, left, sacrificed two afternoons every week in her matric year to attend all lessons which were held after school to accommodate pupils from neighbouring schools, said Mr Baker. “She acknowledged her teachers Matthew Schroeder and Andrea Padua for facilitating the afternoon sessions. Boitumelo’s passion for marine sciences was ignited at a young age by her father who works in the navy and patrols the coast line against poaching. Boitumelo believes that human life on earth in the future will largely be sustained by the oceans. Protecting marine ecology is crucial for the survival of future generations. Fadli Wagiet, right, (former curriculum advisor for life sciences), was also honoured at the valedictory for assisting the school in the implementation of marine sciences as a subject in 2018.
Pupils from South Peninsula High School were also selected to represent the Western Cape at the International Science Fair in Johannesburg this month. Aidan Gebbie, a Grade 9 pupil, achieved a gold medal and was a category winner award with a mathematical modelling research project titled “Simulating Sustainability in a Game of Cooperation”. Three other pupils also achieved medals. Fatima Sambo (Grade 11) achieved a silver medal for a research project comparing Vitamin C levels in organic and conventional fruits. Amaan Amlay (Grade 9) obtained a bronze medal for a sports science research project which looked at a correlation between the reaction times of players playing different positions in soccer. Jenan Bani Oudeh (Grade 9) also achieved a bronze medal for a research project looking at cognitive short term memory skills amongst teenagers. “The school has consistently entered pupils in Expo for Young scientists regionally for a period of over 16 years. Aidan Gebbie is in line to represent South Africa at an Internal Science Fair event overseas,” said Mr Baker. Pictured is Adnaan Emandien (Natural Sciences teacher), at the back with pupils Jenan Bani Odeh, Aidan Gebbie, Fatima Sambo and Imaan Amlay,