Report 2 - Start at Wynberg

Cape Town, October 28^th, 2009

It is now week 7 of my stay in Cape Town. The first two have been holidays and now I’ve spent almost 4 weeks as a staff-member at Wynberg Boys’ High School. During the last few days of vacation I had become very excited about my time at school. To be honest I had no idea what to expect from neither school nor the hostel, which I would move in to. What follows are my first impressions at one of Cape Town’s most traditional boys’ schools.

During the weekdays I stay at hostel Littlewood, sharing a room with Calum. Life at the hostel is much better than I expected. Served dinner every evening, nice breakfasts, our room is being cleaned and laundry is taken care of. No complains at all. The downside I quickly discovered on my first day of school. 6:30 – bell rings to wake up the boys. 6:40 – bell rings, all boys must be out of bed. 6:45 – bell rings, last warning for boys still in bed. 6:55 – bell rings, 5 minutes ‘till breakfast. 7:00 – bell rings, breakfast. 7:40 – bell rings, boys must leave to go to school. And this happens 5 times a week.

Everyday I am expected to attend at school at 7:50, formally dressed (collared shirt and tie), to witness the teachers meeting. Lessons start at 8 o’clock. At school I was expecting a lot of guidance from teachers showing me around and explaining what was expected from me. To my surprise however this didn’t appear to be the case. Mr. Richardson invited me in his office to have a talk with him. He explained me that I now was considered a staff-member and therefore would be treated as an adult. Also would I be expected to be individual and to find my own way at school, but most importantly not to be bored. With other words: look for jobs, but don’t expect too much help. During my first weeks at school this was quite hard for me and sometimes it still is. I have been talking to many teachers and tried to find out where I could be useful and which teachers I would be able to help out. Fortunately are most of the teachers very friendly to me and am I pretty well accepted as a staff-member. When I tell about my interests in science and maths I usually get surprised reactions and even more surprised when I tell that I don’t play rugby or cricket. As it appears I am the first gap-year to be actually keen on academics rather than on sport. Some teachers are therefore very enthusiastic about my stay. During school hours I am asked to do a lot of admin. Beside that I am free to see where I can be useful. Since the end of the year is approaching many projects and programs in which I could be involved are rounding of. Therefore some days can be very quiet, in which I’m not doing that much, where as other days can be very busy.

Wynberg Boys’ High School is different from any Dutch high school in many ways. The most striking point for me however was the attitude from the boys towards the staff. When walking through the hallways I’m often greeted: “Good day, sir”. Boys always call me sir and when I enter a classroom during a lesson the entire class stands until the teacher allows them to take a seat again. Another difference is how valuable Wynberg considers traditions. All the boys wear uniforms. However they do not just wear it. During the past few weeks I discovered that most of the boys wear their Wynberg clothing with pride. Pupils are actually proud of the school they go to. Some other examples are the big assemblies in which the headmaster will talk to the boys from stage and the great amount of awards that are given for outstanding achievements in sports or academics.

Momentarily I’m trying to get more and more involved with projects and activities at school that gain my interest. During school hours I’m starting to assist with drama classes, the life-science teacher would like to involve me in a biology club, I will attend during practical science classes and I can do some tutoring. Also when the lessons are finished I’m getting more and more occupied. The fact that I neither play rugby nor cricket is sometimes a problem for these sports are very big at Wynberg. However I now provide my assistance with basketball and tennis matches. I do also accompany the Wynberg chess team on their games. Beside the sports, I found that there are plenty activities provided in the neighbourhood. Since last week I started target shooting with air rifles, Wynberg organises a scuba diving course that I’ll join and I’m planning on starting surfing at one of Cape Town’s stunning beaches.

To conclude I would say that I have so far experienced a sometimes difficult, but overall interesting and challenging start at Wynberg. Slowly I’m trying to find my place at the school grounds and with time I discover more and more wonderful things to spend my time on. Also in Cape Town there is still a lot to discover for me. I keep on saying that it is a huge city and there are many places I’d still like to visit. I look forward to the remainder of the year and I’m trying to get the most out of the time that’s still ahead.