Spar School Stars

TALENTED dancer, Grace Claassens, a Grade 3 learner at Hamptons Primary School, has consistently won gold medals in 2017, 2018 and 2019 at the Natal Festival of Dance in her Solos, Duos and group performances. She is also an academic achiever at her school.

Claassens placed first in her grade this year. The young dancer is accomplished in a wide range of dance styles including ballet, modern dance and hip hop, although she especially shines in Tap dance. Claassens dances as part of the Christy Hartgill School of Dance.

NORTHLANDS Primary School’s Grade 6 learner, Noah Bosch is a star saxophonist. He has completed grades 1 and 2 with the Royal School of Music (based in London) and is currently working on his grade 3 repertoire.

Bosch said he started playing saxophone with the renowned Maxine Matthews when he was nine years old.

“I started playing the saxophone when I was in Grade 3 and I loved the tone and the diversity of the saxophone. I also liked the fact that not many people play it,” he said.

Bosch plays by ear with ease to a higher grade level. He entered two performance pieces: Fly me to the moon and Besame Muchoin in the local talent show, Starz at Home season 2. Bosch taught himself both of these pieces from memory. He was accompanied by his brother Joel on the guitar.

“I was a nominee in the Starz at Home competition and was asked to perform at the Northwood High School Evening of Music earlier this year,” said the young saxophonist.

“My favourite saxophone players are Sonny Rollins and Jake Clemons because of their amazing skills and ability in the Jazz genre,” he added.

While he has no plans to stop playing the saxophone after school, Bosch hopes to pursue a career as a marine biologist.

“Other than music, I am also passionate in my academics and this helped me achieve first place in the grade in grade five last year. I am also a keen cyclist and rode the Amashova (35km) last year and the Tala Game reserve race this year,” said Bosch.

WITH ambitions to represent her province and one day her country for football, Satiah Tshabalala is well on her way to achieving those goals.

The Grade 7 learner at Greenwood Park Primary School is an avid footballer and feels more young girls should try out the sport in order to grow the game.

“I started football in Grade 1 and even though I’m also involved in swimming, I take football more serious. I have been involved in club soccer but right now, with Covid-19, I haven’t been able to train as a team. I’ve used the lockdown period to train at home and better my skills. My goal is to make the KZN team and ultimately, represent my country. I feel the future in women’s football is bright and I’m eager to keep working hard and training towards that goal,” she said.

The talented 12-year-old said she can play either on the wing or as an attacking midfielder.

Her favourite player is Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, because of his humility off the field and his skill on the field.

CHELSEA Preparatory School learner, Zoe Hughes shines in a range of sports, excelling on the hockey field, netball court and in the swimming pool to name a few. She has also achieved academic merit every year from Grade 4 through to Grade 7, which she is currently completing this year.

Hughes plays for her school’s first team for Hockey and last year she was a member of 2nd PSI Hockey team.

“My favourite sport is Hockey and someday I would like to play professionally for South Africa or Ireland. The reason I love hockey is the quickness of the game the skills involved in playing it and the team spirit,” said the sport star.

She also plays first team Netbal at her school and in 2019 she was a member of the Umlazi netball team. Hughes made the KZN Triathlon Team and was a member of KZN Running Team as well as the Umlazi Cross Country Team.

She also swims for her school’s first team for Waterpolo and she is on the Swimming A Squad. She has made a splash as a strong swimmer outside of her school life, as part of the Umlazi Swimming team in 2018. Hughes’ swimming achievement continued when she became a South African Nipper Champion in 2017, a title she has held for three years in a row. This year she became a member of the High Performance Nipper team.

In gymnastics, Hughes was a member of KZN gymnastic team in 2019, 2018 and 2017.
Hughes is also a member of the Sport Service Team at her school

On top of her extensive sporting achievements Hughes also boasts high a strong academic record.
“I am really busy with my sports because I train most days in the morning and afternoon. I think I listen well in class but I also study in my spare time. My sister always says academics come naturally to me but she has given me some very smart ways to study,” she said.

“When I grow up I would like to be a marine biologist or Vet. I love animals and hate to see any animal in pain or suffering, so I hope to be able to help sick all sick animals on day,” she added.

THIS year learners across the country have had to face up to a global pandemic in unprecedented times. Faced with the challenges this year has served up, most learners have had to stay positive and determined to keep on top of their school work. One learner who knows all too well the challenges of learning in lockdown and overcoming obstacles is Durban North College learner, Anamika Govender.

The Grade 11 learner recently had her essay regarding life under lockdown book titled ‘Learning Under Lockdown: Voices of South Africa’s Children’. The book is a collection of 400 essays and was compiled by professor Jonathan Jansen and Fulbright Scholarship winner Emily O’Ryan of Stellenbosch University.

“I think one of the reasons our voices were being sought is because no one was asking learners how they were coping in this extraordinary time. I was honoured to have my essay featured and to know that my essay was selected from 640 submissions from learners around the country was also quite special. My essay focused on my experiences and how I coped with learning under lockdown and there was also a message of hope by not giving up despite the circumstances,” she said.

She added that all profits from the books, which are available at CNA, will be donated to school feeding schemes around the country.

Govender is also involved in creative writing and is part of the debating club at the school.

EVEN though the Covid-19 pandemic has led to the cancellation of several sporting events this year, it hasn’t stopped Brayden Bergset from achieving some of his goals.

The Northwood School Grade 11 learner earlier this year made a splash at the KZN Lifesaving Champs winning gold in the beach events of the champs. He won gold for the Malibu board, flag and sprints in the U17 category.

He was then selected into the SA High Performance Squad based on his performances over a sustained period

After deliberating on his performances, he was then selected to represent the South African team at the Sanyo Bussan Cup event that was scheduled to be held in June in Fukuoka, Japan.

“Sadly the event was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic but I’m going to use the positives from this year and build on my performances. By some miracle, should they reschedule the event to next year that would be something I’d love to do.  The Sanyo Cup is held every two years in Japan and is a testing platform for up-and-coming juniors and it was an honour having been selected for the team, which was one of my goals,” he said.

The cup would also be used as a launching platform for the Lifesaving World Champs.

“The world champs were also scheduled for Italy (in August) and it was my hope to make the junior SA side for that event to complete the circle, and also to compete in the club events for Umhlanga Rocks Surf Lifesaving Club. I now just have to keep working hard and I’m looking ahead to next year’s events, both nationally and internationally,” he said.

OAKRIDGE College learner, Aqeelah Abdullah has a heart for change. Through a combined fundraising initiative, the Grade 11 learner has helped raise more than R5 000 for the Mgungundlovu community in KZN.

The drive Abdullah is involved in is purchasing food vouchers for Dudu Memela who cooks for close to 80 children in the Mgungundlovu community daily.

The collection was spearheaded by fellow Oakridge learners, Morgan Coutts, Kiash Maistry and Abdullah.

The trio also created a poster and a video which was used on social media to gain exposure and donations.

“I shared the fundraising video we put together on my social media platforms as well as with my family and friends. One of my mom’s friends donated R1 000 to the cause which was really amazing. We’ve also had the support of the staff which has been incredible to see. I do feel if you are coming from a place of privilege it is important to help out and give back where you can,” she said. “So far, thanks to my fellow learners, Morgan Coutts and Kiash Maistry, who helped me drive this fundraiser together with some staff members, we’ve been able to raise a little over R5 000. We’d love to see that number go even higher in the coming months,” she added.

Abdullah is also actively involved in the school’s outreach project and has collected hundreds of bottle caps and breadtags for the Breadtags for Wheelchairs project.

DANVILLE Park Girls’ High School Grade 12 learner, Hannah Pienaar was recently awarded a gold certificate for the Presidents Award.

The President’s Award is an internationally recognised programme which exists to equip youth to succeed in life and work. It also offers young people the opportunity to develop their character and discover their purpose through various initiatives.

Participants can progress at their own pace through three award levels, bronze, silver and gold and there are four components, namely sport, community service, expedition and skills and interest.

“This has been an eye-opening experience for me and one I’ll look back at fondly. I started out on my quest for the bronze certificate for the President’s Award in Grade 9 and I’ve continued until my matric year. For me the biggest thing was being able to do community service and help those in need. I helped the Domino Foundation with Christmas wrapping and I was a leader at my church’s holiday club (Umhlanga Baptist Church) which were just incredible experiences. I also had the chance to help out a community in Lesotho by planting a vegetable garden. Giving back to others in need when you’re in a position to do so is very important and it isn’t difficult to do either. During the lockdown period I think the plight of those in need was highlighted so giving back and doing community service is vital,” she said.

Pienaar also advised young learners starting out to get involved in the President’s Award programme.

“I would say just do it as you won’t regret it. I wouldn’t have had any of these experiences if it wasn’t for the President’s Award. As a result my skills have improved as well, I’ve learned how to play the guitar, I received a level 1 first aid certificate and I’ve got my international computer driving licence all because of the award. You also make so many friends so I would urge young learners to get involved,” she said.

NORTHLANDS Girls’ High School learner, Kayla Berkenshaw, has set herself her a goal of making the South African softball team for the Olympic Games. The talented matriculant has proven her skills in softball but also in outdoor and indoor hockey and has made several KwaZulu-Natal age group teams in her schooling life.

With this year’s sporting events being cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic, Berkenshaw feels she has to look at the positives and focus on achieving her goals in 2021.

“One of the highlights for me was being part of the Northlands Girls’ indoor hockey team who finished their season unbeaten. That was a fantastic feeling. I was also selected at the end of last year for the Elite U17 squad for softball and sadly there were no more competitions and games scheduled for this year because of Covid-19.

“I have received a scholarship to Varity College for next year and I’m focusing on playing hockey for them, both indoor and outdoor. My goal from there is to make the KZN U21 team and then the Raiders team. Of course the main goal would be to make the South African softball team for the Olympic Games, possibly in 2024. That would be the ultimate,” she said.

Berkenshaw, who plays goalie on the hockey turf, was influenced by her mother who was also a goalkeeper.

OUR Lady of Fatima Dominican Convent School learner, Paige Horn, recently had a weekend to remember achieving a phenomenal result out on the water.

Horn, who paddled in the surfski doubles with former Fatima learner, Kyéta Purchase, finished second in the S2 national double ski title at the King of the Bay race in Durban, which doubled as the SA Champs.

The Grade 11 learner, along with Purchase, won the U23 doubles race at the champs wining gold.

“I had never been in a boat with Kyéta before but once the King of the Bay race got going we found our rhythm and we gelled really well. I’m proud that we won the U23 event and we weren’t far off from the overall winners of the SA champs which was a great marker for us,” she said.

A week after the national champs, Horn was one of a handful of women to tackle the St Francis Paddle Fest marathon events by paddling on a prone board.

“There weren’t many women paddling on prone boards for the marathon champs but I enjoyed the experience. There were two days of paddling with a 14km event and a 10km event and I enjoyed myself in both. I took the event seriously and gave it my all and I hope in the future to add the prone events to my list of sports I compete at,” she said.

VIRGINIA Preparatory School learner, Chloe Jackson, has had a busy lockdown period performing, singing, acting and bringing delight to walkers along the uMhlanga promenade recently when she was part of a Jersulema Dance flash mob.

Jackson, who does ballet, has continued with weekly ballet zoom classes with Gail Smith School of Dancing and even completed a Level 7 ballet exam for the American Performance Awards.

Her performance was filmed at a dance studio and is currently being graded in the United States of America.

“The exam is normally done on the stage with spectators so it was very different doing it during the Covid-19 pandemic. I’m anxiously awaiting my results and my certificate so I hope to do well. I’m involved in various styles of dance but I started ballet at the age of four. My passion is dance,” she said.

Jackson’s former singing coach also held a Project Performer National Online Lockdown Competition, where she achieved sterling results.

The Grade 7 learner entered the singing, acting and dancing categories. She achieved 84 per cent for dance, 83 per cent for singing and above 85 per cent for acting
and also made it through to the semi-finals for acting.

Jackson along with students from Gail Smith School of Dancing also participated in a flash mob to the Jersulema Dance on the uMhlanga Promenade.

“That was great fun and it was lovely to see all the smiles from those watching our performances. It felt good to make people smile during this difficult time,” she said.

JEROME Naidoo, a Grade 7 learner from Hamptons Primary was appointed Head of Academics for 2020. The title comes after the learner’s amazing academic achievement at his school. Naidoo achieved an overall aggregate of 98.05 for the term.

He said his favourite subject is Economic Management Sciences (EMS).

“It’s interesting to learn about how money works and how business works,” he said.

While he enjoys EMS in the classroom, Naidoo has other plans for his future.

“I would like to become an astrophysicist. I like learning about planets and the stars and I’m very curious about outer space,” he said.

Naidoo said his secret to success in the classroom is to study after school, while maintaining a balance by playing sports as well.

“I study a lot. I don’t really have a set time to study, but I do try to study daily and I read a lot,” he said.

On the sport side, Naidoo enjoys hockey, cricket and swimming.

“I won first and second place in my school’s swimming gala last year,” he said.

The academic achiever said he has always thrived in the classroom.

“I think it’s important to have good Grades, especially now to get into a good high school. I’ve always done well academically,” he said.

Naidoo said he has consistently won trophies and was named the Top Achiever of the Year at his school last year.

AS the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown caused schools across the country to close their doors, Sthabile Ngcambelo, a Grade 7 learner from Columbia Primary School, took it upon her self to tutor the Grade 1 and Grade R learners living in her community in the Thandanani Informal Settlement.

While Ngcambelo’s main aim was to make sure the learners did not fall behind in their school work, she said her classes also gave her a chance to make sure the children were wearing their masks and maintaining social distance amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The children were playing and not maintaining social distancing, and getting into all sorts of trouble, so I thought it would be a great idea if I could help them with their school work instead,” said Ngcambelo.

The youngster saw the children had nothing to do during the lockdown and stepped in to mentor them.

“I called the children together when they were playing. I would take some books and we would start writing and reading. I would help them to pronounce their words nicely,” she said.

Ngcambelo tutored the children in English and maths, practicing sums and reading with them.

“My little sister is in Grade 1, so I took some of her books and started teaching the children from the books,” she said.

She dedicated about three hours a day to tutor the children.

“Sometimes they would get tired, so we would stop school work and just have fun,” she said

Ngcambelo said she had up to four little students attend her ‘class’.

“I feel proud, because they know how to spell and count now,”she said.

The tutoring classes were a labour of love for Ngcambelo. “I don’t really want to be a teacher when I grow up, I want to be an actor or a soldier,” she said.

HAMPTONS High School learner, Aidan Khan was the top achiever in Grade 8 for the third term, achieving an overall aggregate of 97 per cent.

Khan said he enjoys time in the classroom.

“I really enjoy Natural Science and Mathematics, but I enjoy all my subjects,” he said.

He said his faith in God and strong work ethic are his secrets to success.

“I believe God has his ways. Studying is key. I also listen to my teacher during class and extra lessons help a lot. I start working ahead of time, I have already prepared for the exams,” he said.

The Grade 8 learner says being strong academically is key to his future.

“I’ve delved into medical anatomy and discovered an interest in the medical field,” he said.

While the Covid-19 pandemic and nationwide lockdown has prevented the learner from going to school as usual, he has not had any problems learning at home.

“If you understand the concept and ask for help, you grasp the concepts quite easily,” he said.

DANVILLE Park Girls’ High School learner, Emma Slack (16) recently used her lifesaving skills and showed exceptional bravery to help save a surf ski paddler who had gotten into difficulty along the Durban coast.

The Grade 10 learner was in the water practicing her drills when she spotted the man in distress.

“I had my Malibu board with me and I could see he was in some difficulty because the waves had broken his ski. I paddled over to him and helped him on to the board and brought him back safely to shore. He had swallowed a little bit of water so we had to stop a few times on the way back to shore to allow him to breathe easier. He was thankful once we got to shore and I’m happy I was able to help,” she said.

Slack said her love for the ocean began at the age of six with a surfing lesson.

“It was only a few years later when my friends suggested joining a lifesaving club and getting involved. I developed a love for the sport and especially for the Malibu board. I would encourage others to try out the sport because lifesaving is something we should be exposed to, be it learning the skills or gaining an awareness of the ocean, it’s vitally important,” she said.

Besides being involved in lifesaving, Slack plays hockey (both indoor and outdoor) for her school and also participates in cross country and athletics.

OAKRIDGE College Grade 11 learner, Kiash Maistry, has helped raise more than R4 000 for the Mgungundlovu community in KZN. The collection was spearheaded by fellow Oakridge learner, Morgan Coutts.

“When Morgan asked if I wanted to help out I immediately said yes and the project grew to a point where our fellow learners have helped out. We’ve also had the support of the staff which has been incredible to see. I do feel if you are coming from a place of privilege it is important to help out and give back where you can,” he said.

The drive Maistry is involved in is purchasing food vouchers for Dudu Memela who cooks for close to 80 children in the Mgungundlovu community daily.

“When we learned about Dudu’s story, we felt compelled to do what we could to make a difference. She is one of the heroes of this pandemic with the work she’s doing. For most of the children under her care they only eat once a day. So far, thanks to my fellow learners, Morgan Coutts and Aqeelah Abdullah, who helped me drive this fundraiser together with some staff members, we’ve been able to raise R4 000. My goal is to see that number go as high as R8 000,” he said.

Maistry, Coutts and Abdullah also created a poster and a video which was used on social media to assist gain exposure and donations.

“I was extremely pleased to be able to make a difference to someone else’s life and going forward we intend to help as many people as we can,” he said.

THE heart of a volunteer relies on a number of factors, which include passion, time, energy and dedication. Brought together by her passion for helping others, Northlands Girls’ High School learner, Lasandra Majola puts her passion into action.

She recently started her own NPO, the Lasandra Organisation which supports impoverished families. Majola who is a talented singer, uses money raised from her gigs for the foundation.

This year the Grade 12 learner released her very first single, Senzeni to raise awareness and take a stand against gender-based violence (GBV) in South Africa.

“I released the song on my YouTube account in August and the feedback from everyone has been incredibly positive. My hope is that it resonates with young people because they can bring about change. The song is in Zulu but I’ve also put in the translation of the lyrics in English to spread the message. I’ve had people message me saying thank you for doing this and having frank and open discussions around GBV,” she said.

Majola who has been helping families in need said she had also seen the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic take hold.

“The motivation to start the NPO was seeing so many people go hungry everyday. I often imagine myself in their shoes and think how awful it must be to go hungry. This year has been even tougher for those families who are struggling because people have lost jobs. Whenever I perform I put the money I earn aside towards the foundation and each month I buy the families I support groceries for the month,” she said.

The songstress supports families from KwaMashu, Inanda and uMlazi.

“My ultimate goal would be to spread the love and have different branches of my foundation in other parts of the country,” she said.

COMING from a musical family has set Samir Dookie on his path to musical success. The Grade 9 Northwood School learner was the recent gold winner at the Talent Africa Nationals and received an outstanding result of 94 per cent for his Grade 5 Trinity piano exam.

Dookie also earlier this year received his South African colours for an achievement he is proud of.

“I was extremely excited and happy with everything I’ve achieved so far this year. My piano teacher, Jenny Bonsignore entered me in my first Eisteddfod at Durban North College at the beginning of this year and that set the ball rolling for Talent Africa and me eventually winning gold at nationals and receiving my South African colours. Preparing for this competition meant many hours of practising, juggling with school, assessments and my sporting activities so it wasn’t easy. I’m really grateful to having two piano teachers, Jenny Bonsignore and Pat Naude, who worked very hard with me in this last year preparing for the Eisteddfod and my Trinity exams,” he explained.

Dookie said music is in his blood and said his family strongly influenced his choices.

“I come from a musical family. My mum is a music teacher. I’ve grown up listening to my parents and siblings singing and playing music. My mum would place headphones on her tummy playing classical music to me before I was born. I love music, but my favourite is classical music. I love all the composers, but Lizst and Chopin are my favourites. For me, practising is fun and a break away from schoolwork or chores. I like trying out new pieces, it’s like doing a puzzle,” he explained.

OUR Lady of Fatima Dominican Convent School Grade 11 learner, Nabbihun Jacobs, was recently appointed as the council manager for the Durban Youth Council (DYC). The DYC is a non-profit, community service-based youth organisation that aims to empower the youth of Durban through service to the community.

As a member of the school’s Interact club, Jacobs said she was drawn to the message with the aim of improving the quality of life for the youth.

“Young people are the backbone of a society and I felt that message resonates with me as their participation in all aspects of society is important. That’s what prompted me to be a part of the DYC as I believe we can empower young people out there. I was thrilled when they made the announcement of my appointment and I hope to make more of an impact throughout the year and leading into my matric year,” she said.

Jacobs is also involved in a myriad of activities including being a member of the chorester for the KZN Youth Choir. She has also completed all the requirements for the bronze President’s Award.

The President’s Award is an internationally recognised programme which exists to equip youth to succeed in life and work.

It also offers young people the opportunity to develop their character and discover their purpose through various initiatives.

Jacobs is also a regular donor for the SANBS.

ARNAV Bhogal, a Grade 4 from Glenashley Preparatory School recently featured on a radio programme for children, on Hindvani 91.5fm. Bhongal and his sister, Vyushthi recorded their show at the Hindvani studios on a Monday, for the programme to air on the following Wednesday. They speak in English and Hindi and play Hindi music. They also presented a simple Hindi poem.

Bhongal said it was exciting being on a radio show.

“It felt awesome, but I was also very nervous knowing that about 150 000 people will be listening. I was nervous in case I forgot my lines or made a mistake. Luckily, so far, all the programs I have done have come off really well. And I am a lot less nervous now when I have to do a programme,” he said.

The youngster is even considering a career in radio after the experience.

“I’d love to become a radio presenter because it’s really fun in a way. What I like the most is to be able to choose music to play that I like and talk about things that I enjoy and find interesting. It’s really hard work though. I have to select music, find information on what to talk about and prepare a script. All this needs to be done in three or four days beforehand because it takes about a week of rehearsals to prepare for the show,” he said.

Bhogal, who attends Hindi classes was selected to present the radio program.

“The Hindi language is part of my cultural heritage and I think that it’s important for all of us to be proud and involved in our different cultures. Our different languages and cultures combined together makes South Africa the amazing rainbow nation that it is,” said the learner.

The Covid-19 pandemic and nationwide lockdown has prevented Bhongal from taking part in the usual school activities.

“This year has been so hectic. It’s my first year at Glenashley Prep and we were only at school for about one term before the shut down. So I have not done much. But I am looking forward to the rest of my time at school. I’d love to be in the school plays. Last year, I played Sebastian in the Glenashley Junior Primary production of The Little Mermaid. I had the most lines to learn,” he said.

STAR swimmer, Luc Brand, a Grade 6 Chelsea Preparatory School learner, has ‘pooled’ his talents to win numerous medals and accolades for swimming as well as sporting and academic awards.

This year he won four gold medals and three silver medals at the KwaZulu-Natal Life Saving Championships held at Addington Beach.

“I won gold medals fro the Long Run, Beach Sprints, Surf Swim and Run Swim Run events. I was very happy when I won the medals. Swimming in the open water was a little bit harder than swimming in the pool,” he said.

He as also named the KZN U12 Nipper of the Tournament, a consistent achievement after being named the U11 Nipper last year. His Swimming South Africa (SSA) rankings for the 2020 season have consisted of one second, three third positions, one fourth position, three fifth positions and two seventh place rankings.

This adds to a long list of swimming achievements last year, including three gold medals, one silver medal and one bronze medal in the surf category at the 2019 KZN Life Saving Championships. He also won three silver medals and one bronze medal for the SA Life Saving Championships last year. Brand was also selected for KZN Swimming in the U12 age group when he was still 11 years old. He set a new record for 50m freestyle and 50 butterfly and he was named the competitor of the year in the U11 lifesaving competition in Port Elizabeth last year.

Brand said he loves all the swimming strokes, but his favourite is freestyle.

“I hope to get to the Olympics at a young age, that’s my dream. I love swimming because it’s fun, it keeps me fit, healthy and strong,” he said.

Brand has been a member of his school’s swimming squad from 2017 when he was a Grade 3 learner. He has also been a member of his school’s first team waterpolo team since he was in Grade 5. His sporting achievements make a splash outside the pool as well and he was selected to play a few first team hockey matches while he was in Grade 5 last year. Brand said he would have been selected for the first team hockey team this year if it wasn’t for the Covid-19 pandemic and sporting restrictions. He was also selected to be a member of the first team rugby squad for 2020. The rugby squad had plans to travel to St Stithians before lockdown intervened.

CRAWFORD Preparatory, La Lucia Grade 6 learner, Sumanas Viranna was selected as a member of the SA Team to represent Africa at Talent America in New York. This after he took part in the 2020 Talent Africa Nationals where he was awarded KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Colours in the Performing Arts, a Top 10 medal for completing in the Top 10 in his age category three gold medals for mime, monologue and undramatized poetry as well as an award for the best costume in the junior category.

The competition took place online on the 15 June.

“The original date was scheduled for April 2020 in Port Elizabeth, but this was cancelled due to the Covid-19 lockdown,” said Viranna.

The young drama star thanked his family and school for supporting him.

“It was a wonderful surprise when I was selected tor represent Africa in New York. I was extremely excited and proud. I was also very grateful for the assistance that I received from my drama teacher, Mrs Yallup and from my parents. This would not have been possible without their support and guidance,” he said.

While he loves drama, Viranna said his ultimate dream is to become an aeronautical engineer or a neurosurgeon.

“I love performing because it is imaginative, creative and empowering. It allows me to express myself and to understand the world around me. Our school has a competition called Crawford’s Got Talent, which takes place every two years. I missed participating in this competition as it was cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions,” he said.

OUR Lady of Fatima Dominican Convent School learner, Cassi Ridderhof, has a heart for making a difference to her community. As vice president of the school’s Interact Club, the Grade 11 learner is in charge of the tin can collection for various charities and feels community outreach is important.

“Every year the Interact Club embarks on a number of service projects, such as feeding schemes in the form of a weekly sandwich drive, supporting old-age and children’s homes, and blood drives. This year with the Covid-19 pandemic it has been a bit more difficult to help out especially with the sandwich drive for the Domino Foundation.

“So we decided to start bringing in cans and non-perishable food as a way to help out and give back to those in need. We’ve also opened up the collection to the entire school and the response from the girls has been fantastic. For me community outreach is a pillar of our society and I love helping out. It’s why I joined the school’s Interact club,” she said.

Besides community outreach within the school, Ridderhof is also involved in her church’s programmes to support the community of Amaoti on the KZN north coast.

‘THERE is no life without music’. It’s a phrase that defines Northwood School’s talented musician Nikhil Prakaschandra’s life. The Grade 9 learner recently achieved an outstanding 91 per cent for his Grade 5 Trinity piano exam.

This year has proved difficult for most music students having to do online lessons due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I was ecstatic with my marks because it has taken a lot of hard work and dedication to reach this stage. A huge part of my success has been my teacher Mrs Jenny Bonsignore who has been a huge help. I think in order to excel with your musical instrument of choice you have to play with feeling. I think that’s what helped me in my exams,” he said.

Prakaschandra was introduced to music at a young age and his love for the piano has grown over the years.

“We had a piano in our home and I use to try and play the keys and my mom saw I was musically inclined. She got me involved in piano lessons which helped my love for music grow. One of my goals going forward is to try and play in the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra. That would be the ultimate achievement for me. It would also be a great experience being part of a musical ensemble,” he said.

Besides being musically talented, Prakaschandra is involved in various sports including water polo, swimming and rugby.

CRAWFORD College La Lucia Grade 10 learner, Tanay Konar has successfully completed the Bronze Level of The President’s Award for Youth Empowerment Programme.

To achieve bronze, participants have to complete at least 24 hours of community service spread, over three months as well as three months of a physical recreation and three months of skills development. Participants are then required to complete an additional three months of any of the three categories. To complete the process, participants must undertake an adventurous journey of two days and one night.

The award is available to young people between the ages of 14 and 24 and it consists of four sections: community service, adventurous journey, skills development and physical recreation which can be achieved at bronze, silver and gold levels. The award levels are progressive and as one moves from one level to the next, the requirements increase, which in turn intensifies the challenge, requiring increasing levels of commitment, perseverance and determination from the award participant.

DURING the nationwide lockdown, Danville Park Girls’ High School Grade 10 learner, Tyra Bolton has used her time giving back by collecting and donating hundreds of items to various organisations.

Bolton recently completed all the requirements for the silver Presidents Award except for the hike which was postponed due to Covid-19. She was permitted however, to enroll for the gold level of the award and has been working on this since July. The President’s Award is an internationally recognised programme which exists to equip youth to succeed in life and work.

It also offers young people the opportunity to develop their character and discover their purpose through various initiatives.

Beyond the award, Bolton said this year has helped her reflect on her blessings which prompted her to see how she could support the various charities and organisations.

Bolton has been involved with the SPCA Blanket Drive, volunteering weekly at the PACT cattery (Phoenix Animal Care and Treatment), supporting The Sweethearts Foundation by collecting Tags & Tops for their recycling fundraising for wheelchairs. She has also been involved in various soup kitchens and feeding programmes. Her latest project has been to appeal to the community for donations of baby items for the NPO ‘Open Arms’.

“All of this has opened my eyes to the challenges that people face. Volunteering at a soup kitchen, measuring and packing the bags and then donating them was an incredible experience, each bag feeds five people and in one afternoon we can make enough to feed 2 500 hungry people. I have loved volunteering and being involved with my community and I’ve made a commitment to continue with the various projects that have found a place in my heart,” she said.