Somerset House

CAPE CO-ED CUP HOCKEY TOURNAMENT
Our 1st Team girls and boys both represented Somerset House proudly at the Cape Co-Ed Cup recently, gaining valuable experience against strong opposition. The girls showed resilience throughout, fighting back from a 2-2 draw against Somerset College to win their Bowl semi-final on penalties, before finishing 14th overall after a 1-3 loss in the Bowl Final. The boys had an excellent tournament, winning all three group matches to top their pool and qualify for the Cup semi-finals, where they narrowly missed out on a place in the final after a 0-2 loss to De Hoop and a 1-2 defeat to Gene Louw in the bronze medal match. Both teams displayed determination, grit and excellent sportsmanship, and we are proud of their efforts and continued commitment to improving.

BEES AND FLOWERS
Last week the Grade R pupils explored the wonderful world of bees and flowers. The children used hexagon templates to create colourful hives, colouring with pastels and adding textured bubble‑wrap prints to make unique patterns. They then made their own bees to live in the hives, practising important fine‑motor skills such as cutting, folding and sticking. Through the activities we talked about how bees help flowers by carrying pollen and why bees are important for our gardens. The room has been buzzing with creativity and curiosity - please ask your child about their bee and hive at home; they love to share what they’ve learned.

CHESS VS SOMERSET COLLEGE
It’s been a busy chess season and our U9, U11 and U13 teams played against Somerset College recently. Congratulations to the U9 and U11 teams who both secured convincing victories. Our U13s lost 4.5 to 1.5, but played with their usual dedication and sportsmanship.

GRADE R ART:
During their Art lessons, our Grade R pupils have been exploring the elements of art. Over the past few weeks, we’ve focused on texture, shape, and form by creating these adorable ‘Bird in a Nest’ sculptures. Just look at those proud little faces -they’re as delightful as their creations!

PUZZLE BUILDING
This term the little Bees (Grade 000) have been working very hard on their puzzle building skills. They have thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of completing 24 piece puzzles and becoming more confident and independent with each attempt. Building puzzles helps children develop important cognitive, physical and emotional skills. It encourages problem-solving, fine motor control, hand-eye co-ordination, and spatial awareness, while also developing patience, resilience, concentration and memory. Well done, little Bees! Keep up the fantastic work and continue enjoying the challenge!

FUTURE INNOVATOR AWARD
The Future Innovator award for last week was awarded to Hudson Heward for the excellent application of digital skills in the creation of his Under the Sea PowerPoint.

RUGBY VS OKLAHOMA PRIMARY
It was another excellent day for Somerset House Rugby, with our boys showing improvement, confidence, determination and a real desire to compete against Oklahoma. The U7A boys continued to make great progress, while the U8s produced an outstanding performance to secure a well-deserved victory. The U9A boys impressed with strong set-piece play, good structure and discipline, resulting in another excellent win. The U11s delivered a sensational all-round performance, combining powerful forward play with outstanding defence. The 1st XV showed tremendous resilience after a slow start, regaining control through their forwards and set pieces before securing a dramatic victory in the dying moments.