Michaelis Schule – Pupils have a blast underground

THE GRADE 5 class had the privilege of visiting Leeukrantz Coal Mine, near Hlobane on Wednesday morning. 
On arrival, they were all issued with protective clothing. After slipping into these outfits they all looked like real miners, although they were almost drowning in their overalls! 
We were welcomed by the friendliest staff, from Keaton Energy Mining Group. The mine manager, Hugo Burger, personally took us through every part of the mine, from the entrance, right to the furthest operational point.
The children had a blast! Yes, they literally experienced a blast underground, and were shown every process from the blast, right through to the washing plant, where the coal is processed. The excursion ended with a feast of hamburgers and juice, which the hungry ‘mini miners’ devoured. This visit complimented our Natural Sciences learning programme and the children appreciated every moment of it. We want to thank the Van der Colff family, who organised this excursion, and particularly Hugo and his staff at Keaton Energy, who made us feel so welcome.
Tennis: On Monday, August 18, the tennis team played against Lucas Meyer Primary School at the Lawn Tennis Club. The learners all enjoyed the game, as they already know each other from Monday’s practices. Michaelis won 96/37. Thank you to Lucas Meyer Primary School, who hosted the match.
Mini Cricket: On Saturday, the excited Mini Cricket Teams set off for Utrecht to play in their annual ‘Dolfyntjie Toernooi.’ 
The u/7 team played three matches, of which they won one and lost two. They lost against NRS and Utrecht and beat Drakensberg. Our u/8 mixed team beat Drakensberg’s mixed team as well as Dundee’s mixed team. They unfortunately lost against the Dundee boys’ A team. We would like to thank Utrecht for hosting this fun-filled tournament.
u/13 7-a-side Cricket Tournament: Eight cricketers from our u/13 team played at a 7-a-side cricket tournament in Lüneburg this weekend, along with seven other schools. 
On Friday we played against Lüneburg and lost the match. On Saturday morning, our first match was against Lucas Meyer Primary School and, although the boys played much better, we didn’t win this match. The last match on Saturday was against Amsterdam. Fortunately, by this time, the boys’ game had improved, and we were able to take victory. 
We want to thank Lüneburg, who organized this event, and SPAR who was the sponsor.
Gymnastics: Mia Olivier competed in the Pinetown Gymnastics Competition this weekend and came third in her age group. Congratulations Mia, your hard work is paying off!
Eisteddfod: Some of our pupils took part in dancing events at the Eisteddfod in Empangeni this weekend. The results were as follows: Danika Vyncke: one bronze; Danie de Beer: one silver; Megan Mengel: two silvers; Kayla Olivier: two silvers; Daniela Vonkeman: two silvers and one bronze; Leah Vonkeman: four silvers and one bronze; Megan de Beer: six silvers and three golds and Catia Marques: four silvers. Congratulations to all these children and their dance instructors, who work so hard with them!