POLOKWANE – As a token of appreciation for their hard work and dedication, Westenburg Secondary School awarded their matriculants and their teachers during a special ceremony last Tuesday.
The ceremony took place at the school, but only the top two learners, Alex Mosima and Percy Rakgoale, were able to attend as the other matriculants have already left for university.
Proud parents, teachers, representatives of the School Governing Body (SGB), the Acting School Principal, Bettie Boom, and the Deputy Principal of Taxila Secondary School, Sammy Madzhia attended the ceremony.
Boom congratulated the matriculants and teachers on their achievements and encouraged this year’s Gr 12 class to work hard and stay focused so they can continue the legacy of making their school proud.
“Last year our pass rate was 42,9% which is unacceptable. This year we aim to achieve a pass rate of at least 86% and we will not accept anything less. As intervention and security of our goal, the learners and their parents have signed a pledge that they will perform well and pass at the end of the year. The pledge also includes a promise that the learners will be punctual, well prepared for examinations, and hand in assignments on time, among others. If a learner does not adhere to these principles, we will deregister the learner,” Boom explained.
She added the school and SGB will do everything in their power to help learners reach their goals. However, in order to be successful they must just be willing to put in the hard work and dedication.
“This journey is a partnership between the school, parents and learners. In order for it to work, all parties must pull their weight. On our side we will offer afternoon classes to assist the learners, extra classes over weekends, outsource teachers to assist in different learning methods, and give tips on time management to assist the learners with their planning. We will also have interviews with parents as soon as we notice anything amiss with the learners because immediate intervention is better than leaving a problem to get worse,” Boom continued.
Madzhia told the learners that winning begins in the mind. “When you say you can do it, then you can do it. This is your future so do not associate yourself with automatic negative thinking syndrome. Think positive and remember, victory starts from the inside before it becomes a reality on the outside. Excuses are a way out, not a way forward,” were some of the encouraging words he shared with the learners.
