Interskole 2023/Paarl Girls' High

A last hurrah for Interschools 2023! By Abigail Combrinck, Phia Heydenreich and Annemay Schade. With these parting words the writers and Editorial team of the Paarl Girls' High Interschools '23 Blog leave you. It was an absolute pleasure to report on the daily events, to get excited about games to come and reflect on the deeper meaning of Interschools for us. We thank our writers Isabella Groenewald, Chane van Zyl, Mira van Niekerk, Luca Yelverton, Hanah Malan, Karla Joubert and Mrs. Swart for making the blog possible this year. Please visit us again if you just want to relive a moment! Foto: EJ Lang When the high school gathered in front of the main building on Monday morning, all of our hearts were heavy. The feeling of anti-climax after such an exciting week is one of the worst feelings. Despite your tired body and burning throat, you wish you could relive the hustle and bustle of Interschool week. In the Interschools week, something new happens every day and every hour: and...

  Matriek momente: Uit die lens van 'n toeskouer deur Chane van Zyl Foto: EJ Lang Gim se hekke wemel van voete wat in en uit beweeg. Dis 'n gonsende bynes van opwinding en verwagting wat in die lug hang. Die groot dag het uiteindelik aangebreek. Dit is INTERSKOLE! Met 'n hart vol liefde en nostalgie neem ek die geleentheid waar om die dag te deel met my geliefde vriendinne. Ons loop saam langs die veld, die herinneringe van ons avonture en oomblikke van vreugde en verdriet deelend. Ons praat oor ons drome en hoop vir die toekoms, terwyl ons weet dat hierdie oomblikke ons altyd sal verbind, selfs al skei ons paaie eendag. Die geur van vars grasperk vul die lug, en ek kan nie anders as om die oomblik te koester nie. Ek neem 'n oomblik om om my te kyk en al die gelukkige gesigte te sien. Ons meisies het ons verskillende belange en talente, maar vandag is ons almal een - een skool, een gemeenskap, een familie. Die wedstryde vorder, en ek voel die adrenalien in my are pomp. ...

‘n Buitengewone Spanbou: Hande vat met Samaritan's Feet Deur Annemay Schade Interskole is daardie tyd van die jaar waar elke leerder se fokus op skooltrots gerig is en hul visie na die buitewêreld begrens is. Al wat jy lééf is jou skool, geesvang en die in dril van spelpatrone. Dit kom nooit eers in jou gedagtes dat jy jouself in lugbel bevind wat só ver verwyder is van ander se realiteit nie.  Die tweede hokkiespan van HMS het egter, en ek dink dit is ‘n eerste, ons spanbousessie gebruik om uit te reik na ander. Ons het hande gevat met Samaritan’s Feet.  Ons het eerder as klets en pizza eet, ons brose menslikheid ontdek deur, deur ons interskole wedstryd en liefde vir die sport, liefde aan ander te bewys. Ons is na die Ikamva Foundation in Mbekweni waar ons as deel van die Samaritan’s Feet Projek en Goals fo Life ‘n klein verskilletjie probeer maak het in die lewens van kinders wat in hierdie wintermaande nie die voorreg het om warm sokkies en skoene aan hul voete te dra nie....

  Dik vibe  by Isabella Groenewald During Big Brag, a new teacher at our school, Ms Fouché, was put on the spot and asked to describe Interschools. Her answer summed up Interschools in two words and left the crowd cheering: Dik vibe. The first layer of the Interschools vibe takes place amongst school learners. You paint people’s faces you’ve barely held a conversation with. You borrow hair ties and ribbons from random people so one of the unofficial, underpaid Girls’ High stylists can braid your hair. You cheer unfamiliar names next to the sports field, regardless of if you know them or not, because they are part of your school. The dik Interschools vibe creates a form of nationalist pride in your school and reinforces the existing sisterhood we have in Girls’ High.  The second layer of Interschools vibe is the town of Paarl. During Interschools week, you have to colour coordinate your outfits to the school you support. You decorate your house in the school's colours, and...

Ode to our Matrics of '23 - The Final Countdown   by Hannah Malan As the Matrics are approaching the final countdown of their high school years, they are grabbing the bull by the horns by taking every opportunity that comes their way. A group of friends created a netball team on the first of August to play Interschools on the fourth of August. Most of the team had not played netball since primary school and joined the team for the fun of it. They asked one of their friends, who unfortunately cannot play netball anymore, to coach their last-minute team. Zemke Lombard coached one practice before the team was ready to play. The team played with enthusiasm and passion a week after they were formed. They achieved a surprisingly near loss against the Paarl Gymnasium u.19D team. There are many Matrics who partook in both netball and hockey this year to experience the full Interschools feeling for the last time. The countdown on their final year of high school keeps ticking yet they are fi...

  Hockey - the future is created in the now! By Phia Heydenreich When the final whistle blew for the first team hockey match, my first thought was "I have never been prouder to be a Girls Higher." GHS went into the game as the 'underdogs', having last won Interschools hockey 17 years ago!  Paarl Gymnasium is a formidable hockey school in South Africa. Sometimes it seems as if the Paarl Gim players were born with hockey sticks in hand. In the warm-up session, the GHS players appeared like little tweety birds in one corner of the field against a Gym team that owned their half with confidence and poise. GHS could not help but go on the field with the utmost respect for their opponents. However, respect does not mean accepting a subordinate position and bowing to solid opposition. We were going to give them the game of their lives. Earlier this year, against all expectations, GHS won their match against Paarl Gim at St Mary’s. This made the GHS supporters cautiously optim...

Hoe sitplekke jou staanplek in die lewe weerspieël. - Kontroversieel - Sjoe! Wat ‘n dag was gister nie vir Hoër Meisieskool en die meisies van Paarl Gimnasium nie. Beide skole het mooi oorwinnings gehad en ‘n paar oog-toe-maak verlore. Ek gaan nie nou uitbrei oor die wedstryde, die atmosfeer of selfs die verversings nie. Daar gaan nog deur die dag vars berigte daaroor volg. Gister was daar te midde van die mooi en die kompetisie tog ‘n element wat nie anders kon as om te krap aan die wese van ‘n vrou nie, en dit is die sitplek. Ja, ek kan nie anders as om myself te vra hoe die beskikbaarheid van sitplek by vrouesporte, vroue se staanplek in die samelewing weerspieël nie? Gister is daar plofbare Netbal gespeel. Gim se spelers het hul harte uitgespeel en in baie gevalle so ‘n asemrowende vertoning op die baan gesit. Die meisies en ouers van Paarl Gim wou tog sekerlik hierdie vertoning in persoon kon besigtig, maar daar was nie plek nie. HMS se spelers moes aanpas en moedhou teen die aans...

  Stilte voor die storm kom... deur  Chané van Zyl  Kritiese besinning - Chané van Zyl vra kritiese vrae oor outentiek lewe veral met geleenthede soos Interskole waar die gesiglose krag en mening van die groep jou kan meesleur en ontneem van jou eie outentieke gewaarwording en belewing. Ons skop die jaar af op die regte noot, 'n harmonie van gesang en eenheid. Die verhoog straal van eenheid met die reënboog van leerders - vanaf groen en blou tot by geel en groen. Harmonie, sinergie, en eenheid lyk asof dit 'n deurlopende tema is vir interskole. Ons ondersteun en vat mekaar se hande, lig mekaar op en bou mekaar op, ongeag die omstandighede of uitslae. Ons skep 'n ruimte van veiligheid en omgee te midde van die harde geraas van die skare. Dit bring my by die hoof-boodskap van die aand - as jy voor 'n honger skare staan, wat sal jy hulle voed? Watter voorbeeld sal jy stel vir die toeskouers? Sal jy die platform benut om jou karakter ten toon te stel? Het ons miskien te ...

  The Girls’ High Bomb By Hannah Malan Foto: EJ Lang We took the pressure and we threw it away when we celebrated our teams and upcoming Interschools win at our annual Big Brag and Prefect hall. The teams were shown off at the Big Brag so we know which faces are taking the big win this year along with a song of their choosing to relax the nerves building for the upcoming events. The Boys In Blue showed their support for our teams, wishing us luck with the upcoming games and congratulating us on the games already played. Sportsman’s Warehouse, the main sponsor of Interschools, further lifted spirits by giving out “freebies” bringing life in the early morning. Supporters sent videos to Girls’ High to show their support and let the girls know who has their back in the upcoming games. The event brought laughter along with tears to the speeches from the first teams’ captains. Excitement for Fridays’ events was seen on many faces along with a bittersweet feeling for the matrics having th...

Híér gaan die lekkerrrr!   Foto: EJ Lang Gees loop dik hier in Girls’ High. Ons weet die kinders voel dit in hulle voet, in hul heupe en in hul lywe. Hulle wil net dans-dans van opgewondenheid vir vanmiddag se groot stryd. Wat hulle nie weet nie is dat die opwinding saam met die spanning deur die onderwysers en terreinpersoneel se are klop. Die onderwysers het vanoggend saamgekom vir ‘n interskole ontbyt waar strategieë en stressvlakke bespreek is. Die een onderwyser het selfs vir my die data gewys van haar slimhorlosie wat haar stresvlakke gister gemeet het - GEVAARLIK! Interskole is vir ‘n gesondheidsrisiko vir die pedagoë, maar dan is dit ook ‘n tyd van geesvang en opgewonde raak oor iets groter as hulself.Ons het nog so gesit en praat vanoggend toe die koshuispersoneel met ‘n gesing en dans deur die deur van die personeelkamer bars. Die boodskap was duidelik, los jou stres, leef vir die oomblik, speel jou hart uit en geniet dit, want dit kom net eenmaal ‘n jaar - ampers soos Ke...

  Skaak - die spel wat nie diskrimineer nie Deur Luca Yelverton Interskole is ‘n baie opwindende tydperk vir al die leerders in HMS. Dit is ‘n fees waarna almal heeljaar uitsien en dit is ‘n tyd propvol pret en plesier. Die doel is natuurlik om te wen, maar meer as dit is die doel om dit te geniet. Hierdie stelling klink seker soos elke praatjie wat ons nog voor elke wedstryd moes hoor, maar dis waar. Interskole is ‘n belewenis en ons moet dit waardeer en geniet. Ons is bevoorreg om elke jaar hierdie spesiale gebeurtenis saam met ons broers in blou te kan aanpak. Tydens Interskole word daar baie verskillende sporte gespeel. Een van hierdie sporte is natuurlik skaak. Ja, skaak is ‘n sport. Al die HMS-skaakspelers het hard gewerk en is reg vir Interskole. PK Subban het gesê: “Die lewe is soos ‘n skaakwedstryd. Elke besluit wat jy neem, het ‘n gevolg.” Subban se vergelyking pas perfek. Ek het persoonlik Dinsdag my eesrte interskole skaakwedstryd gespeel en dit was regtig ‘n spesial...

  Kom-kom, kom staan nader. Laat ons bietjie hokkie praat! Sjoe! Ek is opgewonde oor die o.18 A hokkiewedstryd. ‘n Jong span en ‘n nuwe jaar. Hulle ken nie vrees nie en hulle speel vir mekaar. Dit is wat almal sê van hierdie spannetjie. Hierdie spannetjie het ‘n goeie jaar gehad en hulle moes deurgaans vegtersgees wys vanaf hul toernooi vroeër vanjaar by St Mary’s in Pretoria. In elke wedstryd teen elke top gerangeerde span het hulle ons verras. Hulle kan nie in ‘n blik gedruk word nie.  Kom ons wees eerlik dat in die Paarl wil mense graag HMS hokkie in ‘n blik druk en ons weet dat die volgende twee dae se hokkie wedstryde ‘n Dawid en Goliat storie is. Dit is ‘n geval van “we see your one Astro and we raise you two.” Geen oorwinning gaan vir ons gegee word nie. Die oorwinning wat ons o.18 A’s vroeër vanjaar oor Gim gekry het, is ‘n gelukkige herinnering om te hê, maar dit kan op ons boemerang. Ons sit nou met die spreekwoordelike gekwesde bul wat reg is vir ons en ons graag sa...

  Sports days, Netball and chips-on-a-stick Today was the Netball Interschools. It was quite a festive atmosphere at the Cheve fields, and in the words of my daughter, “They had a delightful spread of refreshments.” This is after all very important in the enjoyment of any sports day. I know parents believe that their children should be more bothered with winning or losing, but they are not. Yes, they walk off the field crying and upset about being out-played and out-smarted, but the mere mention of chip-on-a-stick cheers them up. Because the smell of salt and vinegar and oil is what makes sports days fun! Oh! Yes, for anyone more interested in results than memories, we will have to admit that for Girls’ High, there have been more successful days on the court than today. No, and losing does not have to define you. It should inspire you. We will have to commend the determination and single-mindedness with which the Paarl Gim girls played. Many of the matches were competitive games ev...