2022 | WINTER EDITION | NEWS pg. 1 2022 | WINTER EDITION | NEWS Greetings, fellow Old Girls The year has certainly been a busy one thus far and the committee has been working furiously behind the scenes to get some new ventures off the ground. At this stage THE SPRING FAIR and THE REUNION are our main focus. Thankfully we were able to meet both face-to-face and online to ensure that The Spring Fair stall is going to be beautiful and The Reunion is going to be one grand gathering. We are focussing on our theme: REMINISCE.RENEW.REUNITE THE SPRING FAIR will take place on SATURDAY 3 SEPTEMBER 2022 and we encourage all Old Girls to attend. Come and visit our stall to buy a teddy, memorabilia or a delicious treat. We would love to hear about your school days and connect with you. Our aim is to also reunite friends who have been separated over the last two years. We guarantee that you will feel renewed once you amble through the beautiful gardens and grounds of Pretoria High School for Girls. THE REUNION bookings have opened. The groups who missed their reunions in 2020 and 2021 will join the 2022 reunion groups. The date for the reunion is SATURDAY, 8 OCTOBER 2022 at 15:30. There is only ONE event this time around. Use this link to RSVP and book www.phsg.org.za/reunions If you matriculated in 1972 or any year before this, you are automatically invited to the reunion. We consider you as our special guests because you have been out of school for more than 50 years. For the 1970/1971/ 1972 groups as well as the 1960/ 1961/1962 groups THIS is your BIG reunion so we hope you will attend. The 120th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS will include the reunions as well as the AGM together with the Sports and Cultural Activities. This year the reunion will take place during the school holidays (8 OCTOBER), so the principal and management team are trying something new and different. The Sports and Cultural Activities will take place on 15 OCTOBER 2022 and so will the AGM. Tea and scones will be served at the AGM. If you would like to attend the AGM or Sport, please click on the links on page 2. Details for the birthday assembly for learners, Old Girls and Staff will be communicated at a later date. We need to keep in mind that we are still living with COVID-19 and the school has to keep this in mind when arranging events. Warmest regards Bronwyn Bantich Deputy-chairperson of the OGA Communications
2022 | WINTER EDITION | NEWS pg. 2 Please click on the following link for the AGM https://forms.gle/NFoTtnCaBpmSfaFb8 Please click on the following link for the SPORT https://forms.office.com/r/rMCLD2hdiT
2022 | WINTER EDITION | NEWS pg. 3
2022 | WINTER EDITION | NEWS pg. 4 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE REUNION AND 12OTH BIRTHDAY Why do I need to RSVP via the Tixsa website/application? In order to streamline the booking process, we decided to approach a company that does the ticket sales for events. Tixsa have been amazing in helping us set up the ticket sales and memorabilia sales. They are assisting with the marketing and administration of the tickets. You can ask your convenor for an EFT booking form if you are unable to use the Tixsa site. Why are there so many groups having their reunions in 2022? During the pandemic we sadly had to postpone the 2020 and 2021 reunions. These groups are getting their chance to celebrate together with the 2022 groups. This means it is going to be a fantastic event with so many of our beautiful Old Girls all together. Why is the AGM on a different day to the Reunions? We had a good attendance at last year’s AGM despite there being no reunion and we thought we should give it a try again. Why is there no specific 120th birthday lunch/celebration? With the cost of living rising all over the world, we were concerned that we would not have enough interest in a big function. All the groups attending the reunion will get a chance to celebrate the school’s birthday. If it is not your group’s turn for a reunion, you are welcome to come and watch the Sport and Cultural Activities taking place on 15 October. You are also welcome to attend the AGM where tea and scones will be served. Please RSVP using the link advertised earlier in the newsletter.
2022 | WINTER EDITION | NEWS pg. 5 Why are the events spread over two weekends and a week in-between? When planning the school’s birthday, COVID-19 restrictions were still in place. In order to minimise the risk, the principal and management team decided it would be best to split the reunions and the Sport and Cultural Activities. Why is the price of the event R400? When we started planning the reunion, there were limits on the number of people allowed at an indoor event. We thought that an outdoor event under stretch tents would solve that problem. This however does incur extra costs which we needed to cover. What do I get for my R400 ticket? You will get safe parking with a security guard. There will be a tapas style starter, main course and a variety of deserts. There will a stunning set-up under stretch tents with floral décor. Waitrons will be serving all the guests. There will be a photographer taking photos of the event and the groups. On the same day there will be a tour of the school happening at 14:00 which you can sign up for on the PHSG website. Why do the ticket prices increase over time? In order to encourage people to book sooner, rather than later we encouraged “Early Bird Registrations” with a reduced price of R390 and “Just in Time Registrations” with a price of R420. Book before 31 August to ensure you only pay R400. When is the last day I can book for the reunion? 30 September is the last day you can book and pay for the reunion. We unfortunately cannot arrange any late bookings this year. Is there a hotel nearby, that I can stay at, if I am attending the reunion? Yes, there is a new centre called Loftus Park which borders the school grounds and Loftus Versveld and there is a Protea Hotel at this centre. It is run by Mariott Hotels and is highly recommended. You can walk safely to the hotel from the school and you will not need to arrange transport. Take a look at this link to see what the hotel offers: https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/prylp-proteahotel-pretoria-loftus-park/overview/ The committee has contacted the Courtyard Hotel and we are awaiting their response. Can I get a discount for the Protea Hotel at Loftus Park? Yes! Yes! Yes! The hotel rates are as follows: R 895.00 Single B/B R 995.00 Double B/B Should you wish to make bookings for this period kindly email [email protected] and quote booking code PHG2022 Is there any other accommodation available? Yes, The Arcadia Courtyard Hotel (corner Hill and Park Streets) are offering the following special rates: R1015 for room only per studio room per night R1190 for bed and breakfast (1pax) R1365 for bed and breakfast (2pax) Please contact the reservations department directly - [email protected] or telephone 012 342 4940 , to make a bookings and mention that they are attending the PHSG Reunion Event to be granted the special rate.
2022 | WINTER EDITION | NEWS pg. 6 Is there an agenda for The Reunion? Over the last ten years we have noticed a trend that people prefer fewer formalities and more socialising. If formalised speeches or entertainment are arranged, they usually hinder the flow of the day and interrupt the excitement and energy. There is a simple outline of events: 14:00 Tour (remember to book on the form that can be found on https://www.phsg.org.za/reunions ) 15:00 Arrive and register 15:30 Registration continues 16:00 Principal’s address (a short speech will be delivered) 16:15 Let the catching up with friends continue! Will drinks be served at The Reunion? Yes, there will be a cash bar available with alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Bottled water can also be purchased at the bar. Will I be able to change my meal selection on the day? No, unfortunately, this is not an option. What time will the event end? The last round of drinks will be served at 21:00. It would be greatly appreciated if all guests have vacated the grounds by 22:00. If your group is still in the mood to celebrate, there are many wonderful restaurants and bars at Loftus Park. https://loftuspark.co.za/ I have a few questions that haven’t been addressed in this article, who can I contact? You are welcome to contact your convenor for your group. Otherwise you can email : [email protected] I am having issues with the ticket website. There seems to be a problem with my name field? Please see the steps below:
2022 | WINTER EDITION | NEWS pg. 7 OLD GIRLS’ SCARF It was lovely to see some of our committee members sporting the scarf at a function on 14 May. OLD GIRLS’ BADGE Pair your scarf with a classy, little badge. You can pin it anywhere! You can purchase one for R80. OLD GIRLS’ TEDDY BEARS If you missed out on your opportunity to purchase the COVID Teddy Bear named Iris, we do still have a few beautiful bears available for R350. Our flagship bear named Hope was released for the 100th Spring Fair celebration. These are collectors’ items and we also have a few bears in stock. She is very special as she comes with a knitted white ‘Matric’ jersey and a special suitcase. Our R120th birthday bear has been designed and FAITH will be available at the Spring Fair and The Reunion. She is a limited edition and there are only FIFTY bears available. Come past the stall to see this beautiful addition to the collection. Banking Details: PHSG Old Girls’ Association Bank: First National Bank Account number: 55150057914 Branch: Hatfield B Swift Code: FIRNZAJJ926 Reference: Your name You can use these banking details. Please send proof of purchase (POP) to [email protected] and specify which items you have purchased. Please note: The OGA cannot arrange for delivery of these items and you will need to make arrangements to fetch them from the school. Rose Spruyt and Bronwyn Bantich
2022 | WINTER EDITION | NEWS pg. 8 SPRING FAIR 2022 This year our aim is to get a variety of wonderful goodies for sale at our stall. This can only happen with YOUR help and generous donations. We would like to bring together the OLD AND THE NEW. We will have the new products like our scarves, cotton shopping bags/tote bags, badges and cupcakes. We are also going to have the old favourites such as the teddy bears and THE FAMOUS GINGERBREAD PEOPLE. Bethany Culbert, an Old Girl of the school generously donated the beautiful (and delicious) gingerbread people and we are kindly asking any other Old Girls to please make and donate some products we can sell. We are thinking of things like jam, marmalade, lemon curd, pickles, chilli sauce, etc. Come and meet our new chairperson Nicole Trollip and see the familiar faces. If you have any products to donate, please email [email protected] and let us know what you are able to contribute.
2022 | WINTER EDITION | NEWS pg. 9 SPORTS DAY Click this to sign up or use the QR code above https://forms.office.com/r/rMCLD2hdiT
2022 | WINTER EDITION | NEWS pg. 10 SOCIAL MEDIA AND MARKETING If you are a social media expert/digital content creator and you think you can run our Facebook page and write our newsletters, please contact [email protected] We are looking for more people to join our team so we can grow our vision of REMINISCE.RENEW.REUNITE phsg_oldgirlsassociation We are aiming to keep you updated with seasonal newsletters so that the news is more current and we can communicate with you more often. You may have noticed that a few of the regular items such as ‘In Memoriam’ and Photos from the Reunions haven’t been included. We will be sharing these via our different platforms. Please keep following our Instagram and Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/PHSGOGA