Zander Neethling – BPMS head boy 2020
“Ons leer saam ʼn toekoms bou; by Bryanston Parallel Medium. Dis ons tweede huis, ʼn plek van groei. Geplant, gewater,gesnoei ….” Die mooiste skoollied ooit!
Onderwysers het met die aanlyn klasse op Microsoft Teams dit reggekry om ons op ʼn ander manier te snoei en ons het geleer om op ʼn ander manier te groei.
Die aanlynklasse was vir ons almal iets vreemds om aan gewoond te raak tydens die grendelstaat, maar ek het net weereens besef hoe fantasties tegnologie is. Of dit nou onderwysers is wat ons uit hulle eie huise onderrig of aanlyn assessserings of selfs net pouse hou met jou maats op Zoom. Die video wat die prefekte saamgestel het vir Meneer Kachelhoffer se verjaarsdag is ʼn bewys dat elke klein legkaartstukkie ʼn mooi geheel maak. Die vaardighede wat ons aangeleer het is ongelooflik!
Ons het nie net rekenaarvaardighede geleer nie. Ons het ook aan ons karakter en integriteit gebou. Iets wat jou regdeur jou lewe sal dra. Ons het assesserings en take gedoen met die wete dat jou ouers en jou boeke naby is. Ons het dit egter steeds op ons eie gedoen sonder enige hulp aangesien mens weet dat jy dit net vir jouself doen en dat eerlikheid ʼn belangrike eienskap is .
Ek mis die skool, die sport, my vriende en pouse se pret, maar BPMS is ʼn ongelooflike skool met positiewe onderwysers en hulle het dit reggekry om ʼn tweede huis binne in my ouerhuis te skep. Hulle het bewys, net soos ons eie ouers, dat daar ʼn oplosssing vir elke probleem is.
Die aanlynklasse is ʼn groot sukses en ons onderwysers se lesse is net op ʼn ander vlak. Van Juffrou Annemie wat ons rooster(met lekker lang pouses om gou ʼn bal te gaan slaan) vir elke dag saamgestel so ewe met ‘n eksamen in tot Juffrou Meiring wat alles in haar vermoë doen om steeds die kultuur aan die gang te hou. Ons het selfs ʼn aanlyn debat gehad! Ek het ook ʼn voëltjie hoor fluit dat daar ʼn groot verrassing op ons wag!
Bryanston Parallel Medium is op alle vlakke fantasties en soos ons skoollied sê ….Solank ons saamstaan hand aan hand .Knieë gebuig: “Heer seën ons land!”sal ons almal saam as wenners uit hierdie stryd treë. Esprit de Corps!
Tessa Nykamp – BPMS head girl 2020
Generasie Z gee vet ! 
Hallo vriende ! Ek is Tessa Nykamp, hoofdogter van Bryanston Parallel Medium in Johannesburg. Soos meeste van julle het ek groot planne vir 2020 gehad ! Netbal, atletiek, tennis en in ons geval ‘n vierjaarlikse Revue wat altyd met groot afwagting en toewyding aangepak word ! ‘n Hoogtepunt ! Ja, 2020 het sommer met ‘n knal weggespring en die Maart vakansie was op ons, voor ons ons oë kon uitvee !
Toe my pa ons, honde en al, in beide ons karre inboender, en ons op..of is dit af, kommandeur plaas toe in die Kaap, was ons skoon stomgeslaan!
Lockdown ? Huh ? “Grendeltyd” help ma ewe pliggie-rig…Wat ? Pandemies gebeur in ander lande ! Nie in sonnige Suid-Afrika nie! Wat gaan word van skool en al ons planne ! Ons het al begin bespiegel oor geskrapte-jaar, rampe !
Maar toe kom 1 April, …en wraggies, tot hier in Uniondale, saam met die spook, het ons ons eerste aanlyn klasse ! Agter die skerms het ons “leerkragte” (ja, dankie ma) en ander super ouers hulle kragte deeglik ten toongestel …en sonder om te blik of te bloos is die skool in ons huise ingeskuif !
Onnies en kinders het eenvoudig hul “handboeke” (lees tablette) oopgemaak en in virtuele klasse in, verdwyn.
Tot vir ons Generasie Z’ers wat tegnologie in ons are het, was dit ongelooflik. En…soos ons ervaring met ons super onderwysers begin wys het, heerlik ! Ons kon aanlyn chat (ok, klets) voor ons klasse en op groepies ons lockdown (inperking..dankie pliggie !) bekla terwyl die lewe en ‘n virus met kroontjies, buite , sy dodelike ding doen.
Ons Bryanston Parallel Medium-kindertjies het nog nie een dag se lesse gemis nie en waar iemand hier en daar ‘n wifi of ander tegnologiese glips ervaar, word die lesse eenvoudig opgelaai en aangestuur !
Ek mis my maats en ek mis my spansporte met ‘n seer hart, maar ek is via whatsappgroepe besig om fiks en gesond te bly. Ek ervaar via groepies die emosies en hartseer van my vriende en ons beur mekaar op met boodskappe en simpel video clips ! ( Nee ma, nie grepies nie !!)
Ons Z’ers is deurweek met tegnologie en danksy ons onderwysers, wat ten spyte van hul gevorderde ouderdomme (J) ongelooflike werk doen , op die voorpunt van ‘n nuwe era !
Ons gaan ons nie laat onderkry deur ‘n ou virussie en bepalings wat dalk nie aldag sin maak nie…Ons gaan grom en kla oor goed en ons gaan hier en daar ‘n tranedal of ‘n vloermoer inwerk, maar ons gaan hierdie ding wen ! Ons is die toekoms,ons gaan die aflosstokkie wat laat val is, optel en ‘n barshou hardloop .
Ek is in ‘n Wenspan – die Bryanston Parallel Medium-span!
Luke Lambert – Online class opinion piece
My name is Luke Lambert. I am the Deputy Head Boy, currently in Grade 7 at Bryanston Parallel Medium School. My life turned upside down on the 24th of March when President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the country was going on lockdown on the 27th of March. I need to add that we were on holiday in Natal at the time enjoying the sand and the surf. Needless to say, that this glorious time was abruptly cut short with an earlier than planned trip back to Johannesburg on the Thursday (26 March) which was the D-day to get back home before lockdown commenced.
In the first week we received heaps of homework via email and my mom was our teacher (blechhh) – I didn’t know she could be so strict! (I feel sorry for the grade 4’s she taught many years ago!) Luckily Bryanston Parallel Medium School came to the rescue and we heard that we that we would start with online classes by the second week of lockdown. I was wondering how this was going to work, but I was really looking forward to seeing my teachers and my friends even if it was on a screen. “Lights, camera, action!!”
My sister Laya, who is in Grade 6 at Bryanston Parallel Medium School, was so excited she planned her wardrobe for every single day of the week ahead. Well, that part was a bit of a disappointment as we were told to switch our cameras off, to reduce data usage.
Now that we are in our 7th week of online classes, it feels like “the new normal”. I have learnt, and have graduated to teaching my parents, how to use ZOOM, Skype, MS Teams, and FaceTime. I can flick between my laptop, my tablet and Kahoot on my phone with style. It did take me a while to get used to the mute and unmute – so I had a few funny moments where I was either talking to myself OR I was sharing a special moment with my dog and everyone could hear. One benefit of the compulsory mute button is that I don’t hear the “girl that shall not be named” chit-chatting and distracting me in class every day. And who would have thought three months ago that I’d submit my homework via an iMovie clip -compiled by my ‘sister-extraordinaire’ – to my teacher’s email address.
My teachers have really done a great job explaining the work to us even though they don’t have whiteboards or projectors. Without giving too much away, I know this has been tough for some of my IT-challenged teachers too, but they caught up lightning fast! I’m happy that Bryanston Parallel Medium School organized this new way of doing school in a short space of time – without missing a beat (as dad says). And I heard that our principal, Mr. Kachelhoffer, said in his last weekly letter, that we haven’t lost a single day. Maybe we can still get a short Winter holiday…???
Even though I can’t wait to go back to school & fist-pump my best mate Adam, I guess we have to wait a little longer and rather be safe. I’m not sure about all this “flattening the curve” stuff, but I’d rather have my online classes – unlike my cousin who’s been doing nothing for 7 weeks now. At least I’m keeping my mind switched on and active while we wait (un)patiently for Mrs. Motshekga to tell us when we can go back…
Viva Bryanston Parallel Medium School (and Teams)!
Isolasie
Karla van der Westhuysen 
My vingers gly deur die prikkelende gras van die grasperk. Ek kyk op. Die wind waai fluistersag deur die blare van die groot jakaranda. So rustig. Anders as ek.
Ek sug. Hierdie grendelstaat word nou te lank. Ma sê ons ruk nou hand uit, maar hierdie tyd sonder ons vriende dryf my en my suster nou behoorlik van ons koppe af! Om net in mekaar se geselskap te wees, is iets om naels oor te byt. Ja, daar is seker sosiale netwerke soos Zoom, Skype en Watsapp, maar… dis net nie dieselfde nie. Ek voel hoe die snikke in my keel opstoot. Ek moet nog boonop sterk bly vir my suster se onthalwe. In graad 3 sal sy net nie al my hartseer verstaan nie. Sy mis klaar haar vriende so verskriklik.
My kop sak af tussen my knieë. Ek het so vreeslik uitgesien na my laaste jaar op laerskool! Revue, redenaars, koor, sokkies, my rooi baadjie…Dit is veronderstel om die lekkerste jaar van my laerskool lewe te wees, net om uit te draai om die eensaamste te wees. ‘n Traan kruip af teen my wang. Volgende jaar spat ek en my vriendinne uit mekaar. Verskillende hoërskole toe. Hierdie is ons laaste jaar saam.
Ek kan eintlik nie kla nie. My skool doen alles om steeds vir ons die beste kanse te gee en om voort te gaan met werk en toetse. Ek is verseker in die beste skool. Ja nee, binne ‘n week van lockdown het ek my eerste aanlynklas bygewoon en was al ons onnies besig om soveel moeite te doen om ons deur laerskool te kry.
‘n Klein glimlaggie trek aan my mondhoeke. Ons aanlynklasse laat ons die rekenaar soos die palm van ons hand ken. Al is ons nou soos bulle in ‘n glaskas gaan ons tegno-freaks wees as ons weer terug by die skool is. Geen meer net top netbal en redenaars spanne. Nee, my skool gaan ‘n top teg span hê!
Nog ‘n prent vorm in my kop. Ek begin saggies giggel. Dink net, as ons weer terug by die skool is, sal almal uitgevat wees in maskers, handskoene, klere wat hopeloos te kort is en seuns wat onder hul kuiwe deur vir die onnies loer.
Ek klik my tong vies. Ek is net besig om simpel te wees. Ek kyk op my horlosie. Ek moet seker terug in my kamer kom, my klas gaan begin. “Hoe het dinge nie verander van Desember af nie” dink ek, terwyl ek opstaan en my pad terug kamer toe vind.
(Uit die gedagtes van my graad 3 sussie)
Ek volg my sussie met my oë terwyl sy terug loop na haar kamer. Is sy ook soms hartseer? Mis sy ook haar vriende en skool? Ek skud my kop. Dit lyk nie so nie. As ek haar vra of sy skool mis, rol sy net haar oë en sê sy moet gaan leer. Is dit omdat sy in Gr7 is? Word sy te groot vir haar skoene? Dis nie die sussie wat ek ken nie. “Verstaan almal?” vra juf. oor Teams. Ek skud my kop. “Konsentreer!”, raas ek met myself. “Ja juf.”, antwoord ons.
Ek skop my skoene uit en gaan lê op my bed. Ai, ek mis my juf. en maatjies. Om verkleurmannetjie, verkleurmannetjie pouse te speel en om sommer net bietjie crazy te wees.
Ek bring my knieë tot by my ken totdat ek in ‘n bonneltjie opgerol is. As ons teruggaan skool toe, gaan ons nie meer kan drukkies gee om hello te sê nie. Hoe onregverdig is dit nie? Ek het regtig gedink toe ek die eerste keer in die Gr3 klas ingestap het, dat ek hierdie jaar my beste juf. die heeltyd sou sien, uiteindelik in die ouer blok sal wees en lekker met my maatjies speel. Selfs al kan ek my maatjies bel, mis ek hulle nogsteeds.
En revue. My eerste revue. Die revue waarin Juf. Ronel so baie tyd spandeer het. Die een waarin ek op Zorba sou dans. My oë word tranerig. Die mooi rokkies, OPA en die pret saam met my maats soos wat ek in die revue foto’s van my sussie en haar maats gesien het.
‘n Vonkie lag skiet in my oë. A-ha, ek het eintlik baie hierdie grendeltyd geleer noudat ek daaraan dink. In die klas kon ek vir juf. mooi hoor, want daar was nie maatjies wat gepla het nie. Juf. het vir ons elke dag huiswerk gegee om ons op datum te hou en die hoof het elke nou-en-dan vir ons ‘n boodskappie gestuur om moed te hou. Ek het so ‘n groot silindervorm (wat juf. my geleer het) geskenk vir pappa vir sy verjaarsdag heeltemal alleen gemaak. Ek ken ook nou alles oor die vreemdste soogdier, platepus, en van take op powerpoint doen. Tussen deur het ons Geesweek gehad om iets lekker te doen en dan het juf. video’s daarvan gemaak.
Ek strek myself uit. Ek IS in ‘n lekker skool.
Niks kan ook die lekker pret tyd van speletjies speel met pappa tussen aanlynklasse vervang nie.
“ En dan is ons klaar vir vandag. Dankie julle, hoop ons kan gou weer teruggaan skooltoe sodat ek julle weer kan sien.”
“Ja juf, ek ook, ek ook!”
My name is Mia Duffy and I’m deputy head girl of Bryanston Parallel Medium.
It’s crazy times at the moment who would have thought this scary pandemic would affect us and the rest of the world.
As a grade 7 I never thought that I would be doing online schooling with my school Bryanston Parallel Medium. As I sit here right now it’s happening. The process feels a lot like normal school with daily interactions with my teachers through “Teams” in an online classroom. Going through the normal curriculum on a daily basis, we have written test and have started with preparation for exams which will also be held online. I never thought I would find online schooling fun but here we are.
Online schooling has allowed us to do a number of practical experiments with even our parents getting involved. In our natural science class, we asked our parents to buy vinegar, bicarbonate of soda, lemon juice and milk of magnesia so that we could taste the difference between acids and bases. Then we got them to try it which is not something they would normally get involved in. Bringing the family closer together.
During life orientation we got to make use of editing technology to create group videos, showing the steps to put on a face mask correctly during this pandemic. This has allowed us to try new applications and how to best use them while not been in direct contact with our peers.
During this period the types of work we are assigned is different as well with a lot of more descriptive essays in both English and Afrikaans, this has allowed us to work on our own and get the creative juices flowing.
The only downside I can see with online schooling with Bryanston Parallel Medium is that we do not get to physically see our friends with us only communicating online and that all sports has been cancelled.
I am proud to be part of Bryanston Parallel Medium and what our school has achieved since the 27th March 2020 not missing any work, all on track!
My name is Kara Vorster and I happily share my lockdown experience:
When lockdown started it wasn’t easy or difficult, but a little bit of both. Easy to understand why we had to be locked up in our homes, but difficult to get used to it. At first, all I wanted was to get in the car and ask my mom to drive us somewhere, ANYWHERE (preferably school?) but then I realised it might just get us pulled over by the police and get us into trouble.
Throughout this whole experience I have to deal with four different people. Mom: hardworking and grumpy. Dad: the quiet computer man. Granny: Very loving but sometimes confused and off course my brother: annoying and almost as grumpy as Mom! We made it through the first week of lockdown, but in the second week my father started working on project: “Connecting Bryanston Parallel Medium to online classes”. He worked and worked and didn’t really communicate with us and the very next week all the teachers and learners were connected in online class and curriculum! WOW! What an experience! At first my friends and I were a little bamboozled…. We see one another but we are not REALLY together…. You know they are there, but we cannot have our normal chats. That is exactly what I miss the most about not being in school. To be able to see my friends to communicate with them in person.
In lockdown over the weeks that passed I started to miss what it felt like to really have people around me. I was missing having other people in my house. It also felt as though my parents started getting angrier at us, but I think I understand why it happened. They both needed space and we were getting way to close to them. In this lockdown I cried more than I would have otherwise. I got tired of living cramped up, cleaning the house and having to do so much homework and I hated not knowing when it was going to end.
Because my father was able to give us a chance to do online school, we got some serious computer training, a lot more than what we would have gotten at school! This was a big win for us. And we did not miss out on ANY curriculum!
However, I believe this lockdown also did something good for the natural environment. There are less air pollution and our rivers are cleaner because the factories had to stop working. It also gave people a chance to clean the streets and fix some broken machinery so it can work better and cleaner in future.
I am just a seventh grader. I understand lockdown is needed to save people’s lives, but I think that this time has also taught us a lot of things. It taught us to be responsible for cleaning up after oneself while also helping other people where we can. It also made me understand to be in our houses, can save the natural environment, animals and plants of all kinds. Who could believe that selfish people like us could ever try to save the world, the animals and the plants? Lockdown has given me experience to be kind and not worry about every little detail that goes on in people’s lives. Yes, I am only in grade seven, but it doesn’t mean I can’t do anything. Adults learn from their children and children learn from adults. We are practically the same people some just still maturing. My experience in lockdown taught me even if you are locked up in a house, you are still saving a lot of lives. How I understand life at this moment is how people can change. Do it, it can change who you are for the better. Just try and you will do amazing things. Like my school. Bryanston parallel Medium. A wonderful connection of teachers, learners and parents!
GRENDELTYD – Lindie Louw
Ons is skielik onkant betrap
Deur iemand wat ‘n poets wou bak
So kwaad vir oom Cyril ons ore suis
Aai…daai iemand wat lus was vir ‘n vlermuis
Aanlyn-skool doen ek nou sommer buite op die gras
Ek vergeet my skoolklere net daar in my kas
Nuwe reëls maak die regering elke dag
My pa skud sy kop en se dis iets om van te lag
Netbal, atletiek, rugby, krieket – dis alles gekanselleer
Ek en my netbalspan was nog nooit so hartseer
Van 6 tot 9 is al wanneer ons mag draf
NEE nou raak dit sommer laf!
Sonder jou masker mag jy nêrens gaan
O ja en sit asseblief jou handreiniger aan
By die winkels mag jy nie skoene met oop tone koop
Mag ‘n mens dan met crocs ook loop?
Vriendskapsbande bou ons nou oor die internet
Facetime en houseparty sal ons maar moet red
Ons bak en brou… ons word lekker vet
Ek ken nou ons gesin se streke van A tot Z
Vriende en familie mag ek nou nie meer sien nie
Ek het niks gedoen om hierdie te verdien nie!
