#SaintsMoments - Moments to Cherish - Together Apart

#SaintsMoments
Friday, 17 April 2020 – Thursday 30 April 2020

On Friday 17th April, we began our #SaintsMoments Campaign, inviting #OneAndAll - students, staff, parents and alumni to join us in support of one another during the national lockdown. Over the first 21 Days, we shared our daily ’21 Days of Prayer’ posts on our social media channels, highlighting passages of scripture, hymns and prayers that are of significance to our St Stithians Family along with beautiful visuals of our much-loved Campus.

To continue our togetherness apart, we invited our Saints Community, One and All, to share with us their Saints Moment/s. We hope that we will all be back together on our beautiful Campus of Welcome & Wonder, making more memories and moments soon, but in the meantime, we have enjoyed sharing some Saints Moments with our community.  For those who do not follow us on social media, here are the photographs and stories that we have shared since the initiative began.  

Together we are Stronger, One and All.

#BeStrongerOneAndAll #SaintsMoments

 Received from Saints Archivist, Dr Mary Reynolds 

The Stythian 1970 records that 50 Years ago in April the major event of the year was the holding of a Walkathon at the Kyalami motor racetrack. The event had three aims, all of which were achieved: a fund-raising activity, an opportunity for the boys to make a contribution to the provision of the facilities they so richly enjoy at St Stithians, and to provide a further occasion for parents to meet socially. The event raised R7089.30, which in today’s terms would amount to R1,276,000! 

The funds were put towards re-furnishing the College Library, the all-weathering of the two gravel tennis courts, the provision of a new boat for the Rowing Club and 50% of the building costs of the Basil Read Pavilion.  We can be truly grateful to the pioneering parents and boys who, One and All, contributed to these facilities.

Thank you to Paul Schlaphoff (Class of 1990) for sending in this #SaintsMoment -  our Saints Boys' College 1ST XV game against St Johns 1ST XV in 1990. 

This series of pics show Paul Running to the next breakdown, throwing in to Greg Kerr with Ross Johnson and Peter van Heerden in support and Jason Teren linesman and the team packing down in a scrum - Ross Johnson, Paul Schlaphoff and Colin Mitchell in the front row. With Juston Slade on the flank.

Saints won the game. An awesome Saints Moment.

An awesome image of our 2020 Girls' Prep Inter-house Gala that took place just a few short weeks ago. Sometimes a picture captures the moment just perfectly - no words required. Thank you to Didi Imbriolo for sharing this with us, One and All.

This inspiring #SaintsMoment was submitted by Didi Imbriolo and is of our current Saints Boys’ College Water polo 1st team who were the gold medal winners of the ITEC Grey College Water Polo Tournament in Bloemfontein this January. The title was last won in 2011 which makes this an even more special moment.

Luca Imbriolo was awarded best defender of the tournamnt and man of the match in the final. (Photo credit: Kulu Ferreira)

A passionate spirit cry moment captured by Old Stithian, Murray Blamey at Saints Sports Fest 2019.

This special Saints moment was shared with us by Russel Haworth. The event - The Saints Water Polo Invitational 2019. The moment captured is the moment our Saints Girls' College First Team won the final against Reddam Constantia - an awesome #SaintsMomentindeed.

This beautiful moment was shared with us by Adv. Ndlovukazi Sikhakhane. The photo was taken in February 2020 at the St Stithians’ Boys' College Dukes induction ceremony. 

‘This is my son Mathula Sikhakhane. It has always been his wish to be part of the Dukes Family and when this happened, it was really a dream come true for him'.

Thank you for sharing this #SaintsMoment with us.

 

Another throwback #SaintsMoment from 1994 sent to us by Old Stithian Association, Jeff Thornley.

The event was the annual Interhouse Athletics Competition, and the story behind the photo is a “come from behind” win for the underdogs in the 4 x 100m Interhouse Athletics (Collins House Boarders!).
From Left to Right: Pascal Dalton / Langa Masina /Jeff Thornley / Graham.  Thanks for sharing this #SaintsMoment with us.

Thank you to Taryn Henning, Head of our Dramatic Arts Department at our Girls' College for sharing this wonderful moment and memory.  The pic (taken by Kit Bruyns Photography) is of the cast and crew of the College Production “Antigone” which took place in 2019. A collaboration by our St Stithians Girls' and Boys' Colleges. 

This moment encapsulates the unity of this group of young people – of different ages and gender – who came together to create an exceptional piece of theatre.

An incredible Saints Moment captured by Sean Badenhorst on a sunrise ride with his son Cade on our beautiful Campus of welcome and wonder.

These two beautiful Saints Moments were shared with us by Saadia Ebrahim, Grade 1 Director and Academic Support Teacher in our Junior Prep. Saadia loves teaching and is missing her students so much.

Her shared #SaintsMoments are: 'Me walking my class to chapel on a Friday morning and Valentine’s Day/ Friendship Day 2019. One of my students, Samira Sumpath brought me a beautiful sunflower to celebrate friendship day'. Special moments to be treasured.

This inspiring Saints Moment took place in March 2020 at the South African Rowing Champs - it was the final race for the First VIII and the end of the matric rowers rowing career at Saints.

Sent in by Aidan Urquhart, he writes, 'After a ground-breaking start to our season, sickness and injury put a halt to the momentum of the Saints 1st VII. We hadn’t come this far to let that stop us. We gave everything for that final race. We may not have been victorious in the eyes of others and an disappointing end to our season yet we find comfort in the fact that it may not have been the ending we wanted but we did it, together. One and All'.

Saints Boys' 1stVII; Campbell White, Dylan Schmidt, Amila Nyati, Liam Keegan, Mike Laburn, Kieran Farmer, Aidan Urquhart, Lambros Sioutas and Nashe Mucharambeyi.

This Saints Moment from the sixties was shared by David Gwyn. It is of Ian MacDougall and David's Sister at the matric dance in October 1969. The theme was the Valentines Day Massacre. So many years since this one, but some things never change - ones Matric dance is always a special moment.

This Saints Moment was shared with us by one of the team members in this pic. It captures the team talk of our St Stithians Girls' College 1st Hockey Team during our 2018 Saints Sports Fest. The energy, cohesiveness and spirit of the team is certainly captured in this moment.

Thank you to Jeff Thornley for sharing this special #SaintsMoment with us. Taken at the Chapel at the Saints Boys College during the Grade R Orientation in 2018, Jeff had this to say about the moment, 'Having been at Saints most of my schooling career, it was a privilege to walk my Son, Adam Thornley, around the schoolgrounds and he fell in love with the Mascot, Teddy. (He even has the fluffy version in his bed at night these days!)'.

Thank you to Yumna Peer for sharing this inspiring moment with us. Her sons and their friend (Adam Peer, Azeem Peer and Junaid Motala) couldn't believe their luck, meeting Old Stithian, Kagiso Rabada on our Saints Campus on a random day after rugby practice. An inspiring moment to be cherished.

Our 1986 Adventurers’ Club toured to Okavango, Moremi, Chobi and the Victoria Falls. This quote sums it up, “It’s magical moments such as these that leave memories of places wild and uncluttered by man’s position in the scheme of things . . .” S. Courtney.

For more on this incredible memory, read Kurt Viljoen (Std. 9/Grade 11) student’s report in the 1986 Stythian Magazine, click here.

Thank you to Martine Baker for sharing this #SaintsMoment with us. The photo captures a memory from our Girls' Prep Interhouse Music event in 2019 and she simply captions the pic - 'Sisterly Spirit!'. 

This great #SaintsMoment was sent to us by Alison Garrett with the photo having been taken by Phillipah Zvinavashe. It is of their sons, Ryan Zvinavashe and Ross Garrett, taken outside the Chapel just before leaving to go on the Grade 8 camp in January and officially joining the Saints Boys' College. Thanks for sharing this special Saints moment with us.

Thanks to Mike Sibanda, our Campus Marimba Director for sharing these magical musical moments with us. The moments captured are the St Stithians Boys' Prep Marimba Band (photo by Alistair Stewart) in 2010 participating in the Music across borders Symposium at the Berklee College of Music in Boston USA as part of their USA Tour.

And then in 2011, the St Stithians Boys' Prep Marimba Band participated in the Iguazu en Concerto - an international music festival hosted in Argentina. The festival had over 700 students invited from all over the world. St Stithians College was the South African, African representative at the Festival.  Both are great #SaintsMoments.

This spirit moment was captured by Arlene Hunkin of her daughter Olivia Hunkin getting her face painted in readiness for the 2017 Girls’ College Night Gala. The Spirit and passion of our Saints Community is undeniable. Thank you for sharing this moment with us.

We are awed by the response to the #SaintsMoments campaign.  The variety of moments that have been shared is truly inspiring, showing the diversity of our incredible Campus and the opportunites and experieces that it has offered from 1953 all the way through to today.  Should you wish to contribute to the #SaintsMoments Campaign, please send your image, along with the story about the moment (date, event and meaning) to moments@stithian.com and we will share it with the Saints Family.

For those of you who do not currently follow us on our social media platforms, but would like to be part of this conversation, please click on the social media links below and follow us.

Thank you One And All for continuing to Inspire Excellence and for Making a World of Difference