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Culture

Parktown Boys’ High School, “Arise”.

Culture

Parktown Boys’ High School, “Arise”.

Culture

Culture, together with sport and academics, completes the ultimate drive to produce holistic young men at Parktown Boys.

Our philosophy is one that caters for a holistic development of young people, addressing their academic, physical, emotional and aesthetic needs. In pursuit of our aim to enrich and extend our boys to the highest of levels, cultural activities have expanded to include an amazing eleven activities.

Brass Band

The Strings Band

The Strings Band is comprised of guitarists and vocalists who demonstrate their talents and creativity through music. Currently the group includes bass guitar, lead guitar, acoustic guitars, piano, vocals and drums. Contemporary and Mixed genres are the focus, as well as collaborations with the Brass Band.

The School Brass Band and Drum Corps

The School Brass Band and Drum Corps remains at the centre of school life. While we are not all endowed with musical talent, most of us will have a song where we start humming the tune when it comes to mind. Music is able to reach across nations and cultures and be a powerful harmonising energy, bringing people together.

This is certainly the case at Parktown Boys’. The Band is part of our tremendous school spirit, and they add much colour and energy to our sports fixtures, particularly in the Winter sports season. As soon as the band strikes up, they immediately draw attention through their passionate, high quality play, whether it be the gents on the saxophones and trumpets or the drummers playing a solo, and rising to a crescendo. Many of our band members only begin playing an instrument in Grade 8, and the high standards attained and maintained are commendable. Our Band men are as comfortable playing at corporate events, other schools, and at formal occasions as they are leading war cries on the side of the field. The Band leading the School in the ‘Last of the Mohicans’ theme song is always a moment to savour. It is with good reason that our Brass Band and Drum Corps is recognised at one of the top school bands in Gauteng and beyond.

Traditional Dancing

The Parktown Boys’ High Traditional Dancing Group was started in 1999. Initially, the group concentrated on Gumboot Dancing but eventually evolved into Traditional Dancing. Besides the fun of dancing together and performing in full Zulu attire, the purpose of this group is to support cultural inclusiveness and an appreciation of authentic South African traditions and values. Our traditional dancing group accommodates all cultural groups of learners. This kind of activity helps our youngsters to expand their knowledge on cultural activities and their cultural backgrounds. We emphasize the spirit of Ubuntu, where youngsters have to show respect and value individual cultures.

The Heart of the Lion

Heart of the Lion is a charity club at Parktown Boys’ High School.

The aim of the club is to encourage learners from grade 8 to 12 to give of their time and sources and to establish an awareness of their community’s needs and those less fortunate than themselves.

We have a committed group of about 66 boys who help plan our projects. The rest of the school gets involved by supporting our fundraising drives and collections.

Some of our projects have included: raising school fees learners with Cerebral Palsy; visiting and providing a meals for an old age home (meals on wheels) – Huis Hoëveldt, Park Care Frail Centre financial donations to the Princess Alice Adoption Home, Cotlands, Choc, Woodside Sanctuary, Hospice, Hope School, Thuthuzela Aid Community centre; St Vincent’s School for the Deaf, Nazareth House, Door of Hope and the Autistic School, support to the Ikholwa children’s home in Weltevredenpark, financial assistance to the Ekurhuleni School for the deaf in Katlehong and assistance on MADIBA DAY.

We also host an annual Christmas party every year for orphanages which is one of the biggest highlight of the year.

First Aid

First Aid – The first aid team at Parktown is a strong and dedicated team who assist at most sport fixtures. The senior boys all have at least a level 2 emergency care certificate and are qualified to help with injuries and CPR. In Grade 8 and 9 the boys are trained and can obtain a level 2 certificate that is valid for three years. This certificate is registered at the Department of Manpower. Valuable experience is gained next to the sports fields and this work and training is invaluable if one wants to make a career in the medical field.

 

Oratory

The term “oratory” is derived from Latin and, broadly speaking, refers to any form of communication which involves the use of words in a spoken format. The earliest Greek and Roman philosophers realised and understood the significance of the spoken word as an important medium of communication on a plethora of subjects, and the use of oratory at Parktown Boys’ High School is certainly no different from that envisaged by those ancient pioneers of the art. Our primary focus is to groom confident young men, who are able to communicate effectively in different situations because this is a life skill that will help them in both their personal and professional lives. The Oratory curriculum consists of Public Speaking and Debating.

For Public Speaking, there are three major competitions which take place annually. These are: Inter-House Competition, Speech and Drama College of South Africa’s High Schools Public Speaking Festival and Junior & Senior Best Speaker Competition. In Debating, we use the World School’s Debate format and have a coach who comes in to assist the learners in honing their debating skills.

Drama

Drama – What better way to show your creative talent and allow your creative juices to run than to get up on stage and show the world your ability to get into someone else’s shoes! This is drama…particularly at Parktown. Boys play girls, roles are reversed and our otherwise boring and mundane world becomes a place that we all want to inhabit. The number of productions that we put on per year is phenomenal…10 to be exact, allowing all the aspiring young thespians amongst us to get a ‘spot’ in the limelight. We are so proud of what our boys achieve and hope that we will be well supported by you, our most adoring fans.

Drama

Workshop

Workshop is a cultural activity where more advanced methods of construction are taught to students. It incorporates aspects of other school subjects such as Metalwork, Woodwork, Electronics and Mechanics. In this activity, the student will learn how to build objects such as coffee tables, barbeques, motion detectors and amplifiers, to name just a few. This activity is geared around learners who are willing to ‘get their hands dirty’ in the creation of practical, useful objects and devices for their personal use.

Photographic Society

The Photographic Society at Parktown Boys’ High School started historically in the darkroom. Now, we have the added advantage that come with digital cameras: endless practice for very little running costs. In the last few years, the dedicated individuals within the society have undertaken a huge portfolio. This year we have seen a growth in interest and numbers within the Society. Our vision for the future of the Society is to develop within the boys a love for the art of photography. Once the love of photography is present, then we can widen our experience and grow our photographic knowledge and skills with the aim of producing a few ‘keepers’ every time we shoot.

E Sport

E-Sports

E-Sports is a world of competitive, social and organized video gaming. We take part in a variety of games namely Fortnite, Apex Legends, Rocket League, Brawlhalla and Overwatch 2. A This year, we joined the ACGL Schools league where we will be taking our gaming to a competitive interschool level.

If you enjoy gaming and like to strategize or know nothing about gaming, this activity will help you gain, improve or develop these skills.

AV Club

In the Audio and Visual Club (AV Club) we analyse different forms of media, including anime, films, music videos, cartoons, and others. We look at these forms of media through the lenses of cultural context, character building, world building, morality, diversity, nonverbal storytelling, and art style. We encourage our boys to explore their creativity, learn how to substantiate their opinions and arguments, and above all else, enjoy themselves. We join conventions and events such as Comic Con Africa, allowing our boys the opportunity to interact with others who have similar interests and to experience the diversity of opinions and analyses that come with all forms of media.

Tabletop gaming

Tabletop gaming incorporates games such as Magic: The Gathering, Warhammer and Star Wars X-Wing. Currently the focus at Parktown Boys’ High School is on Warhammer 40,000. This is a strategy-based game involving miniatures, terrain, rulers and dice. The game was created 40 years ago and large tournaments are held around the world every year, with one of the latest world championships being held in Atlanta, USA. The game recreates a battle scene where players can decide on what strategy to use to defeat their foe. Due to the popularity of the game and the complexity involved in it, it is recognised as an official sport by Mind Sports South Africa.

More cultural activities also available.

Chess, Podcasting, Media Centre, and Choir

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