For some parents there is a need to send their son to boarding school i.e. they live in a country area far from a school; they need a school with more opportunities than their local school can offer; their work demands are such that they cannot give their son daily attention every boy needs.
However, most parents send their sons to Littlewood Hostel because of the opportunities and the atmosphere, which is very evident in the House. It teaches boys to live together unselfishly. Friendships formed both with peers and adults often last a lifetime.
Self reliance is enhanced. Boys will be required to do things which they do not fancy – like making their beds neatly; being punctual; keeping tidy lockers. These lessons stand them in good stead in later years as they learn to work in a team.
A Boarding School does not replace a parent. Even the best boarding school can never compensate for a real home. Without doubt, a successful boarder is one who comes from the happiest home. A boarding house partners the parent and re-enforces a parent’s voice. In a sense the whole family attends Littlewood. The twenty-four hour community enables the boarding staff to seize life’s “teachable” moments – be they in the dormitory, on the sports field or in the dining room.
No two boarding schools are alike. All have a different atmosphere, philosophy and ethos and the ‘best’ boarding school is the one that suits the individual pupil.
All potential boarders will have an interview with one of the Littlewood Senior staff. After this interview and a tour of the hostel, families should ask themselves the following questions:
Will your son’s physical needs be met?
Will Littlewood provide what your family is looking for?
Will Littlewood really be a ‘home from home’ for your son?
Did the staff seem genuinely interested in your son’s welfare?
Did the interview succeed in importing the ethos and values of Littlewood?
Are the facilities up to standard?
Littlewood Men like to refer to themselves as ‘brothers’. Was this evident in your visit?
Will your son be treated as an individual?
Are there enough support services for your son – emotional, spiritual and academic?
Are you happy that Littlewood gives enough focus to character development, teamwork, emotional growth, manners, confidence building and that the hostel will help your son make good decisions?
If you have placed ticks next to all the above questions, then we look forward to being partners in your son’s education for the next five years.
KC RICHARDSON
All grade 8s to be at the hostel at 4pm on Monday 14 January. There will be tea for the boys and parents.
All returning boarders to be back by 6pm on Tuesday 15 January. There will be snacks and drinks provided for all boys and parents in the Littlewood gardens between 4pm and 6pm.
Grade 8 boarders will be at the Grade 8 Camp over the first weekend (18-20 January)
The second weekend (25-27 January) will be an in-weekend for the whole hostel.
Dear Littlewood Parent,
It is wonderful to see that you will be joining us in the boarding house next year and it is a great pleasure to welcome you to the Littlewood family.
As part of the induction program for our new boarders for 2008, we would like to invite your son to join us for a night in the boarding house this term.
This will be a great opportunity for him to experience a taste of boarding house life through a fun-filled programme involving the staff and prefects for 2008. Many exciting activities have been planned and it is through these activities that we hope to establish and grow the fundamental relationships which will be essential for a happy and successful boarding house experience.
All the necessary information is outlined below.
Date: Saturday 24 to Sunday 25 November 2007
Where: Littlewood Boarding House – Fairseat Lane, Wynberg
Time: Drop off 13:00 on Saturday and pick up 14:00 on Sunday.
What to Bring:
Bedding (Sleeping Bag/Duvet and Pillow)
Toiletries
Swimming costume and towel
Any medication (Asthma pumps etc.)
Any tuck you may wish to bring … and share!!
Any item from home that you feel represents you e.g. your teddy bear, your skate board etc. (Preferably something that is not alive!) – this item will be used in an activity designed to help you get to know each other.
ALL MEALS WILL BE PROVIDED BY LITTLEWOOD.
Please complete the attached form and return it to the school via Fax (021) 761 0959, email or by dropping it off at the school. Please mark for the attention of Daniel Ramage. I look forward to seeing you there.
Should you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact me either at the school or via email. (daniel@wbhs.org.za.)
Hopefully you are all geared up and ready to tackle your first year as new Littlewood parents. Just some information we would like you to take note of before next year.
Boarding school is probably a new experience for your son and yourself and we have learnt through experience that the first few weeks in Boarding school are crucial. This is the time when your son will find his niche in the boarding house and become accustomed to a new way of life. He will need to get used to not having his Mom or Dad around and to start becoming more independent. To make this transition easier we have put together a programme for your son’s first 2 ½ weeks in Littlewood.
The first 2 weekends of term (18 – 20 January and 25 – 27 January) will be compulsory in-weekends for all our grade 8 boarders. Full programmes have been developed for these weekends. The first weekend is the school Grade 8 camp and for the second weekend I have put together a programme for the Grade 8’s in the boarding house. It would be appreciated if, for the second weekend, you could provide your son with some pocket money for use on an outing.
From 18 January – 1 February, all visits to your son are please to be kept for absolute emergencies only. We discourage too much communication during this time as this can sometimes disrupt your son’s settling-in. These measures are there to ensure that your son is able to get into the swing of boarding house life without always relying on Mom or Dad to be there.
Official visiting time has been set-aside on Sunday 20 January and Sunday 27 January from 15:00 until17:00. During this time you are more than welcome to visit and find out all about the happenings of your son’s first weeks in Littlewood.
Should you have any queries regarding the above, please do not hesitate to call us.
We wish you a safe and joyful Festive Season and look forward to seeing you next year.
Welcome to Littlewood's New Boys 2008
Littlewood House congratulates the underlisted boys on being chosen to join the number 1 House in the school:
Matthew Bannister, Matthew Clifton, Grant Cockrell, Iacovos Cominellis, Bryan Compton, Matthew Craythorne, Dale De Bruin, Mouton Joubert, Jordyn Napier, Riaan O’Neill, Rushin October, Tyler Reichardt, Justin Scott and Devin Trull
Littlewood looks forward to spending time with you and seeing the impact you can make!
A number of Littlewood boys went on cricket tour these holidays. The U14A team had a successful tour although a number of games were rain affected, the U15A won all 3 games and the 1st team won 1, drew 2 and lost 1. The following Littlewood boys did well:
U14A
Dalton Kannemeyer- 63 and 4 wickets in one game.
