Die Hoërskool Menlopark is a public Afrikaans medium co-educational high school located in Menlo Park

Menlo Park, Pretoria

Menlo Park is a suburb in the city of Pretoria, South Africa. It borders other upmarket areas Waterkloof, Brooklyn and Lynnwood. When it was first established between the 1950s and 1970s, it was the most eastern suburb of Pretoria, but the city has since considerably expanded eastwards...

, Pretoria

Pretoria

Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...

, in the Gauteng

Gauteng

Gauteng is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. It was formed from part of the old Transvaal Province after South Africa's first all-race elections on 27 April 1994...

 province of South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

. Learners call themselves Parkies. Menlopark is one of the most prestigious schools in South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

.

History

The school was established in 1963, starting with 12 class rooms and 372 learners in grades 8, 9 and 10 (then called Standards 6, 7 and 8).

Menlopark today

Menlopark has four values which every Parkie knows by heart and strives for in their every day life: Integrity, diligence, respect and loyalty.

The Student Representative Council (SRC) is called the "Parkieraad" which consists out of two learners (boy and girl) from every class. The current council consists out of approximately 100 learners (50 boys and 50 girls).

Menlopark participates in a variety of sports:

• Athletics§
• Rugby
  Rugby football
  Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
  
   (Current FNB Classic Clashes champions)
• Hockey
  Hockey
  Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
  
   (Current City Cup and Noordvaal champions. Won the Noordvaal Tournament for the second year in a row - the first school ever to achieve this)
• Cricket
  Cricket
  Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
  
   (Winners of the National Standard Bank Pro20 Schools Challenge 2010)
• Netball
  Netball
  Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
  
   (Current National Wildeklawer and Schools Coke Tournament champions)
• Tennis
  Tennis
  Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
  
  
• Squash
  Squash (sport)
  Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
  
  
• Chess
  Chess
  Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
  
   (Menlopark's girls' team is the current South African champions for the second year in a row)
• Horseback riding (Won the Gauteng Schools Championships for the third year in a row)
• Mountain Biking
  Mountain biking
  Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
  
  
• Golf
  Golf
  Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
  
  
• Swimming
  Swimming (sport)
  Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
  
  ‡
• Waterpolo
• Underwater hockey
  Underwater hockey
  Underwater hockey is a global non-contact sport in which two teams compete to maneuver a puck across the bottom of a swimming pool into goals.-Play:...
  
  
• Cross country
  Cross country running
  Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
  
  

Menlopark has achieved many outstanding achievements throughout its existence and is considered as one of the top schools in South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

.

§Menlopark is the current title holder of the Jacaranda Prestige Inter High Athletics Competition (A-league) champions and has won this title for the tenth consequetive year now. The girls' competition was won by the Menlopark girls 16 out of 16 times.

‡Menlopark is the current title holder of the Swimming Inter High Competition (A-league) champions for the third consequetive year. Menlopark's swimming academy is part of Olympic gold medalist, Ryk Neethling

Ryk Neethling

Ryk Neethling is a South African swimmer. He won an Olympic gold medal in the 4×100 m freestyle relay at the 2004 Summer Olympics. He is the former joint owner of the 4×100 m freestyle relay world record and holds several South African records...

's Players Academy. The school owns a 50m (Olympic size) heated swimming pool (one of only two schools in South Africa) on campus.

Menlopark has its own soccer league called the Menlo Soccer League (MSL) where any students of any age group in the school can apply to play in this league and compile their own teams. This was a student initiative that was established in 2006. (Logo: http://www.google.co.za/imgres?q=die+hoerskool+menlopark&um=1&hl=af&client=firefox-a&sa=N&rls=org.mozilla:af:official&tbm=isch&tbnid=ojl_eFlJqB4tFM:&imgrefurl=http://www.facebook.com/group.php%3Fgid%3D129946053686835%26v%3Dwall%26ref%3Dmf&docid=sfJTGxm1xQY_WM&imgurl=http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/184000_213687798679491_100001148175173_543280_6653032_s.jpg&w=116&h=130&ei=7mm_TpfpHtK28QPt3c2-BA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=551&vpy=462&dur=1406&hovh=104&hovw=92&tx=100&ty=49&sig=100394069182408580350&page=1&tbnh=104&tbnw=92&start=0&ndsp=32&ved=1t:429,r:18,s:0&biw=1440&bih=733])

Otheractivities that Menlopark offers are:

• Music
  Music
  Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
  
   (variety of instruments like: violin, cello, flute, piano, keyboard, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, drums, saxophone, clarinet)
• Choir
  Choir
  A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
  
  ‡
• Orchestra
  Orchestra
  An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
  
  
• Flute Choir (Winners of the Pretoria Eisteddfod)
• Orators
• Debate
  Debate
  Debate or debating is a method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of argument than logical argument, which only examines consistency from axiom, and factual argument, which only examines what is or isn't the case or rhetoric which is a technique of persuasion...
  
  
• Drama
  Drama
  Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
  
   (acting)
• Voortrekkers
  Voortrekkers
  The Voortrekkers were emigrants during the 1830s and 1840s who left the Cape Colony moving into the interior of what is now South Africa...
  
  
• School newspaper (called "Die Eggo")

‡The Menlo-choir is currently the best mixed school choir in South Africa after winning the National ATKV Applous Choir Competition in July 2011 and achieving a Cum Laude award (90%+). They are also known as the "Van Papendorp-Engeltjies" (Van Papendorp Angels in English) which comes from their director, Jeanmari van Papendorp's surname. The choir is one of Menlopark's biggest prides. The choir consists out of approximately 110 members and has participated on provincial, national, as well as international levels. Their piano accompanist is Philip Loots. The choir has undertaken several national and international tours and visited many countries, including Slovenia

Slovenia

Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...

, Slovakia

Slovakia

The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...

, Hungary

Hungary

Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...

, Czech Republic

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

, Turkey

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

, Austria

Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

 and Egypt

Egypt

Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...

.

Menlopark has its own acting theatre on campus, called "Die Blou Teater" (The Blue Theatre in English), where several productions are performed by students in which they can improve and embrace their acting skills.

Notable alumni

In order of final year at Menlopark (date in brackets)

• Jana Cilliers (1965), Actress
• Laurie Dippenaar (1966), Founder FirstRand Group
• Claudie van Onselen (née van Straten)(1970?) Springbok Athlete
• Koos Kombuis
  Koos Kombuis
  Koos Kombuis is a South African musician, singer, songwriter and writer who became famous as part of a group of anti-establishment maverick Afrikaans musicians, who, under the collective name of Voëlvry , toured campuses...
  
   (1972), Afrikaans writer, singer and songwriter (born André le Roux du Toit)
• Marianne van Wyk (1974), Springbok Squash Player
• Calie Pistorius
  Calie Pistorius
  Carl Wilhelm Irene Pistorius is a South African academic who is currently the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hull, Kingston upon Hull, United Kingdom.-Education:...
  
   (1975), Vice Chancellor University of Hull
  University of Hull
  The University of Hull, known informally as Hull University, is an English university, founded in 1927, located in Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire...
  
  , United Kingdom
• Stefan Swanepoel
  Stefan Swanepoel
  Stefan J. M. Swanepoel , is an American business executive, author and motivational speaker. His books have been listed on the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists.-Education:...
  
   (1975), The New York Times
  The New York Times
  The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
  
   Bestselling Author
• Reggie Holmes (1976), Springbok Squash Player
• Johan Marais (1976), Springbok Rugby Player
• Heinrich Regenass (1976), Forensic Auditor and Tax Expert
• Marita van der Vyfer (1976), Author
• Dawid Bosch (1977), Author of text books on labour law, and former chief technical advisor of an International Labour Organisation
• Henning Gericke (1977), Springbok Athlete
• Anneli van Rooyen (1978), Afrikaans Musician and Singer
• Johan Scholtz (1980), banking lawyer
• Rudolph Straeuli
  Rudolph Straeuli
  Rudolph August Wilkens Straeuli played rugby union in the positions of flanker and Number 8 for, and later coached, the Springboks rugby team. He also played for the Lions provincial team in the Currie Cup competition...
  
   (1981), Former Springbok Rugby Coach and Lions Player
• Edward Webb (1984), Expert on applied animal physiology and meat science, and head of department of animal and wildlife sciences, University of Pretoria
  University of Pretoria
  The University of Pretoria is a multi campus public research university located in Pretoria, the administrative and de facto capital of South Africa...
  
  
• Jacques Olivier (1985), Springbok Rugby Player
• Pieter Murray (1999), Trail Runner
• Amalia Uys
  Amalia Uys
  Amalia Uys is a South African actress that plays a main role in the soap opera 7de Laan as San-Mari van Graan...
  
   (2002), Actress
• Adriaan van der Dussen (2003), Journalist
• Gideon Louw (2005), South African Swimmer in the 2008 Summer Olympics
  2008 Summer Olympics
  The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
  
   and 2010 Commonwealth Games
  2010 Commonwealth Games
  The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...
  
  
• Henk Kraaij (2005), South African Pilot
• Willemien Heyns (2005), Singer and songwriter, member of the musical group, Aanklank (formed in 2006)
• Eugenie Wicksell (2007), Springbok Athlete
• Adam Heyns (2007), Actor and Comedian
• Carlien Scholtz (2008), Springbok Dancer
• Nadine Moore (2008), Radio newsreporter
• Kobus Moolman (2009), Springbok Hurdles Runner (110m)
• Sarina Johnson (2009), Radio Presenter and MC
• Rikenette Steenkamp (2010), Springbok Hurdles Runner (100m). (Held 3 South African titles (at the age of 17) in her final year: SA Women's Schools champion, SA Junior Women's champion, SA Senior Women's champion)
• Stefan Vermaak (2010), Actor
• Willem de Beer (2010), Internationally acclaimed pianist
• Sonja Scholtz (2011), Springbok Chess Player
• Pieter N. Scribante (2011), Springbok Ju-Jitsu (World Champion U/16)
• Charné van Biljon (2011), Springbok Hockey Player (U/17), Member of the Junior City Council of Pretoria (2009-2011)
• Regardt Verster (2011), South African Cricketer (U/19)
• Inge Viljoen (2011), Springbok Heptathlon
  Heptathlon
  A heptathlon is a track and field athletics combined events contest made up of seven events. The name derives from the Greek hepta and athlon . A competitor in a heptathlon is referred to as a heptathlete.-Women's Heptathlon:...
  
   Athlete
• Lenke van Aarde (2012), Springbok Chess Player

List of head boys

• Schabort Froneman (2005)
• Tertius Pelser (2006)
• Louis van Papendorp (2007)
• Johann van Wyk (2008)
• Armand Fourie (2009)
• Stefan Vermaak (2010)
• Pieter N. Scribante (2011)
• Riaan Pont (2012)

List of head girls

• Carike Camphor (2005)
• Marlie Kock (2006)
• Rose Griessel (2007)
• Hester Barnard (2008)
• Anika Viljoen (2009)
• Renée Barnard (2010)
• Charné van Biljon (2011)
• Lara Matzner (2012)

List of Parkieraad chairpersons

• Willemien Heyns (2005)
• Bremer Pauw (2006)
• Adam Heyns (2007)
• Ulrich Ohlhoff (2008)
• Armand Basson (2009)
• Gunther Matzner (2010)
• Magrietjie Pelser (2011)
• Dewald Vlok (2012)

School anthem & fight song

The school song was written in 1965 by Mr J J Botha (lyrics) and Mr O A Van der Stoep (music). The lyrics (in Afrikaans

Afrikaans

Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...

):

Hou hoog die vaandel wit en blou

Ons simbool van trots en trou

Ja, ons hart,

en ons hand -

Aan ons skool is dit verpand.

Hier sal ons streef en werk en bou,

Waai ons vlag hoog, wit en blou!

En al wat ons skool sal vra,

Is om trots sy naam te dra,

Excelsa Petamus! Excelsa Petamus! Excelsa Petamus!

Streef die hoogste na.

As Hugenote kinders trou,

Sal ons hul geloftes hou;

Eer betoon,

Sonder loon,

Diensbereid en plig getrou;

Ons werk en spel getrou volbring;

Om Sy naam die lof te sing

en wat Sy gebod ons vra,

Streef ons in ons harte na.

Excelsa Petamus! Excelsa Petamus! Excelsa Petamus!

Streef die hoogste na.

The school's fight song is called "Ons Skool Sal Saamstaan". The tune is based on the Welsh National Anthem (Land of My Fathers). The lyrics (in Afrikaans

Afrikaans

Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...

):

Ons skool sal saamstaan

gekleed in wit en blou.

Ons bou saam en werk saam

in trots en in trou.

In wen of verloor

dra die Parkies hul spoor

en streef ons die hoogste na.

Menlo, ons sal jou altyd onthou.

Die tyd gaan verby,

in ons harte sal jy bly;

n Anker vir jou en vir my.

Coat of arms

Menlopark's school crest was designed by South African artist and legend, Bettie Cilliers-Barnard

Bettie Cilliers-Barnard

Bettie Cillers-Barnard was a South African abstract artist, generally known for her large canvases of birds in flight.She was also the mother of well-known South African actress Jana Cilliers....

, who was a big fan of Menlopark. Her daughter, actress Jana Cilliers, was also a learner at Menlopark.

The meaning of the crest:

• The crest is designed in the shape of a circle - it symbolises the school's unity and strive for perfection.
• The most noticeable symbol in the middle of the circled crest is a cross which resembles their love for God and His love for them. Perfection in the Christian religion is the highest value Parkies strive for.
• Historically, the cross is the symbolic sign of the Huguenot ancestors.
• The four crossends each diverses into two and on the end appears eight small spheres which resemble the eight beatitudes (Matt. 5:3-10) heraldic embodied. Historically, it symbolises the eight anchors of the Huguenots and their strives.
• The ends of the cross is binded with each other in such a way that the four heart shaped quarters are formed. The hearts symbolise love and specifically how it is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13-7.

Motto and credo

Menlopark's motto

Motto

A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...

 is Excelsa Petamus which is Latin for "We strive for the highest values".

The school's credo

Credo

A credo |Latin]] for "I Believe") is a statement of belief, commonly used for religious belief, such as the Apostles' Creed. The term especially refers to the use of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed in the Mass, either as text, Gregorian chant, or other musical settings of the...

 is Absolut Menlo which takes every aspect of Menlopark into consideration and describes the school as a whole.

Menlopark annual social events

• Valentine's Ball (Known as the "Parkiebal")
• Matric Dance
• Parkiedag (Parkie Day in English which takes place on Valentine's Day)
• Liefdadigheidsweek (Charity Week in English)
• Jesusweek (Jesus Week in English)
• Menlovaria (the school's own cultural week)
• Grade 10 Ball
• Menlofees (Menlo Festival in English)
• Spring Tea (for mothers and daughters)
• Matric Council Camp
• Parkieraad (SRC) Camp
• Grade 9 Camp
• Choir Camp
• The headmaster's birthday celebrations
• Foam Party
• "Beheerliggaam-skild" spirit challenge (competition between the grades 8,9,10 and 11 that consists out of multiple "boeresport"-activities and which takes place on Spring Day; the grade with the most spirit, wins - the grades 9's are the current title holders)
• Menlo Open Day
• FNB Classic Clash (rugby match between Menlopark and St Alban's College - Menlopark are the current holders of the cup)
• Tekkielympics (Co-ed netball competition)
• Menlo Soccer League (MSL)
• The Cricket Big Bash (Twenty20
  Twenty20
  Twenty20 is a form of cricket, originally introduced in England for professional inter-county competition by the England and Wales Cricket Board , in 2003. A Twenty20 game involves two teams, each has a single innings, batting for a maximum of 20 overs. Twenty20 cricket is also known as T20 cricket...
  
  -match between Menlopark and Hoërskool Waterkloof
  Hoërskool waterkloof
  Hoërskool Waterkloof is an Afrikaans high school situated in the wealthy eastern suburbs of Pretoria, South Africa. It had grown to become the largest Afrikaans school in the world by 2004, with 2,200 pupils and 140 teachers. It is also one of the top schools in Pretoria and has been...
  
   - Menlopark are the current title holders)
• Subject Evenings (French and German)
• Former Parkies vs. the first rugby team match
• The Fear Factor Challenges (consists out of 4 challenges: Oros-downing (the student who finishes downing 2 litres of Oros first, wins), "Koning van die Kaf"-competition (King of the Cafeteria in English - the student who eats the required amount of food the fastest, wins), MXit
  MXit
  MXit is a free instant messaging application developed by MXit Lifestyle Ltd. in South Africa that runs on multiple mobile and computing platforms...
  
  -competition ("Menlo's Xtreme Intense Typer" - the first student who types and sends a specific given phrase via SMS
  SMS
  SMS is a form of text messaging communication on phones and mobile phones. The terms SMS or sms may also refer to:- Computer hardware :...
  
  , wins the title) and hand tennis (dumpie).
• Restaurant Evenings (Menlopark has its own restaurant on campus, called "Cuisine Le Park", where students can improve and embrace their cooking and waitering skills)
• The Menlo Choir's Annual Christmas Carol

External links

• school website