Maritzburg College School Magazine Maritzburg College Magazine 2016 electronic | Page 102

BOARDING
Nathan House
Housemaster: Mr D Larter
Boarder Masters:
Messrs J Morgan, G Waters, B Mdutyana,
G Jelley, R Jones, A Leroy, R le Roux, M-J Smit
Head of House: C Reed
Prefects: B Dennyschen, C Glover, L Jali
The end of the year saw one tired housemaster, and I think I speak for a lot
of the boarder masters too. The boys, I am sure, felt the same. It has been
a busy year for all. The boys generally had a good attitude and happily
there were no major incidents. It has been a privilege sharing the daily
events of these fellows’ lives and I tell you Isidingo would have nothing on
the Nathan House boys.
uShaka and the Borver week was a breeze and we thought that the boys
settled well. However, the homesick bug set in without fail, although to the
boys’ credit they managed it really well. Our standard line was, ‘It is a
good thing. At least you know you love your parents’. It is something that
they have no control over and it may sneak up on them at any stage.
The year proved tough, with the extension of Nathan House causing many
problems. After the June holidays it was like walking into a new boarding
house from all aspects; buildings, boys and masters. I can honestly say the
Common Room has been a revelation. Old-timer in boarding, Mr Waters,
warned us that it would be tougher than we thought working without a
Common Room at the beginning of the year. How right he was. Just the
fact that they had a place to be themselves out of their rooms was fantastic.
The noise levels rose and I had to pass a ball back over the fence, from
my garden, every 20 minutes or so. That aside, it was a happy noise and
it made us smile. We really underestimate the downtime and play-time that
these boys need. I think the fact that they are not allowed cell phones all
the time also adds to the bonding.
Nathan House boys have again put in the hours on the sports and cultural
fields of College. In the main they have been well-behaved with good
manners. There have been many good comments from parents, from
opposition schools and also the many visitors regarding the behaviour of
the boys. At school it is good to see the boys greeting adults at any given
moment.
We also led the charge academically and the following lads have done
well in the classroom – six boys in the Top Ten: M Zunckel, M Smith,
C Stubbs, P Elliot, K Hough and T Mbatha. However, this year has also
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seen a rise in the number of boys who have had to be dealt with because
of lack of effort in the classroom. There were also some boys in classes that
were on a special report book. I would hope that the Nathan House boys
took the lead in maintaining discipline in that class – some however felt that
they needed to show the teachers a bit of attitude.
There has been a lot for the boys to adapt to; however, they have all grown
considerably. One cannot forget, for example, the way the whole of Second
Form cheered on the U14A rugby side in their nail-biting encounter against
Westville; and those late nights in preparation for exams. A wonderful and
exciting brotherhood is growing within the walls of Nathan House.
Each Nathan House boy’s College career has gained momentum and I
know they will continue to strive to live by the Core Values of the school.
We acknowledge that at times it was frustrating for parents to sit at home
with relatively little contact and even less information to go on.
I thank my team of Housemasters – they are hardworking and invest not
only their time, but also emotions into the lives of the Nathan House boys.
There is never a moment that the boys are without access to one of these
men and it is a blessing and a privilege to work with such a dedicated
team.
To quote and paraphrase from a Dire Straits song:
“There’s so many different worlds
So many different sons
And we have just one world
But we live in different ones”
We have done our best and I think the song verse sums it up. The boys have
just one world now and the main colours are Red, Black and White. They
have been a motivated and eager group of young men. The diversity of
cultures and personalities was soon put aside, and the establishment of a
unified College culture was started as early as the farewell meal with their
parents on that long-distant day in January. Well done to parents and boys
and congratulations on building a solid foundation for the years to come.
Sadly we said goodbye to Mr Joe Morgan at the end term two. We wish
him and his wife all the best as they embark on an ‘African experience’
at St Andrew’s School in Kenya. We also bid Mr Andre Leroy farewell,
after a one-year stint in Nathan House. We wish him and his family well
in Mpumalanga.
Mr D Larter