Culture & Service

Orchestra

Making music with lots of other people is tremendously rewarding and very therapeutic. No matter how bad your day at school has been, you’ll soon forget about your troubles once you sit down in front of your music and throw yourself into a performance. Playing in an orchestra is an incredibly intellectually demanding exercise, and one that must command your full attention. It’s a great way of forgetting about schoolwork for a while, at the same time as still making use of (and developing) different areas of your brain.

"Socially, children who become involved in a musical group or ensemble learn important life skills, such as how to relate to others, how to work as a team and appreciate the rewards that come from working together, and the development of leadership skills and discipline," says Maestro Eduardo Marturet, who also oversees the MISO Young Artist program in South Florida.

The Rhenish Orchestra consists of many musicians - from woodwind players, string, brass, and percussion instruments. Auditions are held in the beginning of the year and players from different grades in music can audition and do not need to take music as a subject to be part of the orchestra.

Choir

The Rhenish choir continues to grow exponentially in numbers.  The choir is seen as one big crazy family.  It provides a space for the learners to lose themselves in singing as they forget about the challenges of the day and appreciate their common gift.  

The choir perform throughout the year and they also participate in the Eisteddfod, the Paul Roos Bekoor evening and the Stellenbosch High School's Awesome Foursome evening.  The choir is also called upon to sing at school events like Open Day (March), school assemblies and any special school occasions (our birthday or an opening of facilities).

The therapeutic value of singing in a large group can never be underestimated, not to mention the positive spirit and camaraderie amongst the girls. Proof of the pudding is in the eating: numerous past choir members have recognised this value after having left the school and we are encouraged to hear the positive feedback.

"We laugh together, cry together and make music together ... sisi ni moya, we are one!"

Marimba

What is a vibe?  It is the shortening of the word vibration. It is the energy given off by someone/something to which others resonate. This is definitely true for the marimba bands who bring the vibe.

Four marimba bands practise once a week in the early hours of the morning. One of these bands consists solely of Grade 8s while the other three are mixed.  

The marimba bands are called upon to play at a number of school functions - the Open Day, our Birthday Assembly and our old girls' luncheon being a few of these.  All the bands also perform during Culture Week and some assemblies and they are often invited to perform at external events.

Drumline

One of the newer additions to the Rhenish cultural sphere is the drumline.

Beating a drum kit is somewhat different than playing in a drumline. You are part of a team and cannot go off on your own. You are walking while playing and hoping that you do not fall.  All of this takes practice and commitment.

From more military style rhythms to pop and rock beats, the drumline fuses the different styles as they prepare pieces to be played at school events like our Open Day.  The drumline is also called upon to play at the opening of some of our sporting tournaments hosted at Rhenish Girls' and special Derby days. 

We are very proud of the initiative, hard work and overall performances of the drumline. It is an activity that not many girls' schools have and one that is quickly becoming part of the spirit of Rhenish.

GLU (God Loves YOU)

GLU is Rhenish Girls' Christian society.  

GLU meets during second break on Thursdays.  Here learners share testimonies, worship and are often addressed by exciting outside speakers on matters of faith.  

GLU aims to provide a nurturing space in which learners can explore and grow their faith among like-minded learners and where they can celebrate God's love.

Aside from the weekly meetings, GLU also holds an annual camp.

Islamic Society

The goal of the Islamic Society is to create a safe space for learning about the Muslim religion. We strive to encourage discussions and a deeper understanding. We hope to create an environment for people of any belief system to feel comfortable joining us as we teach others and ourselves.

We hold information sessions and meetings where we cover a variety of topics pertaining to Muslim beliefs, all of which include discussions and questions.

Annually the Islamic Society hosts a Hijab Day, where we include the whole school in learning about the meaning of the hijab, its significance, and how to wear it.

Pride Society

Founded at the start of 2021, the Pride Society aims at providing a safe space for learners to co-exist and to share their perspectives on what is a controversial subject.

Pride week is hosted by the Pride Society to celebrate and raise awareness for people of the LGBTQ+ community.  

Siyaphambili

Siyaphambili seeks to unite all groups, allowing us to embrace one another's culture.  It is a society aimed at enhancing understanding and appreciation of the cultures of all Rhenishers.  

We have among our group poets, contempory dancers, hip hop dancers and traditional dancers.

We interact with similar societies at different schools, inviting them to perform at our annual cultural evening and, in turn, performing at many of theirs.  

Debating

Rhenish Girls' High offers excellent Debating opportunities through our Debating Society.  Learners can improve their critical thinking skills, verbal eloquence and confidence with the guidance and support of external coaches.

The interest in debating is such that we are able to field two excellent senior and two strong junior teams, with our teams regularly winning the Boland Debating League.

Girls compete in the Boland School League Debating and can go on to represent the school at regional, and even national level. The school also participates at the National All Girls' Fesitival and in friendly matches against neighbouring schools.

MUN Debating

Model United Nations (MUN) Debating is a specialised type of debating in which small teams are assigned specific countries and have to prepare for competitions by researching their country, its history, diplomatic positions and alliances with other nations.  It is a great opportunity for learners to expand their general knowledge, to learn the skills of diplomacy and to interact with a wide range of people.

Model United Nations Debating has a vital role to play as girls engage in globally significant problems, learning to act with delegational decorum and state their ideas, thoughts and opinions clearly and with conviction. For the leaders of tomorrow there is nothing more important.

Chess

The Chess club was established in 2010.  Since then, Rhenish chess players have reached top ranks within local and national tournaments where our skilled mentalists have earned spots in the top 5 on numerous occasions.  

The chess team represents the school at the National All Girls' School Festival.

One of the joys of chess is the learning and the opportunities for growth and improvement with effort and practice. The players have won and lost many a game with grace, enthusiasm and energising spirit and practices are sessions where they sharpen their weapons of logic and strategy.

Drama Club

Love stories, comedy, horror, murder, family feud, roast, lip sync battles and charades. These are all aspects of drama that the Drama society touches on.

We aim to show all of our members the fun activities that Drama has to offer. These activities help learners from Grade 8 to 11 to feel free and to be themselves as they learn new things about acting and about themselves, and gain the freedom to act as wildly or as seriously as they want to.

The Drama society hosts workshops where we may look at technical aspects of Drama or we explore accents or backstage arts.  A goal of the society is regular visits to theatres to watch live productions.  

Peer Tutoring

Peer tutoring is a club at Rhenish that helps and supports learners who are in need of academic guidance. It plays a crucial role by offering free help to all students who ask.

Learners with a passion for helping others are welcome to sign on as tutors. Learners who require help with any subject will be paired with tutors to help them academically. This two-way system ensures that all learners receive the support they need.

Media Services

Media Services includes photography as well as other forms of electronic media such as videography.

This truly is a service portfolio that asks countless hours from its members as they document the activities of Rhenish. If there is something happening at school, be it sport, culture, academic or general functions, there’s a photographer on hand snapping away.  The photos that are taken serve a present purpose - they are used on Facebook, Instagram, in newsletters, in the yearbook and in other publications throughout the year. However, it is not only about the present - the photos also document moments that become part of our rich history. In the future Rhenishers will be able to look back and see what our school in the 21st century and this will have been made possible by the dedication of the members of Rhenish Media Services.

As much as Media Services is a service activity, it is also one where our Rhenishers can enjoy their talent and hone their skills. 

Library Services

Every Rhenisher has a library number and may take out books during break. Librarians issue the books, promote reading and regularly visit under privileged crèches to facilitate and encourage reading. 

Library services also run an annual book drive to collect pre-loved books that Rhenishers may have outgrown.  These books are lovingly restored and then gifted to a number of schools and crèches.

First Aid

First Aiders provide a vital service to Rhenish Girls'. They are an important presence at all sporting events. While we also have professionals on hand, our first aiders are always present with first aid boxes stocked and at the ready.

First aiders do service during sporting events hosted at Rhenish.

A first aid course hosted by St John's is held annually and, as a result, we have a substantial number of qualified first aiders. who are always extremely keen to do service and do this with a smile and a lot of enthusiasm. The first aiders also have the opportunity to learn from the paramedics at sporting events and this improves their skill set tremendously.

RHECO

Rhenish Recycling and Environmental Club organises river/beach clean-ups, recycling around school and awareness of environmental threats.

Eco bricks, the recycling of Nespresso Pods, the donation of trees and regular talks on environmental and climates are some of our activities.

Cancer Committee

The Cancer Committee at Rhenish Girls' High School was first established in 1988 and it has worked tirelessly since to raise awareness about cancer as well as to raise funds in support of a number of organisations or projects that support cancer sufferers in some way.

The committee responds to needs that are brought to their attention and some of their long term projects include the Love Box Project (collecting products to be packaged and given to women undergoing chemotherapy in state hospitals), the Grade 8 social to raise funds for our projects during the year, the cupcakes for cancer fundraiser and the door decoration project which raises awareness among all learners about the various forms of cancer.

Tech Team

Assemblies, awards evenings at school, drama practicals, cultural events - you name the event and you will find members of our Technical Team on duty. Sound and lighting are their business and they spend many hours learning to manage the sometimes finicky Rhenish sound equipment and even more hours at the beck and call of all who need them.

If you want to know anything about anything, these are the folks to ask - they know where it is and how it works and who you need to speak to so that it all runs smoothly.

Many hours after school you will find the tech team quietly behind the scenes ensuring that the show - whatever form it takes - goes on.