The enrichment lessons alternate between ballet, contemporary/jazz, modern, hip-hop and pilates each week. This allows the dancers to train and develop different dance styles and in turn they develop versatility. Qualified ballet teachers will train the practical ballet work and guest teachers will be invited for the alternate classes during the year. We would like to inspire the enrichment students by inviting choreographers and professional dancers to perform and motivate learners during the year. In conjunction with the enrichment classes we also offer the following:

Nothing has ever taken the place of ballet for disciplinary training. There is no technique in any other style of dancing that is so valuable for producing exactitude, precision, a sense of form and a sense of line. A ballet trained dancer will always excel at alternate dance forms. The small child at dancing class may never become a professional dancer or teacher – but – the courtesies and disciplines, postural and brain development, musicality, confidence as well as joy in movement, will touch their lives forever. Ballet trained students have had opportunities nationally and internationally in acting for television or movies, modeling, presenters on television, managing performing arts companies, production and co-ordination of large events such as miss SA, miss World, world cup opening events due to their dance knowledge and training. Many dancers have graduated as doctors, accountants, attorneys and decided to start teaching dance at a later stage.

For the most proficient and specialized dance experience contact the Southdowns Dance Academy!

Drama does not prepare you for anything… it prepares you for everything. Drama is not simply acting, acting is one of the many aspects of drama. It is both subject and methodology including the study of different forms of performance. Drama is a way to demonstrate ideas in action, of exploring human behavior and the human condition, through action.

Drama Enrichment is a place where the world of “make-believe” is explored in order to make it a liveable reality! We believe in focusing on individual performance techniques, working with the learners to find an inner confidence to act alone. This will be achieved through the usage of slam poetry, a modern form of street-acting, and children’s theatre. By being able to communicate as one actor to an adult or child audience, the actor will find their own style and develop the techniques necessary to communicate in any situation. A strong emphasis will be placed on performance, and Drama Enrichment students will show case their talents and skills to the school through a number of solo performances.

Due to dramatic activities being holistic, they involve each individual physically, intellectually and emotionally in a variety of situations. Drama therefore enables people to understand themselves, empathize with others, and know the world in which they exist.Drama encourages the development of personal characteristics such as confidence, creativity and the ability to communicate effectively. And it is a collaborative activity, one that depends on the participation of every individual. It encourages people to cross social and cultural barriers, and so develop skills in mediation and facilitation. These are skills vital to everyone in the country. If “all the world’s a stage” and the word “drama” means  “to do”, or “action”, then we are all actors – in our careers, in our daily lives. Studying drama today empowers students with the skills to “do” and “act”, in the fullest sense of the words.

Our enrichment course focuses on, but is not limited to, the following:

• Communication and vocal projection
• Expression and speech clarity
• Characterization and improvisation
• Voice skills, stage techniques, character impersonation and adaptations

Our goal is to focus on individual skill development and raise the level of performance in each player. Our highly qualified, professional coaches, will offer their experiences, knowledge, passion and enthusiasm through their high level of instruction and demonstration.  Each player will receive individualized instruction geared toward their ability and talent level, through a curriculum designed to improve fundamental skills and techniques, while advancing each player’s understanding of game concepts and team play. The program is designed for all levels of experience, from the most advanced level, to those just learning how to play the game. To complement the physical aspect of the programme, there will be a series of lectures from sports experts specialising in various areas such as bio-kinetics, nutrition and sports psychology. The programme aims to develop core areas of technical skills, physical fitness and the mental approach to the game. The training will incorporate intense repetition of the core hockey skills including passing, dribbling and shooting. There are a number of sessions focused on developing personal fitness and conditioning improving speed, agility and core strength.

Our Hockey enrichment Curriculum includes: 

• Progressive skill training
• Individual stick skills and ball handling
• Running with the ball
• Teaching major strokes: push, hit, slap and flick
• Supporting principles
• Attacking and defending as an individual and team
• Passing and receiving
• Shooting skills
• 2 V 1 and other overloads
• Special fun, interactive activities

The main focus is in broadening the understanding of the game. We live in South Africa and rugby is the name of the game. On a more philosophical level, our boys need to be boys. Physicality is not getting the attention it should get and we have an underdevelopment of muscles. 40% of boys cannot do one pull up. We will enable the players to grow in all the facets of the game, as well as the game called LIFE.

Our rugby enrichment curriculum will include:

• Progressive skill training
• Individual tackling skills and ball handling
• Running  skills with ball in hand
• What to do when you don’t have the ball
• Supporting principles in defence and attack.
• Attacking and defending as an individual and team
• Kicking skills
• Physicality
• Conditioning
• Special fun interactive activities
• Phase play

The College offers the opportunity for all learners to participate in swimming in their indoor, heated, 25m pool, incorporated in a fully equipped gymnasium. This opportunity is open to any learner who has a basic competency in swimming, or the swimmers who are advanced in the sporting code. These learners will progress to a level of competency and commitment in swimming.

The enrichment swimming program caters for learners on three levels:

1. Learners who wish to improve their basic swimming competency and learn new strokes.
2. Learners that wish to enter into swimming competitions and thus improve their racing skills and conditioning.
3. Learners that wish to improve their competitive swimming performances and thus improve their conditioning as well as technical racing skills. Pacing, race strategies and additional aspects such as recovery, nutrition and mental approach will also be covered on level three.

The coaching staff  are all qualified through the American Coaches Association and registered members of ASCA. These coaches receive regular updates and continuous training which ensures that the programme offered to the learners is of the highest standard.

The relationship between Tuks Swimming (University of Pretoria Swimming Club) and Southdowns College, offers the learners the opportunity to move through the different levels into competitive club swimming without having to leave the Southdowns grounds.

The collective objectives of the Swimming Enrichment are:

1. Improved technical competency in the swimming strokes, turns and starts.
2. Improved conditioning with specific focus on endurance, speed endurance and speed.
3. Higher level of commitment to training and executing the sets better.
4. Better understanding of stroke technique, conditioning and racing strategies.
5. An ability to set goals, manage these goals and being accountable for reaching these goals.
6. Dealing with pressure, disappointment and/ or success
7. Incorporating dry land conditioning, recovery and nutrition into the overall programme.

Vision

Create a winning culture by insuring healthy competition where every player will recognise and achieve her full potential.  Setting achievable gaols – closing score difference against stronger competition and moving up in the league.  Southdowns College must be able to compete with any other school.

Objectives:

–  Promote the game of netball at Southdowns College to give as many as possibleplayers the opportunity to play for a team.

–  Affiliate to D4 leagues which are affiliated to Netball South Africa (NSA). Enter league (High school and Prep school) that is at a level that teams can compete but strong enough to help improve level of play.

–  Make sure that all activities are conducted on the basis of merit.

–  Implement meaningful training programs, which recognise the development of all players equally and adhere to the code of conduct for parents, players,coaches and umpires.

–  Use participation in netball as a means of enhancing the physical, intellectual,social, ethical and aesthetic development of learners.

–  Be in line with the vision of Southdowns College: Integrity, Humility,Compassion, Respect and Commitment.

Selection

First team trials are held two weeks before trials for other age groups.  All age groups (u/14-u/19) may enter first team trials.  A panel of four to six selectors will be identified to be present at the trials.  Trials will be played during three or four sessions, or as many as it takes for selectors to be sure that the best 12 players are selected.  During the off season of 2015 (September/October), a First Team Squad of more or less 15 players will be selected to start training for the following year.

Players that are not selected then go back to their own age groups where they will play trials for A, B and C teams.  Each coach has two weeks to let her players play trials during training sessions to select players for her teams.

Warm-ups

Each coach has the responsibility to do a proper warm-up with her team at the start of a training session, which includes jogging, dynamic stretching, foot work, ball work, speed and concentration.  Coaches are also responsible for giving a warm-up routine that the team can use before a match, leaving the captain in charge.  Coaches sometimes umpire during the round before their teams are scheduled to play, so players need to know what is expected of them during a warm-up and follow the lead of their captain.

In association with Graeme Francis Golf Academy, learners are exposed to the expertise of the game and play under professional guidance. Pupils will be transported to the Irene Country Club and Vodacom gold world for training on a set schedule.

Robotics is a hands-on activity which develops our students’ programming, designing, problem-solving, research, presentation and team-work skills. The robotics students use LEGO Mindstorms kits to construct robots. The robots are programmed using a graphical based programming language: NXT-G. Each robot uses up to four sensors (light, sound, touch, colour) and up to 3 motors. Our students participate in the regional and national First Lego League (FLL) tournaments. At these tournaments they use the robots that they have designed and built to autonomously complete a set of tasks, on a playing field. The tasks set for the robots are related to a global problem such as global warming, food security or alternative forms of energy. In preparation for the FLL tournaments our students are also required to research a specific global problem and then generate innovative solutions.

We are extremely proud of our robotics teams’ achievements at both regional and national tournaments, these achievements are as follows – 2008 Gauteng-North Research Innovation Award, 2008 Gauteng-North Research Presentation Award, 2008 National Research Innovation Award, 2008 National Teamwork Award, 2009 Gauteng-North Research Innovation Award and the 2009 National Research Presentation Award.

Our students’ experience of robotics is illustrated below:

Working at Lego Robotics is fun because you have to find creative solutions to problems. I enjoy doing Robotics as an extra-mural because you don’t get all sweaty!!! Even if you are not a tech wizard or a creative thinker or even a builder, there is always something to do at Lego that you would like, such as coming up with innovative and sometimes crazy ideas or writing a short play.

-Stephen Brookes, Mentor of Technofunkalicious

Lego robotics is an exciting hobby. I find it both challenging and rewarding. It is amazing how difficult it is to program a robot to move objects around. Programming requires a great deal of precision and patience. I really enjoy Lego!

– Nicholas Annandale, Technofunkalicious team leader