• From 10th class position - Certificate of Merit
• Subject prizes for 1st position per subject (gift voucher)
• Top 3 aggregate percentage (gift voucher)
  
• Top achiever (Dux award)
• Bilingualism (gift voucher)
• General knowledge (trophy and certificate)

Physical development plays a big role in the emotional development of any child. For this reason, it is very important to Paarl Girls' High that all our girls partake in sport, with the emphasis on maximum participation and enjoyment! To us, participation, teamwork, sportsmanship and regular participation is as important as the individual that achieves great heights.
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We offer a wide variety of sports:

Summer season – Athletics, Tennis, Swimming and Biathlon
Winter season– Netball, Hockey, Cross Country, Chess and Squash

Participation is not compulsory, but we do encourage learners to partake in at least one winter and one summer sport. In the sport categories, we strive towards entering as many teams into the league as possible.

Since maximum participation is important to us, we aim to provide top coaches in all the sport categories, and where the need arises, we also make use of outsourced coaches. Coaches regularly attend courses to stay up to day with the latest developments for each relevant sport category.

Athletics

Our goal for our athletics to reach new heights in the next 5 years. All training takes place at the school during the early mornings before school starts.

Our athletes participate in Boland Athletics events as well as friendly events in and around Paarl. Our goal is to cultivate the love of athletics from an early age.

Organiser

adippenaar@paarlgirlshigh.com

Biathlon

Each year a group of about 35 athletes participate in various league events. The Boland Championship is always an event that girls look forward to.

Organiser

tferreira@paarlgirlshigh.com

‍Tennis

In the last 5 years, our tennis at HMS has been going from strength to strength. The school has 6 tennis courts where social tennis is enjoyed weekly as well as professional tennis coaching offered by Edge Tennis Academy for the top players.

Organiser

htrust@paarlgirlshigh.com

Squash
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Our squash team plays in the Boland A-League every year.

Organiser

lkemp@paarlgirlshigh.com

Chess
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Grade 1 to 3 learners receive one hour of chess coaching a week.
Grade 4 to 7 learners receive weekly coaching and then also participate in the Cape Winelands League.

Organiser

astrangfeld@paarlgirlshigh.com

Swimming
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Every year our swimming season kicks off with our Interhouse Gala and Swimathon. The Foundation Phase learners swim once a week during school hours for an hour in the first term.

There is also an opportunity for learners from Grades 4 to 7 to join the swimming team in the afternoon as well as social swimming which focuses more on improving swimming styles and development.

The girls participate in galas at the following schools: Drakenstein, Courtrai evening gala, Winelands gala hosted by Gymnasium Primary, Paarl Boys ’Primary and Kenridge Primary School.

Organiser

rvandenberg@paarlgirlshigh.com

Hockey
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Our practice times and home games take place on our astro turf. Our focus is on developing the individual to be part of a fun, challenging and learning hockey environment. We participate in the Parel Vallei coaching clinic and various hockey days.

Organiser

abeukes@paarlgirlshigh.com

Netball
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The primary school netball season kicks off annually in February with 210 energetic players and 16 enthusiastic coaches helping to shape netball dreams and fuel the passion and love for the sport.

The u.11 squad kicks off their season taking part in the Elite Netball Clinic in Paarl. The u.12’s travel to Riebeek-Kasteel to compete in their sports festival and the u.13’s take the plane to the Egalite Netball Tournament at Sun City.

We participate in a variety of netball days and tournaments throughout the season with all teams and ages. The GHS Netball Day, Interschools, Top Schools Competition, De Hoop’s and Stellenbosch Primary School’s Daylight-to-spotlight tournament and the Bellville-North evening tournament, to name only a few.

Our u.12A and u.13A teams also take part in the Shift pre-season league, with weekly matches being played over a period of eight weeks.

Organiser

lcronje@paarlgirlshigh.com

Extracurricular sport
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At Paarl Girls' High School, we give recognition to learners who excel in sports outside the school.
Each year learners participate in the following sports:

• Rhythmic Gymnastics
• Artistic Gymnastics
• Pentathlon
• Equestrian
• Underwater Hockey
• Water Polo, etc.

We encourage our learners to think and act creatively, thus developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills that can be applied in all areas of learning.
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Drama

Through drama, learners are encouraged to up take responsibility and make choices – to participate in and guide their own learning.

We offer weekly hour-long drama classes to all primary school learners from Grades 2 to 7. We are affiliated with the Paarl Eisteddfod and we may enter individual learners should they wish to participate. The drama classes aim to equip the learners with personality, social and verbal skills.
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Interschools Arts Festival
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During the month of May, we present our annual Interschools Arts Festival.  Our actors and actresses, participate against learners from Boys Primary School and Gymnasium Primary School. There is a variety of categories for Grade R to Grade 7 learners to participate in.  Category winners are rewarded with special Interschools Arts Festival medals.

Drama studennts, as well as non drama students are offered the opportunity to showcase their talents during this festival which includes choral verses, recitations, monologues, prose and dialogues in the English categories.
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Junior Choir

The Junior Choir is viewed as another one of the school's extracurricular activities.

Learners from Grade 1 to Grade 3 may partake in the Junior Choir. All the girls that want to partake must complete and pass an audition with the choir coach. It is therefore truly an achievement to belong to the Junior Choir.

The first two choir practice sessions form part of the audition. Choir practice takes place once very week during school hours, on a specific day and time. Attendance to choir practice is compulsory and it is expected of each choir member to arrive timeously and neatly. Each choir member contributes to the choir's advancement and beautiful sound.

The Junior Choir also partakes in the Paarl Valley Eisteddfod.

‍Senior Choir

The Senior Choir has more or less 60 members (Grades 4 to 7). Choir practice takes place during school hours. The Senior Choir performs during hall meetings and other school events.

The Senior Choir partakes in the Paarl Valley Eistedfodd every year.
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Orators

Any learner, from Grades 2 to 7 may partake in orator competitions. If there is a huge interest, an internal competition will be held to keep in line with the allowable entry to competitions. The school does entries on behalf of students.

Learners have the opportunity every afternoon until 16:00 to get assistance with the writing and presentation of speeches. The purchase of speeches is strongly discouraged. As far as possible, it is aimed to use ATKV themes for orals, with the orators speech format as guideline.

Public Speaking

Our Public Speaking learners participate in the Home Language and Additional Language categories of the AKTV and in both Afrikaans and English in the On the Tip of Your Tongue competitions.  Only Afrikaans persuasive speeches are allowed at the AKTV competition.  On the Tip of Your Tongue caters for persuasive, motivational and entertainment speeches in the individual category and persuasive speeches in the team category.  Speakers may choose any topic and all entries are done by the school.

Public speaking is an excellent way of building personal development on many levels, since improving communication skills is helpful in almost every area of life.

Orchestra

Our Primary School Orchestra consists of learners from Grades 4 to 7. They have weekly practice and regularly perform at school functions and Eisteddfods. In this orchestra, students are accustomed to play within in an ensemble from a young age, and to experience the joy of making music together.

Music Lessons

‍Paarl Girls' High offers music lessons for the following instruments:

• Violin
• Piano
• Singing
• Flute
• Cello
• Recorder
• Guitar
• Base guitar
• Ukelele
• Drums

At Paarl Girls’ High, we strive to create a happy and challenging environment where each individual can reach her full potential.

Learner wellness is one of the key elements to reaching this goal. We deliberately create space in the curriculum and in the timetable to focus on the improvement of the learner’s wellness by teaching the learners important skills. We believe that practising healthy habits daily attains better physical and mental health. Learners will instead of just surviving, start thriving.

Wellbeing: a state where children can meet their learning potential, cope with normal stresses and are connected to others.

A culture of wellbeing is prioritised across the entire school community. Positive social norms and behaviour are built between our staff and our students. A sense of belonging and inclusivity is woven through everything the school does. It is a whole-school approach.

This help students to:

• Flourish in their education journey
• Develop empathy for others and understand relationships
• Build resilience - the ability to cope and thrive in the face of challenges
• Use positive approaches to manage their behaviour, fostering a range of strategies
• Grow their social and emotional skills and the confidence to be themselves

Measuring a child’s wellbeing is important because all children deserve to be happy.

The 5 wellness pillars we embrace to help the learners to find balance, build resilience and boost mental health:

Connection

Be active

Take notice

Keep learning

To give

Wellness info

CHOICE 
THEORY

Transform to perform

Outreach

Grade focus

Learner Feedback

Choice theory

1. The 5 basic needs

The Choice Theory was developed by Dr. William Glasser. It explains human behaviour based on internal motivation.  It suggests that all our behaviour is chosen as we continually attempt to meet one or more of the five basic needs that are part of our genetic structure.

Love & belonging

Power

Fun

Survival

Freedom

2. The window of safety

All behaviours lead to consequences, instead of punishment.

3. We choose our own behaviour

The 4 wheels represent a person’s total behaviour.  For our car to move, the 4 wheels must move together.  The back wheels represent things that come as a result of our front wheels.

Transform to Perform (T2P)

Transform to Perform (T2P): This strategy is an integrated approach by the WCED, developing a values-driven mindset of self belief and values within all role players (learners, teachers, parents and officials, including leadership and top management) in the province.

The WCED believes that the shift in self-belief, values and mindsets, should result in improved behaviour and performance by all stakeholders – not to mention improved results!

At Paarl Girls’ High we focus on:

• Enhancing the mantra of the WCED: Enter to learn, leave to serve
• Growth Mindset: Lessons are created by staff members to teach the principles of growth mindset to the learners.

Outreach

We are always on the look-out for opportunities to become active in the community.

Our Primary School learners partake in the following projects every year:
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• Donating unused textbooks to underprivileged schools.
  
• Sandwiches are made and dropped off at less fortunate schools.
  
• Unused stationery is collected and donated to school where there is need.
  
• We make Christmas hampers for Rusoord Retirement Home and deliver flowers on 1 September.
  
• Unused reading books are collected and donated to a school where there is need.
  
• Murray Orphanage receive yearly Christmas hampers.
  
• We collect clothes and distribute this to disadvantaged people in the community.
  

Grade focus

At the beginning of the year each grade group decides on the skills they want to focus on during the year. These skills are then built into the lessons. In this way, we ensure that every child is offered the opportunity to develop specific skills that is aimed at their age.
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Grade 1 - 3: Kindness: To be a friend
Grade 4 & 5: Accept our differences
Grade 6 & 7: Identity: To know myself

Learner feedback

“This year has been difficult, but still an enjoyable experience. During wellness lessons at school, I’ve learned that I should never take life for granted.”
– Hluma Mangena (Grade 6)

Girls High feels like a family to me. Everyone gives so much love!”
– Mieke Kotze (Grade 2)

“I love coming to school.  I learn something about myself every day.  I feel loved.  I am happy at this school.”
‍– Olivia  Elan-Puttick (Grade 2)