Cape Town - Over the weekend South Peninsula (SP) High School ex-pupils and participants of the Cape Argus High School Quiz, sponsored by Food Lovers Market, gathered for an evening celebrating the school’s past achievements participating in the quiz and its positive impact on both ex-pupils and the school now.
The quiz was a fiercely contested high school competition that encouraged high school pupils by testing their knowledge of news, which saw SP win a number of times throughout the years as a result of the willingness of pupils, teachers and parents to achieve excellence in education.
Former principal Brian Isaacs said one had to admit that Belgravia High School dominated the competition in the 1990s but since then SP had taken over thanks to the hard work by Senior Head of Department Dana Marinus and Brenda Gunning in preparing the students for Argus Quiz every year.
Deputy principal Barry Saunders said preparation for the quiz taught pupils about teamwork, commitment, time management and critical thinking skills while the reading of articles led to further discussions about various topics such as politics, international affairs or sport which broadened their intellectual horizons.
Speaking on his Cape Argus Quiz experience from 2014, ex-pupil Meek-eel Darius said: “The Argus Quiz really opened up my mind through reading each daily newspaper. It enthused me and made me aware about everything that was going on in the world around me.
The key address at the event was delivered by Cape Argus editor Aziz Hartley, who said “The Cape Argus, through this quiz, tried to make just a small contribution to a better society and by looking at the many achievements of all the ex-participants here this evening. I am proud to see that we were able to do just that,” said Hartley.
During the celebrations, the school also unveiled new additions such as water fountains commemorating the winning teams over the years as well as new floodlights for the sports field, sponsored by one of SP’s many successful ex-pupils, Kurt Maritz.
Principal Zeid Baker they would continue to strive for excellence in whatever they do as the school’s motto, not to be served but to serve, embraced service to humanity, championing the cause of the poor, striving for equality, justice and freedom for all.