Our association and good relationship that we have with Blue Mountains Primary School has allowed us the opportunity of enrolling the first Gryphon Trust scholar at Chesterhouse in 2010. Vejonepher Baard joined our school in Grade 7 after having completed Grade 6 at Blue Mountains primary. Our endeavours of both fundraising events and fund finding began to yield some success and one of our donors who resides in the United Kingdom agreed to sponsor a portion of Vejonepher’s education at Chesterhouse for the year.
The staff at Blue Mountains primary began their selection process in October 2009 and they agreed that Vejonepher was the most deserving of such an opportunity. The initial interviews were held between Neville Minnaar, Vejonepher’s mom and our former headmaster Brendan Doolan. Vejonepher also wrote our entrance diagnostic test and did very well, a confident booster for the level of education that Mr. Minnaar and his team are able to deliver at this very under resourced school.
The scholarship award that has been offered to Vejonepher and her mom, a single parent, includes all tuition, books and stationery, sports uniform and school uniform and costs relating to our outdoor education programme.
Vejonepher has fitted in very well into her class and new classmates and teacher believe that she is very happy. She has yielded excellent marks and participates actively in the sports programme at Chesterhouse. She has gone from strength to strength and has earned the prestigious position of leader of the Chesterhouse Drum Majorettes.
Vejonepher Baard - leader of the Chesterhouse Drum Majorettes Squad
Thanks to the wonderful interest in and donations to the Gryphon Trust, the trust was able to accumulate enough funds to allow us to enrol our second Gryphon Trust scholar into Chesterhouse School in January 2012. Irene Bornman comes to us from Blue Mountains Primary where she completed Grade 6. Irene is enjoying her new school very much so far and is already involved in our sports programme, playing a good game of tennis.
The trust ensures that all costs relating to the scholars’ education, be that in the classroom, on the sports fields and in the cultural programme are funded by the trust to allow for the children to have a holistic and qualitative education. The trust makes provision for all such expenditure and also ensures that the children’s needs are met with regards to the outdoor education programme and their emotional well being.
