Landbou High School teams up with NASA

ON MAY 15, our school was honoured to host two scientists from NASA, Dr Erika Podest and Dr Darren Drewy as well as two delegates from the Department of Science and Technology, Me Tebago Gule and Me Mokgadi Madiga. The scientists from NASA updated us on the international GLOBE programme. The Landbou Waste Management and GLOBE programme was started by Miss Khonjelwayo in 2013. She is the head of the Waste Management Team and part of the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment. Miss Khonjelwayo is supported by the Department of Science and Technology. The GLOBE programme motivates learners, teachers and scientists to collaborate on environmental research. They work in partnership with NASA. Since we are now part of the GLOBE programme, learners collect data from the earth surface, like soil moisture and soil pH. They also observe the cloud formation and the rainfall pattern on an almost daily basis. All of this data is collected right here in Vryheid at Landbou High School! This information is then fed to the GLOBE website. NASA now uses the information from the website to make comparisons with the data captured by their satellites. We are extremely excited and proud to be involved in such a programme. We would like to thank the following persons for their diligence, support and cooperation in this international programme: Miss Khonjelwayo (Educator – Physical Science); Mr Moller (Educator – Agricultural Science) and Mr (Farm Practices). And that’s not all. As soon as the dates are confirmed we will report on an upcoming visit to India. Yes, you have read it right…India! A selected group from Landbou School will travel to India in August to share their environmental projects and research at an international symposium. Our school is also part of the ECO-Schools programme. This is the largest worldwide programme that empowers young people to play an active role in promoting economic and social sustainability in our environment. On the sports front: On May 14 Landbou School competed against Dundee. Herewith the results: Rugby: First team lost 7 –18; the second team lost 5 – 34; the u/15 team lost 0 – 17 and the u/14 team lost 0 – 26. Netball: First team lost 9 – 16; the second team lost 1 – 19; the u/16 team lost 8 – 20; u/15A lost 2 – 10; u/15B lost 3 – 22 and u/14A lost 7 – 14. Hockey: First team won 3 – 0 and second team won 1 – 0. On Saturday, May 17, two of our rugby teams travelled to Pongola. The first team won 43 – 27 and the u/15 team lost 5 – 27. Upcoming sport events: May 21: Landbou vs Sarel Cilliers; May 28: Landbou vs Newcastle High and June 4: Landbou vs Ferrum High. Open Day: Prospective learners for 2015 and their parents or guardians are cordially invited to attend the Open Day at Vryheid Landbou High School on Saturday, May 24. Proceedings will start at 08:00am. Applications are open and application forms can be downloaded from www.vryheidlandbou.co.za or are available from the school. For more information please contact the school on 034 9826005. Here at Landbou we grow tall trees in a warm, secure environment!