Parel Vallei High School

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Chess

The history of PV chess goes back more than 31 years. Piece by piece this sport has grown in PV and currently we have 3 teams entered into league matches, and many social players who enjoy this ancient sport. We are also proud of the fact that we have frequently done so well in the league fixtures, that we have been invited to take part in top school tournaments.

At PV we believe in the benefits of this sport and motivate learners to play chess, even if it is just in a social manner, as chess improves concentration and memory, enhances reading and mathematics skills, fosters logic and critical thinking and encourages hard work.

ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR:

The PV chess teams practice every Wednesday from 14:30 – 16:00.
On Friday afternoon league matches are played in the winter terms.
Players are encouraged to take part in open tournaments which are advertised on the following websites: http://wcschess.co.za/ and www.chessa.co.za/
We offer regular coaching clinics and all team players get the opportunity to take part in open WP trials held in February each year.

IDEALS:

We aim to continuously provide excellent training to all our chess players so that they may reach their full potential. We strive to provide all teams with maximum exposure to matches and to cultivate sportsmanship regardless of winning or losing.

CONTACT DETAILS:

Contact details: Mr. Werhard van Rooyen - wvanrooyen@pvallei.co.za

*Please refer to our school Communicator for daily updates in regards to results and dates.

In 1997 we had a very important strategic session during which the staff, management and Governing Body plotted the future of our school.

After very meaningful discussions and deliberation, we came to the conclusion that we were entering a time of huge change. We were on the threshold of introducing OBE (Outcome Based Education) and realised that the one constant going into the future would be change!

We were very proud of our academic excellence and were working hard at bringing sport and culture up to the same level as the academics. Around the table we penned our Vision for the future: "EXCELLENCE IN A CHANGING WORLD"

Since those very important discussions we are very proud to be able to say that we really do achieve excellence in our ever changing environment.

Some 10 years ago my wife and I attended a stage production of the musical ‘Evita’ which depicted the life of Evita Peron, wife of the Past President of Argentina.
During the show, Evita says, in a very defiant moment: "I’m proud to be and Argentinian."

At school at the time, I was thinking about ways in which I could spark off some pride in the school. Although many of our pupils had tremendous talent, they were often lacking in confidence and were almost scared to show pride in themselves or their school. I took Evita’s words and entered our own name and got: "Proud to be a Parel Valleier". I motivated and encouraged pupils to buy into the concept of having pride in themselves and in what they do but without being arrogant.

We also started to use this slogan on the foot of all our outgoing mail and on our letterheads. Interestingly, some of the grade 8’s, when they answer the question in their little test about the motto of the school, say that, “Proud to be a Parel Valleier” is the school’s motto instead of the real motto "Sapientia et intellegentia."

Long may this slogan live in the hearts and minds of our learners and may they always be "Proud to be a Parel Valleier".

Ettienne Gouws
2013