END OF AN ERA
Dear Parents and Guardians,
At the end of this term, we bid farewell to Mark and Moira Whitaker. Mark retires having been part of the school community for eighteen years. He has guided the Group of Schools through some tumultuous times as well as being responsible for some significant and important developments. He has “survived” hyperinflation, currency devaluation, drought, pandemic and a host of other crises which would have deterred many. Through his tenure he has shown an incredible aptitude for turning crisis into opportunity. His steady hand on the schools’ finances and operational needs has ensured not only the school’s survival but its ongoing growth and resilience. As he moves to “retirement” Mark leaves an amazing and lasting legacy of service to this school.
WELCOME
In the wake of Mark Whitaker’s retirement, Mark and Jo Precious join our school community. Mark Precious moved into the Business Directors role on 1 March. Mark Precious joins us with extensive experience from both the financial and operational world. He has worked across a range of commercial enterprises both in Zimbabwe and overseas. We welcome both Mark and Jo Precious to the Peterhouse community.
NIAA - EISTEDDFOD
Last week saw the start of the NIAA Eisteddfod at Peterhouse. We were delighted to be able to host two days of adjudication at both Peterhouse Girls and Boys. Equally, our performers earned some excellent results, and we look forward to the Highlights Concert later in the term. The NIAA Eisteddfod continues for the next two weeks (9-27 March) in Harare and we wish all our participants every success.
SA SCHOOLS ROWING CHAMPS
Our rowers have just returned from a highly successful tour to Pretoria and the annual South African Schools Rowing Championship. As a school, we have been attending this “festival of rowing” for a good number of years. Once again, our rowers performed well; congratulations to Jude Moss and Ashton Willcock on the receipt of bronze medals and Robert Weller on his silver medal. It was encouraging to see how many of our rowers made it both to the semifinals and finals.
SPORTS DAY
What a great occasion this was to enjoy an excellent day of athletics. It was good to see a number of records tumbling and experience the intensity of healthy sporting competition. Thank you to the many parents who came out to support our athletes and enjoy this important “full school” event. There can be little doubt that Sports Day is becoming a real highlight in our annual sporting calendar. In a closely contested day, Snell finally ran out overall winners on the back of a close contest with Paget. Whilst on the topic of athletics we were saddened that the Inter-schools Relays competition was rained out last weekend. There was considerable anticipation for the 4 x 100m relay, particularly the Open event, which had the potential for being a very competitive race!
CULTURAL TOURS
The Peterhouse Group of Schools is thrilled to announce its participation in the inaugural Africa World Schools Debate Championships (AWSDC 2026), hosted at the University of Pretoria from March 27 to April 2, 2026. This landmark event brings together 100 elite teams from across the continent—ranging from national representatives to prestigious school academies—to compete on a premier stage. More than just a competition, this first edition marks the start of a powerful annual tradition dedicated to celebrating African culture, public speaking excellence, and youth empowerment. We look forward to seeing 33 of our speakers- 17 girls and 16 boys- represent the Peterhouse community as they engage with the brightest young minds in Africa
The Model United Nations Club will be travelling to Accra, Ghana from the 13th to the 17th of March 2026 to attend the Yale Model African Union Conference (YMAU) at the University of Professional Studies. The tour squad comprises 10 girls and 7 boys and will be accompanied by Prince Chavunduka and Fadzai Kamba. The 3-day conference immerses students from across the continent in political, economic and social issues that impact on the African continent. Participants at the conference will simulate the roles of African heads of state and diplomats who take part in debates in the various committees. We look forward to an enriching experience for our young delegates.
FOR THE DIARY
JUNIOR PLAY
EISTEDDFOD HIGHLIGHTS CONCERT – 30TH MARCH
This will be in the PHB Chapel on Monday, 30 March, starting at 18h00.
ATHLETICS
The St George’s Invitational Athletics Championship is on Saturday, 21 March, starting at 08h30.
PETREAN AGM AND SPORTS DAY
The Petrean AGM is at 08h30 on Sunday, 29 March. This will be followed by a multi-disciplinary Sports Day involving Petrean and School teams at both Peterhouse Girls and Boys.
SPORTS TOURS
PHG/PHB Hockey 1st XI tour to the Belgotex Cape Schools Hockey Festival in Cape Town. The teams leave on Monday, 30 March and play games across a number of venues in Cape Town.
The 1st XV rugby and U14 rugby will be at the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival, while the U15/U16’s will be at Michaelhouse
We are three weeks away from the end of the term, and there is still much to be done before we close for the Easter break. Please can I remind you of the importance of term dates and ensuring that we finish strong.