GenRes Residential Life Information

Generation Schools encourages you to be a responsible member of GenRes.

• Treat your GenRes unit as you would your own home – with respect and consideration for the property and the people there.
• Remember that GenRes includes all areas of the unit building, not just your room; this means the common areas, hallways, bathrooms, staff units and outdoor spaces, including Somerset Lakes itself.
• All rules that pertain to Somerset Lakes Residents apply to all areas within the GenRes units.
• All GenRes students are expected to adhere to the Code of Conduct as underpinned in the policy document of Generation Schools. Major infractions of either the letter or the spirit of the Code are serious disciplinary matters and may result in a Disciplinary Committee hearing.

Daily Routine

06h30: Rise and shine!
06h45: Depart for school
07h00: Breakfast in school canteen
07h30: School starts
09h30: Snack in canteen
12h00: Lunch in canteen
14h30–15h15: Support Lessons/ Preparation for sport
15h15–17h45: Sport / Leisure Time
18h00: Supper
19h00–20h00: 1st Prep – Individual study and homework
20h00–20h15: Break
20h15–21h00: 2nd Prep
21h30: All students to rooms for roll call
22h30: Lights out
23h00: Matric lights out

Residence Access Control

• The unit is out of bounds during the school day. Students may only return to their unit with the permission of their house parents. It is advisable to rent a locker on the school grounds.
• For the residents’ safety, Generation Schools makes use of a fingerprint access control system into the residential area. Students’ fingerprints will be captured by the IT Department in the first week of their arrival at the residence.

School Term Arrival and Departure

• At the start of each term, GenRes students are required to be in residence between 16h00 and 17h30 on the evening before the first day of lessons, otherwise the house parents must be notified.
• Students will be permitted to leave at the end of a term only when their living space has been left in the condition in which they found it at the start of term.
• Flight/bus details for students’ return/departure must be communicated to the house parents at least 5 (five) days before their flight so that the necessary transport can be arranged.

Weekend Leave-Outs

• Students are allowed to go home after the end of the official school day on a Friday and return on the Sunday evening (16h00–19h00).
• House parents need to know the students’ plans for the weekend by 19h00 on the Wednesday prior. Parental permission must be granted by this deadline if students are going somewhere other than home. (Parents of students involved in ‘lift clubs’ must inform the house parents of which adults are permitted to collect their children.)
• Students may only go out with people other than their immediate families if the house parents have been informed, by e-mail, by their parents at least 48 hours in advance.
• All students must report in person to the staff on duty prior to departure and upon their return.
• Should there be changes to return or departure times, the house parents or staff on duty must be informed as soon as possible. Students going out for the weekend may not return to boarding houses unannounced or without prior arrangement.
• It remains the responsibility of the students to inform parents of any change in plans regarding pick-up, etc.
• Students who are required to remain behind for disciplinary reasons will only be able to go once they have completed the tasks allocated to them.

Leave-outs During The Week

• If students need to leave the campus during the week, permission must be requested from the house parents 48 hours in advance.
• Students who are required to leave the campus for extra-curricular activities such as dance, extra Maths lessons etc. may only do so after written details indicating dates and times have been provided by their parents and permission has been granted by the house parents.
• Students must report to the staff on duty in person for face-to-face sign out and check in.

Meals

• Our four-week menu cycle plan has been designed by registered dieticians, Cecily Fuller and Jenny-Anne Smuts, to meet 40% of the daily nutritional requirements needed to promote growth and mental and physical development in growing children.
• All meals are compulsory and students must be punctual. Breakfast and lunch are served at school, while supper is served at the residences.
• Regrettably, the school cannot cater to everyone’s preferences but we are willing to accommodate special dietary requirements. Food intolerances and allergies need to be confirmed with a clinical diagnosis. To accommodate nut allergies, the kitchen is a nut-free environment.
• Parents of students with special dietary requirements (for medical reasons only) should give notice of such in writing at the beginning of the year.

Food Deliveries (Only with permission from the house parents)

• Deliveries are not accepted at any units during Prep hours.
• Students should meet the delivery person at the unit entrance. Delivery persons are not allowed into the unit under any circumstances.
• Students are expected to interact with local establishments in the same way that they are expected to interact with Generation Schools’ community members.

Prep/Study Hall and Evening Hours

Evening hours are for study and sleep, and students must be respectful of one another’s needs to do both. From 19h00 until 06h00 the unit should be reasonably quiet. There will be a homework period (Prep) each evening (Monday to Thursday) from 19h00 to 20h00 and again from 20h15 to 21h00. Students should be especially respectful of one another’s needs for quiet work time.

Prep/Study Hall Requirements

• The designated Prep hours should be used exclusively for academic work.
• The first homework session is sacrosanct; i.e. no phone calls, interruptions etc.
• All students will do their prep in their rooms with the room doors open.
• No music is allowed except through headphones.
• Quiet group study in rooms or common rooms are only by permission during 2nd Prep.
• Watching television and socialising are not allowed during this time.

Medicines and Medical Treatment

• Medical treatment will be provided by a local general practitioner, Dr Alan Donkin. For emergency medical care, students will be taken to Vergelegen Mediclinic.
• Parents must provide copies of their medical aid cards (front and back) so that payment for any visit can be made. Parents who do not have medical aid must arrange with the house parents on how payments for emergency medical services will be made.
• International students are advised to become members of a South African medical aid.
• Students who feel ill in the morning must inform the member of staff on duty or the house parents no later than 07h00.
• However, in the event of a student requiring medical attention outside these hours, the student must inform the house parents and appropriate action will be taken.
• Students are not permitted to keep medicines of their own in their rooms and they may not, under any circumstances, supply medicines to others.
• All prescribed medicines or those supplied by parents (OTC medications) must be handed to the house parents for safekeeping.
• All medication must be in the original manufacturer’s labeled container.
• Any special appointments, orthodontic etc. are encouraged to be made on a Friday afternoon so as to least disrupt the school routine.
• Parents are urged to communicate any important information about their child’s health to the house parents, especially information about allergies.

Laundry and Clothing

• There is the availability of laundry facilities at school – washing a reasonable amount of uniform, sporting clothes (and civvies for termly boarders only) will be done twice-weekly.
• Weekly boarders must wash their casual clothes at home over weekends.
• A laundry bag and sock and underwear bag will be provided to each student upon their arrival in Res.
• It is imperative that all items of clothing have a name tag or are marked.
• Laundry bags must be handed in at the laundry on the days determined by the house parents.
• Bed linen must be washed at least every alternative Friday.
• Laundry is to be collected immediately after school from the laundry room and no later than 16h00.
• Missing laundry should be reported immediately to the staff member on duty.

Recreation / Leisure / Television

• After school hours, students will be free to change into sensible and appropriate casual clothing and will be encouraged to do homework, watch television or make use of the excellent estate community gym, clubhouse and surrounding facilities.
• Television with full DStv is available but the house parents will set the hours of what may or may not be watched. Only programmes with the appropriate age rating will be permitted.
• No portable TV sets or gaming consoles are allowed.
• Laptops and iPads with wireless compatibility are allowed. The use of all electronic devices will be monitored.
• No ‘outside’ activities will be permitted inside.
• All sporting activities must take place on the sports fields.
• The common areas are to be kept clean and tidy so that all may benefit from them.
• Students using plates and/or mugs must ensure that these items are kept clean.

Cell Phone Usage

• Students are permitted to bring cell phones to school.
• Cell phones may be carried, but should be set on ‘vibrate’ or ‘silent’. The guiding principle of the use of these devices in GenRes is that they should never interfere with personal interaction between members of our community.
• Students may not engage in cell phone conversations while in a group setting.

Fire Regulations

• There should be no open flames of any kind in our residence units because of the obvious potential dangers.
• Matches, lighters, candles, incense, etc. may not be used in the units and rooms.
• Fire drills and Emergency Evacuation drills will be conducted regularly and periodic inspections of students’ rooms will be conducted to ensure that our units are safe places in which to live.
• Electrical fire and safety hazards are sometimes discovered during these safety inspections and you may be asked to remove an electrical cord or appliance.
• Do not overload or alter electrical circuits or multi-plugs. Multi-plugs are limited to ONE per student and only for computer components or low-voltage items. Multi-plugs are not to be used as extension cords. Do not use multi-plug outlets in electric receptacles to create more plug-ins as this will cause an electrical circuit overload.
• Tampering with smoke or fire detectors or any other fire safety equipment will result in serious disciplinary consequences.

Property Protection

No dormitory is completely safe from theft. Follow these suggestions to protect your property:

• Do not bring unnecessary valuables to school.
• Keep an updated inventory of all valuable belongings.
• Write down serial numbers of all valuable equipment: computers, cell phones, etc. Hand a copy of this inventory to the house parent to place on file for easy access if something goes missing.
• Do not keep large amounts of cash in your room; rather hand it in to the house parents for safekeeping.
• Keep small valuable items out of sight, in a closed drawer, or in another safe place.
• Download Find My iPhone on your iPhone and iPad.
• Label your clothing with laundry tags or permanent marker.
• Immediately report missing items to your house parent. The school is not responsible for stolen items. We recommend families insure all valuables and that students safeguard the belongings they bring to the school.

Other Expectations

PERSONAL CONDUCT: Students are expected to speak and act in a manner appropriate to the occasion at all times, avoiding language and behaviour that will offend or injure others. Students are expected to cooperate in a friendly fashion with all staff, students and visitors on campus. Students may not isolate themselves from the community by wearing headphones or earbuds when walking around in the residence and at meals.

INAPPROPRIATE DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION: Out of consideration for all of the members of our community, we expect our students to refrain from those public displays of affection that may demean the participants and are likely to make others feel embarrassed or uncomfortable.

DISORDELY CONDUCT: Misconduct that disrupts the order in the residence, at meals and any area on Somerset Lakes Estate, will be considered disorderly conduct and result in a disciplinary response. Minor confrontations may be considered disorderly conduct. Damage to school property will be repaired at the expense of the student/s responsible. In addition, students may face disciplinary consequences for damaging Somerset Lakes in any way.

MAJOR RULE INFRACTIONS will most likely result in a Disciplinary Committee hearing. Infractions of either the letter or the spirit of the following rules are considered serious disciplinary matters and often lead to suspension or dismissal.

• Substance Use: Students are expected to remain drug-free and alcohol-free at all times. The use of illegal drugs and/or alcohol and the misuse of over-the-counter or prescription drugs by students on or off campus harm both individuals and the community. We must ensure that GenRes are safe havens for all residents. Every student in the school must be assured that their residence will be a safe, wholesome place, free of alcohol and illegal drugs. Therefore, a student found in possession of alcohol or illegal drugs, or under the influence while in the unit, will be required to withdraw from the residence immediately.
• Tobacco: Students may not be in possession of or use tobacco or nicotine products in any form (use or possession of a vaporiser or other electronic delivery instruments will be treated as drug paraphernalia).
• Bullying: Verbal or physical intimidation, or hazing is unacceptable behaviour in our community. At the heart of each of these is unkind, cruel or threatening behaviour to others that is easily recognised and completely inappropriate. Cyber-bullying, sending or posting hurtful text or images to or about others by using any sort of digital device (computer, cell phone, or any other sort of personal digital assistant) will not be tolerated and will be dealt with severely.
• Harassment: Generation Schools, and GenRes by extension, is a community in which every individual is to be treated with dignity, respect and esteem. The school forbids physical, verbal or psychological harassment of any kind, including sexual harassment. Harassment includes both easily identified acts that are oral or written, digital photos or videos, or physical abuse, and more subtle but equally damaging forms of harassment, such as graffiti, epithets and racially stereotyped remarks or racially stereotyped jokes. Harassment targeting ethnic heritage, religious beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, race, age, disability or participation in protected activity under the discrimination laws is of particular concern. Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favours, and other verbal, physical or psychological conduct of a sexual nature directed against any individual or group of individuals. Sexual harassment includes written and oral remarks, whether emailed, texted or posted online, and messages left on voicemail system.
• Security and trespassing violations: Students may not possess or use unauthorised keys, access cards, locks, computer passwords or fire extinguishers. Tampering with door locks, electrical wiring, smoke detectors or fire alarms endangers all residence occupants and will not be tolerated. Students leaving the estate without permission and/or inviting non-Res students into the units without the knowledge of the house parents are not permitted and will be treated as a disciplinary issue.

GenRes Boarding Parents: Clarence and Anthea

Who are Clarence and Anthea?

Clarence grew up in Caledon. In 1985, he enrolled as a student at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), where he successfully completed a B.Sc(Ed) degree and a B.Sc (Honours) degree in Mathematics. In 30 years of teaching, Clarence taught Mathematics at all levels to students of various abilities, in both state and private schools, mostly in South Africa but also in the USA. A competent tennis and squash player, Clarence coached both sports at high levels in both countries. He also fell in love with the game of golf and is working at getting his handicap into single digits!
Anthea grew up in Port Elizabeth and completed a BA degree and Higher Diploma of Education at UWC. Over her 30 years in education, Anthea has fulfilled the roles of Life Orientation Head, teacher (Mathematics, Accounting, EMS, Grade 5 classroom) and coach (netball, tennis, squash) in both public and private schools in South Africa.
In 2015 she joined her husband at The Hill School, a boarding school in Pennsylvania, USA and worked in a part-time capacity as a Life Skills teacher, Administrative Assistant in the Health Center, Library Assistant, Associate Supervisor and Proctor for the College Board SAT and ACT examinations, as well as being a squash and tennis coach.
In 2019, they returned to South Africa and took up the role as educators and boarding parents at Reddam House Somerset.

Why they love boarding

Clarence fell in love with boarding as a conduit to excellent interpersonal growth and development, a safe space where adolescents can develop a growth mindset and learn about the importance of accountability. It represents a community where self-centred ‘I’ makes way for collective ‘we’, where students develop a newfound appreciation for the roles their parents and significant adults play in their lives.
What Anthea enjoys most about teaching and in particular about being a boarding mom is the opportunity to nurture students, create a space in which they feel valued and cared for and can learn about being accountable, help and guide them to reach their potential, and teach those in her care to the value of laughter, hugs and having fun together.

Her philosophy about life and education is encapsulated in the following quotes:

“Carefully watch your thoughts, for they become your words. Manage and watch your words, for they will become your actions. Consider and judge your actions, for they have become your habits. Acknowledge and watch your habits, for they shall become your values. Understand and embrace your values, for they become your destiny.” – Mahatma Gandhi

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”  – Nelson Mandela