Pinelands High School, in conjunction with the Epoch & Optima Trusts, is delighted to offer an exciting opportunity to aspirant Mathematics, English and Physical Sciences teachers. Teacher internships are available for the 2022 academic year. Applicants will be planning to study for their PGCE through a recognized distance learning institution in 2022 (e.g. UNISA, NWU). Final selection will be dependent upon acceptance to one of these institutions.

See further details by clicking here.

Closing Date: Monday 30 August 2021

We are very grateful to the SGS Community Trust for the donation of a Mobile Science laboratory. The Mobile Science Laboratory transforms a regular classroom into a science laboratory.  The equipment and chemicals found in the Mobile Science Laboratory will be used to illustrate abstract scientific theory with demonstrations that engage the senses. We want students to be able to see, hear, smell and touch science, and not just read about it.

We have 253 students in Grades 10-12 taking Physical Sciences as a subject. The Mobile Science Laboratory complements our 6 dedicated science venues and together they serve a total of 651 students taking Natural Science, Life Sciences and Physical Sciences.

Thank you to the kind parent who nominated Pinelands High School as a beneficiary for the Mobile Science Laboratory. We know that the Laboratory will be used to encourage even more students to be curious about the world around them, and to perhaps choose to study further in the field of science as their contribution to society. So many of our students go on to study science (medicine, engineering, biology, computer science etc) and we are proud to play our part in inspiring and educating future scientists.

The National English Olympiad is an annual English competition that draws over 8000 candidates every year from around South Africa and from our neighbouring countries. 

The competition is organised jointly by the Grahamstown Foundation and the South African Council for English Education.  The syllabus and examination questions offer a stimulating experience  that goes beyond what can be enjoyed in the school syllabus. The syllabus and examination questions promote critical thinking, but they also encourage candidates to express themselves in creative and unique ways - an exciting possibility that is not allowed for in the school curriculum. 

The programme of study is rigorous and requires significant self-study on the part of the candidates.

The demands and the competitive nature of the programme make Amy Irlam's achievement of being a Top 20 Candidate a significant one.  It is a success that Amy can be very proud of, with the attendant award of an offer of one year's sponsored tuition at Rhodes University.

The Pinelands community warmly congratulates Amy!

Our Interact members were out and about on Mandela Day  the 18th July 2021.  They visited the Animal Shelter in Phillipi, Boerewors rolls and juice were distributed to petrol attendants and jobless people on the street, they took part in beach cleanups and cupcakes were delivered to SOS children's Village.  Thank you once again to Mr Toyer for his leadership of the Interact and his generous giving spirit.

Grade 12 students are engrossed in a titration activity to find the unknown concentration of a sodium hydroxide solution using a solution of oxalic acid of known concentration. The basic solution starts off being bright pink because of the phenolphthalein indicator. As the acid is added the mixture loses it colour - the challenge is to stop adding acid before the last drop when the colour disappears completely.

Besides the chemistry itself there is also 'thing knowledge' - getting to grips with how things like burettes, pipettes and pipette fillers are designed to work.