Here are some, but not all, of the clubs currently running at Herschel:
Happy Hands is an amazing opportunity to connect and befriend girls from the ages of 3-18 at St George’s Home for Girls in Wynberg. This includes providing homework tutoring, playing games with them and organising small events for them to participate in such as an Easter Egg Hunt.
Drama Club is a place where anyone and everyone can have an expressive space to act, perform and let loose. We work to improve everyone’s acting ability, confidence, improve skills and aim to make every meeting fun and inspiring. This exciting club opens up opportunities to perform in Eisteddfod’s, cultural assemblies and outreach projects.
Earth Matters meets once every two weeks to support our environment. We include all grades, and we work together towards environmental matters by creating awareness or providing insight and education. Initiatives include hacking alien vegetation and cleaning up our beaches.
Herschel’s Pride Club was established in 2018 and operates as a safe space for being heard, seen and, understood. There is also a community service element which focuses on queer communities in Cape Town.
Girls Who Code develops practical tech skills that students can apply in their day-to-day life or after high school to stand out as a student or future job applicant with in-demand, highly relevant qualifications. Online course topics include digital art, programming, web design, UI / UX design, social media marketing, and so much more!
VOX, named after the magazine, is a club centered around current events. VOX is very much about broadening our knowledge and not limiting ourselves to a single perspective. These informative, interactive sessions include everyone sharing political and social news and views.
The Herschel Hiking club is a group of students who love to explore the outdoors. The club meets biweekly during a break to watch a documentary or learn more about the wonderful world we live in! At least twice a term our students put on their boots and go to explore the incredible surroundings of Cape Town and Table Mountain. Some adventures we’ve embarked on include hikes through Kirstenbosch, Silvermine, Echo Valley, Constantiaberg, Nursery Ravine and Camel Rock. We have also managed to include some overnight/multi-day hikes like the Tsitsikamma Trail.
Our Interact Club works with our community to try to make a difference and add value to people’s lives. Our club meets every Wednesday and we work on a variety of different projects to aid our community. Some examples of projects we have completed this year are Maths aids for crèches, colouring in packs for junior school children, cupcakes for old age homes and partnering with Rotaract to help them complete their sandwich drive.
Every Monday and Thursday afternoon, a group of students join a vibrant space for Chess. The chess club offers both competitive gameplay and friendly competition – whether it’s a race against time with quick-paced clockwork or slow strategic gameplay, there’s a little something for everybody in the chess club. On Fridays, our competitive sides come out as we take on opponents from other schools.
Craft Club provides a space for students to partake in arts and crafts during break times. It is a space which encourages new friendships through learning crafts and sharing skills with other students. These crafts include embroidery, crocheting, knitting, origami and much more.
Jump Hi is an after-school outreach programme that involves students at Herschel tutoring and assisting Grade 5 learners with Maths. This club is open to anybody from Grade 9 to 12 that has a love and interest in Maths and would like to help and give back to the community. Many special bonds and friendships are created through Jump Hi – even far outside the love for mathematics.
The Outreach Science Club offers an opportunity for Grade 12 learners to connect and share knowledge with students from Thandokhulu High School. Once a week, members meet at Herschel to work through and revise science questions and worksheets aligned with the school curriculum.
The Journalism Club is a place for each member of the Herschel body to have a voice and improve their writing, giving aspiring journalists, editors and designers a place to grow their passion and tend their talent. The club has created the first ever Herschel Newspaper, the Herschel Handle. It is entirely made up of articles of facts and opinions from the Herschel Student body. The articles range from pieces about gender neutral uniforms to why it is important to spend time alone.