New Parent's Information

New Parents Information

  • JACARANDA SEASON 9PLEASE MAKE THIS A FULL PAGE PHOTO)ASTRA: The Astra Scheme was originally designed to encourage boys to develop their skills in the 4 tenants of school life: - academics, sports, culture and service – and was non-competitive, other than with self.  However, the introduction of prizes for each of the age groups, changed the emphasis into a competitive scenario, though the modus operandi remained much the same
 twice a term (corresponding to Mark Orders) each boy is issued with symbols from the staff he has been involved with extra-murally. They rate the boy on attendance and effort. The Housemaster then gives the boy a rating out of 5 for each of the 4 tenants. 
That is when it gets interesting! Each Housemaster then puts forward his nominee for each age group and the haggling starts. Generally speaking the right candidate for the Astra Award for each age group emerges!
The original Astra Trophy is automatically awarded to the Upper Six winner
  • ACADEMIC MATTERS: Your sons have a number of subject teachers - very different to just one class teacher at Junior School. Any problems arising on the academic front should be raised with your Housemaster in the first instance. If he decides it is necessary, he will pass the matter onto the Director of Studies Mr Matutu, who will provide a ruling on tmatatu@falconcollege.com
  • AIR ZIMBABWE BOOKINGS – Should you opt to book Air Zimbabwe for your son’s fixture free travel, please advise your Housemaster of the details. Please will you also ensure that you request for transport from the College to Bulawayo airport and back. Please email Mrs S Khumalo on busbookings@falconcollege.com and your Housemaster.
  • BUSES FOR FIXTURE FREE WEEKENDS– Dates for fixture free weekends can be found in the school calendar. You will receive an electronic copy of this from the Headmaster’s office each term as well as a hard copy from the Housemaster. If you have not received one please email falconsecretary@falconcollege.com. Please encourage your sons to be responsible for making their own bus bookings from the outset. Payment can be made at the College, the Harare Office, the Bulawayo office or via CABS. (Please clearly state who the payment is for, their school account number and travel dates). Mrs Khumalo handles all the fixture free bus bookings and can be contacted busbookings@falconcollege.com
  • CELL PHONES – These are allowed during the course of the second term for Form One boys (the exact date is at the discretion of the Headmaster and Housemasters). All junior boys (Forms One to Three) are issued their cell phones on Thursday evening by their Housemaster. They then hand them back on Sunday evening for safekeeping. Despite what the boys may tell you, they only need one cell phone!
  • COMMUNICATION TELEPHONES: 
Landline : +263-9-881249/881269/881289/881287/881294.  
Our telephone operators are on duty : 
Monday to Friday 7.00 am until 9.00 pm Saturday 8.00 am to 5.00pm Sunday 8.00 am to 9.00pm
Open Days

Falcon College Open Day

We hold our annual Open Day on the first weekend of February each year (details to be advised).

The Open Day is aimed at prospective Grade 6 and 7 pupils and their parents. We ask that all prospective pupils wear their number one uniform from their current primary school.

This day is to show exactly what Falcon College is all about. You will hear from the Headmaster, Staff and Student leaders. You go on a tour of the College with our College Prefects and have the opportunity to ask them about Falcon from the perspective of a student who has come through the system! Don’t be influenced by the students as to which boarding house your child should go to – they are fiercely proud and loyal to their own house! This is indicative of the brotherhood that is formed amongst the boys during the course of their careers at Falcon.

We encourage you to attend at least one of our Open Days. If this is not logistically possible, please contact the Headmaster’s secretary on falconsecretary@falconcollege.com and we can set up an appointment for you to visit the College when you are able to visit our “Oasis of Excellence”.

PROSPECTIVE PARENTS DOING A TOUR OF THE COLLEGE WITH C BUTLER

Parent's Assembly

Falcon College Parents’ Assembly

IMG_1295The Parents’ Assembly Executive Committee is made up of sixteen members from Bulawayo, Harare and Victoria Falls. Meetings are held when necessary to carry out the duties required by the Education Act and to raise funds and promote the College.

Fund raising activities include functions such as the Tour de Falcon, Bingo Evenings and Cheese and Wine functions to complement the College play and Inter-House singing, advertising banners and the sale of supporter shirts, hats, caps and flash sticks.

Bulawayo holds parents’ social gatherings on the last Thursday of each month. These evenings provide an opportunity to interact with other parents, the Chairman, Headmaster and College staff. Guest speakers generally talk on matters related to the College. On the same evening, the 100 Club draw is conducted in support of the Falcon Keegan Trust. The Trust supports members of the Falcon Family who are in need of financial assistance as a result of medical emergencies.

Enquiries regarding the Parents’ Assembly and the 100 Club should be directed to Mrs Raquel Fouche at marketing@falconcollege.com

Quiet Waters and Pumula Camp Site

Quiet Waters & Pumula Campsite

ISANGATSHE LODGEThe development of Quiet Waters began in 1986, and it was officially opened in 1988. It consists of a Nature Reserve and Wilderness Area which cover 810 hectares in all. The aims of Quiet Waters are to conserve indigenous fauna and flora, to further the educational pursuits of the College and to serve as a base for conservation education in other schools.

There are recreational facilities for the Falcon College community and visitors within Quiet Waters as well as the Quest Africa campus – www.quest-africa.com.

Several picnic sites are available for the use of day visitors within the Nature Reserve area while there are six chalets, which can be rented for overnight stays in the Wilderness Area. These facilities are all popular with staff, boys, parents and friends of the College. The chalets are basic but comfortable. We provide beds, mattresses, mosquito nets, a trunk of basic crockery and cutlery, solar lighting and wood boilers for hot water. Visitors are required to bring all their own food, drinks, bedding, torches and mosquito repellent. Bookings can be made via headsoffice@falconcollege.com.

There is an interesting range of game but none is dangerous. Animals that can be seen are kudu, zebra, giraffe, reedbuck, bushbuck, steenbok, tsessebe, impala, klipspringer, bushpig and warthog and the two species of jackal, while there are many smaller mammals that are not so easily seen, such as four species of mongoose. The rich variety of fauna and flora regularly attract enthusiasts from many societies interested in the natural history of the area. Fishing is on offer at the picturesque Mbonisa Weir and Longden’s Dam (this is owned by the neighbouring property and incurs a current charge of US$5 per person)

The educational value of Quiet Waters is enormous, since it is regularly used for practical work in the subjects of geography, environmental science, and biology. Project work is undertaken by members of the Natural History Society and assorted budding naturalists, while the area is used frequently by other educational institutions both for fieldwork and outings.

Fixture Free Information

D6 Communicator

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http://www.school-communicator.com/download.php

Choose Falcon College

The app can be downloaded on Smart Phones (Apple & Android), PC's, Tablets. This app is available on the App Store or Play Store

The School Communicator is an integrated communications solution that allows you to communicate with parents using a variety of tools.

No matter where your parents are, we'll make sure they get your message.

Quiet Waters Conservation Area

Quiet Waters

You may book your child out on a weekend or Sunday, and spend the evening or day in this gorgeous serene conservation area.  These outings do not count as a floating.  You may ask your Housemaster / Housemistress more information on this.

Quiet Waters Conservation Scheme

A picture from Quiet Waters

Logo for Quiet Waters

The founding committee of Quiet Waters met for the first time on the 24th October 1985. It was at this meeting that the initial ideas of the development of Quiet Waters were born.

The project began in 1986, and it was officially opened in 1988. It consists of a Nature Reserve and Wilderness Area which covered an area of 8.1 km² in all. Quiet Waters aims to conserve indigenous fauna and flora and to further the educational pursuits of the College and to serve as a base for conservation education in other schools. It is also used for scientific research and provides recreational facilities for the College community and visitors.

Some useful and interesting facts about Quiet Waters Conservation Scheme

  • A picture from Quiet WatersThe scheme was started over 20 years ago. Its 20th Anniversary was celebrated in October 2005.
  • The conservancy, which lies in the attractive hilly country to the north of the College, consists of two parts:
  • The western game-fenced Nature Reserve of approximately 320 hectares;
  • The wilderness area of 490 hectares in the east.
  • It has a very diverse range of fauna and flora. There are 12 recorded mammal species ranging from the giraffe to the minute Spiny Mouse! Baboon, Vervet Monkey, Banded Mongoose, Hyrax, Warthog, Klipspringer, Duiker, Impala, Kudu, Reedbuck, Bushbuck, Eland, Tsessebe, Zebra and Giraffe are often seen. The last four named have been introduced.
  • Over 300 bird species have been identified.
  • A picture from Quiet WatersThere are also over 100 different species of trees and to date 50 grass species have been recorded.
  • Other recorded fauna are: 25 different snakes and 30 butterfly species.
  • Research continues on other forms of animal and plant life.
  • The game-fenced nature reserve has an impressive list of facilities, which are available to the Falcon community, which includes parents, and friends of the College and other educational institutions.
  • These include: nature trails; picnic sites; a campsite with 4 well-equipped A-framed chalets; viewing points and hides and artificial game pans
  • The new Mbonisa weir, which was recently officially opened, by Jimmy and Jenny Goddard has been stocked with bream and bass.
  • Biology, geography and environmental management O and A level classes for fieldwork exercises extensively use the area.
  • Junior and Senior Natural History Societies; the Angling Club and Junior Forms’ Adventure Courses also make regular use of the facilities.
  • In the past schools such as Girls’ College, Carmel and Whitestone from Bulawayo, and Murray McDougal from Chiredzi, have utilised Quiet Waters for educational purposes. In the case of Carmel and Whitestone, ecology courses have been designed and run by Falcon staff, assisted by schoolboys.
  • Extensive development plans for specific areas are in the pipeline.

A picture from Quiet Waters

There are 6 picnic sites, set in beautiful surroundings, which are available to parents who visit Quiet Waters. They all have a thatched shelter, toilet facilities, and braai sites with wood provided. (These are regularly used by the boys who camp there overnight at weekends – very popular with them)

The campsite has Chelicuti chalet, which has beds for four, and en suite shower, basin and toilet. There is also a braai site and a boiler to ensure hot water for showers and washing up.

There are also three other 4-bed chalets, each of which has its own ablution block and boiler. Each chalet has its own braai. Every chalet is equipped with beds and mattresses, chairs, bedside carpets, hurricane lamps and a trunk containing cutlery, plastic crockery, pots and pans and cooking utensils. All you have to bring is your bedding and food and drink and perhaps extra lighting!

Mrs Joan Bancroft is on hand to accept your campsite bookings during normal office hours at the College. Prices will be adjusted according to the exchange rate on the $US at the time of booking.

Mbondo chalet is yet to be complete it will be smarter and more intimate than Chelicuti. This camp site is within the Quiet Waters area not in the Wilderness area.

Quiet Waters newest chalet “Mnondo”

A picture from Quiet Waters

The chalet was built with funds very generously donated by FOB Mike Ross. It is an “A” frame with en suite facilities. For those of you that have stayed in Chelikuti, Mnondo offers more space. The furniture for Mnondo was very generously donated by Mark & Shirley Swannack.

There are a further four chalets which can be rented for overnight stays in the Wilderness area, each of which has its own ablution block and boiler, and its own braai area.

These facilities are all popular with staff, boys, parents and friends of the College, all you have to bring is your bedding and food and drink and perhaps extra lighting!

A picture from Quiet Waters

There is an interesting range of game, some notable sightings have been made, a leopard was resident in the picnic site areas at the base of Usandisa for several weeks, however it appears to have moved from here into the southern paddocks. Animals which can be seen regularly include: kudu, zebra, giraffe, reedbuck, bushbuck, steenbok, tsessebe, impala, klipspringer, bushpig and warthog and the two species of jackal, while there are many smaller mammals which are not so easily seen, such as four species of mongoose. The rich variety of fauna and flora regularly attract enthusiasts from many societies interested in the natural history of the area.

The educational value of Quiet Waters is enormous, since it is regularly used for practical work in the subjects of geography, environmental science, and biology. Project work is undertaken by members of the Natural History Society and assorted budding naturalists, while the area is used frequently by other educational institutions both for fieldwork and outings.

The New Mbonisa Weir

A picture from Quiet Waters

The Mbonisa Weir officially opened on the 12th May 2006 by the College’s honoured guests, Jimmy and Jenny Goddard – Jimmy Goddard is a FOB.

Some of the funds are being spent on re-aligning the Quiet Waters fence which will increase the size of the Conservation area by approximately 150 hectares. This will include a seasonal wetland area which is very rich in browse and grazing. This exercise was started a month ago and should be complete by the end of September. Visitors to the area will already notice significant changes.
Offer of the use of a Landrover by an overseas FOB

Ian Broderick (Oates 1977) who lives and works in England and who spends some of his leisure time in the wilds of Zimbabwe, has generously offered his hard-top Landrover for use on Quiet Waters when he and his wife are not using the vehicle. This gesture will go a long way to alleviating our transport difficulties and we are most grateful to him