Dear Parents
Welcome back! I hope our girls and teachers have had a wonderful few weeks at home or away on holiday in preparation for the winter term.
Community News:
It was with great sadness that we were informed of the passing of Mrs Margaret Edwards on the 13th April. Mrs Edwards served the school as Headmistress from 1983 until she retired in 1993. She was loved and respected by the Kingsmead community and a loyal supporter of the school. Our sincere condolences, thoughts and prayers are with her family during this time.
Staff welcome:
A warm welcome to new staff members this term.
We welcome back Mrs Annemarie Linsell (Grade 1M) and Mrs Aimee Gilbert (Grade 2G) from maternity leave. We also welcome back Mrs Bev Pruett who will be teaching Senior Primary Art as well as Grade 5 History. Mrs Pruett will be assisting with Mrs O’Maker’s role in the library as well and will take over as the LEAD teacher for Mrs O’Maker. Mr Nick Smit will be joining our Mathematics department as a locum teacher for Mrs Dalling.
We also welcome three new permanent staff members this term: Mrs Helen Schreuder who will be fulfilling a new post at the Junior School as Academic Support Co-ordinator and Life Skills teacher. Mrs Schreuder will also be taking Mrs Dalling’s LEAD group for the second term. Mrs Belinda Aspoas joins us as the new full time Educational Psychologist and Life Skills co-ordinator and teacher. Mrs Sheillah Denenga has been appointed as the new Head of Junior School Sport from this term.
General reminders:
A reminder that all girls are to be dressed in full winter uniform this term. Tracksuits are only to be worn with PE kit on days when PE is scheduled on the timetable. Should your daughter not have a tracksuit, she may come to school in winter uniform and then change into her PE kit during the PE lesson.
Please assist us in ensuring that the girls take pride in their uniform both at school and out.
A few girls were unfortunately absent for the final assembly last term. Girls who were absent and who were recognized for any achievements last term will be given their certificates by their coaches or teachers.
Mrs Kim Lowman (Head: Junior School)
WEEK AHEAD
Thursday 3 May: Girls return to School
- 8:00 Whole school assembly in Lange Hall
Friday 4 May:
- JS Netball Matches – Grade 3, 6 and 7 @ APPS and Grade 4 and 5 @ Kingsmead College
Saturday 5 May
- Grades 3 – 5 C/D Netball Festival @ St Peters
- Grade 6 and 7 C/D Netball Festival @ St Mary’s
Monday 7 May: Start with Book Week (schedule below)
- 07:45 – 08:15 Book Week Assembly
- 10:00 – 16:00 Travelling Bookshop – Joel Hall
- 12:00 – 13:00 Grades 1- 3 Hooked on Books
- 13:15 – 14:15 Grade 4 – 6 Hooked on Books
Tuesday 8 May:
- 07:00- 16:00 Travelling Book Shop continues in the Joel Hall
Wednesday 9 May:
- 07:15 – 08:15 Grade 000-3 Reading breakfast with parents
Thursday 10 May:
- BOOK CHARACTER DRESS UP DAY
- 09:00- 10:00 Grade 000 – 0 Hooked on Books
Friday 11 May
- Flipped Classroom Grade 6 and 7, school closed due to Book Fair set up
Saturday 12 May
- Kingsmead Book Fair (Grade 6-12 compulsory school day)
Book Week (7 May – 12 May)
We are pleased to be celebrating Book Week next week. Book Week is our traditional run up to our eagerly awaited Book Fair, for which Kingsmead is well-known. However, Book Fair is more than an exciting event on our calendar at Kingsmead. Book Fair represents a core philosophical academic principle that we hold integral to our teaching.
Next week, we hope that you take some time to keep an eye on our social media. Here, we will be sharing some of our research on reading, and why we believe that learning to read is something to be encouraged throughout our school, right into adolescence. Paris (2005: 184) states “learning to read is one of the greatest accomplishment in childhood because it is the foundation for learning and academic achievement”. Neurologically, scholastically, culturally and academically, we believe that teaching reading cannot be limited to foundation phase grades, and that in order to prepare our girls for the world outside of Kingsmead, we must actively build a culture of reading throughout our school.
That is why we have chosen to spend the upcoming week immersing our girls in the wonder of reading through the Travelling Book Shop, DEAR, our exciting book character dress up day, our reading breakfast and many other fun reading activities. We hope that through this wonder-filled week, our girls enter into many adventures, discover some new fun facts to share, and wander in their own limitless imaginations for a while. We can’t wait!
If you feel like you are missing out, don’t despair, we will see you at our Book Fair on Saturday 12 May, to stock up on your own books, so that while the leaves turn all shades of Autumn, you can tuck up with a cup of tea and a bit of imagination. See you there!
Dr Marisa Di Terlizzi
