Dear Parents
Our girls are shining; shining in so many ways! Kingsmead girls are finding their individual gifts as they move forward in 2018. Thank you to the girls for their outstanding manners and leadership as we welcomed close to 400 guests to our Open Day last week. Professor Lena Green was impressed by our girls academic rigour and flexibility as she engaged with us on our next step in advanced accreditation as a Thinking School.
Our girls contributed generously to all our initiatives last week, including donating their shoes, water, time and participating at the Cake and Candy sale. I am confident that this effort has added so much joy to our wider community.
We ended the week off well with the most outstanding aquatics results. It was such a proud moment to watch our A50 swimming team finish first after witnessing their impeccable behavior, organization, leadership and team spirit throughout the afternoon. The Water Polo team also did exceptionally well on Saturday, achieving silver medals for the U13 age group. The commitment and dedication to Kingsmead is the real winner this week.
Thank you to the parents for your ongoing support and encouragement.
Regards
Kim Lowman
Head: Junior School
WEEK AHEAD:
Tuesday 20 Feb
- Grade 5 Study skills
Wednesday 21 Feb
- BB and Grade 0 Eye tests
- 18h00 – 20h00 Night gala – St Stithians A50
Thursday 22 Feb
- Cycle test – History
- Tennis matches: A/B vs St Teresa’s at Kingsmead; C/D vs St Stithians at St Stithians
Friday 23 Feb
- 07h45 JP Assembly
- 10h45 SP Hymns / Chapel
- Swimming Galas
- A50 @ St John’s
- A25 @ St David’s
- B25 @ St Andrew’s
- 18h00 – 21h00 OKA Gin tasting event
Saturday 24 Feb
- 09h00 – 11h00 Grade 1 – 7 New girls, parents and staff Thinking Schools Orientation – Mackenzie
- Tennis festival at St Teresa’s
- U13 District hockey trials – St Andrew’s
School Starting Time
Anxiety is a reality among society today. We live in a complex, changing and unpredictable world. Our children, respond not only to this, but also pick up on our anxiety with regards to expectations, finances, time management and the like. In addition to that, they experience their own stressors. While we often wish we were in their shoes sometimes, the world they inhabit is very different to ours, and it has been a long time since we have had to attend school.
The expectations on students, even in a school where we recognise and actively work to establish balance, are immense. The pressures of moving from class to class, remembering what books they need, checking that they have charged their iPad, making sure their homework is done, managing friendships, remembering to bring their swimming kit etc…are all real and take a toll on our children.
As a school we actively work to help guide our students by providing them with strategies in order to manage these expectations; and as with all we do, we enjoy working as a team and partnering with you in this regard. If your daughter struggles with packing her bag, remembering her homework or taking her lunch to school, it is useful to work out some ideas of how to navigate these challenges, which will prepare her for real life. What I find in working with children and teenagers, is that they all have one thing in common (whether they admit it or not is questionable) – they all like routine.
There is much research to suggest that having a predictable and organised schedule helps to reduce anxiety and improve happiness amongst students, particularly amongst girls, who experience higher levels of internalised anxiety than boys do.
One of the aspects that we are finding to be a challenge at the moment, is that girls who arrive late at school have heightened anxiety, and start the day off negatively. This usually results in tears, in fights with friends, and general frustration. This is a terrible way to start a day of learning, especially for our senior girls who write cycle tests on Thursdays. While we understand that traffic happens, and not all days work out the way that we have planned; our girls really suffer if they are aware that they are due to write a test, and arrive late. This naturally puts them on the back foot, and their brains are operating on high alert in their response to a stressor. This fight/flight/freeze is often seen in crisis, but occurs as a natural, biological process in response to stress. Unfortunately, this means that your daughter is unable to give of her best in a testing situation. Also, we often see girls get so worked up that they physically respond with sweating palms, shaking hands and tears.
Please could you help us to help your daughters to start the day off happy, and relaxed. This will help her learning and her social interactions throughout the day. We would really appreciate it if you could ensure that your daughter is at school before 7:30am, which is when we start with our school day programme. Thank you again for your support and partnership.
Marisa Di Terlizzi – Deputy Head: Senior Phase
Nut Allergies
Grade 1 Parents
Please be aware that we have a student in Grade 1 who has a severe nut allergy. This is a serious allergy that extends to nut and nut-related products also transferred in an airborne form. Together with the parents, we have agreed to make all Grade 1 classes a Nut-Free Zone. It is imperative that no child brings nuts or nut products to school in Grade 1.
Important information for pupils who attend Aftercare or Preschool in Mornington.
This area has also been declared a Nut-Free Zone. Please do not send any nuts or nut products for your daughter’s lunch or snack.
Please help us keep our students safe.
Thank you for your assistance in this matter.
CLICK ON THIS LINK TO RSVP
2018 Kids’ Literature Quiz South Africa
Congratulations to our elected Grade Six and Grade Seven girls for their enthusiastic participation during the recent Kids’ Literature Quiz held at St John’s College on Monday the 12th of February. The Kids’ Lit Quiz™ is a major international literature competition where teams of four students work together to answer wide-ranging literary questions. The teams’ performance was really impressive and each team earned 65 and 64 points respectively. Fun was the certainly the order of the afternoon and the girls experienced this while strengthening their literary knowledge.
Kingsmead Team 1: Leah Falcon, Penelope Phiri, Zuhayra Ebrahim, Ella Amrein
SPORTS NEWS
EQUESTRIAN
South African National Equestrian Schools Association (SANESA): Qualifier 1
The Kingsmead Equestrian Prep Team had a busy weekend at Eaton Farm, Kyalami, for the first qualifier on the 17th and 18th of February. We had 10 girls competing across a range of disciplines: Francesca Logan, Jade Anderson, Katherine Papadopoulos, Leeya Motara, Lesedi Moloi, Makhutsi Moloi, Paula Prinsloo, Rania Motara, Taylor Prinsloo and Zuhayra Ebrahim.
Particular congratulations to the following girls for being placed in the top third of their classes (based on size classes) and earning extra points for the Kingsmead Prep Team:
Jade Anderson: 1st in Level 2 Dressage Test B and 2nd in Level 3 Prix Caprilli Test A, riding Galaxy Man.
1st in Level 1 Show Jumping Round 2 and 6th in Level 1 Show Jumping Round 1, 3rd in Level 3 Prix Caprilli Test A, 4th in Level 1 Dressage Test A and 2nd in Level 1 Dressage Test B, riding Surprise.
Leeya Motara: 1st with full marks in Level 3 In Hand Utility with Lady Pegasus.
Lesedi Moloi: 2nd in Level 1 Working Riding on Copper Creek and 3rd in Level 1 Performance Riding on Rasheeq Bellamia.
Paula Prinsloo: 1st in Level 1 Handy Hunter riding Nemo.
Rania Motara: 1st with full marks in Level 3 In Hand Utility and 5th in Level 3 Working Riding with Bedazzled.
Taylor Prinsloo: 2nd in Level 0 Show Jumping Round 2
Zuhayra Ebrahim: 1st in Level 1 Show Jumping Round 2 riding Regents Polo Power.
Jade Anderson riding Surprise, Paula Prinsloo riding Nemo and Lesedi Moloi riding Rasheeq Bellamia
Tennis:
Week Past:
Exciting Tennis News!
One of our A – Team players, Kristin Brown, attended the Central Gauteng trials this weekend and we are thrilled to announce that she made the B – Team! The competition was extremely tough, but she persisted and made it through to the 4th spot in the B – Team. Congratulations, Kristin! We are so proud of you!
The C/D Teams played against St Katharine’s on the 13th February. The girls played extremely well and the end result was 41 to Kingsmead and 28 to St Katharine’s. The matches on Thursday against St Stithians were all cancelled due to rain.
Week Ahead:
22nd February:
A/B Teams:
- Opponents: St Teresa’s A/B Teams
- Venue: KINGSMEAD
- Time: Matches will start as soon as opponents arrive.
C/D Teams:
- Opponents: St Teresa’s C/D Teams
- Venue: ST TERESA’s
- Time: Bus will leave from Cecil Road Gate at 13h15 and will return to Kingsmead at approximately 16h30.
The following girls will play:
A – Team: Kristin Brown, Alexa Kohler, Anne-Marie Sutherland, Isabella Sardi, Megan Rogan, Natalie Morris
B – Team: Catherine Leppan, Morgan Kohler, Amy Dickinson, Kate Sardi, Kim Sutherland, Alison Marshall
C – Team: Ilani-Mari Prinsloo, Samantha Greyling-Nassi, Keratile Maboka, Emma de Kock, Kaitlyn Brown, Zoey Anderson, Zara Fleming
D – Team: Rachael Fifield, Caitlyn Stride, Georgia Wickins, Isabeau Blackie, Jenna Holmes, Anna Lipchin, Jemma Goussard
24th February:
Grade 4 Tennis Festival AT ROEDEAN. Only 4 players will play. (07h30 to 12h30)
Information regarding TENNIS:
Extra private tennis lessons are offered at school:
- Coach: Jade Pondicas
- Email: jade.pondicas@gmail.com
- Cell:071 674 2108
- NO tennis practices will be cancelled due to rain or bad weather — players will have practices in the Gym.
- ONLY the players on the tennis ladder to attend TEAM practices.
- NON-TEAM practices for Grade 4 & 5 on Mondays and Grade 6 & 7 on Wednesdays.
- Challenge matches will ONLY take place at the END of the month and NOT every week. Players can challenge up to two spots above them. (Including the reserve players.)
Swimming:
Week Past:
On Friday, 16th February, the A50m Gala was held at St Stithians, A25m Gala was at Pridwin and the B25m swam at St Peter’s. It was the first week that we competed as full teams. The swimmers all swam extremely well. A50m Gala was won by Kingsmead and in the B25m gala Kingsmead ended in the second place. . The results were as follows:
A50m Gala:
Grade 3:
- Backstroke: 3rd
- Breaststroke: 2nd
- Medley: 3rd
Grade 5:
- Butterfly: 3rd
- Backstroke: 3rd
- Breaststroke: 2nd
- Medley: 3rd
Grade 6:
- Butterfly: 1st
- Backstroke: 2nd
- Breaststroke: 1st
Grade 7:
- Butterfly: 1st
- Breaststroke: 2nd
- Backstroke: 2nd
- Medley: 2nd
A25m Gala:
Grade 3:
- Backstroke: 1st
- Breaststroke: 1st
- Medley: 3rd
Grade 4:
- Backstroke: 3rd
- Breaststroke: 2nd
- Freestyle: 3rd
- Medley: 3rd
Grade 5:
- Butterfly: 2nd
- Freestyle: 3rd
- Medley: 3rd
Grade 6:
- Butterfly: 2nd
- Backstroke: 3rd
- Breaststroke: 2nd
- Freestyle: 3rd
Grade 7:
- Butterfly: 2nd
- Breaststroke: 1st
- Freestyle: 3rd
- Medley: 1st
B25m Gala:
Grade 3:
- Breaststroke: 3rd
Grade 6:
- Butterfly: 2nd
- Backstroke: 1st
- Breaststroke: 3rd
- Freestyle: 2nd
- Medley: 2nd
Well done to ALL the swimmers! You did Kingsmead proud! Keep on training hard and please attend all the practices.
Week Ahead:
21st February:
St Stithians Night Gala. Girls to be AT venue no later than 17h00.
23rd February:
- A50m: AT St John’s
- A25m: AT St David’s
- B25m: AT St Andrew’s
Transport: Buses will leave from Cecil Road Gate at 13h30 and will return to Kingsmead at approximately 17h00, depending on the traffic.
WATER POLO: St Mary’s Championship – 2nd Place
The team:
- Gabriela Potgieter
- Amy Dickinson
- Alison Gace
- Anne-Marie Sutherland
- Natalie Morris
- Lily Turvey
- Julia Aspoas
- Gillian Henning
- Hannah Daniels
- Jessica Black
- Amelia Brown
- Olivia Cooke
- Gabriella Dodd
- Kate Chapman
Results were as follows:
- 4-3 W vs St Mary’s
- 13-0 W vs Reddam
- 10-2 W vs Crawford
Semi-final
- 17-8 W vs Water Warriors (St Stithian’s invitiational)
Final
- 3-8 L vs St Dominics
General:
Equestrian:
Important Dates:
Johannesburg District 2018 Core League QUALIFIER DATES:
- Q2: 17th and 18th March
- Q3: 19th and 20th May
- Q4: 16th and 17th June
Gauteng Finals:
- Primary Schools: 28th and 29th July
Nationals:
- Primary Schools: During October, dates to be confirmed.
For any information regarding Equestrian contact Ms Feroza Motara.
Email: feroza@tangerineds.co.za
Please Note:
- NO EC School Activities will be cancelled due to rain and bad weather — Girls will be having practice sessions in the Gym.
- Swimming: All girls who are members of a swimming team, are NOT allowed to leave the galas until it is finished. We are a team and by staying to the end, shows unity and builds team spirit.
- Grade 0 swimmers: Please can all the grade 0 swimmers and parents take note that all the girls have to change in the change rooms and may not do so on the pool deck.
- Diving: Grade 6 & 7 diving session will be on Thursdays from 14h30 to 15h30. Grade 3 “Learn to Dive” will be from 13h30 to 14h30 on Thursdays.
OUTREACH
Bread tags and Bottle tops:
Continue to collect Bread tags and Bottle tops for Wheelchairs. Collection point is at the medical centre. We need 450 kg bottle tops for a wheelchair or 50 kg bread tags. We have already donated 6 wheelchairs
We weighed in December and we have enough bottle tops to donate for our 7th wheelchair .We are looking for a recipient . Please mail information to medicalcentre@kingsmead.co.za
Keep up the good work!
THANK YOU!
Thank you to everyone who donated water for the Cape, and shoes for Footloose Friday. A special thanks to the mums who packed the shoes for our beneficiaries. The Grade 7 cake-and-candy sale was a huge success – bringing in R14 000!