Read through our July 2021 highlights below. Our students participated in an array of activities for Nelson Mandela Day, embodying the Kingsmead College spirit of giving. They baked bread for charity and donated warm blankets – much needed considering the cold weather froze our fountain! We congratulate our students for achieving exceptional academic success in The Old Mutual South African Mathematics Olympiad, and wish our very own Olympian alumna all the best.

Our new Community Project – Hope – is championed by Kingsmead Junior School where we aim to create a sense of hope and connection while we are physically apart. Here is our message of Hope from our Grade 7s:

“Of all the things that I hear most often said about Kingsmead – is that it is such a happy place. There is a spirit of comradeship among staff and girls, which impresses itself upon people as soon as they come here. That is a priceless treasure and it does not come, nor does it stay, without effort – that effort to give and take, that effort to see that newcomers are welcomed and made to feel at home, that realisation that everyone of us is in the same boat and that everyone of us, from the highest to the lowest is responsible for keeping the ship sailing smoothly and strongly,” – DV Thompson, 1944.

Our Grade 6’s shared their special messages of hope with our community. Thank you to all the students and teachers who made this video a reality. We promise you will want to jump up and dance after watching this.

We are so incredibly proud of Julia Vincent, Kingsmead College alumna, on her selection to represent Team South Africa in ping at the Olympics in Tokyo. Congratulations on a striking performance Julia!

We look to our future generations to lift us up and give us hope. Our Grade 3 students shared their beautiful message of hope with us as part of the Kingsmead Hope Community Project. Thank you Grade 3s!

Congratulations to Mahdiyyah Wadee, Ammaarah Wadee, Kara Smith, Taskeen Wadee and Julia Aspoas, who qualified for the Final Round of The Old Mutual South African Mathematics Olympiad that took place at the end of July 2021. Well done! We are so proud of you.

We also congratulate Julia Aspoas for her selection for one of four teams to represent South Africa in the Indonesia International Mathematics Competition. Julia has worked so hard, entering the IMAS Mathematics Competition and participating in a series of Olympiads before achieving this incredible honour. Well done, Julia! We are so proud of you.

Kingsmead College Executive Head, Lisa Palmer, shared this story – one that held even more meaning a week later at the height of the unrest in KZN and Gauteng. We continue to stand in unity with our fellow South Africans as we look for hope and pick up the pieces together.

Nelson Mandela so poignantly wrote “There can be no greater gift than that of giving one’s time and energy to help others without expecting anything in return.” This is tethered to our Service tagline of ‘Give without expecting reward.’ On Nelson Mandela Day, our Grade 10s spent their 67 minutes baking bread for charity, and the spirit of unity was evident as we watched the citizens of our country come together after days of unrest.

Kingsmead Nelson Mandela Kingsmead College

Image credit: Gift of the Givers

We are so proud of Catherine Gallagher for being placed in the Top 100 in the 2021 De Beers English Olympiad. A big thank you to Matthew Hartdegen for guiding the students through the Olympiad process.

The 21st of July brought a joyful, peaceful Eid-Al-Adha to our Muslim Community.

Thank you Grade 4s for these heartfelt and hopeful messages you shared as part of our Kingsmead Hope Community Project.

It was a very chilly morning in Joburg on 23 July. So cold that our fountain outside Mornington froze! ❄️❄️ We looked forward to welcoming all of our students back the following Monday so that their warm smiles and happy energy could defrost our campus again!

Service at Kingsmead provides many opportunities to give of our time and make a difference in the lives of others. Our lockdown knitting has paid off. We have managed to donate 72 blankets so far this year (and there are still many squares being sewn into blankets). Thank you! Please keep knitting.

For Mandela Day the Grade 3s made the most beautiful baby mobiles for Hotel Hope. Thank you Grade 3s – you are amazing! The pre-school made soup. We were so impressed with their perseverance and joy as they grated and chopped vegetables. The soup was decanted into takeaway cups so that the girls could distribute them to someone in need on their way home.

Thank you to everyone who gave of their time so generously.

What an incredibly heartwarming moment it was for Kingsmead staff as the Grade 000 to 12 students, initiated and assisted by the members of our amazing PTA, formed a guard of honour around the school with messages of gratitude, balloons, flowers, cheers and beautiful smiles. Our emotional staff members walked through the campus feeling like VIPs on the red carpet as they were shown gratitude for all they have done for the community during this time. They each received a very delicious parcel of goodies. How lucky are we to work within this incredible Kingsmead Community? Thank you to Rizwana Bawa and her fabulous PTA team for making this possible. We were truly humbled.

Our new Community Project – Hope – is a project championed by Kingsmead Junior School where we aim to create a sense of hope and connection while we are physically apart. Here is our message of Hope from our Grade 1s. Thank you Grade 1s! Where does your invisible string connect to?