Our July 2024 highlights are packed full of activities from our students and staff. The Winter period saw so many sports achievements from Kingsmead students, and we can’t forget about all of the wonderful Mandela day events within the month. Read more below.
Thursday, June 27th, the BIG THREE: Timlin, Kruger, and Baker took to the courts and the Astro for Kingsmead’s annual Inter-House Hockey and Netball.
The Juniors and Seniors gave it their all to claim the top spot. The highlight? The epic showdown between the Grade 12s and the teachers! Our star-studded teachers’ team faced off against our favourite Grade 12 team in a display of spirit, competition, and skill.
Amari Africa Shines at ADA Nationals in Providence, Rhode Island, USA! Amari recently competed and performed exceptionally well, earning:
- Gold Award for Contemporary Dance (93%)
- Another Gold for Acro (94%)
- Ultimate Gold for Jazz routine (98%)
She also received an All-Star Award, an honour given to only a few participants for outstanding performances. In the Senior Group Dance Category, Amari’s group achieved:
- Ultimate Gold
- Special Award, qualifying for the dance-off at the Gala dinner
Congratulations, Amari!
Charlie Dalling proudly represented Southern Gauteng at the U16 Hockey IPTs in July. She showcased her skills on the field, playing for the U16A team with determination and passion.
Congratulations, Charlie, on your outstanding performance! We’re proud of your hard work and dedication to the sport. Keep shining bright.
Congratulations to Scarlett Haslam for her outstanding performance in the Joburg Ballet Company’s production of Sleeping Beauty!
What an incredible opportunity to dance alongside professional dancers in such a world-class performance. Scarlett was truly magnificent, and we couldn’t be prouder.
Our voice students had an unforgettable half-term, stepping into the recording studio with our talented music producer and teacher, 808, and voice coach, Priya Hollis. Each student had the incredible opportunity to record a song, learning first-hand how a professional recording session works from start to finish.
What a privilege for these young musicians to gain such valuable experience!
Georgia van der Schyff was awarded the highest national honour, Protea colours, for Karate. She recently competed in Namibia, winning a silver medal in the Female Cadet Kumite u61kg Division.
As part of our Unit of Inquiry, “All Fairy Tales Have a Happy Ending,” our Grade 1 students embarked on a STEAM challenge: designing parachutes to help Jack escape from the giant!
With the top of the beanstalk blocked, Jack needed another way down. They explored how parachutes work and used various materials to create their own. The goal? To ensure their parachutes fell slower than a whiteboard marker. They tested their designs from the balcony, showcasing creativity and problem-solving in action.
In July we celebrated Mandela Day and Madiba’s fight for justice and equality. Let his legacy inspire you to be the change you want to see. Dream BIG, girls! Your voices matter. Use them to stand up for yourselves, your communities, and build a brighter future for all.
As DV Thompson said, “We come from a place where there is little peace. We come to Kingsmead because we believe Kingsmead can teach us peace”. Kingsmead can be a place of peace, but also a place where you find your voice and fight for what’s right. Remember, service is a Kingsmead value. Mandela Day is a great opportunity to give back to your community and make a difference.
The Grade 1, 2 and 3 students took part in a coding4mandela initiative by Tangible Africa and Dutoit Agri , where they danced to the song “Coding for Mandela” composed by Tebogo Matlou. This allowed them to be part of Mandela Day differently.
During their DigiTech lessons this week, they analysed the song, sequenced the correct algorithm for the dance steps, and calculated how many times the sequence was repeated, helping them understand repeats in coding.
Another way we celebrated Mandela Day was by inviting our Kingsmead Community – students, teachers, parents, guardians, and alumnae – to join us for a meaningful initiative.
Participants spent 67 minutes at our Toy Making Workshop, creating educational toys from upcycled materials for under-resourced ECD Centres. These creations were part of the Clothes to Good 1-2-3 Educational Toy Kit.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all who volunteered and contributed to this special cause.
Congratulations to our amazing Grade 7 stars for their stunning performance in Musicville! Our girls lit up the stage over three days with their incredible talent. After a sold-out final show, we’re beyond grateful for everyone who came out to support them.
Special thanks to Ms. Loock and the production team for making this magic happen.
Grade 7 Designs Take Shape in DigiTech!
Our creative Grade 7s took their designs to the next dimension with 3D printing. Using TinkerCad, they built their own masterpieces, one virtual block at a time, and have mastered skills like resizing, rotating, colouring, aligning, reshaping, and grouping objects. They’ve learned to align and measure to scale, turning their digital designs into tangible 3D-printed creations.
The best part? Seeing their visions come to life in 3D. These printed keepsakes showcase their skills and offer valuable feedback for future projects.
The Sunshine Centre for Children with Disabilities is our Grade 5 Service Partner. We were delighted to host the children from Sunshine for a picnic at the Junior School playground. The Sunshine and Kingsmead children had the best time!
Our Kingsmead girls engaged so well with the children and showed great kindness and compassion. We were thrilled to join in little Z’s 5th birthday festivities and celebrate with him. The morning was an absolute delight.
We are incredibly proud of our service staff, who have been awarded certificates for first aid, Hychem cleaning, and competent gardening. Their dedication keeps our facilities up to standard, and we are grateful for them every day.
We are always eager to support the development of all our staff!
Congratulations to our talented riders for being selected to represent the Gauteng Central Regional teams at the upcoming SANESA Regionals competition!
We are so proud of the following riders from our Junior and Senior Schools:
Junior School
Lucy Berry
- Equitation Lvl 3 (B Team)
- Jumping Comp Lvl 3 (A Team)
Isabel Munro
- Dressage Freestyle (A Team)
Anvita Nunna
- Jumping Comp Lvl 1 (B Team)
Ava Janse van Rensburg
- Jumping Comp Lvl 2 (B Team)
Senior School
Emma Berry
- Dressage Prelim A (B Team)
- Dressage Prelim B (B Team)
Hannah Cooke
- Dressage Elem A (A Team)
- Dressage Elem B (A Team)
- Performance Riding Lvl 3 (A Team)
- Prix Caprilli Lvl 5 (A Team)
- Working Riding Lvl 3 (A Team)
- In-Hand Utility Lvl 2 (A Team)
Mila Hozack
- Equitation Lvl 3 (A Team)
- Jumping Comp Lvl 2 (A Team)
- Jumping Othr Lvl 2 (A Team)
- Prix Caprilli Lvl 3 (B Team)
Allegra Manchia
- Prix Caprilli Lvl 1 (A Team)
- Equitation Lvl 1 (A Team)
We are incredibly proud to announce that our very own Maya Rono has been selected for the South Africa Junior National Diving team squad! Maya’s dedication, hard work, and passion for diving have truly paid off, and we couldn’t be more excited for her as she prepares for the upcoming Junior World Championships trials in October.
Let’s all wish Maya the best of luck as she continues to soar to new heights.

Congratulations to Teagan Sutton-Pryce for her outstanding performance at the AIDT Dancer of the Year Gauteng Regionals.
Competing in Hip Hop and Modern, including two solos, Teagan earned an impressive 3 silver and 3 bronze certificates. Well done, Teagan!
The power of volunteering! On Saturday, July 27th, Kingsmead College hosted a transformative medical screening day for children with intellectual and developmental delays. With the incredible support of volunteers from Special Olympics, the medical fraternity, WITS Medical Students, UJ Chiropractics, and Gift of the Givers, we provided essential medical consultations to 70 children.
Special Olympics facilitated this life-changing event, ensuring each child received personalised care from experts in various fields, from neurodevelopment to occupational therapy. Families left with feedback, action plans, and sensory packs, including special sensory books crafted with love by our Grade 2s and 3s.
We are immensely proud of our students who embraced the spirit of Service, engaging with kindness and compassion. Special thanks to Mr. Chocolate, the Laughter Hero from Reach for a Dream Foundation, who brought joy to the children.
Gratitude to everyone involved – your dedication truly embodies the essence of community and service.