Kingsmead Newsletter June 2023

Dear Kingsmead Community,

I hope that you enjoyed your half term break and that our students were able to have some downtime after a very busy start to the winter term. I wish all our students who begin their exams, every success in their endeavours.

I was fortunate to represent the South African Heads of Independent Schools (SAHISA) at a conference of Independent Heads (CHISZ) in Zimbabwe from 12 – 16 June. The theme of the conference was “Transformational Thinking” and speakers spoke about the various areas in which transformation needs to happen – transformational leadership; transformation through technology; transformational parenting; transforming our children’s lives and transforming sport in our schools.”

I was left feeling inspired and more convinced than ever before that education has such a vital role to play in transformational thinking and that it needs to start with the Heads of schools. I particularly enjoyed listening to Rachel Nyaradzo Adams speak on transformational leadership. She said that before you can be an authentic leader of others, you need to reach a level of self-mastery and that when you lead others you need to know how to co-ordinate action with others and not use fear and force. Finally, to lead change you must create an environment where others can survive in a new future. We are continually striving to create this type of environment at Kingsmead where our students are able, not just to survive in the future, but also to go on and thrive in their futures.

Keep warm and I wish you all a very happy remainder of Term II.

Fond regards,
Lisa Palmer
Executive Head: Kingsmead College

Johannesburg Junior Council

Johannesburg Prison Tour
On 23 May, 30 members of the Johannesburg Junior Council went on a tour to the Johannesburg Prison. This was an eye-opening experience for all the students who attended. The group was split into the boys and girls from the council and went their separate ways to the corresponding correctional facility. Once inside the women’s prison, after being patted down and searched, we spoke with a prisoner named Linda. She explained to us her story and what daily prison life was like. We were extremely disappointed when we were told about many prisoners who were unjustly charged or who were innocent bystanders. We were then escorted inside one of the cells and spoke to some of the other women there. This consisted of many of the prisoners reminding us to study hard and always listen to our parents. I was certain never to forget that now. The cells were cramped, fitting around 40 women in each. The floors were cold cement but surprisingly less dingy than we expected as there were many colourful paintings upon the walls. The most spacious yet saddest cell we visited was the one where the children who are born in prison are raised. Women in South Africa who give birth to their children whilst being held in jail are permitted to keep their child with them until the age of 2. This last visit diminished the spirits of our group as we wondered what these children did to deserve facing the sentences of their mothers. After this unforgettable experience, I feel extremely grateful to be in this position of safety and not to take my privilege for granted. This visit not only changed my perception of prisoners, but it also allowed me to feel empathetic towards these women.

Mieke Costa
Grade 11 Student and Johannesburg Junior Council Representative

Youth Day March
On 16 June, the Advocacy committee organised a Youth Day march to commemorate the momentous event that happened on that day in 1976. The march was a fitting way to remember the reason why June 16th is such an important day and why we celebrate it in South Africa. Towards the end of the march, we coincidentally came across a marching band that was also commemorating the day and we joined forces and continued towards our end location being the Hector Peterson Memorial where we met up with so many more people, dressed up in school uniforms and graduation gowns. It was an unforgettable experience that will continuously remind me of the importance of my own education and that I should treasure it.

Ntuthuko Masetlwa
Grade 11 Student and Chairperson of Outreach

Academics

Grades 10 and 11 Water for the Future Geography Outing
On Thursday, 25 June the Grade 10 and 11 Geography students travelled to Victoria Yards in Lorentzville, to visit the NGO Water for the Future and to learn about their project of creating an accessible, walkable, green corridor along the Jukskei waterway that enables a thriving ecosystem and improves the general health and well-being of Johannesburg’s citizens.

We had the pleasure of engaging in morning icebreakers with the workers of Water for the Future who are all from within the community and who now have found work cleaning and rehabilitating the Jukskei River.

Then our tour started by looking at how the drains had been redesigned to divert surface runoff to reduce the water reaching the river and to encourage more infiltration using indigenous sidewalk gardens and at the same time creating community seating.

This was followed by a visit to Nando’s headquarters. While most small companies moved out closer to the business precincts of Sandton, Nando’s chose to stay authentic to its roots. Nando’s is a supporter of Water for the Future as the Jukskei waters eventually flow into the Limpopo, which flows through Mozambique to reach the sea. Mozambique is a large part of Nando’s story, so this forms part of their social responsibility programme.

Thereafter we visited Victoria Yards, an art precinct full of various design studios, delicacies, as well as affordable healthcare for the community. The Jukskei flows behind the grounds and Romy Stander, our team leader showed us the progress on the green corridor being developed, as well as a number of community collaborations being implemented to upgrade the neglected sites on the property.

The overall outing allowed the Grade 10 and 11 Geography students to get a rounded experience seeing Geography concepts such as river catchment management; inner-city community social development projects and how an individual, through servant leadership, can make a difference to changing a community. The various projects of Water for the Future along the Jukskei and in the surrounding community of Lorentzville is very impressive and has shown great improvements which were all very lovely to get to experience in person.

Amy Falcon
Grade 10 Geography Student

Grade 10 and 11 Business and Consumer Studies Magna Kitchens Outings
On Tuesday, 30 May, the Business Studies and Consumer Studies classes went on an outing to Magna Kitchens, in Honeydew. This outing allowed us to see first-hand and experience the production process, and understand and visualize the purchasing and marketing functions, which are in both the Consumer Studies and the Business Studies syllabus.

We were spilt into groups and given a live demonstration of what goes on in the factory, showroom and boardroom. We got to see how their machinery works, how the design team works with the machinery and then finally how they sell and market their products.

In the boardroom, we learnt about the history of Magna Kitchens, they are a family owned business that has expanded over the years. We also learnt about entrepreneurship, forms of ownership, inventory management systems, and how they use CAD (computer aided design) in their design process.

In the factory, we saw the entire production process of how cupboards are made, as well as the health and safety precautions and policies in their work place. We also learnt that the dust, that they suction out their machines, is compressed and sent to farms to use, in order to reduce their waste.

In the showroom, we got to see the company’s beautiful designs and creations. The showroom demonstrates the consumer wants and needs, and how they will incorporate that into their planning of a space and its appliances. As well as we learnt about their marketing strategies and how they believe that their best marketing strategy is by word of mouth.

Overall, it was a really insightful outing and lots of fun. We learnt lots while having fun with our teachers and being in a real-life example of what we have been learning. Thank you to our business and consumers teachers for making this outing possible.

Bibi-Fathima Peer
Grade 10 Business Studies Student

Arts & Music

FEDA
CONGRATULATIONS to our FEDA cast and crew for their exceptional achievements at this year’s competition! We are so proud of being placed in the Top 15 schools at this year’s event. The hard work, commitment and persistence of this group of students were acknowledged at the competition:

CERTIFICATES OF EXCELLENCE – Best at the Festival:
Best Supporting Actor in a Female Role: Hannah Daniels and Keitumetse Makhanya
Best Chorus: Amber Aspoas, Liberty Bischoff, Kirsten Botha, Izabelle Lux, Mohale Mlobela, Cara Nicholson, Meagan Stewart, Sanda Tuku

CERTIFICATES OF MERIT:
Acting: Amber Aspoas, Liberty Bischoff, Tsentle Bosielo, Kirsten Botha, Hannah Daniels, Sumayya Forssman, Hannah Jadwat, Tyla Kassen, Qhayiya Klaas, Izabelle Lux, Keitumetse Makhanya, Mohale Mlobela, Cara Nicholson, Sofi Sankar, Meagan Stewart, Sanda Tuku
Backstage: Lisa-Khanya Motha
Costume: Lisa-Khanya Motha
Directing: Leah Falcon
Assistant Directing: Beau Laurie, Andza Mbelengwa
Ensemble: The Cast
Sound: Onthatile Sennelo
Lighting: Charlee Davis
Lighting and Special Effects: Mia Stuart
Set Design: Leah Falcon, Beau Laurie, Andza Mbelengwa

Music Festival
June was another exciting month for the music department, and we hosted the Kingsmead Masicule Sonke Choir Festivals on 5 and 6 June (Senior Schools) and 13and 14 June (Junior Schools). Hundreds of students from 15 choirs over four wonderful evenings entertained audiences with a range of music varying from traditional African music, Pop and Rock, Music Theatre, and Classical numbers. What a privilege to see the enjoyment of singing together on so many students’ faces. Thank you to our music community for their ongoing support and a special shout out to the PTA, parents, and students who assisted with welcoming our guests and selling food and refreshments.

Watch a few extracts here of our choir’s performance: (video link) https://youtu.be/Yi1JOZzj3H8

Once you’ve sung in a choir, or played in a band or orchestra, or played in any music ensemble, you’re never the same again. Your ears, your eyes, and your heart are opened up in ways not possible by any other means. Music feeds us, it nourishes us, and it brings us great joy.
~ Vaughan Fleischfresser

On Monday 12 June, the Wingate University Choir tour group visited Kingsmead and didn’t only perform for us, but spent an hour with the choir, learning one of our traditional Africa songs, while they taught us one of their songs – an American Spiritual piece. It was a special afternoon, reminding us of the power music has to unite and bridge cultural barriers.

On 22 June our Senior School students had the opportunity to share the music they have learned with their friends and families. Well done to all our musicians who showed persistence in their preparation for the concert and the courage to perform for the audience. It is always a joy to see our students progress and develop in their playing.

Sports

Squash
We are very proud of our squash teams for achieved the amazing results in Term 1.

U19A – 1st place in league
Emma Shannon
Leah Falcon
Megan Taylor
Amy Falcon
Cara Nicholson

U19C – 1st Place in league
Tasmiyya Bham
Lyoné Marnewick
Naafia Nanabhai
Olivia Thompson
Milan Grooteman

U16B – 2nd Place in league
Cara Nicholson
Emelie Thompson
Kara Smith
Lwandle Nkosi
Oprah Orimoloye
Thando Sibanda

U15A – 3rd Place in league
Milli Seekins
Charlie Dalling
Priyanka Geness
Nicole Dyer
Rachael Drake
Rolivhuwa Muvhongo

U14B – 1st Place in league
Neo Mkwanazi
Briony Grubb
Chloe Mandy
Thandeka Nzimakwe
Cebile Danisa

Congratulations on Amy Falcon, Leah Falcon and Linda Shannon on their selection to the Central Gauteng Squash teams.

Equestrian
Below are the team members who are up for District selection based on their results of all the 4 completed qualifiers.

Sarah Florence
Amy Falcon
Emma Berry
Hannah Cooke
Mila Hozack
Allegra Manchia
Katherine Papadopoulos

The following students have been selected for the Gauteng Johannesburg Equestrian team to attend Regional Championships in August:

Sarah Florence
Hannah Cooke
Mila Hozack
Katherine Papadopoulos

Hockey
The teams have just completed their league matches and the 1st and u16 teams will now prepare for the Pullen/Howell Trophy in July.

The u15 Team finished 4th at the Spar challenge on Youth Day and showed great form.

Nina Evans participated in the Annual u18 Hockey Inter Provincial tournament this past week. At the end of the tournament, Nina was selected for the SA U17 team. We are very proud of her achievements.

Netball
The netball teams have completed their season with the 2nd team qualifying for play offs.

Emma Spronk has been selected for the u19 Ekurhuleni Netball team to participate at the IPT in July.

Independent Schools Sport Festival (ISSF)
The Kingsmead teams (1st hockey, 1st netball, 1st tennis, 1st squash) travelled to Epworth to compete against school teams from Durban and Pietermaritzburg.
Netball won 4 of their 6 games, squash winning 3 out of 6, hockey drawing 3 of their 6 and tennis narrowly losing their matches.

Swimming /Polo pool
The renovation has started to retile the whole pool and repair all weirs and piping. We aim for this project to be completed in August 2023.

Service

With exam season looming large, our Service efforts have been focused on what can be done at home – Service @ Home activities, and on mental wellness – a visit by Paws4U.

Paws4U Therapy dogs visited us on 2 June, students were invited to experience a sense of calm, love and peace, learn about boundaries, respecting animals and personal space. Zaara Banwa summed up the afternoon perfectly, “I really enjoyed spending time with the cutest dogs from Paws4U. I loved seeing how enthusiastic and extremely passionate and loving the members were of the organisation towards the dogs. I would definitely volunteer again and get more involved. This was the highlight of my day. These dogs aren’t just any kind of dogs, they’re definitely special. It’s heart warming to see that animals can make a difference to our mood. I’ve realised that I should spend more time with animals, volunteer more often, and especially try to help these loving dogs in our community. The world’s a better place with affection”.

We look forward to Paws4U visiting us again in Term 3.

We offer numerous Service @ Home activities – knitting, making bunnies, creating activity, care and stationery packs, making eco bricks, and Meal in a Bag. Each activity forms part of planned giving, visits and whole school collections. Every item made and donated makes a difference.

At the end of the term we will once again visit the Charlotte Maxeke Hospital, in addition to setting up a library with books from Book Fair, we will give parents and teenagers care packs, activity and stationery packs to the children, and our special Kingsmead Bunnies.

All Meal in a Bag are part of our Winter Warmer Collection. We are collecting warm winter clothing items and Meal in a Bag. All items collected will be donated to One Small Act of Kindness, The Noah CAN, and the Rosebank Soup Kitchen.

July is Mandela Month. We invite our Kingsmead Community to join us and spend 67 Minutes creating educational resources and activities for low resourced ECD Centres. All items created will form part of the Clothes to GOod 1 – 2 – 3 Educational Toy Kit.

Thank you to you all for being #CourageouslyKind

First Aid
Term 2 has been an exciting term with so much learning and skills development. Our Kingsmead first aiders had the opportunity to practise and learn how to administer EpiPens for someone who might be experiencing an anaphylactic reaction. The students practised using oranges and expired EpiPens. Our first aiders learnt how to safely transport a patient up and down stairs using a wheelchair. They also learnt how to safely place a patient onto a spine board as well as cervical immobilisation using headblocks for a patient with a suspected back and neck injury.

As Kingsmead is always buzzing with so many events and sports fixtures, our first aiders had the opportunity to volunteer for service hours at several events this term. Our first aiders are always equipped and ready to provide first aid care. They have worked extremely hard this term and continue to show their enthusiasm for first aid.

Sister Megan Cluff