Dear Parents, Guardians, Staff and Students,
Thank you to all our stakeholders who participated in our OISESA (Office of Independent Schools Evaluations, Southern Africa) quality assurance process. This is an accreditation that has to take place every 5 – 6 years in order for us to keep our membership with ISASA (Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa).
A self-study report was conducted by the school (divided into Pre-Prep, Prep and Senior School.) This was then submitted to OISESA, along with all the digital evidence that was required. The initial surveys that you completed were analysed and trends were drawn up and these formed the basis of the focus groups with parents, staff and students.
The OISESA mentors came for an onsite three-day visit in the middle of June and we have now sent through our draft report to their offices and we should hear back from them regarding any recommendations by the end of this term.
This was a wonderful, positive experience and we received much affirmation about the school. Thank you for your input and for your unwavering support of the school. It is greatly appreciated. We will communicate any findings to all stakeholders as soon as we have the final report.
I wish you all a wonderful half term – may it be restful and restorative. If you are travelling, please do so safely.
Fond regards,
Lisa Palmer
Executive Head: Kingsmead College
Academics
Growth Curriculum news
Grade 9 – ‘Made in Africa’
At the start of this term, the Grade 9 students had the privilege of participating in a recording workshop, setting an exciting tone for our ‘Made in Africa’ module. This was a remarkable opportunity to learn from icons in the South African music industry, who generously shared their knowledge and talents with us.
Our excitement soared when 808RSA introduced us to the artist Breeze. They shared their latest track, and Breeze spontaneously added verses, showcasing his remarkable creativity. We were then invited to contribute our own element by writing an 8-bar verse during break. This task was challenging but ultimately rewarding.
When it was our turn to present, we were initially nervous. However, with the support of our classmates and Breeze’s expert guidance, we soon gained confidence and began to rap our verses with enthusiasm. Together, we crafted a commendable piece that we are proud of.
We are eager for the ‘Made in Africa’ module this term and confident it will be a memorable experience. It is an incredible opportunity to learn, grow, and produce exceptional tracks. We aim to create some of the best music Kingsmead College has ever seen, and we’re off to a fantastic start.
A big thank you to the ‘Made in Africa’ teachers for organizing this exciting workshop!
Isra Salie and Thato Mokgofa – Grade 9 students
Arts & Music
PUBLIC SPEAKING AND DEBATING
On the eve of Youth Day celebrations, Kingsmead College hosted a Public Speaking ‘friendly’ attended by St John’s College and Parktown girls. The event aimed to give students a platform to express their opinions and perspectives on a variety of topics, ranging from Micro-aggressions, The Colour Pink, Femicide in South Africa, and discussions around Contemporary Culture. The Kingsmead public speakers represented Kingsmead brilliantly, with well-written speeches and excellent delivery. It was a wonderful evening, well received by our own and guest students.
Well done to the students who were involved: Risha Hari, Adiva Tickoo, Isra Salie, Esona Totshi, Kristen Benjamin, Malaikah Patel, Brhita Ganda, Dimpho Tebeila, Chloe Pon, Andza Mbelengwa, Rachael Fifield, Nomaswazi Mduli, Nthuthuko Masetlwa, Ella Stuart, Thando Sibanda, Oprah Orimoloye, Hanaan Kana and Humayrah Ebrahim.
Tumelo Bore (TIC Oratory)
DANCE
Enormous congratulations to Meera Luksmidas who has had a very busy and exciting time on stage over the last while. Meera participated in a contemporary production Chaphaza as well as the full ballet Giselle.
Earlier in June, Cadence Mac Gregor competed in The Next Level Of Dance competition where she was placed second! We wish her success at her next upcoming event, South Africa’s Got Talent.
MUSIC
Congratulations to Inés Bregman who placed 2nd in the Woodwind category at the recent Roedean Music Competition. This is a wonderful achievement and we are very proud of Inés!
CHOIR & MARIMBA FESTIVALS
In June we concluded our festival season with the Kingsmead Masicule Sonke Choir Festival followed by our inaugural Senior Schools Marimba Festival. We are proud of the culture of group music making we have established at Kingsmead, and it was a pleasure to witness the joy on stage as students performed for each other.
We welcomed St Andrew’s Girls, Southdowns College and St David’s to our Choir festival, while St John’s and St Dunstan’s joined us for the Marimba festival.
Elsabé Fourie
Director of Arts & Music
Sports
We are very proud of our students who have excelled in their sports.
Amy Falcon
Amy was selected for the Gauteng u19 B squash team that competed recently in Cape Town at the Annual IPT. Their team went on to win the B section and achieve Gold medals.
Georgia van der Schyff
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
Emma Spronk
Emma was selected for the Ekurhuleni u19 netball team that will be taking part in the Telkom National Championships.
Hannah Cooke
Hannah was selected for the Gauteng Equestrian team to compete at SA Championships in the Dressage section.
Miss Dibetswe, a Novice teacher working in the Sports Department recently received her gold medal at the recent South African Schools Netball tournament with her U12 Gauteng Gamma team at Dr EG Jansen in Boksburg. She obtained a grading as a national “B” level umpire which is a remarkable achievement.
Spar u15 Hockey Challenge
Spar once again treated the u15 hockey players to a fun filled day of hockey, fun prizes, give-aways and many more.
The Kingsmead team finished tie 2nd on the day and a special thanks goes to the coach, Mr Padayachy and coordinating support from Mrs Hanekom.
Independent Schools Sport Festival ( ISSF )
The festival was held at St Stithians College where 10 schools from KZN compete against 10 schools from Gauteng. Although there is no winner the competition is very tough with 1st team sports in Hockey, Netball, Tennis and Squash. Kingsmead teams certainly performed above expectations achieving good results.
Photos – ISSF Hockey, Netball, Tennis, Squash
Equestrian
Well done to all the students that competed in the Equestrian qualifier. Once again the results have been very good and below are some of the riders who performed well. We are still waiting on additional results for other riders. (Emma Berry & Allegra Manchia)
Netball
Our netball teams recently had a promotion/relegation playoff matches v King David and we are proud that Kingsmead won 7 of the 9 matches.
Our 2nd team have won their league and at their playoffs, they beat St Marys( Quarter Final), St Stithians (Semi Final) and beat Redhill (Final) to win Gold. We are very proud of the team coached by Miss Meyer.
Rob Pullen
Director of Sport
TDI
The year 2024 marks the 48th anniversary of the 16 June 1976 uprising in Soweto, when young people protested the Bantu Education Act, which enforced Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in schools, and apartheid laws that oppressed black South Africans. The day was remembered through an assembly coordinated by the Student Transformation, Diversity and Inclusion Committee at the school.
Three Kingsmead College students, Oprah Orimoloye (grade 11), Thando Sibanda (grade 11) and Nuha Cassim (grade 10) attended the two-day Student Diversity & Leadership Conference at St Stithians College. The event highlighted the role of youth leaders in shaping a future where all voices can be heard.
During this month the student TDI Committee also held an open discussion, creating a safe space for anyone within the community to speak about all things LGBTQIA+. This was in recognition of Pride Month.
There was much collaboration with Director’s of TDI from other girls’ schools. It was encouraging to share and learn from others within the space and set best practice standards.
Onke Mazibuko
Director, TDI
Good News
One of our Grade 12 students, Elizabeth Hakizimana, is at Yale University at the moment where she is taking part in Young Global Scholars (YYGS), an academic enrichment programme for outstanding high school students from around the world. Each summer, students from over 150 countries (including all 50 U.S. states) participate in an interdisciplinary, two-week session at Yale’s historic campus where they immerse themselves in a global learning community, experiencing life as a Yale student.
