IMG 2303 0006 1 Kingsmead College

Kingsmead Newsletter May 2024

Nyeleti GoleleSenior School Leave a Comment

Dear Kingsmead Community,

We are well into the second term of the year and the campus is already so busy. The winter sports are in full swing and the arts continue to rehearse and perform. There are ongoing service opportunities for our students, and I do hope that you were able to meet the teachers either virtually or in person at the parent-teacher-student (SLC) meetings.

The campus is looking beautiful with many renovations happening during the April holidays. The following areas in the school have been either completely re-done or renovated:
The archway into the Garth from the Matric studies side of the school. This includes the stairs and the stair-well.
The Mkwanazi Theatre has been completed with a green room, offices, and seating.
The Service office has been moved and re-created.
The Senior School staffroom has been renovated.
The Business Studies classrooms have been completely redone.
In the Junior School the Grade 0 classes have been recreated and are just beautiful.

Many DB boards have been rewired in an ongoing rollout to complete all the DB boards in the school.

Staffing news:
We welcome the following members of staff in June:

Alison Tresling as the new Head of Marketing. Alison joins Kingsmead with a wealth of marketing, branding and communication experience. Alison has a track record of success in developing and implementing and growing business within the Premier FMCG group. She has been a part of teams that worked on some of SA’s most beloved brands like All Gold Tomato Sauce, KOO, Black Cat Peanut Butter, Nola Mayonnaise, Manhattan Sweets and many more.
Alison has strong strategic insights and project management skills and we believe that Alison will bring her considerable experience to the role at Kingsmead.

Matthew Hains has joined us as the CAT and Innovation teacher. Matthew came to us from Saheti where he was the Head of Department. Matthew founded the Tech Club at his previous school where he nurtured students’ interests in areas like coding, augmented reality, Minecraft, 3D Printing and mobile app development. Matthew has been a senior marker for the IEB CAT Examinations and is also an accomplished author.

Alumnae Meet-up in London:
I was fortunate to meet up with around 40 past students from Kingsmead last week, in London, and it again reinforced for me that Kingsmead is such a very special school as the alumnae had such fond memories of the school and were so complimentary of their time here. They have remained friends with their various groups over the years and have found that the values and teachings of D V Thompson still run deep. We had the Class of 1961 right up to the Class of 2021 represented and it was wonderful to hear their stories and answer their questions.

If you know of any past students who are not receiving information from Kingsmead, please be in touch with Lara Bugarin who is our Advancement Officer (lbugarin@kingsmead.co.za). She was a student and a teacher at Kingsmead, and we welcome the work that she is already doing in connecting our alumnae and in re-establishing relationships with past students and families.

I wish you all a wonderful remainder of this half term.

Fond regards,

Lisa Palmer
Executive Head: Kingsmead College

Academics

Grade 11 Life Sciences: Exploring the Nervous System Through Hands-On Learning

The Grade 11 Life Sciences students have been immersing themselves in the fascinating world of the Nervous System, focusing on the brain and its various parts and functions. To kick off the term, the students had the unique opportunity to dissect a sheep’s brain on Friday, 10 May.

During the dissection, the students carefully removed the skull surrounding the brain, allowing them to identify and study the different parts. This hands-on experience enabled them to become familiar with the texture and structure of brain tissue, providing a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

This practical session was not only educational but also an enriching experience for all involved.

Arts & Music

PUBLIC SPEAKING AND DEBATING
This term in Public Speaking we aim to hone the student’s Public Speaking skills through entering various competitions run by the Gauteng School Debating Board. In this oratory programme, students compete in poetry and essay writing competitions.

On 12 and 13 June, Kingsmead is hosting an inter-school friendly oratory event. Watch this space for details!

Our junior debaters recently competed in the preliminary rounds of the Atheneum Debating competition where Kingsmead Green placed 16th in a pool of 25 schools, whilst Kingsmead Yellow progressed to the quarterfinal, ranking 12th.

We welcome Gabriela Hoskins as our new Junior Debating coach. Gabriela is a final-year law student at WITS and has an impressive debating CV having competed at provincial and national levels whilst coaching at other schools.

Tumelo Bore
TIC Oratory

DANCE
Meera Luksmidas has a busy dance schedule in May and June, participating in three Jozi Youth Dance Company productions in collaboration with Joburg Ballet. In May, Meera was involved in the production of Cinderella, while in June, she will be part of a contemporary production Chaphaza staged in both the Durban Playhouse Theatre and Roodepoort Theatre. Also in June, she is part of the full ballet production of Giselle. We are proud of Meera and wish her the best for these exciting endeavours.

Meera Luksmidas 2 Kingsmead College

MUSIC
Congratulations to ⁠Safiya Vally who achieved an A+ and Mira Naidoo who was awarded an A+ in two categories at the Trinityhouse Music Eisteddfod.

Well done to Safiya Vally and Inés Bregman who partook in the Roedean Music competition where Safiya achieved an A+ and Inés an A++.

ENSEMBLE & CHOIR FESTIVALS
At Kingsmead we believe in the power of making music together and we have established a number of festivals over the last 20 years. In 2005 we launched the 1st Senior Schools Ensemble Festival. We have since added a Junior Schools Ensemble Festival, Junior and Senior Primary as well as Senior Schools Choir Festivals and this year we also introduce Junior and Senior Schools Marimba Festivals which will be the final additions to our series of events.

On the 21 and 22 May, we hosted the Senior Primary Choir festival and on 27 and 28 May the Senior Schools Ensemble Festival at Rosebank Union Church. Next week Wednesday, 5 June we will welcome three schools to join the Kingsmead Senior Glee and Choir at our Choral event.

We are proud of these signature events which are well supported and enjoyed by our fellow schools and the music community.

PrEDA
The inaugural PrEDA Festival was a resounding success. Kingsmead College welcomed Redhill School and St Mary’s Waverly to our Mkwanazi Theatre on 9 and 10 May. The rationale of the festival is to provide students with a platform to perform and receive feedback ahead of FEDA (Festival of Excellence in Dramatic Arts). Our esteemed adjudicator, Lesedi Job, provided wonderful insight on how all three schools can elevate their work and stay motivated during the rehearsal process to be ready for FEDA. Congratulations to all students involved and thank you to the teachers who invest their time and energy in our students’ creative vision.

My Left Breast at Kingsmead in the Mkwanazi Theatre
Kingsmead College was honoured to host My Left Breast by Susan Miller as the first professional production at the ‘relaunch’ of the newly completed and furnished Mkwanazi Theatre, starring the talented Shannon Esra. The show ran from Sunday 12 May until Saturday 18 May with audiences beyond our community joining to watch the show. Enormous thanks to Mr Kailin Pillay and the Grade 10 Dramatic Arts students for running the front of house and welcoming the public to our beautiful theatre.

FEDA
Kingsmead performed our one act play, Bluecrest High, at FEDA on Thursday 23 May. Directed by Qhayiya Klaas and Sumayya Forssman, the production playfully addressed the inequalities found in schools. The Grade 12 Dramatic Arts students poured their hearts into their performance resulting in a standing ovation. A shoutout to our Kingsmead community for creating a ‘sea of green’ at the Lesedi Theatre, enthusiastically supporting the cast. We look forward to the announcement of finalists on Saturday.

Elsabé Fourie
Director of Arts & Music

Kingsmead Arts & Music

Sports

Hockey
Congratulations on the following players for being selected into Southern Gauteng Hockey teams.

Kyla Hall – u14B
Charlie Dalling – u16A
Nozipho Magondo – u18C

One of our coaches, Des Golach, was selected for the SA Masters over 60 team for the World Cup later this year.

Squash
Congratulations on our top 6 players competing at the Annual Top Schools Squash Tournament where they came up against very strong opposition.

Amy Falcon
Charlie Dalling
Cara Nicholson
Kara Smith
Emily Thompson
Priyanka Geness

Amy Falcon is to be congratulated on her selection into the Gauteng u19 Squash team.

Netball
Our 1st and u17 teams were selected to attend the District Championships.

Emma Spronk was selected for the Ekurhuleni u19 Netball Squad.

Emma Spronk Kingsmead College

Equestrian
Our team are competing in their 4th Qualifier and we wish them the best of luck.

Hannah Cooke took part at the Toyota Easter Festival where she won both her equestrian events and she won the Victrix Lodorum in the Dressage section. Hannah has been selected for the Gauteng Equitation team to compete at SA Junior Championships next month in KZN.

Picture1 2 Kingsmead College

Water Polo
Lucy Davis has been selected as a non-travelling reserve for the South African u18 water polo team.

Lucy Davis Kingsmead College

Diving
Maya Rono attended the SA National Diving Competition where she won Gold in both the 1m and 3m sections.

Maya Rono Kingsmead College

Swimming
Eva Dal Cin travelled to Mauritius to swim to swim a 1,6km race and she finished 2nd overall.

Eva Dal Cin Kingsmead College

Karate
Georgia van der Schyff competed as part of the Gauteng Karate Federation Team at the KSA National Trials in Durban. We are pleased to announce that she achieved a silver medal for her Kumite ( fighting) in the Female Cadets Division 14/15yrs, Under 61kg. This places her as the SA number 2 in this category.

Georgia van dr Schyff Kingsmead College

Synchronised Swimming
Sienna Fry completed both Levels 0 and 1 grading assessments. She achieved a pass with distinction for both levels which is the highest result that can be achieved for these levels.

Sienna Fry Kingsmead College

Service

We were delighted to move into our Service office at the start of term. We are so grateful to Ms Palmer and Mr Stroud for making this possible. Our new office remains a hub of activity with students popping in to discuss Service, to see our new space, and just to say hi and check in.

The true Kingsmead spirit of giving without expecting reward was evident on Saturday, 6 April when Roedean, St David’s Marist Inanda, De La Salle Holy Cross and Kingsmead College travelled to the St David’s Marist Alexander Campus for Inter School Volunteering. We were warmly welcomed by Father Madondo, who shared the importance of young people volunteering and thanked the students for their time and spending their Saturday morning in the service of others. Students were divided into three groups. The first group joined the gogos from the Joseph Gerard Foundation Old Age Home and prepared vegetables – generously donated by a parent from De La Salle Holy Cross – for soup. The second group planted flowers – much to the delight of the residents of the Joseph Gerard Foundation. The third group began work on a mural that will adorn the wall outside of the Alex Campus. The groups rotated throughout the course of the morning. It was beautiful to see how the various groups built on the artwork of the previous groups. At the end of the morning, students joined the Joseph Gerard Foundation residents for a spirited game of Bingo!

Nyasha Musimwa from De La Salle Holy Cross commented, “It’s inspiring to see young people coming together from different schools to make a positive impact in their community. Events like these not only benefit those who receive assistance but also instil valuable lessons of compassion, teamwork, and social responsibility in the volunteers themselves. Congratulations on a successful event!”

Thank you to our entire community for giving so generously to Share what you Can. At the end of Term 1, our Grade 8s packed grocery bags for our Service partners. The grocery bags included essential items – oil, rice, maize meal, tinned food, and the extra treat of Easter Eggs. In total 116 grocery bags were packed. These were distributed to Joseph Gerard Foundation at St David’s Alexander Campus, Hotel Hope and Kids Haven.

Knit and Natter – held weekly – is extremely popular. Our students spend time with members of staff, get to meet students from other grades, learn from one another and teach too.

Our first Inter School volunteering event of the term was facilitated by Kingsmead. May is World Menstrual Health Month, the theme for 2024 is together for a #PeriodFriendlyWorld. In a #PeriodFriendlyWorld, the stigma and taboos surrounding menstruation are history. It’s a world where everyone can access the products, period education and period-friendly infrastructure they need. This is exactly what the fabulous facilitators from Qrate did. Students from De La Salle Holy Cross, Kingsmead, Roedean and St David’s Marist Inanda gathered in the Mkwanazi Theatre. The students were divided into 4 groups and the facilitators addressed period myths, stigmas, and misconceptions working towards a #PeriodFriendlyWorld. Some of the boys from De La Salle Holy Cross and St David’s were brave enough to do the menstrual pain challenge – is period pain a real thing? For many their outlook was really challenged!

Book Fair is closely aligned to our value of Service. Leading up to Book Fair we do a book collection – thank you Kingsmead Community for your generosity. Adult and Childrens’ books, fiction and non fiction, were gifted. Service students spent Friday and Saturday sorting the books. They are going to be donated to Rainbows and Smiles – supporting children in various hospital oncology wards, The Sensory-Space supporting children with Autism, and The Psychology and Psychiatry Departments at Rahima Moosa, Tara, Charlotte Maxeke and Baragwanath.

On Friday and Saturday our Service students did a brilliant job assisting at the Information Booths and the Story Telling Studio.

It was a pleasure to host The Cyril Ramaphosa Trust, Alexandra Education Committee, and Sizanani Mentorship Programme. 30 children from Rays of Hope joined us for an action packed morning, they attended sessions, had their faces painted, did sand art and spent time colouring. Special thanks to Ms Kaka and Mrs Dott for arranging such a special morning for the children.

Thank you to all of our students who have committed themselves to Service activities and done so with such heart.

Karen Landi
Director of Service

9026 KM Service Logo scaled Kingsmead College

Ashleigh Phiri
Service Co Ordinator

Inter-House Activities

Inter-House Games Day
30 Seconds!
On the last day of Term 1 we ended off with a competitive few rounds of inter-house 30 Seconds. The sessions were successful and very joyous. Every House played a competitive game and did not want to leave when the session was over! The air buzzed with excitement and energy, as random guesses were shouted along with bursts of laughter. Who knew that students could shout with such excitement and laugh at each other over random descriptions? This was a much needed morning after a long academic term. Every student left the session feeling renewed and ready to start a refreshing holiday.
Kaylee Ritchie, Head of Baker

UNO!
One of the exciting activities that students participated in during Inter-House Games Day was UNO. This activity took place in the Maths classrooms. There was music playing throughout which maintained the good energy students brought to the venue. Due to the large number of students, UNO was played with a different approach this time around. Students would divide themselves into groups within their Houses and instead of playing whichever card they felt like playing they had to consult other members of the group beforehand. Instead of one person being bitter about picking up four cards and an additional two from another group there were nine people collectively groaning and promising revenge! It was thrilling to watch how teams with something just short of the whole deck of cards in their hands made a comeback and coming out on top despite all odds. It was even more moving to see how students who did not know the way of the game were taught by their friends. People that knew UNO would pair up with those who did not and play in teams. Each House played competitively and maintained good sportsmanship throughout the rounds — well as much as a person can have when playing UNO!
Sange Sibiya Head of Timlin

Mini-Games
The Garth came to life on the last day of Term 1: filled happiness and House pride. Transformed into a mini-Amazing Race course where the Houses competed, each trying their level best to make it to the finish line first. The day’s festivities were a fun way to say goodbye and see you later to our friends and teachers. The teachers really embodied Kingsmead’s core value of ‘Courage Always’ when they went up against the Grade 12s. Fortunately, winning is not the priority at Kingsmead… because the teachers suffered a tremendous loss to the class of ‘24, who had no problem boasting about their victory. Inter-House activities are often the highlight of the term, and the end of Term 1 was definitely one for the history books. We are grateful to everyone who made sure the happiness of the school was at the fore-front of everyone’s mind for the last day of a long term.
Ntuthuko Masetlwa, Head of Kruger

Green Team

On 22 May, the Senior School Green Team hosted a fascinating talk on the topic of sustainability in the fashion industry. It was presented by our special guest, Georgina Bennett, an old girl from our very own Kingsmead Junior School. Georgina is now the Brand Director and co-owner of the company Style Rotate, South Africa’s largest fashion rental and circular fashion platform. With her specialised knowledge, unique background, and passion for an eco-friendly approach to business, she was able to educate our students and staff about the unsavoury practices within the fashion industry and inspire us to think differently about the clothes we purchase. Our students were left feeling empowered to make better choices for a greener future.

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