Dear Parents, Guardians and Staff,
I hope that you have had a fantastic start to the term and that the newness of spring has brought with it the promise of rebirth and possibility. Upon reviewing the improved extra-curricular timetable, I am struck by the numerous opportunities it presents for our students. School is a time of possibility and a place where you can try something different and experiment in a safe and supportive environment.
Possibility is one of Kingsmead’s core values, described as focusing on the individual and ensuring that each girl reaches her full potential. I believe that Kingsmead is particularly good at nurturing each girl’s potential and helping her find and grow her passion. We are also well known for creating a good balance in an adolescent girl’s life.
I spent the past week at the SAHISA Conference in Cape Town, and many of the talks I attended focused on international and national trends in education. It has become more critical than ever to ensure that our students maintain a balanced and healthy lifestyle to counteract some of the pressures they face, such as anxiety and mental health issues.
Please encourage your daughters to take advantage of the many opportunities available beyond the classroom – there is a multitude of activities in sports, service, and the arts.
I wish you a happy and fulfilling term ahead,
Fond regards
Lisa Palmer
Executive Head: Kingsmead College
Prayer for the term
Gracious and ever-present God,
We are mindful of the gift of fresh beginnings you give us at the start of the term and the promise of untold possibilities.
Thank you for the opportunity to learn, grow and engage with the challenges and discoveries that lie ahead.
Bless our students with curiosity that stretches their thinking; courage that emboldens their choices; and resilience that sustains them when the way is hard.
Grant our teachers creativity in their teaching, patience in their guidance, and vision to inspire the hearts and minds entrusted to them.
We pray for our community – that together we may foster an environment in which each person feels valued, encouraged and supported with a true sense of belonging.
May this term be one of hope and of new opportunities.
Amen.
Academics
WITS Integrated Experience 2025
Our two-day visit to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) was both enlightening and unforgettable, as we were fortunate enough to participate in the WITS Integrated Experience. On the first day, in late May, current “Witsies” warmly welcomed us and showed us around the university’s vibrant campus. They answered our questions and told us more about student life at the university. We were introduced to several key faculties, including Health Sciences, the Built Environment, Geosciences, Commerce, Law and the Humanities. Each faculty showcased its unique focus areas, giving us a glimpse into potential future career paths. A central theme of the day was the pressing issue of the water crisis in South Africa, which set the tone for our solutions and discussions.
Day two was all about presenting our proposed solutions to this crisis. Each group brought creativity and confidence to the stage, showcasing their ideas through various outfits and unique presentation styles. We also engaged in a Q&A session where students from other schools posed thought-provoking questions, challenging us to think on our feet.
After enjoying a well-deserved Nando’s meal, we were ushered into the iconic Great Hall for the graduation ceremony, where we walked the WITS stage proudly. The winners of the challenge were announced, and before heading home, we took our final group photos with our new Wits hoodies as a memento of the experience.
WITS Integrated Experience 2025 was a truly inspiring event that left us motivated and proud to have participated in this thought-provoking initiative.
By Rachael Drake
Beyond the Classroom
Beyond the Classroom is a new way of looking at the extra-curricular space of our school. In a constantly changing world, where young people continuously face new challenges, we need to prioritise the mental and physical health of our students. Our students will be best served if our extra-curricular offerings ensure a balanced school experience, instilling a lifelong love of an active, healthy lifestyle, a love of service and a deep appreciation of the Arts. We need to prepare our young people for life beyond school, teaching them to develop determination when faced with challenges and find joy in all they do, regardless of the outcome. This term, we began exploring the concept of ‘Ikigai’ – finding our purpose and possibilities, as well as making small changes and developing good habits to ensure long-term success and happiness.
Sports
Tennis
The extra-curricular activities began even before the school term stsrted. Well done to our tennis players who toured to Sun City from 25 to 29 August and played their hearts out. Thank you to Mr Mujahid Padayachy and Carla Farina, who accompanied our players. The teams included: Morgan Kohler, Zoey Anderson, Anna Lipchin, Kate Porter, Sophia Taylor, Genevieve Rowland, Amelia Barnes, Ziyanah Mohamed, Amelia Davids, Olivia Barnes, Gemma Bouche and Rachael Fifield.
Water Polo
Well done to the following students who are part of the Central Gauteng Water Polo Summer Training Squad. If selected, they will compete in the Inter-Provincial Tournament, taking place in Johannesburg at various venues from 6 to 11 December 2025.
U19: Lucy Davis
U16: Chloe Chapman
U15: Kristin Billett, Erin Boyd, Emma Clowes, Leila Connoway-Chang, Scarlett Grundlingh, Kyla Hall, Maryam Hassan, Kiara Jansen, Olivia Piccolo and Milan Williams,
U14: Lucy Berry, Madison Botha, Jemma Cederwall, Lucy Ellens, Emma Fynn, Alexandra Hodgson-Jervis and Keely McEvoy
U13: Ava Booth, Grace Burman, Vera Collocott, Georgie Kennedy, Keodirelang Maqubela, Alexia Marvin and Olivia Talbot
U12: Charlotte Cederwall and Leah Renshaw
Thank you to all our students who attended pre-season training, which prepared us for a busy season ahead. We wish our students well in these upcoming events and look forward to sharing the results of our first sets of matches, festivals and tours in the following newsletter.
The addition of Pilates, Yoga and Fitness, along with the increase in Walking/Running club sessions, has been well-received and is growing rapidly. We hope to see some parents join us in these activities!
Fast 5s Netball and Six-a-side Hockey have started well, and we love seeing our parents next to the field and courts cheering us on.
Polo
Jocelyn Koller was selected to play in the annual ladies’ polo tournament. They had a fantastic tournament, and her team won the B section, finishing first out of six teams of four players each.
Gymnastics
Congratulations to Rorisang Mamathuba, who has been selected to represent the Gauteng Gymnastics Association at the 2025 National Gymnastics Championships and will receive Gauteng Confederation Colours.
Congratulations to Zothile Ndiweni, who received her Central Gauteng and Gauteng Colours at the Provincials competition. She placed third overall in the Level 8 14+ years section. Zothile has also been selected to represent Northstars Gymnastics Club and the Gauteng Province at the National Championships in October.
Music
Our Grade 12 music students had their final music recital on Tuesday 2 September. It was wonderful to share in their musical journey and the hard work of the past year.
The Choir performed exceptionally well at the annual Choir is Alive Festival this week, showcasing their talent and dedication. In addition, our music groups have already taken part in two vibrant events – the St Peter’s Cultural Festival and the Parktown Girls’ Music Festival, where their performances were exceptional.
We now look forward to the upcoming Cornwall Hill Music Festival. It promises to be another opportunity for our students to share their passion for music and represent Kingsmead with pride.
Well done to Inés Bregman, who has been invited to open for the Mzanzi Chamber Music Collective concert.
Debating
The senior debating team, with Hanaan Kana, Shihaam Bux, Almaz Huyberechts and Ariana Akoodie, won all three debates in the SACEE Development League but could not continue as the finals clashed with our mid-year exams. Congratulations to Hanaan Kana for ranking as the Best Speaker at the tournament.
Congratulations to Nubia Nelson, Esona Totshi and Zahreen Moosajee who demonstrated their dedication by participating in the Gauteng Provincial Debating competition. They won three out of six debates, narrowly missing out on advancing to the finals. These students represented their school exceptionally well and can take pride in their performances.
The junior debating team, including Josephine Less, Adiva Tickoo, Chloe Pon and Sophie Wolstenholme, showcased their team spirit at the Gauteng Debating Provincials, where they performed brilliantly, winning five out of six debates. The team ranked 6th in the tournament and has progressed to the quarter-finals. We wish them all the best and are incredibly proud of them.
Last but not least, our senior debating coach, Mr Bore, was selected as a provincial coach for the third consecutive year. We wish him success in this exciting journey.
Journey of Adventure
During the August holidays, four of our Grade 11 students, alongside two students from St John’s College, had the privilege of embarking on an extraordinary, adventurous journey in the Drakensberg Mountains.
“We departed from Kingsmead on Sunday 10 August, and travelled to the Drakensberg, arriving around midday. Without delay, we began our first hike, venturing across sparkling rivers, ascending magnificent mountains and passing streams and waterfalls that showcased the natural beauty of the region.
Over the following days, we continued our hikes, climbing Makulumane Mountain, spending a night in Stable Cave, and carefully making our way down Jacob’s Ladder. Each day brought new challenges and unforgettable rewards. We were fortunate to witness breathtaking sunrises and sunsets, often while preparing our breakfasts and dinners together, surrounded by the stillness of the mountains.
On Wednesday, we enjoyed visiting a local community in partnership with Rise Upliftment Centre. This was a genuinely heartwarming and memorable experience. We prepared meals for preschool children and their teachers. aWe spent the day teaching games and playing with the children, who were all under the age of five. Their joy and enthusiasm were infectious, making this community engagement the highlight of the journey.
This adventure was not only an opportunity to challenge ourselves physically but also to connect deeply with one another and with the communities we encountered. I am deeply grateful to have been part of such an enriching experience, which has left me with memories I will carry with me for years to come.”
Mira Naidoo
Goodwill Day
Ms DV Thompson, founder of Kingsmead College, established Goodwill Day 76 years ago, “to work for the understanding and fellowship between all people”.
Decades later, Goodwill Day continues to celebrate the essence of Kingsmead and our ethos of Service. Goodwill Day is about community, the spirit of giving and celebrating our Service partners.
“Goodwill also means being willing to do everything in one’s power to bring good to other people, not only to those we love most and know best. Moreover, Goodwill also means a willingness to see good in another man’s point of view.”
DV Thompson.
It is Goodwill Day on 11 October, please save the date.
“The Beyond the Classroom team wants to talk about something the house leaders introduced recently — the butterfly effect. The idea comes from science: a small flap of a butterfly’s wings in one place could set off a chain of events that leads to a storm halfway across the world. It’s a way of showing that small actions can create massive consequences.
At first, that sounds like something out of a movie. But if we look closely at our lives here at school, the butterfly effect is happening around us all the time — in our sports, arts and service. And in each of these spheres, the smallest effort or choice can lead to a huge outcome.
Let’s look at it in terms of sports. It’s easy to believe that greatness comes from talent, but research tells a different story. Malcolm Gladwell, in his book Outliers, talks about the “10,000-hour rule” — the idea that consistent, repeated practice is what makes someone world-class. And that’s where the butterfly effect comes in: one training session might not feel important, but that single hour builds on the last.
If you attend one extra training, you sharpen your endurance just a little bit more, or you improve one skill that seemed impossible the week before. Over a season, those small efforts multiply. They can be the difference between making the C team or the A team, reaching your own personal goals, between reaching your own personal goals or falling short.
Even professional athletes live by this principle. Serena Williams, for example, has said that her success comes down not to the big matches, but to the tiny daily decisions: showing up to train, even when she doesn’t feel like it. The butterfly effect means that one choice today — to put in effort, to show discipline — can completely change your sporting journey tomorrow. So in sports, never underestimate the power of small training moments. They might be the flap of wings that creates a storm of success later.
Now let’s move to the arts — music, drama, painting, dance. Here, too, the butterfly effect is alive. Think about practising an instrument. Five minutes a day may not feel like much. But neuroscientists say that small, repeated practice strengthens neural pathways in the brain. Over time, those five minutes build into mastery.
Mozart himself, often seen as a prodigy, actually practised relentlessly from a very young age. By the time he was a teenager, he had already composed dozens of works — not because of magic talent, but because of consistent, small, daily effort. The butterfly effect turned those hours into genius.
It’s not just music. In the visual arts, sketching once a day could sharpen your eye. In drama, rehearsing a few lines each evening could one day mean you’re leading the play. In dance, stretching a little every day might protect you from injury and improve your performance.
The butterfly effect reminds us that art isn’t built overnight. It’s built through the tiniest choices — the scales you play when no one is listening, the brush strokes no one sees, the hours spent repeating the same movement until it feels natural. Those moments may seem small, but together they can make you the next Mozart, the next Picasso, the next Beyoncé.
Finally, let’s talk about service. This is where the butterfly effect can be the most powerful. Unlike sports or arts, where we see improvement in ourselves, service is about how our actions ripple into other people’s lives.
Think about this: research in psychology shows that acts of kindness create a ripple effect. When you do something kind, not only does the other person feel happier, but they are more likely to go and pass that kindness on. It spreads like wildfire.
That’s the butterfly effect in action. Helping one younger learner carry their books may not seem like much, but it could change how they feel about their whole day. Volunteering for one hour at a community project might seem small, but for the person you help, it could mean food on the table or hope in a time of struggle. Even a simple smile can have a massive impact — because you never know what someone is going through, and your small gesture might be the thing that carries them through.
History is full of examples of this. Think of Nelson Mandela. He spent years doing small acts of service — mentoring, encouraging and standing for what he believed in. Each act built momentum, ultimately helping to bring freedom to an entire nation. That’s the butterfly effect magnified on the biggest stage.
So in service, never underestimate how powerful a single choice can be. One act of kindness could be the flap of wings that changes a life forever.
The truth is, greatness — in sports, in arts, in service and in life — is rarely achieved in one giant leap. It’s built through tiny, daily decisions. One training session. One scale. One act of kindness.
The butterfly effect shows us that the smallest choices we make today can ripple into the most significant results tomorrow. So I’ll leave you with this question:
What flap of wings will you create today that could change your future — or even change the world?”
We look forward to seeing our community come together next to the sports fields, in audiences, and on Goodwill Day. Thank you for your continued and enthusiastic support of our Beyond the Classroom programme at Kingsmead.
Elsabé Fourie
Deputy Head: Beyond the Classroom
Spirit
Inter-House Soccer
The first week of Term 3 started with a bang, as the Senior School gathered for a fun-filled day of Inter-House Soccer. Although the sun was blistering, the spirit and enthusiasm were high. Kruger, Baker and Timlin made their way down to the Astro, their faces and limbs painted and ribbons wrapped in their hair. Two matches were played at a time, each lasting 12 minutes, with eight players on each team and no goalkeepers. There was an intense atmosphere of pride, accompanied by an even bigger sense of fun, as students played in inflatable suits and wigs. War cries echoed across the Astro as each House braved the heat and students enthusiastically cheered their teams. The sportsmanship remained consistent, as players shook hands and congratulated each other after each game. The final event of the day was a match between the Grade 12 students and the teachers. The three houses united to cheer on the Grade 12s, which was a truly wholesome end to a great day. The Inter-House Soccer event was filled with overwhelming spirit and passion and perfectly set the tone for the rest of the term. A very big thank you to the House parents and the Sports department for organising such a fun-filled start to the term.
Erin Grubb
2025 Head of Soccer
Pastoral
Women’s Day Celebration
On 8 August, Kingsmead came together to celebrate Women’s Day in a vibrant and meaningful way. The day offered a fun-filled rotation programme, allowing everyone to participate in activities that celebrated womanhood while also acknowledging the incredible women in our wider community.
One of the highlights was a self-defence session taught by our very own Ms Viv, where we learned valuable skills to keep ourselves safe and to protect fellow women. Another rotation was full of laughter and energy as we danced along with a ‘Just Dance’ session run by the Grade 12s. These sessions acted as a reminder of the joy and strength that come from celebrating together. We also spent time writing personalised letters of gratitude to the dedicated members of the San Salvador Home for Women. These letters, written by every student, honoured these men and women.
It was a charming day filled with joy, gratitude and celebration. A huge thank you to everyone who made it possible. From those who organised the programme to those who participated with such enthusiasm, thank you for creating such a memorable Women’s Day celebration at Kingsmead.
Morgan Kohler
2025 Deputy Head: Pastoral