Here are some highlights of Kingsmead College moments over the month of May. Despite the challenges, our wonderful staff and learners continue to soldier on. Still, we rise!
We missed hosting this year’s Kingsmead Book Fair but from 1 May until 31 May, we dove into a #KBFCelebration while practicing safe social distancing. May was a month of reminiscing, giveaways and highlighting some of the incredible authors who were due to join us this year. We transported you back to your favourite Book Fair memories, caught up with authors and sank into the novels you’ve read cover to cover.
We made the top 5 trending school stories in the Rosebank Killarney Gazette on the 1st of May! We are so proud of our Glee Group. Well done!
How we’ve missed the sound of joy and laughter on the first day back to school after a holiday! Our campus may have been quiet, but our virtual classrooms were abuzz with excitement and energy as we began our Term 2 Distance Learning Programme.
6 May was National Nurses Day which is celebrated annually to raise awareness of the important role nurses play in society. It also marks the beginning of National Nurses Week which ends on 12 May, the birthday of Florence Nightingale. During this time of Covid-19 the important role of nurses and healthcare workers has been highlighted even more. They are literally the superheroes battling the virus on the frontline. We have our own superhero at Kingsmead – Sister Monica Loubser. We honour and thank her for the incredible work she has been dong behind the scenes to ensure that our campus is a safe and hygienic for our return to work and school this month. Thank you Sister Mon!
One of our Grade 5 learners, Zara Ganasen, created woolen flowers and has made it her purpose each day, on her family’s morning walk, to hand these to other pedestrians on the road. How inspirational! Thank you Zara for living our Kingsmead values and spreading happiness.
Despite the unprecedented situation we are facing today, nothing can stop us from rising up to our goals.
Maya Angelou’s poem, ‘Still I Rise’, embodies this message that one can thrive even through adversity. It is a reminder that you are far more capable and powerful than you know. You will rise above this challenge, as you have above many others. Over the April holiday, we collaborated with our Sister Heads of 2020 — a group of head and deputy head girls from various schools in South Africa. Our aim for this video was to stand together, as students facing the same predicament, and deliver a message of encouragement and hope to all of you. This term, we reminded you to look to one another for support and strength. We are not in this alone.
This is a declaration that we can most definitely make the most of this situation by having faith and by lifting one another up. Here’s to a successful term two during which *we will rise*.
What do you usually do over the weekend? Why not bake this delicious vanilla cake along with Madison and Olivia Paul (Grade 000 and 1). And don’t forget to lick the spoon!
Thank you for sharing this video with us girls, it certainly brightened our Friday!
Head leaders from various schools around South Africa collaborated and started an initiative called #nomatterwhat2020 to motivate and inspire students at this time. They shared their message in this video Nomatterwhat.20:
On 10 May, we wished all the mothers and motherly figures in our Kingsmead Community a Happy Mother’s Day. As part of our Service@Home initiative we asked our students to design and send cards and messages for our partner organisation Park Care. We had more than 50 Mother’s Day cards and letters submitted and forwarded to Park Care today. Thank you girls for making Mother’s Day special for the Park Care grannies.
As we started our first full week of distance learning in Term 2 on the 11th of May, our Junior School teachers sent a little reminder of those Habits of Mind and Kingsmead Values!
The Kingsmead Jazz Band continue to keep music alive during lockdown with their virtual rehearsals. It’s great to see them still having so much fun!
Discovery Learning in Action! One of our Grade 0 pupils, Aliyah Ismail, along with her brother and cousins, has started a YouTube Channel called My Little Lab, where they are doing such fun science experiments. Go over to their channel and share in their science fun!
Congratulations to the following members of staff on their years of service! We would like to thank and celebrate their commitment and loyalty to Kingsmead College.
- 5 years: Irene Ilsley, Bianca Barnett and Shavaun Hanekom.
- 10 years: Sue-Ann Mabaso, Keletso Musola and Irma O’Neil.
- 15 years: Dianne Reeves.
“Guard that thing which is committed to your charge. Keep it safe, untarnished, happy, free and loyal.” — DV Thompson, 1944.
A group of our Grade 7 students shared this lovely message with their Junior School peers. We are grateful to all parents, guardians and caregivers for all they’ve been doing for our students during this time. We Salute You!
We haven’t forgotten about the kids during our #KBFCelebration!
Meet Wanda, with her beautiful head of hair. She is brave and strong, and with the help of her grandmother, finds the courage to face the bullies and wear her hair as a crown. Treat your child with a copy of Wanda, by authors, Sihle Nontshokweni and Mathabo Tlali, at Exclusive Books online, and in the meantime, download and print these activity sheets for them to enjoy while at home.
As part of the Service@Home programme, Kingsmead has been supporting Read for Hope by recording children’s books to be distributed to students without access to remote learning. Have a listen to Keren Spyker reading beautifully in Afrikaans My Eerste Boek van Alles by Richard Scarry!
We were really looking forward to welcoming back our Grade 7 and Matric students on the 1st of June. We’ve certainly missed their energy! The Matric Arts Leaders shared some of the changes they’ve had to make during this time of lockdown!
The 28th of May marked International Menstrual Hygiene Day! It is observed on the 28th day of the 5th month because the average period lasts 5 days and the average cycle lasts 28 days. The Kingsmead College Service Team share their message about Menstrual Hygiene Day.
We completed our preparations and our campus was ready to welcome back our Matrics and Grade 7s on Monday morning, the 1st of June. We were so looking forward to seeing them all and prepared a video to familiarise them with the arrival screening process.
Kingsmead teachers – we thank you. A beautiful message from the Kingsmead Community: