“A flower does not use words to announce its arrival to the world; it just blooms.”
Matshona Dhliwayo
Benjamin Bloom was an influential American educational psychologist best known for developing the hierarchical framework known as “Bloom’s Taxonomy”. For student teachers, I am certain that the framework constitutes a standard unit of study within a tertiary-level module. For present-day teachers, I am sure that Mr Bloom’s theoretical hierarchy left a lasting impression.
Perhaps Mr Bloom was a little ahead of his time, for in 1956 he proposed a taxonomy in education that challenged the existing system by encouraging critical thinking and moving education beyond rote memorisation. It is also a taxonomy that has been modified over time and aligned with present-day best practice.
As we launch our school theme of BLOOM, his work offers a fitting metaphor. True education is not merely the accumulation of knowledge, but the nurturing of the whole child – intellectually, emotionally, socially, and morally. When girls are afforded spaces for self-expression, encouraged to ask tough questions, and trusted with real agency over their learning and their lives, they do more than achieve; they flourish.
Martin Seligman is a pioneering psychologist and founded the Positive Psychology movement. Seligman uses the term “flourishing” as a state of being and a measure that urges and inspires practitioners to move beyond merely fixing “what is wrong”. Flourishing is a move towards cultivating what is right and helping children thrive through a specifically designed model. To “bloom” and to “flourish” ought to compare closely enough.
Seligman’s “PERMA model” includes key concepts which teach resilience, foster optimism as a skill, and nurture character strengths to build well-being. These are unquestionably relevant within a rigorous curriculum offering. They build on the hierarchical nature of Bloom’s taxonomy.
Our commitment this year must be to cultivate environments in which every girl feels seen, heard, and empowered to grow into her fullest self…to bloom.
Signs of blooming have been rather evident in so many ways in such a short space of time in the Junior School this term. A vibrant extra-curricular programme is underway. Girls are already delving into a curriculum of inquiry in which thinking skills remain interwoven with a relevant and engaging offering.
We are deeply grateful for the energy, enthusiasm and community spirit that have characterised the opening of 2026 at our school. As much as we acknowledge the complexities of the world in which we find ourselves in the present day, we are comforted by a community alive with possibility.
As we head into a half-term break, I wish each of our girls and their families a peaceful time together. We look forward to welcoming you back for the rest of the first term next week.
I have been asked by several parents and teachers to share the poem read at this year’s Parent Information sessions. In closing this newsletter article, I include it below:
If I Had My Child To Raise Over Again by Diane Loomans
If I had my child to raise over again:
I’d build self-esteem first and the house later
I’d finger paint more and point the finger less
I would do less correcting and more connecting
I’d take my eyes off my watch and watch with my eyes
I would care to know less and know to care more
I’d take more hikes and fly more kites
I’d stop playing serious and seriously play
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars
I’d do more hugging and less tugging
I’d see the oak tree in the acorn more often
I would be firm less often and affirm much more
I’d model less about the love of power
And more about the power of love.”
Staff News
At the end of last year, Ms Shavaun Hanekom resigned as our Junior School Head of Sport. Ms Hanekom has served the school’s sports department for close to 11 years. She has decided to take a break from the management aspects of her role and has accepted a position as a specialist coach at Brescia House High School.
We conducted a recruitment process in December 2025 and January 2026 to find a suitable replacement for Shavaun. I am pleased to announce that we have appointed Mrs Samantha Drysdale as our new Junior School Head of Department: Sport, commencing in May 2026. Mrs Drysdale joins us from St Peter’s Girls’ Prep School, where she is currently the Senior Primary’s Sports Coordinator.
Samantha has overseen and facilitated numerous sporting codes, including swimming, netball, soccer, basketball, hockey, athletics, pickleball, water polo, orienteering, and tennis. Samantha was previously the HOD: Physical Education at St Martin’s School. She continues to enjoy sports as a keen and passionate soccer player, swimmer, and runner. We are excited to welcome her in the second term.
Due to a new business opportunity and a relocation to the Western Cape, Mrs Yiota Hadjipetros (Grade 000) resigned at the beginning of the year. Yiota is a respected teacher in the Mornington space. Though sad to bid her farewell, we wish her and her husband success with their new endeavours. A recruitment process is nearing completion, where we will be able to introduce Yiota’s successor.
Glenda Cressy
Mrs Cressy will be taking a period of leave during the months of March and April. She will be going in for intensive treatment under the care of an oncologist and several other specialists. We keep Mrs Cressy in our thoughts and prayers during this time and pray for her full recovery.
Sjaneen Pretorius and Saadia Ebrahim
As Deputy Heads of the Junior School, we see this BLOOM theme taking root in tangible and joyful ways across both the Senior and Junior Primary phases.
Through our newly timetabled Junior School Project BLOOM, classrooms are transformed into vibrant experiential stations where girls are invited to explore hobbies, interests and emerging strengths beyond the formal curriculum. From STEM exploration and building and construction, to painting, creative arts, movement and imaginative play, teachers curate spaces of possibility. Girls rotate between these environments, choosing activities that spark curiosity and courage. In doing so, they are not simply “busy” but rather discover new capacities within themselves. Collaboration deepens. Independence strengthens. Social confidence grows. And quiet interests begin to take shape. In these carefully designed moments, girls are given permission to bloom in ways that may surprise even themselves.
Simultaneously, our educators are engaging in BLOOM Professional Development workshops, where we are stretching and grappling with what it means to bloom in our own thinking and teaching practice. Anchored in global best practice and aligned with our Advanced Thinking School Accreditation and distinctive Kingsmead teaching philosophy, these workshops invite us to reflect, refine and reimagine. We are interrogating pedagogy, strengthening inquiry-driven learning, and deepening our shared language of thinking. Just as we ask our girls to grow, we too are deepening our roots; learning, challenging and blooming together as professionals.
In this way, BLOOM is not simply a theme; it is a lived commitment. It is visible in our classrooms, in our staffrooms, and in the spirit of a community choosing to grow intentionally, side by side. Just as we ask our girls to grow, we too are deepening our roots; learning, challenging and blooming together as professionals. In doing so, we recognise that growth is never accidental; it is intentional, reflective and hopeful- a beautiful process of purpose and becoming.
Regards,
Brendan Quinn
Head of Junior School
Beyond the Classroom
Beyond the Classroom encompasses sports and physical well-being, the performing and visual arts, service to the school and community, as well as non-academic excursions and travel, developing young people who can make choices that will serve them in the long run and help them live a life of balance and purpose. We aim to remain student-focused – the adults who coach and guide our students must be educators who consistently prioritise student well-being, providing a safe space of belonging, to pursue interests with the necessary support.
Sports and wellness activities instil a healthy lifestyle, resilience, and teamwork. Through service activities, students see the contribution they can make to society, while the Arts develop confidence, creativity, and collaborative skills. All of these are transferable and lifelong competencies essential for success beyond the school gates.
We look forward to partnering with the community in ensuring the best opportunities for our students to grow and succeed. The first Beyond the Classroom evening was well received and parents will be invited to more of this type of event.
Thank you for your continued involvement and support of the Beyond the Classroom activities and events.
Meet the teams:
Elsabé Fourie
Deputy Head: Beyond the Classroom
efourie@kingsmead.co.za
