Dear Kingsmead Community,
I thought it might be well today to think together a bit about Goodwill. The idea is, of course, to work for understanding and fellowship between all peoples. Goodwill is a quality of a strong man. Willing well, as against just wishing well, has an idea in it of doing something active for the welfare of another. 1948 by Ms. DV Thompson
In a few short days, we will be closing for the August holidays and our early cold and dark mornings will soon be laid to rest. Term 2 has brought with it so many exciting opportunities for staff, parents and girls to gather, celebrate, support, learn and thrive. We have seen music performances; the Grade 7 production; Madiba Day; Mornington Open Day; Coffee Mornings; workshops; national and international conferences; sports fixtures, camps and tours; community engagement outings; academic experiences; Book Fair; Book Week; festivals; academic reports; SLCs and parent interviews to name a few.
So with this in mind and on the back of my assembly message, on Friday, 19 July – Being grateful for small things and the relationship to our Kingsmead value of Responsibility. I thought to share a small write-up on the importance of togetherness and gratitude. Just a tube of toothpaste and its lid need to go together to feel whole.
Togetherness… like when you find a pair of matching socks when folding the laundry or that final piece to the puzzle. Togetherness… like when the family sits down at the table to share a meal and every seat is filled… or hanging out with friends. Togetherness is that gratifying feeling of contentment when everything is in its place.
We crave it. We need it.
Our ability to come together can’t be taken for granted, for we recently experienced what it feels like to have it taken away during the pandemic. Things are different now, yet there is still a sense that we are not coming together, connecting, and being with one another quite like we used to because of social media interfering with our actual physical togetherness. Our student’s safe place still feels a little smaller in reality and we are seeing the impact of this, and we are all aware of the negative effects of isolation and loneliness.
So it’s time for us to choose togetherness again as the adults for the girls in our care. Because being together creates comfort and security, it fosters friendships and relationships, and it builds a space of synchronicity even when there appears to be division and disjointedness. Togetherness provides support and encouragement, promotes learning, collaboration and widens our perspectives, and inspires and motivates.
And when, together, we focus on what matters most, we can create a world filled with acceptance, kindness, belonging, love, and contribution.
So, let’s come together when we can, at all the offerings being shared at Kingsmead College. Being together matters. We love our community.
I would like to thank you, our parents and guardians for your ongoing support, loyalty and trust. I hope that the PTA parent social coming up is a wonderful time for happy reflection and celebration.
Thank you to our incredible teaching teams, admin staff and facilities team for your ongoing determination to provide the most outstanding education for our children on our most magnificent campus.
An end-of-term communication will be sent by Tuesday, 6 August 2024.
With love, appreciation and kindness
Tarryn McLaren
Junior School Head
Parent Insert
Thank you to all the parents who attended the coffee morning led by Parent Coach, Susan Gregor-Harlen, who spoke about setting boundaries with our children. I am currently reading ‘The Book of Boundaries’ by Melissa Urban, and realize that the timing couldn’t be more on point. In The Book of Boundaries, Melissa offers scripts organized into three categories: Green, Yellow, and Red. The three-part colour-coded system represents the level of threat that stems from the boundary crossing you’re facing. If someone continues this behaviour, is your mental health going to suffer? Are your health commitments at risk? Is it putting you in the way of physical or emotional harm? Follow this link to read more: https://www.melissau.com/boundaries-book/
Staffing
It is with regret that Ms Kendall Phillips has resigned with immediate effect. We respect her reasons for this decision and ask as a community we respect this too. I wish her well in her future endeavours and thank her for her service at Kingsmead.
Arts & Music
🎭Grade 7 PRODUCTION 2024!
Our annual Grade 7 production, Musicville, hit the stage last week, and WOW, what a performance! The beautiful costumes, carefully planned makeup, excellent sound and lights, passionate acting, fantastic dancing, a slick backstage crew, brilliant backdrop and quirky props, and outstanding music simply blew the audience away. At Kingsmead, we thrive because of our community, and this production was a testament to that, as students, parents, and staff came together to ensure that it was an unforgettable experience. Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who were involved and played a role in the success of the event as well as huge thanks to the community for your support. We are incredibly proud of the Grade 7s of 2024 for an outstanding production.
🗣️National Junior Schools Debating League
We are excited to announce that we have been invited to join the new National Junior Schools Debating League. Our debating students will participate in an introductory workshop on Tuesday 23 July, with the first round starting in August. We wish our students the best as they embark on this exciting journey. A detailed letter has been posted on the Grade 6 & 7 Debating Parents WhatsApp group. If your daughter would like to participate in Debating and you are not yet in this group, please contact Mia Loock to be added to the group.
🎻Upcoming Music Concerts:
Music concert season has begun, and we look forward to welcoming you in the coming weeks to celebrate your daughter’s progress over the last few months. Students must wear their winter school uniform for these concerts and be at Joel Hall at least 15 minutes before the concert starts, or earlier as requested by their teacher. We expect all participants to stay until the end of the concert.
Elsabé Fourie
Director of Arts & Music
efourie@kingsmead.co.za
Mia Loock
Head of Junior School Music
mloock@kingsmead.co.za
Sports
Introducing Kingsley – Our Newest Kingsmead Sports Mascot!
We are thrilled to announce the arrival of Kingsley, our brand-new sports mascot, who has joined the Kingsmead family this year! Kingsley is lively and energetic, embodying the spirit and pride of our school.
Kingsley made his grand debut on Mandela Day, where he captured the hearts of students, parents, and teachers alike with his infectious enthusiasm and school spirit. Kingsley has brought a sense of excitement and camaraderie to the entire Kingsmead community.
As our official sports mascot, Kingsley will be a familiar face at all Kingsmead sporting events, rallying our teams and fans with his boundless energy and school pride. Whether it’s leading the charge at a hockey match, hyping up the crowd at a netball game, or celebrating with our victorious athletes, Kingsley will be there to showcase the unwavering spirit that defines Kingsmead.
We encourage all students, parents, and staff to embrace Kingsley as a beloved member of our community. Be sure to keep an eye out for him at our upcoming events, and don’t hesitate to join him in cheering on our Kingsmead teams to victory!
Welcome to the Kingsmead family, Kingsley! We can’t wait to see the incredible impact you will have on our school and our athletes.
Sports News
Hockey
On July 11, 2024, the Grade 3 hockey players had their first fixtures, demonstrating remarkable skills and teamwork. They faced off against St. Mary’s and St. Stithians, with all four teams delivering outstanding performances, making their debut matches a resounding success.
The Grade 4-7 hockey players competed against St. Peter’s on July 12, achieving impressive results. The teams exhibited excellent skills throughout the matches, culminating in a fantastic overall performance. The match results were as follows:
Grade 4:
A team – Drew 0-0
B team – Won 6-1
C team – Won 1-0
D team – Won 1-3
E team – Lost 2-1
Grade 5:
A team – Lost 1-0
B team – Drew 1-1
C team – Won 5-0
D team – Drew 2-2
E team – Won 2-1
Grade 6:
A team – Lost 3-0
B team – Lost 1-0
Grade 7:
A team – Lost 2-0
B team – Lost 1-0
On July 18, 2024, the Grade 3 hockey players returned to the field, showcasing some incredible hockey. They competed against APPS, St. Teresa’s, and Holy Rosary, with all teams delivering outstanding performances. The excitement is palpable as we anticipate the upcoming Night Festival this week.
The following Friday, July 19, the hockey players faced off in their third round of fixtures against St. Andrews. The teams demonstrated their skills, leading to impressive outcomes on the field. The results were as follows:
Grade 4:
A team – Lost 2-0
B team – Won 5-0
C team – Won 2-0
D team – Won 3-0
E team – Won 3-0
Grade 5:
A team – Lost 1-0
B team – Won 1-0
C team – Won 2-0
D team – Drew 1-1
E team – Won 1-0
Grade 6:
A team – Lost 1-0
B team vs SA B team – Drew 0-0
B team vs SA C team – Won 1-0
Grade 7:
A team – Drew 0-0
B team – Won 1-0
Squash
The Kingsmead squash players have been working hard in the pre-season, preparing themselves for the upcoming league fixtures. Their dedication and determination have certainly paid off as they took to the courts for their first two matches.
Our players gave it their all in our opening fixture against St. Mary’s, showcasing the skills and strategies they have been working on during training. The matches were closely contested, with our athletes demonstrating exceptional sportsmanship and a true competitive spirit.
This momentum continued as we faced off against Roedean in our second fixture. Once again, our Kingsmead players made us proud with their unwavering efforts and impressive performance on the court. They left everything on the squash court, representing our school with distinction.
The start of the squash season has been an absolute delight to witness. The pre-season preparation has clearly paid dividends, and we are excited to see our players continue to grow, develop, and excel as the league progresses.
Congratulations to all our squash players – your hard work and dedication inspire us all. We look forward to cheering you on as you continue to make Kingsmead proud!
Equestrian
Congratulations to our talented riders who have been selected to represent the SANESA Gauteng teams. We are extremely proud of your accomplishments and wish you the very best of luck in the upcoming competitions. May you continue to excel and make us all proud.
Anvita Nunna – Showjumping B team
Ava Jansen van Rensburg – Showjumping B team
Lucy Berry – Showjumping A team & Equitation B team
Isabel Munro – Dressage A team
Upcoming Events
22 July: Mini Olympics (Grade 0 – 08:40, Gr 000/00 – 10:00)
24 July: Grade 3 Hockey Night Festival @ St Stithians
(More information will be sent via email to parents of the selected players)
25 July: Mini Olympics (Grade 3 – 08:40, Gr 1 – 10:00, Gr 2 – 11:00)
25 July: Grade 4 – 7 Squash Fixture. A and B teams are playing at St Stithians.
All students are required to travel on the bus to the venue. There will be a bus returning to Kingsmead after the fixture. Students may also be collected at the end of the fixture from the venue.
All players are expected to stay and support until the end of the last match.
26 July: Grade 4 – 7 Hockey Matches vs St Andrew’s (Grade 4 & 5 – St Katharine’s, Grade 6 & 7 – Kingsmead)
All students are required to travel on the bus to the venue. There will be a bus returning to Kingsmead after the fixture. Students may also be collected at the end of the fixture from the venue.
All players are expected to stay and support until the end of the last match.
25 July: Grade 4 – 7 Squash Fixture. A and B teams are playing at St Stithians.
All students are required to travel on the bus to the venue. There will be a bus returning to Kingsmead after the fixture. Students may also be collected at the end of the fixture from the venue.
All players are expected to stay and support until the end of the last match.
26 July: Grade 4 – 7 Hockey Matches vs St Andrew’s (Grade 4 & 5 – St Katharine’s, Grade 6 & 7 – Kingsmead)
All students are required to travel on the bus to the venue. There will be a bus returning to Kingsmead after the fixture. Students may also be collected at the end of the fixture from the venue.
All players are expected to stay and support until the end of the last match.
1 August: Grade 4 – 7 Squash Fixture. A and B teams are playing at St Stithians.
All students are required to travel on the bus to the venue. There will be a bus returning to Kingsmead after the fixture. Students may also be collected at the end of the fixture from the venue.
All players are expected to stay and support until the end of the last match.
2 August: Grade 4 – 7 Hockey Matches vs Roedean (Grade 4 & 5 – Kingsmead, Grade 6 & 7 – Roedean)
All students are required to travel on the bus to the venue. There will be a bus returning to Kingsmead after the fixture. Students may also be collected at the end of the fixture from the venue.
All players are expected to stay and support until the end of the last match.
8 August: Grade 4 – 7 Inter House Hockey (08:00 – 09:45)
Parents are welcome to join us to support the players.
A few reminders for parents & guardians:
1. Please send any sports achievements (school & non-school) to Mrs Hanekom.
2. A reminder to please download the Kingsmead app as this will be the direct method of communication to parents on sports fixture days.
3. All team lists will be published on the app by no later than Tuesday for a Thursday fixture and the Wednesday before the Friday/Saturday fixture. Please ensure that you let the coaches know if your daughter is not able to attend a fixture.
Yours in sport
Shavaun Hanekom
Head of Junior School Sport
Service
Grade 6 Hot Chocolate Sales – Wednesday Mornings
This term, Grade 6s have had a wonderful success selling hot chocolate to raise money for “ForAfrika”. This organisation helps children all over Africa, in the countries of Angola, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan and Uganda. We have raised over R40 000, so far, of our R52 000 target. This will all go towards providing the right nutrition needed, For 47 children to be fed a well-balanced meal a day, at the ECD centres in Diepsloot that ForAfrika supports. This is often their only nutritious meal for the day. The weekly sales of hot chocolate have made me grateful that I have 3 delicious meals a day and a school like Kingsmead to go to. Selling hot chocolate is great fun and tasty. I hope this act of service carries on helping Africa and her precious children. Thank you to everyone who has supported us so far and we look forward to raising even more money in the next two weeks.
Ava Booth
Grade 6
Library News
As quickly as we bought new books this month, they were taken out!
The Senior Primary are enjoying …
And our Junior Primary…
Our Adopt-A-Shelf project has swopped over and there are exciting genres/themes on display. There is even a queue for Term 3 already!
July is International Shark Month, and so we are enjoying some “Jaw-some” reads. We have also looked at biographies and celebrated Mandela Day.
SORA (our online library) is up and running with some fabulous ‘sweet reads’ and audiobooks. The students are encouraged to check their login details with Ms Harman-Leak.
The August holidays are fast approaching, and your daughters are encouraged to take a book out and read.
Chatterbox
Last week the Grade 4,5 and 6 students took part in the Chatterbox Festival at Apps. They presented their prepared speeches with courage and eloquence. Well done!
Grade4:
Imaan Bham
Sofia-Lucia Allan
Catriona Burgoyne
Grade 5:
Amiya Ganda
Mieke Pretorius
Olivia Paul
Grade 6:
Georgie Kennedy
Taylor Simpson
Keodirelang Maqubela
Tour de Maths
Kingsmead participated in the Tour de Maths tournament that took place at The Ridge School on the 16th of July. Eight of our Grade 6 students represented our school. Approximately 120 students from across Johannesburg worked in teams of four to solve mathematical problems. We are proud of our Tour de Maths team who were excellent ambassadors of Kingsmead.
The following students participated:
Front left to right:
Awande Kumalo
Vuyo Mkwanazi
Kate Redshaw
Thakgalo Semenya
Back left to right:
Kate van Dyk
Vera Collocott
Isabel Munro
Georgie Kennedy
