Our Connection: Issue 32 2018

Pomegranite ConsultingJunior School Leave a Comment

Dear Parents

Should we be preparing our students for an ever-changing world or

Should we be preparing our students to change the world?

All too often we focus on the skills needed for our girls to thrive in a world which is increasingly dominated by technology. Technology is changing the way we work, play and communicate. I recently attended an informative presentation given by Minister Naledi Pandor where the focus was again on prioritizing Science and Technology in education, specifically in girls’ schools. The statistics regarding women studying at tertiary institutions confirm the need to integrate STEAM into our curriculum while preparing our students for this changing world.

Alongside this presentation, further information was presented by Roy Gluckman and Obenewa Amponsah, equality, inclusion and diversity facilitators, where they challenged parents and teachers to consider that together with this skills set, perhaps we should refocus our attention to developing leaders who can change the world through leading lives of significance.

The top 10 skills published by the World Economic Forum, which Lisa Kaplan shared at the 2018 Speech evening recently, reiterate the importance of the skills which will most certainly lead to effective leadership and in turn hopefully a better world for future generations.

In dialogue with parents, girls and teaching staff alike, let’s ensure that we teach our students skills which empower them to make sustainable, proactive, positive  changes both locally and globally.

Kim Lowman – (Head: Junior School)

WEEK AHEAD:

Thursday 18 October:

  • Junior School Picnic (see notice below)
  • 10:00 Junior School closes for half term
  • 13:00 Aftercare closes
  • JS Water Polo – St Stithians U13 Tournament

Monday 22 October:

  • Half term

Tuesday 23 October:

  • Return to school

Wednesday 24 October:

  • 14:00 Grade 0 2019 Orientation
  • 18:00 St Mary’s Ensemble evening

Thursday 25 October:

  • Grade Os visit the Farmyard
  • JS Inter Schools diving competition
  • JS Tennis matches

Friday 26 October:

  • JS Inter schools athletics

Untitled 1 2 Kingsmead College

Transformation, Diversity and Integration Workshop

Over the weekend, our Transformation, Diversity and Integration (TDI) and school executive committee met for a workshop hosted by Mandate Molefe, following the parent evening hosted on Monday 8 October, where the results of the survey were shared and discussed.

The workshop brought so many valuable questions to mind as we contemplated the strategic intent that we are wanting to develop for our school. Some of the excellent, thought-provoking questions and comments included the following:

“Who, in our school, needs to do more or less work to be accepted by the dominant culture of the school?”

“We may not actively exclude people, but are we deliberately and actively including them?”

“How do we break down the connotations of what it means to be different?”

The workshop involved deep personal reflection on unconscious bias, procedures and practices. We had hard conversations, unpacked many topics and considered the perspectives of each other from many different angles. Each of us left wondering how we could, in our own way, actively pursue a sense of belonging for each of our stakeholders, and with a firm commitment forward.

The journey of transformation is continuing, strongly and purposefully, daily in our school. We have worked intensely on a commitment of strategic intent, which will, over the next few weeks, be shared with our community.

To date, we have worked deliberately on particular areas of development from our survey, and this weekend has afforded us the ability to identify even more, through the support of our parents, teachers, students and executive. Please continue to contribute and get involved in this journey with us! You will find our updates in our weekly communications and on the App, and would love to see you at our upcoming workshops and functions. We need your voice to join ours.

We also invite you to join our executive team in reading, “A School Where I Belong.” By Wray, Hellenberg and Jansen (https://www.aschoolwhereibelong.com) . Together, we seek to create a school of belonging, which can only be created together as a community.

Parent Discussion Transformation Charter Kingsmead College

SPORTS NEWS

Grade 1-3 APPS Preparation Gala

 Kingsmead will be taking part in the Grade 1-3 APPS gala on Wednesday 14 November 2018. The coaches have been busy in Physical Education lessons taking times for the various strokes. The APPS team will be finalised after the Grade 1-3 fun gala to be held on the 31st October 2018. Once finalised the team will be published on the 2nd November 2018.  The girls who are selected will be expected to attend 2 training sessions per week so we can prepare them for the gala.

 Swimming lists for the Grade 1-3 fun gala will be published after half term.

Athletics

On Friday 12th October, we competed at St Stithians. All our athletes gave of their best in every race. Kingsmead ended in the third position, just 3 points behind St Stithians. Well done to a determined team!

The following athletes ended in the first 3 positions:

Grade 3

  • 60m:
    • B-race: Rafaella Bolttler 3rd
    • C-race: Grace Hefer 1st
    • D-race: Uma Banchetti                        3rd
  • 100m:
    • B-race: Grace Hefer 3rd

Grade 4

  • Long Jump: Kaitlyn Brown 1st
  • 80m:
    • A-race: Kaitlyn Brown                        3rd
    • B-race: Priyanka Geness 1st
    • C-race: Hannah Schwegmann 1st
    • D-race: Lara Boltt                                3rd
  • 150m:
    • A-race:Jade Anderson             2nd
    • B-race: Kaitlyn Brown             3rd
    • C-race: Priyanka Geness 2nd

Grade 5

  • Long Jump:Jessica Stevens 1st
  • 80m:
    • A-race: Lucy Davis                              2nd
    • B-race: Carys Glyn-Jones 1st
    • C-race: Morgan Easter             1st
    • Zintle Papiyana 3rd
    • D-race: Zahra Khan                             1st
  • 150m:
    • A-race: Lucy Davis                              2nd
    • B-race: Francesca Druce 3rd
    • D-race: Morgan Easter                        3rd

Grade 6

  • 100m:
    • A-race: Tessa Gutierrez-Garcia           2nd
    • B-race: Lucia Sabbioni 2nd
    • C-race: Jessiaca Black             2nd
  • 200m:
    • C-race: Gabriela Dodd             3rd

Grade 7

  • Long Jump:Natalie Morris 1st
  • 100m:
    • A-race: Natalie Morris                         3rd
  • 200m:
    • A-race: Natalie Morris                         3rd

Our relays did extremely well!

Well done to all the athletes! You did Kingsmead proud!

Our next meeting will be at St Andrew’s on Friday 26th October. This will be our last meeting before the Prestige Meeting on the 2nd November 2018.

Please keep on attending ALL practices — KEEP ON KEEPING ON!!!!!


Diving

Kingsmead took part in an Interschool’s competition against Roedean on the 11th October 2018 and Gauteng Trials on the 15th October 2018. Below were our results.

Monday 15 October 2018 Page 1 Kingsmead College

Tennis

The C and D tennis teams played against St Katharine’s C and D team on Thursday the 10th of October at the Johannesburg Country Club.

It was a beautiful setting for an enjoyable afternoon of exciting tennis where the C team won 57-33 and the D team won 29-16.

The C and D team matches are finished for the year but the A and B team matches will continue until the 1st of November.

There will be a grade 3 tennis festival on the 1st of November at St Mary’s and we will select a team in due course.


Special Achievements

Gymnastics

1 Kingsmead CollegeCongratulations to Zahra Khan who was awarded Full Central Gauteng colours for Artistic Gymnastics. Zahra competed this year in the Level 5, 10 year age group. At the Central Gauteng District competition, Zahra placed 2nd on bar and 3rd overall in her age group. She was then selected to compete at the Gauteng Provincial competition, where she placed 1st on bar and 3rd overall in her age group.

2 Kingsmead College

Congratulations also must go to Rumaysa Ismail who has been awarded Full Central Gauteng colours for Artistic Gymnastics .

Rumaysa competed this year in the Level 4, 11year age group. After the Central Gauteng District competition, she was then selected to compete at the Gauteng Provincial competition, where she placed 3rd on bar in her age group.

Karate

Congratulations to Nuru Minyuku Gutto who has been selected to represent South Africa at this year’s Commonwealth games from November 27-December 2. She is now ranked number 7 nationally for kumite. This is a fine achievement indeed and we wish her well in the upcoming competition.

Congratulations to all our budding Kingsmead athletes.

Monday 15 October 2018 Page 2 Kingsmead College

 

Leave a Reply