Trying to Catch Kingsmead Asleep
This winter, I have made it something of a personal challenge to try and catch Kingsmead College asleep.
On more than one chilly morning, I have arrived convinced that this would be the day. Surely the biting cold, the shy and somewhat reluctant sunrise and the stillness of a Johannesburg winter would have persuaded our little corner of the world to linger beneath its blanket for just a few moments longer.
But alas, it seems Kingsmead simply does not know how to sleep.
Perhaps the sleep training available back in 1933 was not suited to our incredibly busy and rather vibrant campus.
I have seen girls arrive at school, long before the sun has found the confidence to climb above the trees. If early enough, you may see them accompanied by the rare pyjama-clad parent who has braved the bitterness of the middle of winter to complete drop-off number one for the day.
Our girls do so cheerfully; it is somehow innate to them but also gently inculcated in homes where basic values still matter. It has become a privilege to interact with such girls and we ought to guard this. They arrive with music folders tucked beneath their arms, sports bags slung over shoulders, book bags around their arms and possibly a cooler bag dangling from whatever available appendage may still carry such weight. The day, regardless of season, awaits with opportunities that quietly attempt to shape a Kingsmead education.
Some staff, too, are already here, preparing classrooms, greeting one another with familiar smiles and ensuring that the day begins with warmth long before the weather is willing to cooperate.
Even Grind, our little cappuccino corner, seems incapable of sleeping in. Before long, it has become a familiar gathering place, a welcome stop for a warming cup of coffee, an unhurried conversation, or simply a few moments of connection before the rhythm of the day gathers pace.
There is something rather special about witnessing these early hours. The moment of potential with a landscape that awaits each day. A community slowly gathering in rhythm.
And when evening finally arrives, one might imagine the rhythm would soften. It does to some extent, yet a purposeful heart found at the core of Kingsmead College seems to beat continuously regardless of the bounds of time.
In between all of this, we have witnessed some remarkable events and activities throughout the school, a tapestry of music, sport, drama, conversation and companionship.
August invites us to pause as we celebrate Women’s Month in South Africa. At Kingsmead, this carries particular significance. We are privileged to be a school dedicated to the education of girls, inspired each day by remarkable women who teach, parent, lead, mentor and nurture with wisdom, compassion and quiet strength. It is a time when we are reminded of the collective strength and courage of women, particularly of those who led the march of 1956 – where the powerful and profound phrase of “Wathint’ abafazi, wathint’ imbokodo” was coined to honour the event – “You strike a woman, you strike a rock”.
So, while winter continues its last-ditch but determined effort to lull Kingsmead back to sleep, my hope is that our families, our staff, our girls, are all truly blessed and that they may find a beautiful peace that comes with togetherness and reflection.
To our campus, and to those who quietly tend to its wellbeing over a period of rest, we wish you well and extend our gratitude. The classrooms are going to be quiet and the passageways will have no chatter – the quiet. The playground will breathe and maybe that’s just it… a time to breathe.
“Winter is a time when nature withdraws, rests, and gathers energy for a new beginning. We are allowed to do the same, my little friend.”
Big Panda and Tiny Dragon by James Norbury
Brendan Quinn
The Cost of Connection
We were delighted to host Cindy Poluta as a speaker. Cindy’s keynote is entitled ‘The Cost of Connection’.
Cindy’s address is not just another lecture about screens; we are all aware of statistics, and for the most part, we need practical strategies when we still have such an incredible influence in our children’s lives.
As a school, we fully acknowledge that technology is not going away. Its benefits are still very much aimed to enhance a curriculum rather than be the primary driver of classroom practice.
I am inspired by Cindy Poluta, parents, teachers and even children themselves, who recognise the need for a vision of a community in support of one another. We are growing young girls in a rapidly transforming digital space. Teachers need to be equipped. Parents need to be equipped. The partnership between parent, teacher and student has perhaps never been as relevant within this context.
It would be to our peril if we underestimated the impact of smartphones, screens, social media and digital life on girls who are to bloom in a digital age.
It is so encouraging to see and experience the enthusiasm of our teachers and parents in playing a role in carving out a space where our girls are safe and informed.
The Junior School of Kingsmead College, a place where stories are told and the narrative perpetuated, is ready to begin writing its first chapter.
In order to do this, please consider the following:
– A committee is being established. Though any parent is welcome to join, I am specifically seeking the services of a marketer, a storyteller, a digital expert, a psychologist, and, in fact, any other creative or enthusiastic parent who would like to join the start of this project. If you are, please email Ms Roslinde Metzer (rmetzer@kingsmead.co.za) and indicate the nature of support you would like to provide. Let us plant a seed and create a sustainable narrative for our community, in the best interest of our girls.
– Delay: If anything, please delay the thought of a smartphone for young girls in primary school. Let’s wait until at least age 13 or at senior school entry.
– Further Delay: This year we intentionally delayed the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiative at the start of Grade 5. The school invested in purchasing more iPads to accumulate enough devices to be booked out and utilised for learning and teaching. We plan to continue this trend from Grade 5 and into Grade 6. The school will be in a position to supply devices, as required, during the school day. Grade 6 girls in 2027 will not be required to “BYOD”.
WELCOMING MRS MELISSA FEBRUARY TO KINGSMEAD
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Mrs Melissa February as Deputy Head: Junior Primary and Academics at Kingsmead Junior School. Melissa will take up her new role in January 2027; we are very pleased to welcome her to the Kingsmead family.
With more than 20 years of experience in education, Melissa brings extensive expertise in teaching, curriculum leadership, academic oversight, staff development, student support and school management. She currently serves as Deputy Head of Primary School at Curro Waterfall and has previously held several leadership roles, including Head of Foundation Phase, Grade Head and Head of Department.
Melissa is a warm, authentic and collaborative leader who believes that every child deserves to feel known, valued, supported and inspired. She is passionate about nurturing curiosity, confidence, resilience and character, and her educational philosophy aligns beautifully with Kingsmead’s commitment to helping students lead lives of purpose, service and positive influence.
Melissa’s Christian faith informs her leadership and her commitment to kindness, integrity and service. As both an educator and a parent, she understands the trust families place in a school and values the important partnership between home and school.
We are confident that Melissa’s experience, thoughtful leadership and genuine love for children will further strengthen Kingsmead Junior School.
Please join us in extending a warm Kingsmead welcome to Melissa. We look forward to introducing her to our community over the coming months and welcoming her formally in January 2027.
Academics
Grade 1 Inquiry Story- Starry, Starry Night
Sometimes the most powerful learning begins not with information, but with careful observation and genuine curiosity.
The Grade 1s used a provocation to transform an art lesson into a rich experience of noticing, questioning, collaboration and creative exploration before a single paintbrush touched the paper.
In groups, the students were given noticing frames and pictures of van Gogh’s artwork, and they were prompted by questions from Trevor Mackenzie’s Provocation Rotation Station. Responding to the question “What is really important here?” the students engaged in their groups and spoke about what they thought was important. Some groups looked at the pictures and noticed the images on them, but a few groups went into more detail and noticed the shading and the shapes and lines used to create the artworks. They wrote or drew pictures to record their thoughts. By allowing them to be curious about the pictures, they noticed the techniques used by the painter which was so inspiring to see.
Some groups noticed the lines and painting techniques and shared this with the class which created more awareness and focus on these. Then they were prompted by the second question “What does this make you think of”. Students said the swirls made them think of the sea, the shading made them think of the sunset, they also commented on the texture in the pictures. Lastly, they were asked “What are you curious about?”.
They made comments like I was curious about the moon, sky and all the texture, I am curious about the shading, I am curious about the wavy brush strokes, I am curious about how the trees are painted with such texture.
Then they watched a presentation about Vincent van Gogh, learning information about him and that he was a post-impressionist painter. Then the students were asked how they could create the texture when painting. They responded by suggesting they could use sponges, forks, string, toothpicks, thin and thick paint brushes and their fingers and using different colours of paint- light and dark blue, light and dark green, yellow, white, black.
The following day we put out the materials and different colours of paint and they started their paintings. They were all so engaged and sharing their ideas and painting techniques with each other. It was such an amazing learning journey to observe. They shaded and mixed colours then added more colour and texture to the top of their paintings using sponges, forks and their fingers.
As teachers, we are in awe of the end result. The students loved the activity and each artwork is unique.
The Junior School has enjoyed a vibrant and busy term filled with concerts for Grade 0 to Grade 7. We are proud of every student who demonstrated courage and confidence by performing in front of an audience and sharing the music they have worked so hard to prepare. Throughout the term, the Junior School Orchestra, Wind Band, and Choir rehearsals continued, preparing music for the 3rd term. We thank all our students for their commitment, enthusiasm and dedication during a busy period.
We look forward to an exciting third term with opportunities for our Senior Primary Choir to perform at Sound of Children and for our ensembles and individual musicians to prepare for the Jan Celliers Eisteddfod. Well done to all our students on a successful and rewarding term. Thank you to our families for their continued support of Music at Kingsmead.
Sports
Hockey
Congratulations to the Junior School students who participated in hockey this term. Our Kingsmead teams performed well in our weekly league fixtures and this bodes well for our future hockey seasons.
Roedean Grade 3 Night Festival
Our Grade 3 students participated in the Roedean Night Festival, which was an amazing experience throughout the evening. Our students had a fun time even though our results were mixed; the enthusiasm and excitement never waned throughout the festival.
St Anne’s Midlands Grade 7 Festival
Our Grade 6A and 7A teams participated in the St Anne’s Midlands U13 Festival which was held at St Anne’s in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. Our teams played a mixture of outdoor and indoor matches. They achieved some phenomenal results against very strong opposition.
Mujahid Padayachy
HOD: Hockey and Tennis
Debating
Over the weekend of 25 July, our Junior School debaters competed in the Round Robin Tournament at Sacred Heart College and delivered exceptional performances.
Congratulations to Ishvara Skhosana, Salma Sabi Aliyah Dada, Amelia Southey, and Iman Bham, whose team achieved an impressive 5th-place finish in the tournament.
A special congratulations to Mahdiya Cassim, Chengeto Munyaradzi, Michaela Stephano, Svena Gokul, and Roxana Poulos, who advanced to the final and finished as runners-up, narrowly losing to Redhill in a highly contested final.
We are also proud to celebrate our students who ranked among the Top 10 Speakers of the tournament:
• Ishvara Skhosana
• Chengeto Munyaradzi
• Amelia Southey
• Michaela Stephano
• Iman Bham
• Roxana Poulos
An extra round of applause goes to Roxana Poulos, who was named the Best Speaker of the Tournament.
We are incredibly proud of these young women for their dedication, confidence, and outstanding representation of the school. Well done, girls!
Tumelo Bore
Debating Coach
DEIBS
Building Belonging
This term, DEIBS (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging and Social Justice) initiatives have created meaningful opportunities for students, staff and parents to engage with topics of identity, inclusion and belonging.
As part of our Youth Day commemorations, students reflected on the important role young people play in shaping society. In the Junior Primary, students explored how they can use their voices to stand up for what is right and support others. In the Senior Primary, the Belonging Committee led an assembly on the significance of Youth Day, while Humayrah Ebrahim, Head of DEIBS in the Senior School, shared reflections on leadership, responsibility and the importance of using one’s voice.
We also celebrated International Day of Play by introducing students to indigenous games, allowing them to explore South Africa’s cultural heritage while building connection through play.
This term, we met with parents to establish a DEIBS Parent Subcommittee, strengthening partnerships as we continue to grow DEIBS initiatives across the Kingsmead community.
We were delighted to welcome our new Junior School Belonging Committee and look forward to celebrating Heritage Day across the College in Term 3.
Thank you to our students, staff and parents for embracing these initiatives. We look forward to continuing to foster a school community where every student feels recognised, respected and knows they belong.
Gugu Mhlanga
Head of DEIBS, Junior School
Service
Small Acts, Big Impact
As we close another busy and rewarding term, we would like to extend our sincere thanks to every student, parent, staff member and service partner who has supported our service initiatives. Together, we continue to demonstrate that the Kingsmead community has a remarkable ability to turn compassion into action.
Clothes to Good: 235 Bags and Counting!
A huge thank you to all the parents and students who supported our Clothes to Good collection drive. Congratulations, too, on successfully clearing out those closets, wardrobes and storerooms!
Thanks to your generosity, we have collected more than 235 bags of clothing and fabric, with donations still being counted. These contributions will support Clothes to Good’s work of creating employment opportunities, supporting micro-businesses and promoting sustainability through textile recycling.
We look forward to sharing the final impact report with you. For those who donated, your vouchers will be distributed at the start of the new term.
Wednesday Sandwiches for Service
Every Wednesday, a group of dedicated students gives up part of their break time to make sandwiches for those in need.
These sandwiches have been warmly welcomed by the Rosebank Soup Kitchen, who distribute them to members of the local community. Thank you to every student who has taken the time to spread a little kindness, one sandwich at a time. It is a simple act that continues to make a meaningful difference.
Mandela Day: Creating a Haven for Children
On 17 July, students participated in our Mandela Day initiative in partnership with The Sensory Space and Kids Haven. Together, we worked towards creating a calming and sensory-rich environment for children who need it most. The project focused on helping create the Kids Haven Calming Sea Garden, a dedicated mindfulness and sensory space for children at Kids Haven Children’s Home.
Thank you to everyone who donated materials, volunteered their time and participated so enthusiastically. This project is our small contribution towards creating a place of comfort, creativity and refuge for children facing significant challenges.
“The spirit of Kingsmead has never been found in its buildings, but in the people who have been willing to serve something greater than themselves.”
D.V. Thompson,
Kingsmead Goodwill Day 2026
Service and Marketing Coordinator
