Looking Back with Gratitude, Forward with Courage
As we reach the final weeks of the academic year, our hearts are full, full of gratitude for what we have achieved together, and full of courage for what lies ahead. This year stands as a powerful testament to what can happen when a community pursues excellence with purpose, creativity, and unwavering commitment.
Across our school, 2025 has been marked by inspiring moments of discovery, innovation, artistry, and academic brilliance. We began the year by strengthening our identity as a school that celebrates curiosity and initiative. Our first-ever Science Expo, involving both the Senior and Junior School, opened new pathways for scientific thinking and collaboration. Our Day of Discovery connected students with 56 parents, alumnae, and professionals, expanding horizons beyond the classroom. And through Afromezze, our Grade 10 and 11 Consumer Studies students honoured African heritage with culinary excellence and creativity.
Our students continued to shine on national stages, earning top awards in Olympiads and Expos across digital innovation, STEAM fields, and languages. These achievements reflect not only individual talent but a school culture that encourages ambition, resilience, and leadership.
In strengthening our academic foundation, this year brought exciting new learning experiences. Students embraced entrepreneurship through Market Days, Social Entrepreneurship Leadership, and the Grade 8 Distinction Programme, where practical courses like Dress & Pattern Design, Pottery, Cake Decorating, Leather Craft, and Mosaic showed what is possible when creativity and enterprise meet. Our Grade 9 students also enjoyed a year rich in discovery as they ea. solved complex problems in a high-energy Mathematics Amazing Race, learned TinkerCad and designed fashionable 3D-printed jewellery, and explored a unique musical and devotional interpretation of Lamentations, experiencing Scripture through the power of song. Our entire community deepened its focus on literacy through workshops led by Professor Lilli Pretorius, while our Grade 10s broadened their creative horizons during a professional story-writing and illustration masterclass with Gavin McCormack and Elsabe Ebersohn.
Our academic outcomes reflect the dedication of our students, the passion of our teachers, and the unwavering support of our families: a 100% BD pass rate, an exceptional 3.2 distinctions per candidate, 2 students recognised on the IEB Outstanding list, and 16 Top 1% results in 2024. Our teams excelled in numerous Olympiads and competitions, from Computer Applications, Computer Talent Search, and AI Hackathon to Afrikaans, isiZulu, English, Mathematics, Accounting, Business, French, the Eskom Expo, IEB Collaborative Problem-Solving, and Roboticon. These victories show that excellence at our school is deeply rooted and widely expressed. We eagerly anticipate the release of the 2025 NSC results on 12 January, a milestone that always reminds us of the strength and potential within our student body.
Learning also happened far beyond the classroom walls. From farms and universities to museums, city developments, and theatre excursions, our students were immersed in experiences that broadened their worldviews and deepened their understanding.
At the heart of these accomplishments lies a defining truth of our school: our students are multi-talented. These academic achievements were earned while every student participated fully in a rigorous sports and arts programme. On the fields, stages, courts, and studios, they learned determination, perseverance, collaboration, time-management, and what it means to compete with the very best. I watched relationships form, connections strengthen, and goals, both academic and personal, pursued with passion. And when goals were not achieved, our value of growth mindset stood firm: don’t give up, there are no mistakes, just learning opportunities, where there is a will, there is a way. We encourage our students to be brave, to think creatively, and to find new pathways toward the future they hope to build.
None of these achievements would be possible without our exceptional staff. Their creativity, passion, and drive form the heartbeat of our academic programme. Every teacher commits to meeting each student exactly where she is, lifting, guiding, motivating, and stretching her toward her full potential. Our classrooms are places of encouragement and high expectations because our teachers believe deeply in possibility. They inspire confidence, cultivate curiosity, and create learning environments where students feel seen, supported, and challenged. Their dedication ensures that excellence is not accidental; it is intentionally grown, lesson by lesson, relationship by relationship.
We also express sincere gratitude to our parents. It takes a parent with vision to recognise the academic value of our institution and to entrust us with their most precious treasure, their daughter. Our families provide unwavering support at home and partner with us in every step of the learning journey. Their involvement in opportunities such as our Day of Discovery Career Day, experience in drone technology, and many other initiatives enriches our students’ experiences and strengthens the bridge between school and home. Their belief in our mission reinforces the work we do daily and contributes significantly to the success we celebrate today.
Our gratitude extends as well to our alumnae, who continue to honour the school by the way they live out the values and academic foundations instilled here. Their willingness to give back, through mentorship, participation in career initiatives, and their visible example of what an education from our school can achieve, serves as powerful inspiration to our current students. They remain a living testament to the enduring impact of our academic programme and the strength of our community across generations.
As we prepare for a new year, we look forward with excitement to expanding our Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics integration, and launching new entrepreneurship programmes that will deepen the connection between academic learning and real-world innovation.
As I write this final article as Academic Deputy, before stepping into the role of Head of the Senior School, I do so with profound appreciation. It has been an honour to witness the dedication of our students and staff, and a privilege to be part of a community that pursues excellence with humility and heart.
In all the excitement of achievements and the promise of new beginnings, we are reminded of one enduring truth: God has a plan for each one of us. We are never alone in our challenges or in our celebrations. As we journey into a new season, may we stay close to Him, listen for His voice, and trust in His guidance.
May this festive season bring rest, peace, gratitude, and renewed courage for all that is yet to come.
