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| Dear Parents, Students and Staff I hope that you are all comfortably back in the rhythm of school after the short break. The start of the fourth term is always a stark reminder that the year is almost over, and the new horizons of a fresh year - the augurs of a new start - can be glimpsed on the horizon. For me, this is a particularly poignant term as I try to prepare myself for leaving this school, for saying goodbye to our extraordinary girls and staff – and the wider community that has impacted me for over a decade. What the realisation has brought to me is the conscious intention to live in the moment and enjoy every special day, every significant occasion, every golden moment that will come my way as the programme of the term takes its course. Celebrating Ms Wallace We are delighted for Ms Wallace that she has been appointed as the new Principal of Wynberg Girls High School – a significant school in the arena of monastic education in South Africa. After a career that has spanned 24 years at St Cyprian’s School, with 11 years in management in various capacities, she is well prepared for this next step of her professional journey. Her new school is fortunate indeed to have retained her services! She brings a strong academic basis, a broad base of knowledge and experience, passion, sensitivity and well established inter-personal skills to her new role. I have no doubt that she will settle in quickly and become as respected and indeed beloved there as she has been here. And although she will be missed by those she leaves behind, she will still be linked by her “blue blood” and the many opportunities to see her when we compete against the teams of her new school or get together in collaborative endeavours. I am particularly grateful to her for her contribution to establishing and entrenching a strong management platform that will ensure that our school continues to grow and flourish under new leadership, but with tried and tested collaborative teams in place. And every loss is an opportunity – an opportunity for new people to step forward and new things to happen because of new perspectives and energies. That is the beauty and the blessing of change. Valedictory 2019 The early part of the Term 4 is always distinguished by the Valedictory Service for the Matrics, who have officially left school and are facing the start of their final examinations. I am always surprised at how quickly this important occasion comes around, and conscious of the accompanying sense of loss of a cohort of extraordinary young women who have played such an important part in leadership and the daily life of the school. It is a stark reminder of the rapid passage of time and how important it is to enjoy the moment and celebrate the people who have shared that pocket of time with one another. Although some of them were slightly nostalgic as they traversed the path of shared memories, all were clearly excited about the future and the possibility it promises and opportunities it offers. Our Class of 2019 has come of age, and I celebrate them and wish them well for the final hurdle of exams. We are expecting excellent results from them – they have worked hard and consistently and set high goals for themselves. Leadership Induction As the week started with the Valedictory, so it ended with the Leadership Induction of the Class of 2020. What an incredibly special chapel service we shared this morning, as our new leaders accepted the charge of leadership of this special school of ours! Each year the level of effective student leadership grows and develops as each group leaves behind their own unique legacies and a history of how things could be. The Class of 2020 represents an incredible cohort of talent and possibility. They are mature in their understanding of leadership, committed to making a difference and leaving their own mark, hard-working, thoughtful, compassionate and responsible – which augurs well for the teams they will build and work within and the stakeholders of the school that they represent. My congratulations and best wishes go to them all as they begin this exciting journey. Special good wishes go to Malaika Ngwenya (Head Girl) and Romy Stevens (Deputy Head Girl) – the leaders of the leaders. I have every faith that they will be extraordinary in their impact. RSIC 2019 The Round Square International Conference in India that I attended for the first few days was extraordinary. Over 1000 global delegates were hosted by Emerald Heights School in Indore, India and the programme, the setting and the hospitality of the hosts represented a new level of excellence. The speakers that I heard varied from Sophia, the first “Robot Citizen” who spoke about the future of Artificial Intelligence, to the 2014 Nobel Prize Winner, Kailash Satyarthi, who fought for the Rights of Children on a global level. Shashi Tharoor, a Member of Parliament and an award- winning author of many books, shared the history and current journey of India into the 21st century – with its unique challenges of becoming united as one country after a history of federal states, and its engagement with democracy after colonisation. Khiran Gandhi, an extraordinary young musician and activist for women shared her journey as she has changed the world of music by changing the narrative in the lyrics of songs which customarily denigrated women and perpetuated sexist, negative stereotypes. I missed out on the last two speakers – the Indian Blade Runner, Major D P Singh, and the International Life Coach, Gaur Gopal Das. However, I look forward to our delegation sharing these messages when they do their report back to the High School. Matric Examinations 2019 I am delighted to inform you that the school has negotiated with the contractors for the new road and building on campus that they will move off site for the duration of the exams i.e. 23 October - 29 November. Warm regards Sue SJ Redelinghuys Principal |
