Lead

Student leadership

Leadership is an important pillar at the Girls’ College. We believe strongly in the holistic development of each young woman. There are a number of opportunities for our young people to find their passion through our diverse sporting, cultural and club programme. Through multiple opportunities to learn and serve, our students have the opportunity to refine their leadership skills, resulting in various leadership roles and responsiblities in their Grade 11 and 12 years. 

LEADERSHIP COMMITTEES

Students from Grades 9 to 12 choose to serve on a committee in which they are interested. In Grade 11, students shadow the Matric leaders and take over the reins when the Matrics prepare for their final examinations in Term 3. The following committees are active at present: Houses, Spiritual, Round Square, Sport, Cultural, Transformation, Service and Jabulani. 

Meetings are held fortnightly with the whole committee and these meetings are led by the Matric students in the committee. Matric students meet in preparation for these bigger meetings under the guidance of their respective teacher facilitators.

STUDENT LEADERSHIP COUNCIL (SLC)

Students are elected by peer vote and a rigorous interview and selection process to stand as chairpersons of the Vertical Leadership Committees described above. They then make up the Leadership Council and are responsible for the smooth running of the school from a student perspective. The Head Girl chairs this meeting and is supported by the Leadership Director.

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL (SRC)

These students are elected by their peers. There are two representatives per grade on this committee which is also chaired by the Head Girls. 

CAPTAINS & CULTURAL LEADERS

Our students also have opportunity to serve in the areas in which they are gifted and are elected by their teammates to be the captains of the sports teams, or leaders of cultural groups such as the choir and orchestra.

TUTOR GROUP LEADERS

Matric students assist the Tutor Teachers in leading the tutor groups.

HONOUR COUNCIL

The Honour Council is a committee of teachers and students across the grades who are passionate about discipline at Girls’ College. They serve as the discipline ambassadors and deal with categories of misconduct linked to late-coming, missing school activities, uniform infringements and irresponsible cell phone use. Students who are found to be in violation of one of the categories above are required to appear before Honour Council.

ROUND SQUARE

St Stithians Girls’ College joined the Round Square Organisation in 1998. Round Square is an internationally diverse network of 200 like-minded schools in 50 countries on six continents. They connect and collaborate to offer world-class programmes and experiences that develop global competence, character and confidence in our students. 

Round Square schools are characterised by a shared belief in an approach to education built around six pillars, the IDEALS – International Understanding, Democracy, Environmental Stewardship, Adventure, Leadership and Service, drawn from the theories of educationalist Kurt Hahn.

The Round Square IDEALS are underpinned by 12 Discoveries that students explore on their learning journey: inquisitiveness, tenacity, courage, compassion, inventiveness, ability to solve problems, self-awareness, sense of responsibility, appreciation of diversity, commitment to sustainability, communication and team-working skills. The Discoveries, now an integral part of the Round Square Discovery Framework, capture and describe the attitudes, attributes, skills and values developed and explored by students as they engage with the Round Square IDEALS. 

St Stithians Girls’ College has embedded the ethos of Round Square throughout all aspects of school life as a part of our mission and strategy. The Round Square Discovery Framework is integrated into lesson planning, pastoral care, used to create curricula for extracurricular activities, and form the structure for a wide variety of reflection and non-formal assessment activities.

Students are encouraged to experience and discover these 12 route-markers on their Round Square learning journey at St Stithians Girls’ College.

Ultimately we want our students to understand that whatever field of work or career they enter into, with a spirit of the Round Square IDEALS they can – and should – make a positive difference in the world as global citizens and leaders in their own right.

ROUND SQUARE OPPORTUNITIES

All St Stithians staff and students become members of Round Square on joining the Girls’ College. Round Square is a not-for-profit membership network, registered as a charity in the UK and governed by a Board under the Presidency of His Majesty King Constantine. Through our membership of Round Square, we offer our students numerous opportunities to connect with students across the world through various opportunities such as global youth conference, international service projects and importantly exchanges. Our school exchange programme is on offer in Grade 10, with up to 20 students each year qualifying to participate in a global exchange. Exchanges can be anything from 3 weeks in duration to a full school term. We have exchange partner schools across the world. 

More information is available on the Round Square website at www.roundsquare.org

 

KAMOKA BUSH SCHOOL

Kamoka Bush School is an outdoor education facility that was established by St Stithians College in 2010. The camp forms part of a 3,000-hectare game farm in the Waterberg. It is off grid and runs on solar energy. The building materials used for the camp construction were locally sourced, and the aesthetic blends naturally into the surrounding countryside. The philosophy of outdoor education underpins the Grade 9 Kamoka Experience, which is a significant distinguishing feature of St Stithians College education. This programme plays a significant role in growing and shaping our young women into responsible, ethical and sustainably minded leaders. 

At Kamoka Bush School, experiential learning and engaging with nature are tools we use to expose our girls to themselves and their world, beyond the four walls of the traditional classroom. The camp provides a unique opportunity for students to practise and promote respect, resilience, self-motivation, self-discipline, determination, stewardship, service and responsibility. 

Please consult the Kamoka Bush School Website Page for further information. 

 

SPORT

PHILOSOPHY

Sport in the Girls College is compulsory. All students are required to play a summer and a winter sport. There are a number of codes to choose from, with all of them being offered at a competitive level. Our philosophy can best be described in the words “Excellence is in the detail”. By taking care of the small things, the big things naturally take care of themselves. We do not believe in chasing results but rather focus on participation, commitment and enjoyment, which inevitably leads to great results. We believe in consistency, credibility and excellence in behaviour, sportsmanship and commitment. We focus on the student and aim to produce athletes who will go on to excel after school, continue to play sport and live an active lifestyle long after their high school days are over. 

 

SPORTS OFFERED 

• Term 1A Sport (January to mid-March)

Swimming, Basketball, Diving, Water Polo, Rowing, Tennis, Squash, Equestrian & Mountain Biking 

• Term 1B and Term 2 Sport (mid-March to July)

Hockey, Netball, Cross Country, Equestrian, Football, Mountain Biking & Rugby

• Term 3 Sport (September to November)

Athletics, Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, Rowing, Tennis, Squash, Equestrian, Mountain Biking & Basketball

 

OFF-SEASON TRAINING

This is offered during the off-season for certain sports but does not take the place of that term’s other sporting commitments (it is offered in addition to the term’s sports).

Interhouse Sporting Activities

The following activities are offered at an interhouse level: Athletics, Basketball, Cross Country, Diving, Football, Hockey, Netball, Rowing (ergo), Squash, Swimming, Tennis and Water Polo.

TOURS

Our philosophy with regard to merit tours is that we include our younger age groups on tour and not just first teams. This approach has been extremely beneficial for the development of teams. Fundraising is permitted for merit teams (those who have been chosen to go on tour).

 

VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS

OUR PHILOSOPHY

We believe that the true purpose of arts education is not necessarily to create professional actors, musicians or artists; it is to create more complete human beings who are critical thinkers that can empathise and collaborate effectively, and who are resilient. The Visual and Performing Arts encourage students to think outside the box, develop original ideas, and find innovative solutions.  The Arts help students to understand and express emotions, as well as connect with others' feelings. Students step into someone else's shoes, fostering empathy and a deeper understanding of human experience. The Arts are inherently collaborative. Students learn to work together, negotiate, and combine their individual strengths to create something greater than the sum of its parts.   In any artistic pursuit, mastery takes time, practice, and repeated effort. Whether learning a new instrument, rehearsing a play, or experimenting with different artistic techniques, students learn the value of persistence. The process of creating or performing art often involves overcoming challenges, learning from mistakes, and striving for improvement.

ACTIVITIES OFFERED

DRAMATIC ARTS

DRAMA CLUB AND ROOTS SHOWCASE

This club is designed for Grade 8 and 9 students who wish to develop their performance skills by working with dedicated Grade 12 Dramatic Arts students as they hone their craft and prepare for the Roots Showcase in Term One. Thereafter, the club sessions prepare students for their practical examinations in Term Two and Three. Drama Club occurs every Friday afternoon, with additional rehearsals as needed.

PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADE 8-12

For Grade 11 and 12 students, we host the annual Johannesburg Interschool’s Phyzz Fest for physical theatre in Term One, where dance and drama combine to explore narratives. Our Grade 9 - 12 students can write, direct, design or act in our Senior One Act Play (SOAP) Festival in Term Three, preparing students for the National Festival of Excellence in Dramatic Arts (FEDA) in Term Two of the following year, where they reprise their roles. Grade 8 - 12 students can perform in the annual College Production in Term Two. The auditions occur the previous year, and they rehearse throughout Term One. Grade 8 - 12 students can enter a comedic, dramatic or South African monologue or a spoken word poem for our annual Night of the Stars in Term Three. Throughout the year, we enter our Grade 10 - 12 students into many eisteddfods and festivals, including the National Eisteddfod of South Africa.

THEATRE CLUB

Grade 10 - 12 Dramatic Arts students belong to the Theatre Club, which arranges outings to see selected professional productions during the year and attend performance workshops with top South African theatre practitioners in preparation for their practical examinations each term.

TECHNICAL CREW

All students interested in mastering the technical elements of theatre-making – lighting and sound – are allowed to join the Tech Crew, regardless of whether they take the subject Dramatic Arts or not. They receive professional training once a year and ad hoc training from Senior students throughout the year to master the DOT2 programme. They can then volunteer to design and run the cues for practical examinations, Phyzz Fest, the College Production, SOAP, and FEDA.

MUSIC

INSTRUMENTAL

Our College Orchestra, Sancta Symphonia, provides the opportunity for students from both the Girls' College and the Boys’ College to develop their skills in ensemble playing. In addition, we have various music ensembles: Marimba Band, Djembe Band and Saxes of Note. We also offer individual instrumental lessons as an extramural. Lessons are taught in piano, cello, clarinet, saxophone, guitar, violin, and flute.  

MUSICAL THEORY ACADEMY

We recommend that those students who wish to advance their understanding of the rudiments and elements of music join the academy. 

PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES 

There are many events, festivals and competitions where our musicians can showcase their talents throughout the year. These include The Duke's Valentine’s Concert, the Girls’ College Choir Festival, St Mary's Singing Sista's Choir Festival, the Interschool’s Orchestra Festival, Choir is Alive, Founders’ Day, St Stithians Marimba Festival, Night of the Stars, Johannesburg Festival and the National Eisteddfod of South Africa.

VOICE

We encourage students who enjoy singing to audition for the Girls' College Choir or Harmony, the student-led a cappella group. We also offer voice lessons as an extramural activity.

VISUAL ARTS

FRAMES AND FOCUS CLUB

The Frame and Focus Club provides all students, regardless of whether they consider themselves as artists, with the space and time to be creative through the mediums of photography and Visual Arts. The club aims to familiarise students with artistic and photographic techniques, as well as provide lessons and opportunities to develop thyese skills.  The Frames and Focus club embraces exploration, experimentation, and fun in the pursuit of creative expression.

Those students focused on Photography as their medium have the opportunity to take photographs at school events and have their work published on various digital media platforms and in the School Magazine. Students focused on other Visual Arts media have in the past painted the College marimbas, decorated beehives for International Bee Day, and painted murals on campus. In addition, we encourage students to enter various drawing and photography competitions in national and international spaces.

EXHIBITION OPPORTUNITIES

We curate an annual exhibition of our Grades 5 – 11 student artworks together with the Girls' Preparatory School. We also host a Grade 12 exhibition where we celebrate students’ ÍEB examination work. Both exhibitions are open to our immediate and extended communities. Further, we encourage students to enter various drawing and photography competitions in national and international spaces where they might be offered the opportunity to exhibit their work on public platforms. The RMB-sponsored billboard at the St Stithians College Bishop Malinga gate, as well as the School Magazine, are also important platforms for students to feature their work.

EXCURSION AND ARTIST VISITS

We visit key local exhibitions at South Africa’s top galleries and art fairs throughout the year, such as Everard Read Gallery and the RMB Latitudes Art Fair. We also regularly host artists in the classroom and collaborate alongside professional artists in-studio – our annual excursion to the Artist’s Proof Studio in Houghton is extremely popular.

CLUBS AND SOCIETIES

CHESS CLUB

The Chess Club meets twice weekly and is open to all students interested in sharpening their skills, whether they are beginners or experienced players. New members are always welcome to join in the fun and strategy. In addition to chess, we offer a variety of board games, providing a relaxed and enjoyable environment for students to socialise and unwind.

INNOVATION CLUB (ROBOTICS)

This club is a synergy club with the Boys’ College. It combines the fields of engineering and computer science and is a growing club promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

SAINTS STRIDERS

A running / walking club on our beautiful campus. This is a very popular club that runs the Saints ring road during the week and enter road running and Park Run events on weekends.

ORATORY

PUBLIC SPEAKING

Public speaking involves students delivering a speech or presentation to an audience. Students learn to convey information, ideas, or arguments in a clear and engaging manner. Public speaking offers numerous benefits such as confidence building, communication skills, leadership development, critical thinking and empowerment. These skills are particularly valuable in an all-girls school setting, where fostering a supportive environment for young women to thrive and lead is crucial.

• Confidence Building: It helps students develop self-assurance and poise, which are essential for personal and professional success.
• Communication Skills: Enhances their ability to articulate thoughts clearly and persuasively, a vital skill in any field.
• Leadership Development: Encourages leadership qualities by providing opportunities to take initiative and influence others.
• Critical Thinking: Promotes critical thinking and the ability to organise and present ideas logically.
• Empowerment: Empowers young women to voice their opinions and advocate for themselves and others, fostering a sense of agency and empowerment.

These skills are particularly valuable in an all-girls school setting, where fostering a supportive environment for young women to thrive and lead is crucial.

Teachers involved in the Oratory Club:

Grade 8 - Ms Thembekile Mncwango

Grade 9 - Ms Necia van Vuuren

Grade 10 - Mrs Meagan van Heerden

Grade 11 - Ms Anne' du Plessis

Grade 12 - Ms Tebogo Maneli

The main focus for the Oratory Club is in Term 1 when the Girls' College participates in the High School Public Speaking Competition run by the Speech and Drama Guild (SA) between February and March. The categories:

• Prepared Panel Speaking (4 students)
• Impromptu Panel Speaking (4 students)
• Trophy Team (3 students between Grade 11 and 12)
• Individual Best Speaker (1 student in Grade 11 or 12)

From these students, in Grade 10 and 11, four will be selected to represent the Girls' College at the National Individual Debating and Public Speaking Competition held in September annually. (Experience in debating is advantageous). The categories:

• Prepared Public Speaking
• Unprepared Public Speaking
• Debating
• Prepared Interpretative Reading

MUN CLUB

The Model United Nations (MUN) club is for students who are passionate about global issues and diplomacy. It is open to students from Grade 8 to 12. At MUN, you'll step into the shoes of ambassadors, tackling real-world problems through engaging simulations of United Nations conferences. Develop your public speaking, negotiation, and leadership skills while expanding your global perspective. Whether you're a seasoned delegate or new to international relations, this is a great club for acquiring new skills and fine-tuning research skills.

DEBATING

Debating is where students create a structured argument in which they present and defend their viewpoints on a particular topic. Some benefits include developing critical thinking, research skills, listening and respecting opposing views, and logical reasoning. Debating is a powerful tool for personal and intellectual development, equipping individuals with valuable skills.