The Girls' College Academic Awards for the 2021 academic year were held on 26 January. The awards were presented in two sessions to accommodate parent numbers under Level 1 restrictions.

We were honoured to have Mrs Confidence Dikgole from the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa (ISASA) as our special guest. We paid tribute to her for the immense contribution to the Girls' College over the past two years especially. Herewith an extract from Dr James' speech: 

We celebrate and acknowledge the incredible role she has played in serving our school as well as the broader network of ISASA member schools through a most challenging period in our society. Over the course of the last two years Ms Dikgole has spent hours in meetings and negotiations with the Department of Education and the National Alliance of Independent Schools Association, among others. She has worked hard to ensure our school and the ISASA membership remain informed and briefed of the latest Gazettes and educational policies, that at one point almost seemed to change on a weekly basis. Mrs Dikgole is always ready and eager to help, no query is ever too much and she works tirelessly to serve our community. She answers countless phone calls and emails from the ISASA community (and I acknowledge, many are from me)! During the toughest Covid periods, nothing was too much trouble for Mrs Dikgole, she took each challenge in her stride, working with great efficiency, compassion and incredible care for all those within her sphere of influence.

Mrs Dikgole is a remarkable educator and academic, but more than that she is a true servant leader. She is a woman of significance and role model for each one of us. We can draw many lessons from Mrs Dikgole’s example and career path, in that true achievement and success in life are not measured by your academic success, your titles or even your qualifications, but rather through your actions in building others up and using your strengths towards the service of others.  Part of success is how you make others feel.

– Dr Sally James (Head, Girls' College)

Also in attendance were Mr Lebogang Montjane (ISASA Executive Chair), Pauline Jackson (ISASA Regional Director), Celeste Gilardi (Rector), and members of Council, College Exco and the GC PTA. Matriculant of 2021, Cassidy Arendse, was invited to the Awards so that we could recognise her for her outstanding achievement in the 2021 IEB final examinations (see the full 2021 results here). Cassidy achieved an average of 90%, earning her the College's coveted Academic Honours Summa Cum Laude award.

We were privileged to be addressed by Guest Speaker Ofentse Lekwane, an M.Sc Management (Entrepreneurship) graduate who is passionate about empowering youth, making education accessible, disruptive technologies, and social entrepreneurship. Born and bred in Pretoria, she gained most of her working experience with Accenture SA, where she employed her Information Systems education to develop technology solutions for SA’s big 4 Telecommunications companies. She later joined Deloitte Consulting, as Chief of Staff to the CEO. After 6 years in consulting, she followed her dream of empowering young people and making education accessible by joining, a Private Education Group, where she grew to lead Operations for the school’s network in South Africa. Having moved from education to youth unemployment, She currently serves as a Program Manager at Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator and is tasked to unlock learning and earning opportunities for youth.

She is also passionate about disability advocacy and spends some of her time working with various brands – so far Gillette and Nivea - to bring positive light to the narrative around persons living with disabilities, specifically those living with Albinism, a disability she too lives with.

Ofentse spoke to those assembled about authentic relationships, using examples from her relationship with her father to drive home her message.

In addition to Certificates of Subject Excellence and overall Distinction, the following Academic Awards were presented on the morning:

Dux Scholars and Runners-Up

Grade 11

Grade 10

Grade 9

Grade 8

Honours, Colours and Half-Colours

Academic Honours

Academic Honours are awarded for an overall average of 80% or more since Grade 10 or an overall average of 85% or more in the final November examinations.

Academic Colours

Academic Colours and a Distinction Certificate are awarded for an overall average of 80% or more in the final November examinations.

Grade 10

Grade 11

Academic Half-Colours

Academic Half-Colours are awarded for an overall average of 75-79% in the final November examinations.

Grade 10

Grade 11

Congratulations, One and All!