Dear Parents, Guardians, and St Michael’s School Community Members

As the Chairperson of St Michael’s School for Girls, the oldest girls’ school North of the Orange River, I am honoured to address you. Our school celebrated 150 years of Academic, Sport and Cultural excellence this year, 2024. The school is blessed to have the esteemed Headmistress, Mrs Noeline Stumpfe, with her dedicated and organised school management team. The full academic, administrative, contracted and grounds staff equally contribute meaningfully to the health and prosperity of the school. To this team, the Board of Governors is grateful for their continuous and unwavering support to the school.

We have made great progress this year, as we celebrated 150 years, in developing our educational programmes, upgrading our facilities, and creating a welcoming atmosphere for both employees and learners. The organising of the sesquicentennial anniversary celebrations for the school, in various activities, was led successfully by Dr Johan Cromhout, and many other members of the staff, to make it a memorable series of events, amongst others, organising the Old Girls reunion weekend from within the country and abroad. Throughout the year, numerous people including Old Girls, former teachers and friends of St Michael’s graced the different events and activities that were held. What a joy it was to participate in and watch these various activities as they unfolded.

To the Board of Governors, your dedication to the voluntary service provided to the school is greatly appreciated. Your service is a spectacular display of parents having vested and benevolent interest, in the growth and development of the girl child, who grows up to be a contributor in her community and the wider world. The many hours that go into the ordinary and special board meetings, board committee meetings and supportive activities in the school are commendable.

The school owes a great debt to the Harcourt-Vernon Trust, as well as the St Michael’s Trust. A number of projects were planned and successfully executed through the support of the trusts including the entire sesquicentennial anniversary project, which was funded by the trusts. It is worth noting that the school is not entitled to financial support from the trust, the trusts are discretionary. The Board of Governors and the school enjoy the support of the trusts, represented by our own Mr. Mark Webber, the longest serving member of the Board and Trustee of the Harcourt-Vernon Trust. The school owes sincere gratitude to the Department of Basic Education. The school’s circuit manager, Mr. Mokati is our anchor to the powers that be in the district under the leadership of our Director, Mr. Moloi. We recognise and appreciate the support provided to the school by the Department of Basic Education.

To the parents and guardians of our St Michael’s ladies, we thank you for the nurturing and care that you selflessly provide to our ladies. I want to share a lesson in love that was shared by Will Smith, the lesson he learned through his daughter Willow. He said “…the relationship between a parent and a child is likened to the relationship between a gardener and the flower. So, the relationship that a gardener has with a flower is that the gardener wants the flower to be what the flower is designed to be, not what the gardener wants the flower to be. You want the flower to bloom and to blossom and to become what it wants to be, you want it to become what God designed it to be. You’re not demanding that it becomes what you need it to be for your ego, anything other than all of your gifts wide open, giving and nourishing this flower into their greatness is not love…”

I am quoting this message to remind us about the role that God appointed us as parents to fulfil. We are the caregivers and nurturers to full human beings that are a life of their own, as are we! It is upon us to raise our children in the knowledge and love for God, and their fellow children of God. We raise and guide them to be the best version of themselves as they meaningfully interact with the world around them and blossom.

My dear and esteemed parents, let us continue to support our daughters and our beloved school. Let us be there for our children’s milestones in the school but also fulfil our financial commitments regarding our daughters’ education, that in return enables the school to fulfil its mandate and make the school what it is and what it is known to be. It is only through our various contributions, that the school will continue to be the responsible and attractive institution that it is.

ANTE DEUM ASTO

Mr T Nkala   
Chairman of the Board of Governors