Term 3 has been packed with many challenging and exciting events. Our students have celebrated, developed and excelled in many areas. Our staff have worked hard to keep making Inanda the special place it is. Many visitors have come and experienced our campus and the exceptional people who live and work here. And we have a new principal.

 Farewell Kim Simons-Thebe, "welcome" Thembi Ndlovu

Perhaps the biggest news this term was the departure of Kim Simons-Thebe after serving as principal for nearly two years. The school bade an emotional farewell to Kim at a special chapel service, and the staff also held a special tea. While we were sad to see Kim go, we were also happy to welcome Thembi Ndlovu as our new principal.

Sports Festival

Early in the term, we hosted our inter-school sports festival. After a welcoming ceremony, which included an inspiring talk by guest speaker Tanya Price, the games began. The schools who participated were:

• Queensburgh
• Northlands
• Danville
• Our Lady of the Rosary

The various codes were: Hockey. Soccer, Netball, Courtball, Basketball and Shumpu. Several classes sold food as part of their fundraising efforts. 

isiZulu Week

During isiZulu week, each grade had an opportunity to present their appreciation of isiZulu to the whole school. We were treated to drama, music, poetry and dance all of which provided a lyrical and vibrant series of events.

67mins of service for Mandela Day!

We started our day with a special assembly before moving on to our Grade-specific tasks! What a brilliant day. 

We made thank you cards for the service providers around us, as well as Christmas cards for the communities-in-need that we spend time with. A vegetable garden was prepared. Pillows were sewn. Awareness posters were made. Food Parcels packed, and pre-loved clothes sorted. It was great to have staff from different departments join in too! Happy Birthday Tata Mandela!

Heritage Day

The Heritage Day celebration was a high-energy, colourful occasion as the various performers showcased their skills and celebrated cultural heritage through dance, music and poetry. It was also a chance for everyone to participate through dressing up. 

Grade 11 - Leadership Camp at Spirit of Adventure

Our Grade 11s went to Spirit of Adventure for a leadership course. It was an incredible experience, filled with fun, learning and stepping out of our comfort zones! We have no doubt that the lessons that they learnt will stand them in good stead as they prepare for their Grade 12 leadership responsibilities. 

Grade 9 visit to Durban Holocaust & Genocide Centre

Our Grade 9s had a reflective and educational morning at the Durban Holocaust & Genocide Centre Centre, followed by an URBAN DURBAN tour. 

Grade 9 Stay-Awake Night

A new event on the calendar was the Grade 9 Stay-Awake night. A whole night of fun was spent playing games, watching movies, chatting, eating, etc. Teachers took turns staying awake with the Grade 9s. 

Grade 8 Trashin Show

Our Grade 8s worked on up-cycling plastic and other recyclable materials to create outfits for their fashion show. 

 Grade 8 - Bird Park and Mangroves

The Grade 8s made the annual trip to Bird Park and the Mangroves. They experienced the entertaining and informative Bird Show, and go to see close up the many varieties of birds. From there they proceeded to the Mangrove reserve near the mouth of the uMngeni River. After a talk, the students were guided around the park and experienced the many fascinating aspects fo this unique ecosystem. All in all, the trip was very educational in terms of highlighting the need for conservation of the many precious species seen and experienced, as well as being a vivid opportunity to see biological adaptation at work. 

eThekwini Township Robot Olympiad

We're excited to be participating in eThekwini Township Robot Olympiad, a challenge which aims to incorporate science, technology, education and robotics. The aim is to develop and foster students' creativity and problem-solving skills through robotic innovations in line with the Sustainable Development Goals and with the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In preparation for the event which takes place at the end of October, students attend workshops and are paired with mentors from a variety of engineering disciplines in order to make their sustainable development innovations come to life. You’ll even see in one of the pictures a message coded by our members through the use of Arduino/LCD... ‘We Love Inanda Seminary’. Together with Smartipants Technologies, their projects were on show at the Durban Business Fair (DBF) at the Durban ICC and Exhibition Centre.

Mahle F1 in Schools Challenge

After much hard work and demanding preparation, two 6-member teams of Grade 8s made it to competition day of the Mahle F1 in Schools Challenge, held at the Pavilion Mall. Our girls did us proud through their persistence and determination in getting to race day. Their spirited participation made the whole event come alive, and their excellent interaction with the judges was most praiseworthy. In the end, Team Powerglide came 2nd which was quite an achievement considering our girls were competing against Grade 9s, and that it was the first time we had entered the competition. They also won a prize for the best-engineered car. But over and above that, Inanda Seminary was the winner as our girls were particularly praised for their whole-hearted engagement and their generous support of all the teams. 

Dance Sport School League

 Anele Gwambi and Philasande Ndungane (Grade 12) made the provincial team for DSSL. They thoroughly enjoyed representing KZN in Saldana Bay in the Western Cape.

EdTech Summit Africa

Inanda Seminary hosted one of the annual EdTech Summit Africa events. Presenters from USA, SA and other African countries inspired a group of about 100 teachers from schools in Durban with various talks and workshops. Many of Inanda's teachers took part, and Ms Thango, Ms Ncanana, Mr Alimange and Mr de Lisle presented workshops.

Acorn Education Visit

Acorn Education posted: “Members of our team - Anco Booysen and Braam de Villiers – visited Inanda Seminary in Inanda, KZN earlier this week. They learned about the importance of student and teacher voice, how the values of the school drive the mission and vision, and the wonderful opportunities that new relationships and partnerships bring.” 

BESET Visit

This was posted by BESET: This past weekend we undertook a walk that had been on the cards for well over a year. Nestled deep in the heart of Inanda the Inanda Seminary School for Girls has been home to some of the most renown female minds South Africa has seen for over 150 years. Included among their many incredible alumni are the 1st black female Social Worker, 1st Black Female teacher and 1st Black Female doctor to name a precious few. They also conduct more outreach programs into the surrounding communities every month than most NGOs could tackle in half a year. It's truly next-level stuff and left us all filled with a great sense of pride and awe. It was an incredible morning spent with some truly remarkable young ladies. Here are some snaps by our own @daneforman of our BESETwalk that day. Thanks to all those who joined us and to the Seminary for hosting us with such grace.