From 7am on 8 January, students and their parents trickled in through Fourways High School‘s gates to collect their results. Teachers chatted while waiting for more students to walk through to the foyer.
Natasha Killassy was the school’s top achiever, with seven distinctions to her name. Her history and mathematics marks were in the 90 per cent range. Her father, Vere Killassy walked in by her side to collect her results, a smile dripping with pride for his youngest daughter.
“We’ve been up since the early hours of the morning celebrating, but the feeling is surreal,” he said.
She nodded in agreement, and mentioned her family would be having breakfast together with her grandfather and going to a friend’s party.
Natasha said, “Time management was something I struggled with since I was secretary of the school.
“I want to go into medicine at Wits University, but I was provisionally accepted in for biomedical as a plan B…It’s why I want to go into medicine. I love helping people. Helping people helps me.”
In terms of getting support from those around her, she said, “I leaned a lot on my friends and family. They helped me through the year. Even in my spare time, I spend it with my friends and family.”
Both daughter and father were later joined outside by Natasha’s mother, Liz Killassy to continue talking to teachers and take photographs.
Andrew Holliday, acting principal and head of academics at the school, said that even though the school achieved a 99 per cent pass rate, it still bodes well for prospective students.
He said that he feels it can be a good thing for a school not to have a 100 per cent pass rate, it still shows learners it is not always possible to pass.
“Obviously one doesn’t want any child to fail, and an individual who doesn’t pass is a problem to us. We don’t want anyone to fail,” he said.
He spoke more on the rate and said, “It’s not only about the pass rate, but the quality of marks is what is important to us. It’s about what can students do after they matriculate, so we place more focus on trying to get bachelor passes.”
He congratulated the Class of 2019 and wished them the best with their endeavours. “We hope all their dreams come true. If they put in all, they will go places.”
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