Photos: Robyn Kirk
On the last day of term, the children of HeronBridge College had more to celebrate than just the holidays ahead.
On 8 August the school hosted a very special Celebration Day on campus. High schoolers were invited to enjoy a special concert featuring world-renowned drummer Danno Petersen, John Tsenoli and some of the cast from the Born To Perform Shine production. The day was combined with a market day hosted by the Grade 9s and the funds raised during the event will go towards HeronBridge’s efforts to feed hungry children in the community.
An added surprise on the day was that Zinah Rose Msimang, a former HeronBridge College pupil herself, acted as emcee for the concert. Msimang now works as a singer, songwriter, writer and radio DJ.
“Today is a celebration, as it is the end of term,” explained Keith Wilke, the head of the college. “This celebration is coupled with a celebration of the diversity we have at this school. On one side we had the entertainment and performers, while on the other we had a market day hosted by the Grade 9s. The funds raised by Celebration Day will go towards our Rise Against Hunger campaign in 2020.”
He added that the school feeds about 800 needy children in the community, and tried to raise about R140 000 a year through similar efforts to fund this outreach. The day was also a chance for the Grade 9s to learn some important skills.
“The Grade 9s will be able to learn some life skills through the market day,” explained Elize Brassell, the head of life orientation at HeronBridge College and one of the many staff members who made the day a success. “They’ll learn skills like how to run a business, how to work with others.
“We want the celebration to be about young adults, and a chance to remind them that they should pursue their dreams and are never limited.”
HeronBridge College will be on holiday for about one month, and during this time the Grade 11s will be undertaking three separate mission trips to help others around the country and in Zambia.
Related article:
