The Roedean Academy, under the auspices of the Roedean School in Houghton, held a prize-giving ceremony on 14 October to recognise top academic talent coming through the ranks of the academic support programme held at the school.
The Academy is the brain-child of the St. John’s College Academy, launched at the neighbouring St. John’s College in 2008. This project is geared to provide extra academic support to boys who showed promise in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects at their respective high schools.
Roedean School followed suit and launched the Roedean Academy, a donor-funded academic initiative which sees the current crop of 100 Grade 8 to 12 girls from Barnato Park High School in Berea, attend English, mathematics, physical science and accounting lessons from Monday to Friday.
Academy director Sandi McCallum said the prize-giving recognised the dedication and commitment of the learners throughout the year, as they continuously seek to forge a path of success for themselves. She added that she hoped that the girls would, however, learn important lessons during their time at the academy and would one day plough back into their respective communities.
“It is a real privilege to be part of these youngsters’ lives and it brings me so much joy to be able to celebrate their success. I love each step [they take] as they skip down the driveway, love their enthusiasm and ability to find joy and passion towards making a difference,” said McCallum.
“We will keep on inculcating a culture of excellence in our Academy girls to ensure that they are able to enjoy new experiences and become women who can give back to the communities where they were raised.”
Related stories:
Roedean Academy congratulates their girls
