Discussions are held with some Representative Council of Learners (RCL) members with regards to hair rules.
August: ‘Implicit Bias’ workshop by Dylan Wray and Roy Hellenberg is attended by the Deputy Principal (Pastoral) (through the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship based at UCT).
A decision is made to bring the ‘Implicit Bias’ workshop to the RGHS staff.
Policy Update: The school’s Procurement Policy is updated to include support for the principles of BBBEE and to include BEE Status as a compulsory criterion for all tender processes.
January: All staff attend a full day ‘Implicit Bias’ workshop run by Roy Hellenberg and Dylan Wray.
Ongoing discussions are held between the Senior Management Team (SMT) and Dylan Wray.
April: Policy Approval – SGB approves the Recruitment Policy, with a formalised commitment to “the spirit, objectives and provisions” of Employment Equity legislation. As a result, staff appointments in 2018 and 2019 average 57% POC.
November:Dylan Wray presents a short version of the ‘Implicit Bias’ workshop as part of the SGB visioning workshop which is attended by the SGB, RCL members and a few other staff members.
A new management structure is implemented with more positions on a rotational basis (this ensures that as the diversity of staff changes so can that of the Management Team).
The History section on the school website is updated.
20 April: All staff attend a second ‘Implicit Bias’ workshop.
20 – 21 April: Approximately 30 staff volunteers, as well as the Deputy Principals and the Principal are trained as Early Adopters to equip teachers to run the Dialogue Days.
25 April:Whole School Dialogue Day is run by Dylan Wray and Roy Hellenberg with guest speaker Jonathan Jansen and past learners from RGHS and other schools, forming a panel discussion. Staff either facilitate discussions or observe. For more information, see articles on the ‘A School Where I Belong’ website here and here.
June: Early Adopter Teachers, Deputy Principals and the Principal receive follow-up training.
July: All staff attend a follow-up workshop with Dylan Wray and Roy Hellenberg.
August: The first Dialogue Day Assembly is run by the RGHS Transformation Team on the topic of Privilege.
October:‘A School Where I Belong’ book launch is hosted by RGHS. All parents and teachers are invited.
November: Past learners are invited to attend mini workshops/meetings with the volunteer staff and the Transformation Team.
Representatives of the Transformation Team meet with ‘Parents for Change’ (a group of parents predominantly from Rustenburg Girls’ Junior School).
Academic and sport scholarships are removed – funds are re-allocated to academic bursaries specifically reserved for black learners, according to financial need.
Rustenburg is used as a case study for two Masters researchers:
Anouk Severin (Erasmus Mundus) explored the views of students and members of the SGB on issues of diversity, inclusion and transformation.
Natasha Skoryk (UCT) explored discourses in the South African English literary classroom by examining how both Shakespearean and African setworks were taught.
9 January:Learners (from Grades 9 – 12), volunteer staff facilitators and form teachers take part in a Values discussion.
10 January: ‘A School Where We All Belong’ workshop takes place as part of Grade 8 orientation week.
15 – 16 January: At the new parent and matric parent and learner meetings, the Deputy Principal (Pastoral) talks about the school’s transformation journey and a guest speaker talks about white privilege and transformation in schools.
22 January: At the Grade 9 parents evenings, the Deputy Principal (Pastoral) talks about our Transformation journey.
23 January:At the Grade 11 and 12 parents evening, the Deputy Principal (Pastoral) talks about our Transformation journey, and an introduction is given by The Social Literacy Conversation regarding a University Preparation seminar for parents and learners.
11 March: Some parents and learners attend the Social Literacy Project parent and learner evenings with the topic “Post Rhodes Must Fall Universities”.
15 March: A new Founders’ Day format is introduced. The national anthem replaces the school song.
4, 11, 23 April: Term 2 Dialogue Day – Implicit Bias. All teaching staff are involved as presenters, facilitators or observers.
Assembly
Dialogue Day
Multi-purpose lesson
7 May: The “Walking Tall” Educational Theatre production is performed during the school day – the story of life on earth from its early beginnings to the present day – using physical theatre to cut across language and cultural barriers, and to explore complex subjects like human evolution and the origin sciences.
9 May: “My Father’s Coat” – an evening production of South African stories seen from different viewpoints is hosted at Rustenburg.
21 May: The Governing Body HR committee meets with the Transformation Team to discuss the survey on transformation and the results of a general climate survey done by Cebano.
10 June: First open staff discussion
13 June: Second open staff discussion
June: Completion of survey
11, 18, 30 July:Term 3 Dialogue Day – Judgement Day. All teaching staff are involved as presenters, facilitators or observers.
Assembly
Dialogue Day
Multi-purpose lesson
Second Multi-purpose lesson: Feminism discussion
19 July: All staff attend a Climate Survey feedback session facilitated by Cebano.
8 August:All staff attend a workshop by Cebano facilitating staff discussions on findings from the Climate Survey.
29 October:Term 4 – Multi-purpose lesson on Gender-Based Violence
January: Grade 8 learners attend a workshop, ‘A School Where We All Belong’, as part of Grade 8 orientation week.
11 February: Parents, learners and staff are invited to attend an evening presentation with Lovelyn Nwadeyi on Racial Literacy
20, 24 February, 5 March:Term 1 Dialogue Day – Race and racism in schools & society
Assembly – led by four matric students
Dialogue Day
Follow-up discussion
No academic or sports scholarship – all successful Black applicants invited to apply for means-tested financial aid for 2021 admissions.
June:The Matrics of 2020 stage a protest and hand over a document of demands, in response to social media comments from past and current pupils (in reaction to the school’s support of the Black Lives Matter movement on social media) regarding incidents of racism at Rustenburg. The school management gives verbal and written feedback in response.See Grade 12 demands feedback document distributed to all parents, learners and staff.
Rustenburg school management gives written feedback to Rustenburg Alumnae demands document/s. (distributed to all Rustenburg Alumnae). See feedback here…
June – August: Black Lives Matter – debrief in classes as part of each grades orientation day (as they return to school during COVID-19 pandemic).
13 August: Brave space coaching with Lovelyn Nwadeyi (based on the book White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo) with some members of management.
17 – 18 August: Two-day Racial Literacy Study group session with management – Lovelyn Nwadeyi and Nolwazi Tusini.
19 – 20 August: Two-day Racial Literacy Study group session with all staff – Lovelyn Nwadeyi and Nolwazi Tusini.
3 September: “Brave space” coaching with Lovelyn Nwadeyi (based on the book White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo) with some members of management.
16 September: An online parent engagement meeting, to discuss the steps the school has taken since the Grade 12 call to action and to invite parent feedback regarding transformation at Rustenburg, is facilitated by Lovelyn Nwadeyi. Minutes of this meeting are distributed to the parent body in early October.
29 September:After discussions with learner, staff and parent representatives who attended the Visioning and Mission workshop in January, the new Vision and Mission statement is approved by the SGB.
30 September: Heads of College are announced. Staff express their disappointment in the lack of diversity in the new team.
8 October: Concerned staff meet to discuss the lack of diversity in the new School Leadership Team.
12 October: A working document from the concerned staff meeting is sent to Management.
14 October: A space to talk is offered to the staff; Management listens.
16 October: A survey is sent to staff to receive input.
20 October: Management gives feedback to the staff.
21 October: A final document from the concerned staff meeting is sent to Management.
23 October: Management and representatives from concerned staff meeting meet to discuss the document.
9 November: An open workshop discussion about the new Post Level 2 (PL2) position (overseeing transformation processes at Rustenburg) is held.
25 November: Session 4 of Brave space coaching with Lovelyn Nwadeyi (based on the book White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo)
11 December: A PL2 job description meeting open to all staff members is held.
14 December: A further PL2 job description meeting open to all staff members is held.
1 January:New Executive Leadership Team introduced. (this team has been expanded and, as a result, is now more diverse).
11 February: Advertisement for the PL2 position is placed in the vacancy list and on our website.
16 February: ‘A School Where All Belong’ workshop as part of Grade 8 orientation week.
15 & 24 March: Some members of the Leadership Team attend sessions onBrave space coaching with Lovelyn Nwadeyi (based on the book White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo).
29 March:Some members of the Leadership Team and Governing Body attend an Insights evening with Lovelyn Nwadeyi (feedback received based on work with RGHS)
6-7 April: Two-day professional development session with L&N Advisors
14 April: Parent Racial Literacy Webinar with L&N Advisors
22 April: Shortlisting for PL2 position with Transformation focus
4 May: Interviews held for PL2 position with Transformation focus
24-31 May: Learner sessions on Racial Literacy and Genderwith L&N Advisors
18 June:Staff Webinar on Gender with L&N Advisors
11 August: Staff workshop on Teaching Social Justice with L&N Advisors
1 September: A member of staff is promoted to HOD: Transformation. The role’s core purpose is transformation, communication (on transformation initiatives), and creating opportunities for the personal development of all learners and staff in the school.
14 September: Online Parent Workshop facilitated by Lovelyn Nwadeyi titled: “Questions on Identity – Conversations your child wished you’d had with them when they started high school”.
17 September: Grade 11 Leadership workshop facilitated by Lovelyn Nwadeyi
20 October: Some members of the Leadership Team and Governing Body attend an Insights evening with Lovelyn Nwadeyi (feedback received based on work with RGHS)
October:The process to rename houses starts:
Learners brainstorm new house names in form classes
Learners take their ideas to the RCL and House Naming Committee shortlists ideas.
December:The school votes for the new house names.
Constellations (star formations) visible from Southern Africa wins the majority of the votes.
The results are communicated to all stakeholders: learners, parents and staff.
20-21 January: ‘A School Where All Belong’ workshop as part of Grade 8 orientation week
4 February: The new school song is sung for the first time at the 128th Birthday Assembly
21 February: International Mother Language Day Assembly. The goal was to promote awareness of our linguistic and cultural diversity and to celebrate the languages of learners and staff.
22 March: Dialogue Day 1. Theme: Human Rights. This is a platform for learners to engage with their peers. They have the opportunity to voice their opinions about various social issues. This time the conversation was around human rights.
May: The new Transformation Equity and Belonging (TEB) Committee is formed. The committee comprises various stakeholders (learners, educators, support staff, parents and alumnae) who make up the Rustenburg community. Working groups that will be driving the transformation process within this umbrella body, will be focussing on the following: (1) Academic Curriculum; (2) Staff Recruitment, Retention and Wellness; (3) Learner Admissions, Engagement and Wellness; (4) Heritage, Culture, Signs and Symbols.
5 September: Dialogue Day 2. Theme: Identity. The purpose with this session/theme was to explore cultural, racial, social and gender identity. This was an opportunity for creating awareness, share information, getting to know our peers, respect diversity and listen for change.
20-21 January: ‘A School Where All Belong’ workshop as part of Grade 8 orientation week
21 February: International Mother Language Day Assembly. The goal was to promote awareness of our linguistic and cultural diversity and to celebrate the languages of learners and staff. The focus in this assembly was on the co-tutors (non-academic staff).
22 March: Dialogue Day. Theme: Human Rights.This is a platform for learners to engage with their peers. They have the opportunity to voice their opinions about various social issues. On 13 March the Grade 9’s held a Human Rights Day Assembly. Our dialogue day strived to further the discussion that the grade 9’s introduced in their assembly. It gave the whole school the opportunity to be part of the discussion.
12 September: A school badge update project is set in motion with a survey sent to all stakeholders – learners, staff and alumnae.
18-19 January: ‘A School Where All Belong’ workshop as part of Grade 8 orientation week
21 February: International Mother Language Day Assembly.
6 March: Child Protection Week Assembly
11 March: Dialogue Day. Theme: Implicit Bias.
19 March: For the first time in the history of the school, a woman was elected as SGB Chairperson. Significantly, they are also the first woman of colour to lead our Governing Body.
