21st Century Vision for Growth and Development

Photographic competition winning photograph: Bedford Court from the Rose Garden, taken by Zamalisa Mdoda (Class of 2012)

• 2022 First woman and first person of colour, Mrs Yolisa Pasipanodya, appointed to chair the St Andrew’s Board

Overview

In 2022, as the school marked 120 years of history and prepared for its next chapter, there were also changes to the St Andrew’s board as several members completed their terms and handed over their responsibilities.

Mrs Yolisa Pasipanodya, chair of the board from 2022

Ms Kate Paterson, deputy chair of the board from 2022

After six years of dedicated service as chairman, Mr Dave Morris retired from the board. Mrs Yolisa Pasipanodya (née Links, Class of 1992) became the first woman and first person of colour appointed to chair the St Andrew’s board. Joining her, Ms Kate Paterson (Class of 2004), took up the role of deputy chair.

The two women are excited to be part of the team leading St Andrew’s into its next decade, while keeping the BIG CAT values and the school’s strategic visions front and centre.

Enduring relevance

Mrs Pasipanodya believes that the secret to St Andrew’s longevity is its intentional focus on ensuring its continued relevance. This, she says, is a fine balance: evolving where necessary to stay abreast of changing times without jumping on every fleeting fad or trend. The other important ingredient is resilience and how the school and its community have chosen to act in the face of tough times.

Ms Paterson says something else that has set St Andrew’s apart is its physical location – not only its magnificent campus, but the fact that it’s slightly further from the centre of Johannesburg. She explains, “That means people come to the school from different communities: there are students from central and northern Johannesburg, but also from the east and the south. This means there’s more diversity in the community.”

A school that’s skilled for the future

“Back in the day, many of the issues schools are dealing with weren’t as overt as they are now, between social media and COVID-19 and all these sorts of things,” says Mrs Pasipanodya, who has experience in communications and school governance. “It’s become much more intense. When I speak to teachers and to the heads of the schools, I just realise it’s such a different job description to earlier years. It’s changed quite dramatically. As board members, I believe our job is to be very strategic in how we support them. We should not meddle operationally, but make sure that there’s a council of sage advisors available to help keep St Andrew’s at even keel.”

She adds that it’s increasingly important for board members to understand the educational and societal landscape and to embrace best practice and learning from the successes and failures of other schools to successfully navigate the future. “We need to have a forward-thinking and holistic outlook,” she says.

Ms Paterson, a lawyer with a special interest in education law, says her work with school governing bodies and observing her father’s work as a school principal have taught her some lessons in handling crises. “There’s so much to think about at the moment,” she says. “With many race, gender and other identity issues having come to the fore at the same time as the COVID-19 pandemic and environmental crises, there’s so much that young people have to deal with. As a school, we need to guide them, but also allow them to blossom on their own, and to come up with their own ideas about how they’re going to make their way in the world. Thankfully, the current executive team is fantastic.”

She loved her school experience and hopes that everyone involved in the St Andrew’s community can help to deliver similarly positive experiences to future generations of students.

“I feel it’s such an amazing time of your life when you can discover so much about yourself. Especially in a school like St Andrew’s, there are so many different options available to you to really do anything, be anything and find what your strengths are, without having to be a particular way,” Ms Paterson enthuses.

Mrs Pasipanodya agrees, noting that often it’s the small, everyday experiences that become the most treasured school memories. “I was a boarder at St Andrew’s and the things I remember are the midnight feasts, the reading under the covers, when they have a fire drill and you have to exit in orderly fashion, but coming back in is another story and pulling little pranks. Those are the things I remember.”

Mrs Ivanka Acquisto says her vision for the next stage in St Andrew’s journey is to retain the best aspects of the school’s heritage, unlearn where necessary, work to address historical imbalances, and to establish a school of hope and dignity.

“The journey and the way we walk together is as important as the destination.” Ivanka Acquisto, executive head, 2017–present

As the St Andrew’s community celebrates 120 years of pioneering history, progress, tribulation and triumph, and looks toward what the future may hold, the path may not always be easy, but it will be guided by the ideals of balance, integrity, grace, community, accountability and trust. The journey will continue, together.

Drone photograph of the whole school gathered for the annual Harvest Festival and Africa Day celebration in 2022, taken by Mr Dave Milner