The importance of developing girls’ talents in a wide variety of activities has been well documented. St Mary’s supports the hidden curriculum by offering many co-curricular activities. Most of these incur additional costs for parents.
Junior Primary co-curricular activities programme
School-based activities (no cost involved)
Sport
Term I | Term II | Term III |
Swimming | Netball | Athletic / swimming |
Tennis | Hockey | Tennis |
Diving | Tennis | Diving |
Rhythmic gymnastics | Rhythmic gymnastics | Rhythmic gymnastics |
Squash | Squash | Squash |
| Netball | Soccer |
Culturals
A variety of cultural activities are offered, including, chess, coding club and creative club. The activities may vary from term to term.
Music
St Mary’s encourages the girls to develop their musical skills. Grades 2 and 3 girls are all part of the Singing Angels and they rehearse during school hours. The Grade 2 and Grade 3 pupils have a 30-minute small group instrumental music time where they are exposed to various instruments on a termly rotation. The instruments range from violin, cello and guitar in Grade 2 to flute, recorder and clarineo in Grade 3. This is free of charge and happens during class music.
Junior Primary
Singing Angels (all Grade 2 and Grade 3 pupils)
String Ensemble (open to all Grade 1 – 3 pupils who take violin lessons)
Grade 3 Marimba band
Grade 2 Drumming Circle
Senior Primary co-curricular activities programme
School-based activities (no cost involved)
Sport
Term I | Term II | Term III |
Swimming/hockey, netball | Hockey | Athletics/swimming |
Tennis | Netball | Tennis |
Squash | Diving (dry land training) | Squash |
Diving | Rhythmic gymnastics | Diving |
Water polo (Grade 5) | Squash | Water polo (Grade 5) |
Rhythmic gymnastics | Tennis | Rhythmic gymnastics |
Rowing (Grade 7) | ||
Soccer |
Culturals
The teachers offer the girls a number of activities in which to participate. Some of these vary from term to term. Activities include environmental club, chess, embroidery club, literature club, creative club, SOCS (Sisters of Christ Society) Afrikaans fun reading, IT coding and study skills.
At St Mary’s we take the environment seriously. The Green Thinkers, the Junior School environmental club, was founded in 2009, with meetings once a week and the aim to encourage the girls, the school and parent body to take care of the environment. Important environmental days are highlighted, and the reuse and recycling of waste encouraged at school and at home.
The focus of the chess club is to promote chess awareness, develop the girls’ thinking skills and encourage them to play chess for enjoyment. The girls participate in inter-school league matches regularly. The Junior club participates in one friendly inter-school match per term. St Mary’s hosts monthly chess matches against Vuleka School. The Chess Academy provides interactive chess sessions.
Music
Senior Primary girls have the opportunity to join the Senior Primary choir, marimba groups, the Junior orchestra and the chapel band.
Tuition is offered in piano, classical guitar, violin, cello, flute, clarinet, saxophone, recorder, trumpet, drumkit, harp, ukulele, electric guitar and voice. If other instruments are requested, teachers can be sourced. The department subscribes to the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music and enters girls in the May and October examination sessions. Programmes are structured to suit the individual and entry into examinations and Eisteddfods are carefully considered, taking into account personality and ability.
Senior Primary
Senior Primary choir (open to all Grade 4 - 7 pupils)
Chamber Choir (by audition open to all Grade 4 – 7 pupils)
Junior School orchestra (open to all Grade 4 – 7 pupils who take lessons in their instrument)
Marimba band (open to all Grade 4- 7 pupils)
Chapel band (open to all Grade 4 – 7 pupils who take lessons in their instrument)