News Bulletin of 31 December 2025, 8am

Kingsmead College has launched a new Beyond the Classroom programme to strengthen extra-curricular learning. The initiative focuses on learner wellbeing and personal development. The programme includes arts, music, sport, community service, and school tours. Deputy head Elsabe Fourie says skills such as resilience, grit, and stress management are as important as academic success. In response to rising mental health concerns among young people, the programme promotes physical activity, creativity, and community involvement.

From record-breaking runs to community milestones, Bryanston Parkrun has shown that nothing can stop the spirit of Saturday mornings.Despite rain, flooding, heatwaves, and strong winds, the event has never missed a Saturday, thanks to dedicated volunteers and community support. Volunteer Avi Naidoo said the weekly run highlights the heart of the community, with marshals, tail walkers, ward councillors, and local sponsors all playing a role in keeping parkrun going. This year Bryanston hosted 50 events, welcomed more than 40 000 finishers, and saw roughly 900 volunteer roles filled.

The Rotary Club of Sandton is celebrating a year defined by compassion, teamwork, and meaningful community service, guided by its motto, *Service Above Self*.Highlights included a Rotary Fun Day for more than 100 Special Olympics athletes, raising over R80,000 to distribute 850 blankets to vulnerable communities, and refurbishing two classrooms for children from Diepsloot.The club also focused on youth development through its Poetry Competition and the Rotary Youth Exchange Programme, sending one student to Germany and hosting another from France, strengthening creativity, leadership, and global connections.