At Union Preparatory School, Graaff-Reinet’s recent 𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗭𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗖𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗬, SGB Chairperson Mr Justin Kingwill delivered a stirring address that beautifully captured the spirit of the Union community – a message of pride, gratitude and shared purpose.
Reflecting on a year of 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘵𝘩, 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺, Mr Kingwill celebrated the achievements of learners who have excelled across academics, sport and culture. He commended the collective effort of parents, teachers and learners in upholding the school’s reputation for excellence, describing Union Preparatory as “𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 – 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘤 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘢𝘧𝘧-𝘙𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘵.”
He paid heartfelt tribute to the school’s remarkable 2025 fundraising successes, acknowledging the tireless efforts of parents, staff and community members whose contributions made several important projects possible.
Among these was the 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳 – a major accomplishment made possible through teamwork, perseverance and generous community support. Mr Kingwill expressed particular gratitude to Montego Pet Nutrition for their continued partnership and investment in the school’s future.
In his address, Mr Kingwill also reflected on the school’s sporting achievements and the renewed emphasis on developing athletic excellence. He highlighted the progress seen across various sporting codes, applauding those who have worked tirelessly to raise standards and provide learners with enriching opportunities to grow both on and off the field.
A central theme of his speech was the importance of 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 – in academics, behaviour and values. He urged parents and the broader school community to stand with the school in reinforcing the principles of discipline, kindness, honesty and respect.
“Excellence,” he said, “is not just about marks on a paper or achievements on the sports field, but about the way we treat others, the way we rise after failure and the way we carry ourselves when no one is watching.”
Mr Kingwill also took a moment to express deep appreciation to 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗿 𝗥𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗛𝘂𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻 for his strong and steady leadership, to the 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳 for their unwavering dedication and to the 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗚𝗕 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 for their continued commitment to the school’s growth. Special recognition was given to 𝗠𝘀 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗮 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝘆𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴, who will retire after many years of dedicated service as school secretary and 𝗠𝗿 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗱 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹, who retires after 25 years of devoted work maintaining the school’s beautiful grounds.
Closing his address, Mr Kingwill reminded learners that every effort matters – whether or not it earns an award – and that true success lies in perseverance, character and courage.
“𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀,” he said. “When we raise children who are grounded in strong values, we’re not just shaping their futures – we’re shaping the future of our society.”
𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.