𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘰 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯, 𝘢 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘱𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴 – 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘸𝘯.
This morning, Union Preparatory School, Graaff-Reinet experienced such a moment as we bid farewell to Mrs 𝗔𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 after twenty-eight remarkable years of service.
It was a morning filled with both gratitude and emotion. From the opening welcome to the beautiful musical tribute by our choir, the programme reflected so much of what Mrs Kingwill herself has given to this school – 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘵𝘩, 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳.
A moving tribute by Mr Hulleman captured what so many have felt for years: that 𝗠𝗿𝘀 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘁 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗮 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗮 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆, 𝗷𝗼𝘆𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀.
Her story is one of extraordinary dedication. Long before Union was fortunate enough to call her its own, she was already living out a life of excellence – whether through her musical talent, her teaching or her service to others. And when she arrived here, she did what she has always done so naturally: she saw opportunities and she created something meaningful from them.
𝗦𝗼 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗼𝗳 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗲𝗿 – from Carols by Candlelight and Music Hour, to Interschools assemblies and countless other much-loved events that brought our community closer together. These were never just events; they were moments of connection and belonging – gifts that Mrs Kingwill gave so generously.
Beyond the events and achievements, it is perhaps her influence in the classroom that will echo the longest. As a Foundation Phase teacher, she shaped the earliest school memories of hundreds of children, nurturing not only their learning, but their confidence and sense of self. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯, 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 – 𝘢 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦.
And woven through it all is the story of a family whose roots run deeply through this school.
Together with Mr Donald Kingwill, whose own years of service helped shape the very grounds we walk on, the Kingwill name has become part of the Union story in the truest sense. From their children who once filled these classrooms, to their grandchildren who do so today, theirs is a legacy that stretches across generations – 𝗮 𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴.
As the assembly drew to a close and our school gathered outside to form a Guard of Honour, there was a sense that words alone could not fully capture what Mrs Kingwill has meant to this community. But in the smiles, the tears, the music and the quiet appreciation, it was felt all the same.
𝗠𝗿𝘀 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗹𝘆. Thank you for the traditions you created, the lives you touched and the love you poured into this school. The Union Preparatory School community is richer because of you – and your legacy will continue to bloom here, just like the Union Schools Rose, for many years to come.
