Gruzd makes history as first female head of KDVP

Mandy Gruzd, recently named the first official woman principal of King David High School Victory Park (KDVP), always aspired to be the head during her 16-year journey at the school.

“I didn’t think the role was going to be at this stage of my journey, but it definitely is a dream,” says Gruzd, who has taught history at King David for 16 years while climbing the ranks over that time.

Rabbi Ricky Seeff, formerly the principal of KDVP Primary School and the current general director of the South African Board of Jewish Education, reached out to Gruzd after the selection process for the new principal. “We went from there in terms of announcing that I was going to take over from Mr Andrew Baker,” Gruzd says.

She says she stood out in the selection process due to her many years at the school and her journey with her daughters, also at the school. “I joined the school just before my daughters came here to start Grade R and Grade 1 respectively. My oldest daughter, Lauren, and my youngest, Megan, had very happy and fulfilling years at Victory Park, and it was wonderful to have them with me,” she says.

Born and raised in Greenside, Gruzd says the teaching gene is part of her DNA. She followed in the footsteps of her dad, Leon Lever, in becoming a teacher. Lever also served as the headmaster of the primary school, while her two brothers have gone into some aspects of education.

“Teaching is just part of me, a calling,” Gruzd says. “I loved being the teacher in the games we played growing up. When I was studying at school and university, I always wanted to teach. I also danced – not that I have done that at all over the past 30 years.”

The door opened to a teaching career for Gruzd while she was a student at Greenside High School, having attended Emmarentia Primary School. Bursaries for teaching were being offered to high school students and those interested would go off campus for the day to do some tests.

“My good friend said to me, ‘Let’s go, we’ll get a day off school,’” Gruzd reminisces. “I always smile and tell my classes that I got a day off school, but I’m at school every day! But I wouldn’t have done anything differently.”

Gruzd enjoys working with young minds, especially in the high school space, hearing their perspectives and points of view. “Very often, I learn just as much as I teach every day,” she says.

She started off teaching history at KDVP High School part-time, before taking on the role full-time and being given other opportunities such as becoming head of the history department; a grade head looking after a particular grade each year; and the head of academics.

“I’ve been deputy head of the school for the past nine years plus, so taking on the principal role is a wonderful opportunity to move into a new position at Victory Park,” Gruzd says. In doing so, she follows in the footsteps of former principals such as Eddie Tannenbaum and Jeffrey Wolf.

Highlights of Gruzd’s time at KDVP include the excellent results achieved by past students. “Within my subject, history, we’ve had some really incredible results over the years,” she says. “There was a year that we had eight students in the top 1%.”

Gruzd herself received the World ORT Beatrice Wand-Polak Educators Award a few years ago for her dedication to her profession and for inspiring students to go above and beyond expectation during the lockdown period.

“The awards and the achievements are important, but it’s more about the kind of unique institution that Victory Park is, and being able to help and guide students,” she says. “I love working with both students and staff at the school. They are the best staff to work with because they are so talented and passionate. That’s really why I’ve loved the place so much. I hope to do much more in this space.”

Gruzd aims to build on the school’s traditions and carry on working towards excellence in academics and the many other spheres of school life.

“We’re a strong arts and culture school, so I aim to carry that on as well as focus on sport and ensure that our offerings are strengthened. Also looking to 2025, we’re setting up a new makerspace in which we intend to take creativity to the next level. We’ll be introducing various aspects of 3D printing and coding, robotics, and lots of initiatives regarding exploring the arts, culture, and technology.

“Challenges will crop up, but we have an incredible community with a strong passion for this campus. Many of our children have parents and grandparents who went to the school,” she says.

Gruzd says being principal is a “huge responsibility” as the position is all-encompassing, covering social-emotional aspects, ethics, discipline, and new trends like social media. “It’s an ever-changing position and job. It’s nerve-wracking, but I’ve got a good support team.”

She describes Margie Solomons, who served as the acting head of the school for a few months in 2008 and then between January and May 2011, as an incredible woman and “a special mentor in my journey”.

Gruzd says it’s wonderful that her school and King David High School Linksfield now have women principals, pointing out that both she and Lorraine Srage are history teachers.

Srage says she wishes “Mandy the best of luck as she leads with the wisdom, strength, and vision that no doubt led to her appointment as principal. It’s clear that her dedication and experience in the King David system will continue to inspire and uplift the staff and pupils at KDVP. Wishing her much success in this exciting journey ahead as a principal and leader.”

Gruzd has known Srage for many years, and says she looks forward to continuing to build on the good relationship between the two schools.