Our heritage
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Founded in 1874 in response to the need for girls’ education, Collegiate Girls’ High School has evolved from its initial location in Bird Street to the current campus in Parsons Hill where it continues offering teaching and extra-curricular activities through nurturing engagement. As one of the oldest schools dedicated to girls’ education, Collegiate is a reputable educational institution known for its part in learners’ holistic upbringing.
From its inception, Collegiate has steered the changing world unerringly in its commitment to unlocking each learner’s potential for personal excellence, a continuing tradition handed down by those who have served the school. Its headmistresses, teachers and the young minds entrusted into their care, have shaped and will continue to shape the spirit of the school.
Collegiate interacts widely with the communities of Gqeberha. The annual carols service, which has been part of the city’s cultural heritage for over 100 years, is synonymous with Collegiate’s commitment to the Community Chest, an NPO that “believes in investing financial resources and training in the development of active citizenship across all sectors of society”. All learners, through school houses and, from 2022, all clubs and societies, actively support organisations via outreach initiatives. Living the spirit of Facta non verba, this social engagement and the annual Charity Bazaar afford learners opportunities to develop as responsible citizens through service to others.
The active involvement of parents and past pupils, epitomized in the Old Collegiate Girls’ Guild, has enriched the lives of present pupils in the form of facilities, awards and bursaries and the aesthetically beautiful school buildings in which they work and play. This support of the School has also made an invaluable contribution to the success of Collegiate and its ongoing commitment to holding the space for learners to succeed according to their individual potential.
Although the school’s traditions and ethos are based on Christian values and beliefs, there is a full acceptance of and a respect for other religious faiths. Furthermore, Collegiate is committed to creating a school environment that is conducive to each person claiming the right to feel loved and welcome. The five values: integrity, compassion, responsibility, respect and a good work ethic are promoted and ascribed to.
The main building, graceful and dignified, and ringed by gardens and playing fields, encompasses all the academic and boarding facilities in one compact unit. Classrooms are set out around a grassed quadrangle, adjoined by well-equipped laboratories and sound-proofed music rooms.
The renovated De Wet Gray Resource Centre incorporates the Library in a modern space. Two computer laboratories accommodate the subjects Computer Applications Technology and Information Technology. There is also a Consumer Studies lab, and Art and Music facilities. The modern Senior Science Laboratory, erected to mark the 125th Jubilee and named the Jubilee Lab, was made possible by a generous donation from Mrs Gill Gray (Collegiate Old Girl, Matric 1957) and the Allan Gray Charitable Trust, of which she is a founder. In 2017, Collegiate Girls’ High School officially opened its new state-of-the-art resource centre and this was also funded by Gill Gray.
The Ivy Leaf cafeteria with four classrooms above it was built in 2009 and is named the Pam Ellis Wing. The Games Club was opened in 2021 to serve parent functions and be a home for returning Old Girls. The former school shop, the College Girl, has been renovated into a meeting room with a digital audio-visual solution to facilitate virtual interviews and meetings.
While we remember with nostalgia and will celebrate our 150th year in 2024; we also acknowledge the year, 1991, which can be seen as the secondfounding of Collegiate. It is the year that Collegiate’s Management team and then School Committee grasped the opportunity to open the doors to all children of South Africa, to act with integrity, one of our core values, and to start the new journey to becoming a united school of all races where all are comfortable in their skins.
SCHOOL PRINCIPALS OF COLLEGIATE | |
Miss V L Isitt | 1874 – 1886 |
Miss S E A Hall | 1886 – 1889 |
Miss E M Molteno | 1889 – 1899 |
Miss V L Pride | 1900 – 1905 |
Miss E Stevenson | 1906 – 1910 |
Miss W E Anderson | 1911 – 1928 |
PRINCIPALS OF THE HIGH SCHOOL | |
Miss E M Tilley | 1929 – 1939 |
Miss M E Brock | 1940 – 1958 |
Miss J A D Miller | 1959 – 1961 |
Miss R G Waterfield | 1962 – 1969 |
Mrs M F Watson (Acting) | 1970 – June |
Miss J A D Miller (Acting) | July – 1970 |
Mrs V Jenkins | 1971 – 1982 |
Miss P Cameron Ellis | 1983 – 2009 |
Mrs F Biggs (Acting) | 2010 – June 2011 |
Mrs M Bagshaw | July 2011 – June 2020 |
Mrs L Erasmus (Acting) | July 2020 – Oct. 2020 |
Mrs L Erasmus | November 2020 |
Our 2024 Celebrations enriched our heritage:
2024 was a year of celebration. The vision of CELEBRATION and FUTURE LEGACY led to a celebration:
- of all that Collegiate is
- of all who have been through the School
- of all its achievements
- of friendships and connections
and a year of looking to the FUTURE through the legacy we create and leave for the future.
It was with a sense of pride and gratitude that we reflected on the truly magnificent school that Collegiate is, rooted in a community deeply embedded in the heritage of our city, and served by a committed staff team.
The sesquicentennial celebrations began with an Opening Dedication Assembly and Flag-Raising Ceremony and the presentation of 150 commemorative lapel badges, which set the tone for a year of reflection on the school's rich history and legacy.
A wonderful Principals' Cocktail Function was hosted by the principal of the Junior School and the Principal of the High School for staff, past staff, invited guests, fellow principals, departmental officials and other members of the Collegiate and greater Gqeberha community. It was a special event at the start of February, the month in which Collegiate opened its doors in the house in Western Road in 1874.
The Founders’ Week was wonderful with the following events:
- Birthday assembly with 150-decorated cupcakes arranged in the assembly hall
- Nostalgia Night for Old Girls and parents
- Old Girls’ sports matches and reunion dinner
- The Astro on Friday night was buzzing with support for the 1st hockey and netball teams
- Derby Sports on the Saturday
- Founders’ Day Assembly and Flag-Raising Ceremony
- Unveiling of the sculpture "Courage"
- Combined Collegiate Schools’ Prestige Music Concert
We have had numerous projects and initiatives in 2024, covering all pillars of the school:
Community outreach
Our community outreaches were the St Augustine's School Library and reading Project, the 150 Cancer Care Bags Project, the Chefs of the College recipe book, apart from all our usual community outreach projects.
Academic celebration
STEAM Week was one of the key academic events, featuring a series of workshops and talks aimed at promoting science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM). Highlights included:
- NMU Chemistry and Physics lectures for senior students
- iAfrica Robotics and Coding workshops
- E-Sports presentations and the launch of an e-sports club
- STEAM Talks evening and Careers Pop-up
- Trash to Art Fashion Show
- and Microbit coding challenges.
We also held a memorable Literary Festival. Literary Week featured notable authors, storytelling sessions, creative writing workshops, and a reading challenge. Highlights included:
- The opening of the newly renovated St Augustine's Primary School library, a project led by Collegiate students and staff.
- Storytelling and young adult fiction discussions by Izak de Vries and other authors.
- Storytime sessions with CJS Grade 1s
- Various language activities in Afrikaans, isiXhosa, and French
- Literary character dress-up of Old Pots and New Pots.
- The culmination of the 150 books for 150 years reading campaign of the past three years.
- Readathon.
The Arts
We celebrated the Arts with:
- Musical Production of Cinderella, showcasing the artistic talents of the learners.
- The magnificent combined Collegiate Schools Prestige Music Concert on May 12 in the Tramways building. Truly a memorable event, attended by over 800 people attended, and both choirs and bands performed beautifully.
- Jubilee Art exhibition at the Founders’ Day Tea on Founders’ Day.
- The unveiling of the sculpture, Courage, by Old Girl and Past Visual Arts Educator, Sarah Walmsley
- A Master Class by international composer on brass performer, Old Girl, Andrea Hobson
- Still to come, the singing of a specially composed carol for the 150 Jubilee year at the annual Carols Presentation in November
Sport
- Founders’ Derby against rivals Pearson High School and with Grey First Team being the curtain-raiser to the Collegiate Hockey match under the lights on our astro turf. It was also great to have the Junior School play that evening against Clarendon Park Primary, and the following day Netball against Clarendon Park on our courts before the High School First Team.
- The opening of the Southsure Fitness Centre in June, which will soon have a Biokineticist to do strength and fitness training with learners
- Still to come is the quadrangular Spring Sport Festival of under 15 Water Polo, Cricket T20, Tennis and Rapid Chess. This will see over 400 participants from around the country on the campus from Thursday to Sunday this week.
Facilities
Our beautiful campus has been enhanced by the following projects:
- The completion of the Jubilee Walkway has enhanced the aesthetic appeal of the campus, providing a stunning approach to the front entrance. The gardens are beautifully maintained and have been a point of pride during various school events. We are most grateful to the many Old Girls who contributed to the “Build-a-brick” project to make the walkway a commemorative sesquicentenary feature with the beautiful mosaic of our school emblem. We are in the process of having the plaques that will go on the bricks manufactured.
- Courage Sculpture: The unveiling of the Courage sculpture was well-received. The bronze casting will soon be installed in its permanent position, a testament to the school’s values of resilience and bravery.
- Collegiate’s Southsure Fitness Centre: In June, the new Southsure Fitness Centre was officially opened, featuring state-of-the-art fitness equipment. This project is aimed at promoting holistic education, including physical well-being.
- Heated Water Polo Pool: The heated pool now enables winter training under the Bay Barracudas Water Polo Club, part of the Collegiate IVY HUB, with the aim of introducing water polo to primary school players at Collegiate.
- Music Centre Fundraising: The Prestige Music Concert highlighted the exceptional talents of Collegiate’s music department. Fundraising efforts are now focused on building a new music centre to further uplift the arts at Collegiate.
Wellbeing
In the society of today, wellbeing is so important. We have thus had a focus for the past few years on firstly the daily exercise of “In the Flow” when one has six small things to do each day:
- Yesterday’s Best Thing
- Grateful For
- Looking Forward To
- Conscious Kindness
- Compliment Sincerely
- Greet Warmly
Secondly, the PERMA model: Positive Emotion; Engagement; Relationship; Meaning; Accomplishment and thirdly and more recently ASPIRE: Agency; Safety; Positivity; Inclusion; Respect; Equity. This term we had a two week focus on ASPIRE which included speakers, singers, specific topics in Life Orientation lessons, and a voluntary Aspire Pledge, workshopped by the Representative Council of Learners.
We ended the second term with a highly successful Wellbeing Conference, attended by schools from various parts of the country. The keynote speakers, workshops, EXPO and entertainment were excellent Deputy Principal, Sandra Gerber, and her team are to be commended on the organisation of the conference.
Heritage
- We have started a heritage trail in which there are QR codes at various artefacts in the school. If you scan the OR code, you can read the history of the specific artefact.
- History of the School presented in the birthday assembly
- Investment into the digitisation of our archives.
- Canvasses of the development of the school from 1874 to date hang in the OCGG room in the Games Club
- Being awarded Blue Plaque status by the Heritage Association of South Africa.
- We plan to record the events of the year, as well as the Old Girls and Past Staff Stories in a glossy book, (both hard cover and e-copy) for the future
Celebration of Collegiate community
- Celebrating Old Girls’ stories on social media has created much engagement of Old Girls with the school and each other
- Celebrating Past staff stories on social media
- Collegiate Birthday Celebration with Grey High School staff: An informal 150th birthday party was held with Grey High School staff to further solidify the relationship between the two schools.
Our Patron of our 150 Jubilee year:
Professor Thuli Madonsela agreed last year to be our patron for the year. In 2017, learners went through an exercise choosing courageous women who represent our values. Thuli Madonsela was chosen for the value Responsibility, and a canvas of her with the following quote hangs in our main foyer: Those of us who believe in a better world, must be the first to do what is right or needs to be done to achieve such a world.
The programme for Prof Madonsela’s visit was:
Tuesday, 8 October 2024
- Alumnae breakfast for both Collegiate Old Girls and Stellenbosch University Alumni/ae
- Discussion with CGHS Exec on school’s diversity, transformation and inclusivity journey, and tour of the school
- Visit to St Augustine’s Primary School in Central, a school with which we partner and where our learners have been hands-on promoting reading amongst the learners, and renovating the library
- Guest Speaker at the annual Speech Night and Prize-Giving Ceremony.
Wednesday, 9 October 2024
- Panel Discussion with senior learners of Collegiate, Grey and St James Girls’ School
- Dedication Ceremony of the Thuli Madonsela Garden of Reflection where Courage (our sculpture) has been placed
- Lunch and Interaction with the staff
- Inaugural Academic Lecture, open to invited guests and parents of the Collegiate and Grey communities.
