OCGG Seniors’ Tea: November 2022

However, looking back now, I can only say, “wow”. What an amazing institution Collegiate is in what it accomplished in that time, and it is because of the following:

• Its rich history of traditions
• Its committed staff – teachers, admin, support staff, hostel staff, security staff
• Its School governors who give of their time and expertise
• Resilience of staff and girls
• Its five values – good work ethic, respect, responsibility, compassion and integrity.

So, what is the Collegiate of today, post-COVID. It is a school with wonderful facilities that are beautifully maintained. It is such a privilege for the girls to learn in an environment that is clean, spacious, with lovely grounds, digital-technologically resourced: wi-fi throughout, data projectors in every classroom, the use of iPads and devices, communication/notices/messages on Teams, notes and books stored digitally. Underpinning and facilitating this, is the extensive investment over a number of years in digital technology which has not only streamlined our systems but is also equipping our learners for the use of digital technology required for their tertiary studies. We continue to be grateful to parents who pay fees diligently, often at great sacrifice, and to the School Governing Body for their good stewardship of the finances of the School which has enabled the realisation of our Digital Technology Strategy.

The sports facilities are kept in tip-top shape and we offer so many sports to cater for every girl – we thus include pilates, cross country, cross training, as well as all the traditional school sports. Girls are trained by outside coaches giving them access to expertise. Cricket is growing and we are already making our mark in this area.

There are many clubs and societies, again offering girls a variety and choice of activities. Music remains part of the backbone of Collegiate. When Collegiate opened its doors (or rather one door to a small number of girls), there was already a Music teacher shipped out from England. We now have six music teachers, as well as part-time specialists for additional instruments. There is a concert band, several ensembles – string, brass, clarinet, vocal – a successful choir. We are however, pressed for space and we have plans to build a Music Centre, alongside the Gym Hall. This is such a need and we will have a world-wide drive to source funds to make it happen. We also have a strong Drama presence and now offer Dance in Grades 8 and 9, too.

Academically, in January 2022, we stood tall when 131 learners out of 134 achieved bachelor passes in the 2021 National Senior Certificate Examination. 31 of the class of 2021 achieved “A” aggregates, eleven learners had a full house of distinctions, and we had a 100% pass rate once more. In addition, one of our girls was placed in top position in the Nelson Mandela Bay District, and another was placed joint second in the Eastern Cape Province.

The Academic Portfolio Prefect initiated the Studying Sisterhood this year. The Studying Sisterhood involves older learners tutoring younger ones, but doing so much more by mentoring and giving guidance on time management, coping with stress and organisational skills. The Grade 11 Academic Leadership Group also conceptualised and organised an Academic Subject Fair for the Grade 9’s ahead of them making their subject choices for the FET phase. It is this type of involvement and innovation amongst our girls that will equip them to succeed in their careers one day, where leadership, creative thought and team work is the order of the day.

We also aim to equip learners to be responsible citizens, to understand the society in which we live, and to question society from a values-perspective. The Simamele Forum, started in 2021, is a forum through which pertinent issues in society can be addressed, discussed and challenged. The Further Studies English Class had the privilege of a visit, workshop, talk by and engagement with Mike van Graan, who is the playwright of “Green Man Flashing” one of the texts that they study. The topic of Van Graan’s talk was the role of the Artist in South Africa and Globally, and Van Graan challenged all to look deeper at issues in our country post 1994. The Debating Society is another vehicle through which critical thought is applied to societal issues and our Debating Team is to be congratulated on winning the Nelson Mandela Bay League.

To be able to read critically, understand current issues, write effectively and apply analytical skills is so important, and the “150 Books for 150 Years” initiative feeds into that. Reading extensively equips one not only to cope with academic work, but also to broaden one’s world. We would like every person in the Collegiate Community to have read 150 books by Collegiate’s 150 Jubilee year in 2024 – I am sure that many of you here would be able to do that with ease.

Service in and for the community remains a deeply-rooted pillar of Collegiate. Each House has also engaged with various projects in the greater Gqeberha society: Queen Alexandra, with the EP Children’s Home; Queen Victoria, with the Yokhusela Haven; Queen Elizabeth, with SANCCOB Wildlife Rescue Service; Queen Mary, with Bet Sheekom – House of Restoration for Women in Crisis; and St Michael and St George, with WESSA, the Wildlife Environmental Society of South Africa.

The Hostel remains an important part of the School. The Waterfield House of today is a luxurious hotel compared to the quarters the boarders had over 100 years ago in Central. A very successful Waterfield House Market was held on the Founders’ Weekend and the funds raised have enabled a revamp of the gardens, the building of a braai pit and the purchase of outdoor seating and tables. It is the fun, the camaraderie, the sisterhood, that keeps Old Girls returning and I am sure that many a special memory will be made in the gardens and around the braai!

Looking forward to future years in the light of the societal and economic situation in our country and the challenges facing the Public Service, it is evident that the sustainability of the School in all areas lies in our hands. Earlier this year, the School Governing Body appointed a Development and Fundraising Officer, with the dual vision of a Foundation Office feeding into the Collegia Trust and a reconnection with as many of our alumnae as possible ahead of the grand old lady’s 150^th Jubilee year.

The planning of the 150^th year is underway and will be the main focus of 2023. We hope that you will all be at the Reunion in 2024 and be part of the year-long celebrations.

On a different note, there have been storms this year that have shaken our community and left scars. We live in a complex society, in a world of shifting perspectives, diverse communities, and instant and far-reaching social media communication. Schools are always microcosms of the greater society and thus we will experience the challenges experienced beyond these walls. As a values-driven educational institution, we must always reflect on how best to make the values of good work ethic, respect, responsibility, compassion and integrity take root in our learners to equip them to make the world around them a kinder, more accepting, more compassionate world, where every action that they take is respectful, inclusive and comes from a place of integrity.

I will read some extracts from my letter for the School Magazine of 2022: The world has demanded much courage from its people this year – from the war in Ukraine, the floods in KwaZulu-Natal, to rising costs and load-shedding – it has not been easy for so many. Within our School, our Collegiate family, there have also been challenging times this year, times when it seemed our values of respect, compassion and integrity, had slipped from sight, and times when we faced varied interpretations and recollections, fueled by misinformation on social media. My fervent wish is that 2023 will be a year of respectful face-to-face discussion without preconceived judgements, resulting in malicious hurt.

However, the privilege of being an educator is to nurture growth, change and development of those in our charge. It is to model courage and respect in our learners; it is to show compassion and to forgive. The reward then comes, sometimes soon, sometimes only years later, when those values and actions become a way of life for learners who were once in the throes of rebellious adolescence.

A further privilege of being an educator is to be part of change, to direct change and to assist change. This year has been a year of changes: we have emerged from COVID-19; we have surveyed all on the school uniform to see if changes were required; we have brought new life to the foyer and former blue area – now resplendent with lighter flooring and learners’ art work up the staircase; we have included positive education as a way of enhancing learners’ well-being; we have sought to improve our communication systems; and we have continued with the heart-work necessary for developing understanding and transformative change.

At Collegiate, times are changing. While we keep the firm foundation of our values and traditions, we also seeking to be a diverse space where understanding flourishes and inclusivity unites us.

My thoughts return to our five values, embodied in the five remarkable women whose images and words grace the wall in the old blue area. In those five values, lies what we need to live lives of significance and success. In those values, too, lies that which we need to make Collegiate united in its diversity, inclusive of all and a place where all feel comfortable in their skins and can be courageous in the community: doing the hard work, being responsible, showing respect and compassion to others and always acting from a place of integrity.

Whilst there have been challenges, when I look back, I don’t see those challenges, I see fun, laughter, sisterhood, unity, camaraderie and fellowship, assigning the challenges and the tail-end of the global pandemic to a position of insignificance.

I felt an immense sense of pride sitting in the quad listening to 600-odd voices of Collegiate girls raise their voices to the heavens as they sang in the 110^th Collegiate Carol Service in November 2022. What an incredibly special and moving experience it was. We can now go forward, knowing that at the heart of Collegiate remains that which is beautiful and wholesome.

Mrs Louise Erasmus
Principal