News of the Fourth Term 2024

SUPPORT STAFF:

Our support staff are the unsung heroes of the school and work very hard to keep our environment so beautiful. Support Staff Christmas Hampers have been prepared by Interact from items given by our learners. We thank:

Ms Vivian Mhakana

Ms Thamie Nohana

Ms Khosi Mgubasi

Ms Pam Dinca

Ms Nontembeko Kumanda

Ms Abigail Phiri

Mr Eric Lamani

Mr Simon Makhosi

Mr Luyanda Nozamdze

Mr Dean Mtetwa

Mr Zolani Lali

Mr John Ross Solomon

Mr Aviwe Skere

Mr Lennox Mapapu, our Foreman

We want to commend our learners on collecting all these wonderful items for our support staff. The generosity is highly appreciated, and you are blessed by giving.

CAROLS 

Mr Willis, the CEO of the Community Chest, acknowledged the impact in the greater community that the Carols service at Collegiate has. Our school motto is Facta non Verba and our heart is for the community. Thank you to all for the funds that were generated for Community Chest – through singing Carols or blessing the elderly with your time and efforts at the Algoa Old Age Home and the making of toys. Altruistic service to the community is part of a tradition of 112 years and directly benefits the Gqeberha community through the funds raised.

The amount is R 85-958-30!

GRADE TWELVE HOUSE COMMITTEES

Grade Eleven learners serving on their respective house committees in 2025 are:

QUEEN ALEXANDRA HOUSE COMMITTEE

Captain: Angelica Loyson

Amy-Jade Saayman
Isabella Hendricks
Gemma Bower
Meca Rielly
Katlego Mmolutsi

QUEEN ELIZABETH HOUSE COMMITTEE

Captain: Anna Porter

Yanelisa Nomoyi
Camryn Robinson
Zipho Bavuma
Isabelle Newman
Salizwa Tyakume

QUEEN MARY HOUSE COMMITTEE

Captain: Shanna du Plessis

Yonda Ngongo

Laqhama Qwane

Tanith Brito

Alexa van der Merwe

Elizabeth Horn

QUEEN VICTORIA HOUSE COMMITTEE

Captain: Elizma Ferreira

Aimee Pienaar
Brianna Isaacs

Hailie-Jade Coboza

Jordyn-Leigh Roman

Lauren Labercensie

ST MICHAEL AND ST GEORGE HOUSE COMMITTEE

Captain: Milisa Tukulu

Sebabatso Mochaba

Nia Farrell

Darcey Brown

Andrea Ferreira

Nina Meneguzzo

May you all have a successful year and may you serve your house well. May the best House win!

­­­­­­­­GRADE TWELVE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEES

Each Prefect for 2025 has a portfolio and the Grade Elevens who applied for leadership positions will serve on the committees of the various portfolios and work with the Prefect with that portfolio.

ACADEMIC - Jennifer Friskin

Jennifer will be running the academic portfolio on her own with the support and assistance of the Head Girl.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT - Sinalo Mfecane

Lauren Laberensie

Tylon Beaton

Erin Bowker

Hemali Dullabh

Yonda Ngongo

DIVERSITY, INCLUSIVITY AND TRANSFORMATION - Aqhama Poyana

Sasha-Belle Bonner

Simamkele Greevelink

Lourdes Marais

Qaqamba Timba

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY - Yaanah Davids

Asakhe Ngoma

GRADE EIGHT – Taylor Wilson and Agcobile Magwevana

Tanith Brito

Milani Nhose

Simone de Lange

Cara-Lee Jansen van Rensburg

Nazmira Soomar

Erin Wilson

GRADE ELEVEN - Kaylee Barton

Jordan Pierpoint

Jordyn-Leigh Roman

GRADE NINE - Melanie Djomgoue

Iminathinkosi Tiso

Amy-Jade Saayman

Sebabatso Mochaba

GRADE TEN - Rebecca Coombes

Alexa van der Merwe

Carrie Davis-Taylor

PUBLIC RELATIONS AND MARKETING - Amy Heukelman and Lara Lötz

Madison Hoyle

Erin Pretorius

SPORT – Amy Botha

Yanelisa Nomoyi

Gemma Bower

THE ARTS, CLUBS AND SOCIETIES - Ava Beary

Hannah Campbell

Motheo Chengwe

Camryn Robinson

Amy Bresler

Gabrial Barnes

JUNIOR CITY COUNCIL

Sinalo Mfecane, our senior learner on the Junior City Council, is joined by our new Junior City Councillor, Liyakhanya Speelman.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Tylon Beaton: Travel and Sport Academic Achievers Tour to Ireland and the UK

We would like to congratulate Tylon Beaton for qualifying for the 2024 Travel and Sport Academic Achievers Tour to Ireland and the UK from 18-29 September 2024. The tour to the UK and Ireland was a life-changing experience packed with learning, discovery, and adventure. They visited Dublin, Trinity College, Stratford-upon-Avon, Oxford, and London.

OLYMPIADS

Congratulations to the following Grade Eight participants in the Junior Afrikaans Eerste Addisionele Taal-Olimpiade 2024:

Holly Tudhope

Zara Campbell – who paced second in the Eastern Cape.

Congratulations to Vedhya Jeena in Grade 10 for receiving a Merit Certificate in the 2024 National English Olympiad.

Congratulations to those who participated in the 2024 Junior History Olympiad of South Africa:

Afikile Tyiso

Elizabeth de Kock

Iviwe Dlula

Liyanda Ntsuka

Saarah Ahmed

Silidokuhle Zulu

Bronze Certificates for being in the Top 15%:

Dion Duri

Michaela Mc Kerr

Silver Certificates for being in the Top 10%:

Juliet Naude

Tayla Elliott

2024 SACEE LANGUAGE CHALLENGE PRIZE WINNERS

Congratulations to the following learners on their achievements in the 2024 SACEE Language Challenge. Twenty-nine schools in the country participated in the high school SACEE Language Challenge. 31628 learners wrote the challenge.

Sarah Kruger and Dion Duri both placed first in the country alongside three other learners in Grade Nine. They achieved 98%.

Bronwyn Shone placed first in the country alongside three other learners in Grade Ten. She achieved 100%. Congratulations!

MULTIMOLE Interschools Science Championship

The following to line up:

Emma Price; Jenna Coetzee; Kaylee Hechter; Mieke Wessels; Jennifer Friskin; Maria Freercks; Mikayla Edwards; Shanna du Plessis

Read from separate page

SPORT TOURS

Earlier this term the Water Polo First Team competed in the annual Clarendon Stayers Tournament held in East London. Our First Team played really good water polo throughout the tournament and managed to place third overall.

We would also like to wish all those water polo players competing at Inter-Provincial Water Polo Tournament to be held in East London in December all the best of luck.

We would like to wish the best of luck to:

• Sienna Gous as she represents South Africa in Open Water Swimming Race to be held in Namibia in December.
• Nerissa Primo who will be representing Eastern Cape Tennis at SA Inter-Provincial tournament in January.

Good luck to all our Indoor Hockey players going to Pro-Series Indoor Tournament.

Emihle Mazomba competed in Malaysia for u17 SA Hockey Girls. Congratulations.

SPORT:

We celebrate a wonderful year of sport, and the highlights include:

Collegiate Sport Ranked 5^th in the South Africa’s Top Girls’ Schools ranking by SuperSport.

FAREWELL TO STAFF:

The only thing that is constant; is change. That is not only true when it comes to life, but also when it comes to our staffing body. Opportunities arise and career paths change. One thing is for certain, we are always grateful to the staff that spent their time here; we take the lessons we learn from them, rejoice in the friendships made, and wish them well. Today we will be saying our farewells to four staff members.

In July, Ms Julie-Ann Norton returned to Gqeberha with her Junior School son. She was looking forward to spending many years at Collegiate in the Visual Arts Department. Unfortunately for us, but a blessing for Ms Norton, an opportunity came knocking for her son’s schooling. We are very sad to be losing Ms Norton to Woodridge College, but we understand that necessity for a mother to want the best opportunity for her child. Thank you, Ms Norton, for the difference that you have made in the Visual Arts Department in the short time that you have been here.

Mrs Hedwig van Rooyen

Over the past few years, we have welcomed Mrs van Rooyen, then said farewell to her, then welcomed her again, then said farewell, and for a third time, we welcomed her at this year and are now, once again, bidding her farewell. As stated last year, there’s a saying that goes, "If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it's yours; if it doesn't, it was never meant to be." It seems that Mrs van Rooyen's presence in the staff room is testament to this saying, as she always returns and is meant to be a part of the Collegiate family.

Mrs Hedwig van Rooyen is filled with grace, wisdom, expertise, knowledge of various subjects, and of life. She creates a warm and nurturing environment for her learners, and is fondly known as Granny.

It's clear that Mrs van Rooyen is cherished and valued by her colleagues, as she brings a sense of wicked humour to the staff room and is always welcomed back with open arms.

Dear Hedwig, we appreciate you for all that you do, for stepping in and stepping up with whatever you are tasked to do. We as your Collegiate family will miss you, but we are sure that we will be seeing in our staff room again, even if it is just for a cup of tea and a chat.

With Mrs Taylor being on extended sick leave and subsequently retiring, we were faced with the difficulty of finding a substitute educator to teach the clothing/ needlework practical component of Consumer Studies. Fortunately, retired educator, Mrs Michelle Stark, an accomplished seamstress, was willing to step into the breach and fulfil this role for the year. Mrs Stark, we are most grateful that you were willing to forgo your retirement freedom and do this for the girls of the College. You have quietly slipped in and out of the Needlework room and imparted your passion for dressmaking to the Grades Ten to Twelve Needlework girls. Thank you for all that you have done this year.

FAREWELL TO THOSE LEAVING

To any girls that are leaving Collegiate at the end of the year, we wish you all the best in your new school and hope that you will be happy there and are able to reach your full potential. We thank you for your contribution to this school during your time here.

150 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

The end of the year marks the end of a remarkable chapter in the life of Collegiate Girls' High School—a year that has been nothing short of extraordinary. Together, we have celebrated 150 years of courage, resilience, and excellence. Each learner has been part of history, a legacy that stretches back to 1874 and now propels us into a future filled with promise.

This year has been filled with memorable events that have united the Collegiate Schools, community and old girls worldwide, as well as highlighted the essence of Collegiate. From the unveiling of the Courage sculpture and the Thuli Madonsela Garden of Reflection to the Founders’ Week festivities, sports festivals, Old Girls’ stories and reunions, each moment has added a thread to the fabric of our shared story.

And as we close this special chapter, let us look to the future with hope and determination. The Collegiate of tomorrow rests in your hands, and may the values we uphold—particularly courage, responsibility, and integrity—guide us all as so that we carry this legacy forward.

As we go into the holiday season with its message of peace, and joy, remember kindness, remember compassion, and BE KIND and helpful to all.