History of our School
In 1945, Fr Halloran of the Paulist Fathers, who were at that time the priests responsible for the Blessed Sacrament Parish, Malvern, wrote to the superior general of the Missionary Sisters of the Assumption in Grahamstown, requesting sisters to open a school. Accordingly, on 20 January 1946, Mother Brendanus, Srs Aquin, Colombiere and Gabriel arrived. As neither school nor convent was yet built, the sisters lived briefly with a well-known but somewhat eccentric Catholic lady, and then in the cottage of the Holy Family Sisters in Bedfordview. A loan was raised and work on the school and convent began. Initially the school consisted of the present single storey block of four classrooms and cloakrooms.
The school was officially opened on 28 January 1946 with 67 pupils (boys and girls) and Sr Gabriel as Principal. Classes were held in the parish hall. Each year an additional class was added. In 1953 a double storey block of eight classrooms was added. Once again, some classes had to be held in the hall during building operations. Gradually other property was purchased, providing the present hockey field, and tennis courts; the site of the swimming pool was originally a netball court. The first Matric class was that of 1958.
The standard to which boys could continue at the school changed with the years. The highest was Std 6 in the early 1960’s. Eventually, with the development of St Benedict’s College, it was decided not to accept boys.
The east-facing end of the double storey block was adapted to provide a mini-hall in 2000. Other additions and improvements continued, in particular a very beautiful fountain in the school grounds, and the development of the grotto of Our Lady. In October 2007 the Archbishop of Johannesburg officially opened the new Primary School facilities and music centre. In 2009 the sisters moved out of the convent, and renovations were done to enable the Mathematics and Religious Education Departments to move into the building. A new, modern canteen was opened in the Sisters’ old dining room. In 2014 the building of our new hall started, this was completed in January 2015 and aptly named ‘The Convent Hall’.
Sister Janine was School Principal from 1975 to 1994. In 1995 Mr Neville Workman became the school Principal. Mr Neville Workman retired at the end of 2022, Mrs Anthea Weinerlein was appointed as the new school Principal from 2023.
Bishop D O’Leary (OMI) Blessing of the foundation stone in 1946
First pupils in 1946
Break time 1950
Mr N Workman and Sister Janine past Principal, at the opening of
the new Convent Hall in February 2015.