Kalk Bay school looks back on 150 years
St James Roman Catholic School in Kalk Bay is celebrating its 150th anniversary on Thursday July 25.
According to the Kalk Bay Historical Association, the school was established in 1874 by Father John Duignam as St James Mission School for the children of Kalk Bay’s fishermen. Later, it moved to St James and was originally located behind the church.
Father Duignam, the school's first teacher, managed the school alone until one of his pupils, Frances Hilario, became qualified to assist. Both were employed by the Cape Government Education Department and ran the school together for nearly 25 years.
In 1900, plans to build a railway station between Muizenberg and Kalk Bay necessitated the relocation of the St James Church. Father Duignam convinced the authorities to name the new station "St James" after his church.
As the local population grew, so did the school.
Pupils of different races attended St James Mission School together. Facing pressure to segregate, Father Duignam sought help from the Holy Cross Sisters, who eventually agreed to establish a private school and manage the Mission School.
In 1908, Father Duignam built Star of the Sea School, which opened with ten pupils and three sisters.
St James Mission School and Star of the Sea coexisted on the same campus for many years. The Mission School's first sister principal was Sister Alphonsus Lynch.
After the sisters took over, Father Duignam continued teaching night classes for poor fisherboys, emphasising English, arithmetic, and Christian doctrine.
During the 1918 flu epidemic, the school served as a hospital.
By 1945, it was clear that more space was needed, and in 1947, St James Mission School moved back to Kalk Bay, where a new building was built, and under Sister Berchmans, the school provided education for the Kalk Bay community and surrounding areas. The Dominican Sisters continued to manage it until 1982 when it transitioned to lay leadership.
"When I look at the role the school has played in the community and which it continues to play, it makes me feel extremely proud to be associated with it,“ said current teacher Dugan Jenkins. ”The fact that it has been around for 150 years is a testimony to the good work being done by the school in the community and in the lives of the learners, both past and present."
Principal Lynette Saunders likened the school to the Biblical Ark, saying: "It has weathered the gale winds of change, transforming from a quiet fishing village to a bustling, quirky tourist haven.
"It has also navigated the violent, churning waves of apartheid, which saw the number of Kalk Bay learners dwindle due to the Group Areas Act, with the majority now coming from Ocean View and Masiphumelele."
She said it was thanks to the vision of former principal Greg Gordon that the school was able to stem falling pupil numbers by acquiring a school bus.
Today, the school runs two buses, funded and maintained by parents, ferrying pupils daily from its feeder areas of Ocean View and Masiphumelele.
The school also has a computer room with 40 computers, a well-stocked library and a learning support centre.
It maintains strong Catholic ties with weekly visits from the school chaplain and participation in church masses.
"St James consistently produces excellent results across the grades, regularly outperforming more well-resourced schools in annual systemic tests," Ms Saunders said.
While many parents struggle to pay fees, the school benefits from donations from former pupils, members of the public and various organisations.
Guided by its motto, "Lux lucreat vestra (Let your light shine)“, Ms Saunders said it had been a shining light in education for 150 years.
To celebrate its anniversary, the school will hold a festive feast for its 300 pupils on Thursday July 25, and there will be a coach tour for pupils along the Garden Route in September. A dinner dance will be held at the Holy Trinity Hall in Kalk Bay on Friday July 26. Contact the school at 021 788 7064 or stjamesprimary1@gmail.com to buy tickets, which are R350 each.
