125^th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

HISTORY

In 1887, Sister Fanny, together with Novices Anna and Margaret (who took their vows soon after they arrived), were sent out to Pietermaritzburg from England to look after and educate orphans. Within months, they were running the St Cross Orphanage in Loop Street and had named their little community ‘The Society of St John the Divine’.

As the orphanage expanded, the Sisters decided to build a boarding facility to accommodate children who wished to attend school in the town. Thus, in 1894, the foundation stone to the convent in Burger Street was laid where the present medical centre now exists. Numbers continued to grow and the building next to the convent was acquired for older girls and was named ‘St John’s School’ in 1897. The following year, this building became a school for girls from kindergarten to Matric.

In 1913, a new site was selected in Scottsville to create more space for playing fields, more accommodation for boarders and better school buildings. Thus began the development of the school we know today. The original school building, opened in 1915, is now part of the Junior School, with the Junior Resource Centre being the original School Hall.

A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRINCIPAL

As we celebrate our 125th Anniversary as a school, it is a special privilege to be Principal of St John’s D.S.G. at this time. The school was founded by a group of Anglican nuns from the UK, funded by a benefactor to cater for the needs of girls from a range of backgrounds. It was designed to be a community school, with a focus on balance and Christian values, in order to prepare girls for life in the real world. Right at the school’s inception, Bishop Baynes stated; “We would care very little if the girls did not turn out wonders and geniuses of intellect, if we could be sure they would turn out good.”

The school has always emphasised relational skills, balance and integrity as equivalent to academic performance. Paradoxically, this focus on character development and the holistic education of the whole child, rather than results, has improved, rather than reduced, performance in all areas.

Our vision is to continue to nurture our sound values, which have endured for over a century, and continue to differentiate the school as we attend to the needs of the individual child in order to optimise her potential. We have introduced modern teaching methodologies and appointed excellent, innovative staff and many new initiatives and facilities, whilst expanding the school’s grounds through the purchase of properties adjacent to the school. It is this combination of retaining the key elements of our heritage with necessary improvements which I believe differentiates us and ensures that we remain a school of choice. I look forward to our continued celebrations this year of our past and current successes, as we continue to send out principled, grounded, gracious women of significance into a challenging world.

– Mr Simon Moore, Head of School