Wynberg Girls' High School

Wynberg Girls' High School is a public school for girls in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa.

Founded in 1884, Wynberg Girls High School is one of the oldest all girls schools in South Africa. The first headmistress, Miss Margaret Stewart, was supported by 2 teachers and catered to 27 pupils. Initially a co-educational school, WGHS soon became an all girls school and was known as Ladies' Seminary.

WGHS is part of the Wynberg Campus of schools, along with Wynberg Girls Junior School, Wynberg Boys' Junior School, and Wynberg Boys' High School. The school is located in Aliwal Road in the suburb of Wynberg.

School activities at Wynberg are founded on four pillars namely: Academics, Sport, Service and Culture. The school has excelled in all four of these areas and has subsequently produced well-rounded pupils capable of entering a wide variety of careers.

The school motto is Honour before Honours, which means: personal integrity and character are more important than winning prizes and awards.

History

1895-1908

In September 1884 the Kerkraad of the Dutch Reformed Church, situated on the top of Carr Hill, decided to found a school for girls in Wynberg. Wynberg at this time was a little village on the wagon road from Cape Town. It was situated near the Military camp and surrounded by "Little Chelsea" with its cottages and narrow winding streets.The minister of the Dutch Reformed Church at that time lived in the old Pastorie where the boarding house is situated today. The church council decided to build a little school building (where the school library is today) and named the school "Ladies' Seminary" - it was soon nicknamed the "School in the Bush."The school was officially opened in 1885 with two teachers - Misses Annie Brink and Nellie Brink - and twenty-seven young boys and girls. The first principal was Miss Margaret Stewart (1885-1890)The school motto was chosen in 1890 - and the phrase Honour before Honours means "Personal integrity and character are more important than winning prizes and awards." The first Standard Ten class matriculated in 1892, and until 1936, the school included pupils from Sub A to Standard Ten. The Cape Education department took over the running of the school in 1905.The first hostel was built in 1885, and was situated where the main hall is today. The new school was built in 1900, and had dormitories upstairs. The room now used as a staff workroom and offices for HOD's used to be a dormitory. Lab One was the kitchen, and the library was the dining room. The school at this time was called Girls' Public School. During this time Physical Education and Sport were introduced into the school. Wynberg was the first girls' school in South Africa to have a fully qualified Physical Education teacher, Mrs Dolly Rees who studied in London. A gymnasium was erected in 1900, and a hockey field was laid out where the Wellington Quad is today. Activities at school were hockey, cricket and tennis.

porting Activities

Wynberg Girls High offers a wide variety of team and social sports from which learners can choose. These include the standard sports such as hockey, indoor hockey, netball, tennis, badminton, cricket, cross country, athletics, swimming, diving, waterpolo and synchronised swimming. Beyond these sports, WGHS offers competitive sailing, chess and aerobics.

Participation is keen and, in general, play is of a very high standard, with many learners gaining provincial colours and several obtaining their national colours. Learners who do not participate in official school sports are given recognition for excellence in particular sports such as horse-riding and gymnastics.

In the sporting arena, too, the learners of Wynberg Girls' High benefit from the unique circumstances of being able to share facilities with their brother and sister schools. Diving and swimming pools, an Astroturf, hockey fields, cricket nets and pitches, netball fields, squash and tennis courts are among the impressive facilities in the magnificent grounds of the combined schools.

All Wynberg schools are encouraged to support each other in the various inter-schools events allowing learners to experience the benefit of a co-educational system, where they stand as one in supporting their teams.

Cultural Activities

As part of the extramural programme for those who are interested in the area of the performing arts and particularly those who are musically inclined there is an Orchestra, a Contemporary and Jazz Band, the Choir, a Junior and Senior Marimba band, Flute and Recorder Ensembles.

For the budding Hollywood stars, orators, politicians and presidents of the future there are drama lessons, public speaking courses, weekly debating meetings/competitions and clashes. To keep students abreast of the world around them, there is flash debating in the weekly debates held during one of the breaks on the “Topic of the week.”

For those wanting to stretch their creative writing abilities there is Between the Lines and for those interested in reporting and photographic journalism, there is the Web Committee, Photography Society as well as the Wynpress - the school newspaper for the students.

Tending the spiritual needs and reaching out to the broader community are the Christian union of the school, Capstone and the Muslim Students’ Association.

All of these clubs and societies come together in a number of very exciting annual cultural events on the school calendar. Each year there is a Major Production which is presented alternately at Wynberg Boys' and Wynberg Girls' High school, there are Interhouse Plays and there are several lunchtime and evening Music Concerts. Pupils also participate in regional events such as the Western Cape Arts Festival and Eisteddfods.

External links

* [http://www.wynghs.co.za/ Wynberg Girls' High official site]