Alexandra High School

Alexandra High School is a semi-Private public high school in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

History

Alexandra High School is named after Queen Alexandra Caroline, Queen Consort of England. It opened on 23 February 1960. Though it was initially a whites-only, all-boys school, the first non-white pupil was admitted in June 1991. Alexandra High School became co-educational at the beginning of 1992. The school colours are maroon and blue.

The badge, houses and motto

Mr Udal, the first headmaster, designed the school emblem, from the royal coat of arms of Queen Alexandra. Mr Udal took the Maltese Cross to incorporate in the badge. Mr Lee Boyd, M.E.C. for Education in the N.P.A at the time of the school’s inception and ex-mayor of Durban was a Knight of da Game in the Roman Catholic Church. The cross was given the Boyd’s House as their symbol.

Then Mr Downs, Mayor of Pietermaritzburg, was approached for permission to use part of the city’s coat of arms – hence the Elephant – emblem of Downs House. Mr Allison, three times mayor, M.P.C. and freeman of the city, a neighbour of the school who took a great interest in Alex, had Allison's House named after him, and the Stars from the City’s Coat of Arms formed the symbol of the house.

Shepstone House was named after the Administrator of Natal at the time of the purchase of land for the school, and as he had attended Queen Elizabeth’s coronation, the crown was to be Shepstone’s symbol.

Succeeding Mr Shepstone as Administrator, was Mr Trollip. He was approached for permission to use part of the Natal badge – hence the Wildebeest (provided they faced the correct way and had white manes and tails). The wildebeest are the symbol of Trollips House.

For the motto, Mr Udal’s signet ring bore the words, Tant Que je Puis – archaic French, meaning “I do my best”. Mr Lamond of Maritzburg College translated this into the Latin, Summa diligentia laboro. Then Mr Udal and his wife chose the colours of sky blue and maroon, and with the help of a local outfitter, devised blazers, badges, colours, rugby jerseys and all the other needs of a school.

The mural on the hall

The plaque was designed and built by the late Miss Syliva Baxter. It took months of work to mould, colour and bake the clay. It was fired in forty six pieces of ceramic clay, measuring 4 meters by 2 metres and its mass is over a ton. Metallic oxides were used to give it colour.

The plaque is a symbolic representation of the Holy Trinity:

• The lips represent the word of God, "let there be light" as shown on the open page of the book.
• The eye is the all-seeing eye of God, stressed further by the four cardinal points of the compass, with the eye as the hub.
• The bird, a stylised dove, represents the Spirit.
• The scale pans and feather are there as a reminder that conscience should weigh as light as a feather.
• The torch signifies the light of learning.
• Clouds indicate the formlessness of the earth before the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
• The dry land is Africa.
• There is water, and night (stars) and day.

The plaque was unveiled by the late Senator A E Trollip, then Administrator of Natal, when the school was officially opened on 25 September 1964.

Uniform

• It is compulsory to wear a blazer with the Number 1 Uniform

Matric uniform differs slightly from that of other grades. Matrics are allowed to wear white jerseys, different ties and 'matric scarves'. The boys are allowed to wear a different cut khaki uniform.

Awards

Awards are given for activities, with the level of award being determined by grade, years of service and level of achievement.

• By receiving an award, students automatically receive all lower awards.

Sports and other activities

Since the early 1980s, basketball has been the Alexandrian’s key claim to fame. The First team is known to be amongst the best in the province, with primary competitors being the likes of Durban High School. Over the years the school has produced scores of KZN players.

Cross country is a sport the school does well. It ranks within Maritzburg’s top three, and has won the Midlands league numerous times. Many of the runners participate in the KZN trials each year, securing the squad’s status as a provincial grade.

The debating squad has been one of the strongest in not just Maritzburg, but KZN. The school has been PMB and KZN Grand Champions at least five times within the past ten years. The 2010 Junior A team won the PMB and KZN finals of their year. Numerous KZN speakers have represented the school at national level, and have ranked no lower than 25th in SA each time. In 2010, a grade 9 student on KZN Junior A- ranked first in South Africa at the National Schools’ Debating Championship which was hosted at Treverton. The school has coaching twice a week per squad.

Malabalaba and draughts have a strong following, in 2004 a team of Alexandrians won the Malabalaba World Championships.

The catering club flourished even before girls entered the school. Among the functions for which the club caters is the annual Supper Theatre which is one of the ways in which our learners can become involved if they are interested in the performing arts. Another is through membership of the choir.

The service of the First Aid Unit, which comprises boys and girls in the school, is invaluable, especially during rugby season when it does duty for all home matches.

An Alexandra team fared extremely well in regional and national bridge-building competitions, while other learners write the subject Olympiads. Each year, students join the Junior Achiever programme which develops young peoples’ entrepreneurial skills. Others represent the school on the Junior City Council.

Each year, students, mostly in Grade 11, attend leadership courses or other seminars which focus on the development of leadership, self-knowledge and inter-personal relations.

External links

• Official website