Hoër Volkskool Potchefstroom
Hoër Volkskool Potchefstroom, also known as Volkies, is a public high school located in Potchefstroom, North West, South Africa.
| Hoër Volkskool Potchefstroom | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| |
41 Kruis St, Potchefstroom, 2531 , | |
| Coordinates | 26.7253°S 27.0812°E |
| Information | |
| Type | Public High School |
| Motto | Sapientia Vis Vera (Latin: Wisdom is true power) |
| Established | 1922 |
| Founder | Mr. J.D. Grundlingh, Mrs. Nellie Chessworth, Mr. P.M. van der Lingen[1] |
| Principal | Mr. Terry Nicholenas[2] |
| Head Boy | Jan-Breet Smit |
| Head Girl | Ingred Scholtz |
| Grades | 8–12 |
| Gender | Co-Ed |
| Enrollment | 965 (2017) |
| Houses | Jack Pauw (boys), Ons Hoop (girls) |
| Colour(s) | Red , Gold , Black , |
| Mascot | Twiet |
| Nickname | Volkies |
| Rival | Potchefstroom Gimnasium |
| Website | volkiespotch |
Early History
On 19 April 1922 the Afrikaanse Medium Hoërskool opened inside a small church in Potchefstroom. Originally with only 38 standard six (now grade 8) students and two teachers: Mr J.D. Grundlingh and Mrs. Nellie Chessworth, the school's first acting principal was Mr. P.M. van der Lingen. It was on 11 October 1922 that Mr. J.C. Pauw became the school's first permanent principal. Mr. A.J.P. "Koos" Burger became its first permanent teacher a few months later. In early 1923, the school moved to a refurbished iron building, now with nearly 140 students ranging from standard seven to eight (now grades 9 and 10). The school's governing body decided to change the school's name to Hoër Volkskool Potchefstroom on the 30th of October, 1923.
The cornerstone of the permanent school building, still in use to the present day, was laid on the 10th of June 1927 and it was put into use on 23 February the following year. Amongst the speakers at the official opening was then Administrator of the Transvaal, Jan H. Hofmeyr. In 1934 Pauw was instated as the Inspector of Education in the Transvaal, and Mr. C.H. Steyn took over as principal.[1]
Colours and motto
The school's colours were decided on in 1925 and consisted of black (inspired by Mr. Pauw's beloved jacket), gold (representing Potchefstroom's rich gold reserves) and red to form a harmony between them. The school's motto, Sapientia Vis Vera, means "Wisdom is true power" and was introduced along with the current badge in 1926. It was suggested by co-founder, Mr. Van der Lingen.
Sport
Cricket
Volkies has high quality cricket facilities, including indoor and outdoor nets and three cricket fields.
It engages in annual friendly matches against top cricketing schools including Jeppe High School for Boys, Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool and Hoërskool Menlopark, as well as competing in the annual North West Super League competition. It enters a First XI and Second XI as well as an U/15A and U/15B team into these competitions. The first XI has won the Super League several times, including three times in a row since 2017, whereas the U/15A team has taken the title six consecutive times since 2014. As of 22 October 2019, the first XI sat 48th in the national rankings.[3]
Notable alumni
- Marco Basson (2012): The Voice South Africa Finalist[4]
- Ine-Marí Venter (2013): South African netball player[5]
- Elmie Brits (2019): Actress[6]
References
- "Agtergrond (Translated: Background)". Retrieved 8 November 2019.
- "Bestuur en Leiers". Retrieved 8 November 2019.
- "First XI Cricket: This Week's Top 60 Rankings: 22/10/2019". SA School Sports. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
- "Marco Basson". M-Net. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
- "Ine-Mari Venter". Varsity Sports SA. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
- "Elmie Brits". IMDB. Retrieved 8 November 2019.