Kloof High School

Kloof High School
In Hoc Signo Vinces
Address
34 Emolweni Road, Kloof, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Kloof, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, 3610
South Africa
Information
School type High School
Opened 1960
Status Open
Locale Suburban
School district Pinetown
Principal Mrs Dawn A. Lefort
Exam Board KZN NSC
Staff ±40
Grades 8 - 12
Gender Coed
Enrollment +1000
Average class size 28
Houses     Churchill
     Founders
     Keller
Color(s)      Chocolate Brown
     Golden Yellow
     Navy Blue
Slogan “To be the best that I can be”
Mascot Leopard
Website KHS

Kloof High School is a public, co-educational high school located in Kloof, near Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

History

Kloof High School opened in February 1960 under the first headmaster, Mr G. Goodwin. The 127 students were taught in prefabricated classrooms situated on a temporary site at the corner of Emolweni and Dan Pienaar Roads in the village of Kloof.

The school grew quickly under the third principal, Mr Dudley Barton, who succeeded Mr J.F. Dixon in July 1963. Construction had begun on permanent buildings in 1963 and by mid–1964 the students in the eighth to eleventh grades were able to move into their new classrooms. For some time the prefabs on the top field remained as further building continued. In 1965 the first grade 12 pupils wrote the School's first matriculation examinations, and the school houses, Churchill, Founders and Keller, were established.

In 1969, Mr T. Gerdener (then Provincial Administrator for Natal) officially opened the school. At that time, there were 524 students and 26 teachers, and a further classroom wing, including an Art Studio and Media Centre had been added and a school hall. During the July holidays of that year the first sports tours were undertaken with a 1st Hockey XI touring the Eastern Cape and the first rugby touring Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). The faith of the founders had been justified and a coat of arms was designed by Mr Alan Woodrow, including the motto: "In hoc signo vinces" meaning "In this sign (the cross) you will conquer."

Academic, sporting and cultural aspects of school life were catered for but Mr Barton felt the spiritual needs of the students should be met. Fund raising began for a chapel and the Dudley Barton Sanctuary was opened in 1977, dedicated by the Bishop of Natal. Despite being a public school, Kloof High retains its Christian ethos, but accommodates pupils of all religions.

Mr Barton retired in 1978 and was succeeded by Mr H.M. Puzey under whom the school continued to grow. Further classrooms were built including a Computer Room. On the sports front, provincial and, on occasion, national honours, were earned in swimming, (the school now had a swimming pool), cricket, hockey, athletics and tennis. Mr Hugh Deane was Principal from 1989 until 1994.

In January 1995 Mr Deane was succeeded by Mr Dave Seager. The school was declared a Model C school[1] early in the nineties, and a school governing body was formed to deal with financial concerns.

In the new millennium, the school introduced a sports centre, the John Dickson Indoor Centre, and an auditorium.

During March 2005, Mr Seager resigned and was replaced by Mrs Dawn A. Lefort in her capacity as Acting Principal. She has worked at the School since 1977 as a French and History teacher. Mrs Dawn A. Lefort is the current principal and head of Senior Management at Kloof High School.

Principals

The School Today

The school's location in the tree-lined avenues of Kloof make it a scenic suburban school.

Kloof High School is an English-Medium school that is run by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education and a school governing body. Approximately 26 teachers are employed by the governing body and about 23 are employed by the Department of Education.

About 1000 students, mostly from the suburbs of Kloof, Everton, Gillitts, Waterfall, Forest Hills, New Germany, Wyebank and pinetown, attend the school. A daily school bus operates from Marrianhill through to the school via Lyndhurst Primary School in New Germany.

Facilities

Kloof High School has a wide array of co-curricular activities. The following "Support Structures" aid the students in their endeavours to be The Best That They Can Be at any co-curricular they wish to do:

  • A 10-Lane Swimming Pool
  • A Main Field
  • A 2nd / "Top" Field
  • Six Cricket Nets + Portable Nets and Bowling-Machine
  • Four Tennis Courts and Wall
  • Climbing Wall
  • Large, spacious Hall fitted with Lighting & an Orchestra-Pit for Productions
  • A Pavilion and Catering Kitchen
  • Changerooms
  • Grandstand on Main Field
  • Portable stands on other fields
  • A Grand Piano
  • A Chapel

Other Facilities such as Specialist Rooms and Venues include:

  • A Media Centre
  • A Drama Studio
  • Two Tuckshops
  • An Auditorium
  • Two Computer Centres
  • The John Dixon Indoor Centre

Academics

Kloof High School's students write the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education NSC exams and consistently achieve good results. As mentioned above, "KHS" is an English-Medium school. They offer both Afrikaans and isiZulu as second languages (or "First Additional Languages" in the new FET curriculum) as well as French and German as third languages ("Second Additional Languages"). German Second Additional Language can only be taken as an 8th Matriculation subject unless permission has been granted by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education for the child to take German as an incorporated 7th subject or at "Home Language" level.

ABET Education

The Argus School (run by Mrs Dawn Crookes) uses the school during evenings. This service is involved in adult education of domestic workers and disadvantaged peoples in the area. ABET (Adult Basic Education and Training) are taught by members of the Kloof community, teaching literacy and numerous skills.

ABET is the general conceptual foundation towards lifelong learning and development in knowledge, skills and attitudes required for social, economic and political participation and transformation applicable to a range of contexts. ABET is flexible, developmental and targeted at the specific needs of particular audiences and ideally, provides access to nationally recognized certificates.

Further to this, the school runs an annual Spring School under the auspices of the Kloof Rotary Club. Subjects range from baking to flower arranging to poetry. This is held during the Spring holidays.

Subjects Offered by Kloof High School

GET Level (Grades 8 & 9)

FET Level (Grades 10 - 12)

In a student's Grade 9 year, they are expected to choose one of the subjects from each 'Line' set out below. In the case of the OPTIONAL-Line; students should approach Mrs Roux for assistance — except for 'Additional Mathematics'.

Line 1 Line 2 Line 3 Line 4 Line 5 Line 6 Line 7 OPTIONAL
English Afrikaans Mathematics L.O. History History EGD German
isiZulu Maths Lit. Geography Geography Bus. Std. Italian
P.Sciences French Cons.Std. isiZulu
L.Sciences Accounting Drama French
Vis.Art I.T. Ad. Maths
P.Sciences
L.Sciences

Subjects

Maths Lit. = The definition of Mathematical Literacy as taken from the National Curriculum Statement is as follows:

"Mathematical Literacy provides learners with an awareness and understanding of the role that mathematics plays in the modern world. Mathematical Literacy is a subject driven by life-related applications of mathematics. It enables learners to develop the ability and confidence to think numerically and spatially in order to interpret and critically analyse everyday situations and to solve problems‖. For many learners, mathematics is frightening, obscure and unattainable. Mathematical Literacy provides an excellent alternative to Mathematics, and learners who study it have found that, because it is rooted in real-life experiences, it is a subject that makes sense and is eminently do-able."

L.O. = Life Orientation is unique to South Africa. Citizenship Education, in American schools, resembles this compulsory subject.

There is no final NSC exam although learners must complete a final standardised task set by the KZN Department of Education in their Grade 12 year. The final Life Orientation mark is based on work from Grades 10, 11 and 12. This means learners must build a portfolio throughout their FET phase.

P. Sciences = Physical Sciences takes Chemistry and Physics and uses them to improve our lives while still caring for our environment.

In other countries, students would take "Physics" PLUS "Chemistry" as electives but in the case of all South African Schools — Physical Science is the amalgamation of both.

L. Sciences = Life Sciences (Formerly "Biology") is an interesting and dynamic subject where learners discover interesting facts about their environment and themselves.

Learners are encouraged to think critically and have intellectual debates on interesting topics. Four broad themes are covered in each grade, namely:

Vis. Art = Visual Art. It is a subject that combines critical research and investigation with a broad theory of Visual Culture Studies.
As stated in the National Curriculum Statement:

"The subject Visual Arts offers learners a way to meaningfully engage with and respond to their world. It provides opportunities to stimulate and develop learners‘ intellect, engaging their creative imagination through visual and tactile experiences and the innovative use of materials and technology in the realisation of their ideas. This provides the basis for learners to develop an individual visual language, which in turn is informed and shaped by immersion in the visual culture of the past and present."

EGD = Engineering Graphics & Design. EGD is a communication and management tool that links those who design and plan with those who produce the artifacts and systems. It is used in the design phase to record and develop ideas, and in the manufacturing phase to guide those who do the manufacturing.

Bus. Std. = Business Studies deals with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values critical for informed, productive, ethical and responsible participation in the formal and informal economic sectors. The subject encompasses business principles, theory and practice that underpin the development of entrepreneurial initiatives, sustainable enterprises and economic growth.

Cons. Std. = Consumer Studies (Commonly referred to as "Home Ec.") focuses on developing the skills, knowledge, values and attitudes to enable learners to become responsible and informed consumers of food, clothing, housing, furnishings and household equipment.

This implies optimal and sustainable use of human and material resources to improve human well-being. Well-being refers to the physical, material, social, psychological, aesthetic and cultural welfare of individuals, families, households, groups communities and societies. A consumer, as an individual or part of a family or group, does not function in isolation but continually interacts within the environment. Learners entering Grade 10 will not have any prior knowledge of Consumer Studies and will be introduced to the subject for the first time in their Grade 10 year.

Drama = Dramatic Arts is concerned both with the workings of the imagination and with the discipline of craftsmanship — a part of every child’s life, not the privilege of the gifted few picked for a special occasion.

Practical work and written work are equally weighted. Drama assessment is 50% practical work and 50% theory (or written work). There will be both a written and practical exam in June and at the end of each year, as well as continuous assessment throughout the year. The theory aspect of drama calls on many of the same language and interpretation skills that the subjects English and History do.

I.T. = Information Technology (Formerly 'Computer Science HG').

Information Technology is a practically oriented subject that focuses primarily on software development using appropriate development tools. Therefore, it lends itself to different types of practical assessment tasks. The Practical Assessment Task provides the ideal vehicle for this practical assessment. It comprises a practical task or project using the applicable developmental tools. The criteria and format for the Practical Assessment Task will be internally set, internally administered and marked and moderated.
Core Mathematics is a prerequisite of this subject.

I.T. is a new subject to Kloof High School as the school is phasing out CAT (Computer Applications Technology).

2nd Additional Languages = Kloof High School has a wide array of foreign languages being within its boundaries.

1. French 2nd Additional Language is the predominant foreign language at Kloof High school as there is a good demand of the subject as well as willing staff. French is spoken on every continent — making this subject a valuable one indeed! French can be taken as an incorporated "7th" subject through the full-time French teacher or else as an "8th" (Extra) subject through Mrs Roux in the students own time.
  • Examinations are necessary for students taking this subject as an elective subject and not on conversational-level.
2. German 2nd Additional Language is taught by Mrs Roux on a Monday (after school) or Wednesday (Enrichment period and/or after school). German is an increasingly popular language, today as globally it is becoming a 'Business Language'. Examinations will be written in German. Once students reach the FET phase (Grades 10 - 12), a German expert from the Deutsche Schule Durban will then take-over and begin teaching essential core-Germanic learning materials.
  • Examinations are necessary for students taking this subject as an elective subject and not on conversational-level.
3. Italian 2nd Additional Language will, too, be taught by Mrs Roux. Italian can only be taken after school in a students own time. Mrs Roux offers after-school lessons on a Tuesday afternoon for Italian. It is a beautiful language, offering much insite into how many of our own languages are formed. "L'italiano è una lingua bellissima".
  • Examinations are necessary for students taking this subject as an elective subject and not on conversational-level.

Extracurriculars / Extra-murals

Sports

Sports offered include Rugby, Hockey (both indoor and outdoor), Waterpolo, Soccer (Football), Swimming and Athletics as well as Rock Climbing and Adventure Racing, represented by both boys and girls teams. Boys can also participate in Cricket, while girls take part in Netball and Softball.

Boys Girls Together
Soccer Soccer Chess
Rugby Netball Cross-Country
Indoor/Outdoor Hockey Indoor/Outdoor Hockey Squash
Tennis Tennis Rock Climbing
Waterpolo Waterpolo Swimming
Cricket (Cricket) Adventure Racing
Touch Rugby Equestrian
Softball

Cultural

The cultural community of the school comprises:

— English Olympiad
— Mathematics Olympiad
— Afrikaans Olympiad
— Life Science (Biology) Olympiad
— Physical Science (Science) Olympiad
— Performing
— Lighting Crew
— Backstage Crew

Traditions

The school celebrates its Founders Day every year on the final day of the second term (usually on 22 June) by commemorating its first set of grade 12 students.

There is a traditional sporting rivalry with nearby Hillcrest High School. Derby Day is held every mid-June, alternating between Kloof High and Hillcrest High, and culminates with the 1st XV rugby game in the afternoon.

School uniform

The blazer is brown and special awards (such as honours, colours or honours cum laude) are indicated with yellow ribbing for colours or white, blue and yellow, in the case of honours. The tie is striped with brown, blue and yellow. Blazer and tie are not required during the summer terms for girls.

Matrics have the privilege of a slightly different uniform. This includes a white, as opposed to brown, school jersey. They also have the option of special ties. Most importantly, though, they are then allowed to purchase their annually renewed Matric Jackets. The jacket design is voted for by the upcoming matric class.

External links

References

  1. ↑ Private school#South Africa