Helpmekaar Kollege

Helpmekaar Kollege
Location
cnr. Empire Road and Melle Street, Parktown Johannesburg , Gauteng South Africa
Coordinates	26°11′23″S28°02′00″E / 26.1898°S 28.0334°E / -26.1898; 28.0334
Information
School type	Private & Boarding
Motto	Komaan
Religious affiliation	Christianity
Established	22 June 1921;104 years ago (1921-06-22)
School district	District 9
Headmaster (Acting)	Mr Eugene Marais
Exam board	IEB
Grades	8–12
Gender	All
Age	13to 18
Enrollment	1,300 pupils
Language	Afrikaans
Schedule	07:30 - 13:30
Campus	Urban Campus
Campus type	Suburban
Colours	Gold   Brown   White
Nickname	Helpies
Newspaper	www.helpieflitse.com
Houses	Empire, Melle, Smuts
Website	www.helpmekaar.co.za

Helpmekaar Kollege is a private Afrikaans medium co-educational high school situated in Braamfontein, in the city of Johannesburg in the Gauteng province of South Africa. It was among the first Afrikaans high schools in Gauteng to be privately owned after it was privatized in 1994, and it remains among the only private Afrikaans high schools in central Gauteng.

History

Helpmekaar was the first Afrikaans high school in Johannesburg. The school was started by a group of Afrikaners who wanted their children to have an alternative to English high schools. The school was officially started in 1921 in the Irene Church opposite the Union Ground. ^{[1] : 339} Construction of the school started on 19 September 1925 with the foundation stone being laid by General Barry Hertzog. ^{[1] : 339} The land was donated by the Johannesburg City Council at Milner Park, Braamfontein. ^{[1] : 339} The school badge was designed by a matric pupil of 1925, A.J. Lessing.

The slogan of the school "KOMAAN" was derived from a poem by Jan F. E. Celliers by the same title. Literally translated, Komaan Helpmekaar means “come on, help each other”.

Campus

The Helpmekaar Campus is situated on the corner of Empire and Melle Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg.

The school building consists of five parts:

• The Old Building (with the clock tower on top)
• The Newer Buildings
• The Terraces
• The Far East
• The DI Hub
• The Far West
• The Towers

The school also has a rugby field, uniform shop, three tennis courts, two netball practice courts, two halls, a swimming pool and a boarding house.

Curriculum

Helpmekaar follows the IEB curriculum.

Pupils are also given the opportunity to write the SAT, a standardized college admission test used in the United States, in Grade 11.

Notable alumni

• Mimi Coertse
• Marius Kloppers
• Odile Harington
• Gert Potgieter
• Louise Prinsloo
• Dan Roodt
• Magdalena K.P. Smith Meyer
• Jané Mulder

See also

• List of boarding schools

References

1. Shorten, John R. (1970). The Johannesburg Saga. Johannesburg: John R. Shorten Pty Ltd. p. 1159.

External links

Official website

26°11′22″S28°02′06″E / 26.18937°S 28.0350°E / -26.18937; 28.0350