Brescia House School opens its doors A special message from

Brescia Broadsheet

Brescia House School

opens its doors

January 26

, 1966, Brescia

House School opened its doors for

the very first time. With just over

100 pupils on the roll, classes

ranged from Grade 0 to Form 1 –

with Grade II and Std 1, Std II

and Std III as combined classes.

By the end of the year, numbers

had increased to 190.

February 1966 brought the first

PTA meeting and the launching of

the Grounds Committee, Catering

Committee and Language Lab.

Committee.

April 16

was the official opening

of the school with Bishop Boyle

presiding. In attendance was our

Foundress: Sister Xavier Rown-

tree.

In August a special tree planting

ceremony was held. A child from

each class was chosen by lot to

plant a tree.

As a special move to build up the

Library, a library drive was held

in October.

Each book presented to the

Library was signed by the child as

a foundation member. During this

year the netball fields, tennis

courts and hockey field took

shape.

In 1967, the Grounds Committee

were busy with grassing the front

lawn and laying out the parking

areas and flower beds. By 1968,

numbers had grown such that

they warranted a separate Grades

Block to house Grade 0 to Std II.

The swimming pool was built in

1969. Since 1966 swimming

practices had taken place in pools

kindly put at our disposal by

parents.

Sister Xavier saw the school as a

centre of learning, of education,

where opportunities for enter-

prise, initiative and personal and

social responsibility would be

provided, and where true Chris-

tian principles would be inculcat-

ed. These are the objectives all

who have taught at Brescia House

School have since cherished.

Above: The Beginning

16th April 1966 Bishop Boyle flanked by Sister Xavier Rowntree,

foundress, on his right, and the Inspector on his left.

Below left: Sister Xavier Rowntree

Below right: Sister Gemma Lawlor

A special message from

Sister Gemma Lawlor*

‘Now, girls of Brescia House, both

past and present, the school exists

for you; you are its sole concern. Is

it necessary to remind Brescians

who have already passed through

its doors that we follow with

interest and concern your way

through life.

Of those still within its walls the

school asks of you loyalty, an

enthusiastic school spirit and an

earnest devotion to duty. With

these we will continue to build on

the foundation laid by our

predecessors and in the style laid

down in our cherished master-

plan.’

*This message comes from Sister

Lawlor’s Principal’s Report in 1973,

but is just as relevant today as we

celebrate 50 years of Brescia House

School.

Turning of the sod by Fr. G. O’Callaghan OMI 1965

The importance of

community

The school is ‘a society which

can provide children with a

sense of belonging, without

which sense there can be no

community. And, if there is no

feeling of community there can

be no interest in serving it. One

of the first things a school must

do is to provide a sense of

community. Pupils must be

trained to a sense of responsi-

bility to themselves, to their

school, and to the wider com-

munity to which one day they

will belong.’

Sister Rowntree 1967

Left: Original wing

of the school

Right: The ‘Ring

Games’ photo-

graphed from the

balcony

1970 –1979

The above advertisement, depicting the Brescia House School Domestic

Science class, appeared in the Fair Lady magazine, on 26 June 1974.

From the Headmistress’s log,

dated 13 November1977:

‘It was a bitter sweet day for the

Ursulines. The 7:30 Mass this

Sunday was the last Mass to be

said in our school chapel. The

dedication of the new Church of

the Parish of the Resurrection

took place at 9:30 am. The chief

celebrant was Archbishop Fitzger-

ald. Tea was served in the school

grounds.’

On November 15

, Mass for the

entire school was, for the first

time, celebrated in the new

church.

Dedication of the

Bryanston Catholic

Church

Our first Matric group

December 1970

For the first time, Brescia House School

experiences the mingle of joy and regret of

seeing a group of Matriculation students

graduate from our school: we are sad to

say goodbye to them, but we rejoice with

them and their parents in the accom-

plishment of their formative years at

school.

We hope that the variety of courses of

further study and training which they plan

to undertake will bring to further fruition

in their lives, what they learned – and

what they have become – while they have

been with us.

The first Matric group consisted of 9 girls,

with the first Head Girl, Ingrid Franken-

berg (pictured below).

The Supra-house Rosette

The Supra-house Rosette reflects all

three houses. The houses, with their

mottos, are as follows:

Brescia (Red) – Loyalty Binds

Laurus (Yellow) – Ever Willing

Merici (Blue) – Service Before Self

A new hall for Brescia

When preparing this report I

thought back on the growth of

Brescia over the past nine years

with a sense of wonder and

gratitude – gratitude to you,

parents, especially those who in

1966 started out with us with

high ideals, hopes, a handful of

children and the way ahead

strewn with hurdles.

We finished that first scholastic

year with 190 children, and

opened the following year with

350, and were then reprimanded

by one of you for having convert-

ed our intimate little school into a

stock market.

However, greater numbers led of

necessity to a multiplication of

facilities that you were ever ready

to provide at great cost of effort,

time and money.

This year you crowned your

efforts by presenting the school

with what is without doubt its

most treasured acquisition – the

school hall that has changed the

face of things at Brescia.

Sister Gemma; Headmistress

Report 1974

Above: The brochure proposing the

new school hall. At the AGM of the

Parent Teachers Association held on

12 February 1973, each family

received a copy of this brochure for

discussion and suggestions.

1980 –1989

Swiss Mission bell will be

ringing at Brescia House

Convent

23 January 1988

Old girls of Brescia House Convent,

Bryanston, have donated a bell and arch to

the school to mark its 21

birthday.

Jane Badham and some fellow ex-pupils

felt it would be appropriate for the ‘old

pupils’ to donate something to the school;

Jane came across an old-world concrete

arch and found a Swiss Mission bell dated

1901 which was previously at the Mission

Church in Kensington.

She then tried to contact former pupils to

ask for donations, but found this difficult

as Brescia House had not maintained

records.

Buried in the foundations of the arch are

the names of all the people who contribut-

ed to it.* Mrs. Heather Erasmus, former

Deputy Head and herself an Old Girl,

presented the bell to the Sisters.

Father Kieran graciously consented to

baptise the bell and give it the name

Angela, after St Angela, founder of the

Ursuline Order.

*Also buried in the foundations is the

original newspaper article.

Celebrating 450 years of

the Ursuline Order

The Feast of St Ursula, 21 October 1985,

was a very special day in the Ursuline

School calendar as it was the day chosen

for the celebration of the 450

anniver-

sary of the foundation of the Ursuline

Order by St Angela Merici. A total of

1500 pupils and teachers representing

Ursuline schools and missions in South-

ern Africa, gathered at the Cathedral of

Christ the King.

A special feature of the Mass was the Of-

fertory. The customary offering of the

bread and wine was preceded by a

procession of representatives bearing

symbols that depicted, in a variety of

colourful ways, the meaning of the

jubilee to each of the seven participating

schools.

Brescia House Girls presented a basket

of red, yellow and white roses, symbolis-

ing Angela’s love of God, her caring

compassionate concern for the illiterate

youth of her day, her purity and spirit of

prayer.

After the Mass a reception was held in

Cathedral Place, where the girls enjoyed

meeting other Ursuline pupils and the

staff exchanged greetings while sharing a

token meal. It was a day no one connect-

ed with the Ursuline order will ever

forget.

The Blessing of the Peace Block

This year has seen a major new beginning; having endured

cramped conditions with admirable patience for the

duration of the building operations, the High School and

Primary School finally separated and settled themselves

into their mutual complexes with much joy and

appreciation.

The Peace Block, fittingly named after Sister Anselm, was

officially opened and blessed by Bishop Reginald Orsmond

on 25

May and since 26

May has housed the Stds 3, 4

and 5 classes, and is also providing a spacious multi-

purpose room, gargantuan store-room, an extra change

room and sports room. All our primary school pupils are

now happily and spaciously housed in a well-designed, well

-constructed, miraculously integrated new structure.

While the plaque of St Francis accompanied by his beloved

birds (below), overlooks the little quadrangle, exhorting all

to put love where there is hatred and light where there is

darkness, a precept so marvellously fulfilled by our

foundress St Angela Merici, and fitting the concept of our

school so well, we continuously wonder at the integration

of the new building with the old; was it really not there a

year ago?

How fortunate we are to have a primary school on the same

campus; it is a source of refreshment and enchantment to

the sometime weary adult and adolescent, while the High

School is a source of security and challenge for the ‘little’

community.

Sister Jeanette, Headmistress’s Report December 1989

On the above event, Sister Anselm Peace commented:

Although I was conversant with the outline of the Dedica-

tion service of the Peace Block, the high standard of

performance and polish achieved by the Primary School

girls in their singing, choral verse of selected Scriptural

passages and the dialogue before the Rose presentation,

moved me intensely and I was extremely proud of the girls.

The architect, Mr Romanowicz, came to me and said:

‘Sister, why didn’t we think of a video, that was the most

beautiful service I have ever attended.’ I couldn’t agree with

him more.

1990 –1999

Celebrating the 25

Jubilee on 31

January

1991

January 31

dawned bright and clear

with a cool breeze blowing. The day

was perfect as was the atmosphere

for the celebration of our School’s

Birthday. Approximately 1000

hearts, minds and voices were raised

in song and prayer to celebrate this

great occasion.

The Mass on this occasion set the

tone for the year – in that we

acknowledged God as the source,

foundation and continuation of our

School. He has blessed and guided

each successive generation in their

life here at Brescia House and as we

look around and see what exists

today, where once open veld was all

that could be seen, we know that

through each individual involved in

the establishment and life at Brescia

House, God has blessed us abun-

dantly.

I take this opportunity of thanking all

parents, pupils, teachers, associates

and benefactors, past and present,

for their contribution in making the

School what it is today and for

contributing much of which we are

so proud today.

Sister Jeanette Essey (pictured below)

Growing our school

1992: The opening of St Cecilia’s

Music Centre

The Music Centre was opened by

Sister Jeanette and proved a joyous

occasion of music and choral verse.

Sister Jeanette paid tribute to St

Cecilia, Patroness of Musicans, and

to Mr Romanowicz, the architect,

ARS & Son, the builders, the Board

of Governors, the PTA and everyone

who had contributed to the realisa-

tion of a beautiful dream. Music is

an increasingly important aspect of

the education of our pupils and may

all our endeavours be Soli Deo

Gloria – To God Alone the Glory.

1993: Blessing of the new Junior

Primary Block.

On 26

February Bishop Patrick

Mvemve officiated at the blessing of

our new St Angela’s block. It was a

memorable occasion attended by the

whole Primary School, their parents

and various guests. The service,

which was held in the school garden,

consisted of choral readings, choir

items and gifts presentations. The

Primary School presented their

fellow pupils with the pottery image

of St Angela that was hung in the

Peace Block.

The High School presented a young

laurel tree that has been growing in

the High School garden for a number

of years. Bishop Patrick then blessed

each classroom of the new school,

and Sister Jeanette unveiled a

plaque at the entrance.

1993: Official opening of the Swim-

ming Pool Complex

1994: Opening of the new Computer

Centre / Multi-Media Centre and

construction of two new hockey

fields

Mr Clem Sunter

addresses the school

Mr Clem Sunter was the guest

speaker at the Annual Prize Giving

in December 1991. At the time, he

was the Head of Anglo American’s

Scenario Planning Team.

Mr Sunter is South Africa’s most

highly regarded scenario planner

and strategist, and an icon and

model of mental litheness as he

has been adeptly styled as the Foxy

Futurist.

He has gone from discussing strat-

egy in the 1980s with the then

future president Nelson Mandela,

to becoming the renowned author

of several best-selling books

entrenched in bringing his new

methodology to the people.

Dually known for his book, The

Mind of a Fox, which indicated the

terrorist attacks on US soil on

September 11 (2001), he has given

presentations globally and has

become an ambassador of expert

knowledge for South Africa.

Below right: The new computer

centre, 11 September 1993

Above left: The Blessing of the new Junior Primary Block, 26 February

The Pillars of Brescia

House

Extract from the Log Book dated 1996

These are the values that we, at

Brescia, believe in and strive towards.

Together these four pillars incorporate

all the values which we would like to

uphold. All the pillars can be related

to every aspect of our lives. Aristotle

said, ‘The soul never thinks without a

picture,’ so we have related these four

pillars to a symbol of Brescia, the

Serviam badge.

Spirit

This is the foundation of our school.

We believe that with spirit, everything

is possible. Spirit involves zest, youth,

unity and enthusiasm. An interest

and love for your school is developed

through attending school functions,

and participating in all areas of school

life. The ‘serviam’ scroll on our badge

represents our spirit.

Honour

Pupils should feel honoured and

proud to belong to the Brescia family.

It is a school to be proud of, and all

pupils should recognise this. Honour

includes pride in your school, uphold-

ing morals and traditions, as well as

respect. This respect is for the

thoughts and beliefs of the individual,

for the school, for staff, and seniors.

Christianity is a vital part of this

pillar, as Brescia strives to maintain

the beliefs and teachings of our

church. Honour is represented by the

cross on the Serviam badge.

Perseverance

Doris Henning said, ‘This thing we

call failure is not the falling down, but

the staying down.’ We believe that

only through perseverance can suc-

cess be achieved. By human nature

we can’t always win, but by never

giving up or losing faith, we turn our

failures into successes.

Perseverance is the backbone of the

school structure, and is the inspira-

tion which enables us to reach for the

stars. Because of what it leads us to,

this pillar is represented by the seven

stars on our Serviam badge.

Excellence

Last but not least, through these

pillars, it is excellence we seek. We

are determined to reach our goals of a

united and spirited school. This is our

highest ideal, and can only be

achieved when all pillars are incor-

porated. This is represented by the

whole badge, which also shows unity.

Unity and a belief in love are two

major themes which support all the

pillars. It is unity which holds our

school together. Our vision for our

school is built on four cornerstone

values and is summarised as follows:

To Bond. To Build. To Be Brescia.

2000 –2009

Brescia House School is

about the people

‘But the school is not simply bricks

and mortar. The spirit of the School

grew with the buildings.

Today we are focusing on one aspect

of that spirit: gratitude, thanksgiving.

Gratitude is a virtue by which we

acknowledge those who have been

good to us. With joyful and loving

hearts, we acknowledge God’s good-

ness and faithfulness over 40 years.

As our gospel today indicates, Brescia

House School is about people, espe-

cially children: ‘whoever welcomes in

my name one such child as this,

welcomes me,’ (Matt. 18:15).

It is also about those who nurture

these children: their parents and

families, their teachers and friends,

their Pastors and our Ursuline Sisters.

This is the human element of Brescia

House: responsible for the growth of

the school and its spirit.’

From the Mass of Thanksgiving for the

Anniversary, Sister Jeanette Essey

Bless them all…..

All creatures great and small….even

wriggly, squirmy, slithery and hairy,

were blessed at the recent Feast of St

Francis of Assisi at Brescia House

School.

Wise teachers decided larger, more

boisterous animals should be blessed

in absentia through photographs.

Whether a celluloid version or boxed,

bagged, caged or lovingly clutched – all

pets received generous blessings from

Father Michael Fitzpatrick.

Budgies, canaries, parrots, lovebirds,

cockatiels, mice, hamsters, rats,

snakes, rabbits and even silkworms

seemed to enjoy their unusual outing.

Pupils at the school, in turn, blessed

the SPCA. One group of girls washed

cars and raised R995. A raffle and the

sale of ‘doggy treats’ raised a further

R1 300.

In addition, an overjoyed Estelle

Swanepoel, education officer at the

Sandton SPCA, was able to take a car

load of pet food collected by pupils,

back to the Sandton SPCA. ‘St Francis

must have been very proud of their ef-

forts,’ she said.

(October 2002)

The meaning behind

the diptych

The diptych of St Angela Merici and

St Ursula, was donated to Brescia

House School on the occasion of the

bicentenary of the canonisation of

St Angela Merici, who founded the

Ursuline Order.

The right hand panel, depicts St

Ursula, a Virgin Martyr of circa the

century. What is said of Ursula

is that she was a British princess,

who went on a pilgrimage to Rome

with her retinue. On their return,

the group were sailing up the Rhine

River and stopped at Cologne,

where they were confronted by the

Huns, who tried to make them

renounce their faith and live with

them. When they refused they were

martyred.

In the panel, Ursula wears a crown

of royalty and is dressed in red, the

symbolic colour of martyrs. In front

of her there is a bunch of palm

branches, which are also symbolic

of martyrdom, the victory of faith

over death. Ursula’s hand is guiding

and protecting her companions in

the boat. She carries the banner of

Christ and the spear with which

they were martyred. The blue waves

below indicate that they were on

pilgrimage and travelling by boat.

The left hand panel depicts St

Angela Merici, a contemplative and

an apostle, who lived from AD 1475

– 1540. The women and angels on

her cloak are reminiscent of a vision

which St Angela had as a teenager

in the field of Brudazzo, Northern

Italy, from which time she knew

that God had called her to found a

group of women who would serve

the Church and lead others to God.

The tree in front of her and above

which the Holy Spirit hovers in the

form of a dove, symbolises the new

Company of St Ursula which she

founded in the Church to further

the Kingdom of God in our world. St

Angela was a dynamic apostle in

her time; a pilgrim in fact and in

spirit during her life, so she carries

a pilgrim staff. The green waves

below her indicate the earth and

the world in which her work was

planted. St Angela is dressed in

blue, the colour symbolic of

contemplatives, prophets and spirit-

uality.

There is space between the two

panels, showing the distance of

centuries between these two women

of God. However, their hands reach

out towards one another, showing

that they are connected. Also

linking the two figures is the cross

of Christ, which was the centre of

each woman’s life. The artist has

also included a banner in African

design and in bright African

colours, which integrates the two

panels of the diptych, uniting these

two great saints in art as they were

united in spirit and faith.

(Commissioned in 2007)

Proudly South African

Brescia House School featured on the

Proudly South African website on 23

September 2002. The girls held a civvies

day and dressed up in colours of the

South African flag. Money raised was

donated to Acres of Love. The whole

school gathered on the field and formed

the word ‘South Africa’. On the same

day, they also honoured Arbour Day by

planting an indigenous tree on the

school grounds.

2010 –2015

In memory of Father

Michael Fitzpatrick

Father Michael Fitzpatrick was born on 23

June 1939 in Dublin, Ireland, the second

youngest of eight children. He studied for the

priesthood at All Hallows, Dublin and was

ordained a priest for the Diocese of Johannes-

burg on 20

June 1965. He arrived in

Johannesburg in October 1965 to take up his

priestly ministry.

Father Michael served at many parishes within

the Diocese of Johannesburg. In October 1993,

he was appointed parish priest to the Church of

the Resurrection, Bryanston. This is where he

remained for 21 years, until his untimely death

on 22

June 2014, one day before his seventy

fifth birthday and two days after the forty ninth

anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood.

During his time at Bryanston, he become the

beloved father of the children and staff at

Brescia House School. His kindly demeanour

when celebrating the Sacrament of First Holy

Communion and his friendly, approachable

style during the Sacrament of Reconciliation are

some of his characteristics that have endeared

him to us. He was ever patient when the school

introduced any new innovations at our weekly

school Masses. Truly he was a man of deep

compassion and concern for all the people to

whom he ministered.

A Requiem Mass was concelebrated by Archbish-

op Buti Tlhagale and over seventy other

priest-friends at the Parish of the Resurrection.

So many friends came to bid him a fond farewell

and to commend his soul to God.

Father Michael’s body was returned to Ireland

where he was buried on 25

June 2014 in

Dublin’s Glasnevin Cemetery at St. Paul’s; this

after a Requiem Mass at Christ the King Church,

Cabra, Dublin.

He is a man who touched many lives in so many

positive and loving ways; his memory continues

to live on here at Brescia House School.

Brescia House: Microsoft Showcase

School

November 2015

Brescia House School was selected by Microsoft as a

2015-2016 Microsoft Showcase School for its

excellence in transforming its learning environment

to deliver more personalised education to students,

using mobile and cloud technology to better prepare

students for success in the workplace.

Brescia House School joins an exclusive community

of over 400 premier schools from around the world,

recognised to celebrate their truly pioneering efforts

and innovation in rethinking teaching, learning and

assessment in order to drive deep 21

century

competencies.

“Microsoft Showcase Schools are shining examples

of those applying purpose-driven innovation in a

variety of ways to build connection, motivate

students and to create community in and out of

school, ” said Anthony Salcito, vice-president,

Worldwide Education, Microsoft.

In addition to the above, 16 teachers from Brescia

House School were announced as Microsoft

Innovative Educator (MIE) Experts, joining the more

than 5 600 educators in the MIE program

worldwide. As an MIE Expert, educators build their

capacity for using technology in both the classroom

and curriculum to improve student learning, advise

Microsoft and educational institutions on how to

integrate technology in pedagogically sound ways

and be an advocate at conferences, events and

trainings for how Microsoft technology can improve

learning.

“Microsoft Innovative Educator Experts are inspiring

examples of educators applying new ways of

teaching and learning in their classrooms that

motivate students and empower them to achieve

more,” said Salcito. “We celebrate and support the

work they do every day!”

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela

(18 July 1918—5 December 2013)

Artwork: Wandile Dlamini

(Gr 11 2013)

Below: The new High School Atrium

(officially opened in 2012) and the

newly refurbished Resource Centre

Events Calendar

Significant events over the last 50 years

Save the date!

In recognition of the Ursuline Sisters, we are

planning a number of activities and festivities

that will allow us time to reflect, pause and

celebrate our wonderful school. Please diarise

the following dates so that we can all share in

these special occasions.

27 January: St Angela’s Feast Day: Special

Mass and unveiling of the St Angela statue.

30 January: Alumnae champagne breakfast

9 February: Blessing and distribution of the St

Angela rose (pictured below) – library lawns.

23 – 27 February: High School Major Produc-

tion The 3 ½ Musketeers

27 February: Open Day 09h00 – 13h00

8 April: School birthday. Special Mass and

celebrations.

7 May: Matric Dance

28 May: Outdoor concert for the High School

girls

11 June: Mothers’ Brunch at the Bryanston

Country Club

30 July: Jubilee Jamboree (Carnival)

3 and 4 August: IP Production

17 September: Jubilee Ball at the Bryanston

Country Club

20 October: Celebration of St Ursula’s Feast

Day

25 November: Carols by Candlelight

Brescia House School Headmistresses

1966—January - July Sister Xavier Rowntree

1966—1974 Sr Gemma Lawlor

1975—1980 Sr Veronica Murray

1973—1979 Sr Mary Bateman: Head of Primary School

1981—1982 Sr Elizabeth Towell

1982—1983 Mrs Antoinette Alexander

1983—1989 Sr Anselm Peace

1989—1991 Sr Jeanette Essey

1991—1992 Mrs Jill Snaddon

1993—1996 Mrs Rona Protti: Head of High School

1993—2002 Mrs Judy Botha: Head of Primary School

1996—2003 Miss Marilyn Bothma: Head of High School

2004—2011 Miss Marilyn Bothma: Head of Whole School

2004—2006 Mrs Lisa Benning: Head of High School

2003—present Mrs Ann Owgan: Head of Primary School

2007—present Mrs Benedikte Nott: Head of High School

Classifieds

Wishing Brescia House a happy 50

Birthday. Thank

you for all the memories which I hold dear to my heart. I

am privileged to be a part of the Brescia Family.

Candyce Simaan Matric 2001

Happy 50th celebrations Brescia. Thank you for mak-

ing my school years both enjoyable and unforgetta-

ble. May you continue to be a school that nourishes her

girls so that they become the best women that they can

in all spheres of life. Gina Forssman (Blake) Matric

1985

A very happy 50th birthday to the school that was

known as our home for a little over the last decade! May

the school's future be filled with blessings as

we continue to live our lives daily serving God and those

around us in a manner befitting the Serviam motto of

our school. Megan Fyffe, matriculated from Brescia in

2011, Lindsay Fyffe, matriculated from Brescia in 2014

To the dear family and friends that make up Brescia

House – Happy 50

birthday! FIFTY AND STILL

FABULOUS! Love the Matrics of 2003 and the Rent-a-

Crowd Group. Skye Livingstone-Blevins (nee Da

Silva), Donatella Whysall (nee Rufrano), Robyn Raath

(nee Mills), Angela Kayton, Je’mae Mountjoy, Jane

Hynes (nee Whysall), Sada Blok and Sarah Whelehan.

Happy Birthday Brescia House! May you continue to

flourish and grow. Thank you for all the happy

memories you gave me in my school days! Love from

Lisa Wegner (nee Blake) Matric 1982

Dearest Brescia House, Wishing this beautiful school a

very happy birthday. Here’s to many years of learning,

memories, joy and growth. May its girls, staff and

families continue to grow and shine. Here’s to serving

Our Lord, and our neighbours every day. Sending much

love, Lauren Pettit (Matric 2005)

Happy Jubilee Year to the Brescia Family. I am certain

the school will continue to excel on all fronts as it enters

its second half century. Happy 50th Birthday Brescia; I

hope the teachers, staff, sisters and most importantly

the girls have a wonderful year. Love Tanya (Douglas)

Cromme. Matric 1986, mother of Alex & Nicole

(Brescia, Grade 10).

Happy Birthday Brescia: To the school that shaped so

many young ladies across the globe. So grateful to have

grown up there, and to have been a part of it all. Hope

you are well and all the anniversary prep is going well.

Yours Sincerely, Harriet Worthington Head Girl 2008

Wishing the best school ever a very happy 50th

birthday. Many wonderful memories were made at

Brescia! A school very close to my heart. With love

always, Romy Best Marais, Class of 94

Happy Happy 50

Birthday Brescia House! From one of

your first Grade 0s that made it all the way through to

matric. The tiny school in the middle of nowhere has

truly blossomed and I wish you well in all your

endeavours for the next 50. Much love from Karin

Amoils (nee Meyer) – Matric 1978.

May the school continue to go forward serving its

students as well as equipping them to serve the wider

community and the world in which they subsequently

find themselves, upholding Truth and Honour. May

integrity of soul be Brescia’s first and foremost ideal.

May Christ, who taught by serving, guide and bless all

the work you do in the years ahead. Yours, Andrea

Klopper (Badham) Matric 1981

Happy 50th Birthday Brescia! The Golden Jubilee year

is truly here now, what a milestone! I would like to wish

Brescia many many more years of raising generations of

intelligent and ambitious girls in Green! Safiya

Mahlangu (nee Turundu) Matric 2007

Dear Brescia House (Ursuline Convent), With my

parents I watched you rise from the ground brick by

brick, I walked your corridors before they were filled

with school children and teachers. My parents were

among those who voted for uniforms which included the

apricot coloured shirts to go with our winter pinafore

dresses, hats which are still worn today. Very little has

changed – the apricot shirts are a distant memory . . .

Not many people can remember when they had the

measles. I can - 50 years ago next year! First day of

Standard Four at a brand new school spent outside on

a chair with Sister Mary Hugh fussing over me and

eventually sending me home! Many happy memories,

some tears, many good friends, many moments that

could have gone on forever. Happy 50

Birthday

Brescia! Love, Jan (Janice Hawkridge nee Herbert)

Congratulations Brescia! Thank you for hosting me as

an exchange student from Australia in 1997, it was one

of the most formative years of my life. I have fond

memories of the school, teachers and my class and

formed lifelong friendships. Clare Arthurs (nee Ponton)

Matric 1997

Happy birthday to a school that has played such a

significant part in moulding me into the person I am

today. May you continue to thrive and provide a space

for girls to learn and grow. May God's spirit continue to

be felt throughout the school and may He continue to

bless all those who enter the school gates. Brescia, you

beauty, to many more great and successful years

producing girls with a secret sense of pride for that

white basher! Jeanine Wilson, Matric 2006

Happy Birthday Brescia House! You hold very dear (and

hilarious) memories in your foyers and halls and gave

birth to friendships that still hold strong today. Thank

you for the gentle and strong foundation you gave me in

my life, and I wish this for all the young women who

matriculate with you. Regards, Tabitha Hume, Matric

1990.

Happy 50th birthday Brescia, to all the staff, students

and alumnae. Here is to many more years of being

proud Brescia girls. Bronwyn Bredell 2010

A big happy birthday to the place I called 'home' for 13

years of my life. Although over the years the staff and

the pupils have changed, the new and the old will

always be considered part of the Brescia family. I can

only ever dream that my special experience at Brescia

House will too be shared by each and every girl who

attends this magnificent school. Thank you for changing

my life Brescia House, you deserve the biggest

celebration in the world! Best wishes to all, Jess de

Kock, Head Girl, Class of 2012

Happy 50

Birthday Brescia House School! Thank you

for showing me the meaning of sisterhood and most

importantly how to serve. Thank you for playing a part

in making me the young woman I am today and

providing a place for me to make lasting friendships.

Here’s to 50 more years of moulding young girls into

successful, strong and compassionate ladies! Caitlin

Mackenzie-Jones, Matric 2013

I would like to wish Brescia House, my beloved school, a

wonderful 50th birthday. It taught me with knowledge,

trained me with skills and filled me with love and care. I

thank Brescia House for turning me into a better

person, and leading me onto a higher stage. It is my

honour to be a Brescia girl. Again, Happy Birthday,

Brescia House! Jing Ying Luo, Matric Year:2013

Happy 50th birthday to Brescia House - a school that

has helped shape my future and taught me many

valuable lessons that I carry with me each day. May it

continue to touch and bless many lives in the loving

way it has in the past. Love Stephanie da Silva (Matric

2009) and the da Silva family.

Happy 50th Birthday Brescia House. A good life is not

measured in years alone, but in the memories that fill

those hours, days, months and years. All who pass

through Brescia’s halls know of the wonderful memories

and nurturing foundation that allows us to become

strong empowered women. Thank you Brescia and long

may you support the young women who have the

privilege to be educated at Brescia House. Marie Claire

Smith (Nee: Rouillard) 2003 Matric Year.

Dear Brescia, 50 years and still going strong! How

wonderful! I matriculated from Brescia in 1973 and

have such wonderful memories of my school years. I

have been so successful in my career and I

have Brescia to thank for developing my skills and

teaching me resilience to face what has sometimes been

a difficult road. Heartiest congratulations on this

momentous birthday. Kindest regards, Barbara

Bennett (nee Hughes) Head Girl 1973

Wow I cannot believe how the past 25 years have flown

by! I matriculated in 1991 and always felt so privileged

to be in Matric during the school's Silver Jubilee year

and remember the celebration Mass as if it were

yesterday. I loved my time at Brescia, my English and

Afrikaans teachers, and especially my friends. From

Cape Town, I wish the Brescia family past and present,

all the very best in celebrating 50 golden years. Diana

Kelly

Brescia played a huge role in making me the woman I

am today. The 13 years I spent at the school were years

filled with love, family, lifelong friendships and learning

- both academic and life lessons that I still carry with

me today. Thinking of the school always warms my

heart and I hope it continues to impact the lives of

many more young women for generations to come.

Happy 50th birthday to a truly special school! Kerryn

Le Cordeur Matric class of 2004

Happy Birthday Brescia House School. Truly some of

the happiest days of my life and met my best friend for

life! I started school in Grade 1 in 1967 and

matriculated in 1979. Meryl Brown (neė Young).

Every skyscraper is built on a strong foundation of

pillars. And the life of each and every one in our family

is built on a pillar of support called Brescia. Dearest

Brescia House School, wishing you a very Happy 50

Birthday! Thank you for so many happy memories!

Sharon McLintock (Fraser-Smith) 1975 and Taryn

Mclintock 2007

How wonderful that Brescia House has thrived and

prospered and grown over the past 50 years, it deserved

to do so. As I remember it (matric 1975), Brescia House

was a happy, kindly place where we were encouraged to

become our best selves. There was no pressure to

conform to being a 'type'; Mother Gemma and her staff

wanted us to work hard, play hard and be good, it was a

simple recipe, but oh so effective! I remember Brescia

House with great fondness and was very pleased to be

there in April 2015 for my year group's '40 years on'

gathering. Happy birthday, Brescia. Penelope Luther

(Cullis)

It seems hard to believe that it is Brescia’s 50

birthday

and even more frightening to think how long it has been

since I matriculated after attending Brescia from Grade

0 to Matric. I am so very grateful for all that Brescia

taught me and meant to me and for the significant role

it has played I shaping who I am today. Jane Badham,

Matric 1984

Birthday wishes