Queens Park High will celebrate its 140th anniversary in September, and it’s calling on past pupils and staff to join the party.

The school opened in 1884 at the Scottish Presbyterian Church Hall. Neil MacKay was the first principal.

Originally known as Woodstock High School, it moved to the Masonic Hall Building in 1892 and then, in 1905, to its current premises in Balfour Street, off Roodebloem Road, Woodstock.

It was named Queen’s Park High in 1955.

Principal Nicolene Abrahams recalls that when she joined the school in 1996, there were only 12 teachers for 296 pupils. Today the school has 18 teachers and 505 pupils.

“I have been bumping into many pupils who have been part of the school in the early 2000s, and it's good to see them and we also try to encourage them to be part of the school community.”

The school is in Woodstock but only a small number of pupils come from there and surrounds. Most of them commute from Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, Mitchell’s Plain, Eersterivier, Blackheath, Nyanga and Philippi.

In the past, many of the school’s pupils came from a predominantly Portuguese community living in upper Woodstock, says Ms Abrahams.

She has seen the school move from blackboards and the old overhead projectors to smartphones and computers, and this was particularly the case during the pandemic.

The school offers chess, dancing, soccer for boys and netball for girls, and it has plans to add basketball, table tennis and volleyball.

Deputy principal Zerena Barendilla says the school hopes to use the anniversary to support its fund-raising efforts as one of its main expenses is four governing body teachers.

Fouzia van der Fort, of Maitland, who matriculated more than 20 years ago, has fond memories of her time at the school.

“It was a good experience. I tried a lot of activities for the first time like softball, charitable events, and participated in the debate team, and I was a librarian at the school.”

Ms Van der Fort, who is a reporter for the Plainsman, the Tatler’s sister paper, was also the editor of the school’s magazine and she says she will be doing her bit to make the anniversary celebration a success.

“It would give me a chance to give back and meet up with some friends.”

Ms Barendilla is calling on other past pupils to help with the planning of the anniversary celebration.

Tickets to the black tie anniversary celebration at the school on Saturday September 28, from 6.30pm, are R300 and they include a three-course meal and entertainment. Call 081 469 1019 or 072 282 8257 to book.

Long-serving school secretary Ulanda Manuel, left, and school principal Nicolene Abrahams.

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