Page 60 - KBHA BULLETIN 2

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wall between us, the stillness was disturbed every few seconds by Frances’ voice, which (like a

foghorn in foggy weather) penetrated into my classroom.”

With the increasing number of white residents in the St. James area so the number of pupils

increased on the school roll of Star. In 1914 the school roll passed 100 for the first time, but by
1945 it was evident that there was a need for more accommodation at Star of the Sea when the

school roll exceeded the 200 mark.

The Kalk Bay years 1947 to the present

It was decided to move St. James Mission School, and in 1947 Monsignor Doran had a school
built at Kalk Bay. The school building was erected on a site of approximately 500 sq m next to

the fisherfolks’ flats, and was utilized both as a chapel for the local people and as a school. (Fig.

3.7.) After having existed in St. James for close on 75 years, St. James School returned to Kalk
Bay. In the meantime the old Mission School building at Star of the Sea was renovated and

reconstructed to meet the needs of a school hall and later demolished to make room for the

present hall.

The new Mission School at Kalk Bay brought an increase in numbers, recording 153 pupils in its

roll in the first year. (Figs. 3.8 & 3.9.) It flourished under the leadership of Sr. Berchmans, who
was Principal from 1947 until 1954. She was assisted by Frances Hilario and Herbert Winn, and

two years later when the school grew to include Stds. 5 and 6, two extra classrooms were built,

and more teachers joined the staff. Miss Lyner joined the staff around this time, teaching the Sub
A’s in a large room which was rented from Wilson’s General Dealers for a year.

The school not only provided an education for the Kalk Bay community, but for the surrounding
areas as well, which included Vryround, Glencairn, and Noordhoek. It also served the community

by providing classrooms for Holy Mass every Sunday morning and for Rosary and Benediction
every Thursday evening.