Saint Alberts High School

Saint Alberts High School - Centenary, Zimbabwe
Location
Centenary, Mashonaland Central, Zimbabwe
Coordinates	16°28′33″S 31°17′03″E
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Founded	1970s
Authority	Diocese of Chinhoyi
Head of school	Fr. Vitalis Murombedzi
Gender	Mixed

Saint Alberts High School is a coeducational Roman Catholic Church mission high school that also provides boarding for students. It is situated in the Mashonaland Central province of Zimbabwe, on the escarpment overlooking the Zambezi Valley in northern Zimbabwe near the Mozambique border. It is above this escarpment which is also popularly known as the Mavhuradonha Mountain range. The Valley below is also known as Dande.St. Alberts is located in a pristine area between Mt Darwin and Centenary, in a region of temperate weather.

History

1970s

The school was founded in the 1970s by the Jesuit society of the Roman Catholic Church. In July 1973, Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) cadres captured 292 pupils and staff from the school and force-marched them north towards Mozambique, where the ZANLA bases were. The march was intercepted by the Rhodesian Security Forces before it crossed the border and all but eight of the children and staff were recovered. The school is presently managed by Father Superior Vitalis Murombedzi, under the Diocese of Chinhoyi.other priests who have been at this school include Father Mcabe, Father Chitimbe, Father Banda, Father Nigel Johnson, Father Osker Wermter, Father Christian,

The school was closed in the late 1970s at the height of the liberation struggle. It had become a haven for the recruitment of freedom fighters.

1980s

In 1981, the school was reopened with around 120 students in Form One. The first head-boy in this group was Tapela Juma. He was replaced by Oversee Nyamuchanja.Other headboys who camein where Scientist Muchenje,Clever Kabote who did not last long as a headboy as he was reoved because he protected soe students who were accused of soking ganjain the hostels. In his place came in Sibarashe Musonza. All these headboys were for the first stream. Headgirls for this stream included Grace, Alice Tumbare,Memory Jonga and deputy Elizabeth Jackson. For the 1982 strea the headboy was Felix Mapfiro and his deputy was Nick Andrews. The headgirl was Barbra Muradzi,^{[citation needed]} Its first headmaster after the war was Celestine Mtandadzi (died 28 July 2007). His deputy was Cannan Chabayanzara (died 2003). Initially, the school had a total of four teachers. The school grew with each passing year; by 1984, it had forms one to four. The school added buildings to accommodate the increased class size.

St Alberts had teachers whose appreciation of drama and theatre lead the school to build theatres not only for the students, but for the surrounding communities. Among these teachers was George Mujajati, who went on to write novels and plays like "Victory" and "The Wretched One."^{[citation needed]} St Alberts won several drama trophies under its teacher and chief drama master Gonzo Habbakuk Msengezi.^{[citation needed]} He became the first writer in Zimbabwe to be chased by the government Secret Police after writing books like "Zvairwadza Vasara" and "The Honourable MP."

St Alberts opened its doors to A-level students in 1987. It started with only arts students, as the school was still in the process of building science laboratories.

The school was involved in agriculture projects, as it had a large student garden. It also kept cattle, pigs, and goats. However, a new Roman Catholic Father Superior Father Von Walter who hated the agriculture projects caused the closure of the gardens as a result of conflicts with the headmaster Mtandadzi^{[citation needed]}. Mtandadzi had to leave the school in 1990, becoming an Education Officer. Some of the Headmasters who have been at this school include Chidavaenzi and Donato. The teachers who have passed through this place include Kavhendekete, Mushonga, C.P. Chabayanzara, Graham Matthews, Henry Chimbiri, George Mujajati, Gonzo Habbakuk Msengezi, Crazymear, Wilkes, Anne Lofthouse, Jude O'Mahony, Mudyanadzo, Mugari,Nyanzira,Guruwo,Mupotaringa,Paul Claes, Goodman Obriponko Asiedu, Weston Chatora (He was the Headmaster when the school launched its A'Levels, he later went on to head St Francis & St Claire school at Guruve where A'Levels were established during his tunure, he is buried near St Alberts' Maripfonde village), Chinyemba, Jonga, Badza Bernard,Maodza,Zhou, Nhengu,Dzapasi,Brinker,Sister Theresa, Edias Pongweni, Chitsungo,Kavhai,Mutsamvi Dennis, Mhandu, Chitsa Farai, Tsinakwadi, Choruma, Magaya, Zowa, Honde, Chihwai, Matondo, Chitsungo, Peter Thomas, Elizabeth Banks,, sister Guvheya, Gretitius, The following were some of the students to pass through the school:

Houses

St Alberts has four competing students' houses:

• Silveira, which wears yellow;
• Miguel, which wwears red;
• St Augustine, which wears green; and
• St Martins, which wears white.

It has three academic classes which go under the names of Zimbabwe's most notable historical persons Nehanda, Kaguvi and Munhumutapa.

Athletic achievements

The school produced notable basketball players like the tall and gangly Mickey "CIO" Samakomva and Tosiyana "Tosy" Nyika, Charles Kandemiri, Ascenscion Mtandadzi,among others. It also produced great swimmers like Daniel Chidavaenzi, Ascension Mtandadzi, Weston Chitate and others.

Notable soccer players include Shepherd Kadzatsa,Albert Chitopo, Segula,mainford vambe, martin bherebhende,Austen Tendaupenyu, isaac sumbureru, john zindonda, Gerald "Madhobha" Mutyambizi, Roy Bonga, Kudakwashe Masasi, Kudzai Samkange, and Ashford Jaison.

St Alberts boasts former National team volleyball players including Ladislous Madziva, Wellington Hwata, Tanya Mawele, the Chinyani twins, and Tinashe Mashayamombe and others.

It had great netball players like Elizabeth Jackson,Greta Tarambiwa, Martha Mukurunyorova and Mary Mukurunyorova. It had great sprinters like George Bhobho, Prosper Mtandadzi and Tendai Mutsunge. The school has many recreational facilities, including a swimming pool, a football field, and volleyball and netball grounds.

In 1994 most of the students at the school went on a demonstration and walked for 50 kilometres from the school to Mt Darwin demonstrating against what they considered to be deteriorating standards at the school.The leaders of this group included Alois Chimudzi,Richard Juma,Tafadzwa Samuriwo,Morgan Mugawu,Enzilem Makurumidze

Notable alumni

• Memory Chirere, award winning writer and lecturer
• Phillip Chidavaenzi, writer
• David Mashonga, sculptor
• Brighton Kukasira, eveai co-founder and engineer
• Julius Chirume, ZBC Sportnet Producer

Notable faculty

• Father Gregory Xavier Croft S.J., co-author of O'Level Science in Zimbabwe

Father Gregory Xavier Croft S.J. spent most of his working life developing science education at St Ignatius and in Zimbabwe as a whole. He developed some of the best school laboratories for physics, biology and chemistry found in Zimbabwe. He co-authored Science for Zimbabwe, one of the first science textbooks written after independence in 1980.http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Father_Gregory_Xavier_Croft_S.J.&action=edit&redlink=1

External links

• http://www.facebook.com/groups/259191280795177/?notif_t=group_activity (St Albert's High School)
• Saint Alberts High School on Facebook