‘Leaders are created here’ say alumni at Beacon Hill’s 40th anniversary

Beacon Hill High School in Beacon Valley has “created and developed leaders since their inception.”

On Saturday April 20 alumni, former principals, pupils, parents, teachers and the community celebrated Beacon Hill High School’s 40-year anniversary milestone.

The first principal of Beacon Hill from 1984 to 1986, Joseph Diedericks, said when the school opened they had to search for teachers on a waiting list.

He was not satisfied with the name Imperial Secondary School. He wrote to the department to change it.

Beacon Hill High was the “perfect name” for the school. “A beacon doesn’t stand in the valley but stands on the highest point,” he said.

The education department accepted the name, Beacon Hill High School. The children came in their masses. “Beacon Hill’s roots will remain strong for the next 40 years, striving towards greatness in this community,” he said.

Former deputy principal from 1984 to 1986 and former principal from 1986 to 1991, Errol van Wyk, said when he started it was difficult times with many challenges yet numerous triumphs.

They started with Grade 8 and Grade 9 pupils with 1987 being their first matric class. Formerly known as Mitchell’s Plain No.15 Secondary School, Mr Diedericks came up with the name and the motto: “Let your light shine.”

“What unites us is the shared experiences of our time together, the memories we made and bonds we formed,” he said.

Mr Van Wyk said they were a young group of teachers who started their first year of teaching at the school; they had to show they can produce great results, he said.

“We were competitive and wanted to show we can succeed while working with parents and the community,” he said.

Parents from all over wanted to enrol their children. When he left in 1991 there were 1 181 pupils and 62 teachers.

Their school played a pivotal role in the struggle. “We’re proud of the pupils, today they play a great role in the community,” he said.

It was Mr Van Wyk’s birthday when they won their athletics section in the 90s. Pupils wanted a day off but needed school to continue so that excellence could prevail, he said.

Former principal Gregory Kannemeyer, who was at the helm from 2013 to 2021, said Beacon Hill High’s examples are being sighted from afar for what they do.

They hosted the Mitchell’s Plain cycle tour in 2018 ("Beacon Hill gears up for Heritage Day cycle tour" Plainsman, September 12, 2018) and was the first school that hosted an advanced pilot project for online and blended learning (“A new kind of learning”, Plainsman, July 24, 2020), to name a few accolades.

“We’re changing the landscape for pupils who don’t have all the resources. We must celebrate this. Leaders are born and made at this institution. Thank you for your contribution and having this school at heart,” he said.

Former principal from 1990 to 1999, Archie Lewis, said: “My life was influenced and enriched by parents, teachers and thousands of students who entered and left the gates of Beacon Hill High School. We must continue to make Beacon Hill the best school.”

Current acting principal, Melisha Benjamin, said in her speech on Saturday that since 1984 the school has been a beacon of hope to not just pupils but the community.

“We’ve come a long way. We can look back yet our school has grown and improved in so many ways,” she said.

Former pupil Mark Jackson said in 1988 during continuous school protests he was arrested and detained by security police; however, his former school helped him. “They rallied around me, helping me complete my school career.

“For most of us we ran to school because it became a place of hope. Beacon Hill was at the forefront of leaders. We are blue, we are proud and we’re not scared to lead,” he said.

Their school had the highest pass rate of 98% in 1990 in the country, said former pupil and mentorship co-ordinator, Juven Rittles.

This was the period during apartheid when school policies and curricula were administered according to race – schools in townships like Mitchell’s Plain fell under the Department of Coloured Affairs’s Department of Education and Culture while black schools in neighbouring townships fell under the Department of Native Affairs’ Department of Education and Training.

The school was also paid a visit by president Nelson Mandela on May 9 1996 at the reopening of the school after it underwent renovations made possible by a collaboration between business, among them Woolworths, local labour and the school community.

“Whichever profession we find ourselves in was made possible by our teachers who played a pivotal role in shaping us. This celebration was necessary to honour and say thank you, and rekindle friendships of yesteryear,” Mr Rittles said.

They have an active mentorship programme where alumni assist pupils in mentoring pupils at Beacon Hill, he said.

For more information, follow their Facebook page for upcoming events of their 40th anniversary year celebrations.