Catholic Schools Office
Archdiocese of Pretoria and 
Diocese of Johannesburg

 
St Columba's Primary
Benoni http://www.stcolumbas.co.za/

Telephone
011 421 3057/5027

Physical Address
107 Howard Avenue
Benoni, 1501

Fees
From R23760 in Grade 000 to R35915 in Grade 7
(2010 figures) Reductions for siblings
Discount if fees settled in full by 31 January  

Founding & history
St Columba’s - or as it was originally known, Holy Child Convent, later Dominican Convent Benoni - was opened on 1 September 1909 by Mother Rose Niland, founder of the Congregation of Dominican Sisters, Newcastle. Although Holy Child Convent was opened as a High School, it also served as a Mass Centre, as Benoni did not have a Catholic church or a priest at that time. Built on the site of an army camp, the new structure was a large single-storey building with accommodation for a convent, a boarding and a day school. As St Patrick’s church did not have a resident priest until 1916, the convent was the headquarters of the parish during the intervening years, with the sisters supplying the vestments, sacred vessels, altar cloths, candlesticks and other necessities.

An additional stand was purchased adjacent to the original one to accommodate the growth in the number of pupils and here the foundation of the present school was laid by Bishop Cox OMI on 12 September 1915. More additions were built during the following years, until the school reached its present size.

In 1983 the school changed its name to St Columba’s, reflecting the fine tradition of religious education and culture, and a new era in meeting the educational requirements of the community. In 2001 it was decided that the uniform be changed from black to a very attractive navy.

In 1992 it was agreed that boys be allowed to remain at St Columba’s until Standard 5 (now Grade 7), and we now have a thriving community of boys and girls enjoying the educational, cultural and sporting facilities offered at St Columba’s.

St Columba’s is a school where the whole child is educated. Academic excellence is but a portion of this, as each child is given the opportunity to do his or her best on the sporting fields, in the cultural areas of choir and chess, and, most importantly, in the spiritual field as they take part in the various liturgies and weekly masses that are held in the adjacent St Patrick’s church during the year. As our mission statement reads, “We are committed to the development of the whole child; religious, academic, cultural and sporting, based on the life and teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Motto
Veritas
Truth

Current enrolment
381 (2010 figures)
Boys and girls
Grade 000 to Grade 7  

Facilities
Chapel, hall, library, computer room, design an technology room, music room, soccer field, 6 netball courts, 3 tennis courts, afternoon care with hot meal and supervised homework, Kumon, ballet  

Extra-murals
Netball, soccer, tennis, cricket, swimming, chess, choir

Principal
Mrs Ann Capecchi

Postal Address
PO Box 17224
Benoni West, 1503

Fax: 011 421 8009

E-mail: acapecchi@stcolumbas.co.za

Website: http://www.stcolumbas.co.za/

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS OFFICE OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF PRETORIA AND THE ARCHDIOCESE OF JOHANNESBURG
PRETORIA w Jolivet House, 140 Visagie Street w PO Box 8149 Pretoria 0001 w Tel 012 321 2049, 012 348 3197 w Fax 012 348 8280 w E-mail  rendol@netactive.co.za
JOHANNESBURG w The Haven w St Vincent School for the Deaf w Jellicoe Avenue, Melrose w PO Box 2635 Saxonwold 2132 w Tel 011 447 9219/9211 w Fax 011 447 9129 w E-mail  info@cso.za.org