Graafwater Primary School has been in existence for many, many years in the Zuney valley. By the end of 2000, at the turn of the millennium, this school had only 2 pupils left, and no newcomers for the next year. Seeing the need for individualized education also existing in Alexandria, the Graafwater community gave the go-ahead for the move of the school to Alexandria town and for the name-change to Alexandria Christian Academy, as the school would now go on to Grade 12.
Alexandria Christian Academy has been in existence as such for 6 years, ranging from grades 1 – 11. In 2008 the first Grade 12’s will be graduating.
What makes the school unique, is the way pupils are taught in goal setting and achieving reasonable goals.
Excellence in Education is achieved by building positive character training into the curriculum. Self discipline is instilled by teaching the pupils to set and pursue reasonable goals daily and advance at their own unique pace. This is a valuable asset in teaching pupils to cope as adults in a working environment and is achieved by using Learner and Teacher’s Support Materials (LTSM’s) that are accepted worldwide and mostly developed in America, thereby giving learners more opportunities to further their tertiary studies abroad. It is supplied by ACE – Accelerated Christian Education – and covers all grades from 1 – 12. The curriculum the school follows is RNCS (Revised National Curriculum Statement) as prescribed by the South African Government. The school’s main objective is to involve the whole person, by individual education and working in smaller groups, in a 50/50 partnership with the home.
Frederick Buechner once wrote: “No matter what a school may have to offer in the way of an education and good friends and the chance of a good job later, if it is not somehow also a place where student and teacher alike can become more and more of what it means to be truly human, then it is the wrong place for them both because without this all the rest is only business.”
ACE has been used with great success in small communities like Alexandria, as well as in big cities and larger schools. Computer training in all Microsoft programs and computyping is a compulsory subject from grade 1. ACE pupils have proved to excel exceptionally well in tertiary education, and are generally accepted in international tertiary institutions, as ACE is an international curriculum. The school has been awarded Silver Status by ACE in 2005, 2006 and 2007. In 2007 the Principal, Mrs. Olivier has also been appointed as a consultant. She will now assist and oversee other ACE schools.
The school attends the ALL AFRICA STUDENT CONVENTION once a year, where all High School students of ACE schools (2 000 students) get together on the campus of the Free State University to compete in 8 areas: Photography, Art, Drama, Music, Athletics & sport, Academics, Needlework & Woodwork. The school was awarded 4 gold awards and nominations to attend International Student Convention in the USA, and 3 Silver awards in 2006.
The school offers different sporting activities, and is mainly focused on individual sports. The main sporting events in the year are the Christian Interschools Athletics and -Swim Gala. Family activities are encouraged like family camps and family dinners.
Because of the slightly different approach to learning materials it is advisable to introduce learners to this system in Grade 1 or at an early stage in the school career. Applications for Grade 1 – 7’s for 2008 are open till the end of August 2007. Medium of instruction is English.
Grades 1 – 12 Bible-based education, while Christian values are enforced.
Following RNCS curriculum, using LTSM’s from ACE (Accelerated Christian Education)
Maximum Learner/Teacher ratio 15/1
Individualized teaching focusing on each child as a unique human being
Registration with DoE : emis 100269
