Originally named the Oranje Vrij Staat Dames Instituut, the school was founded in 1875 on the initiative of the Dutch Reformed Church. Steeped in the history and spirit of the old Free State Republic, the school has a long tradition of excellence. It is one of South Africa’s best known girls’ boarding schools.

The name Eunice is a biblical reference to the mother of Timothy in the New Testament. It is a Greek word meaning “happy victory”. For over a hundred years Eunice was situated in the centre of Bloemfontein, alongside some of the city’s oldest and most famous buildings. Today it boasts a modern school in spacious surroundings bordering on the equally well-known Grey College and the University of the Free State.

Eunice won the Top School Trophy for the 7th time since 2000 and won the Top Mathematics and Physical Science Trophy also for the 7th time since 2000.

Headmaster

Newsletters   Speeches

INTRODUCTION

What a privilege has been to lead Eunice these last 26 years. So many people have ,over 136 years, contributed to creating a school which enjoys a national reputation, world class standards, a strong sense of tradition and a very special spirit. Eunice’s success lies in the committed core of strong personalities who share my conviction that serving Eunice is a way of life. So many of our key personnel are leaders who innovate with expertise, with flair and with passion. Our success also rests with the real quality of our girls who respond with such enthusiasm.

I am acutely aware of what parents want in a quality boarding school. Firstly a safe and secure environment. Secondly, a first rate approach to academics with expert teaching, especially in the critical learning areas: Mathematics, Physical Science, Accounting and Technology. Thirdly, they want a range of varied all-round opportunities which smaller rural schools find difficult to match. And lastly, they want their daughters to be happy. A caring, fun-filled approach to academics is what sets us apart as a school which gives its rollercoaster service calendar loads of colour and character.

But it’s our girls who keep us eager and young and who make up this school. I find the large majority of our girls wonderfully enthusiastic, frighteningly energetic, generally appreciative and full of camaraderie and spirit. The young have a natural directness about them and an innocence and spontaneity which makes them special.

MICROSOFT MENTOR PRINICPAL

The Pathfinder programme is a 12 month learning cycle which includes 12 virtual universities. These are training sessions conducted as webcasts starting in September (northern hemisphere timing). The sessions are hosted by world experts in their field relating to innovation and transformation. We also have access to the Innovative Schools’ Toolkit which is an online school and staff development tool made up of eight workshops which include the very best resources available. After the 12 months in the Pathfinder community, schools make way for a new list of pathfinder schools who get to attend the international conference and participate in the next 12 virtual universities.

However, 12 of the ‘pathfinder’ schools have been selected to stay on in the Innovative Schools Initiative for a further two years as MENTOR SCHOOLS. It is now more about me than the school as I, as a school leader, help to lead the new pathfinder schools (already top schools in their communities) through a 12 month journey. We are grouped as regional teams (Africa and Middle East) and we do mentoring during 7 virtual mentorships during the next 12 months. There is now a second SA school appointed for 2010/ 2011 as a pathfinder school: St Cyprian’s Girls’ School in Cape Town. We work closely with them and with The Aga Khan Foundation School in Kenya, Maru-a- Pula in Botswana and Panayia Theoskepasti Gymnasium in Cyprus. Together we all attended the 4 day World - Wide Innovative Education Forum at the Convention Centre in Cape Town in October .Last month Microsoft sponsored the world’s top expert on ‘Envisioning’ Dan Buckley to run a workshop with seven of our innovative teachers in the morning and with our school management team in the afternoon. Microsoft uses him as a consultant all over the world so his experience and his ideas were very valuable. Together as schools and school leaders we all try to share best practices in trying to do justice to our world’s greatest challenge: producing school-leavers who are: “Confident individuals who are successful learners and responsible citizens possessing competencies that enable them to be effective in a knowledge based economy probably without oil.”

Mission & Vision

Founding Ideals 1875
Ps 144 v 12 – ‘That our daughters may be like cornerstones, polished after the similitude of a palace’.
‘Vincit qui se vincit’

Let's Celebrate the Eunice Ethos

• Firstly, it’s one of excellence. You witness it in our record, in our experience and expertise and in our commitment and our willingness to go the extra mile.

• It’s one of expectation. You feel it on your first day at Board Medal Assembly.

• It’s one of can‐do femininity. We’re girls. We can do and can be anything we want to be.

• It’s one of opportunity. That’s Eunice’s hallmark. A busy school with a full programme. Full of opportunities.

• It is one of innovation. You see it in our approach to theatre, to Christmas Market and to Hostel fundraising.

• It’s one of individuality. You hear it in how our girls describe their Eunice experience.

• It’s one of joy. You can feel the schools’ personality in the way our girls love to give colour and character and fun to a school day.

• It’s one of questioning. It’s how we teach and how we encourage a critical attitude and how we expose

• our girls’ to speakers of all persuasions.

• It’s one of service. You cannot deny the schools’ inclusive emphasis on reaching out in sincerity and generosity.

• It’s one of style. You cannot but notice the style Eunice gives to occasions throughout its calendar.

• It’s our camaraderie. You see it not only in the making of lifelong friends, as is the case in most schools, but in the way our girls support each other in the real business of classroom learning.

• It’s one of respect. You see it in 60 seconds flat in any visit to Eunice House.

• It’s one of diversity. Eunice has always strived to find common ground and to promote understanding in times past between English and Afrikaans girls and in times present between all South Africans in our rainbow society.

We see it in these pages. Every smile has a story. We have something special. Let’s celebrate it.