Marking 20 years of excellence
Alexandria Christian Academy’s focus on pupils’ individual progress, character growth, proves successful
Alexandria Christian Academy was started by Johan and Gretel Olivier in 2002 at the Life Christian Centre, in response to a calling from God.
One of the Xhosa names used for Alexandria means “Place of Darkness” because of its blood-stained frontier history.
The darkness and hopelessness among the people of Alexandria would be challenged by young boys and girls, who would learn the truth at school, and bring hope back to their families.
Many lives have been changed since, because of real unconditional Christian love and training in values and character.
The school quickly grew from 10 to 100 pupils, from babies up to matric, with 13 full-time teaching staff and teacher’s assistants.
The school soon had to move to a bigger premises and for the last few years, pupils have enjoyed beautiful surroundings overlooking the Alexandria Golf Course. The school programme’s key distinctive focus is the Personalised System of Instruction (PSI) in which emphasis is placed on learning and the learner.
It focuses on mastery of skills and knowledge, with promotion to higher levels of work. Gretel Olivier, now administrator at the school said: “Our experience has been that these multi-graded classrooms, incorporating learners who are all working individually on curriculum material at their prescribed level, has proven to be extremely successful.
“The most important outcome we wish to achieve is character-training and building self-confidence, balanced by a very strong rewards system.”
All the pupils from Alexandria Christian Academy who have gone on to tertiary education have been awarded the Golden Key, which is only given to pupils who are in the top 15% academically of their faculties at university.
“Among our alumni are two veterinarians, two masters degrees and some very successful business owners,” Gretel said.
The school has received letters from the universities of Rhodes, Stellenbosch and Pretoria, congratulating them on the academic standard of their graduates.
“We are now offering a full, blended approach, where most of our work is online and on computers, together with textbooks and PACEs.
“Our matrics write the National Senior Certificate through the Independent Exams Board. We also hold a 100% matric pass rate. Though a matric pass is not a guarantee to be accepted at university, the school does everything to assist and support our graduates to live their dreams,” Gretel said.
“Each child in ACA is a walking testimony of a changed life, who impacts his and her immediate surroundings and also the town of Alexandria.”
To celebrate the school’s 20th birthday, it held a fun-filled opening day on January 13 for pupils and their families, staff and the community.
ACA has a number of special activities planned for the year.
The main event is its annual golf day and company expo which will be held at the Alexandria Golf Club on May 7. “We would like to thank all members of the local and international community, both individual and corporate, who have partnered with us for the last 20 years. Be assured we will continue to strive towards excellence in education – ‘Changing the World for Christ, one child at a time’,” Gretel said.