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The Launching of the Star of the Sea Centenary Celebrations took place
on Saturday 30th May 2009 at the Star of the Sea Primary School in Mombasa, Kenya. 

A century in empowering the girl child

The Star keeps Shining Brightly!
Star of the Sea Primary School Centenary Celebrations (1909-2009)

The Star of the Sea family launched it commemoration of a hundred years of mentorship and empowerment of the girl child on 30th May, 2009.
The school with a vast history, was pioneered by the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa, (then known as the White Sisters), who arrived from France early 1909 and without whose vision this day wouldn’t have come to pass. Over the last 100 years, joint efforts between the parents, through the school management committee and the school administration strived to mould all-round students who exhibit discipline, dedication and with a determination to excel as women of high esteem and able to bond beyond religious, cultural and ethnical boundaries.

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A century in empowering the girl-child was the theme of the launch. The function started with a procession from the Holy Ghost Cathedral to the School grounds and on arrival everyone settled down for Mass which was celebrated by Archbishop Boniface Lele, also the guest of honour of the celebrations.
It was all pomp and colour as the current and former students, and teachers braced for the occasion. The tents at the school grounds were beautifully decorated in Star of the Sea School colours- red, blue and white.

Sr. Ruth Bernadette Musyoki, the head teacher of the school appreciated the good work done by the past administration. She gave a clear picture of the school, its needs- including renovation of the hall and provision of resources in support of education for the girl child. She stressed on the need to launch a kitty to support the needy children in the school. She complimented the teachers and pupils for tirelessly making Star of the Sea Primary School worth to be emulated.

His worship the Mayor of Mombasa, Cllr. Ahmed Mondhar, crowned the head teacher’s request and said that the Municipal Council of Mombasa will renovate the school hall, and equip the school with ten computers. To support the kitty for the needy children, he donated ten thousand Kenyan shillings and another ten from the area MP Ali Hassan Joho.

In his speech, Mr. James Muriuki the chairman of organising committee, noted that “Star of the Sea, as the name suggests, has shone brightly over the last 100 years to produce leading lights who have become pillars within our nation and, no doubt, beyond. As the maxim goes, ‘when you educate a man, you educate an individual, but when you educate a woman, you educate a whole nation’. We are proud to be leaders to this end.”
He went on to point out the challenges that needed to be addressed like the flooding problem of the school compound whenever it rained, renovation of the school hall in readiness to host the National Music Festivals in the first week of August and adoption of plot opposite Aga Khan Hospital into a play field. He appealed to well wishers, men and women of good will and the CDF Committee for material support.
He concluded his speech thus:  “As we celebrate these golden 100 years, let us reflect on our past performance; take the stock of our present needs, plans and projects on our future dreams. Without losing the vision of our founders, and keeping in step with the changing trend in technology, we may transform our school into an institution that will keep producing women of substance well into the next century and beyond. This is the legacy that our grandchildren will take pride in.  We shall indeed excel and the Star of the Sea shall forever shine!”

Archbishop Lele in his speech stressed on the need to educate girls. He gave his own experience saying that in his home village during his time of youth, only his father educated his daughter but the rest of the village girls were not educated. He noted the importance of education for all children. As a sign of his desire to have the needy children access quality education, he gave a cheque of Kshs. 5000.

The celebration was filled with lovely pieces of entertainment from the children of both the Primary and Secondary schools, with poems, songs and dances in praise of the school and their achievements. The teachers also had a special song for the day.
The climax of the event was the cutting of a beautiful cake with the logo and congratulatory words on it, all in the school colours. The guest of honour, Archbishop Lele led in the cutting of the cake and officially launched the centenary celebrations, which will officially be closed next year on 30th May.

Other invited guests included Rev. Fr. Willybard Lagho- the Vicar General and the Archdiocesan Education Secretary, Fr. John Correa- Administrator Holy Ghost Cathedral, the area Councillor-Aden Kushe, M.E.O. Mombasa, Mr. Sylvester Mulambe, and KNUT representative Mombasa- Mr. Ahaya Ahaya.

Many thanks go to the Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa for their endless support, the organising committee of the launch, Fina Bank- Mombasa Branch who sponsored the booklets, t-shirts and banners, the teachers, parents ,students and all who made the day what it was.

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 Official website: www.staroftheseacentenary.com www.staroftheseacentenary.com

 

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Star of the Sea Primary School

 

 

75

Right: Sr Cecilia Commissariat
at the 75-year-celebration

 

 

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1940: Staff and students

 

 

MarieHeintz

Sr Marie Heintz, last Sister Headmistress
in the Secondary Section

School History

The White Sisters Convent School In 1909
Star Of The Sea School Since 1954

Founded By The Missionary Sister Of Our Lady Of Africa

Patron: Our Lady Star Of The Sea

The first two sisters arrived by ship from France in 1909.
Sisters Mary Victor and Mary Vianney were asked by the Bishop to start an inter-racial school and a dispensary on the Fathers’ Mission grounds where now stands the Holy Ghost Cathedral built in 1927.

In 1910, a year later, the Sisters were given, by the British government, a one-week plot south of the original Railway line which started from the old post office (now the municipal education office) at treasury square, past the existing Pandya Memorial Hospital and the Sisters’ Convent which still stand on the original spot of 1909.

The pupils from the town (now called the old town) traveled by train in those days from home to school. The sisters reared goats, hens, rabbits, cultivated maize and beans, grew fruit and vegetable. They sold the produce to obtain an income. There were then some 20 children of school age in the island.

The teaching in the White Sisters Convent (so called because of the sisters white dress) was                                                 
Exclusively in Kiswahili done by one of the Sisters to the 20 children of different races.
Eventually it became necessary to separate the pupils due to the language problem. The Swahili speaking pupils were transferred to their new constituted parish, Makupa.

The number of the White Sisters’ Convent School, grew from 20 to 40 by 1919 representing eight different races, African, Japanese, Seychellois, Indian, Goan, Arab, Anglo-Indian and one European.

The number of pupils increased rapidly and by 1944 it rose to 486 girls and boys. Eventually the boys were phased out in 1964 to make room for the high demand for girls’ admissions.

As the numbers grew, lay teachers were recruited and by 1944 there were seven Sisters and 12 lay teachers, all ex-students of the White Sisters Convent School.

The school provided ten years of education from the kindergarten (Nursery) through Primary to secondary, London, Cambridge School Certificate (form iv). The subjects taught:  English, French, Maths, Geography, History, Arab, Home science, Biology, Games and P.E.

The minimum number of subjects required for the L.C.S.C was seven of which English, French, and Mathematics were compulsory. Music was optional and piano classes were conducted an hour a week at a fee of 10/- per month. The school tuition fee was also 10/- per month. The first two candidates were represented for the L.C.S.C. in 1935 and they passed with distinctions an Anglo Indian and Goan.

The first 9 piano candidates appeared for the London Trinity College of Music Piano playing examination in 1936, passed with distinctions and two had a pass.

The main aim of the Star of the Sea School was to mould the characters of its students into men and women of integrity, mindful of God’s gift and developing them for the benefit and service to others.

Living (part of) a cosmopolitan population, the school though Catholic sponsored, makes no distinction between race and religion and aims at inculcating this spirit in the students together with God-awareness and prayer.

The short but meaningful prayer at the daily morning assembly, offering the day to the Creator is a tradition upheld throughout the school over the years-its final words:

“... help me to KNOW YOU LOVE YOU AND SERVE YOU
in this world and to be Happy with you forever in the NEXT”.

sum up the aims of the school

As the school grew more subjects were added in subsequent years.
1954 – Commercial class – typing and shorthand
1964 - General Science and Biology
1965 - Kiswahili

1966 - The three sections of the school were separated into: -
Nursery   - private
Primary   - Assisted
Secondary  - Assisted which in 1978 was given to the government
Each unit had its headmistress.

In 1974 the first African Headmistress was appointed in the secondary section and in 1975 the first African Sister in primary and nursery.

A harambee stream was added in 1977 and 1980 it became Government in1981 ‘A’ levels (science) was introduced and the school the school became a high school.

At the introduction of 8-4-4 the school had 3 streams and a student population of 640 and a staff of 44 in 1997.
A red-letter day for the school was on 17th august 1966.

The first president of Kenya the late Mzee Jomo Kenyata presented a brand new Challen Piano to the school in appreciation of the Primary School Choir’s beautiful entertainment of song and dance at the state House Mombasa, June 22, 1967.

Last Sister Headmistress in secondary Sr. Marie Heintz
First African lady headmistress in secondary: Mrs. Kulumba
Last sister headmistress in primary and nursery: Sr. Cecilia Mary Commissariat

1975 – Primary’s first Sister headmistress of Sisters of St. Joseph - Sr. Dorothy Mshai
1976 – Nursery: first Sister – Angela Loko.
1992 -  2004 Sr. Pascalina Albina Mwasi  
2004 – Sr. Ruth Bernadette Musyoki

Currently the school operates 24 streams and a staff of twenty-five teachers and a population is 1,055.
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e-mail: website.gs@msolafrica.org
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