Bondolfi CPS
Historical Background
In 1951 Corneleous Rodolph Henning, the owner of the Stephanie Farm, sold the farm to the Gwelo Bishop, Alois Haene. He was the Bishop of the Catholic Church. Father Galvin under the guidance of Bishop Haene opened Bondolfi Primary School about 30km south-east from the city of Masvingo Province in 1952.
Bondolfi Primary School was established at the Old Mission about 1 ½ km in the south before it was moved to the present site.
It was a school surrounded by farms and not villages by then. The children from the farms enrolled at the school and these children and their teachers used to do chores like weeding for cash to boost their fees. There was also a boarding facility at the Old Mission which started in 1953 . The Priest In Charge, Father Schoneburger of the S.M.B was in charge of running the school. He was assisted by Dominican Sisters.
Around 1961 the school moved to the present site where first two blocks were used to teach Upper Primary. History points at Mr Mukhahlera as the Head from 1969 to 1973. His predecessor was Mr Ponde who headed until 1985 when he retired. Mr Mukhahlera’s first predesassor was Mr Ponde who headed the school between 1974 to 1985. Mr Ponde was known for teaching church music even to the College students during his leadership at the primary school.
In 1986 Mr Banga was appointed to head the school. By then the following Colleges, Mukaro Girls, Gokomere Boys and St Anthony Boys had amalgamated into one college which is currently Bondolfi Teachers’ College. To get accommodation for the College female students, the primary boarding facilities were used to date. The church had seen it not viable to have primary boarding facilities at each Catholic Primary School so the removal of Primary boarding became a blessing in disguise as students and home craft students were accommodated there.
The Primary school was made to grow bigger as at that time each College had to have its students teachers do teaching practice at its primary school. On the other hand Dominican Sisters also made use of the girls’ boarding to accommodate Homecraft students who practiced mother craft by being assigned boarder girls to manage and be assessed on weather they passed mother craft and child care which was part of their training.
It was during Mr Ponde Stephen’s time that Bondolfi Primary School introduced the first Resource Room for the Visually Handicaped in the Province. To start the Resource Unit two girls and one boy were enrolled but the number grew to 29 which necessitated the opening of another Resource Room since only 12 pupils could be accommodated in one class. In this set up the handicapped pupils were supposed to learn together with their sighted counter-parts. They only came to the Resource Room for special training in Braille, mobility and daily living skills.
In April 1987 the Chief Education Officer Dr Marie Samukange accompanied by all Provincial Education Directors from all over the country and other ministry officials came to Bondolfi Primary School to find out how the system of integrating the visually handicapped pupils worked so that they could transfer this knowledge to other provinces This was a big success since the Resource Room of this nature started to mushroom in provinces across the country.
1986 also saw the twinning of Bondolfi School with Karl Mache school in Kenern in Germany. This resulted in robust exchange programmes in learning materials and exchange visits by the school heads and pupils.
The Germans also provided funds to build a dining hall for the pupils and an outside kitchen. This relationship finally culminated in the twinning of the city of Masvingo and the city of Kernen in Germany.
In 1992 Mr Ponde retired and Mr Francis Banga took over as Head at Bondolfi Primary School. The Priest In Charge was Fr Mabhundu. He is noted for keeping the Germany legacy alive. The Germany bought many tools and equipment for use in the school like video cameras and fax machines which were mainly used by the Resource Unit. Also during this period there were great strides in improving the living conditions for teachers. In each teacher’s house there was built a toilet and a bathroom curtesy of the Germany friends. Previously there were two communal bathrooms and outside communal toilets which were used by all staff.
In 2012 Kernen group visited Bondolfi Primary and had a meeting which ended with an agreement that an amount of $120.00 for boarding fees be paid for each of the sponsored 29 children per term. Mr Zihove tragically met his death on his way to school from Charumbira in 2012.
School Philosophy
Motto
Service Not Self
Mission Statement
Bondolfi Primary School is committed to the provision of quality basic education to all children through grades and multi media approaches so as to produce individuals with potential to undertake school and home life.
Core Values
We collaborate and support one another to achieve common goals.
At Bondolfi Central Primary School, we embrace teamwork as a vital core value. We encourage our pupils to collaborate, support one another, and achieve shared goals together.
At Bondolfi Central Primary School, we nurture innovativeness as a driver of growth and learning. Our pupils are encouraged to think creatively, explore new ideas, and develop solutions that make a difference.
At Bondolfi Central Primary School, we treasure a personal relationship with Christ as the heart of our faith and learning. We guide our pupils to grow spiritually, live Gospel values, and walk closely with Christ in their daily lives.
At Bondolfi Central Primary School, we uphold consultation as a way of fostering inclusiveness and shared responsibility. We encourage open dialogue and collective decision-making for the good of our community.
At Bondolfi Central Primary School, we value involvement as a path to ownership and growth. We encourage active participation from pupils, staff, and parents in all aspects of school life.
List of School Heads
1953-1960
Fr Schoenenberger
1961-1973
Mr Mkahlera
1974 – 1984
Mr Stephen Ponde
1986-2000
Mr Francis Banga
2001-2012
Mr Sebatian Zihove
2014 to Date
Mrs Dorothy N Berejena
Contact Details
Address
The School’s address and contact details
- Stephanie Farm, Bondolfi ,Masvingo
- 0773 623 514
- bondolfiprimaryschool@gmail.com