Our Lady of Apostles (OLA) Senior High School, Ho

OUR LADY OF APOSTLES (OLA) SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, HO

TEL: 03620-26224
1. VISION
A leading Catholic Girls Institution providing quality and holistic education for academic and moral excellence in a disciplined school environment

2. MISSION STATEMENT
To provide a conducive academic environment for quality teaching and learning that equips all students with relevant knowledge and skills for optimal performance in the world of work.

3. THE SCHOOL CREST
MOTTO: VITAM PRAESTA PURAM – It’s a Latin word which mean “Grant us a pure life; A life without reproach”. The cross is the Christian symbol of salvation, representing the Catholic Mission. The crown symbolises the queenship of our Mother Mary, the Patron Saint of the school, because the Catholic Church believes that she is crowned the queen of the world. The rose flower represents the devotion to Mary in the Rosary Prayers she instituted.

4. BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL
Our Lady of Apostles (OLA) Senior High School, Ho, is a Ghana Government Assisted Girls’ Secondary School under the management of the Cat holic Mission. The school sets out to provide spiritual, moral, intellectual and physical training in the Catholic tradition. The School is an all girls boarding and day Senior High School, situated in Ho, the capital city of the Volta Region of the Republic of Ghana, West Africa. Though a Catholic School, students from other religious denominations are admitted.
Students are admitted to the School based on the results of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (B.E.C.E), which is written at the end of nine (9) years of basic education.
On February 1st, 1954, OLA Secondary was officially opened in Keta with 35 students. The School started from the borrowed premises of the then Convent boarding school for gi rls with the use of the Middle school’s buildings as classroom, dining hall and dormitory. Initially named ‘’Queen of Apostles Secondary School’’, it was later renamed ‘’Our Lady of Apostles (OLA) Secondary School.
The school adopted the motto, “Vitam Praesta Puram”, ‘’Grant Us a Pure Life: A Life without Reproach.’’ To help actualize that ideal, the Bishop invited the Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles (popularly known as OLA Sisters) to administer the school. The first to arrive was Rev. Sr. Theodorus Fahye.
In January 1956, the school was transferred to its permanent site at Ho, but had to share the same compound with the Roman Catholic (R .C.) Girls Middle School, initially. In 1958, out of the first batch of 15 candidates who sat for the School Certificate Examination, 10 were successful.
Sixth form General Arts program was offered for the first time in 1967. In this same year, a past student, Mrs. Petrina Togobo, who was also one of the pioneers of the Specialist Training College at Winneba, returned to the School to open the Home Science department. Eight years later, in 1975, the Science program was introduced in the Sixth Form.
The year 1976 also proved pivotal in other ways, for it marked the beginning of Ghana Government financial assistance to the school, when for the first time money was voted by the government for the building of a dormitory block to house 200 boarders. It was not, however, until 1987, that the building was finally completed and handed over to the school. Meanwhile, in 1985, a third stream was opened, compelling the government again to vote money, this time for a five-unit classroom block.
The Education reforms that took off in the country in 1987 brought a change in the programmes run by the school.
IMPORTANT DATES: SILVER JUBILEE – 1979 GOLDEN JUBILEE – 2004

5. MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS OVER THE YEARS
Academics
2007 WASSCE RESULTS
Name Of Student Programme Grades
1) Dankwan Gifty Boateman Science 6As 2Bs
2) Agboh Priscilla Gen. Arts 5As 3Bs
3) Doh Edinam Business 4As 4Bs
4) Out Tiekuben Visual Arts 2As 5Bs
2009 WASSCE RESULTS
Name Of Student Programme Grades
1) Etse Jennifer Business 6A1 2B3
2) Appiah Aba Florence Gen. Arts 4A1 1B2 3B3
3) Nyadededzi Lorenda Science 3A1 2B2 3B3
4) Johnson Christophina Home Economics 2A1 5B3
5) Cleland Priscilla Odarkor Visual Arts 1B2 5B3 1C4
SPORTS
INTER-REGIONAL: 2nd in Volley ball – 2009
INTER SCHOOL: 1ST in football – 2009
QUIZ COMPETITION
54TH Independence Day anniversary quiz competition in the Ho Municipality: 1st Position
6. SCHOOL FACILITIES
• Academic
a. Classroom – Twenty nine (29)
b. Laboratories – Three – (3)
c. Library – one – (1)
The School has a well stocked library that can sit about one hundred students at a time.
• Non Academic
Recreational Grounds
The School has not got a permanent playing field. The open spaces in the school are used for games. Inter houses athletics competitions are held at the Ho Sports Stadium.

7. CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
The clubs and societies in the school are:
a. Science Club
b. Business Club
c. Governance and Leadership Club
d. Honesty Club
e. Sacred Heart fraternity
f. Charismatic Society
g. Ladies of the Altar
h. The School Choir/Brass band
The School also has a naval cadet Corps that is well trained and disciplined. The Cadet Corps of the school is a force to reckon with especially in March Past Competitions. It is always adjudged the first eg. 6th March 2010 and 6th March, 2011

8. STAKE HOLDERS
• Old Students
The School has a vibrant old student association called Past Ola Girls Association (POGA). The association has two main divisions – The Year Groups and Umbrella group. Most Year Groups come every now and then especially when they are celebrating their anniversaries to help the school. POGA 1990 refurbished the schools computer Lab when they were celebrating their 20th anniversary. POGA 1992/4 also fenced our Vodafone Booth in the school. Many donations were made in the past which helped the school immensely.
Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
Apart from the Government of Ghana, the PTA is the next back-bone of the school in terms of infrastructural development and fu nding of other activities. Notable among the infrastructural development are:
a) Administration block
b) School Canteen
c) The PTA started the assembly hall and completed by Getfund.
Currently, they are renovating the masters’ bungalows, beefing up security on the compound as well as employing some other supporting staff.
• Traditional Authority
The school is situated in the jurisdiction of the Asorgli State. The paramount chief of the state is Togbe Afede XVI. Togbe Afede XVI is an investment banker, the chief Executive Officer of Strategic African Securities.
The paramount Queen mother is Mama Akua Dei II. The site of the school was donated by the Avor family in the Asorgli State. On occasions like Speech Days and anniversary celegrations, the traditional authorities are invited to grace the occasion.
• Municipal Assembly
The school is under the Ho Municipal Assembly and the Municipal Chief Executive is called Hon. Kodobisah. There is a cordial relationship between the assembly and the school.
• Others
The school is a Catholic Mission School and the Bishop of the diocese most Rev. F.A. K. Lodonu is the overseeing head of the school. As the shepherd of the Diocese, he ensures sound spiritual and moral as well as academic training of the students in the school. The Bishop’s award is given to the best behaved student annually.