Class of 1991 - Memories Made

BY Lynne Reynolds Craill

The class of 1991 had a small 10 year reunion. We did not have a 20 year reunion and so some us, feeling regretful, agreed that we wanted to make an effort for 25 years. The countdown started 11 months before the reunion when a Facebook group was created and most of our class was found.

 

We have classmates all over the world – New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland, England, Wales and USA.  Many of these ladies would have loved to join us.  We agree that with a Riebeek education, you can go anywhere and do anything.

 

While I co-ordinated things for the official school reunion, Olga Katz Rall arranged a supper in Port Elizabeth.  This was attended by 7 ladies who had a blast.

 

I had hoped to see about 15 ladies, however there were only 6 ladies who attended the reunion at school.  Once again, Olga was the life of the party.  So much so that Elizabeth wonders if we will be invited back!  Olga has a memory like an elephant and reminded us of happenings that we had long since forgotten about.

 

We reminisced about fun at break with our friends, parties, school outings and learning to drive in the school’s blue Citi Golf.  We had an awesome reunion.

 

I have already asked my classmates to diarise 7 May 2021 for our 30 year reunion and look forward to seeing them again.

 

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 May 16, 2016
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Lynne Reynolds Crail...

Principal's Remarks

BY Mrs M. Woods

Today marks the 29th Founder’s Day celebration at the school, for which we shall always be grateful to Mrs Natalie Stear, (Principal from 1988 to 2000) who initiated this annual Birthday Party in 1988.

 

The idiom, “Time flies”, was first recorded in about 1800, but Shakespeare used a similar phrase, “the swiftest hours, as they flew,” as did Alexander Pope, “swift fly the years.”  On realizing that today will be my last Founder’s Day as Headmistress of Riebeek College, this idiom kept coming into my mind. There are so many ways to ponder about this:   The passing of time: the process by which time passes

Time goes by: it passes

Time wears on: it passes

Time ticks away: it passes

Time elapses: it passes

Time intervenes: it passes before you do something or before something happens Time creeps by: it passes very slowly

Time slips by:it passes and you fail to use it or to gain an advantage from it

 

It is accepted that time flies when you are having fun, so I truly believe that my years at Riebeek College, from a Sub A (now Grade R) pupil in 1957, to Matric in 1968, as a teacher, HOD, Deputy and finally as Headmistress, have flown, for that very reason. It has been fun! My life has been fun, and I feel humbled and privileged to be able to say that, and mean it.

 

Today we celebrate 139 years of our school’s existence. Our Founder’s Day always evokes in us a sense of gratitude and a spirit of oneness. It binds us as one family and enables us to get back to our roots and relive the spirit of our founder. It’s also an occasion to remember with fond gratitude the life and mission of our founder and give thanks to the Lord. It is an opportunity to unite the past with the present.

 

Going back in time to 1877, Dominee Braam Steytler, the founder of our school, made what I think was one of the best decisions in his life – to establish a quality school for girls only. Together with the synod of the Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk of the 1860s and 70s, they saw fit to fight for their belief in establishing a school for young girls. At the time this was most unusual, as co-educational schools (boys and girls) were then the norm. Their visionary insight and perseverance in striving to establish a quality school for girls only, has stood the test of time.  

 

I know that all our forefathers, past headmistresses, teachers and young ladies who have graced the portals of this school over all these years, are proud of not only our continued academic success, but more particularly, the type of young ladies, who after ringing the Valedictory Bell in the foyer and leaving the gates of the school for the last time, leave as mature, well-educated ladies who have a sound moral compass in place. More importantly, as ladies who have received an education imbued with the necessary values to become good, knowledgeable, moral citizens of South Africa, who will be able to make sound choices throughout their lives. It is the foundation on which the rest of their lives is established.

 

In 2006, Val Donald Bell, an old Riebeek girl and an accomplished actress as Madam, in an SABC’s sitcom, Madam and Eve, wrote the following after spending the morning at the school as our guest speaker on Founder’s Day:  “I will always brag about the joyful enthusiasm that flows through the veins of Riebeek girls.   I am proud to be one!”   A wonderful testament to all of us, past and present.

 

Last year I announced the completion of our new administration block and it gives me great pleasure, this time around, to tell you that it has been beautifully furnished. Special thanks to all the old girls, particularly from last year’s reunion, for their generous monetary donations, that went towards the financing of this project. We have got the larniest boardroom ever!   Practical sophistication at its best!   You are most welcome to visit it after assembly this morning.

 

Sadly, this year, Mr Neil Hoare, a former Deputy Principal and dedicated Science teacher passed away. Mr Hoare was a gentle giant of a man who was loved and respected by all the staff and pupils, both present and past.  Mrs Anne Peltason, friend and colleague, said the following about Mr Hoare, “Neil was kindness personified.”   At the beginning of the term we held a special assembly to pay tribute to a special teacher, for his place in the history of our school.  As a very good friend of mine, Annemarie Toerien Meyler, also a Riebeek Old Girl, living in Ireland said of him, quoting from an Irish poem, “While he is gone, something beautiful remains.”   We can equally apply this to all old girls, teachers, friends, who are with us no more. I want to share the whole of this beautiful poem with you, and I hope it means as much to you as it does to me.

SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL REMAINS

The tide recedes but leaves behind

Bright seashells on the sand.

The sun goes down, but gentle

Warmth still lingers on the land.

The music stops, and yet it echoes

On in sweet refrains…..

For every joy that passes,

Something beautiful remains. 

 

Our consistently good end of year results are clear evidence of the sound education that over all this time, has continued to be of a high standard. The pass rate from Grade 4 to Grade 11 last year was 98,8% and the Bachelor pass rate of our matrics was 93%. Out of our 88 matric candidates, 80 could therefore gain entrance to university and 7 received diploma passes. This is exceptional, considering that most of our young ladies’ home language is not English!   So as time passes, Riebeek continues to hold 

her head high!

 

To equip our young ladies to tackle problems, we must teach them the power of independent thinking and collaborative action.   These young people with values will then build a more sustainable future.   Therefore…3 values are needed to assure that each student has an open mind and we need all 3 to keep our students’ minds open.   Therefore, the virtuous circle of the open mind consists of TOLERANCE plus ENERGY (Physical and Mental) plus KNOWLEDGE.

This is why our 2016 annual theme for the year is #TEK (standing for tolerance, energy and knowledge). Helen Keller said, “Tolerance is the highest result of education.”  Aristotle said, “Energy of the mind is the essence of life.”

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam said, “Knowledge with action converts adversity into prosperity.”

 

So as the expression, time flies, implies, 2016 is flying by, while all of us at Riebeek College are working hard to put our theme into action. At Riebeek we do not only talk the talk, but with God’s help, we walk the walk – on a daily basis.

I said the following at our Founder’s Day in 2008 when I was asked by Mrs Merle van Onselen Phipps, who used to co-ordinate all our reunion groups for our Founder’s Day Ceremony for many years, to be the guest speaker:

“I have read that humanity has always had a close relationship with bees, whose honey has been a staple food since before the dawn of civilization.   As a symbol, the bees’ lifestyle mimics that of the human social order – a co-operative, productive social hierarchy.   Also, that bees’ never-flagging labours make them an emblem of hard work, industriousness, teamwork, perseverance, charity, selflessness and constancy.”

 

With these virtues, our founders could not have chosen a better emblem to represent the Riebeek Girl! We shall continue to change and move with the times, but our values shall be the constant in our lives. As Irene Peter says: “Just because everything is different doesn’t mean that everything has changed.” I have always believed that change is a good thing if it is embraced in the proper spirit. Here at Riebeek we, the intrepid, are not afraid of change, but here too, at Riebeek, we, the wise, know that often the more things change, the more they stay the same. Looking back over my long years at Riebeek, I am able to ring some of the best of those changes and traditions. The Bee is one of our important traditions:

 

It has become a tradition to read Mrs Rose Loggenberg Hartman’s letter written in 1999 recounting the origin of the Silver Riebeek “Bee” Pin motif. She wrote: “Miss Brehm ,who was a staff member of the school, while on a visit to London, commissioned a jeweller to fashion the “Bee” into a brooch, intending that it be worn as part of the school uniform. This idea proved to be non-feasible and she contented herself that only one be made for her. One day, while on a visit to our home, she presented this to my sister, Dorothy, who treasured it as a gift from a valued family friend. Subsequently, Dorothy handed “The Bee” to Miss Bartlett, intending it should be held in trust for each succeeding Headmistress of Riebeek College to be worn when the occasion deemed it fitting.   I think this was a happy gesture lending an added charm to the tradition.  It only remains for me to wish you a most successful, memorable and joyous linking of hands with the past on this day, and that Riebeek College continues its successful path into the future.”

 

So today, ladies and gentlemen, we give thanks to our God for this school, and at this very fitting time in our programme, I have asked Ms Cathy-Jane Mintoor, our new choir mistress at the school and an accomplished singer, to perform an arrangement of the wonderful Hymn, To God be theGlory.” Incidentally, the lyrics of this hymn were written by a woman, Fanny Crosby, published in 1875.  Yes, “Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done.”

 

On this Founders Day, we pray for…
Vision for the future
Wisdom in the present
Guidance in the everyday
Love for one another
Hope in the circumstances of life
Peace in our hearts and in our world.

 

It only remains for me to wish you all well, and sincerely thank you for making the “time” to visit your alma mater on this, my last Founder’s Day as Headmistress of Riebeek College. As I face the changes of my own future I trust that I have been a good steward of all that is good and honourable in this College we love best.  For me it has been a life’s work and in saying this I embrace our motto Ora Et Labora, and give thanks and praise to God above who saw fit to entrust me with this labour of love. 

 

To all Old Girls who have gone the extra mile to travel from all over the country and some special ladies who have travelled from across the oceans, I can only say that we are extremely proud and humbled to have you with us here today.   I can truly say that your special presence here, epitomizes the phrase that I have coined at the school over the years, “Once a Riebeek girl, always a Riebeek girl!”

 

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 May 16, 2016
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Mrs M. Woods

Our Roots are ONE

BY Martez Meyer

Founder's Day - where the past and the present come together.
With Riebeek College celebrating their 139th year since being founded, the sweet sense of nostalgia filled the air as the Old Girls walked through the hallways once again. Old memories that were once forgotten had resurfaced and new memories were created.
To start the beautiful morning off, the Senior 1st Hockey Team and the Old Girl's Hockey Team played a match against each other. Even though the 1st team kept the Old Girls on their toes, the Old Girl's Team beat them by 2-0.
 Congratulations!
At every Founder's Day the school gathers in a formation on the hockey fields. This year it was made extra special as it is Mrs Woods' last year with all the girls exclaiming that Mrs Woods is their cheerleader.
During the assembly the present  Riebeek Girls were introduced to the various reunion groups and most of them had specific traits that allowed them to be identified by what you would find in a garden: the class of 1956 were the elegant roses, the class of 1961 the sweetpeas, the sunflowers were the class of 1966, the class of 1986 were the petunias, the class of 1991 the garden gnomes and the class of 2006 were the scarecrows.
Two special women: Mrs Joan Field & Miss Roslyn Thomson who were Riebeek Girls respectively in 1966 and 2006 addressed everyone present. During Mrs Joan Field's address, she shared a story about a man named James Simpson who discovered chloroform and she reminded us that we are like acorns that will grow and flourish into Oak trees. Roslyn Thomson, our guest speaker shared her knowledge in her field of work being an Air Traffic Controller and spoke about change and how in the end it's about survival: adapt or die.
Sadly it is the last Founder's Day for Headmistress, Mrs Woods. A tribute was made to her and what everyone had said can be summed up in a single sentence and that is that she made an impact on the lives of those around her. Her pearls of wisdom will stay in the hearts she touched forever as will the Fruit of the Spirit that every Riebeek Girl was reminded to live by.
As the Founder's Day for 2016 draws to a close, we part ways with the reminiscence of the past, the gratefulness of the present and the excitement for the future.
Once a Riebeek Girl, always a Riebeek Girl.

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 May 08, 2016
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Martez Meyer

Founder's Day: 6 may

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Thank you, class of 1961

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A big thank you to the Class of 1961 who celebrated their 55 year reunion at our Founder's Day on 6 May. This group donated money which Mrs Woods will be allocating to a project shortly, possibly a bench at the entrance to the hostel. Jenny Edwards Serfontein is the reunion co-ordinator and Megan Davies Jones is the headgirl.

Class of 2006 - May the Force Be Wtih You

BY Linley Myburg Fourie

Ten years is a long time to be apart. When the class of 2006 came together for the reunion this May, it was simultaneously as if nothing had changed and everything had changed. The event was attended by 19 ladies of our class of 72, and this time it was our turn to join the old girls in the gallery during the Founders’ Day assembly. Many of us are now mothers, and two ladies, who attended the day, paraded a beautiful baby bump (or so Vuyo put it), while others are mothers to some four-legged friends (like Meagan who has three potbelly pigs). Amongst us, there are interesting careers, such as clothing designers, hotel managers, and yes – some have decided to go ‘back to school’ but this time as teachers. A hairstyle has changed here and there, but most of the ladies are still the same – it felt so ‘normal’ catching up, as if we’ve actually come back after a really long school holiday. Our class’ very own Roslyn Thomson did us proud as guest speaker at the event, by providing us with a teaser of her formidable job as an air traffic controller. “It’s not rocket science but more like playing a video game” – I remember her saying, yet we all beg to differ. We were happy to have shared our 10-year reunion with Mrs Woods – who was celebrating her last reunion as school headmistress.  As Akhona said: “You’ve run a good lap”, the class of 2006 wishes you well for your new adventure.

 

The afternoon’s event was lavished with good food and many laughs. Our entire group sat together to go through some photos of our schooling days, which made us chuckle. We also unveiled our time capsule, which was a form that each one completed in matric that included several questions such as, what are your memorable moments, where do you see yourself in 10 years, and describe your perfect partner. I then kept the time capsule with me for a decade with intention to ‘open’ it at our 10-year reunion. While reading through the thoughts of our 18 year old selves – it evoked a range of expressions that not even emoticons could depict.

It was a pleasure to see teachers, past teachers, such as Mr Ossher, and a past headmistress of ours, Mrs Stear.Those that had Mr Hoare as a teacher did spend some time sharing fond memories that we had of him.

 

Now, another time capsule has been created, which is only to be revisited on our 25th reunion, where we will once again unite to remember the old, and share the new. In all this, Douglas Adams’ quote rings true:“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.”

 

Ndiya kuthanda, may the force be with you.

 

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 May 09, 2016
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Linley Myburg Fourie

Introduction of Guest Speaker

BY Mrs M. Woods

It gives me great pleasure to introduce, Roslyn Thomson, from the class of 2006, as our guest speaker this morning.

At school, Roslyn was most definitely an all rounder, achieving academically and on the sports fields, particularly, hockey, where she represented Eastern Province and received her full hockey colours in matric.   She was a Junior and Senior School Prefect, Elton House Captain and at her final Prize Giving, was the recipient of many prestigious awards such as a trophy for the second highest marks in English, a trophy for bilingualism in English and Afrikaans, a trophy for creative writing, a trophy for an improved Hockey Player and other subject prizes and merit certificates. She completed Entrepreneurship as a seventh Matric subject in 2005, her Grade 11 year.   All her subjects were on the higher grade and she studied both English and Afrikaans as First Language which today is known as Home Language level.

Dr Boucher told me a story about when Roslyn was in matric studying Afrikaans First Language and she took her class on an excursion to the Knysna Forest.   They had a very informative guide who had grown up in that area.    During their walk through the forest, Roslyn saw a plant which had caught her attention and she asked the guide if he could identify it.   Unfortunately, he couldn’t.   He obviously took cognizance of Roslyn’s enquiry, as the next year when the girls visited the forest, the guide remembered the incident and told Dr Boucher that it was indeed a new species of plant that Roslyn had enquired about.   They had then named the plant, Roslyn.    So Roslyn, you can quite rightly feel honoured that there is a plant named after you in the Knysna Forest.     I think that you had better make a special effort to go there again and see how many “Roslyns” you can identify now!

Although I clearly remember Roslyn as a lively, bubbly, enthusiastic young lady who could be as naughty as ever, what is most clear in my memory of Roslyn, is her candid, yet polite enquiring mind and her delightful sense of humour.   She never missed an opportunity of chirping someone, in the classroom or on the sports field!   Linley Myburg, the head girl of 2006, at her eloquent Valedictory address, mentioned that Ros and Vuyo jumped into the swimming pool with their school clothes on, so that they would have something to tell their grandchildren!   I think that Roslyn has more than enough “entertaining” stories to tell her grandchildren one day.

Miss Knott, who is now Mrs Evert, a teacher at Muir College, is an ex-Riebeek girl, teacher and hockey coach and said the following about Roslyn:  “On the hockey field I remember a young, talented hockey player with attitude and a point to prove.   She had tremendous skill and a ‘never say die’ attitude.   She saw things as a challenge and not a stumbling block and was a true example to others.”

Roslyn says that after she matriculated at the end of matric, she spent the next six months on her mother’s couch, thinking about what to do with her life.    She kept herself busy by working odd jobs at Engen Garage and Fashionworld.   She then worked as a PA for an Engineering Company, during which time she studied Mechatronics part time at East Cape Midlands College.  

It was then that she received a response from the Air-Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS), that she had received a bursary for which she had applied.    ATNS oversees 100’s of thousands of aircraft take offs and landings every year.

Roslyn then started her journey to become an Air Traffic Controller. (ATC )

She spent the next 5 years at the Aviation Training Academy in Johannesburg, moving all over the country, graduating twice and becoming an ATC. (Air Traffic Controller).   At present she is based in East London and is also studying part time towards a Masters Degree in Business Economics, as the title she holds is regarded as a base degree for a number of Master courses.

I am sure that Roslyn will tell you more about the job description of an ATC, but as I didn’t know too much about the job, other than it is well-known for being a highly stressful one, I googled it!     My goodness me, Ros, what a responsible profession you have!   It is the most demanding job at any airport and you need to be able to operate under high pressure, have high concentration levels, be observant and it requires you to be logical and have outstanding planning skills.   Your responsibility for the en-route stage of the aircraft, using radar to track its exact position, keeping it safe in the airspace, providing the most efficient route, advising the pilot on the aircraft’s height and speed as they approach the airport, maintaining communication with the pilot via radio and issuing the pilot with instructions regarding navigation routes, telling the pilot when to take off and land as well as advising them on their cruising levels and having to cope with unexpected events and weather conditions as well as emergency situations is truly too much for me to imagine!   All I know, Ros, is that on my next flight, I would like to tell the pilots that I feel as if I am in safe hands, as an ex-Riebeek girl is telling them what to do !!!!

Roslyn is a mother to a 5year old little boy……………………and she tells me that motherhood is by far the hardest job ever, though the most rewarding.   Roslyn, I think we can all agree with you on that.   There is no manual for raising children.

We now look forward to listening to your address this morning and thank you for being so willing to be our guest speaker and also for being prepared to play hockey for the Old Girls’ team as well, joined by your sister, Robyn, who matriculated last year and whom I remember as a Smurf when the matrics held their 40 day celebration on the jumping castle!

 

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 May 09, 2016
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Mrs M. Woods

Founder's Address

BY Miss R. Thomson

After an introduction like that, I’m even more nervous now! Wow, this brings back a lot of memories. When I was writing my speech, I was trying to think of funny moments and things that had happened, but it all escaped me until I walked through the front door, and then I just remembered a whole lot of stuff.

We grew up in a time of Backstreet Boys, NSYNC and the Spice Girls, and we proceeded to put together a whole show for Mrs Osher in Grade 4. We had all the Spice Girls and it was just wonderful.

“Ladies sit up straight!” I’ve always wanted to do that! Mrs Stear used to do it to us in Grade 4 and it looks amazing. Okay, you can go back to yourselves now!

Mrs Woods, thank you very much for this opportunity. Charles Darwin said, “It’s not the strongest species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the ones who are 

most responsive to change.” Basically, it means Adapt or Die… That’s a bit dramatic, but you get the point. Adapt, change, alter, improve, modify.

The reason we have these reunions is to witness the improvements, modifications and changes within ourselves and that of others. We return to these unchanging halls of tradition and we use them to measure how far we’ve come since we were last here. One thing that’s changed in my life is that I now pay taxes… which suck!

As Mrs Woods has mentioned, I’m an Air Traffic Controller, and I cannot imagine doing anything else. I mean, it’s a perfect fit… I get to talk for a living and stare out the widow all day, and those were my basic skills at school… Just ask my Maths teacher! I don’t have any paperwork or deadlines and I work hours which are strictly regulated, which means a lot of free time. The company I work for, ATNS, is government owned. Mrs Woods asked me to tell you a little bit about it, so I’m going to tell you about the process and how to apply.

It’s a very male dominated industry and they have a lot of woman development programmes, so I would like to see at least 50% of you there in the future! It’s a bursary programme and you can apply online. It’s a full bursary, the pay for everything, including accommodation, your flight, they give you food, they even do your laundry!

The requirements are Pure Maths and English, that’s it. They basically train you to do the job, so you don’t need any qualifications or anything to apply. Just Maths and English. If your application is successful, you will go for an interview, psychometric tests and psychological tests. They are basically looking for a type of person. It’s not what you know, it’s the potential of what you can know. Then if that is successful, they send you to the aviation training academy in Johannesburg, where they will train you and it’s really amazing… They have these big simulators and you sit with an instructor, who will tell you what to say, basically. You have four months of exams which is 13 subjects in four months, you write two exams every week. The passing mark is 70%... 69.9%, and you are off the programme… It’s hard, but it’s worth it. It is definitely worth it. Like I said, a little work, I plug in, I talk for five hours, plug out and I’m done… So I would really encourage you to do it.

Air Traffic Control: there are basically two types of air traffic controllers. Every airport has a tower, you sit in the tower and you control what you can see. So you have vehicles crossing the runway, you have people landing, you have helicopters crossing, maintenance going on on the runway, and it’s your job to keep them all separated. You basically tell the pilot what to do, so that they don’t do the wrong thing. Because, if the pilot messes up, the pilot dies. If the air traffic controller messes up, the pilot dies… So it’s a win, either way.

Then you get Approach and Control, that is you sit at the radar screen and it’s like a video game. There are these dots on the radar screen and all you have to do is keep them apart. That’s it… It’s not rocket science, just like a video game. Yes, they’re big metal ships carrying 300 people in each of them, but just keep the dots apart, it’s really not that hard - so, apply ladies, I would really like to see you there!

To the class of 2006, wow, we’ve changed. So many things have changed in our lives. I’ve recently gone through some changes as well, I’ll let you in on a little secret: I’m not a natural blonde… I know right! But, change is always a good thing, for there can be no growth without change. The butterfly needs it and life demands it.

Speaking of change, there will definitely be a huge change around here… Mrs Woods, you impacted my life immensely. You believed even when I didn’t and all that I have become is a result of that belief.

I spent many, many hours in Mrs Woods’ office, sometimes for good things, others not so much. But, she always gave me a speech and a lecture - sometimes it didn’t work, but obviously in the end, I think she won. So thank you, and I speak for many when I say thank you.

I’m not going to keep you very long, because I know it was ten years ago, but I remember that… This day drags! So that’s it from me.

 

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 May 16, 2016
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Miss R. Thomson

Introduction of Reunion Groups

BY

Introduction of Reunion Groups 2016

It takes a long time to grow an old friend and so luckily gathered today are some fully grown, blossoming old friends who are rooted in the Riebeek traditions. (there’s a garden theme, you’ll see). We will now introduce each reunion group and  ask the group to stand so we can applaud.  

The elegant roses of our reunion groups, the Class of 1956 celebrates their 60 year reunion with the reunion co-ordinator, headgirl and Good Fellowship Cup recipient Joan Edwards Beckley.  While actress Grace Kelly married her prince in Monaco in 1956, this class forged ahead with their studies singing along to Doris Day’s Que Sera Sera (whatever will be will be).  Class of 1956, please stand.

 

 

The sweetpeas Class of 1961 celebrates their 55 year reunion.  Jenny Edwards Serfontein is the reunion co-ordinator and Megan Davies Jones is the headgirl. They were the first to have a 25 year reunion, in 1986, two years before Founder’s Day began and continue with this forward thinking:    This matter of fact class planned ahead deciding to have a 55th  reunion because, they say, “we are not sure how many of us will still be around for a 60th. Class of 1961, please stand.

 

 

The sunflower class of 1966 celebrates their 50 year reunion and were enthusiastically co-ordinated by Jean Slater Dunn. The Headgirl Joan Hickson Field said of their reunion this year: “So much work has gone into this.  We all feel like kids in a candy shop!” This class meets about four times a year and are passionate about not acting their age!  Class of 1966, please stand.

 

 

The Class of 1976 celebrates their 40 year reunion with Belinda van Teylingen Samuels as reunion co-ordinator. In that year, the band Chicago sang If you leave me now you'll take away the biggest part of me but unperturbed the Class of 1976 did uproot themselves and leave. Class of 1976, please stand.

 

 

 

The Class of 1986 celebrates their 25 year reunion.  Lauren van Loggerenberg Olivier took on the role of co-ordinator and Frauke Hellmann flew in from Germany. Rumour has it that those who could not make it are still recovering from their boisterous reunion in 2011.  With Mrs Brennan calling them petunias and Mr Hoare calling them mossies, you can understand the notion of Riebeek as a garden! Class of 1986, please stand. 

 

 

 

The Class of 1991 celebrates their 25 year reunion with Lynne Reynolds Craill as co-ordinator.  They are the garden gnomes of the Riebeek garden with their eccentric and colourful personalities, such as Beth Cooper Howell, famed for her weekly column in La Femme and her stint as a teacher here.  They matriculated to the sounds of Roxette’s Fading like a flower but they seem to have not faded at all. Class of 1991, please stand.

 

 

 

 

The Class of 1996 celebrates their 20 year reunion with Ingrid Kosaber Potgieter as headgirl and reunion co-ordinator. It was an absolute delight for us to view the complex reunion excel document rivalling anything the FBI could come up with detailing the whereabouts and information of this class. Some believe that the girls attending are doing so because of the legendary lemon meringue of Karen Baker Hume of this class.  Karen remembers: The walks from Lee Anne’s house (re-enacted this morning) and carols: how we hated the rehearsals but loved the big night. Class of 1996, please stand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Class of 2006 celebrates their 10 year reunion with Linley Myburg Fourie as headgirl and reunion co-ordinator, complete with a beaming proud mom on stage. Their matric farewell theme was colours of paradise but they may well be the scarecrows of Riebeek’s garden given what Linley said at Valedictory, “For many years our grade has been titled the naughtiest, laziest and definitely the dumbest; but we always stood together.” Together, please stand, Class of 2006.

 

 

 

In addition, there are a number of Old Girls here who are not part of official reunion groups but are In the Class of Experience and Nostalgia. Could all the Old Girls from reunion years not yet formally introduced please stand. 

 

 

Then in a class of her own, the Queen Bee Old Girl Marilyn Woods will from next year be a full time Old Girl . Some say it is almost like she is only now truly matriculating from the corridors of this school, albeit with honours.

 

Special mention must be made of the reunion co-ordinators.  They have weeded out thoughts of class mates not attending, rooted out the whereabouts of everyone and taken the reunion group ideas from seedlings to fully fledged flowering events. And they have done this with spadefuls of enthusiasm!  They deserve bouquets of gratitude! 

It is said that “Like branches on a tree, our lives may grow in different directions yet our roots remain as one.”  We wish our reunion groups the best of reunions as they mingle in the shade of nostalgia, reminisce about the roses among the thorns and have a blooming good time nurturing their memories.  

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 May 08, 2016
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Extracts of choir performance, guest speaker's address, girls' formation on hockey field and other special moments caught on camera.

Class of 1976

A trip down memory lane

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Class of 1956

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class of 1996

From the 1996 school magazine

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class of 2006

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Class of 1991

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The Class of 1966

School days, reunions and get togethers

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Class of 1986

At the 2011 25 year reunion

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The Class of 1986 celebrates their 25th year out of school. Their Headgirl, Tania van der Merwe Steyn, together with Nolene Deysel Dollery, co-ordinated the reunion of this group. A special welcome and thanks was extended to Freike Hellman, who  travelled from Germany to attend. Our Mrs Gerber’s sister, Erica, also attended to celebrate her reunion. I am told that this class loved tanning their legs in the quad and would sing along to the Gummy Bears Theme song: Dashing and daring, courageous and caring”¦.we are the gummy bears. The prefects also remember picking roses from the rose garden for Mrs Hutton’s desk ”“ the principal always had fresh roses from the rose garden on her desk. (I clearly remember those days, when Mr Grobler, our caretaker, used to pick the roses when the prefects forgot to do so! I think its about time that the Prefects restart that wonderful tradition.)

Class of 1986

 

“Happiness is special times, special friends and special memories.”

 

Back row: Mrs Lauren Las Boyd, Mrs Erica Myburgh Swart, Miss Frauke Hellman, Ms Linda Edwards, Mrs Janine Wells Veening, Mrs Hattie Nel Both

Middle row: Mrs Lara van Gruenen Sutcliff, Mrs Dianne Moore Robb, Ms Vanessa Wood, Mrs Nolene Deyzel Dollery, Ms Kim Bush, Mrs Merlyn Meyer Barkhuizen

Seated: Mrs Tracey Feltman King, Mrs Michelle Krain Botha, Ms Sharon Laas, Ms Karen Kietzmann, Ms Debbie Swart  

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