Class of 1993 

25 year reunion

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FOUNDER'S DAY LATEST UPDATE

Please share this email with the ladies of the reunion groups.
The due date/deadline for payment for the reunion lunch is 26 April at 10am.
A reminder of the lunch payments: Old Girls’ Lunch at the Uitenhage Golf Club at 12.30 for 1. R160.
(Lunch at the Golf Club normally takes up a good part of the day as the ladies seem to like the venue for extended chats.) Three course meal. Reunion groups are especially requested to attend. Make a payment with the reference being your surname followed by year of your reunion group. Proof of payment MUST be forwarded to bursar@riebeekcollege.co.za along with any seating, dietary requests, maiden name/ married name and class year. Do cc your reunion co-ordinator when confirming payment.
SCHOOL BANK DETAILS:
ACCOUNT NAME: RIEBEEK COLLEGE GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 539 712 843 52
BANK: FIRST NATIONAL BANK, UITENHAGE
BRANCH CODE: 210 316
REFERENCE: SURNAME, REUNION YEAR EG SMITH’77/ZUMA’07
 
Sadly, we are unable to host a Hockey Festival on Saturday 5 May and this means we are not able to host your group on that day.  We do hope the ladies will find something fun to do on Saturday, nonetheless. 
 
Please remember to email a few photographs of your school days, if possible, and to have a look at the list of requests for reunion co-ordinators:
Collect all the particulars of the Class with first names maiden names and married names (if applicable) and email addresses and then indicating on the list who is attending and who is not, who is coming from far and any information about the Old Girls that could be interesting to share with the school.  Please email the following information to jrgerber@isat.co.za:  photographs; names of those who have passed away between May 2017 and May 2018 (not necessarily from your class: first name, maiden name, surname, year of matriculating); names of  those who have travelled far, those who have passed away from your class and any special messages of goodwill or greetings from your reunion groups; a list of any special memories of your school years to include in our speeches, names of those attending. This can be sent in stages as you collate your information. 
3. Help us to keep a check on the numbers for each table at the lunch by asking the girls to let you know when they have paid and to let you know too of any special dietary or seating requests made so we can be sure your table is well organised for the reunion lunch.
We do ask that the reunion co-ordinator provide us with a list of those attending lunch with the following details so we can cross check our information
Class of __________
Number at table: _________
Name, Maiden Name, Married Name of Each person at table
Payment made confirmed
Any dietary requests
Any special seating requests in terms of other guests sitting with you
4.  Collect photographs (scanned in for digital versions) for sending to me; and create the posters for the boards for display in the foyer on Founder's Day.  A display for the foyer is required.  The measurements of our black boards are 1.37m (height) by 900cm (width) and we have larger white trestles that measure 1.2 m(width)  by 1.8 m (height).  Attached please find examples of the boards and posters.  After the assembly, you are welcome to take the posters down to keep or you can leave it with us for the school archives.
4. Be the cheerleader for the group begging and persuading ladies to attend Founder's Day.
5. We urge all our Old Girls to use the MY SCHOOL CARD and to have Riebeek as a beneficiary.  MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet is one of South Africa's biggest fundraising programmes and allows you to make a difference, just by shopping. Every time you use your card at any of the partner stores they'll give back a percentage of your purchase value, on your behalf, to Riebeek at absolutely no cost to you!  Get your free card today. Every swipe counts!  You can apply online at https://www.myschool.co.za/supporter/apply.  Partner outlets include Altech Netstar, Cartridge Recycling: greenOFFICE, Engen, kalahari.com, MegaMobi, MySchool Holidays, Power24.co.za, Reggies, Toys R Us, Waltons, Woolworths, Woolworths Rewards.
6. Encourage the ladies to LIKE and SHARE our posts on the official Riebeek facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RiebeekCollege  (look for the badge as the icon)
7. Encourage the ladies to visit our website. Please visit Riebeek at our website https://www.riebeekcollege.co.za
8. We will require your assistance in making sure that the official photograph is taken. 
9.  We request that you arrange name badges for the ladies in your reunion group.  A table will be set up at the student centre (next to the hockey fields) where you could place your name tags and distribute them.
10.  Please do share your excitement for the day and your comments and reflections of the day by posting on our facebook page under the Founder’s Day posts. 
11.  Ladies who did not matriculate with the class but attended school with the class are welcome to be part of the reunion group.
12.  Reunion groups who wish to make a donation to the school should contact Mrs Stear to discuss a specific item or could make a financial donation to Mrs Stear for her to allocate the funds to a project on our list.
We are always looking for reading books for our library. Your group could all attempt to collect books (second hand) from friends and family to donate over Founder’s Day weekend – it would be so appreciated!
13. After the event, we ask for a school magazine article from you about the reunion and your school memories, some photographs form any follow up reunions you had over the weekend and assistance with the caption for the official photograph (which will be emailed to you).  This would be required by 1 JUNE. 
16.  Note that copies of magazines of your year (if available) and other years are sold at the school on the day of the reunion for R100 each or with a discount for purchases of a few magazines.
17. Here are the links to our social media platforms and attached is a poster of the links. Do encourage the Old Girls to like, follow, join as more Founder’s Day hype and information will appear there periodically.
https://www.facebook.com/RiebeekCollege/
https://www.youtube.com/c/RiebeekMediaTeam
https://www.riebeekcollege.co.za
https://instagram.com/riebeek_college_girlshigh
http://www.school-communicator.com/downloads
18. You can also collect questionaires from the ladies for possible inclusion in the school magazine and you could use bits and pieces of them to make up a MEMORIES BOOK in print or digital version to share with your grade (please give us a copy for our archives) - see attached possible questionnaire but you can create your own with these possible questions.  It is also available to fill in on our website.
Name of Old Girl:            
Surname of Old Girl:      
Maiden Surname (if married):
Year Matriculated or year you would have matriculated at Riebeek if you had left school to go elsewhere:           
Did you study further after school?  (Where, what and when):
Where do you work and what is your profession, job title, position?  Tell us a  bit about your career path, highs and lows professionally.
Are you married?  When did you marry?  What is your husband’s name AND what is his profession?
Are you a mother?  If so, what are your children’s names and ages as at 1 December 2018:
Tell us a bit about yourself, your hobbies, your life:
What lessons did you learn at Riebeek?
What are some of your memories of Riebeek?
Which of the values of Riebeek have you kept throughout your life?
Which Riebeek OLD GIRL/ TEACHER had the greatest impact on you and how/why?
 
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Warm Riebeek Regards
Sandra Gerber
On behalf of Mrs Kieran Stear, principal
 

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a life that matters

BY Mrs Natalie Stear

A LIFE THAT MATTERS
 
Madam Principal: Kieran Stear; Madam Governing Body Chairman: Ronel Brink; Riebeek Staff; Special Guests; Old girls and present girls, it is such a privilege to be among you all on this very special occasion.  Thank you for asking me to speak today.
There is a saying that old teachers never die; they simply lose their class. Now that we’re living in an age of spreading social media: facebook, twitter, Instagram and so many apps coming into their own, we have wonderful opportunities of staying in touch with each other.  So we teachers haven‘t lost our class after all!  How exciting it is to see so many re-union girls – classes from the past – and how happy I am that our first founder’s day, when the school was 113 years old, was in my first year as head of Riebeek.  The speaker on that day was my past school principal of Clarendon Girls’ High, who was an illustrious old girl of Riebeek College.  When we met her at the airport, she said to me, “Natalie, you are the last person I would have guessed would one day be a school principal.”
You never can tell – can you?  What pupils will do with their lives!  Sometimes it’s the naughtiest ones who make a positive difference in the lives of others.
And that’s the theme of my talk today – making a difference – a life that matters.  I am a Rotarian and this year the Rotary theme is also “Making a difference”
And of course it is the central theme for 2018 at Riebeek – Ubuntu. “I am because we are”.  “What does it mean to be human?”  “How should we behave towards others?”  These thoughts are all captured in the word “Ubuntu” which as you probably know originates in the Nguni languages (Xhosa, Zulu, Swazi and Ndebele).  It refers to the connectedness that should exist between people.
This is also the year when we celebrate Nelson Mandela’s birth – 100 years ago. How proud we are of that world hero born in our own Eastern Province and loved well beyond its borders.  His larger-than-life bronze statue which dominates parliament square in London, England, is a symbol of how much the world beyond South Africa reveres him. If ever you wish to choose to follow in the footsteps of any human being, start reading about that man – so wise and so forgiving.  He once said, “We can change the world and make it a better place.  It is in our hands to make a difference.”
The interesting thing about making a difference is that anyone can manage it - young or old; healthy or sick; brilliant or average; rich or poor; educated or uneducated.  Anyone can be part of a life that matters.  When a good friend of mine had only a few more days to live she asked me whether I thought she had made a difference in the lives of others. She had been a school principal herself – and to this day people tell me stories about what she had meant to them. That is what we all desire - to leave some kind of legacy that someone lives a better life because of us.  The strange thing is that we don’t always know for sure.  Perhaps a passing word has helped someone – perhaps we will never know how significant that word had been.  The most important thing to remember is that we shouldn’t seek for recognition.  If it comes, it must always be a bonus.
There is a famous 100-word story, which I’m sure many of you already know but is worth repeating.  It is called, “The Starfish Story” by Loren Eiseley. (It has been borrowed by many and even Gandhi’s name has been added to the list of authors.) Here it is:
One day, while walking along the beach, a man noticed a boy hurriedly picking up and gently throwing things into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, “Young man, what are you doing?”
 “I’m throwing starfish back into the ocean. The tide is going out and if I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.”
“There are hundreds of stranded starfish,” the man replied. “You can’t make a difference to all these poor creatures.”
After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the surf. “I made a difference to that one,” he answered.
I love that last line, “I made a difference to that one.”  Even it if is to help only one fellow human being, it might be the most important action you have ever taken or the most meaningful words you have ever spoken.
Only four months ago a wonderful event occurred which is changing the life of a five-year-old little girl called Lexie who was born with non-functioning kidneys.    She could not survive without receiving a kidney that matched her immune system. Her grandmother, who is 70 years old, was found to be the only suitable match to donate a kidney to this little girl. Jenny, the grandmother agreed although she was aware that it would be a major operation for both of them.  The two operations were successfully performed – Jenny to lose one of her kidneys – little Lexie to receive it.   All is going well and the specialists are confident that Lexie can look forward to a normal life.  How wonderful for a grandmother to know that she has made such a difference. 
One word might make a difference. Professor Jonathan Jansen (who spoke to all the girls at Riebeek over a year ago) writes in his book, “As by Fire”, about one word that changed his life. When he was 8 years old, a teacher told him that he had “potential”. He went home, not even knowing what the word meant.  He found out that it meant “an ability that may be developed and lead to future success”.  This spurred him on. He used to say to himself, “I have potential,” and today he is a highly respected professor, author, public speaker and wise educationist.  One word can make a difference.  It might make you start believing in yourself.  It may help you build a dream that one day will come true.
Teachers are among the lucky ones.  They sometimes hear about the difference they have made.  Years later some of their past pupils might send emails to them or express their gratitude in on facebook.  As I have said, that is always an unexpected bonus.  I know for sure how precious it is to hear something like that.
In my early days of teaching, I remember saying in passing to a parent of a boy who was clever with numbers but struggled with writing words, “If your son had a private secretary he would realise his potential.” Years later, I met his mother at a function.  She said, “We took your advice, you know, and gave my son a personal assistant!”  She told me that the university had granted permission for her son to dictate his exam responses to his personal assistant who typed these on a computer under supervision. Words were his problem but not non-verbal characters as in Maths and Science. The point is that he was awarded his degree with distinction!
Later on when I was the principal of Riebeek College, a young pupil made a difference in my life.  I called her in to speak up for a friend who had been particularly naughty and who was standing in line for serious consequences of her actions.  After hearing all the things that she had done, the friend said to me, “Mrs Stear, I can hear that she has done things which have caused a lot of problems in the school, but my mother always said that everyone deserves a second chance.  I’m asking you to give her a second chance.”  Those words changed my outlook on the way I should be running the school.  I said, “We are closing the book on what has happened because of what your friend has said.  You can choose whether you wish to open that book again and then there will be no third chance.”  We never had occasion to open that book again.  
When my husband was very ill, we needed a carer for him in his last few weeks of life. The carer told me that she had trained as a teacher but just when she had completed her final year the teacher training colleges were closed down.  Although she was awarded her teaching diploma she could not get a post as schools were being instructed to cut back on their staff numbers and were not permitted to take on new teachers.  She needed a job and became a carer.  I asked her whether she would like to teach but she didn’t think anyone would accept her as several years had gone by since she had qualified and she had no experience.  To cut a long story short I arranged for her to be registered with the South African Council of Education and drew up a CV for her, and today she is a top-class teacher in the Eastern Cape. In addition, she has studied further and gained an advanced qualification.
My son, Rory, and my daughter-in-law, Kristine, have done amazing work in Africa – particularly in helping child-headed households to receive help by means of educational programmes on wind-up radios.  One such household, headed (at that time) by a 12-year-old boy, was helped to survive and that same boy now has a college diploma in hospitality and works at a leading hotel in Kenya.  He, in turn, is assisting his siblings with their education. Ubuntu.
My late son, Robert, never spoke to others about all the ways he helped people in need.  Sometimes I was lucky enough to hear about something he had done either through a friend he had helped or by means of my beloved daughter-in-law, Mrs Kieran Stear.  He is no longer here to know about the difference he made but that is not what he would have expected.  The lives of others might be changed long after- wards – all because someone cared.
My talk is about a life that matters, BUT – and this is a big but – I must mention that   making a difference can also be seen in a negative light.  An unkind word, mockery, bullying – can all make someone’s life a misery.  In the years that follow the victim of such meanness might never stop hating herself because she had once been the butt of someone’s cruelty.  She might even repeat that type of cruelty to others, thinking that it would give her power.  And so the chain of ugliness might continue – because of something done or said to her in the past!
 I hope that all of you listening to me will never be responsible for making that type of difference in one’s life.  We should all desire to be part of a life that matters. It doesn’t take any particular skill – all it needs is caring and kindness.
 “Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person,” said Mother Theresa.
Awaken the greatness within. Don’t expect thanks or recognition. You may become the reason for someone else’s greatness. Perhaps you’ll never know.
Nearly 300 years ago a man, a Frenchman, Stephen Grellet, wrote the following words – I close with them now:
“I shall pass by this way but once.  Any good, therefore, that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”
 
 
Natalie Stear
 
 
 
 

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 May 10, 2018
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2018 continued
Mrs Natalie Stear

introduction of guest speaker, founder's day

BY Mrs K. Stear

NATALIE STEAR
It gives me great pleasure to introduce our guest speaker today.  Natalie Stear was born in East London and matriculated from Clarendon High School for Girls. Thereafter she joined the nursing profession, becoming a registered medical and surgical nurse.
Her major career change came when her two sons were at Junior School and her husband, Bob, encouraged her to study English at UPE (now NMU). She gained her BA and BA Hons degrees there, followed by her post-graduate teachers’ diploma at UNISA and her Master’s degree in Education at Rhodes University (cum laude).
She gained recognition in the teaching profession and education in South Africa when she served as President of the South African Teachers’ Association and was instrumental in the formation of the National Union of Educators, now NAPTOSA.  For this she was honoured with a Life Associate Award.  During the time of the transition in education in SA she served on several committees and was honoured by SACE (South African Council for Education) by being selected among the top 100 educators to be registered by the Council.  She was also a co-author of an English grammar series for Grades 8 to 12 and won a best poetry award from the PE Writers’ Club.
During her 13 years’ tenure as Principal of Riebeek College, the school was listed for three consecutive years in the Sunday Times top 100 schools in SA and it was the first state school in SA to vote in favour of opening to all races.  Also during this time, every matriculant passed.  This included two pupils who wrote and passed their supplementary exams.
Natalie Stear retired as a school principal at the end of the year 2000. She is now involved in proof reading doctoral and master’s degree dissertations and also does the proof reading of the PE, Queenstown, King William’s Town, Mid-Karoo and Kouga Express weekly newspapers.  Each year she is a marker for the English Olympiad National examinations.  In addition, in her retirement, she has written support material for English first additional language for Oxford University Press. To add to this she is also a loving Mother, Grandmother and Great Grandmother.
She has served as a President of her Rotary club and was recognised in Uitenhage with a Paul Harris fellowship for services to the community and education, and also in Port Elizabeth for her services to Rotary. 
At the end of 2012 she was honoured with a special award by the NMMU (now Nelson Mandela University) Alumni Association for lifelong service to education.
Ladies and Gentleman, I present to you Mrs Natalie Stear.
 

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2018 continued
Mrs K. Stear

introduction of reunion groups

BY Administrator

Introduction of Reunion Groups 2018
As we celebrate the centenary of the birth of Nelson Mandela, we are reminded of his words, about reunions: “There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.”
Though it is clear that the volume and beauty of our Old Girls have definitely not been altered since their school days, reunions offer us to chance to revisit this place that remains unchanged and so it is with great pride that we introduce our reunion groups.
 
 
 
 
The Class of 1968 celebrate their golden 50th reunion with 6 ladies in attendance.  Golden Girl Mrs Marilyn Dodd Woods is the reunion co-ordinator and no stranger to Riebeek stretching from Sub A to her retirement in 2016. Nelson Mandela’s statement that education is the most powerful tool to change the world certainly holds true for Mrs Woods  as she spent 44 years as a member of staff moulding education with her pearls, not pills as the girls misheard, of wisdom.  Head girl Ann Grotzinger Hargreaves in Cape Town sent us her best wishes.  This class first attended Riebeek at the premises where the Health Department is, and in Standard 4 they started attending school in this building.  Footage of the first days here can be viewed on Riebeek’s YouTube channel.  The teachers and pupils spent a weekend unpacking and getting the new building organised.  Apparently, the arrival of the lorry carrying the Science Lab equipment including dangerous chemicals over the untarred North Street and along the tracks created by trucks which would become Dunn Street was quite scary. Though this may start a hashtag movement, it needs to be said that school started at 8.15 and ended at 13.45. 
 The Class of 1978 celebrate their 40 year reunion with 18 ladies in attendance.  Head Girl Marlene Plumstead  Akitt is present with three reunion co-ordinators: Allison Pierce Watson, Janet Wilkinson and Linda Glegg van der Westhuyzen. 
Carol Fielding Schoultz joins us from Gauteng, Marlene Plumstead Akitt joins us from the Isle of Man and Judy Miller and Denise Woolerton from Australia.  These ladies remember strict Mrs Hutton and her German Shepherd dog, Wendy, and say that some of the girls attending the 2018 matric farewell would have been sent home before the function for wearing “terribly revealing” dresses if it was 1978 and Mrs Hutton was on duty. Imagine this group’s joy and perhaps jealousy last night, if you will, when the head girl could prove that she still fits into her matric farewell dress 40 years later!
The Class of 1983 celebrate their 35 year reunion with Beverley Molloy Boshoff as the reunion co-ordinator. There are 8 ladies in attendance.  Beverley remembers fondly the song “We are Riebeek”, a cheerleading song traditionally sung by the Riebeek girls, which starts with a whisper and builds in volume.  We would ask our girls to perform it for you and we know the louder part would be no problem, but the girls may struggle with the whisper part. So, instead our choir will perform other songs later. Joining us from this class is Debbie Murphy Bezuidenhout, mother of our Grade 7 teacher, Mrs T. Woods, and sister of Carole Murphy Dawson, who is attending her 30 year reunion today.
The Class of 1988 celebrate their 30 year reunion with Ingrid Lunow McFarlane,  as the head girl and the reunion co-ordinator.  Ingrid is mom to Sarah in Grade 8 and Lindsay, former deputy head girl, and a regular helper at our various events.  There are 18 ladies present.  Heike Hellman and her sister, Freika from the Class of 1986, join us from Germany and it remains a joy of Founder’s Days when these lively, loyal ladies fly in. To them, we say PROST!  Dr Debbie Collier Reed is an associate professor in the law facility of the University of Cape Town, the author of a textbook known well by law students in South Africa and a member of the prestigious team who investigated a national minimum wage. It may be for one of the above reasons that Debbie is unable to attend today after all, but we are happy that her mom is here. Debbie and Debra Tunbridge Esterhuizen, both daughters of Old Girls, join us from Cape Town.  Michelle Crouse McCauley is the wife of former Governing Body Chairman and co-opted member, Gordon, and mom to two Old Girls, and is the mother of the bride this weekend as Stephanie weds. Another star, having starred as Mary Poppins and an African Diva from Nigeria last week, is Sandra Myburgh Gerber  who travelled far to be here – all the way from Room 24, down that passage.  Sally Schimper Leach is is also from the Class of 1988, and she is mom of legendary Kristin Leach of the Class of 2013. 
The Class of 1993 celebrate their  25 year reunion with Mary-Anne Medley Lagan as head girl and reunion co-ordinator and 12 ladies in attendance. Though we often tell our Riebeek girls that they probably won’t marry the gentlemen they date at school, Mary-Ann proves us wrong as her Muir boyfriend became her husband, after all, after bonding on stage in the Grease production we are led to believe.  Mary-Anne is an English teacher at Woodridge. Kathleen Scott Hoy has bounced here from the squash courts and family business, Broketts Sports, a famous Uitenhage spot. Sue Ann Bray Groenewald joins us from Johannesburg.  The Class of 1993 remember fondly from their class the late Catherine Sunton and the late Mariette Gouws. Sam Cuyler joins us from travels around the world and then a teaching post at Muir College, around the corner. Also attending is the vibrant Candice Reynolds, daughter of estate manager, Mr Alan Reynolds.
The Class of 1998 celebrate their 20 year reunion with Head Girl, reunion co-ordinator, niece of Mrs Stevens (our Maths teacher), matric of the year 1998 and Associate Professor in the Information Technology of NMU,  Dr Kerry-Lynn Thomson Botha. Kerry-Lynn admits: The PhD was definitely easier than parenting a boy, 10 month old Tanner ! Plus, I’m done with my PhD – parenting is a lifelong commitment!  So many more adventures ahead!”  14 ladies are in attendance.  Tracey Thomson joins us from New Zealand.  Those who travelled from Cape Town ae: Robyn Jacobs, Chantel Jacobs, Nikki Wates (niece of Mrs Peltason and her weekend guest), and Pam Cuyler (accompanied by her sister Jennifer Cuyler Cohen of the Class of 2003). Twins Sadia and  Nadia Musa, and Vimisha Seetha, join us from Johannesburg. Caryn Evert Knott joins us from Muir College.
The Class of 2008 celebrate their 10 year reunion with 15 ladies in attendance, and we suspect that celebrate always takes on an extra meaning for our 10 year reunion groups.  Head Girl and reunion co-ordinator Robyn Wates joins us from the rural hospital (Zithulele Hospital) where she is the Responsible Pharmacist – it is a title Responsible not an adjective necessarily to describe Robyn. She said it is an extremely challenging but absolutely rewarding job.  Dr Boucher always spoke of a GAT (or hole) IN JOU OPVOEDING, and Robyn took this to heart and is based near the Hole in the Wall along the Wild Coast, while the rest of her class are just wild, without the coast.  Deputy Head Girl Jhene Meyer Nel is also with us today, having travelled from Pretoria to be with us and has a distinct legacy at Riebeek.  Once upon a time,in 2005, Mrs Terry van Vuuren Hattingh of the Class of 1977 delivered a budget presentation as a Governing Body member using a projector and powerpoint.   We had to have this NEW technology for Riebeek and for the drama show.  Intrepid Jhene convinced the local church to let us use theirs until the drama club could contribute to the costs of buying the school’s first projector.  But only Jhene really knew how to work with this NEW technology and so she became the only Riebeek girl to attend 4 grade 9 subject evenings.  Jhene, you will be relieved to know that some of us now know sort of how to operate projectors.  Mr Jonas, our Grade 6 teacher, is proud of his daughter here today. We remember Tegan and her dad performing Butterfly Kisses in the drama production.  It is also this class that threw an electric plug into an oven melting the element of the stove, played cricket in the computer lab and watched as now famous singer Rouchelle Hubsch, of Digby and the Lullaby fame, set her hair alight.  Also attending from this class is Carey Slater Schoonraad, daughter of the much loved former, late Governing Body Chairman, Henry, and Litha Stwayi, a junior attorney at the Centre for Child Law, a human rights lawyer focusing on children's rights. Diva of deportment badge, Duchess Siphosihle Sowazi could not join us from parliament, as a legal eagle of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. 
In addition, the FAB FOUR ARE HERE. Mrs Lesley Young of the Class of 1977, Mrs Peltason and Mrs Potgieter, ALL Old Girls, and Mrs Natalie Stear ARE the Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society of Riebeek as their teaching of English shaped the paths of those they taught.  It has become a bit of a tradition for the FAB FOUR of English high school teachers to gather at Founder’s Day ceremonies.  Those of us addressing you from the podium fear they gather here to continue assessing our orals. In addition, Sally Watson Potgieter is of the Class of 1963 and celebrates a 55 year reunion, joined by Burleigh Lombard Tunbridge and Wendy Robinson Collier, both with daughters of the Class of 1988 both residing in Cape Town.  Burleigh’s daughter is attending from Cape Town for her 30th reunion.  Daphne Cuyler Momberg joins us from the Class of 1962.  Verna le Roux Barlow of the Class of 1963 and Elaine Smith Dullisear of the Class of 1947 (with her Fellowship Cup in her bag and celebrating her 71 year reunion).  There are also a number of additional Old Girls joining us today as unofficial reunion groups or as friends of the school, and we welcome them all too.

We started with a Nelson Mandela quote and so we end with some of his wise words from LONG WALK TO FREEDOM, a somewhat fitting tribute to matriculating after 12 long years of schooling:  ‘I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended.’ 
We hope that our reunion groups view the distance they have come, steal a view of the glorious and nostalgic surrounds and that our Old Girls will linger long enough to enjoy this special 30th Founder’s Day 

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 May 10, 2018
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2018 continued
Administrator

founder's day principal's address

BY Mrs K. Stear

PRINCIPAL’S FOUNDERS DAY SPEECH 2018
 
·       Our guest of honour, Mrs Natalie Stear,
·       Those who hold the premier award of the school, the Freedom of Riebeek College,
·       Special guests, especially our reunion groups and two past Principals, Mrs Natalie Stear and Mrs Marilyn Woods
·       Ladies and Gentlemen
and Ladies of Riebeek College.
I welcome you all to this 30th Founders Day Service and the anniversary of the founding of our school 141 years ago.  In thinking about this welcome address for today, I found myself thinking about how much we love birthdays which then led to me thinking about the sonnet, “How do I love Thee” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.  It starts with the lines, “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.”  In my address I thought we could do some counting, counting of the love abounding at this unique institution, Riebeek College.
It starts with the NUMBER ONE: One man, the founder of our fine school, Dominee Braam Steytler of the NG Kerk, who had a vision of quality education at a school that is 141 years young now and still going strong. 
Next we look at the number 141.  Although Riebeek is getting old, she stays young and updated because we value tradition while respecting change.  This is building number 3 that Riebeek has occupied in those 141 years.  There were 4 girls at Riebeek then but now there are 735.  Riebeek has lived through two world wars, and has been around in the 1800s, the 1900s and the 21st  century while all of our present learners have only known one century, having been born in the 21st century.
Next, we can count up the number of Riebeek principals that are present here today.  THREE.  And each of those Principals are tripling up:
Mrs Natalie Stear is NO 1 - a guest speaker on the special occasion of the Founder’s Day Ceremony that she started 30 years ago.
No 2 - A guest as the 12th principal  and
No 3 - My mom-in-law I am proud to say. 
Mrs Marilyn Dodd Woods is No 1 -  An Old Girl who is celebrating a 50th reunion  with the Class of 1968
No 2 -  A guest as the 14th principal and
No 3 - A unique part of Riebeek with a 56 year involvement in the history of this school. 
And then there is principal 3, me, tripling it up as
No 1 - The 15th principal
No 2 -  A very proud daughter in law and
No 3 -  A good friend of Marilyn who appreciates her solid advice. 
So, among the 3 of us is:
 the FOUNDER, Mrs Stear senior,
the LOUDER Mrs Woods, who is always fun
and then there is me, who is (I just have to get this in)
the YOUNGER.
 
Another important number to be counted this year is 30.  The school tradition of Founder’s Day started in Mrs Natalie Stear’s first year as principal.  Picture this, year after year, we have had Founder’s Day ceremonies. This is longer than the Class of 2008, who are seated in the gallery, have been alive and double the time our Grade 10s have lived.  The ceremony started as a March event, moved to June and settled in the first week of May annually.  Guest speakers have varied from:
 an air traffic controller,
two eccentric drama queens,
 a principal of Mrs Stear senior who taught soldiers how to shoot in World War Two,
the first Professor to the Chair of Nursing,
a News24 entertainment writer,
a Carte Blanche presenter and
the only neuro-psychiatrist in South Africa and the youngest head of department of Liaison Psychiatry.
 Two Dodd sisters have been guest speakers – Marilyn in 2008 and Carol in 2010.
 
In 1997 when Riebeek turned 120, Mrs Stear senior arranged a Big Riebeek Bake Off and the inter-class baking competition was a highlight.  So today we brought the cake back into Founder’s Day with a cake in the student centre with candles for our Founder of Founder’s Day to blow out. 


Next we count the bees:
The silver bee, that I am wearing, has become part of the culture and tradition of Riebeek College. 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. 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”.
Up until 2016, there was only one bee, but in 2016, Mrs Snyman, our Deputy Principal, and Mrs Barnard, our Bursar and a Riebeek Old Girl, worked tirelessly to have a second bee created, this time a pendant, to give to Mrs Woods as a farewell gift from the school.  So, we have TWO bees. 
 
A very important number this year is 100. It is Nelson Mandela’s centenary year and we honour his values in the ethos of our school.  Our school theme of Ubuntu and our campaign this year called Mandela100@Riebeek100 acts of kindness all honour his legacy.  As of today, we are sitting at 30 acts of kindness and are ready to reach our target of 100+ acts of kindness this year.  This being the centenary year of the birth of Nelson Mandela, we are making every day a Mandela Day as we seek to demonstrate Ubuntu and the Madiba magic that he was famous for. In a world where one can choose to be anything, at Riebeek we choose to be kind, compassionate, generous, respectful, honest and inclusive. Each one of us CAN make a difference in the world. 
And we end our counting with the NUMBER ONE again.  One heart, one vision and one Riebeek College.  Riebeek Old Girls are known for their empathy and compassion. It is said, “your education has been a failure if it has failed to open your heart.”  Riebeek can be counted on to give a good grounding and to open the hearts of all who form part of the Riebeek family.
When YOU count your blessings, I hope that you count this day as one of them and I hope you count being part of this caring and spirited Riebeek multiple times. 
 
 

 
 

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 May 10, 2018
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2018 continued
Mrs K. Stear

Founder's day
January 01, 1970

Founder's day Lunch
July 04, 2018

Fd-old-girls
Fd-co-ordinator
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“There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.” (Nelson Mandela)
Riebeek College proudly celebrates her 141th year and her 30th Founder’s Day in 2018: the year of her Ubuntu theme with Riebeek’s Mandela Legacy Project to commemorate the Mandela centenary year: Mandela100@Riebeek100 acts of kindness
“The best antiques to collect are old friends. Nothing is as comfortable as an old friend. The essence of nostalgia is an awareness that what has been will never be again. A trip to nostalgia now and then is good for the spirit.  Every parting is a form of death, as every reunion is a type of heaven.”
Here is all the information you need for organising your perfect high school reunion.  Please do make an effort to visit the school on Saturday morning – it is our junior hockey festival and we are working hard on putting together a programme that will be great for our Old Girls.  It being our 30th Founder’s Day we would love our reunion groups to return on the Saturday – maybe with husbands, children – to visit with us some more.
 
The reunion will be on Friday 4 May and it will include a lunch – we request that the official reunion groups attend this lunch and not organise separate ones.  On Saturday 5 May there will be a hockey festival and market at our school and we request the attendance of your group at this. 
 
Invitation and Programme
The Principal and Staff of  Riebeek College Girls’ High School  invite you to join them in celebrating their Founder’s Day on Friday 4  May. All past pupils of Riebeek are invited to attend all the events of the day, with the reunion groups especially requested to attend. Our Old Girls did not have to matriculate with their class to be part of their reunion group.  Reunion groups are also especially requested to attend the lunch.
The traditional hockey match between the School’s First Team and an Old Girls’ Team will be played at 08:15 on the College Field.  Tea will be served in the Beehive Student Centre at 09:30 and the official reunion photographs will be taken between 9.30 and 10 on the stands at the hockey field.  There will be a special assembly at 10:30 in the Sholto McIntyre Hall.  There will be an Old Girls’ Lunch at the Uitenhage Golf Club at 12.30 for 1.
 
We are thrilled to announce that the guest speaker for this 30th Founder’s Day is none other than the FOUNDER of FOUNDER’S DAY – Mrs Natalie Stear, principal of Riebeek College 1988-2000, and a celebrated, inspiring and remarkable lady of substance.
 
Lunch:  There will be an Old Girls’ Lunch at the Uitenhage Golf Club at 12.30 for 1. R160.
(Lunch at the Golf Club normally takes up a good part of the day as the ladies seem to like the venue for extended chats.) Three course meal. Reunion groups are especially requested to attend. Make a payment with the reference being your surname followed by year of your reunion group. Proof of payment MUST be forwarded to bursar@riebeekcollege.co.za along with any seating, dietary requests, maiden name/ married name and class year. Do cc your reunion co-ordinator when confirming payment.
SCHOOL BANK DETAILS:
ACCOUNT NAME: RIEBEEK COLLEGE GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 539 712 843 52
BANK: FIRST NATIONAL BANK, UITENHAGE
BRANCH CODE: 210 316
REFERENCE: SURNAME, REUNION YEAR EG SMITH’77/ZUMA’07
 

  1. We are very excited about the Saturday programme.  In the morning there will a hockey festival and a school fete with some stalls and entertainment. This is a great day to bring children along to, as there will be a jumping castle.  There are lovely items on sale too so tummies will be full. We are also looking at further exciting events on the day.  Please do save the date and include it in your planning.
  2. As far as recommendations go for the rest of the reunion weekend go, I know that many of the ladies have opted for one or some of these options:

-              Sundowners after the Golf Club lunch at a beachfront venue on the Friday
-              A get together at someone’s house for a bring and braai in the evening with spouses and/or children (some prefer to do this on the Saturday night so as to not have the Friday be too full)
-              A Saturday evening function at a restaurant, generally in Port Elizabeth
-              Some groups book a venue for a Saturday late afternoon/evening function or make a booking at a place suitable for a large group. 
-              Very few have any functions on the Sunday morning although a breakfast at The Grass Roof may be quite nice.
-              Some ladies have a tea and cake get together on the Saturday and we really hope you will do that at our school on Saturday morning.
 
General information and Requests for reunion co-ordinators

  1. Please promote the hockey festival to your group.  We are excited that our annual Hockey Festival will be on 5 May and hope that the Old Girls will support. 
  2. Collect all the particulars of the Class with first names maiden names and married names (if applicable) and email addresses and then indicating on the list who is attending and who is not, who is coming from far and any information about the Old Girls that could be interesting to share with the school.  Please email the following information to jrgerber@isat.co.za:  photographs; names of those who have passed away between May 2017 and May 2018 (not necessarily from your class: first name, maiden name, surname, year of matriculating); names of  those who have travelled far, those who have passed away from your class and any special messages of goodwill or greetings from your reunion groups; a list of any special memories of your school years to include in our speeches, names of those attending. This can be sent in stages as you collate your information. 
  3. Help us to keep a check on the numbers for each table at the lunch by asking the girls to let you know when they have paid and to let you know too of any special dietary or seating requests made so we can be sure your table is well organised for the reunion lunch.

We do ask that the reunion co-ordinator provide us with a list of those attending lunch with the following details so we can cross check our information
Class of __________
Number at table: _________
Name, Maiden Name, Married Name of Each person at table
Payment made confirmed
Any dietary requests
Any special seating requests in terms of other guests sitting with you

  1. Collect photographs (scanned in for digital versions) for sending to me; and create the posters for the boards for display in the foyer on Founder's Day.  A display for the foyer is required.  The measurements of our black boards are 1.37m (height) by 900cm (width) and we have larger white trestles that measure 1.2 m(width)  by 1.8 m (height).  Attached please find examples of the boards and posters.  After the assembly, you are welcome to take the posters down to keep or you can leave it with us for the school archives.
  2. Be the cheerleader for the group begging and persuading ladies to attend Founder's Day.
  3. We urge all our Old Girls to use the MY SCHOOL CARD and to have Riebeek as a beneficiary.  MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet is one of South Africa's biggest fundraising programmes and allows you to make a difference, just by shopping. Every time you use your card at any of the partner stores they'll give back a percentage of your purchase value, on your behalf, to Riebeek at absolutely no cost to you!  Get your free card today. Every swipe counts!  You can apply online at https://www.myschool.co.za/supporter/apply.  Partner outlets include Altech Netstar, Cartridge Recycling: greenOFFICE, Engen, kalahari.com, MegaMobi, MySchool Holidays, Power24.co.za, Reggies, Toys R Us, Waltons, Woolworths, Woolworths Rewards.
  4. Encourage the ladies to LIKE and SHARE our posts on the official Riebeek facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RiebeekCollege (look for the badge as the icon)
  5. Encourage the ladies to visit our website. Please visit Riebeek at our website https://www.riebeekcollege.co.za
  6. We will require your assistance in making sure that the official photograph is taken. 
  7. We request that you arrange name badges for the ladies in your reunion group.  A table will be set up at the student centre (next to the hockey fields) where you could place your name tags and distribute them.
  8. Please do share your excitement for the day and your comments and reflections of the day by posting on our facebook page under the Founder’s Day posts. 
  9. Ladies who did not matriculate with the class but attended school with the class are welcome to be part of the reunion group.
  10. Reunion groups who wish to make a donation to the school should contact Mrs Stear to discuss a specific item or could make a financial donation to Mrs Stear for her to allocate the funds to a project on our list.

We are always looking for reading books for our library. Your group could all attempt to collect books (second hand) from friends and family to donate over Founder’s Day weekend – it would be so appreciated!

  1. After the event, we ask for a school magazine article from you about the reunion and your school memories, some photographs form any follow up reunions you had over the weekend and assistance with the caption for the official photograph (which will be emailed to you).  This would be required by 1 JUNE. 
  2. Note that copies of magazines of your year (if available) and other years are sold at the school on the day of the reunion for R100 each or with a discount for purchases of a few magazines.
  3. Here are the links to our social media platforms and attached is a poster of the links. Do encourage the Old Girls to like, follow, join as more Founder’s Day hype and information will appear there periodically.

https://www.facebook.com/RiebeekCollege/
https://www.youtube.com/c/RiebeekMediaTeam
https://www.riebeekcollege.co.za
https://instagram.com/riebeek_college_girlshigh
http://www.school-communicator.com/downloads

  1. You can also collect questionaires from the ladies for possible inclusion in the school magazine and you could use bits and pieces of them to make up a MEMORIES BOOK in print or digital version to share with your grade (please give us a copy for our archives) - see attached possible questionnaire but you can create your own with these possible questions.  It is also available to fill in on our website.

Name of Old Girl:            
Surname of Old Girl:      
Maiden Surname (if married):
Year Matriculated or year you would have matriculated at Riebeek if you had left school to go elsewhere:           
Did you study further after school?  (Where, what and when):
Where do you work and what is your profession, job title, position?  Tell us a  bit about your career path, highs and lows professionally.
Are you married?  When did you marry?  What is your husband’s name AND what is his profession?
Are you a mother?  If so, what are your children’s names and ages as at 1 December 2017:
Tell us a bit about yourself, your hobbies, your life:
What lessons did you learn at Riebeek?
What are some of your memories of Riebeek?
Which of the values of Riebeek have you kept throughout your life?
Which Riebeek OLD GIRL/ TEACHER had the greatest impact on you and how/why?
 
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Warm Riebeek Regards
Sandra Gerber
On behalf of Mrs Kieran Stear, principal
 
 
 

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