Just because you should not live in the past, does not mean it is not a nice place to visit …. Especially for a reunion. So, class by class, we will now introduce the Riebeek girls of the past ….We ask that each group stand after they have been introduced so we can applaud these Riebeek blasts from the past.

1. Class of 2005: 10 year reunion

The boisterous Class of 2005 celebrate their 10 year reunion with headgirl, reunion co-ordinator and proud, glowing new mom, Sharne Knoetze Woods and 18 classmates. In 2005 their drama production was The Meaning of Life and it certainly looks like they have found that meaning judging by all the studying, careers, starting families and other activities they have fitted into the 10 years they have been away.

Class of 1995: 20 year reunion

The class of 1995 celebrate their 20 year reunion with Lisa Stevens Tarr as the delightful reunion co-ordinator, Jenny McKenzie as headgirl and 21 ladies attending including Samantha Reynolds, daughter of our estate manager, visiting from London. Anela Mehlomakulo from this class passed away in a car accident before this group’s 10 year reunion and her class donated the board at the front of the hall with the school song on in her memory of her at that reunion.

2. Class of 1990: 25 year reunion

Jo-anne Lategan Marais has co-ordinated the reunion of the loud and lively Class of 1990. They matriculated in the year Nelson Mandela was freed and celebrate 25 years of freedom from school with 18 classmates. Our guest speaker, Bernadette Maguire, hails from their ranks as does

Alison Johnson: Grade 6 Riebeek teacher
Headgirl: Cathy Simpson (a regular and favourite at Founder’s Day)
Deputy Headgirl: Victoria Monaghan Wolf (in London)

The Riebeek/Muir musical of 1990 was Grease and 2 of our present staff were the driving forces: Mr Hoare as director and Mrs Woods as a co-choreographer. It does SEEM, RIEBEEK COLLEGE, THAT THIS class remains, as the Grease song goes, totally devoted to you and devoted to filling in as many reunion activities as possible into this weekend.

3. Class of 1975 – 40 years

The Class of 1975 celebrate their 40^th reunion with13 ladies attending and Lynn Eckley McNaughton as the reunion co-ordinator and headgirl. Lynn McNaughton is in London visiting her daughter and taught at Riebeek in the 80s. Her recent school visit and photograph on our facebook page had old girls commenting: Such a beautiful person, both inside and out. In 1975 Mrs Woods took the 1^st senior hockey team with Lynn as the hockey captain on a tour to Johannesburg – by train! Their singing caused quite a stir in the then modern and new Carlton Centre. Mrs Woods clearly remembers a pair of men’s underwear that one of the girls bought for her father in Hillbrow.

Class of 1969 – not an official group but attending

Seven ladies from the Class of 1969 are with us today. We suspect they are like the regulars of the popular show Cheers whose theme song refrain was “Sometimes you want to to go where they are always glad you came.” Mrs Woods has the fondest memories of them as Grade 11s when she was in matric.

Class of 1965 – 50 years

The Class of 1965 celebrate their golden reunion of 50 years with 13 girls and the Golden Girl and much loved Anne Wates Peltason, Riebeek’s wonderful English department head and efficient Hostel Superintendent. Jean Macguire van Rooyen has served as reunion co-ordinator and Judy Watson was headgirl.

Class of 1960 – 55 years

Adele Smith Streso, Helen Steyn Winfield and Estelle van Rensburg du Preez co-ordinated the attendance of a group of 9 ladies from near and far, among them the oldest sister of our principal, Carol Dodd Rudman joining us from Graaf-Reinet. (Mrs Rudman, may I mention that your young sister, my boss, wanted the adjective “oldest” put in). Jenny Gouwer from this class is an ordained Anglican minister. Her mom is Mrs Enid Mills Gouwer from the Class of 1934. This young at heart lady is passionate about Riebeek and we request that Jenny passes on our love and best wishes to her mom.

Class of 1955 – 60 years

The Class of 1955 celebrate their 60 year reunion but are unable to attend. Seugnet Smith de Villiers from the class has sent her best wishes and tells us that they are going to start their planning now to be here for their 65^th reunion in 2020.

Class of 1950 – 65 years

Joyce Frost van Vuuren and Maureen Oosthuizen Edelman are the only surviving members of the class of 1950. Joyce is attending Founder’s Day with her daughter from the Class of 1977 Terry van Vuuren Hattingh and her grand-daughter, Jodi, from the Class of 2010 and our Grade 4 teacher. Also present today is Joan Blignaut Prinsloo from the Class of 1949. Also here from the Class of 1947 is Elaine Smith Dullisear who was headgirl and the recipient of the Good Fellowship Award.

There are also a number of Old Girls among our staff and among our audience from various years and we welcome you all. REUNION would not be correct if spelt without the u and this reunion would not be the same without you (U).

Old Stories are like Old Friends…You have to visit them from time to time. Today, these groups get to share old stories with old friends and we wish them a nostalgic time of making new stories and new friends …

May 12, 2015