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The Learners bid farewell to dr boucher

BY Jessica Schoeman

What year did Dr Boucher start at Riebeek? As Dr Boucher describes it, she started at Riebeek in “the year in which the Iron Curtain began to disintegrate and The Phantom of the Opera, the longest running Broadway play ever, opens” – 1988!
Dr Boucher has been thoroughly involved in Riebeek over her journey with us and has been a Subject teacher, Subject Head, Grade Head, HOD, Acting Deputy Principal, Netball coach, Athletics coach, RI organiser, SGB member and is currently responsible for RCL, DT, Going Green, Prize-giving, Academic issues, SAOU, assessment timetables and the school timetable. She has truly left an irreplaceable legacy at Riebeek and it will be difficult to fill her shoes. Her dedication and commitment is astounding and very much appreciated. She has also escorted learners on a number of Afrikaans Home Language tours to Knysna and Cape Town and Eastern Cape Cross Country Tournaments to Pretoria as Manager and Assistant coach for athletes from all over the Eastern Cape.
Dr Boucher believes that success in a career or to receive any trophy or prize does not spell achievement. If she were to look back at her career, she thinks that her greatest achievement is very simple: she has been able to continue with her normal life. She loves what she does, but more so, is glad to have people who care about her close by. Her journey in life, the people that she has met and what she has learnt from them, has been her greatest achievement.
When asked about her plans for the future, Dr Boucher responds that “somebody once said that you cannot make any valid plans for the future if you do not have the capacity to live now! Also, that you have no future but you have power over this moment only. Your future is actually happening now!  So, my future plan is to LIVE!”
Advice that Dr Boucher wishes to give learners (which are certainly favourites of her matric class) are that it is not what you know but what you can do with what you know, that matters and that you should choose your mother-in-law and take the son as is. This advice is sure to stick with many of us in the future and her matric class fondly remembers the time where she told us to choose our mother-in-law, and will definitely have this in mind in our future.
Her favourite moments were in her classroom working with the girls. During class times Dr Boucher was and is always an amazing teacher. Things that her classes have learnt in Afrikaans have been learnt so well that we can do them in English, ironically! (This is truly living up to Dr Boucher’s advice “it is not what you know, but what you can do with what you know”, but don’t tell the English teachers!). Poems were more interesting, books more exciting and dramas more dramatic. There truly was never a dull moment and you were always excited to attend Afrikaans lessons, with Powerpoints, videos and images being prepared by the dedicated Dr Boucher – just to help us understand the work better. The Grade 12s will never forget the days where bangs and clangs would happen resulting in “Elise” from one of the stories being shouted out and Moenie die Smiley vergeet nie will always be etched into every Grade’s memories that has had the privilege of learning it with Dr Boucher. The “drakie” (dragon) diagram ensured that we had perfect essays for Paper 3s. Dr Boucher is truly a one-of-a-kind teacher that is an inspiration to all those who want to be future teachers and inspires all of us daily to be the best possible people that we can be in life.
One poem in particular, Boekmerk by Marlise Joubert deals with a teacher that wants her students to always bookmark their beautiful school memories and enjoyable times so that when they “turn back” to their school years they will only remember joy and happiness – Dr Boucher in particular, has definitely made Afrikaans lessons a bookmark that her students will turn back to whenever they revisit their “book” and think about their school years.
Dr Boucher says of her time at Riebeek: “One day you will be just a memory for some people. Do your best to be a good one!” Dr Boucher will certainly be a good memory for all of us and has a special place in all of our hearts. We hope that she enjoys her well-deserved retirement and we are certain that the books she plans to write will be #1 Best Sellers. She will be greatly missed and we wish her every success.
 

 July 29, 2017
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2017
Jessica Schoeman

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