La Rochelle 2021

VA L E D I C T O R Y M E S S A G E

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Nog ’n 4M-wen in 2018 en 2020!

Uiteindelik keer die leerders terug klas toe: die matrieks na 2 maand, graad 11’s na 3 maande en die graad 8s na bykans 5 maande. Die nuwe Astro kon nie ingewy word nie, maar die Larries prakseer hulle eie vermaak, eerstens met die wêreldwye tendens met die Jerusalema -dans en toe Tuindagvieringe en die 160-jaar vieringe met die Larries, getooi in hulle blomkranse, wat die 160 jaar op die Astro uitbeeld. Met die gebrek aan sosialisering, het Covid ons forseer om na binne te leef en vir ons, as volwassenes, is dit maklik om in stilte met ons gedagtes om te gaan, maar

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All Girls’ in East London

• Choir performances in the Audi Centre & St George’s Cathedral; World Choir Games in Tshwane • Miss La Rochelle (Alexandra & Rachael) • Larries Got Talent (Alana; Francesca & Jamie) • GREATEST SHOWMAN • ALL GIRLS’ in Paarl • Europese Toer na Duitsland, Slovakia, Oostenryk en die Czech Republiek En wie moet ons bedank?

vir tieners, wat hulleself nog nie ken nie, is dit baie moeilik. Ons koorleier, Johannes Schickerling het dit as volg beskryf: ‘ As daar voor grendeltyd ’n kraak was, het dit nou ’n kloof geword .’ Your lives, our lives, were jolted to a halt on the 11 November last year with Jade’s passing, followed by Zara’s barely 48 hours later. You were not sad, you were not distraught … you were gutted. And then, in February of this year, we lost a friend, a colleague, a beloved CAT teacher, Corné Coetzee. The Larries were left reeling! Numb! And then Miss Lochner announced her early retirement!

Dankie aan die ouers wat geleenthede soos hierdie vir hulle dogters moont- lik gemaak het. Dankie aan die pa’s en ma’s wat funksies bygewoon het, wat langs die veld of baan gestaan het, musiekkonserte bygewoon het. Thank you, Moms and Dads, for providing a 24/7 uber service!

Dankie vir die ouers wat met die skool gekommunikeer het, hetsy om dankie te sê of om ons op ons tone te hou. Thank you for entrusting your daughters to our care and collaborating with the school to ensure that they can get the best education possible. We still need to strengthen one another’s hands during this last stretch. THAT BRINGS US TO 2020: Memorable for all the wrong reasons, starting on 27 March, when the nation went into LEVEL 5 lockdown. Nearly thirty years ago, in 1992, Queen Elizabeth gave a speech at Guildhall to mark the 40th anniversary of her ascension. She said that (and I quote), “ 1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure – it has turned out to be an ANNUS HORRIBILIS. ” She was referring to the breakdown of three of her children’s marriages and the devastating fire at Windsor Castle which destroyed more than 100 rooms. Fast forward to 2020/2021 and indeed, I suspect that there are very few people unaffected by the worldwide turmoil and uncertainty brought about by the COVID PANDEMIC. Schools closed immediately and where we had been in- corporating e-learning/blended learning on a small scale, by the 31st March we had to start posting work for the learners either on TEAMS or Google Classroom. It was not easy. But, the work had to continue.

Talk about 2020/2021 being our ANNUS HORRIBILIS! Robert Frost, the poet once said: I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life in three words: IT GOES ON . Matrics, it was quite a while before we could hear you laughing again; before you allowed yourselves to start living again, but you see, life goes on and it was particularly evident at the Matric Farewell. You danced, you laughed. And not to mention your incredibly creative, fun celebration of 40 Days! It was brilliant! Thank you for bringing back the sound of laughter in the passages. Life might have bumped and bruised you a bit, but, you resolutely kept your heads held high; for you, it was never about how fast you could get to the other side. It has all been about THE CLIMB !

The Climb by Miley Cyrus I can almost see it That dream I’m dreaming But, there’s a voice inside my head saying You’ll never reach it Every step I’m taking Every move I make feels Lost with no direction My faith is shaking But I, I gotta keep trying Gotta keep my head held high There’s always gonna be another mountain

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