La Rochelle 2021

O P G E D R A A A N – A . L O C H N E R

I have the utmost respect and admiration for Ms Lochner for being the dynamic, daring and darl ing principal who has f lown the Larrie f lag with pride and passion; worn her heart on her sleeve and stood by her principles come what may. Under her inspiring and visionary leadership La Rochel le has developed an identity of its own – one of l imitless Love, unconditional Acceptance and reciprocal Respect – and ranks amongst the top schools in South Africa across the spectrum of activities associated with secondary education. La Rochel le stands as a smal l , yet sol id, rock in a town renowned for its educational institutions, largely due to the stature of Ms Lochner who has remained steadfast on various issues pertaining to the indispensable role women play in society. If Ms Lochner were to attend a Larrie Prize-Giving Ceremony as a recipient in the ‘Special Awards Category’ , they would be: 1. A gold star for unshakeable integrity. 2. A gold star for resi l ience in the face of unbel ievable pressure and demands from al l sides. 3. A gold star for tough love. 4. A gold star for being a bridge across many troubled waters. 5. A gold star for poise and posture. On a personal note: Thank you, Ms Lochner, for the insightful discussions on books, f i lms and the theatre; the cl ick of your heels announcing your presence in the passage outside my classroom; the open door (not always) to your off ice; your motivational assembly messages and countless words of wisdom; your encyclopedic knowledge of the history and traditions of the school ; your abundant generosity with ice-creams for al l (plus ‘die roomysgeld’ for the staff! ’ ) and your digni f ied ‘victory laps’ when we came out on top at 4G. In conclusion: I would l ike to add my voice to the thousands of members of the Larrie fami ly from near and far who cheer you on and throw their hats in the air in salutation of the incredible person you are and the unbel ievable role you played at La Rochel le. We wi l l miss you, captain, our captain! We give you permission to leave school a l ittle earl ier! Sir JN

Tr i b u t e t o t h e a m a z i n g a n d l e g e n d a r y M s A m a n d a L o c h n e r

I f y o u h a v e n e v e r b e l i e v e d i n t h e v e r a c i t y o f t h e e x p r e s s i o n ‘ d y n a m i t e c o m e s i n s m a l l p a c k a g e s ’ , t h e n y o u h a v e n e v e r h a d t h e t r e m e n d o u s p r i v i l e g e a n d p l e a s u r e a s I h a v e h a d o f k n o w i n g M s A m a n d a L o c h n e r a s a f r i e n d f o r m a n y y e a r s a n d s e r v i n g u n d e r h e r a s t h e p r i n c i p a l d u r i n g t h e t w i l i g h t y e a r s o f m y t e a c h i n g c a r e e r .

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