La Rochelle 2021

L A R R I E S S AY FA R E W E L L

Liefste Larries Ek voel so bevoorreg om te kan sê dat ek vir drie jaar deel van die Larrie-familie was. My tyd by La Rochelle sal ek vir ewig koester en in my hart dra. Ek wens daar was meer tyd om elkeen van julle persoonlik te kon druk en groet. Dankie vir al die lag en die stories wat julle so graag met my gedeel het. Dankie vir die ompraat om ’n afperiode te kan hê en uit te vra oor my troue net sodat julle nie hoef te werk nie. Elkeen van julle maak my hart warm. Ek kan nie wag om te sien hoe jul­ Through the years, so many learners and staff members turned to her for advice. She always took the time to sit and carefully listen, allowing us to rage or vent or cry. Some days Room 16 was busier than “De Aar Stasie” and it almost felt as if we were taking part a relay. As soon as one person would leave, the next person would already be waiting outside the door. Somehow, she just always knew how That went straight over my Grade 8 head, but I made sure to always pick up after myself since that day. That was the first of many lessons I have learned from Mrs Neethling through the years. I’mnot only talking about her mind-blowing knowledge of language, her passion for literature, and creative writing, which she has imparted to her learners and young teachers alike. No, I’m talking about those lessons that taught us about life, love and resilience. She is the type of person who has always put others before herself. I don’t think any of us will ever really know how many hours, days, and nights she spent in devotion to her craft, her school, her colleagues and her learners. Her incredible dedication and loyalty to La Rochelle and her learners is something I have always admired and will never forget. If you want something done, and done correctly, you ask Mrs Neethling. I don’t know how she did it, but she ALWAYS knew exactly how things were supposed to work, look or happen. And even if she had explained something to me ten times over, she never lost her temper. She would just roll her eyes and smile and explain once again.

to handle every challenging situation and you would leave the conversation feeling lighter and comforted. For me, she has always been the em- bodiment of integrity. Like the quote of Brené Brown says she chose courage over comfort, what was right over what was fun, fast or easy. She practised her values rather than simply professing them. Even if it meant that she could be criticized or misunderstood, she never shied away from difficult situa - tions, but addressed those things that the rest of us were too afraid to. May you have a wonderfully blessed and blissful retirement, Mrs N. May you read books for enjoyment only (not for analysis), may you sleep in (if you can), may you take those long overdue hikes with Mr Neethling and spend as much time as possible with your children and grandchildren. We owe you somuch. Thank you some much for teaching us, encouraging us, pushing us and loving us. Thank you for every sacrifice you made, every joke we shared and every tear that you wiped away. We love you, Mrs N. For always and ever, En Avant ! Mrs Luzanne Oosthuizen

Mrs Lynette Neethling.

I have to confess that when Miss van Aswegen asked me to say goodbye to Mrs Neethling on behalf of the learners and staff today, I was absolutely petrified. Not because I have nothing to say, but because there are too many things I would like to say. I mean, how does one speak for thousands of learners who have sat in those desks in Room 16 through the course of thirty years? Where does one begin to reminisce about every interhouse and 4G meeting, every cultural event or concert, every Gr 8 camp, Gr 11 seminar, every Open Day, 40 Days or prizegiving? It’s simply impossible to squeeze a lifetime of memories into a few, short minutes. I first met Mrs Neethling when I was wearing a flower dress like every one of you girls. Even though she was not my English teacher, I remember that I was always very careful in her presence about how I behaved and what I said. She had a reputation, you know, for being someone who did not take any nonsense. We did not mess with her. I remember writing exams in Room 16 in my Grade 8 year and her telling us “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.”

Me. Karen Swarts.

le verder gaan blom en julle volle potensiaal bereik nie. Ek sal altyd ’n sagte plek vir La Rochelle hê. Ek mis julle “môre Juffrou” terwyl julle breed glimlag soos wat ek in die oggend verby julle loop. Om weg te gaan en julle te moes groet was een van die moeilikste besluite wat ek al ooit moes neem. Ek hoop dat julle altyd sal onthou hoe ongelooflik spesiaal elkeen van julle vir my is. Bly altyd die mooi, sprankelende, spontane en liefdevolle jong vroue wat julle is. Al my liefde Juffrou Viljoen

Me. Lize-Marie Viljoen.

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