La Rochelle Yearbook 2024

FOUNDERS’ DAY

164 – La Rochelle I stand before you as a proud Larrie, who graduated from matric in 2014. I was asked to recall some fond memories of my time here at La Rochelle and also provide the life lessons learned during this time. I can remember my first day in grade 8. I remember how I felt: small (and I haven’t grown since), I remember feeling uncertain and I had NO idea what will be expected of me. I remember my first assembly and I remember admiring our head girl at the time, and knew that I wanted to fill her shoes one day. The way she carried herself, the way in which she spoke and handled every situation that came her way. I had a goal I wanted to work towards: the perfect ideal. I also remember my last day in matric – when all was said and done. When I stood to give my final speech and realised that I will never be able to have these five years again. Every memory will, as I described it, become a sandcastle stacked in a vial. Was it worth it? No one ever asks you your 800m time at the grade ten 4M, no one ever asks you what you got for your final math mark in your matric final exam (thank goodness) and no one asks you how many hours you practiced piano to obtain your grade 8 Unisa exam. So, what was the point of it all – let me tell you, with my years of wisdom. I am currently an occupational therapist working in the field of adult neurology and psychology. This means, I work with people on a daily basis, I analyse, give structure and work with anything human and brain related. The irony of this is that my favourite subject in school however, was geography – which has to do with mountains, clouds and constellations, rocks and mapwork. Thankfully, my mother knew I would not be able to cope in a mine or truly enjoy working with anything rock related and she took me for aptitude tests in grade eleven – hence, the studies in a medical related field. Lesson: If you are privileged enough to have supporting parents, please listen to them for guidance, they were teenagers once as well, they’ve walked the walk and they are actually quite wise. If you do not have supporting parents, reach out to a teacher or someone you trust with important decisions such as choosing subjects or applying for a university. One fond memory that I have of my geography class, was when Carine, who sat two rows behind me, had a flue. We smelled her when she entered the classroom as she smelled like and looked like a tub of Vicks. That same day, Mr. Kroukamp, our teacher

at the time, gave us the modules that we had to study for the upcoming exam. After providing us this horrific news, he left the class for a few minutes. I do not know whoseidea it was (that fact will remain unknown), but whom of you ever had Vicks in your eyes before? Your eyes tear up. Severely, and you turn red, really red in the face. When he entered the class room again, the whole class was crying. After our brilliant performance, we got a module less to study and we all passed quite well. What I have learned: as a team, you can move mountains – not to manipulate, but to reach a goal in unison. Choose your battles, and make sure that you always have people to support you along the way. No man, or woman, is an island. In grade ten, I remember being part of the JTC. I do not know why I did it or what I wanted to do with it, but there I was, reciting the pledge and attending to the meetings. Only one or two meetings. I got a formal warning after my lack of attendance, stating that I am not taking my duties seriously as a JTC member and for that, I received an envelope signed by Aquill, our head of JTC. In my grade ten brain, just because his name was Aquill, I did not take it seriously, but luckily my mom did and made sure that I attended the meetings afterwards. Lesson: when you commit to something, do it 100%, otherwise no one will take you seriously, and you might get fired. A fond memory that I have in my matric year is one where, Engela (deputy head girl for 2014) and I were on our way to an English class on the second floor. We were a bit overworked, a bit tired, a bit overwhelmed and for some or other reason, we made it up halfway the first part of the stairs when we started laughing, and we couldn’t stop. I think we were about 15/20 minutes late for class, not because of a meeting (which I think we said we had), but because we could not ascend the stairs, because of laughter. Lesson learned: Patch Adams was right when he said – Laughter is the best medicine. Do not forget to spend your time with people that builds you up, that supports you and that will be silly with you. The ones that were not supposed to be there in the first place, will leave, but those who were made for a life time, will stay. These are all some memories in a nutshell. All forms part of the high school process and shaped me into who I am and how I think today. The most pivotal memory that I have, however, was an assembly opening by Mrs Meyer in my grade eleven year: The opening stuck with me, and shaped my whole perspective on how I thought about my motives that’s driving every step

144 | Hoër Meisieskool La Rochelle | Girls’ High School