The School Corridor Tatler

Angelica sitting alone, waiting for her athletes. I met Angelica Ohrn, a Swedish volunteer at Sullivan Primary School.  Angelica is one of the Dreams to Reality volunteers. Like her peers, she has travelled to South Africa at her own expense, to do voluntary community work.  She works as a sports coach at the school, the area that she had chosen to offer her skills. It was Friday afternoon and she was waiting for her cross-country runners. "I will be spending five weeks volunteering. I really love the place, the children and the new friends I am meeting at Dreams for Reality. When I go back home, I will go and study,''said a bubbly Angelica. Soon after one of Angelica's runners arrived, ready for the race in his school colours. Angelica and one of her cross-country athletes. When volunteers like Angelica come along, they imbue the schools with youthful freshness and help to strengthen the sports and arts programmes at the schools. The volunteers the...

Ernest Moore with the school choir on the stage Sullivan Primary School Hall Opening Ceremony On Saturday, I was as excited as a child having a birthday party. Sullivan Primary School celebrated the opening of their school hall, thanks to the generosity of the main sponsor, The Archway Foundation. Everything was fabulous, from the superb, engaging master of ceremonies, Aden Thomas, the highly engaging speeches, the entertainment, right to the food provided by local caterer, Jeremy. This is what I like about community celebrations: the collective joy to embrace and acknowledge your neighbour's achievement. Prior to the event, facebook was already buzzing with 'high fives' and 'vivas' to wish Ernest Moore and his community well. When Ernest posted that he had picked up someone else's" ball of nerves", he was probably spot on. That is just how the community DNA works - everybody feels your joy, pain or nerves! And the new school hall was worthy o...

Ernest looking happy and relaxed after the event and he had no clue what had transpired earlier. Our country still has to travel a long road in terms of accommodating our people who have disabilities. I became aware of this yesterday when a group of us - a few of the school principals and I - attended Jonathan Jansen and Molly Blank's launch of their book, How to fix South African Schools, at the Book Lounge in Roeland Street, Cape Town. The place was packed to capacity, even the basement was overflowing with folk who wanted to hear the pair speak.   I spotted two of my colleagues, Bevil Velensky, the head of Kommetjie, and Nelson Mafrika, the head of Masiphumelele High school right at the back of the bookstore. They indicated that there was a vacant spot close to them and waved at me, urging me to join them. Now, being able-bodied, I wormed my way through the crowd, apologizing profusely and made sure that my arms and handbag did not become missiles in the process. Another guest...

Thanksgiving service is more like a homecoming celebration Today I attended Sullivan Primary School’s 50 th Anniversary Thanksgiving service. There we sat, under the red marquee in the quad complete with makeshift stage under an arch of maroon and yellow balloons. It was this simple and dignified. No hiring of civic halls or private halls for this private, intimate function. I did not expect any different from Ernest Moore, the Head of Sullivan Primary School. The school is the treasure house of rich memories of the foundational years of many a South African community builder and what better place to have the thanksgiving ceremony than at the heritage place? All the alumni of Sullivan, please stand up… The Thanksgiving event was like one massive homecoming. There were at least four of the first pupils who started Sub A when the school – then known as the nameless “Steenberg No.4”- started in 1963. Professor Jonathan Jansen, who specially flew in for the event, was one of them. Jonatha...