The Final Stretch: our 2016 matrics

7 November 2016 | No Comments

LEAP 2 grade 12 students with their Science teacher Mr Zwe at their Matric Breakfast.

LEAP schools across the country have hosted their Matric Breakfast as a farewell to our grade 12 students and to give our well-wishes for their final exams.

Siphosethu Stulo, LEAP 2 grade 12 student:

The breakfast was an emotional time of the year for the matrics, central team and teachers who came to share the experience with us. All the matric students wore the traditional graduation gowns and we felt so much joy and pride. The matric breakfast was very special, with an absolutely beautiful and breath-taking venue. We felt so special and honoured, especially after a hard year with obstacles. We felt like royalty. There was a strong sense of pride evident in our faces, but it was nothing compared to those of our mentors and teachers. Guest speaker Zipho Majova, a LEAP graduate, gave a speech that was both inspiring and light-hearted, it left the audience with smiles on their faces. We watched a slideshow of our grade’s journey with LEAP and it was very clear we had changed greatly while at LEAP Science and Maths. The slideshow highlighted all our memories, showing how we have grown. Mr John Gilmour’s speech made us realise that everyone – our parents, teachers and grade mates – is rooting for us to succeed and they all believe we can. There was a prize-giving time and we were all happy for each other’s achievements. The matric breakfast was the perfect send off before we begin our final exams.

Ms Nasreen Abrahams, LEAP 2 LO teacher:

The breakfast is so important to our kids. It’s a time of bonding and looking back. It’s a time for motivational talks. We made this a huge theme in our breakfast programme. The learners needed to see their growth and look back on their journey with LEAP and each other. Many feel like giving up during this last stretch but it is important to show them that we are still here and we still support them. When they

looked back at a photo journal of their years at LEAP, it showed them that there was so much they overcame and can still achieve. It was amazing to see how happy they were and how smart they looked in their graduation gowns. It really was a day of celebration. We at LEAP 2 are so proud of our kids. We wish them well during the exams and continue to support them where needed. Thank you to our teachers who all played a part in making this day a success.

LEAP 6 Matric Breakfast:

One of the biggest highlights from the LEAP 6 Matric Breakfast was a donation of R107,000.00 towards a science laboratory. Mr Tom Hamilton, headmaster of LEAP 6’s partner school St Alban’s College, presented the cheque at the event. The donation was raised by St Alban’s staff who hosted a cabaret. Three grade 12 learners gave moving testimonies on the profound influence that St Augustine’s LEAP 6 School has had on them and their outlook on the world. These are some excerpts:

“I was a shadow when I came here and I am a person now. I can speak to people and I have confidence.”

“I only came here in Grade 11 and I had never passed Maths or Science before. The teachers here believed in me and gave me courage. Mr Manyesa said he saw something me and I was so shocked – “what does he see in me?”. This year I have achieved a Bachelors pass for the first time in my 12 yrs at school. LEAP made that happen. And I have come closer to God too.”

“I was always getting in trouble as a younger girl and when I came here in Grade 9 I was in detention every week. My mother was worried about me and it wasn’t until one of the teachers said to me that I should aim to be the best I can be that I began to make a decision to change. Sometimes you have to change the person you are in order to become a better person. St Augustine’s LEAP made that possible for me. Mamma, your naughty little girl has become a talented young woman.”

We wish our 2016 matric classes all the best in the final stretch of their school careers. Their journey with LEAP has hopefully equipped them well for their next phase of life!