Editorial – Editorial – A Message from Mrs Kirsten Raath

In one of his poems, Dylan Thomas compares time to a ‘running grave’ – an image which reflects the relentless nature of time. This may seem a macabre image; however, when one thinks deeply about it, it reflects much about our society and
the manner in which we approach life and our use of time.

It seems surreal to be writing this reflecting on this quote in the light of the end of the year and I have found myself thinking, and saying, fairly frequently in the past few weeks, that this year seems to have flown by. In conversation with one of my Grade 8 classes a few weeks ago we were discussing how they have experienced the year and many of the students felt that they wished that time could speed up even more so they could move onto the next stage of their life. This is a common desire in teenagers, and perhaps some adults – the wishing away of time so that they can reach the next big stage of their life. In modern society this is exacerbated by the use of social media where everything seems bigger and better and there is a skewed perception of how fast time is moving; everyone seems to be ‘ahead’. We spoke about the importance of finding the positive moments and experiences that they have had this year and taking these memories forward with them.

Central to the concept of reflecting on being grateful for the present and the time we are gifted is our annual Remembrance Day Service on the 11th of November where we recalled the end of the hostilities of the First World War and honour those who lost their lives. This service is a core part of our school’s value system as we were founded as a memorial school. The service this year was filled with especially touching moments – the members of the Junior Preparatory Choir came down from their stand at the end of the item to hand all of the invited guests a poppy. This brought tears to many eyes. Another particularly poignant moment was the laying of a wreath by a service dog in memory of those animals who served.

I originally wrote this for a newsletter for students and linked the aspect of the ‘running grave’ to the pressure to achieve academically and to being able to find balance – a balance that is becoming more and more challenging for students to achieve in a world that feels like it is becoming increasingly pressured. The message I asked the students to try and remember is that I hope they are able to see their inherent worth in a world that often places too much value on achievement and that as time progresses in their lives they will see that it isn’t their achievements that define them and that matter to the people who love them, but who they are at their core.

As a parent, this message is something that I am trying to teach my daughters – as the pressure that I am seeing them face as young 6- and 8-year-olds is already incredible. What is wonderful about our school is the sense of community that they are surrounded by and the support that they receive. Reflecting back on my journey through the school and now as a teacher, I am often asked why I would ever have come back to teach at my own high school – and this is one of the
core reasons. It is very special for me to see my own daughters attend the school that I once did and receive the same sense of community and care that I did. I often remark on how special it is to see that they are friends with many children of other past students – my eldest daughter is friends with Grace Roux – Kirsty Roux’s daughter and my youngest has another four past students with her – Amy van Zyl – Michelle van Zyl’s (nee du Preez) daughter, Hannah van der Merwe – Rudi van der Merwe’s daughter, Reagan Luddick – Kira Quabeck’s daughter and Leyah Gokul – Prabashini Kisten’s daughter.

As we move into the festive season, I wish you all a wonderful holiday and hope that you are able to have a break and spend some time reflecting on the year and making special memories with your family and friends.

Kirsten Raath (Deputy Head -Co-Curricular)
(Class of 2002)