Levana Primary gets new hall

Young cadets marching to the beat.

The Levana Primary School community’s spirits were lifted when they finally opened the doors to their new school hall, on Saturday March 25.

The hall had been a dream of the school’s first principal, the late Francois Kiewitz, who started there in 1977.

The school is also celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

Current principal AndreLampbrecht thanked those who had made the hall possible.

“We are glad to have partnered with Garden Cities Archway Foundation who now have built 67 school halls as well as the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) who contributed to the building of the hall,” he said.

Former principals and teachers of the school were invited to attend the opening ceremony.

Ivor Nober, a former principal, told the audience he started teaching at Levana Primary in 1994 and retired in 2014 as principal.

He said he remembers Mr Kiewitz who always taught the teachers that the world needs more nice people, so they should make sure that the children leave the school as “nice people”.

Fareeda Abrahams, former deputy principal, said other teachers had left Levana Primary to go on to lead other institutions, such as Gavin Alkana who became principal of Hillwood Primary, in Lavender Hill. “He was in my class in Grade 2,” said Ms Abrahams.

She remembered Mr Kiewitz teaching them “that we are not here to teach but to serve” our community.

After watching a performance of pupils dancing on stage, Glen van Harte, a director in the WCED, said the school hall must be used to hone children’s talent.

“Let this not become a white elephant. Children must enter the hall to learn and leave to serve,” he said.