Last weekend and this week have been extremely exciting and tiring. Christel House has been buzzing with anticipation for the opening of the new school and it was finally time to put all the hard work together and pull off an amazing day. But before I go into detail about the inauguration I should tell you all about the wonderful opportunities Christel House have given me. I have to thank Sharon Williams from Christel House for allowing Jill and myself the honor of attending the dinners and events that took place over last weekend and during the week. Jill and I were invited to have drinks and meet members of the board of directors of Christel House on Sunday night, and were also invited to attend a dinner for the board members and important guests and friends of Christel House on Monday night. Because of Sharon’s kindness we had the chance to meet Christel DeHaan herself, whom both Jill and I were very excited and nervous to meet. After only meeting her quickly it was obvious that we had no reason to be nervous because she was very friendly and welcoming to us. On Monday night Jill and I had another opportunity to meet Christel DeHaan and were able to have a fantastic dinner at Gold Of Africa Museum and Restaurant. We were able to meet many fascinating and influential people who have a hand in making Christel House the amazing school that is has become.
So, Tuesday rolls around and I get to school and it is alive with anticipation for the ceremony. Students are walking by wearing outfits for their performances, music is being rehearsed, teachers are bustling around trying to get their kids organized, and learners are excitedly chatting together. I had not had a chance to see the new hall until the opening, and it was wonderful to walk in with my students and see it completed and filled with people, ready for the upcoming events. The ceremony started with the national anthem and the Christel House credo, and was followed by a speech by the Mayor of Cape Town, Helen Zille. After the speech students gave wonderful performances. There were a variety of performances from a scene in the District Six play from last year, to traditional dancers. All of the performances were very impressive, but one performance stood out to many people. Two students sang a prayer to Christel DeHaan that touched the hearts of everyone in the crowd, bringing many to tears. The singing voices were incredible and their voices blended brilliantly together. The chorus also sang “A Whole New World,” and it was beautifully done. I was so impressed by all the students that I was, and still am, quite speechless. I knew that they were all very talented people but I had no idea the extent to which they were. I have never been so blown away by raw talent than I was on Tuesday.
After seeing the students perform it made me realize that without Christel House, many of these kids would not have had the opportunity to capitalize on their talents. It makes me extremely happy to know that I may play a small part in helping these kids realize their potential and to eventually achieve their goals and make their dreams come true. Christel House is helping so many kids, but there are many who are still getting improper education and I would like to be able to help all of them. But for now, since I am not super woman (yet), I will try my best to help the students in my Grade R class learn and grow into the wonderful young adults I know they will be.
