Battswood Primary teachers and best friends call it a day

Two best friends and stalwart teachers at Battswood Primary School, in Ottery, handed over the teaching rod to retire after a combined 75 years in the teaching profession.

Carmen Thomas, 59, and Vivienne Riffel, 60, retired at the end of this term and they shared their memories during their tenure at Battswood Primary.

Ms Thomas had been teaching for 37 years at Battswood, her first job since she stepped onto the school premises in 1988.

Ms Thomas met her husband, the former principal Gavin Thomas, at Battswood. “I became the HOD (Head of Department) in the late 1990s and he became principal in 2006. The year before we got married.”

Ms Thomas said one of the biggest challenges that they faced was in the late 1990s. “We almost lost our school when the NGK Church sold our building. We were challenged when we had to find a new location and Mr Thomas found the property we are currently on.”

“Fortunately Old Mutual and the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund generously financed and built our Ottery school. We were opened on October 12 2001 by Old Mutual and former president Nelson Mandela himself,” said Ms Thomas. 

Ms Thomas said in 2007, Mr Thomas and a group of 18 teachers, including herself and pupils, went to Canada. “We worked tirelessly on our Canadian-SA exchange. What an amazing feeling to have landed in London and (later) exploring Canada, Nelson Mandela Elementary school as well as Ontario, Niagara Falls, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City.

“Today when I look at how independently these learners have grown up and how ambitious they are, I smile and know that Battswood has even just a bit to do with it. Pride sets in. I know that all the sacrifices made for my school were worth it.”  

Ms Thomas said 10 years ago, she and three of her colleagues started a girls' group called Unique Precious Seedlings (UPS) for girls from Grade 4 to Grade 7 to teach them good morals and values. "And aiming at teaching them enough so that they didn't have to endure pain and suffering that we did. We also had lots of camps, sleepovers, social gatherings with numerous speakers from doctors, teen pregnant moms, arts and crafts, careers, etc”

A major traumatic experience happened in 1997, said Ms Thomas, when a Grade 4 pupil died at camp from an asthma attack. "It was one of my biggest challenges to deal with and we as teachers still have scars 28 years later with the fact that the mom was negligent and we as teachers had to deal with that for the rest of our lives.”

Ms Thomas said she did not always want to become a teacher. “I wanted to be a social worker but when I was in Standard 5 my teacher Mr Visagie asked me what I wanted to be one day. After I answered him, he thought about it and he told me that he has chosen the perfect career for me and it was to be a teacher. He said he knew my ability, patience and love would be enough for kids. He wasn't wrong,” she smiled.

Relatives in the teaching profession include her stepmother, two sisters and husband.

When asked what would be her advice to new teachers when dealing with pupils, she said: “Firstly, love them, be a good listener because they need that and to remind them that they ‘can’ and that ‘can't’ really is overused.”

Ms Thomas said her major role was to be the Foundation Phase HOD. “I always felt my role was to make everyone feel loved, to be a good listener and to always be mindful to set a good example.”

When asked what her future plans were, Ms Thomas said: “We are going to Greece in August and then hopefully tour Europe. We also plan to cruise the Mediterranean. Hope it's all in God's plans for us. I'm also thinking of tutoring autistic and struggling kids.”

Ms Riffel is retiring after serving Battswood Primary for 35 years.

She had been in the teaching profession for 38 years, with years at Eastville Primary School in Eastridge, Mitchell’s Plain.

The first memory that stands out for Ms Riffel is when she met her colleague Ms Thomas who became her life-long best friend and sister.

Another fond memory is when the school moved from Gospert Road, Wynberg, to Ottery and former president Nelson Mandela attended the opening ceremony of the school.

However, teaching does not come without any challenges. “One major challenge was Covid-19 when I was not able to physically attend school and teach my Grade 1s face to face. It drove me crazy. I had to find ways to keep on teaching by making videos to send to the learners. The fact that I couldn’t see them and to see the work that they’re doing was hard for me.”

Ms Riffel said there were many challenging experiences with pupils, parents and teachers over the years, but “being so long in the profession those challenges have been resolved and I put that at the back of my mind.” 

When asked what motivated Ms Riffel to become a teacher, she said there were a few teachers in her family: “My mother, the late Aida Witbooi, was a Grade R teacher and my uncle, the late Wilfred Arendse who taught German at Alexander Sinton High School in Crawford, and then there’s my sister Joanne Witbooi, who was also a Grade R teacher.”

Ms Riffel said she always had excellent teachers who also inspired her to become a teacher. “There were many teachers who made teaching interesting and fun and then there was also my mother - watching her and helping her prepare for a class and seeing the rewards that she reaped, really inspired me. She was my role model.”

Her advice for future teachers: “Build strong relationships with learners and parents, establish clear routines and make learning fun and engaging and model kindness and empathy, be positive and flexible and enjoy teaching and look after yourself.”

She said besides being the best teacher she could be for her little ones, she also wanted to be a good role model as a leader for the UPS girls, teaching them good morals and values.

She said she made it her responsibility to always be there for her pupils so that they would be well-educated for the day. "A teacher that loves teaching will teach children to love learning.”

On her retirement plans, Ms Riffel said: “I will be spending more time with family, travelling, improving my baking and sewing skills and continuing with the UPS group at school God-willing.”