Singing filled the air as Germiston residents celebrated the beginning of the festive season at Afrikaanse Hoërskool Germiston’s annual Carols by Glowstick, last Saturday.
This year marked a new chapter for the event as the school joined forces with LamDel Residents Association, to make the event bigger and more community-orientated.
“This year we teamed up with LamDel Residents Association and co-hosted the event with them.
“It was such a privilege to be able to make this a community event,” said Retha du Toit, the principal of Afrikaanse Hoërskool Germiston.
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The partnership brought many exciting new additions to the event including the inclusion of Afrikaans and English lyrics in each carol sang, and the involvement of a number of local churches.
Some of the churches that took part in the event were the Dutch Reformed Church, No Limits Church and Members in Christ Church.
Before the sun set and the entertainment began, guests could enjoy a selection of food at various food stalls, one run by the Germiston Rotary Anns and visit a number of other stalls, set-up inside the ground floor classrooms.
The children were also treated to a visit from Father Christmas, who arrived in the Germiston Rotary Club’s Santa Sleigh.
Once it got dark, Retha opened the proceedings calling up one of the school’s deputy principals Linda Oelofse, who is credited with being the event’s driving force, as it was originally her idea.
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“My mother taught us there is nothing in life more important than Christmas,” Linda said.
“Even though we didn’t have a lot of money, we always had the most beautiful Christmas tree and I think this is where the seed was planted.”
The school’s choir led the community through the carols throughout the evening, accompanied by Ina Dreyer.
While readings where done by Rev Eddie Enslin (Dutch Reformed Church, in Lambton), Rev Marlene Rodda (St Mary and St John Anglican Church), Past Naps de Beer (No Limits Church), Past Henk Jooste (Old Apostolic Church), the school’s head boy Ettienne de Jager and head girl Nicole Venter, Larusckha King (learner), Amanda Du Plessis (teacher) and Jakkie Janse van Vuuren (from LamDel Residents Association) to name a few.
Anthea Badenhorst and Ruaan Badenhorst also gave solo performances on the night.
“While we would have hoped for more people on the day, we know that there were a number of events taking place on December 1 and we are grateful to all those who supported this event,” said Lornette Joseph, LamDel RA chairperson.
“We are extremely proud to have been a part of the Carols by Glowstick event and look forward to a bigger, better event in 2019.
“This event could never have happened if it wasn’t for the hours of work put in by the teachers and learners of the school, by the various LamDel members, the patrollers for Delville CPF and Lambton Klip Sector Four CPF and the local churches.
“We are very grateful for all the time and effort that was put in,” she said.
Special thanks also went to James Selby (LamDel member) from Xtreme Sensory Production for the sound, lighting and presentations throughout the evening.
“We asked all stallholders to give a 10 per cent donation from their takings for the day, this and all money taken at the door and the tuck shop was given to the school,” said Lornette.
Retha explained that the funds raised would be used to make food parcels for the holidays.
“The food parcels will be given to the needy families of our school.
“This is a project that we do at the end of every term, with the learners donating non-perishable foods.
“We send food parcels to almost 30 families,” she explained.
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