For forty years Eureka Main opened the gate of Wonderland Pre-primary and Prep in Gonubie at 6.30am, but when the school re-opened yesterday, this was no longer part of her much-loved daily routine.
Main, 70, has retired after four decades of teaching three generations of children since founding the school in the Gonubie Methodist church hall in January 1977.
“When my daughter Chantelle was five, I realised there was no pre-primary school in Gonubie to send her to,” said Main, who trained at the Graaff-Reinet Teachers’ College.
“I started with 22 children and one other teacher.”
Starting off with R50 in the bank meant she had to be resourceful about teaching materials and toys.
“We cut up colouring book covers for puzzles and made sand-pit toys with bottles.
“At first we had only three paint colours that were donated to us – brown, green and yellow – and my husband Bruce made small pieces of furniture for us with his woodwork pupils at West Bank High.
“We also had no cleaners and scrubbed the floors and had to pack the school away under the stage every day so the hall could be used for badminton.
“We didn’t get paid for a year because we used money for equipment.”
As intake grew, Wonderland shifted onto municipal land adjoining the church and the school expanded classroom by classroom.
In 2013 it launched its first Grade 1 class. This week Grade 4 was added to the growing school which now boasts 175 children, 10 teachers and four support staff.
“The past 40 years have been the ride of my life. I had wanted to teach since I was a little girl and it was a dream come true to start my own pre-primary.
“This week I woke up and realised the dream is over,” said Main, who has been known as Aunty Rika by thousands of children.
“Children want to be in mommy or daddy’s school and it’s been amazing to see the children of past pupils come here. Some past pupils have emigrated but still pop in to visit. I never forget names or faces. I think it is the memories of happy childhoods that bring them back.”
Main said the most significant change she had noted over the years was the decrease of stay-at-home mothers.
“When I started mothers would fetch their children at 12 noon, but now most children attend aftercare. There are only one or two mothers at the school who don’t work.”
Having handed over the reins to new principal Pauline Drake, Main plans to volunteer in children’s hospital wards and be active in the Gonubie community.
Past pupil Kelly du Plessis, now a Grade 1 teacher in Durban, said “Aunty Rika” had been a patient, warm and loving teacher.
“I was there in 1985 when I was five and she never had any other expression except a smile.” — barbarah @dispatch.co.za
Teacher’s dream concluded after 40 years of joy
Main, 70, has retired after four decades of teaching three generations of children since founding the school in the Gonubie Methodist church hall in January 1977.
“When my daughter Chantelle was five, I realised there was no pre-primary school in Gonubie to send her to,” said Main, who trained at the Graaff-Reinet Teachers’ College.
“I started with 22 children and one other teacher.”
Starting off with R50 in the bank meant she had to be resourceful about teaching materials and toys.
“We cut up colouring book covers for puzzles and made sand-pit toys with bottles.
“At first we had only three paint colours that were donated to us – brown, green and yellow – and my husband Bruce made small pieces of furniture for us with his woodwork pupils at West Bank High.
“We also had no cleaners and scrubbed the floors and had to pack the school away under the stage every day so the hall could be used for badminton.
“We didn’t get paid for a year because we used money for equipment.”
As intake grew, Wonderland shifted onto municipal land adjoining the church and the school expanded classroom by classroom.
In 2013 it launched its first Grade 1 class. This week Grade 4 was added to the growing school which now boasts 175 children, 10 teachers and four support staff.
“The past 40 years have been the ride of my life. I had wanted to teach since I was a little girl and it was a dream come true to start my own pre-primary.
“This week I woke up and realised the dream is over,” said Main, who has been known as Aunty Rika by thousands of children.
“Children want to be in mommy or daddy’s school and it’s been amazing to see the children of past pupils come here. Some past pupils have emigrated but still pop in to visit. I never forget names or faces. I think it is the memories of happy childhoods that bring them back.”
Main said the most significant change she had noted over the years was the decrease of stay-at-home mothers.
“When I started mothers would fetch their children at 12 noon, but now most children attend aftercare. There are only one or two mothers at the school who don’t work.”
Having handed over the reins to new principal Pauline Drake, Main plans to volunteer in children’s hospital wards and be active in the Gonubie community.
Past pupil Kelly du Plessis, now a Grade 1 teacher in Durban, said “Aunty Rika” had been a patient, warm and loving teacher.
“I was there in 1985 when I was five and she never had any other expression except a smile.” — barbarah @dispatch.co.za
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos