The all-conquering drama pupils of Iphutheng Primary School have been lauded for their exploits at the 6th Biennial National Land Care Conference in Durban.
They beat eight other provincial schools in the competition which was staged during the conference held at the Durban International Conference Centre on 22 to 25 September. The drama group represented Gauteng after beating numerous other schools in the provincial competition in August.
A delighted principal Kgamaka Thobejane said the accolades won by the pupils vindicated his philosophy and vision of turning Iphutheng into a lighthouse of excellence in education, sport and performing arts.
“I have often told parents that I want the school to become a beacon of excellence in whatever is done and I am proud today to stand before you and declare that this vision is beginning to bear fruit, in the form of academic achievements of the children, the drama group, the soccer team, chess team, rugby and baseball teams,” he said.
Thobejane thanked the teachers and coaches in the various sporting codes for their hard work. “I also want to congratulate the involvement of the community at large and organisations such as Art Smart Brand who have all ensured these achievements.”
The school enlisted the help of Art Smart Brand, which is behind the branding of Alex into an art smart township, to help the pupils to write a script for a play about land care and environmental issues.
Thobejane added that winning was not handed on a silver platter, but was achieved through hard work and determination to succeed. “Our drama children were taken to Durban and came back victorious. We shall gather here again in the not too distant future to celebrate and honour their achievements.”
The national conference and competition was organised by Land Care South Africa in association with the department of agriculture and forestry, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, and the department of agriculture and environmental affairs in KwaZulu-Natal.
Details: Themba Khoza 011 057 3964; Iphutheng Primary School 011 346 1782.
