So High Pre-primary says farewell to Tannie Babs

Anna Livanos (aka Tannie Babs), closed a very important 15-year-long chapter in her life last week.

The much adored after-care teacher at So High Pre-primary is retiring at the age of 72 after having hundreds of children pass through her heart since 1999.

Before gracing the halls of So High, Livanos worked at Olivier Attorneys, carrying out general office admin work and debt collections.

Her husband passed away in November of ’98 and the staff of So High made her part of their family offering her support and love during a lonely time.

She had always wanted to be involved in schools in some way as she loved working with children but her dream of becoming a teacher was pushed aside when she was young.

“When we went to school it was not like it is now. Teachers would come around to the classrooms and ask who wants to go to university. If your answer was no or you did not have the money for it they told you to leave school because you are just wasting your parents’ money. So I left school in grade 10 with no opportunity to study further.”

She left school planning to go into nursing. She was accepted at a home that cared for the mentally handicapped in Howick but her mother refused to sign the papers. So she became a ‘hello girl’ at the post office until she was married.

Livanos started up the after care at So High in January 1999 bringing her as close to her dream of being a teacher as possible.

She cared for about 20 to 30 children between 12 and 4pm every day, using arm signals and clapping to keep them in line.

“I never shout at the children. They are very well trained, I just clap my hands and then give a specific signal and they listen according,” said Livanos.

Tannie Babs is moving on but not slowing down at all. She plans to work in the SPCA’s second hand store, The Dog Box, to keep herself busy.

She wants to help out in the elderly community by offering to drive them to the shops and help out in any way she can.

“I have many things on my mind. I do not know if I will achieve them all but I can only try. My ultimate dream is, (people will laugh), to one day become an opera singer. I stand in front of the mirror and I can imagine myself as one.”

So High hosted a surprise farewell for Tannie Babs last Thursday with delicious cakes, personalised drawings and songs sung by the children.