From The Berkhamstedian - The Visit of Mr. Bongienkosi Peyana
Tom Sayer
As the summer term and academic year drew to a close late last June, the school was very pleased to welcome to Berkhamsted, Mr. Bongie Peyana, Principal of our South African link school - Sandi Senior Secondary in the Eastern Cape. On this, his first trip out of southern Africa, Mr. Peyana had a very busy week, and was warmly welcomed by all who met him.
After a long flight and an early arrival, his first day included a thorough tour of the school by host pupils. He met many staff, particularly enjoying conversations with our South African teachers. He even had the opportunity to join in with a girls' music class, who were by chance singing a song in an African language well known to Mr Peyana.
On a tour of Berkhamsted we showed our visitor around the Parish Church of St. Peter. We enjoyed walking around the castle and along the canal in the warm sunshine, and even stopped at the 'oldest shop in Britain,' as well as the impressive 'Rex' cinema. Mr. Peyana described Berkhamsted as 'heaven on earth' and seeing our school and town through his eyes made us realise how fortunate we are.
During his visit, Mr. Peyana sat in on various lessons from English and Science to Art, Music and Drama, and he met individually with many senior staff and Heads of Department. He even managed to fit in a short choir rehearsal before having a meal with South African staff. He attended chapel and assemblies, and was taken on visits to Hemel Hempstead School and Ashlyns. Host families, staff and pupils were all keen to welcome Mr. Peyana for lunch or evening meals during his visit.
As well as experiencing school life and the town's atmosphere, Mr. Peyana also went on visits to Oxford and London. We all enjoyed the open top bus tour around Oxford in the hot, sunny weather and learnt much about the city's rich history. The lively Sunday service at Holy Trinity Church, Brompton made for a dynamic experience, and everyone who went enjoyed the vibrant atmosphere there.
On the last full day of his visit, Mr Peyana enjoyed a visit to our capital. He was able to take in the buzz of the city, and admire the great architecture, including that of St. Paul's Cathedral. He was also pleased to see the statue of Nelson Mandela on the embankment. Mr. Peyana's own father was a member of the ANC and had been imprisoned on Robben Island during the apartheid years.
On the last evening, all of the host pupils gathered together and we had a good evening with our guest, with the chance for all of us to reflect back on the week.
On Speech Day, Mr. Peyana was made especially welcome and having enjoyed the music and prize-giving, we led him to the church service, where he listened to the Bishop of Armagh preach, and the Chamber Choir sing.
Then it was time for final goodbyes. It had been a pleasure to meet this man, and we had all enjoyed his visit. It was a privilege to welcome the Principal of Sandi to our school, town and country. We now look forward to an opportunity to visit his community and we hope his first experience here was enjoyable and valuable, just as it was for us.