A Message from the Principal

Dear Sampoerna Academy  L'Avenue Community,

After several meaningful years leading this school, I will be stepping down as Principal at the end of this academic year. Writing this message is harder than I expected.

When I think about what I will carry with me, it is not the policies or the projects. It is the small moments. A Grade 2 child waving at me from across the hallway. A Grade 11 student stopping by my office to talk about life. Teachers staying late to get the last marking done. Parents trusting us, again and again, with what matters most to them.

A school is not a building. It is the people inside it, and the relationships between them. Sampoerna Academy L'Avenue has been a remarkable community to lead because of who you all are — students who are curious and kind, teachers who care deeply about their craft, support staff who hold everything together, and parents who partner with us rather than simply expect from us.

I want to thank my leadership team and teachers in particular. You have made the work feel less like work. You have challenged me, supported me, and on more than one occasion, gently corrected me. That is what a healthy school looks like, and I am proud of what we have built together.

To the parents — thank you for your trust. Raising and educating children is a shared responsibility, and I have never taken that lightly. To the students — keep asking difficult questions. Keep being kind to one another. The world needs more of both.

Sampoerna Academy will remain close to my heart, and I will be cheering for this community from wherever I am next.

To my family — Christine and our daughters — thank you for sharing me with this school for so long. You know better than anyone what these years have meant.

Wishing you all a restful break and a strong year ahead.

Warmly, 

Piero Botha Principal

Sampoerna Academy L'Avenue