Tearful farewell for ‘vibrant’ Kyle Grace

Edgemead pupil, 12, had been selected for rugby team

TEACHERS and pupils at Edgemead Primary have said goodbye to one of their own.

Kyle Grace, the Grade 6 pupil who fell to his death at the school last week, was laid to rest yesterday.

Pupils, teaching staff, community members and the bereft family of 12-year-old Kyle gathered at the Edge First Church in Edgemead for his funeral.

Yellow balloons and ribbons tied around trees served as a painful reminder of the death.

Kyle died after falling 8m through the ceiling of the school. Western Cape Education Department spokesperson Jessica Shelver said the boy is believed to have accessed a staircase behind the stage and found his way into the ceiling. Paramedics declared him dead on arrival.

The rising rugby star cele- brated his 12th birthday on May 17, just eight days before his death.

Kyle was apparently wellliked for his sense of style and his trendy hairstyles. In a moving tribute, school principal, Gregory Stokell described him as “well-loved and very vibrant”. He and his family had recently celebrated his selection to the school’s A rugby team, fulfilling a dream he had.

The church was packed to the rafters. Pupils were seen embracing one another, other mourners at the funeral could not hold back the tears, and their cries could be heard echoing through the overflowing hall, next to the main church building.

Education Department spokesperson Paddy Atwell said the school has received tremendous support from the department’s officials, various organisations and com- munity members.

Counselling will be provided by the Metro North district for pupils. Two psychologists have also been deployed.

The Employee Wellness Programme is providing counselling for teachers and Childline was advising teachers on how to support pupils.

Attwell said the department would also be providing advice about improving safety at the school.