To celebrate National Teacher’s Month in October Weslander ran its first Onnie van die Jaar (Teacher of the year) competition giving due recognition to those individuals who truly live out their passion for enriching young minds.
Teachers were nominated in their respective phases, to acknowledge the hard work and often-thankless tasks teachers perform in every step of a child’s schooling.
With an overwhelming response of nearly 300 nominations received, the votes were tallied and narrowed down to the top 10 finalists in all categories. The winners of each category were chosen based on the number of nominations they received.
Each nomination also had to be accompanied by a motivation of why the nominated teacher deserved top honours. The motivations published alongside the winners were selected at random.
The finalists were (in alphabetical order):
foundation phase
Cicel Cloete (Masiphatisane Primary School)
Nadia de Vos (Steenberg’s Cove Primary School)
Nosithembele Mazula (Middlepos Primary School)
. Winner in the foundation phase: Nosithembele Mazula
A former learner of Diazville Primary wrote: “I nominate Mrs Mazula. I got to know her in 2015 when I was in Grade 7 and she was teaching my younger sibling, who was in Grade 2 at Diazville Primary School. When we got there my younger sibling couldn’t write or read properly, but the minute she got to Mrs Mazula’s class we saw the difference in her writing and reading.
Mrs Mazula is not only a teacher, but also a parent who wants to see progress in her children.
Whenever one needs help she is there, and it doesn’t matter to her whether or not she is your designated teacher. She is a superstar, hero and confident teacher. She opened the doors for many. Today I am proud to say we have a school in Middlepos because of her, a real fighter indeed.
Her determination and dedication to the foundation phase has made her known as a go-getter and passionate teacher.
intermediate phase
Melandre Hector (Saldanha Primary School)
Nomasango Noma (Masiphatisane Primary School)
. Winner in the intermediate phase: Nomasango Noma
One motivation read: “I nominate miss Nomasango Noma. She is a humble, dedicated teacher. She is very passionate about her work. She is a disciplinarian.”
senior phase
Nomvula Dingaan-Moss (Louwville High School)
Thembisa Sidumo (Diazville High School)
. Winner in the senior phase: Thembisa Sidumo
A parent nominated her and had the following to say:
“I believe she deserves to be crowned the Weslander’s Teacher of the Year because in the absence of parents in her 08:00 to 14:00 daily job she juggles being a teacher and also a parent to our children.
“She never hesitates to keep parents updated of the daily goings on of our children,” the parent said. “She is the fighter of our children’s rights in the absence of their parents. An unapologetic mother about her role as a teacher and a mentor to our children and also a mediater between parents and their children. Her passion for teaching is motivational in how the children speak highly of her as a teacher and a parent to them and how they put their trust upon her.”
coach of the year
Christopher Rodgers (Langebaan Primary)
Khulasande Mlondolozi (Masiphatisane Primary)
Masibulele Ntanjana (St Helena Bay Primary)
. Winner in sport: Masibulele Ntanjana
Sabelo Loliwe nominated Ntanjana and had the following to say: “Mr Ntanjana is passionate about sport and this stems from his background; he also used to be involved in sport while growing up. This passion and determination were transferred to the pupils at school. His under 12-14 soccer team at school has done wonders over the years, where they garnered trophies and represented the West Coast region at provincial level, and some of his players were picked to represent the province in national games. Mr Ntanjana injected his skills into the community of St Helena Bay, where he is coach of a junior soccer team and his team excels. Mr Ntanjana’s children from school as well as the community were scouted by Stellenbosch FC as well as Augusto Palacios academies respectively. Mr Ntanjana has received many accolades in his efforts to keep children away from anti-social behaviours and social ills the community of St Helena Bay faces.”
