Helpful high school deputy selected as August hero
“What I enjoy most about teaching is that each day is different.”
Deputy principal of Edenglen High School Desi Naidoo was selected as the August winner of the NEWS and West Pack Lifestyle Hero of the Month competition.
Desi was nominated by Edenglen High’s marketing and public relations coordinator Georgette Peristeris who described Desi as an extremely helpful person, a motherly figure of the school and a gem of the Edenglen High School family.
Originally from Kwa-Zulu Natal, teaching is in the Greenstone resident’s blood.
Her father was a teacher and a school councillor while many in the community she grew up in were teachers too.
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While growing up, members of Desi’s family would often volunteer and help others where they could.
Desi said what also inspired her to become a teacher was her passion to help others and share knowledge with them.
After she completed her studies, Desi joined Edenglen High in 1998 as a physical education and geography teacher and has been with the school ever since.
She was interviewed by the founder of the school Gus Wilcox, whom Desi described as the father of the school.
In 2009 she was appointed as the deputy principal.
Desi said teachers do more than work out of the textbook and share academic information.
“Teachers fill the role of psychologists, mothers, and in some cases criminologists when they try to solve problems. What I enjoy most about teaching is that each day is different.”
She said as a teacher one must be approachable, flexible and ready for the unexpected.
Desi said one of the reasons she is so helpful and takes an interest in the wellbeing of learners and staff is because it is in her nature.
“As teachers and learners, we spend most of our days and life at school I want to try my best to make sure that the people here are happy to get up and come to school. We are a family and this is meant to be a happy place.”
Desi said what she appreciates about Edenglen High is the hard-working staff, the family environment and that everyone is always trying to improve.
Desi also manages the school’s support team which provides support to learners.
The school has two registered councillors and a volunteer who visits once a week.
“The pandemic has had an impact and taken a big toll on the learners,” said Desi.
She said since its start there have been more learners who have needed an opportunity to speak.
During lockdown Desi also lent a hand creating food parcels for families of the school in need. The school runs a daily feeding programme that helps 70 learners and donates food parcels to several families.
Desi said when previous lockdown restrictions were introduced donations for the food parcels stopped and another solution needed to be found.
She volunteered with a Germiston based organisation and started helping.
“As nervous as I was, because of the virus, I knew it would be a fruitful project.”
Although Desi said she was surprised to be the August winner of the NEWS and West Pack Lifestyle Hero of the Month competition, she felt honoured.
“It’s a nice feeling, it shows that there are people that appreciate the work you do.”
