New life adventure awaits Thomas More College’s headmistress

FOR 12 years, Barbara Taljard poured her heart and soul into the learners and staff at Thomas More College.

The dedicated primary school headmistress will soon begin the next chapter of her life as she heads into retirement.

After her own school career, she completed a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in history, and a post grad diploma that would ensure she could teach children from senior primary school right through to matric.

“It really helped me to know what I should be achieving with my young learners right from when they were little to when they would pass through the school’s doors in matric,” said a proud Taljard.

Her grandfather was involved in the education sphere, her mother was a teacher and felt that it was only a natural progression for her to follow a career path in teaching.

“It has been on a radar since I was knee-high to a grasshopper and have always felt passionate about sharing knowledge on to others and watching them grow and thrive,” said Taljard.

Her love for children has no bounds and firmly believes each learner is overflowing with creativity and potential.

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“I have always wanted to make them feel they belong and can be their own individual being. Then inspire and motivate them to be everything they want to be and to see the world as their oyster,” she beamed.

With a host of experience behind her, Taljard entered Thomas More College in 2009 and described it as a school with a remarkable ethos that was able to help children felt they belonged and genuinely cared about inspiring each child, not just offering lip service.

“I could also see the potential for greatness. It had good academics and that has since increased to great academics. From a choir it has grown in culture. The sport was always good and that has also been lifted to a different level. As the first female head, there has been a growing of staff and enabling of people to feel more significant,” said the proud headmistress.

“They asked me if there was anything I needed to do the job and I obviously said I needed a laptop, but I didn’t really need anything. So I joked and said possibly some Botox as I get older,” she laughed.

Taljard said it would be the people she would miss, whether it is the children, staff or parents.

“Also the spectacular view as you drive into the school each day as well. But definitely the people,” she smiled.

Her to-do list as she heads into retirement is to read more, spruce up her garden, volunteer with the women’s auxiliary, Bible studies, and get fit.

“It takes a lot of your time and energy and that I have given willingly as I love it so much. My vision of what retirement will be like is very different as my late husband, Currie, won’t be with me. Life, however, does go on and we need to move on. That doesn’t mean you wipe out what you’ve had, but life does move on, for better or worse,” she said.

Relaxed in her comfy wingback chair in her quaint office, Taljard shared one of her many pearls of wisdom, “I think what we need to do in life is be significant. It isn’t about wealth or position or status. It is about truly inspiring and making a difference in the lives of others. Its about growing people at all levels.”

ALSO READ: Thomas More College matrics bid school fond farewell

She thanked the Board of Trustees, present and past, for seeing her potential to take on the job as well as the executive committee for their collegiality and support and to the staff at the school.

“It’s not my school, it’s our school. We are a team. The team of which I am blessed to be the leader. I wish them well as they continue to prepare tomorrow’s leaders, today,” she said.

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