The students and staff at Rand Park High School bid farewell to their Afrikaans head of department with a heavy heart. Salome Marais has been teaching Afrikaans for the last 31 years at Rand Park High. On 26 June, she will retire from her teaching career which spanned 39 and a half years.
“Miss Marais made a significant contribution to the school and we are privileged to have had her as a member of our staff. Many pupils have benefited from her passion for education and she will be sorely missed,” commented the school’s principal Alan Wilke.
The pupils of Rand Park High gave her a special send-off by creating a tunnel of children which she had to walk through, from her classroom to the staffroom. She was overwhelmed when she reached the end and received a bouquet of flowers from the principal and the head leaders of the school. “It was the most wonderful tribute ever. Between my tears, I could see all of the children that I have taught cheer and clap for me. Seeing children grow up and mature, and teaching the different generations of children has been a magnificent experience,” said Marais.
She explained that retiring is hard after so many years of teaching but that she feels it is time for her to relax, go on holidays with her sister and take on some new hobbies.
A former student of Marais and now marketing, public relations and communications officer at the school, Heather Robinson described Miss Marais as a no-nonsense educator who insisted on sound discipline in her classroom. She seldom spoke a word of English during her Afrikaans lessons and expected her pupils to actively participate in lesson discussions and to work hard. “Miss Marais lives up to the saying: ‘dynamite comes in small packages’. She has a presence that commands respect among our pupils and I’ve so enjoyed the opportunity to get to know her better,” said Robinson.
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