MARIA Elizabeth de Villiers Tait (65) bid farewell to educators and learners of Frances Vorwerg after 50 years of teaching.
Born and bred in Robertsham, Marinda (as she is widely known as) attended Laerskool Theo Wassenaar and Ridgeway Hoerskool (Hoerskool President High School). She studied at the University of Johannesburg and went on to teach while studying.
Marinda said she knew her passion from the time she was in grade one and went into remedial teaching afterwards. With constant encouragement from her parents when she was younger, Marinda has now been teaching for 50 years and after teaching at Frances Vorwerg for 34 of those years, she is now retiring.
“My parents were on the SGB (School Governing Body) at Frances Vorwerg at one point and I even lived at this beautiful school for 14 years in the hostel,” she said.
The mother of three and grandmother of four taught at Robertsham Primary for three years and Laerskool Turffontein for three years. She also taught at Freeway Park Primary for three years and went to a teacher’s training college for a year.
“I have mixed feelings about retiring but I do have a few things that I want to do. I would just like to honour God for everything I have accomplished in my life and I hope that I have made a change in the children’s lives for the better,” said Marinda.
Frances Vorwerg also bids farewell to Daleen Mentz (51), who is also retiring. Daleen is responsible for the Rand Water Race for Victory, which is the school’s biggest sponsorship. She is also the head of department (HOD) of phase of skills.
Daleen was born and grew up in Nelspruit and moved to Johannesburg 13 years ago. The Mentz family is now moving to a farm near Upington for new adventures.
“I have always been teaching and there are only mixed emotions about leaving and not coming back. I will not be here full-time any more and my family and I are embarking on new journeys. I am very sad to be leaving Frances Vorwerg,” said Mentz.
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