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20 September, 2010 |
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WCED announces Western Cape 2010 Teaching Awards The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) is pleased to announce the eight winners of the Western Cape 2010 Teaching Awards. The awards follow a rigorous selection process in all eight education districts of the province and regional finals involving clusters of districts. The awards form part of the National Teaching Awards programme managed by the Department of Basic Education (DoBE). The awards reflect the extent to which we value our teachers and acknowledge the enormous contribution they make to education. They also recognize the importance we give to teaching excellence The eight Western Cape winners are among 44 district and regional finalists. About 32 000 teachers in the Western Cape were eligible for nomination. The names of the provincial winners will now go forward to the national competition. The provincial adjudication panel spent many hours identifying the winners according to strict criteria provided by the DoBE. The 21 members of the panel included representatives of all sectors of the education community, including all teacher trade unions, school governing body associations and WCED officials. The awards recognize excellence in eight categories of teaching and education leadership. They also provide an opportunity to showcase and celebrate excellence throughout the education system. The district and regional awards programme has revealed the depth of teaching talent in the Western Cape. The eight provincial winners represent the tip of the iceberg. While celebrating their success, we also celebrate all teachers who are making a difference in the lives of nearly one million children in the province, often in very difficult circumstances. The WCED has the pleasure of announcing the following awards: Category: Excellence in Grade R Teaching Category: Excellence in Primary School Teaching Category: Excellence in Primary School Leadership Category: Excellence in Inclusive Education and Special Needs Teaching Category: Excellence in Secondary School Teaching Category: Excellence in Secondary School Leadership Category: Excellence in Adult Basic Education and Training Category: Lifetime Achievement Award The DoBE provided a 28-page guideline for managing provincial teaching awards, which includes 13 pages of detailed criteria. Specific criteria for the teaching awards include:
Criteria for leadership awards include:
The Lifetime Achievement Award acknowledges a career dedicated to:
Profiles The adjudication panel has provided the following profiles on the eight winners of the Western Cape 2010 Teaching Awards. The panel, representing all sectors of the Western Cape education community, selected the final eight from 44 finalists after a rigorous adjudication process. The selection process took place in three stages, in districts, regions comprising clusters of districts, and finally, the selection of the provincial winners. The 21 members on the adjudication panel included representatives of all teacher trade unions, governing body associations and education officials. For interviews with the finalists, see: http://www.youtube.com/wcednews Category: Excellence in Grade R Teaching Juanita van der Merwe From 2000 to 2010 she has been selected by her curriculum adviser as a lead teacher and a cluster co-ordinator. She loves to be part of other people's growth and development. She has initiated and organized parent workshops in school readiness. She engages in continual professional development which impacts positively on her classroom activities. She works closely with the Foundation Phase teachers in order to enhance the schools literacy and numeracy results. Juanita is actively involved in raising funds for the school for school tournaments in France and Argentina. In 2009, Ms Van der Merwe's Grade R site was chosen as a model site for the West Coast Region because of her excellent practice, knowledge and skills. Juanita van der Merwe on Youtube Category: Excellence in Primary School Teaching 
Micheline Ashley Ms Micheline Ashley is a positive and motivated teacher who strives for high standards in all that she does. Over the past 20 years at Kirstenhof Primary, she has nurtured, guided and moulded many student teachers, learnership students and colleagues in curriculum matters, teaching methodologies and assessment strategies. She believes that she can share her experiences and her expertise with others to make teaching a valued and worthy profession. She is the grade head and a head of department at her school. She has been selected as a lead teacher in her education district and she is responsible for the co-ordination of cluster meetings with all heads of department in her cluster. Ms Ashely is a meticulous teacher who keeps detailed records of her learners' assessments on a programme she has designed, called Teach Data. She has worked relentlessly on a project with an under-privileged school in her community, namely Lourier Primary School. Ms Ashley is an inspiration to other teachers and heads of department, as well as in her cluster. She delivers presentations at workshops, symposiums and principals' conferences on the needs of the child and the teacher. She has received rave reviews for this. Her principal says, "She is any headmasters' dream". He also says that she is his best example of good practice at the school. Ms Ashley is a dynamic class teacher and a leader. She is extremely hard-working, loyal and committed to education in South Africa. Category: Excellence in Primary School Leadership 
Imtiaz Adams Mr Adams has been instrumental in bringing about a culture of teaching and learning in the school under his leadership. He is determined, and sets reasonable and achievable goals for the staff and parents. This he proved when, in 1999, a tornado destroyed the school building. This horrific disaster tore the staff, the learners and the community apart. They were left desolate and with no hope. The Western Cape Education Department decided that the learners and the staff would be deployed to other schools in the area. Mr Adams fought to keep the vision and mission alive at Surrey Primary. He has made many contacts in the business community and in the education sector for the benefit of the school. As a leader and a visionary, he believes in leading by example and holds various Master degrees. He encourages his staff to study further for the benefit of themselves and the learners. He has a charismatic approach and a clear vision, is a meticulous planner, and is compassionate and assertive. Mr Adams is a leader and a manager of note. His school provides evidence of his consistency, sustainability, effectiveness, commitment, insightfulness and passion. He has had a major impact on the learners and the school community. The school has received an award for major improvement in its literacy and numeracy results in both Grades 3 and 6. His ultimate goal is to make a difference in the life of the learner, the school and the community. Category: Excellence in Inclusive Education and Special Needs Teaching 
Zelda de Villiers Ms Zelda De Villiers regards herself as a teacher who not only assists learners to access the curriculum, but also as a life coach who understands both the learners who experience barriers to learning and their parents. Ms De Villiers is also is a Maths co-ordinator. Her colleagues value her professional guidance and support. She has made her knowledge, skills and expertise available to her community. She has rendered assistance with the compilation of a Maths textbook. She is involved in a project where she renders support and assistance, and is part of a team which supports a child who was involved in an accident and is now both mentally and physically challenged. This project is known as "The Johannes Project", which she is very passionate about. She is a valuable human resource to the surrounding schools. She also assists by assessing their learners. She has compiled numerous assessment instruments. She has also devised a program whereby she is able to depict her assessment of learners on a colour graph. This is valuable to parents as they are able to comprehend more clearly the strengths and weaknesses of their children. Ms De Villiers has created a variety of teaching aids on the computer, which enhance and assist her learners to access the curriculum. Her principal regards her as a master in the field of study techniques. Ms De Villiers believes that she is living her dream. She regards her work not as a mere job, but as her passion. Category: Excellence in Secondary School Teaching 
Ms Helena van Zyl Ms Helena van Zyl is deserving of this prestigious award because of her continued dedication to her learners. Ms Van Zyl started her teaching career at Graafwater High School (Standards 6 to 10 in 1981) and has been teaching Accounting, Business Studies and Mathematical Literacy to the Grade 12 and Life Orientation in the GET band. She has worked hard to keep up with the changes in the curriculum and subjects so as to ensure she is providing her learners and their parents with the best opportunities. Ms Van Zyl previously managed a small farm school where she was responsible for the teaching of severely underprivileged learners in a multigrade class. She was instrumental in using her skills to develop the skills of learners to grow their own vegetable garden. The produce was sold by the learners to generate much-needed funds to run her own feeding scheme, which provided food such as soup for her learners. Ms Van Zyl has received many compliments for her teaching abilities. Colleagues have intimated that she has established a very supportive classroom atmosphere in which learners are encouraged to 'take chances' and are invited to take responsibility for their learning. Category: Excellence in Secondary School Leadership 
Mr David Millar Norman Mr David Millar is a visionary in action. He is passionate and driven by a desire for a better future for all. He leads by example. In the words of one of the teachers: "Mr Millar is an inspirational leader who is not afraid to stand up for his beliefs; he is a man with a plan, and we are happy that his plan includes our world's greatest asset - our children." The RCL plays a pivotal role in the governance and management of the school. The learner leadership was developed into pillars and then a "colours constitution" was developed in which recognition of learners is a focus. Mr Millar, together with his team, has focused on the following:
The development of a Human Rights portfolio saw the school embark on a massive HIV/AIDS awareness drive and the school has adopted an HIV/AIDS orphanage. David Millar Norman on Youtube Category: Excellence in Adult Basic Education and Training 
Ms Linda Gezwint Ms Gezwint is a team player and treats everyone with respect and conducts tasks to the benefit of the learners. She is always willing make her resources available to the district office. Amongst others, the Overberg CLC has started with a very successful skills development programme. The CLC has entered the hospitality industry by instituting a catering entity which has become a roaring success. Not only has she initiated the Centre's successful Family Literacy Project, but she has also assisted the local primary school's teachers with their numeracy and literacy programmes. The purchase of a vehicle has contributed to the successful attendance of learners. The centre has received many awards to signify the total involvement of the CLC in teaching and learning. In 2009, the CLC received the "Western Cape Best Learner Achiever Award". Ms Geswindt, also manages the other CLCs, such as Botrivier, Caledon and Genadendal. Category: Lifetime Achievement Award 
Ms Naomi Veranatah Horn During an illustrious and value-creating career, Ms Naomi Horn has, amongst others, endeavoured to adhere to the creed of "Leaders who are problem- solvers are needed more than administrators". Ms Horn is an effective and visionary leader who inspires confidence in the learners entrusted to her, but, more so, accompanies them into the unknown. She has researched ideas within our country and abroad, approached various departments and consultancies to assist her to enhance her service delivery to the learners. She leads by example and has engaged her colleagues to render services to the community. This manifested itself in a range of critical goals of the school, from consistent brand delivery, teaching and process excellence to exceptional customer service and a commitment to innovation, learning and growth. The experience, commitment and dedication which she has acquired over 35 years have inspired her belief that "A child in sport is a child out of court". The goal she strives towards is, in her own words, "to make ordinary people extra-ordinary." As the team leader in her portfolio of parental involvement, she strives to close the engagement gaps through her positive encouragement of open debate about the negatives. Ms Naomi Horn would indeed be a most worthy recipient of this prestigious award. Naomi Veranatah Horn on Youtube Media inquries: Paddy Attwell Director of Communication Western Cape Education Department Email: pattwell@pgwc.gov.za Tel: 021 467 2531 Visit our website: http://wced.wcape.gov.za/ return to: WCED Home page | Media Releases Index page | |
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