Laerskool Kempton Park principal retires after 40 years
Page feels satisfied and confident about his retirement and said he has nothing to worry about, as he believes that the school is in greater hands.
André Page, principal of Laerskool Kempton Park will retire at the end of the year after serving the school for four decades.
Born in Germiston, he stayed in Primrose, then moved to Pomona when he was 10 where he has resided since.
He obtained his four-year educational diploma at Normaal College, now known as TUKS.
He also obtained his diploma in Youth Preparedness and Development and ACE for learners with severe disabilities.
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Page started his career in 1981 at Laerskool Bredell as a young educator, he then was promoted to HOD in 1988 and joined Laerskool Kempton Park.
In 1994 he was appointed as deputy principal and three years later he became principal of Laerskool Kempton Park, a position he occupied for 26 years.
Page has been the principal of Laerskool Kempton Park since 1997.
He has given his all to the school.
“Teaching grew in me. It was a struggle as a young educator to come into the system, but luckily, we had a structure and a support team. At the end of the day, I would not exchange it for anything else,” he said.
When asked about some of the most memorable moments he achieved during his time as principal, he said “One of the most memorable moments, for me, was when I was appointed as a young principal, I enjoyed that.
“I was quite energetic and ready to take on this big responsibility. A big achievement was all the changes we experienced at the school.
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“Coming from an Afrikaans school moving into a parallel medium and then finally an English full-service school.
“I think one of the biggest advantages of an educator is that you get to bump into people you have taught, meaning that educators invest in the learners and you see the positive return on your investment.
“You get to see that the learners can face life and make a success. That’s the biggest reward for any educator,” he said.
Page said he has profound memories of being a principal and the challenges he and the school team faced.
He urged the new principal to take care of the educators and to support them.
“Have an open door policy with your parents. The main focus is to make sure your learners are in a happy and pleasant environment, where teaching and learning can take place.”
He said he is going to miss the people, making friends and interacting with different people on different levels.
Page added that everything he achieved is not only his but for the school and learners.
Page feels satisfied and confident about his retirement and said he has nothing to worry about, as he believes that the school is in greater hands.
“I have no doubt about the future of the school, because our area, Rhodesfield, is in a transition and when that’s been done and we get a more settled community, the school will have all the support that is needed and the sky will be the limit,” he said.
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He urged the school staff to show respect to one another and focus on doing their job.
Page said he has always tried his best to lead by example, by being on his post every day.“Firstly, I would like to say thank you to everyone for buying in and being part of the team.
“For the young learners, we invest in you and you are going to be the future. Together we are going to create a better South Africa for all.
“To the staff, thank you for 43 years of coming to work every day and all the positive experiences, seeking solutions and interacting with people.
“To the community, thank you for putting trust in me, all these years, to lead the school into a bright future.
“One of the biggest advantages is not watching the time and moving out of the strict timeframes. I am looking forward to a bit of travelling and visiting my children in the Netherlands and just relaxing with my wife,” said Page.
