Darren de Gouviea-Smith (Trinityhouse Preparatory and High Palm Lakes School Principal)

• Name:

Darren de Gouviea-Smith

Preparatory and High School Principal, Trinityhouse Palm Lakes

• Qualifications/degrees?

B.Ed .(Honours) Specialisation in Educational Management

• The greatest challenge teachers face today?

Parental Involvement –

Our children need the kind of parental involvement that supports learning. For teachers to be truly effective they need the help of parents, as partners, in their child’s educational journey.

• Your school message for the year?

I pray for my school, my staff, and my children and their families to be blessed. I also pray for guidance, as the school’s leader, to make the correct decisions to continue to grow our wonderful school. Similarly, I pray that guidance is given to the leaders of Nations to make informed decisions that will ultimately affect its entire people.

• What motivates you?

My family

• You favourite TV show?

Supersport

• What do you do to relax?

I spend time “chillaxing” with my family. We go swimming, walking in the forest, or we go fishing at one of our dams.

 

 

 

Carolyn Slabbert (Trinityhouse Pre-Primary Palm Lakes School)

• Name: Carolyn Slabbert

• Qualifications/degrees: B Prim Ed Wits (foundation phase)
• The greatest challenge teachers face today? In light of the pace of digital developments, I think the greatest challenge in the pre-primary would be to remain true to the majority of the “learn through play” methodology that has been proven beneficial to children’s development, whilst incorporating updated skills, concepts and strategies to enhance lessons. It is important to be patient while getting excited about technology, to not only use new devices for the sake of it, but truly because it really drives the lesson to the next level. I hope we all are passionate about remaining current, always striving to be open minded to new ways of thinking about how teaching facilitates learning.
• What motivates you?

This would have to be the constantly changing dynamics of a pre-primary environment. There is never a dull moment, you can never predict your “to do” list. It does not matter what you had envisioned for your goal for the day, the human element triumphs every time. Children’s passionate responses to their environment, a parent’s delight, a teacher’s enthusiasm can never be measured nor predicted and I never want to take for granted the energising quality these interactions have for us.

• You favourite TV show? This would have to be the “Elementary” series with Sherlock Holmes

What do you do to relax? I love spending any time with my family but a Summer favourite would be spending time with my husband, daughter and the dog at the Tinley Manor beach.