Four months into the job of principal at a primary school in Salsoneville, Dr Charlotte Hendricks is excited to be giving back to the community that raised her.
Hendricks, 54, was raised in Bethelsdorp, a stone’s throw from Triomf Primary School where she started working as the principal on July 19.
“I have many plans and projects that I and the staff want to implement,” she said.
“The school always had a valedictory service for the grade 7s, but this year is the first time they will wear the ‘academic’ gowns as we say goodbye to them this week.
“It is a bittersweet moment for them, but a special one for sure.
“In addition, we are busy getting our alumni involved in the school again, getting a resource centre up and running and introducing robotics at Triomf.
“We also have plans to introduce Toastmasters from next year.”
Hendricks has been in the profession for 33 years, after she obtained her first qualification at the then-Dower College in West End.
“It is not a job for me, it is my calling,” she said.
“I started my teaching career at Alpha Primary School.
“A post at Bethvale Primary School followed and after a number of years there I returned to Alpha as a department head and later on was appointed as the principal.”
In 2014, Hendricks was awarded her doctoral degree in education.
Her research focused on the involvement of parents in their children’s schooling.
For her master’s degree, she researched the low morale of teachers.
“The mentoring of teachers is very important,” she said.
“When I retire one day, I still want to be involved in the development of foundation phase teachers.
“They are young, fresh from university, and need people they can tap into for guidance.”
Hendricks said she was also grateful for the support the school had received from Gift of the Givers.
“The day after I started here, Gift of the Givers came to drill for a borehole and installed four water tanks and taps on the premises and in the adjacent Catherine Road.
“It was strange because Alpha Primary School where I was the principal was the first school on the list as part of the organisation’s water management project.
“I thought they were following me,” she joked.
Woolworths also delivered water tanks and will supply the school with a water filtration system.
Hendricks said she believed that schools all over experienced challenges.
“With everything around us trying to get us down, I have hope for the future of our children in the northern areas.
“We are educating future doctors, lawyers, engineers and chartered accountants, and we should continue to encourage them that they can achieve great things,” she said.
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