Willemse the first woman in position
Port Alfred High School officially introduced Anne Willemse, the school’s new deputy principal to the media on Monday morning, November 28.
“Anne is making history in Port Alfred High School because she is the first female appointed deputy-principal of the school and I am very happy to be part of this history of this school,” said headmaster, Nigel Adams.
Adams has been working without a deputy for the past two years and this appointment could not come at a better time as the school is busy gearing up for their 140th anniversary next year. Adams thanked all the parents, teachers, and the heads of the school their support. He said Willemse would be focusing more on the school’s operations, while he would be responsible for interacting with the stakeholders.
Willemse has taught English, Maths, Geography and Social Sciences for Grade 5 and Grade 6 since moving to the school at the beginning of 2021. The intermediate phase teacher matriculated at Diocesan School for Girls (DSG) in Makhanda and her parents have a holiday home in Kenton on Sea. “I went to high school at DSG and I think that’s where the love of the Eastern Cape developed for my family. My parents then bought a holiday home in Kenton so Kenton and the Eastern Cape have been part of our family blood,” she said.
“I’m thrilled to be in this beautiful part of the world and I really see Port Alfred High School as the beacon of hope,” she added.
After graduating, Willemse started her teaching career in Rosebank Primary School in Johannesburg where she stayed for six years before moving to St Stithians College, also in Johannesburg, enjoying a 17-year tenure that she left in 2020 as the deputy principal. “I think the experience that I gained [as a deputy principal] at that school certainly will stand me in good stead as we go forward here,” she said.
Willemse said she is very fortunate that her background at St Stithians was very open to female empowerment. “I feel very proud to represent women. We need to be teaching and showing our children that we need significant, courageous, assertive women that we read about all the time. Women can and they must break through the glass ceiling to pursue big dreams and big hopes and I hopefully can be the role model for that,” she added.
Before her appointment as deputy head, Willemse was selected to spearhead the 140th celebrations that will see all alumna and previous headmasters attending the function scheduled for the first week of August next year.
At her introduction to the media, Willemse also paid tribute to foundation phase teachers. “It is important for a school like ours that has got such a significant range of students that we don’t forget the foundation and all of the incredible work that our foundation phase teachers do to prepare those children for the key years in high school.
To have a deputy that’s placed somewhere in the middle was forward thinking for the school and I see it as an opportunity to pull our range of grades together and really make one unit that’s going to be extremely significant in the education sphere.”
Willemse is a mother of two. Her 17 year-old son, who has cerebral palsy, attends Bushwillow Primary in Kenton on Sea and loves the beach. “The impact that he’s made on our life is enormous. He really is a ray of sunshine. He wakes up in the morning with a smile on his face and he goes to bed with the biggest smile on his face and he’s a great leveller for us. He just reminds us of the small things and just to be so thankful for who we are and what we’ve got,” she said.
With a Bachelor of Music Degree in Education, the newly appointed deputy is hoping to bring in music and art as an extracurricular activities at Port Alfred High School with Visual Arts being eventually phased in as a subjects at the school. “Music and art is something I feel very passionate about and we speak about creativity being one of the most sought after skills of the 21st century and it’s something we need to put some focus into at our school. I really believe it’s a vital part of education,” she said.
