Interview with Heather Joseph – Staff - 1975 to 2019 Heather began her teaching career at St David’s in 1975 at the tender age of 19. Brother Timothy who took over from Br Anthony as headmaster was a close family friend and offered her a teaching post. One ... »
Interview with Heather Joseph – Staff - 1975 to 2019 Heather began her teaching career at St David’s in 1975 at the tender age of 19. Brother Timothy who took over from Br Anthony as headmaster was a close family friend and offered her a teaching post. One of Heather’s fondest early memories is that of the staff celebrating her 21st with champagne during break in the staff room and she remembers going back to the classroom to teach slightly tipsy! When she joined St David’s, the school was very small, the boarding had closed, the junior school had its own staffroom and they were provided with a lunch in what is now the committee room, formerly the Brothers dining room. There was unity between the junior and high schools and Heather taught in both, through the grades up until standard 8. At one time she taught the Art class from the junior school through to matric in the high school with talented pupils such as Christian Zimelke and Gregor Schafer. Heather remembers George Manolios fondly. He was junior school headmaster having taken over when Mrs Kempster retired in 1974. He was a wonderful head, very kind, supportive, who encouraged his staff and was well liked. Mr Murphy took over the headmastership of both schools in 1982 and, once he was exposed as a wrestler was replaced by Mr Frielich, then Darryl Boswell and in 1989 Paul Davies was appointed headmaster of the high school and Greg Royce headmaster of the prep school. In 1989 Heather moved to Durban and upon her return in 1993 she rejoined the staff and is still teaching Art in the prep school. In the interim Annika Carter had been appointed as the Art teacher in the high school and Heather carried on class teaching and with great determination and motivation built up the Art programme in the prep school. She organises an annual art exhibition for the prep school boys and produces some amazing work. Without her artistic skills some of the sets for the prep school plays and musical events would not be so inspired. Heather has always been actively involved in the school and was a class teacher for grades 3, 4, 5 and 6 and for standards 8 and 9 and Art for standard 10. At times she was very involved with soccer and did a course in the game and in refereeing. She scored for cricket, ran the school swimming galas and did the announcing, she also organised the compilation and publication of the school magazine for ten years and organised the matric dances. She went on several soccer tours and remembers the tour to Durban staying at the Maharani with Willy Castle, Carol Ansell and Terry O’Mahony. Then another tour to East London travelling by train and she recalled that Glenda Anderson always went along too. Some sad occasions were when Father Plestus, Monsignor and chaplain died and when George Manolius left. Staff she remembers are Br Aidan the bursar who was very kind, Ann Carpenter, Audrey Williams the secretary, Nancy Buckley-Jones the matron who had a doberman called Lola, Mary Ryan the matron who followed her, Pru Johnson a secretary whose son Simon became head boy and Gail McEwan. When the Brothers ran the school it was unbelievable, the ethos of humility and simplicity was strong, the staff very supportive and they respected one another. Heather also liked Paul Edey and felt that he brought a new dynamic to the school. Heather has taught so many boys and remembers many but some standout such as the Dedecker boys, Lucykx boys, Stephan Andradie, Siphiso Ngwenya – the first black Head Boy, Greg and Jason Zenopolis and Christian Zimelka. Outside of school and her outreach activities there, Heather is involved with animal welfare, the SPCA and the Irwin Dog Rescue Centre. JE 2012
