Mr Chittilapilly
1 July 2010- to present
The Vision
I am exiting to have the opportunity as the fourth Principal of this great institution, Navalsig High School. I strive to focus on new perspectives to enhance the core business of teaching and learning. I am sure with the support of the dedicated staff and stakeholders, we can achieve our vision of : “A stronger community for a better tomorrow by today’s excellence.” Guided by the school’s mission statement, we will work together to mould young minds into responsible, respected, disciplined and serving citizens in this country. I believe that they will become the shining “STARS” in the horizon. Einstein said : “If a person never made a mistake, they never tried something new.” The important issue is to learn from our mistakes and continue striving for those stars.
The Celebration
The theme of the year is “Celebrate 20”. We have to make use of this opportunity to celebrate achievements of the past 20 years and strengthen the bonds to this institution by the Alumni and the community at large. The culmination of this celebration is on the 1-3 August 2014, which will start with a Navalsig Got Talent Show, Home Coming Gala Dinner, Sporting and fund-raising events and end with a dedicated prayer service. Since Navalsig High School has a strong Christian Ethos, I think it on fitting to conclude with a scripture: Proverbs 11:35 “In all things acknowledge him and he will direct your path.” This is the message that I would like every individual who enters the gates of Navalsig to live by and to continue to do so long after they leave these gates.
The Setting
Navalsig High School, embraced by one of the most famous landmarks in Bloemfontein, Naval Hill, situated in the hub of our CBD, where nature meets the hive of activity. This is the picturesque backdrop we find ourselves in as we pursue our educational journey.
The History
The year 2014 is a special year for the Navalsig Family as we celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Navalsig High School. It is also a fitting tribute to embrace the 20th year Anniversary of our nation’s new democratic dispensation in the same year. Not many institutions are able to acknowledge the role they played in our new democracy. Navalsig was one of the first schools in the Free State to take on the remarkable challenge of uniting our nation, albeit on a small scale. Navalsig provided a non-racist, non-sexist and multi-cultural institution of learning and teaching. In the words of Anthony J. D’Angelo “Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.”
Mr Gary Kotze
1985-31 December 1994
Compiled message by previous principal, Mr Gary Kotze, during his times at “Hoër Handel en Tegnies” and at Navalsig.
Mr Kotze started as a teacher at Hoër Handel en Tegniese Skool and became the first Deputy Principal of the School in 1983. Since the school opened its doors on January 1968. Mr Kotze was the principal when the school’s name changed from Hoër Handel en Tegniese Skool to Navalsig High School. Mr Kotze was a real pioneer at Navalsig. He handled the change from 1994 in a very professional way. He went out of his way to support teachers, learners and parents. His goal was always : “The best for all the stakeholders of Navalsig.”
Words he communicated with the teachers on 16 July 1991 : “A teacher is the nucleus of success in education. He must find joy in teaching. A teacher should be an accomplice and sculptor in educating our young and be a very special person. He has authority, must communicate, deliver a service, be a professional and still stay in the code of conduct. A teacher should know his learners.
A real teacher would find joy in labour and accept challenges. School should be a place of joy, a treasure, a place of positive development. The classroom should not be a place of punishment. Learners should contribute to the teaching and learning process, not only the teacher speaking. The latter is only a one-way-communication. Teachers should not just be recipients of a monthly cheque, and results or the enforcer of discipline. Accept the challenges that come to you and work towards the upbringing of our learners through sensible discussions. Our learners need upbringing more than education.
Mr AI (Blakie) Swart
1 July 2010- to present
May each one reading this compilation of messages be filled with our vision of compassion for our children, their education and their future. Ka boikokobetso! God bless our school! He also said : “Keep on opening new doors to rooms filled with new opportunities, new challenges, and new horizons. Stay together, work together and stand up for your right to quality education. “Hand in hand vir ‘n beter toekoms. Seize the day. Morena boloka sekola sa heso!
1 January 1995 – 31 June 2001
His farewell message in 2001 :
As was announced on 18 May, I have accepted a post as principal at St Michael’s School in Bloemfontein as from 1 July 2001. I look forward to the new challenge, creating new opportunities and establishing new horizons in a new environment. The decision, however, was not easy. I myself had more questions than answers. To part with an institution where you have spent six and a half years of the prime time of your life, where hardship and achievement, tears of joy and tears of distress, cries of exhilaration, moments of despair changed into triumphant successes, all joined to help to create a unique educational institution of which I had the privileged to be part of. A place where “rainbow people” not only means differences, but uniqueness, where quality does not only mean attitude, but aptitude, where achievement does not only mean position, but disposition. I have no regrets. I have personally developed tremendously and learned a lot. I don’t want to take credit for developments or achievements. I’d rather like to thank our Lord for bestowing upon me the opportunity to manage a group of exceptional people – staff, learners and parents – to realise their potential and to put it into practice. The enormous growth – not in numbers, but in achievement and human potential – only happened because of God’s grace and will. I believe that Navalsig needs new direction. The management of the school and the staff as a whole is so professional that new challenges will just enhance their performances. The late president Nelson Mandela once said : “Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished.” A small minority tried their best to undo the good work at the school, but never succeeded.
As stated in Psalm 37 : 9, “For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.” Why move on then? Apart from my personality type which indicates that I am an architect of ideas and systems who then leaves it to others to build on and apply, I found my answer when I once came upon the following poem by AJ Cronin :
Life is no straight and easy corridor along which we travel free and unhampered,
but a maze of passages, through which we must seek our way,
lost and confused, now and again checked in a blind alley.
But always, if we have faith, God will open a door for us,
Not perhaps one that we ourselves would ever thought of,
but one that will ultimately prove good for us.
I believe that God had opened new doors for us all. New doors will be opened for Navalsig, and new doors will open for me. All we need to do is to use these opportunities to open doors for others. But remember – we need to stand together. “Sonqoba Simunye” – we conquer together. Die Prediker sê : (4 : 9, 12) “Twee vaar beter as een. ‘n Driedubbele tou breek nie maklik nie.”
Stand firm in your quest for quality education. Don’t allow the minority of individuals with dubious intentions to derail you. As Native American poetry states : “May you soar like the eagles, and shine like the sun…. And may your spirits and hearts join together as one.”
My closing message : I can’t think of anything more appropriate than the words of the apostle Paul to the Philippians (4 : 8, 9)
Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is execellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
Kgotso, pula, nala. Ek groet u. 6
Mr Braam van Wyk
1 July 2001-30 June 2009
Mr Braam van Wyk once said in 2005 – “The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams! “Oprah Winfrey : O Magazine – and “Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.” Mahatma Gandhi. Mr van Wyk once said : “Navalsig, the place that provides what learners do not have at home.
In the 2009 diary he wrote the following : Phillippians 4 : 6-7 says : “Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything…., you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand”.
This is why we don’t fear tomorrow. We know we will be ready to face whatever the future might have in store for us. Therefore it is a privilege for Navalsig to invite you to venture into the future with us, face the future with excitement and make a huge success of it. Let us strive towards being someone who will make a difference in making tomorrow a better place and live according to the following motto of Milton Berle:
“I’d rather be a Could-be if I cannot be an Are;’
because a Could-be is a Maybe who is reaching for a star.
I’d rather be a Has-been than a Might-have-been by far;
for a Might-have-been has never been, but a Has was once a are.”
Navalsig a shining star in the form of a white horse! A place that will always be in my heart for which I am so thankful. I am grateful for the life experiences I gained there.
Greetings to all the “Are’s”!
Mr Matsoso
Special message from the chairperson of the SGB
As the whole country is and will be celebrating 20 years of democracy throughout the year 2014, The United Nations is commemorating the 20th anniversary of the International year of the families. As such Navalsig, as a family, is also joining hands with many of its stakeholders to celebrate 20 years of its existence in democracy.
As we celebrate our milestone, it is to pay tribute to the following stakeholders who continue to make the school proud, teachers and staff as a whole, former and current learners, parents, sponsors, community of Mangaung and the Department of Education. We are really proud that at least the school is able to achieve its vision because of the solid foundation build upon by all the stakeholders. I like what Judith Turner says : “What makes us more human is when we can use our minds responsible and align our minds with our spirits and allow our spirits to influence our minds.” This simply means when we align our minds with our spirits, then we recognise other around us, because our spirits are connected. By so doing we shall be embracing our three pillars of our values, namely
RESPECT UBUNTU EMBRACING DIVERCITY
Many of the past learners have placed us in the map by achieving good results and becoming better people in the society. And we strongly believe that as we celebrate our milestones, we shall be blessed by their presence in order to motivate all of us to even do more. As we celebrate 20 years anniversary of our existence, we remember those who passed on and could not be with us as we interact, share, network and plan for the future. We thank God for their life’s, May their Souls rest in peace.
For the current learners our school we beg you to take every little opportunity given to you, to produce the best results out of it.
Thank you.
PA MATSOSO
CHAIRPERSON : SGB
2014 8 66969