VRL Hoofleier Durbanville. In ons reeks oor skole se hoofleiers vir volgende jaar, gesels Schools That Rock met Justin Ranft. Justin, VRL Hoofleier van Hoërskool Durbanville vir 2023, vertel ons meer van homself en sy leierskap.
“Ek is gebore op 31 Januarie 2005 in Pretoria. My familie is afkomstig van Swaziland. Ek kom van ‘n relatief klein dorpie in die platteland, Vredendal. Ons as gesin het na die Wes-Kaap verhuis vanaf Pongola toe ek drie jaar oud was. Dit is waar ons al vir die afgelope veertien jaar gevestig is. Ek het grootgeword in Vredendal. Daar het ek my kleuterskool voltooi asook my laerskoolloopbaan aan die Laerskool Vredendal.
Rugby
Met daardie mentaliteit het ek graad 8 betree. Ek het seker gemaak almal ken my, veral die matrieks en so was ek die enigste 0/14 leerder wat 0/15A rugby gespeel het.
Aan die einde van graad 8 is ek die geleentheid gebied om skool te gaan by Hoërskool Durbanville. Ek het dus in graad 9 my lewe heeltemal oor begin. Dit was werklik die grootste aanpassing wat ek al tot dusver in my lewe beleef het. Dit was baie moeilik, want ek was altyd huisvas. Ek het alles saam met my ma gedoen en dit was waar my vriende en my tuiste was.
Ek het na Hoërskool Durbanville gekom, steeds met dieselfde mentaliteit. Iets in hierdie skool het my leefwyse verander. Hier het my lewe ‘n draai gevat in die regte rigting. Ek het weereens my waardes begin nastreef en weer begin leef soos die kind wat my ouers grootgemaak het. Ek myself dieper en dieper in Christus begin vestig. Hier het ek weer die moed bymekaar geskraap om myself weer op die regte pad te kry en die regte ding te doen. My integriteit het hier begin ontwikkel.
VRL
Ek is verkies tot die VRL in graad 11 en dit was vir my ‘n groot doelwit. Aanvanklik wou ek dit doen net om ander mense te bewys waartoe ek in staat is. Die rede was ook sodat ek die gemoedsrus kan kry dat ek dit ook kan doen. Met die verloop van ‘n week of twee het ek begin voel dat dit is waar ek hoort. Ek het dus begin optree met die nodige respek en eerbetoning teenoor my plig. Niks het ek meer halfhartig gedoen nie. Ek het immers nog my lewe lank daarvan gehou om ander te help en was altyd gretig om te help waar ek kan.
Hierdie jaar het ek myself weer beskikbaar gestel as VRL by Hoërskool Durbanville vir 2023 en is toe verkies as VRL Hoofleier. Dit was seker die grootste doelwit wat ek al bereik het. Ek is nie net een van die hoofleiers van die Hoërskool Durbanville nie, maar ek sit nou met die wete dat verandering vir eens kan plaasvind.
My persoonlike doelwitte vir 2023 as VRL Hoofleier van Durbanville is om myself te verbeter. Ek wil myself nie vergelyk met ander nie. Net solank as wat ek beter is as die vorige dag, het ek reeds presteer. My doelwitte vir my dienstermyn as VRL Hoofleier is om, wanneer ek Hoërskool Durbanville aan die einde van 2023 te verlaat, tevrede kan terugkyk. Ek wil die veranderinge wat ek gebring het waarneem en die skool op ‘n beter denkwyse te los as wat hy tans is.
Grootste uitdagings
Die grootste uitdagings wat ek as leerder van Durbanville ervaar het, is die manier hoe al die leerders verskil. Almal se verskillende lewensverhale, die manier hoe leerders dinge doen en die dinge wat hulle doen.
Wat vir my die meeste uitstaan by Hoërskool Durbanville, is al die omgee-harte. Die goeie, positiewe gesindheid wat meeste mense het.Al die hulpvaardigheid van baie ouers teenoor koshuisleerders. Die verhoudings wat onderwysers het met hulle leerders skep ‘n bond wat onbreekbaar is. Verder ook die feit dat ons nie ‘n groot skool is nie, maar ‘n skool met ‘n groot hart.
Die persoon na wie ek die opsien vir inspirasie en mentorskap, is vir seker ons skoolhoof, mnr Coenie Venter.
Indien ek ‘n kombuisartikel moes wees, sou ek ‘n mengbak wees. Dit maak nie saak hoe baie in my gemeng of geklits word nie en wat in my gemeng word nie. Ek kan dit altyd terugbring na rus en ek kan dinge laat stol as ek sou moet. Uit my uit kan daar soms ‘n flop kom, maar ook die lekkerste lekker.
My vriende sal my beskryf as liefdevol, hulpvaardig, omgee hart, vreugdevol, positief, en geesdriftig.
Motivering
Wat my, as VRL Hoofleier van Durbanville motiveer om my ideale te bereik, is my land. Nie net oor die feit oor hoe moeg ek is vir korrupsie en al die onreëlmatige stelsels nie. Dit gaan ook oor hoe trots my land my maak, met sy mense, sy kos, sy verskillende habitatte, sy verskillende omgewings, die afwisseling tussen koud en warm see en die verskeie soorte diere.
As VRL hoofleier vanEk sal leerders aanraai om ook deel van Hoërskool Durbanville te word omdat die atmosfeer wat geskep word so merkwaardig is. Die trots wat ons plaas in ons leerders, bring ons saam as ‘n eenheid. Die hulpvaardige hand wat ons as Durbies het en hoe ons mekaar ondersteun op ‘n hartseer dag, is oorweldigend.
My gunsteling onderwyser is Mnr. Christiaan Landman. Hy motiveer my daagliks om aan te hou. Die verhouding wat ek en hy het is soos pa en seun of soos twee broers. Die feit dat ek hom nog steeds kan respekteer as my onderwyser en ouderling, vertel baie van ons. Met hom kan ek oor enigiets praat en openlik wees en hy is daar vir my. Sy hulpvaardige hand wat hy daagliks bied teenoor nie net my nie, maar ander leerders, motiveer my selfs meer. Hy is iemand wat ook baklei vir wat reg is en hou nie sy mond as iets verkeerd is nie. Hoekom ek hom seker die meeste waardeer is omdat hy my steeds “aanpraat” en “voorpraat” en my op die regte pad hou.
My toekoms-ideale is om B.Com. Regte te studeer. Daarna wil ek werk, ‘n inkomste verdien en moontlik ‘n huis kry. Ek wil ook ‘n bietjie toer en daarna ‘n vrou kry, trou en kinders kry. Wat ek altyd in gedagte hou is dat “Die mens sy pad beplan, maar die Here bepaal hoe hy loop.”
RCL Head Leader Durbanville
In our series on schools’ Head Leaders for next year, Schools That Rock talks to Justin Ranft. Justin, RCL Head Leader of Durbanville High School for 2023, tells us more about himself and his leadership.
“I was born on 31 January 2005 in Pretoria. My family comes from Swaziland. I come from a relatively small town in the countryside, Vredendal. We, as a family, moved to the Western Cape from Pongola when I was three years old. This is where we have been established for the past fourteen years. I grew up in Vredendal. There I completed my kindergarten as well as my primary school career at Vredendal Primary School.
Rugby
With that in mind, I entered Grade 8. I made sure everyone knew me, especially the matrics and so I was the only U14 learner who played U15A rugby.
At the end of Grade 8 I was offered the opportunity to attend school at Durbanville High School. So I started my life completely over in grade 9. It was truly the biggest adjustment I’ve experienced in my life so far. It was very difficult because I was always homely. I did everything with my mom and that was where my friends and my home were.
I came to Durbanville High School, still with the same mindset. Something in this school changed my way of life. Here my life took a turn in the right direction. Once again, I began to pursue my values and began to live again like the child my parents had raised. I began to establish myself deeper and deeper in Christ. Here again, I took up the courage to get myself back on the right track and do the right things. My integrity began to develop here.
RCL
I was elected to the VRL in Grade 11 and that was a big goal for me. At first, I wanted to do it to prove other people what I’m capable of. The reason was also so that I can get the peace of mind that I can also do it. As a week or two passed, I began to feel that this is where I belong. So I began to act with due respect and honor towards my duty. Nothing I did half-heartedly anymore. After all, I’ve loved helping others all my life and have always been eager to help where I can.
This year I made myself available again as RCL for 2023 and was then elected. That was probably the biggest goal I’ve ever achieved. Not only am I one of the Head Leaders of Durbanville High School, but now I know that change can happen once and for all.
My personal goals for 2023 are to better myself. I don’t want to compare myself to others. Just as long as I’m better than the day before, I’ve already performed. My goals for my term of service are, when I leave Durbanville High School at the end of 2023, to look back satisfied. I want to observe the changes I have brought and leave the school in a better way of thinking than it currently is.
Biggest challenges
The biggest challenges I have experienced as a learner from Durbanville are the way all the learners differ. Also everyone’s different life stories and the way learners do things.
What stands out most to me at Durbanville High School are all the caring hearts. The good, positive attitude that most people have. The helpfulness of many parents towards residence learners. The relationships teachers have with their learners, create a bond that is unbreakable. Furthermore, the fact that we are not a big school, but a school with a big heart.
The person I look up to for inspiration and mentorship is certainly our principal, Mr Coenie Venter.
If I had to be a kitchen article, I’d be a mixing bowl. It doesn’t matter how much is mixed or beaten inside me and what is mixed in me. I can always bring it back to rest and I can let things solidify if I have to. Out of me, sometimes a flop can come, but also the most delicious fun.
My friends would describe me as loving, helpful, caring, joyful, positive, and spirited.
Motivation
What motivates me to achieve my goals, is my country. Not just about the fact about how tired I am of corruption and all the irregular systems. It is also about how proud my country makes me, with its people, its food, its different habitats, its different environments, the alternation between cold and warm seas and the various kinds of animals.
I would advise learners to also become part of Durbanville High School because the atmosphere that is created, is so remarkable. The pride we place in our learners brings us together as a unit. The helpful hand we have as Durbies and how we support each other on a sad day, is overwhelming.
My favorite teacher is Mr. Christiaan Landman. He motivates me daily to keep going. The relationship he and I have is like father and son or like two brothers. The fact that I can still respect him as my teacher and elder, tells a lot of us. With him, I can talk about anything and be open and he’s there for me. His helpful hand that he offers daily to not only me, but other learners, motivates me even more. He is someone who also fights for what is right and does not keep his mouth shut when something is wrong. Why I probably appreciate him the most is because he still disciplines me and keeps me on the right track.
My future goals are to study B.Com. Law. After that, I want to work, earn an income, and possibly get a home. I also want to tour a little bit and get a wife afterwards, get married and have kids. What I always keep in mind is that “Man plans his way, but the Lord determines how he walks.”
More school news: https://schoolsthatrock.co.za
http://www.durbanvillehs.co.za/
Photo supplied