The biggest compliment a teacher can pay their own school is to enrol their children

Teacher Chantal Petersen and daughter, Jorja

On returning from Simonsberg campsite in Stellenbosch with grade 5 and 6 pupils, I started to edit the photographs taken while we were away. I suddenly realised how many of our staff have children at our school...... In every few photographs, one of our teachers' children appeared! Contemplating this fact, I realised that every parent is concerned while their children are away from them at some unknown place. Several can't resist the opportunity to call the 'emergency' phone number on the school cellphone, to..... 'just check that my little darling is still fine'. The interesting thing is that we received no calls from staff members who also have children at camp with us....... 
When one is looking for the right school for your most precious possession......your children - you consider very carefully the pros and cons of every school in the vicinity......
Will they provide the best quality teaching?
Will they carefully consider the curriculum and choose the best to teach my child? 
Will they provide emotional or educational support when needed? 
Will the teachers treat my child as if my child is theirs? 
Will my child meet the 'right' kind of child at this school? 
Can I trust the teachers and management staff with my precious possession? 
If a teacher enrols their child at the school they are teaching at, they are actually saying that.....
...... they believe in the curriculum taught
.......they believe in the systems used throughout the school

The Botha twins, sons of Leroy Botha

.......they believe in the 'hidden curriculum' of values which is infused into assemblies and functions
and......that they believe that what they do every day, has value. 
In fact they are saying that the school they teach at, is the school they wish they had been enrolled in themselves!
Maybe, when you are investigating the best school for your child, the one question you should be asking the principal is, " How many of your staff who have children, have their children at this school?" 
Thank you to the teachers of Pinelands North, who have such faith in the school they teach at, that they have 'lent' us their precious children for seven years so that we can pass on the values we hold dear, so they can, in turn, influence the rest of the world they touch in the future....