FUMANE MASHEANE
Mrs Rosemary van Niekerk was the Financial Manager at St Michael’s before she recently resigned. She was resposible, amongst others, for drawing up the annual budget and cooperated closely with Mr Van Wyk and the Board of Governors.
She was also a warm presence in the office who was legendary for the pink sweets that she dished out to teachers when they felt a bit blue. She was a caring person who showed genuine interest in everyone’s wellbeing.
Mrs Van Niekerk had been working at St Michaels for 18 years before her resignation. Prior to joining the SMS family she worked at St Andrew’s School for Boys and she’s still good friends with them. She’s proud of the legacy of hard work, prayer and Godliness at our school.
Her sudden resignation came from her husband’s eldest brother’s passing, along with the passing of a couple of other close friends during these difficult times. Coping with all the heartache made her realise that the hour to spend time with loved ones, and to live life, is now. She credits her bubbly, genuine happiness to her family and the time she spends with them.
Mrs Van Niekerk says her best characteristic is her love of giving to people and that has definitely been felt around the school. She was always ready to surprise the staff with some or other gift for which she had found sponsors.
She says that her worst characteristic is her impatience and that is the reason for the most difficult part of her job: when information was not given when requested. Staff members know this all too well because of her famous red-lettered emails highlighted in yellow.
Nevertheless, she dealt with people in a fair and calm manner. She believed that a client was always correct until proven otherwise. She wouldn’t tolerate poor service from a supplier and she always tried to do the best she could for St Michael’s, her colleagues and the learners. She believes that the staff and everyone at the school made working at St Michael’s worthwhile and a wholesome experience. She enjoyed working with people, supporting others and assisting where she could.
Having Mrs Van Niekerk as a part of the SMS family is something the school cherishes. SMS cherishes her hard work, her contribution and her pink sweets. She’ll be dearly missed as she goes on to spend more time with the people she loves the most and becoming more content with where she is in life. Special people in her life include her husband, children, grandchildren, family and friends and of course, Jesus Christ. St Michael’s wishes her well as she continues her journey with the ones she loves most.
