Delivered by Ms Jayne Euvrard

If you go into Wesley’s classroom, you will see a sign on the wall with some profound life advice: Be the person your dog thinks you are. This might be cutesy and potentially trite, but it is worth examining. Wesley has two dachshunds, Stevie and Lola. They clearly think the world of him as their delight when he arrives/returns is impossible to contain. To them he is the best possible human, able to deliver the most fun experiences, keeper of all things delicious in life, and willing to sacrifice all hours and most of his salary to ensure their delight in life. He has even started a small pottery business to keep them in organic dog food. It is very clear that Wesley IS the person his dogs think he is. He is incredibly kind and self sacrificing. He is full of fun. He knows how to turn a dull afternoon into a walk full of novel discoveries and delight. He is trustworthy and reliable. And, of course there are the qualities in him that Lola and Stevie might not see: his immense intellect, his exceptional diligence, his profound understanding of pedagogy, his can-do attitude and his deep love of the arts in all their forms, but especially theatre.

I have been lucky enough to work with Wesley in two different schools now, the Diocesan School for Girls in Makhanda and here at Herschel. I’m sorry that most of you will not have had the opportunity to see the theatre productions that Wesley has staged with pupils at other schools. He has a profound talent for nurturing and developing performing talent in pupils and his productions have often put professional shows to shame through their innovative design, creative interpretation and the sincere portrayal of a human experience at their core. It is understandable that he leaves Herschel to pursue his love of producing great theatre, alongside teaching English.

Nevertheless we have still benefited from Wesley’s immense theatrical talent. Most notably in the Shakespeare Schools Festival staging of Macbeth last year where his Grade 11 cast – who prepared their production in stolen minutes and hours – shared a radical and original version of the play. I have seen many Macbeth productions but few have forced me to really reconsider my reading of the eponymous character in the ways this production did.

And then of course there was the brilliant  staff production this year: Murder at the Manor. Wesley created a space of collaboration and fun for all of us in the cast and we are pretty proud of the hilarious production we staged on Wesley’s brilliant set. This was one one of the absolute highlights of my time at Herschel and I am appreciative to Wesley for his kind and generous spirt in initiating and learning the whole project.

We are so appreciative for the theatrical aspects Wesley has brought to the English department. He has brought the play scripts we study to life through physical theatre workshops, inviting actors in for panel discussion on their inspirations in workshoping their scripts and introducing active methods of teaching Shakespeare.

I have been humbled watching Wesley develop as an English teacher. I was actually his PGCE English method lecturer at Rhodes University a few years ago. At the time he blew the department way with his insightful responses and contributions. He was the top performing student and the external examiner raised his English exam mark to 100%. So I always hoped he would go on to teach English as well as drama.

He has approached teaching English with his usual enthusiasm, intelligence and gumption. Wesley does nothing by halves. His teaching materials are rigorously envisioned and planned with learning at their core. He carefully thinks through the learning process and how to take pupils on this journey most effectively. His intelligence shines through his own understanding and interpretation of texts and he helps pupils to develop the skills and confidence to find their own meaning and voice.

Although Wesley’s prowess as an English teacher at Herschel will be remembered for years to come, particularly since half the departmental resources in the shared drive are created by him, I think that his most vital impact will always be his human connections and the impact he has on the lives around him as that fabulous human being who is just as great as his dogs think he is. The singer, songwriter, poet and philosopher, Nick Cave outlines  two pillars for a fulfilling life:

The first is humility. Humility amounts to an understanding that the world is not divided into good and bad people but rather it is made up of all manner of individuals, each broken in their own way, each caught up in the common human struggle and each having capacity to do both terrible and beautiful things. If we truly comprehend and acknowledge that we are all imperfect creatures, we find that we become more tolerant and accepting of others’ shortcomings and the world appears less dissonant, less isolating, less threatening.

The other quality is curiosity. If we look with curiosity at people who do not share our values, they become interesting rather than threatening. As I’ve grown older I’ve learnt that the world and the people in it are surprisingly interesting, and that the more you look and listen, the more interesting they become. Cultivating a questioning mind, of which conversation is the chief instrument, enriches our relationship with the world. Having a conversation with someone I may disagree with is, I have come to find, a great, life embracing pleasure.

Wesley has both these attributes at his core. Despite his profound talents, he is one of the most humble people I know. His ego is not at the centre of things. He generously gives of himself, no matter the situation. At Herschel he threw himself into the Pride club, creating a whole wall of celebration and love in the Atrium in 2021 and making so many pupils feel loved and seen. He has supported tutlings in need, colleagues in need (often anonymously),  and shared his ideas in meetings.In the department he has been a creative force, designing the most wonderful single focus days, often without thanks. He is comfortable in his own skin and knows who he is.

And, as Cave suggests, he approaches challenge and what others may perceive as threat, with curiosity. Over the past few years, Wesley has endured trials many wouldn’t survive, trials that have continued from some to this day. His response has been in curiosity to understand those around them and to find out who they are, even when he is not being shown similar respect. His resilience and compassion are inspirational and I am so humbled to learn from him.

He has the same approach with his pupils. He meets them where they are at but believes in them and helps them to move forward. Wesley treats his pupils with respect and dignity. As one pupil explained it, “Mr Deintje respects you for you. He doesn’t put on that teacher voice for talking to students or condescend  but talks to you as someone interesting”

Herschel loses a great teacher and pretty startling role model and human with the departure of Wesley Deintje – we wish him all the very best. May have the opportunity to fly!