VPHS
tionalists.
learners who have achieved any success, from sport
to modelling, make a bee-line for Mr Vermaak’s office. They know he will be the first to share their
pride and spur them on to greater heights.
Mr Vermaak is above all a family man. Nothing
makes his eyes light up more brightly than the
presence of wife Annaline and twi ns Xanthe and
Michanne, who are, coincidentally, both following
their father into a career in education. Being headmaster requires a delicate balancing act between the
demands of family and the demands of the school.
The latter are often unflinching and urgent, and contribute much to the stresses and strains of being a
school principal. We know that our headmaster often suffers such strains, and are happy to offer him
the same love and support which he so unhesitatingly offers us in similar circumstances.
Mr Vermaak is full of energy and passion about this
school and about what goes on in it. He is a passionate teacher, being especially at home in his Mathematics classes, where he is able to coach and motivate his pupils to attain the highest possible marks.
He spends much, perhaps sometimes too much, of
his personal time supporting extra-mural events,
whether at a concert or musical evening or at the
side of a sports field, cheering and encouraging our
young Victorians in their efforts. He himself was a
talented sportsman in his youth, participating in athletics, soccer and hockey at the highest school and
university level. In his early days at Victoria Park,
he coached both hockey and soccer with great success, the latter at first team level.
It is now twenty years since Mr Vermaak was appointed Deputy Principal at Victoria Park, and his
thirteenth year as Principal. We congratulate him on
this milestone and on what our school has become
under his leadership. On a personal note, I thank
him for his incredible friendship and for what he
means to all of us. We wish him health, success and
contentment in the years ahead.
Mr Vermaak is a confident communicator and storyteller. He is never happier than when speaking of
his school to an attentive audience, as anyone who
has heard his Gr 8 evening presentations will testify.
He has wide connections in the community, forged
through his participation in Round Table and Rotary, as well as his networking among other educa-
Dr Joan Clarke
Mrs Jenni Deale
20 Years
Mrs Deale started her association with Victoria Park
when she volunteered to help in the tuckshop while
her children were at school. She was soon running
the tuckshop, and making herself useful in many
other ways in the school. She was one of the first to
make herself at home on a computer, and her duties
quickly evolved to helping with the school administration system. Jenni’s efficiency was soon evident,
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