At the end of the 2023 Academic year, Cannons Creek Independent School proudly acknowledged two of its Primary School teachers for 15 years of service to the school – Mrs Jenny Traviss (Art Teacher) and Mrs Karen de Villiers (Grade 4 Teacher).
“I have been a part of the Cannons Creek family since 2000 when my son started in Grade 1. In 2008, I was approached by Carol Booth to run an Art Club in the Primary School. I ran this in the 4th term and during this time she gave me the opportunity to permanently join the school as the Primary School Art Teacher, starting at the beginning of 2009. This was a dream come true. At the time I was in a classroom in Peak Building and was given free reign to paint and decorate to my heart’s content. There were a few raised eyebrows as to my wall colour but once I had added all the final touches it was beautiful and a very well-loved place. Once Riverside was built, Art classes still operated out of Peak since we had started double-streaming classes, so there wasn’t a classroom for me. Carol always promised me an Art room of my dreams and I had a lot of input as to the needs and design of my new Art room when the Carol Booth Centre was built. In 2016, I moved into my beautiful, new Art room. It is such a creative and happy space. These last 15 years have been the most humbling and rewarding experience of my life and I am so grateful for the privilege of working with children, nurturing their creativity and instilling a love of art.” – Mrs Jenny Traviss.
“Fifteen years ago, joining Cannons Creek marked the start of an inspiring journey. The draw of an energetic, familial atmosphere, combined with smaller class sizes, contrasted vividly with my prior experience of teaching 34 Grade 3 students in a larger government school. Having just 10 children in my class felt like a dream fulfilled. I recall moments of marking books and instinctively searching for missing ones, only to realize the luxury of time at hand. Witnessing Cannons Creek’s growth, I spent a year teaching in what is now the High School Library during the Riverside building’s construction phase. Leading the FP team as HOD enabled personal growth, fostering leadership and management skills. This journey was made effortless by the support, dedication, and professionalism of my colleagues. After the birth of my daughter, Kenzie, I opted for a Grade 4 teaching role, teaming up with Mrs Alston. Together, we shared countless laughs and embarked on numerous teaching adventures. Attending a Scratch Coding workshop with Mrs Wahl at The Science Centre ignited a newfound passion for Coding and Robotics, leading to the start of Coding Club. This blossomed into the STEAM Team, which is evolving its curriculum continuously. It has been an honor and privilege to contribute to such a progressive institution, crafting innovative learning journeys for the children. The introduction of IBL was a thrilling step forward, allowing me to evolve as an educator. Now, I eagerly embrace my next career milestone as the IT and Coding teacher at Cannons Creek.” – Mrs Karen de Villiers
Read more about our Staff here.
