GEORGE NEWS - After a remarkable 41 years in the teaching profession, Dennis Symes, headmaster of Glenwood House School, has announced his retirement.
Symes' career started at a government high school in Johannesburg in 1980. He left the government education department in 1998 to venture into private school education and in 2005 he was approached by a group of businessmen in George to establish and head up a private school in the area.
Glenwood House officially opened its doors in January 2006.
With George having little history of private schooling and existing state schools with outstanding reputations, the task was daunting.
However, despite the odds stacked against it, Glenwood House, under the leadership of Dennis Symes and with the support and vision of his fellow founding board and owners, would change the educational landscape in George forever.
Under his capable leadership they grew from a mere 52 pupils in 2006 to the current 850.
The school has maintained an impressive 100% IEB matric pass rate throughout and gone on to become the top educational destination in the Southern Cape. Outside the classroom the school has become synonymous with the excellence it strives for and punches well above its weight in all spheres, thanks to the dedication of Mr Symes and his outstanding staff.
This task was also made a lot easier by the calibre of parents and children who make up the Glenwood family. Without their support, sacrifice and loyalty this incredible dream would not have been realised.
Symes is extremely proud and privileged to have been the founding headmaster of Glenwood House for 16 years.
The school thanks Symes for his commitment and dedication to Glenwood House and its staff and wish him well on his new journey.
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