Earlier this year, Union High School bid a heartfelt and bittersweet farewell to one of its most beloved educators, 𝗠𝗿𝘀 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗹𝗶 𝗥𝗼𝘀𝗲-𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗲𝘀, who went on early retirement after celebrating her 15th remarkable year at Union.

𝗧𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝗠𝗿𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝘀𝗲-𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. She brought to Union an incredible mix of dedication, enthusiasm and warmth – the kind of teacher every learner remembers with a smile. Hard-working, incredibly organised and bursting with energy, Mrs Rose-Innes poured her heart into every lesson, every event, every child.

As the Primary Department’s Creative Arts teacher, 𝗠𝗿𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝘀𝗲-𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗰𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆. Her lessons were not only engaging and imaginative, but also supported by next-level handouts and perfectly crafted rubrics – a dream for any learner and a treasure for her colleagues.

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺.

If you ever found yourself seated near her in the staff room, you were in for a treat. Laughter was guaranteed, and soon enough, her little corner became known affectionately as the “naughty corner” – 𝘢 𝘩𝘶𝘣 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘳, 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦. 𝘔𝘳𝘴 𝘙𝘰𝘴𝘦-𝘐𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘌𝘢𝘳𝘭 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘦𝘢 𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 – 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦.

In fact, tea was such a part of her identity that she once gave a now-famous devotion on how to drink tea – one that left everyone smiling and perhaps looking at their teacups with a little more reverence. She brought this same heart and thoughtfulness to her roles beyond the classroom, whether it was as a speaker at the school’s Mother & Daughter Tea or the ever-gracious organiser of the annual Grade 7 Ladies’ Tea.

𝘔𝘳𝘴 𝘙𝘰𝘴𝘦-𝘐𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴. 𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘯𝘰 𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘴 – 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭’𝘴 𝘗𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘺 𝘊𝘭𝘶𝘣, 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘎𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘉𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘶𝘯𝘸𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘱𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥.

As a teacher, she believed deeply in applied learning – ensuring her learners experienced education, not just studied it. 𝗛𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀, 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗱𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁.

Her colleagues remember her not just for her professionalism, but for her deep care. Feeling unwell? Mrs Rose-Innes always had a trusty boere remedy at the ready. Need a smile? A warm chat with her did the trick. She had a way of making everyone feel special – and that, perhaps, is what we’ll miss the most.

Mrs Hanli Rose-Innes was more than an educator; she was the life, heart and soul of Union in so many ways. She leaves behind a legacy of laughter, learning and love – and a void that cannot easily be filled.

𝘞𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘈𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘸𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘴𝘩𝘦’𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘦𝘴.

Thank you, Hanli, for everything. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱.

We’re thrilled to announce that construction has begun this week on a 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱-𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗷𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹𝘀’ 𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺! Located next to the existing girls’ facilities, this new space is specifically for our Grade 5 to 7 girls – giving them 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻.

We are incredibly grateful to Montego Pet Nutrition for their generous support in helping us bring this project to life!