Meet our Staff

Let us introduce you to our Departments:

Mr Mark De Buys, our PRINCIPAL, has been with Acacia High school for the past 2 years. He has over 44 years teaching experience from three prestigious schools namely, Prince Edward High School (Harare), King Edward School (Johannesburg) and St. Stithians Boys’ School (Johannesburg). Mr De Buys is a distinguished English and History teacher who has held several leadership roles in the abovementioned schools, including the role of Deputy Headmaster at St. Stithians for 20 years..
The school counts it a privilege to have him taking up this important role. We thank Mark for his expressed commitment to take Acacia to the next level in all respects.

Mr Nathan Pillay is a seasoned professional with over 25 years of experience in education management, operations, and teaching. His expertise spans across various roles including Head of Operations, District Manager, Head of Department and Senior Educator. Mr Pillay has a comprehensive understanding of educational systems having worked in both national and international contexts. With a strong background in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics, coupled with his leadership skills as well as being a co-author for 5 Physical Sciences text books, he has effectively managed teams and implemented strategies to drive organisational success.

Armed with over 15 years of post-qualification teaching experience, Ms Shivani has an endearing personality and a unique ability to positively influence people. She offers great support to her team of teachers as she heads up the Primary school with distinction. She is a specialist English Teacher who boasts a double major with a Bachelor of Arts degree from UNISA (English and Psychology) and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education. Ms Shivani is known for her excellent work ethic and the meticulous and methodical way in which she executes tasks. She displays outstanding problem-solving skills with her gentle but firm approach towards learners and teachers alike. She firmly believes in creating a strong partnership with parents which has yielded a culture of friendly cooperation between teachers and parents. Ms Shivani believes her success is largely dependent on the quality of her team and therefore focuses on continuous professional development, the high morale of her team and good communication with Acacia parents. Her acute awareness of the needs of many stakeholders and her sharp eye for identifying areas of improvement can only be attributed to her psychology training. Her passion for teaching, continuous learning and desire to impart good discipline contribute to her success in and out of the classroom.

Ms Sally Corbin has been appointed DEPUTY PRINCIPAL of Primary School, deputising Mrs Ramparsad. Teacher Sally is a minefield of experience and knowledge. An expert in the Cambridge Curriculum, teacher Sally is an accomplished Maths and Music teacher.
Teacher Sally has over 45 years’ experience obtained at prestigious schools among them Aggeney International (Northern Cape), Maragon Avianto, Trinity House Preparatory Northriding, Trinity House Randpark Ridge, Sharonlea Primary, Summit College, King David Primary and Pinehurst Primary School. Teacher Sally qualified as a Teacher from Capetown Teachers’ Training College and went further to obtain a Diploma in Specialised Teaching from Stellenbosch University and a Diploma in Education from University of Johannesburg. Teacher Sally has been with Acacia Primary School since January 2023.

A serial top achiever and an outstanding performer as a student, Tamsyn’s energy and drive has inspired learners to immerse themselves in the number of sports offered at Acacia. Her passion and ambition set her apart. As a Senior Primary Maths Teacher, Tamsyn is goal-oriented and has exceptional organisational skills which have resulted in excellent results. She imparts these goal-setting skills through her “Study Skills Workshops” hosted annually for High School learners.
Her motivation and discipline are evident as she obtained cum laude in her Bachelor’s Degree in Education and Higher Certificate in Events Management, through Varsity College. Not only an academic but fully involved in sports, Miss Fenn leads by example as she played Netball, Action Netball, Athletics and Water polo during her school and university days. Sports have always been her passion and she firmly believes that a healthy body greatly develops the mind which assists in mastering academic learning.
As Head of Sport, Ms Fenn works with her team of Contract Professional Coaches for Soccer, Rugby, Cricket, Netball and Swimming. She organises practice sessions and matches with other schools. Under her leadership, the Acacia girls have played Action Netball and engaged in various Netball competitions with other schools. Two of her team members have been selected to play in the Netball Provincial team. As a result of Tamsyn spearheading the Sports Department, Acacia school is in the Gauteng Cricket league and competed well during the last cricket season with one of our learners winning the best Batman of the Province award. Our soccer team has not only hosted but competed with many schools in the district.
To manage such a wide portfolio of diverse sporting disciplines requires exceptional organisational and people skills. Tamsyn’s Events Management qualification shows its worth in the way she flawlessly executes these diverse sports events. She handles the many stakeholders in the sporting arena, with distinction.
“I stand firm in my approach to push my learners to challenge themselves to achieve more than they think they can. I believe in their potential and envision them making a success of their lives. Sports teaches us to strive for excellence and to master teamwork as a collective, both of which are essential attributes of success in life.”

Acacia School boasts of a well-equipped Computer Laboratory where all the learners are exposed to the use of computers and get hands-on experience with the latest programming languages and technology. Learners from Grade R to Checkpoint 7 learn the basic use of Computers using Microsoft Office while the High School learners (Checkpoint 8 to AS & A Levels) are offered the following Examinable and University Entry recognised subjects: Computing for Lower Secondary, Computer Science, Information & Communication Technology (ICT) and Design & Technology (D&T).
The Computer Laboratory is well-managed by Mr S. Tshink, alumnus of the University of Cape Town (UCT) where he completed his Master Degree in Information and Communication Technology (in Education) and his Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Technology, in addition to his Honours Degree in Computer Science.
With more than ten years of experience in his field of expertise, Mr S. Tshink is a proficient Researcher and Teacher, a dynamic and hard working person and a team player who is highly committed. He is a motivated individual who is intent on maintaining a high standard and is extremely passionate about the evolution of computer science and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Education. He has a special interest in how emerging technologies are impacting education globally and within Africa. Mr S Tshink has also worked as a researcher on a three-year project (NRF project CPRR150702122711), which investigated the impact of ICT on pedagogical practices in schools in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, and has been published internationally. Mr Tshink is a well-respected member of the Acacia team and an asset to the IT Department.

Ms Angelene Kuppusamy is The General Administrator for both Primary and High School. Among her many roles, Ms Angelene is responsible for the diaries of the above management team.