Wendy Patel Farewell

25 July 2019Maria Rossouw, Mackenzie '19

The speech below was delivered at assembly in honour of Mrs Wendy Patel’s five years at the helm of the Grade 8 program. Four years ago I made a bet with Mrs Patel that by the day I graduate she would be able to do the splits. Obviously spending class time trying to prove this worked out in my favour, and was something that could only ever happen in Grade 8. Two years before this, Mrs Patel joined the Brentwood family. She began by working as an advisor in Rogers and Privett House; and also in laundry, where she sewed kilt hems and blazer crests. Since then, she has created a program that has benefitted the lives of over a hundred young students. Many of you may know her as Mr Patel’s better half, or the mother to Mitali and Antara who graduated not too long ago, but there are 125 of us – most of us here today – who know her to be one of the most loving teachers we’ve had. I was fortunate enough to be a part of the very first Brentwood Grade 8 class led by Mrs Patel. She worked hard, and succeeded, in creating a safe place where we could prepare for high school and life after. Along with helping in our academics, she became our friend, and helped us to navigate the transition into Brentwood. Over the last four years she has remained a significant role model in my life, and I’m sure in many others. I think it’s fair to say that this is a woman who doesn’t receive enough credit, whether that’s for putting up with Mr Patel calling her out in Assembly, or for having to deal with more than a score of 13 year olds every day. Mrs Patel, I commend you on following your own advice, and getting out while the party is still good. Although you will be greatly missed, you have kept your promise, and learned how to split. On a personal note, I would like to thank you for everything you have done for my family. My brother and I came to Brentwood at a difficult period of our lives. Without us knowing, you were aware of our situation, and went above and beyond in providing the resources we needed to move on with our lives. While I can only account for the experiences I’ve had with Mrs Patel, I know for a fact that she has the same amount of care and dedication for each of her students. Back in Grade 8, I’m not sure if any of us realized how special Brentwood would become to us, and how much you, Mrs Patel, would be a part of that. So, on behalf of all your students, thank you for helping us learn, for coming to watch our performances, our practices, our speeches, and our games. I know I can speak for the whole community in saying that you will be missed. Thank you for everything you have done, and enjoy all the well-deserved happiness waiting for you in the years to come. Maria Rossouw, Mackenzie ’19

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