Originally from Cape Town in South Africa, our caretaker Mr Roger De Jager, is coming up to his one-year anniversary at Ficino School. Popular with students and staff, Roger ensures our school is tidy and well-kept.

You may well recognise him in his orange vest as he manages the school pick-up system at the end of the day, ensuring the cars are kept moving seamlessly through the grounds for our families.

What you may not know is that Roger and his wife came to New Zealand 5 years ago. His family of two has since grown to be a family of four with the arrival of Caleb (3) and Maddison (1). In addition to raising two preschoolers, Roger is studying for his Bachelor of Quantity Surveying at Unitec.

His status as a Kiwi was confirmed the Sunday morning his son stood to sing the NZ national anthem when they were watching a sports game on TV!