Godspeed and thanks to departing colleagues

St Mary’s School, Cambridge is a community of those members who live in it, draw inspiration from the past, garner present resources and plan for its future prosperity. As ever at this time of year we say goodbye to staff members for a variety of reasons including family commitments, alternative career opportunities, promotion and retirement. I recognised departing staff in my speech at Prize Giving and further reflections on teachers and support staff by their colleagues are contained in our school magazine, the Magnolian. We wish them all God-speed and happiness as they venture into pastures new.

Commitment and dedication to this school community is remarkable at a time when other local schools are seeing significant and rapid staff turnover. This summer we bid farewell, with gratitude, to just three teachers: Mr Martin Scott, Chemistry and Biology teacher, who has given much also to the musical life of the school - we wish Martin well in ventures beyond classroom teaching; Mrs Louisa Reid, teacher of English, who gave much to our Creative Writing programme as a successfully acclaimed author of young adult fiction and who moves to Manchester for family reasons; and to Mrs Helen Seabourne, PE teacher, who has decided to spend time in the domestic sphere as mother of two young children.

This year we say farewell and thank you to seven long-standing members of support and administrative staff, all bar one of whom are retiring: at Christmas to Mrs Penny Vallins, who faithfully served a succession of Heads as their PA for almost 24 years, and Mrs Annie Crawford, our Assistant Housemistress for seven years; and this summer to Mrs Pam Down, our Staff Secretary for 20 years, Mrs Monica Crammond, our Physics Technician for 16 years; Mrs Cathy Gardiner, our Boarding Housekeeper for 12 years; Mrs Doris Stutley, our Receptionist and Finance Assistant for 11 years; and Mrs Sarah Newbery, our Head of Careers and Work Experience, for 10 years. Symbolically, their length of service makes a remarkable 100 years!