Presentation Senior say goodbye to longest serving staff member

Presentation Senior School said goodbye to its longest serving member of staff just before the Easter break, when Rosemarie Gately retired after 29 years of a wonderful teaching career.

Rosemarie or Ms Gately, as she was affectionately known by all the children in Presentation Senior, really was a legend in her own lifetime. She was a wonderful classroom teacher for more than 20 years in the school and an esteemed colleague and friend to all who worked with her.

In her final years in Presentation Senior, she moved into Learning Support teaching and was extremely committed to all of the children fortunate enough to be in her care.

Rosemarie was constantly thinking “outside the box” and looking for new ways to help a child to learn, such as teaching them how to type or how to play chess.

On her final day in the school, it was typical of the person that she is that Ms Gately wanted the minimum of fuss and bother made of her retirement, but the staff and pupils would not let that happen!

The day began with the whole school gathering in the yard to pay tribute to Rosemarie’s kindness and hard work. Many children spoke of the positive effect Ms Gately had on their learning and confidence over the last few years. One boy, Charlie, said that he was never afraid to speak up because Ms Gately would always listen to what he had to say. Daniella said that in teaching her class how to use a microphone for the first time, she also taught them not to be scared or embarrassed.

This was followed by a ‘flash mob’ in Rosemarie’s honour by more than 80 sixth class children who danced to the tune of Jerusalema by Master KG.

There followed a whole school rendition of ‘Time of Your Life’, the Green Day song, which was appropriate for the day that was in it. As the children sang, they were accompanied on guitar by teacher Christopher Fox with pupils Sean Lee and Sam Doran.

Speaking to the packed hall, school Presentation Senior School principal Mr Fry told the children how lucky the school was to have had someone of Ms Gately’s calibre work there. He told them that when they move on from the school they would undoubtedly meet many other wonderful teachers but they would not, in his opinion meet anyone better than Ms. Gately. She never stopped working and truly it can be said “she ran the race to the finish!”.

Ms Gately was at all times kind, patient, understanding and encouraging, not only with the children in the school, but with colleagues too. We wish her a long and happy well deserved retirement, said Mr Fry on behalf of the school community.