Presentation bids farewell to long serving staff members
The pupils and staff at Presentation Senior School in Mullingar came together last week for a Mass and social reception to say goodbye to two long serving members of their team, Jacinta Sullivan, deputy principal, and Margaret Bracken, SNA.
Both are held in high regard by the school community and they will be missed, principal Declan Fry told the Westmeath Examiner.
Ms Bracken has retired after 21 years with Presentation Senior, and in her remarks on Friday she noted the circular nature of working in a school like that, as Paula Flynn, who was a young pupil in one of her classes when she started, is now a teacher at Presentation, and was part of the organising team who put together last week’s sendoff.
Margaret is proud Kerry woman who was delighted to see her county with the All-Ireland this year, said Mr Fry, and she is also an important part of the community in Mullingar.
“She has made a fabulous contribution to the school. Not only was she brilliant with the children in her care, she was kind to everyone, and she was aware of just how important her role was in the lives of the children she worked with.
“She has so many gifts and talents to give to the school – she was the go-to person for first aid or if you wanted any baking done, she was great at flower arranging and she was artistic, for example if you wanted a poster or a banner, she was your person to go to.
“Margaret was attentive, kind and caring to all the children she worked with.”
Mr Fry said that Ms Sullivan was still on duty at 5 o’clock last Thursday evening, her last full day of work after 43 years of service. Such was her dedication to the job, that she was, right up to the end, planning schedules and arranging meetings with the principal.
“Jacinta was selfless and did things because they were the right thing to do,” said Mr Fry. “She has given a huge amount of time and service to the Presentation School. Generations of children have come through her hands, and she’s liked and loved by all. I don’t think you’d find anybody that wouldn’t have a good word to say about her.”
Speakers at the leaving do on Friday referred to her goodness, her kindness, her attention to detail, said Mr Fry. “Over the years, she would have put Irish plays on stage, travelled to feis cheoils with classes of children, and she did it all with a smile on her face. I never heard her raise her voice, there was nothing but kind words from her. She will she’ll be sorely missed.”
Ms Sullivan told the Examiner that was “overwhelmed, grateful and a little bit emotional at the wonderful sendoff, and the effort that all the staff and the children have put in to marking my retirement.
She said: “I know that it takes effort and practice, and practice again, to get something like this running smoothly and it was so wonderful. I’m thankful and so grateful for beautiful Mass, the presents, the gifts, and the children’s words were just so wonderful. One child said there ‘I hope you liked working with us’ – I loved working in this school, I loved it so much, I stayed this long.”
Ms Sullivan said the children at the Presentation Schools “are the best, and the staff are the salt of the earth”.
“They really are the backbone of this school, a wonderful school, and I have to say, they have been my foundation - all the staff, teachers, SNAs, auxiliary staff who come in, cleaners, caretakers, secretaries, everyone who has come in to this school, in any capacity, for any length of time, some people I met for half a day, an hour, others a week, months, and even years – they have touched me in some way and helped make me the person I am.
“So I’m ever so grateful, and I have to thank Declan so much for being the person he is, kind and understanding and so good to work with.”