The skirl of the pipes filled the air as a head teacher received a guard of honour during her final farewell to students and staff at a high school in Wishaw, writes Joshua Beattie.
St Aidan’s High said goodbye to their beloved head Mrs Claire Connelly after nine years, due to her early retirement from her post.
The school held a mass led by Bishop Toal of the Diocese of Motherwell where senior pupils, friends, family and colleagues gathered to celebrate Mrs Connelly’s career in education.
The Music Department staff and students provided beautiful musical accompaniment.
A coffee morning was also held in her honour to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support as well as giving her a chance to address staff before she left.
On her last day, hundreds of pupils lined up in a guard of honour to mark her exit from the school as head teacher. On her walk out she was accompanied by pupil Logan Blair who played the bagpipes alongside Mrs Connelly.
Through the 32 years of her teaching career, Mrs Connelly spent time in several schools from the central region of Stirling to St Aidan’s and loved every year of it.
However she has definitely earned her early retirement to relax and spend time with friends and family.
Mrs Connelly is unsure whether she will return and pick up a different role in the education world, but she feels she was always destined for a career in education.
Mrs Connelly expressed her appreciation of the community of St Aidan’s, saying: “I’ve never been in a school where there’s been so many staff who choose to stay.”
Mrs Connelly will be sorely missed by all pupils, staff and colleagues. Her place in the school community was very evident as in her office, her desk was buried under cards, gifts and balloons.
Mr Dominic Kennedy has taken on the role of Acting Head Teacher, and the formal recruitment process for a new permanent Head Teacher is underway.
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