Monday, December 5, 2011

Long-serving pair call it a day

Two long-serving teachers at Renwick School are looking forward to "a life without rushing" after they retire at the end of the school year.

Sue Cambridge and Julie Culbert have taught at the school for 38 years and 21 years respectively and will wind up their teaching careers on the last day of school on December 14.

Ms Culbert will be spending a month in the United States with a friend and will spend Christmas in New York City while Mrs Cambridge will be looking forward to spending more time with family, including her grandchildren.

Both women said they had seen many physical changes around the school, but the spirit had remained the same.

"Something that hasn't changed is the feel of it," Ms Culbert said.

"There's an essence at this school that's kept me working here. A little heartbeat or something, I don't know how to describe it."

Mrs Cambridge, who has worked at the school as a fulltime teacher and later as a reliever, said she had made lifelong friends with teaching colleagues and parents.

Ms Culbert said the roles sometimes reversed in the classroom as she became the pupil, learning mostly about using technology.

The workload for teachers had increased during the past 15 or so years because of Education Ministry expectations as well as sometimes taking on the role of parents and counsellors, she said.

"If you do your job properly, the workload is pretty huge with meetings and paper work."

Both said they would miss laughing with the colleagues and working with the children.

- The Marlborough Express

SIMON WONG

Last updated 16:00 05/12/2011



No comments:

Post a Comment