Dear Parents, current pupils and former students,
I’d like to thank you all for the many messages I have received regarding my imminent retirement – they have made me realise that I have had a big impact on St. Kilian’s – the end of an era as a number of you have told me!
When I began working in St. Kilian’s back in 1981 I never imagined I would still be here in 2020 – I do think back to those days with a degree of nostalgia. My first contact with the school was of course my interview to which I arrived late. Newly arrived in Dublin I had no idea where I was going having been given some vague directions by my husband. No mobile phones or Google maps in those days! I was worried that with the reputation for German punctuality I would be dismissed before I began. However, everyone was so kind and understanding that I knew I had found the place I wanted to work and I must have done something right as here I still am!
The last year has been difficult for us all and indeed a time for reflection. Returning in September it was my hope with the help of all staff to get the school back running smoothly and in as normal a way as possible, with this achieved it is the right time for me to now retire.
I believe over the years I have been instrumental in helping to make St. Kilian’s Primary School and Kindergarten the wonderful and happy places they are and with over twenty years in a position of responsibility in the school I have had plenty of opportunity to implement hopefully positive changes. I have had an inspirational, committed staff to work with and to help me and in this I include all my colleagues – teachers, SNA’s and all the office and ancillary staff in the school.
I will miss St. Kilian’s of course but I am rather excited about my retirement. I have my golf clubs ready – hopefully the lessons I had as a teenager in Edinburgh will be remembered! My Dryrobe is waiting for sea swimming and I have a beautiful new electric bike. Of course the first thing we will do is visit the UK to see our children and grandchildren with no worries about fitting quarantine around returning to school.
I leave the Primary School and Kindergarten in the safe hands of Ms. Black as Acting Head and Ms. Barry as Acting Deputy Head and wish them both good luck for the future.
I wish you and your families a very Happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year during which we will hopefully return to a more normal life when there will be fewer restrictions to daily school life and life in general.
My very Best Wishes to you all.
Sarah Finnegan
