Above: Mr Jones was joined by By Kath Gannaway
LEAVING school was an uplifting experience for Healesville Primary School principal Howard Jones.
There were tears, cheers, lots of hugs and a chorus of “goodbye Mr Jones” from the hundreds of school children, parents and teachers who lined the embankment around the school oval on the last day of school as a helicopter whisked the retiring principal away from his 12-year stint at the school, and more than 30 years of teaching.
The helicopter was a huge surprise for Mr Jones and an exciting way to finish the school year for the students who held up banners and waved flags as he said his final farewells.
Flying over the school Mr Jones had a bird’s-eye view of the many messages written by the children earlier in the day on the asphalt areas of the school.
One message said it all … “To Sir With Love”.
