By Wendy Williamson
St Brigid’s Primary School in Healesville held a very special farewell for three long-serving staff members on Friday 26 May.
The three – Monica Grayling, Fran Belloni and Zona Wilson – were retiring after having between them given more than 75 years of service to the school.
Monica worked in the school office for 30 years, during which time she saw some big changes, most significantly a growth in student numbers from just 100 to 340.
“It has been great to see all the children over the years and see the next generation come along,” she said.
She will miss the regular contact with staff and parents at the school, where she has made some good friends, but she is looking forward to spending more time with her grandchildren and travelling around Australia with her husband.
Fran Belloni spent her entire 35 years in the teaching profession in various roles at St Brigid’s, from deputy principal to student welfare and most recently as a Prep teacher.
So will she miss St Brigid’s?
“Oh gosh, yes! I’ve spent more than half my life there and made some life-long friends. It was like a home away from home. I’ll miss all the people I worked with.”
Teaching, she added, was a fantastic vocation and one which she would definitely recommend.
Fellow teacher Zona Wilson shares her passion. Zona has clocked up an impressive 50 years in the profession, the last 11 as a Reading Recovery teacher at St Brigid’s. She said she will miss the camaraderie of the staffroom, but she was looking forward to having more time to herself.
She is planning to spend time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and travel around Australia.
With such an accumulation of experience departing the school, it was unsurprising that the afternoon tea held in honour of the retiring staff members was very well attended by parents and staff.
“There were even some staff members from past years, which was lovely to see,” Fran said.
