The big news this week is that Mr Gerard Lewis has announced that he will be finishing his time as principal at St Mary’s School at the end of the year. We announced this at the Parish Education Board (PEB) meeting on Thursday, and the news was communicated to parents the next day. This will of course mean a big change, but Gerard has been generous enough to extend his contract from the initial finishing date in the middle of the year to help us manage. I also explained to the PEB the process of finding a new principal. I will keep the PEB updated on this, but should anyone want to discuss this with me, please do not hesitate to make contact.
There will be a better time later to extend our thanks to Gerard for the amazing contribution he has made to the parish. However, I do want to take this opportunity to thank him for the great support and guidance he has given me as I became a parish administrator for the first time. His sensible advice and smart and caring leadership have made this first stretch a great experience for me. The most recent example is suggesting the school do something to remember the four police officers who died, a project carried off so wonderfully and to great acclaim by Caroline Egan. This is still more evidence of what great instincts Gerard has. I know he is looking forward to taking some time off next year to recharge the batteries, and that rest is well-earned. Being
a principal is a huge and important job, and one that he has done admirably.
A few weeks ago, I used this message to thank a number of people, but forgot one important person. Lockdown has meant we have had to find new ways to stay in contact. A key resource has been our website. This was setup wonderfully by Amy Lau, our parish secretary, whom I did remember to thank. However, the recent refresh of the site has been a huge success. A number of people have commented on the new look, the ease of navigation and the many resources. In fact, one of my friends who works in Information Technology commented that it was one of the best church websites he had seen, better than many companies and certainly better than his own. We can thank Aimeé Han for this. She not only organised the overall presentation of the site, but she also took many of the photos and, most onerous of all for her, taught me how to use and edit it as required. I am in her debt.
Finally, let’s keep praying for each other, knowing God has us safe. God willing, the sacrifices made have been successful, as we prepare for the next stage.
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