Throughout a long teaching career Raewyn Clark was known for spotting potential in children and giving them responsibilities to help them develop abilities they never dreamed they had.

This was a message repeated by several speakers at an emotional farewell for Ms Clark at St Jospeh’s Catholic School last week.

The event drew more than 500 people, comprising past and present students, former and current teaching colleagues and a large contingent of parents and grandparents of children educated at the school.

A special church service was followed by a function at which a long list of speakers paid tribute.

It was held to mark Ms Clark’s teaching career of more than 50 years, the last 35 years of which were as St Jospeh’s principal.

Speaker after speaker lauded the former principal’s ability to not only remember the children’s names, but to see the best in each of them.

Some speakers observed that Ms Clark’s career had spanned enormous changes in education, for example as private schools were integrated into the state system and as various governments changed the curriculum.

“Yet Raewyn you maintained excellent academic standards throughout and kept to the Catholic way,” one speaker remarked.

Ms Clark said she had been a student at St Joseph’s for eight years and taught there for another seven years before becoming principal for 35.

“My family goes back over 115 years at this school, all the way back to 1915 or thereabouts. We were one of the earliest families along with the Connors, the Coswells and the Christies.

“So, we have a long tradition here and I still have family at school. Not many families can say they’ve gone right through without a break – but mine did.  

“I trained at Loreto Hall Catholic Teachers’ Training College in Remuera.

“I was fortunate enough to do my first two years in Dunedin under the Dominican sisters who were great teachers – very stern but they knew what they were doing.”

She described having met adults present at her farewell celebration as new entrants.

She acknowledged colleagues she had taught alongside and board members she had served with.  Many had become lifelong friends. There were exceptional sports coaches who enabled St Joseph’s teams to shine at inter-school events.

“I have seen huge changes with buildings, renovations and so forth. I was chairperson of the Centenary Committee, and our project (in 1995) was the swimming pool. It cost $50,000 in those days but we managed to do it. Then the project for the jubilee (2015) was the adventure playground and somehow, we managed to do that too.

“So, it’s been an interesting time, and I’ve loved every minute. There have been lots of highs, particularly the Auckland trips, and seeing our kids and ex-pupils succeed. Right now, we have three ex-pupils at med school and a doctor in the neurological ward in Auckland Hospital. We have accountants and lawyers; from a small school that’s pretty good.

“We have lots of good people; not many of them end up in jail. I was lucky that I grew up in school but when I was a child I was known as a bully – I used to gang up on other kids – so I can somehow feel for some of our students over here.”

Ms Clark related how she had been highly competitive in school sports over the years, but had learned not to push children too hard.

‘The school was the top school in speech, which is great because speech IS such an important thing. I’ve also had a fantastic time with music festivals and the Delamere Cup.  

“The most important thing about this school is the kids. When I see former students proud to wear the Sacred Heart uniform that gives me tremendous satisfaction. And to see them go on to succeed in life.

“As long as they know that they can achieve anything – they’ve got it made.

“I probably shouldn’t add this, but I think sometimes today it’s not the parents who are ruling the kids or guiding them, it’s the kids who are telling the parents what they want.

“Above all, kids need love and routine. Kids appreciate routine they really do – if they are up half the night don’t expect them to come home knowing much from school.”