Mrs Jones Says Farewell
By Bev Jordan
After 26 years, much-loved Crestwood High school teacher LINDA JONES is heading off to pastures new.
After graduating as a teacher from Melbourne University in 1983 she taught metal work in Fern Tree Gully, becoming head teacher.
“We moved to Sydney in 1994 and I started working as a casual at Crestwood High and Model Farms.
“The following year I was offered a contract with Crestwood High which was the year my now 30-year-old son started school.”
Linda worked four days a week at Crestwood High and spent her day off volunteering at Jasper Road Primary.
During the 26 years at Crestwood, she has taught or mentored thousands of students as a visual arts teacher or through school musicals, school camps, theatre sports, Student Representative Council and other activities such as the World’s Greatest Shave for Leukaemia and fundraising for the Cancer Council through the Hills Relay for Life event.
“Relay has been a particular highlight for me,” she said. “Our first team was only 12 students who were supporting a student who had been diagnosed with cancer and I was the Year advisor.
“I knew it was something really important. Now our team is the largest at the Relay we strive to have 100 there and it helps to bond our school community.”
“There have been so many changes during my time as a teacher here. When I started teaching the 80s it was the end of the pop art period and now the contemporary art world is a lot more about challenge and involving the audience.
“It’s very exciting. Students creating art in Year 12 can use technologies that we never dreamed of. I am blown away by their technical expertise and understanding.”
Now she is seeing children of parents she taught.
“It’s wonderful that kids are so connected to the school and lovely that parents send their kids back. It has changed a lot.
“There’s always been a very strong sense of community at the school.
“I will miss making an impact on children’s lives and making them see the value of community service and I am going to miss my colleagues.”
If you have someone’s service you would like to acknowledge please email [email protected]
