Mayo school extends thanks to retiring staff member

Sacred Heart Secondary school has paid homage to staff member Patricia Doherty as the school year ends, and she begins her retirement.

Ms Doherty worked as an SNA at the school, a role in which she worked closely with individual students in small class groups and in full classroom settings. 

A spokesperson for the school wrote on social media: “She has supported, helped, and cared for so many of our girls over her career. She has motivated, cajoled and used many different methods to get the best out of each and every student.

“She took an interest in our whole student body, she had a word or two for each and every one of them, she got to know them all by name.

“She also supported our staff and helped in any way that she could, she was so very helpful, she was extremely beneficial in practical classrooms.”

The post described Ms Doherty as a ‘multi-talented lady’ who ‘brightened up’ the corridors.

“She created artwork and decorated the school corridors several times a year: students were quick to mention this to her this week. She brightened up corners with flowers, she frequently baked and made food as part of fundraising drives for The Cancer Society, Arror, St V. de Paul. Her lemon cake is legendary.

“She had a huge interest in our school, she got involved in all that was going on in the school and classrooms, she gathered new information, developed new skills and has continued to learn throughout her career. She told the students this week that she ‘loved coming to school: loved each new day’.

The post finished with thanking Ms Doherty ‘for everything’, and wishing her well in her retirement.

“Patricia, continue to be interested in life, continue to be young at heart, but do take some rest, even for a short while, as we cannot imagine you will be idle too often.”

The post concluded: “Like our students, we will miss you in the corridors, in our classrooms, in our school, but we will not forget all you have done for each one of us!”