The Eagle Magazine Summer 2022 JPC

Mrs Karen Bowness 2022 marks my last year as a permanent teacher at JPC as I move into a much-anticipated retirement. Since returning as a full-time teacher in 2010, I have had the opportunity to work with many wonderful colleagues and so many fabulous students. The staff of the Maths Department (the best department!) in particular, have always been so supportive, and I will always cherish every person I had the pleasure of working alongside over the last 13 years. I will miss many other things, such as chats with friends at morning tea, lunch or just in the staffroom, Wednesday afternoon maths tutorials (for the awesome company!), being an Academic Welfare teacher, camps – especially Year Twelve retreats, all the amazing performances by our super-talented students, and as nerdy as it may sound, I will miss teaching calculus!! I have made many friends, both staff and students, who have had a huge impact on my life. Teaching is such a unique profession, where each year you have to say goodbye to an incredible group of young people, but if you are lucky you can continue to watch them grow into extraordinary adults. John Paul College will always be a special place to me, and my children, so thank you to the whole JPC family – and perhaps you will see me around the place in the future. Mr Jeff Henderson Jeff started at JPC in the 1985 school year after transferring from Mable Park State High School. Thirty eight years in any workplace carries with it a wealth of knowledge of the culture and ethos of that place. Jeff has been a part of almost all of the growth from very humble beginnings to the Mrs Marilyn Fry After more than 50 years as an educator, I have decided to move on to a new phase in my life and retire from teaching. I certainly won’t be idle though as I have my seven grandchildren, my art and my writing to keep me busy. My time at JPC has been one of the best experiences I have had as a teacher and teacher- librarian. The students, staff and families I have met along the way have truly made me feel a part of the JPC family. I have so many wonderful memories of students’ costumes at Book Character Parades, and their excitement and joy at learning and discovering new things with technology and books. I will especially miss my team at Noelene Munns Learning Centre who have always been a great support over the years and I thank them for helping me through some tough personal times. I want to also formally thank the Primary School students and staff who created a Book of Dreams for me. I have loved reading their ideas of how I could spend my retirement. All the best and continue to love your library! Mrs Janet Scanlon It has been an honour and a privilege to work at JPC for the last 25 years. During those years, I have worked under the leadership of five principals and witnessed amazing growth. I cherish the experiences and wonderful friendships that I have made. When you love what you do, work doesn’t feel like work. Thank you JPC for making me happy to show up to this amazing place for the last two-and-a-half decades. Mrs Sarah McKee ‘Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending.’ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It is said that there is a beginning, a middle and an end to everything in life. After two beginnings at John Paul College across 26 years, the time has come for me to close this chapter and make ready for a new beginning. I consider myself fortunate to have witnessed and participated in the many changes that have occurred at the College under the leadership of five principals. My, how time has flown. This seems especially true for me after watching young students starting school, and in no time at all, they are graduating across the stage at Speech Night. The memories I have are intertwined with enduring friendships, a supportive and tight-knit JPIC team led by Russell Welch, and numerous opportunities for personal and professional growth. The icing on the cake, of course, was workdays spent in a beautiful environment teeming with wildlife. Retirement Farewells awesome depth and breadth of experiences now on offer at the College. Jeff joined the Manual Arts Department and has held various positions from Graphics Co-ordinator, Head of Faculty, Head of Community Education, Cricket Coach, Rugby Coach, Athletics Coach and the most favoured Co-ordinator of Basketball role. He was the Union Representative for the very first Enterprise Bargaining Agreement and has helped conduct numerous interstate and international basketball tours. There can be no doubt that the two most favoured places for Jeff are in the classroom and on the basketball court. Classroom teaching is a gift that comes to only a few people in the grand scheme of life. Jeff is made for that calling. This gift has created thousands of friendships and opportunities for growth. Nothing brings a larger smile to the face than to meet a past student and learn about all the wonders they have experienced in life during and after JPC. Basketball is the sport that really does it for Jeff. Jeff and (wife) Helen have lived the full sense of the JPC experience, with both sons Luke (1999) and Brett (2000) having attended both Primary and Secondary Schools at JPC. Now that retired life looms large on the horizon, family and friends will come more closely into the frame of existence and their six grandchildren will be life’s focus. The five granddaughters and one grandson can now bring the same joy, down the years, that so many students have provided. 30 THE EAGLE SUMMER 2022