PUPILS spelt out a special message to their departing headteacher at Scotland’s largest primary school.
Youngsters finished up at Dunbar Primary School today (Wednesday) and will return after the summer holidays to a new headteacher after Helen Gillanders bid farewell to the school for the last time.
The grandmother has been at the helm for 15 years and told the Courier it would be tough saying goodbye.
She said: “It’s a very mixed emotion.
“I love the school and I still love my job.
“I take great heart from always believing you have to be passionate and enthusiastic about being a teacher and a headteacher.”
After being asked by her daughter to look after her granddaughter one day a week, Mrs Gillanders had considered whether she could remain at the school part-time, but felt it was too big a job to do so.
Ahead of her departure, staff at the school arranged a series of challenges for Mrs Gillanders to mark her retirement.
The challenges culminated in a flight over the coastal town where pupils had arranged themselves to spell out ‘Mrs G’ on the playing fields.
More than 630 youngsters attend the John Muir Campus, which caters for children from nursery to P3.
The Lochend campus, which officially opened in September 2011, caters for more than 590 pupils.
Between the two campuses, there are 164 members of staff.
READ MORE: Helen Gillanders to retire as Dunbar Primary School headteacher
Mrs Gillanders, who lives in Edinburgh with her partner, stressed that the numbers brought challenges but also the chance to make each child feel important.
She said: “I will always stop and talk to them, find out about them.
“There are challenges but hopefully the children feel I’m not an unknown person.”
Mrs Gillanders previously taught at Longniddry Primary School before moving to Stenton Primary School, where she was acting headteacher.
Now, having gone from “smallest to biggest”, she is getting ready to retire but has no plans to put her feet up.
The 61-year-old, who will be succeeded by Jacqui Mackinnon – currently acting headteacher at Wallyford Primary School, with her substantive post at Law Primary School in North Berwick – was planning to go on to Queen Margaret University to assess placement visits, as well as be an assessor with HMIe.
READ MORE: Dunbar: Jacqui Mackinnon set to be named headteacher at school
She hoped to travel and see the Greek islands but first had a farewell party at Musselburgh Golf Club to look forward to.
Mrs Gillanders said: “My staff came to me and said we were going to have a party.
“We wanted it to be in Dunbar but there is not a place big enough.
“There are 145 people coming to the party, which is amazing. We have gone back to people who taught with me here years ago.”
A spokeswoman for East Lothian Council wished the retiring headteacher well.
She said: “Helen has made a significant contribution to East Lothian education during her many years of service as both a depute headteacher and a headteacher.
“At Dunbar Primary School, Helen has led her team to ensure that every child is valued and to build close ties within the school community.
“She leaves with our best wishes for a happy and healthy retirement; she will be missed.”
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