Bowral Public School said goodbye to its longest serving teacher on Wednesday.
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Mr Greg Thompson, who will retire at the end of the school year, has spent his entire teaching career at the primary school after joining in 1979.
For 39 years, Mr Thompson taught generations of “boys and girls” from ages five to 12 in science, music, singing and arts.
Awarded a Department of Education award for excellence in teaching last year, Mr Thompson was praised as the school’s ‘music man’.
He was the driving force behind the school’s stellar music program, having curated the Bowral Public School’s boy’s choir, the grand musical productions called ‘musical performance opportunities’ (MPOs) and choral concerts and excursions.
“When four other teachers and I first arrived [at the school] we met Mr Williams, the principal,” Mr Thompson said.
“One of the other teachers, Ms Gray, and I could both read music and Mr Williams was delighted by this because he wanted to get music started in the school. So he gave us both a class [to teach].”
“Through these big MPOs and musicals [the school] gained a big reputation and that was recognised by the NSW government when they awarded us the title of a school of excellence in music.
“Even though we don’t use that title anymore, I think we still are.”
The school, which recently celebrated its 150th birthday, organised a surprise farewell assembly for Mr Thompson on Wednesday morning, December 13.
Deputy Principal, Scott Cayzer, who emceed the event, said Mr Thompson was not only a teacher but an accomplished artist in his own right, having directed the Southern Stars for many years.
“From 2001, for eight years I was the designer on the [Southern Stars] show,” Mr Thompson said.
“So I had to draw up all of the costumes for the dancers and the singers, the choir and the artists, and I had to design the lighting and the staging.
“One of the best things about it was being able to create costumes for boys and girls that they could feel good in while they performed, something they could look good in and dance in, to allow them to be the best they could be.
“I do miss that and those people.”
Some of the adults who attended the ceremony were students of Mr Thompson’s more than 20 years ago and have had children taught by him at the same school.
Bowral Public School’s principal, Wendy Buckley, told the audience that Mr Thompson was loved and lauded by the school community.
“Greg holds the history of Bowral Public School in his hands. And we hold him in our hearts,” she said.
Although he will retire from full-time teaching, Ms Buckley said the school will not yet let him go completely, and will still employ him two days a week to continue teaching programs, like music and drama.
Otherwise, Mr Thompson has plans to garden, to travel and to enjoy being at home with his partner.
“I’m delighted and thrilled that you have done this for me,” he said.
“On the way to school this morning I was thinking about the boys and girls in my very first class.
“They were in Year 5 – so they were 11 – which means next year they will be 50 years old. That gives you an idea of how long I’ve been here,” Mr Thompson laughed.
“The reason we are here is to teach you,” he told the students.
“It always has been and it always will be.”