Assistant Headteacher Tracy Taylor at St Mary's Church, Upchurch.
Holywell said farewell to Miss Taylor this week after a milestone 25 years of teaching children (and some grown-ups) at the village school.
As a special surprise, Assistant Headteacher Tracy was presented with a scrapbook of memories from children and families, past and present and other gifts during the year six leavers service at St Mary's Church on Thursday the 21st of July 2022.
A poem by teachers Jackie Warner and Tom Ball was read out in church, and a sea shanty was sung for Miss Taylor by the children, who is a huge fan of both pirates and monkeys. The words to both are below.
For extra fun, the children got to play Human Buckaroo and placed items around their favourite teacher's neck.
Goodbye, Miss Taylor and wishing you the best of luck in your new adventure at the Aspire Primary School in Sittingbourne.
Thank you for everything you have done for Holywell.
You will be missed, for sure!
“Once upon a decade, but which one we will not say,
Lived an important person, who we will call Barbara today.
As a child, she moved a lot because her dad was in the army,
She went to so many schools, it almost drove her barmy.
Anette, Andrea and Harry grew up with her as a big sister,
But then she left for uni, my goodness how they missed her.
She said she studied Maths, but we know that’s not quite true,
In fact she was really learning how to captain a pirate crew.
She completed all her training and off in her ship she went,
Eventually she sailed and docked in the beautiful county of Kent.
She didn’t seek the usual treasure you’d expect a pirate to choose.
She wanted the best buckles and heels, in fact any pair of fabulous shoes.
Not a traditional pirate, on her shoulder there was no bird.
Instead she wanted a monkey, isn’t that absurd?
Unfortunately monkeys are banned and blocked by the RSPCA.
So she ended up with pets you’re more likely to see day to day.
First there was Ant and Dec, each a naughty kitten.
But Beau, her lovely Frenchie, had her truly smitten.
She said she wanted to be a rally driver, perhaps the next Colin McRae,
But instead she found a home and for the next quarter of a century she’d stay.
Twenty four years of loyal service to her school family at Holywell,
Too many memories for a PowerPoint so this is our sad farewell.
Good luck on your next voyage, you’ve been with us so long.
So we want to wish you well with a special pirate song.”
-----------------------------------
“There once was a lass called Tracy Taylor,
Assistant Head of Holywell School
She helped to keep this boat afloat
She did her job so well.
Soon there’ll be someone else
To walk in her shoes and do her job.
But there’ll be no one else
Like Tracy Taylor.
She has a little dog named Beau,
She loves her dearly and rightly so,
Her partner’s name is Kevin
And he’s always by her side.
Soon there’ll be someone else to walk in her shoes and do her job.
But there’ll be no one else
Like Tracy Taylor.
We’ll all be sad to see you leave,
Our favourite pirate, aha matey!
But now it’s time to walk the plank,
We wish you all the best.
Soon there’ll be someone else to walk in her shoes and do her job.
But there’ll be no one else
Like Tracy Taylor.”
Upchurch Matters
