Clare Crawford retires after working for the NSW Department of Education most of her adult life.
Dear students, staff and families, Today marks my official retirement date after working for the NSW Department of Education most of my adult life.
I feel very fortunate to have chosen a career in education and even more fortunate to have had the opportunity to lead MPS for the last seven years.
I took up the role as a teaching principal with a burning passion and very clear vision of the school I wanted to lead.
My love for the school drove my determination to provide the best possible opportunities for the school community.
The achievements of which I feel most proud are the improved literacy and numeracy outcomes, high-quality teaching practices across the school and a school culture of relaxed rigour, acceptance, and kindness.
I am also very proud that an increasing number of families chose to send their most precious possessions to MPS, as our reputation as a great school grow.
Love is not a word commonly thrown about in education circles…however, I fell in love with the school long before I became the principal.
I loved its beautiful old buildings, the gardens and the people who filled them. I felt excited to come to work every day, eager to see what the day would bring.
I derived endless satisfaction from my daily interactions with students, watching them grow and achieve.
I will always be grateful for the support and friendship extended to me by so many families, which often lifted me up after a long day.
I have so many poignant and funny memories to bring a smile to my face.
I felt a weight of responsibility towards the wellbeing of staff, conscious of the challenges they face with balancing the needs of the students and their families, the demands of the Department, and their commitment outside of school life.
I am in total awe of the commitment, talent and work ethic and feel privileged to have worked alongside such professionals.
Unfortunately for me, the love story did not have a fairy tale ending with COVID impacting on my circumstances, resulting in me taking leave prior to my retirement.
The silver lining is that the executive team, lead by Mrs Renee Ford, have ensured that the school has gone from strength to strength.
I would like to thank each and every, past and present student, parent, carer and staff member for allowing me the privilege of being a part of your journey and I wish you every happiness and success for the future.
Clare Crawford
