It was an emotional day at Melview NS as pupils, friends and family of two long serving members of staff joined together for the final day of school. Outgoing principal Mary O'Boyle and special education teacher Celine Sloane have left an imprint on the lives of many children in the decades of education excellence they have presided over. The bustle in the classroom settled to a hum as row upon row of youthful faces looked up at the dais where the two departing teachers sat as the tributes poured in. The effort the students put into the presentations spoke volumes about how the two teachers connected with them. READ MORE BELOW PHOTO Melview NS is a co-educational school striving to provide a well-ordered, caring, happy and secure atmosphere where the intellectual, spiritual, physical, moral and cultural needs of the pupils are identified and addressed. This ethos was embodied in Mary O'Boyle and Celine Sloane and the affection they were held in was palpable in the room as the group bade farewell to the two pedagogues. Both Ms O'Boyle and Ms Sloane are hugely respected and popular teaching professionals and their time in education has been a time of tremendous change. Vice principal, Carmel Browne, presided over a retirement ceremony filled with music, poetry and love. Ms Brown said much had changed from the the time Ms O'Boyle and Ms Sloane started out as educators: “Mary and Celine started in a time of talk and chalk, when tweets were something the birds did and a mouse was something that may occasional run across a classroom floor,” the vice principal said. Ms Brown spoke of the retiring teacher's contribution to Melview National School: “Celine's musical gift brought great joy to the school. Her work as a special education teacher in recent years was exemplary. She gave freely and enthusiastically of her time outside of school hours. Celine gave us over 40 years of enthusiasm, kindness and caring. Her splendid influence is etched on the lives of so many children in the area.” The Melview
PICTURES | Glowing tributes and emotion as respected Longford teachers dispense words of wisdom upon their retirement
Caption: Celine Sloane and Mary O'Boyle Picture: Shelley Corcoran
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Caption: Retiring teachers Mary O'Boyle and Celine Sloane with Orla Egan, Deirdre Coffey and Carmel Browne Pictures: Shelley Corcoran
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Caption: Mary O'Boyle and Celine Sloane, with Ann Casey, Mary Fallon, Roisin McHugh, Sylvia Lynch, Audrey Hunt, Sarah Gilchriest, Sharon McGee and Lily Minnock
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Caption: Mary O'Boyle accepting a presentation from Carmel Browne
