Ashton School News September 2023.

Ashton School Retirement.

Time waits for no man, or woman, as in this case!!  And so Ms. Dorothy Fogarty announced her retirement from Ashton as a Home Economics Teacher prior to the conclusion of the school year.

Dorothy started in Ashton in 1992 as a Home Economics Teacher.  Dorothy was also qualified as a Religion teacher, adding to a long list of exacting skills!

Over her working tenure at Ashton, Dorothy co-ordinated Transition Year for a number of years, having previously been a teacher in T.Y.  She taught Mini-Company skills classes, Food Safety, Gender studies, Childcare, Cookery, and Work, Leisure and Careers.   She was a member of many of the committees necessary to the functioning of a school, including Ashton Open Day, Pastoral Group and others.  She was Detention Organiser, Programme Co-Ordinator at Assistant Principal level, Transition Year Co-Ordinator, Assistant Principal and Year Head also at various time over her career.

At a Staff Meeting before the end of term, Principal Mr. Landen paid tribute to her on behalf of the Staff and Board of Management.  He described how Dorothy always had the best interests of the students at heart, advocating positively for them in every situation.  She was always diligent, organised and calm, regardless of the situation presented.

Pupils of Ashton have benefitted enormously from her calm methodical approach, ensuring they all gained the most from what they studied, equipping them with life-skills, and guiding career choices with Food Safety courses, enabling work opportunities for students.

Dorothy will be greatly missed by her students, her colleagues and all staff in Ashton.

We wish Dorothy well as she travels ‘the road less travelled’ of new adventures and opportunities of all kinds, and conclude with the apt words of the Colossians:

Remember the past with fondness,

Look to the future with eagerness,

Live each moment to the fullest.