BEDE Hart will leave St Patrick’s Primary School in Albury tomorrow with the good wishes and prayers of its 530 children and 38 staff.
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Mr Hart, 48, is moving to Port Macquarie after 18 years at St Patrick’s, nine of those as principal.
He will become principal at St Peter’s Primary School.
His wife, Marisa, is also leaving the school to be a teacher for children with special needs at several schools in the Port Macquarie district.
“The best thing about St Patrick’s is the friendliness of the children and the warmth and tremendous community spirit of the school,” he said yesterday.
“The children and staff mix well and they respect each other.
“I’m moving to seek new challenges and for something different, and it’s good for the school to have a change as well.”
Mr Hart began his teaching career 25 years ago. He was principal at St Thomas’, Tarcutta, and a teacher at Deniliquin’s St Michael’s School before moving to Albury in 1988.
As principal he oversaw the consolidation of St Patrick’s on to a single site in 2002 after it was split previously by Olive St.
Mr Hart said that having the school on one site with more playing fields had been a significant achievement.
“The facilities at St Patrick’s are as good as anywhere,” he said.
On Monday, students presented Mr Hart with a photograph of the whole school.
School assistant principal Marie Cameron will be acting principal of St Patrick’s pending a permanent appointment.
