FROM THE VICAR

My dear People,

As some of you already know, Miss Swan, Infant Teacher at our Church Primary School, is leaving. She has accepted a similar position at a larger Church school attached to St. Matthias, Poplar. This is a great loss for us. In her five years with us Miss Swan has set a very high standard of teaching; her quiet, patient manner has gained the confidence of all her pupils, even the most nervous. Even more important, all this has been set in a deeply-held Christian faith. As a community we owe her a great deal, we shall miss her a lot and we wish her much happiness in her new post.

In place of Miss Swan, the Managers have appointed Mrs. A. A. Feetham, a widow with a grown-up daughter. Mrs. Feetham is at present at Stogumber Church School, near Taunton, and comes to us as a qualified Infant teacher with considerable experience of country schools; she is also a pianist. We, are fortunate to have been able to make such an appointment; it is not at all easy to obtain assistant staff for small village schools. I hope you will all make Mrs. Feetham welcome when she comes in September. She is very keen to find a small unfurnished house in Hartlip, but in the meantime she intends to live in a caravan at Otterham Quay.

May I remind you that we have our annual School Leavers' Service at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, 25th July. In accordance with the Will of our Founder, Mary Gibbon, leavers will read from the Bible and each will be presented with a Bible later in the service. This is all part of our rich heritage in this place, for which we ought to thank God and to which we ought to add by our own service. This is a moving occasion and an important one - the leavers need our prayers and moral support as they go out to larger schools in the wider community. Whether parent or not, please come and give them this support.

Your sincere friend and Vicar,

JOHN GREEN.