This week, children from Reception to Year 6 attended a mass at Our Lady of Fatima to celebrate the life of Miss Kelly and the impact she had on our school community. Miss Kelly was an amazing member of our staff team who worked with the youngest children in our school. This summer she sadly lost her battle with illness. 

On the day we wore green, Miss Kelly’s favourite colour, to raise money for the hospice which looked after her towards the end of her life. We were pleased to raise over £300 pounds. 

This is the introduction to the mass that was read by Maggie and Trinity from Year 6. We were so proud of all the children who read in church and especially the children of Year 2 who made an extreme my thoughtful card which was presented to Miss Kelly’s sisters who attended the mass. 

Today, as a school we gather to remember Miss Kelly and celebrate the effect she had on our school community at St John XXIII.

For over twenty years, Miss Kelly helped many of us in our very first days at school and above all else, she modelled the compassion and love that Jesus showed for us all.

Many of us here today are lucky enough to have been cared for by Miss Kelly. She shared and celebrated our little victories: buttoning our coats by ourselves, washing our hands, our first assembly and nativity, finding our own coats after losing them …again… and for these things we say a huge thank you.

It is always difficult to say goodbye to a friend but today is about celebrating the impact that one person can have on a school.

At our school we aim to put God at the centre of all we think, do and say. This is something that Miss Kelly truly did and hundreds of children in our community benefited from the love she modelled from Christ. Today is a celebration of this.

Read by. Maggie and Trinity (Year 6)