A GREENOCK teacher has left school after almost 40 years — to pursue exciting new challenges abroad.

Christine Reid bid an emotional farewell to Whinhill Primary at a special assembly.

Christine, 60, said it was with a heavy heart that she said goodbye to the school where she has spent most of her teaching career.

She said: “I’m a Whinhill girl and I have to say quite blessed with the support of head teacher Liz Ruddy and depute Una Nicolson who have been my inspiration.

“Whinhill has been my very breath and I’ll miss every aspect of it.

“I’ll miss the children and their parents and the staff — you could go nowhere in the world and find colleagues like this.”

The mum-of-two, who lives in Greenock, started her career at Springfield Primary in Greenock and this was followed by spells in Dumbarton, Overton Primary and then Whinhill.

Head teacher Liz Ruddy tried to persuade her to take on a management role and she was deputy for a while but the draw of the classroom was too strong.

She said: “My overwhelming passion was to be a class teacher and to make a difference in the children’s lives.”

Christine, who comes from Larkfield, was encouraged by her mother to do well at school and get an education.

She said: “My late mum told me ‘education will make the difference, you can be anything you want to be’.”

Christine has taught every age group in the school from nursery class right up to P7 and was recently tasked with the attainment challenge and infant section.

She is also a keen gardener and helped the school’s outdoor space flourish to scoop awards.

Now she is ready to take her talents to Chingola Missionary School in Zambia, where she will spend a year from December.

This will be the latest adventure in a fulfilling career which has already taken her to Uganda, India, the Congo, Madagascar, Romania and Tanzania.

She also visited Malawi, where she set up a joint partnership between Whinhill and a school there.

Christine has a son, Simon, 35, and daughter Sarah, 28, and is also a doting grandmother to her son’s girls, Lola, six, and Cleo, who is five.

Mrs Ruddy says Christine will be sorely missed at Whinhill.
She said: “All nursery children, pupils, parents and staff wish Christine a long and happy retirement.

“It is a huge loss for this school.

“She has touched the lives of all the children who have passed through her class in such a meaningful and positive way and she will continue to do that in Zambia.

“It is an inspiration that after 39 years of service and at a time in your life when you can have rest, Christine will be making a difference to the lives of children over there.”