Comely Park: Entire school turns out to say farewell to SLA Jane Laird

After 23 years working in the classroom the mum-of-two decided to call it a day at the end of term.

It was through her own children attending the Falkirk town centre school that led to Jane joining the staff.

She said: “Gary had started at the school and Emma was at the nursery and I decided to become a school volunteer. I loved working with the children and it was completely different from what I had done before working in a sales office.

"Then I was told that there was a support for learning post coming up and the headteacher suggested that I should apply for it. I did, got an interview then they gave me the job.

"It’s been absolutely wonderful. Sometimes you would work on a one-to-one basis with a pupil but at other times it would be with a group of children.

"I've worked with every year group in the school and loved every minute.

"It’s been great getting to know the children and see them come on.”

Jane admitted that she didn’t even mind doing playground duty on rainy days.

"Everyone has said to me that I wouldn’t miss being outside during the breaks in the winter but I never used to mind that. It was good to spend that time with the children.

"At the start, I thought it was great to have a job that worked around my own children and gave me all the school holidays off. But if I’m honest, it’s the best move I ever made to work at Comely Park.”

Jane, 65, who lives with husband Norrie, a former Falkirk Council employee, in their home in Falkirk town centre, says that it has been a wrench to leave but the time was right.

She is looking forward to being able to spend time with her own mother, Mary Buchanan, as well as children Gary, 32, a maintenance planner at Ineos, and Emma, 27, a paediatric nurse at Forth Valley Royal Hospital.

After Norrie suffered two strokes in the past year, she is also looking forward to having more time to help him with his rehabilitation.

She said: “It came completely out of the blue. We had been out walking all the time during lockdown so probably were as fit as we had ever been.

"It was difficult when he was in hospital and we couldn’t get in to see him. However, thankfully he got home and the physiotherapists were great helping get him back on his feet and mobile again.”

The entire school turned out to say farewell to this much-loved member of staff with the first assembly involving all the classes since before lockdown.

Thankfully the school shone and they were able to hold the event outside where Mrs Laird as she is known to the pupils was showered with cards, gifts and good wishes from everyone to mark her well-deserved retirement.