STAFF LEAVERS Andrea Thomas
numerous to mention, so a snapshot must suffice. There have, as I hope
Audrey Lillywhite
Andrea will recall, been many joyous moments to compensate for the stress of taking away 40+ teenagers to a foreign country. In the time of the Year 9 homestay visits, the pre-cursor of the current French Exchange, Andrea led a number of successful trips to Paris and has helped forge the relationships we now enjoy with our colleagues and partner schools in Bourg en Bresse. For many years she was part of the German team which took groups of Year 8 boys to Cologne and indeed on occasion, the German Exchange
Andrea Thomas has taught
to Stuttgart and has accompanied the
Audrey Lillywhite is leaving
at AGS since 1995 and is
Year 8 French trip both when Parc
us after 14 years, having
retiring after 21 years teaching
Astérix was the destination and now
arrived here initially to teach a
French and German in the
the rural delights of Normandy.
small amount of lower school
Languages Department, and her departure does mark the end of something of an era in Languages at AGS. She deserves some kind of award for
During the period when AGS enjoyed Language Specialism funding, Andrea shared her language teaching expertise with a number of local primary schools and will no
French. She has since established herself as an indispensable part of both the Languages and Classics departments. She has taught French, Spanish and Latin, and in addition
having had to tolerate the same
doubt have been pleased to see a
has always been willing to embrace
Head of Department for 20 of those
number of those boys subsequently
new ideas for the classroom. Her
21 years. Having spent a number of
come and thrive here. We will miss
teaching is always characterised by
years living in France, she brought a
Andrea as both a friend and a
kindness and a commitment to her
wealth of knowledge and experience
colleague and the school is losing a
students and a real enthusiasm for
to the classroom. Though part time
superb languages teacher. We wish
her subjects.
for most of her time at the school,
her and her family every possible
she has always worked well beyond
happiness for the future.
that, to ensure the success of her students over the years, who have
Mr T Crapper
gained enormously from her energy, commitment and determination to bring out the best in them.
For many years Audrey has taken responsibility for the Year 8 French Trip, so will have been responsible for taking hundreds of boys to Paris, Parc Astérix and latterly, Normandy. On a number of occasions she has also helped accompany the French
The number of trips Andrea has
Exchange to Bourg en Bresse and
given her time to are almost too
help us forge those important links
8
The Aylesburian 2016/2017
