Northern Beaches teacher Toni Walsh celebrated fifty years of Catholic teaching at a special ceremony in the Diocese.
“It was so overwhelming,” she said. “There were so many people there and I’ve taught them, I’ve taught their children, right across the Diocese. It’s something I’m really proud of. I still haven’t come down to Earth!”
In her half-century of teaching, Ms Walsh has seen a lot of changes.
“The whole way we go about teaching has changed,” she said. “Children enjoy it more now, and I think a teacher can see the child learning – a bit like when you see the lights switched on, the ‘ah ha!’ moment.”
Ms Walsh taught full-time for 39 years before retiring twelve years ago, but found she could not keep away from Catholic schools. She is now a casual teacher on the Northern beaches, as well as a catechist for St John’s at Freshwater and also teaches Scripture at Harbord Public School.
She was a teacher at St John’s Catholic School at Narraweena for eighteen years as well as teaching at a number of schools across the Broken Bay Diocese including St Cecilia’s Catholic School Balgowlah, St Kieran’s Catholic School Manly Vale, and Holy Family Catholic School Lindfield.
Toni has also worked closely with the Northern Beaches Catholic Sports Association, especially in the area of Rugby League, as well as the Broken Bay Sports Council and the NSW Catholic Primary School Sports Council supporting Polding representatives and the All Schools High Schools Swimming Trials.