Farewell to Rita
There were cards and messages from reception children up to Year 6, and a bouquet of flowers with a gift presented by the oldest girl and boy on behalf of the entire school.
Head teacher Jenni Miller held a special assembly in the afternoon to mark the occasion, and pupils gave a special performance of the song music teacher Rita said they could never sing - Old Macdonald's Farm.
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Hide AdAll pupils joined in with her favourite song for the last time - One More Step.
She left them hoping they would work hard and always be kind, and told them the next day she would possibly stay in bed until 9am as she would no longer have to get up early.
Rita began her teaching career in 1969 in North London, then started with East Sussex Education Authority in 1972. She has taught in seven schools, and started at the Down Infant School twenty years ago.
She said: "I have a mixture of emotions now...Happiness because I have managed to get through 37 years and five months in one piece. I have enjoyed teaching every single child that I have taught, and that is over 2,500 I should think.
"On the other hand, I shall be sad to leave because I like being with children. It is me. I am a children person - I seem to relate to them and they seem to relate to me."