A letter from past Teacher Nola Kennedy (Williams)

My memories of teaching Year 1 and Reception at Emmaus (then called Bethesda) are some of the fondest of my career and I made lifelong friends there among my colleagues and the parent community with whom I still remain in contact. I was at Bethesda from 1997 - 2002 with the wonderful Andrew Thomas leading as principal.

It is wonderful crossing paths with students from the past along life’s journey. The precious souls who were once my treasured students have all grown into fine adults I’m sure. Certainly the ones I have seen in the years since my time at Bethesda are wonderful humans. I’ve even had the pleasure of teaching the next generation - Patrick Brown’s sons in Port Lincoln - which has been a delightful connection and ‘blast from the past’. My niece married into the Wheatcroft family which is a blessing beyond measure, and my nephew Caleb Thompson attended Emmaus, after my time there, but joining a group of students I had taught in Year 1, so our Bethesda/Emmaus lives continue to intersect. My past students’ names and faces will always be carried in my heart. It's a teacher thing...

Please extend to my former students, their parents and my former colleagues my deep care, and my gratitude for those years teaching at Bethesda/Emmaus. I do hope our professional and personal lives cross again in the future.

Kind regards,

Nola Kennedy (Williams)