ODE TO MRS SCOTT

Written by Gordon Higgs (Geography Teacher, Newhaven County Secondary School)

By Carol Walton

For all those who remember Mrs Scott, Senior School Mistress of Newhaven County Secondary School, the following ode was written about her by Mr Higgs, the geography teacher.  Mr Higgs sent a copy to the organisers of the ‘leavers of 1961/2 reunion’ which was held in 2000.

 

Weeve fawt a lot of Missus Scott

Bout wot she’s got; she’s got the lot

And wots nown not by Missus Scott

Is not alot or werf a jot

 

And staff who’ve lived in her domain

Realise next term won’t be the same.

Sincere, inspired, gifted Mary

Very often quite contrary.

Especially when a Saltdean gent

Would seek to start an argument!

We’ll say this in her last report

That Mary Scott was quite a sport.

Hear her side-track with real agility

“Automatic availability”

Then would follow without apology

A sly old dig at child psychology

So then it would be no non sequitur

To hear the next agent provocateur.

But he’d give up because he hears

“I’ve taught all that for forty years!”

When all is said and this term’s done

Both she and we will miss this fun.

Our tribute now in all sincerity

Commends you to her versatility.

No matter what the lesson was

She’d not be at a loss because

In nearly almost each particular

A graduate – Master of Curricula.

Just see her teach without fury

Jockeying discs in her Juke Box Jury!

But whilst in class she cast her pearls

She still had time to guide the girls.

Inspired by William Wordsworth’s ode

Chastising rebel girls forebode

“Intimations of Immortality”

Or “Investigations of Immorality”?

 

Now could we all pass a motion

To her unfailing devotion

To extra-mural activity

“The Pageant of the Nativity”.

At games and sports it wasn’t hard

To know the Mistress of Vanguard.

On film club nights she checks all the tickets

And keeps them happy with chocolate bickets!

Many’s the outing, so the historian tells

When she nips round the coach with a packet of Kwells!

 

There’s many a tale could here be told

For some of them I won’t be bold;

It’s true that some spoke out of hand

We’ll not tell stories of that brand

 

May we now tell you without defection

That all will hold you in great affection

Again I should say with no dissension

We wish you well in spending your pension

Ending, I hope, in no adulation

Hoping you’ve paid your superannuation!

This page was added by Carol Walton on 17/08/2012.
Comments about this page

Thank you for posting that poem Carol, I've not seen it before & did not know Mrs.Scott retired soon after I left. Had forgotten her name was Mary but had remembered Miss Cavadini's first name was Ada. Mrs. Scott was lovely, she took us 4th year Needlework class girls to a shop in Seaford by prior arrangement, for us to chose & buy our material for our GCE dresses (the pattern was obligatory out of a choice of two though). I think Mrs. Scott lived in Seaford. We went by bus in lesson time, the shop was past Woolworths on the right, then at the end of the street turn left, then the store was on the right, if I remember it correctly after 55 years! Thanks to Mr.Higgs also & yes I remember him, but I never liked Geography as could not understand the atlas so found the lessons boring, however these days I find google earth fascinating!

By Brenda Hall
On 18/08/2012

The last thing she said to me when I left school was "You should have done a lot better, but you will be OK". I always liked her straight forward attiude you knew exactly where you were with her and you got on with your work, or else.

By Terry Howard
On 18/08/2012
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