Oct 2008 - Morrison's Academy

Staff Leavers
Joan Taylor (cont.)
examiner? The list is endless and I
could go on, but the message is
clear: Joan goes the extra mile. In
modern educational parlance she is
the essence of Added Value.
And then there’s the small matter of
Joan Taylor, Music Teacher. Joan
teaches all age groups from Nursery
to S6 inclusive. She is officially Head of
Primary School Music, a role which
she fills with characteristic gusto and
thoroughness. In the midst of the most
hectic periods of the School year she
will frequently be found producing an
Assembly presentation with P3 before
dashing off to help the Advanced
Higher class through the next phase
of their Listening Commentary
(deadline tomorrow). She can cope
with anything from musical finger
puppets to dodecaphony and the
intricacies of serial compositional
technique, but her first love must
surely be singing.
Quite outwith her regular timetabled
day she has developed an evergrowing
clientele of pupils who have
established her own reputation, and
that of Morrison’s music, firmly in the
outside world as well as forming the
nucleus of the School Chamber Choir,
which is undoubtedly one of the
musical jewels in our crown. She
leaves her girls at the peak of their
form and she is delighted (as are we
all) that Mr Matthew Beetschen has
agreed to take over the important job
of keeping them right up there in the
top rank of school choirs.
Joan came here from Breadalbane
Academy in Aberfeldy, part-time at
first, and worked with Alison Hunter
and Derek Laidlaw before the last
musical regime change in 2001.
Originally from Northern Ireland, she
could never be mistaken for anything
other than a Belfast lass, but if there is
one of her characteristics that stands
out above others it is her absolute
rootedness in the local community
here - school, town and the wider
area around. If you don’t know Joan
(and if she doesn’t know you) there’s
a fault in the radar somewhere that
needs fixing. You will never see her
idle – in fact for much of the time she
is so busy and moves at such a
relentless pace that some people
simply don’t see her, full stop.
If I had to sum up the phenomenon
that is Joan in the minimum number
of words I would have to do it by
repeating the single question that I
have been asked probably more
often than any other during my time
at Morrison’s Academy: “Do you know
where Mrs Taylor is?” The answer is
invariably that I have not the faintest
notion, but that one thing is certain:
she is not lying down in a darkened
room taking life easy.
We wish Joan all the very best in her
new post of Head of Music at
Ardvreck, just up the road, and we
know that she will stamp her
inimitable personality on it in the
same way that she has here. She
leaves with our unbounded thanks,
appreciation and admiration.
H Duthie
Staff The Morrisonian | 07/08 Page 159
Marion Lines
Marion Lines is leaving
Morrison’s Academy for
“pastures new”, having
taught German and
French for 16 years and
been Head of Careers for 11 of those
years. Perhaps the best way to
capture those 16 years is through the
musing of pupils and colleagues, past
and present:
“Her teaching was very clear to us
and I really enjoyed learning French
with her as she teaches it in a fun but
firm way.”
- Melissa TA
“She made herself very clear and
made learning French much more
fun than at my last school.”
- Sam TA
“I enjoyed all her classes. She made
them fun by using Powerpoint when
we were starting new topics. Thank
you, Miss Lines, I will miss you.”
- Alison TA
“Marion is someone with a genuine
love of her subject, particularly of
German, and a keen academic
interest in both language and
literature. She has a gentle, quiet
manner, treating pupils and
colleagues alike with courtesy and
respect. That said, she is not afraid to
voice an opinion, but always in a
measured and considered way that
does not cause offence. A private
and reserved lady, she relates with
more ease to individuals than to large
groups but when you get to know her
she has a nice sense of humour.”
- Sylvia Gardner, former Assistant
Rector
“I first met Marion about eleven years
ago when I started working with ISCO