Heather Keenan’s warm smile, calm presence and quiet ability to keep everything running smoothly will be missed by the school she served for 27 years.
For nearly three decades, anyone walking through the front doors at Sacred Heart Primary School was likely to be greeted first by Heather Keenan.
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With her warm smile, calm presence and quiet ability to keep everything running smoothly, Heather became far more than the school’s administration officer.
To generations of students, parents, staff and visitors, she was the reassuring constant, the familiar face who made Sacred Heart feel like home.
Now, after 27 years of dedicated service, Heather is preparing to retire, bringing to a close a remarkable chapter in both her life and the history of the Sacred Heart community.
Recently, staff, family, friends and former colleagues gathered to celebrate her extraordinary contribution.
The room was filled with laughter, shared memories and heartfelt stories, reflecting the deep affection held for a woman whose influence has quietly shaped the life of the school for decades.
Heather’s connection with Sacred Heart began in 1992, when her eldest daughter enrolled at the school.
Like many parents, she became involved in school life, helping at events, joining committees and supporting wherever she could, until an unexpected opportunity in 1999 changed her path.
“The office manager was taking long service leave, and they advertised for someone to come in for a month and answer the phones,” Heather recalled.
“I was lucky enough to get the job, and that’s really where the journey started.”
That one-month position quickly grew into something much more.
By 2000, Heather was working at Sacred Heart College before returning to the primary school in 2007, where she would remain for the rest of her career.
While many knew her as the school’s “office lady,” those words only scratch the surface of her contribution.
Heather was the organiser, the problem-solver, the calm in the middle of busy school mornings, and often the first person families turned to in times of need.
“No two days are ever the same,” she said.
“One minute you’re doing bank reconciliations and the next you’re helping a sick child, supporting a teacher, assisting a family or answering the phone.
“Whatever needed doing, you just did it.”
It was this quiet willingness to step in wherever she was needed, combined with her kindness and steady reliability, that made Heather such a treasured part of the school.
Principal Jarrod Mullavey paid tribute to Heather’s lasting impact.
“Heather’s legacy here is not only in the work she has done, but in the way she has done it,” he said.
“She has supported staff, welcomed families, reassured students and, in so many ways, quietly held the fabric of this community together.”
Beyond her administrative role, Heather also gave her time in leadership and volunteer positions, including school board chair and Parents and Friends president, helping strengthen the strong community spirit Sacred Heart is known for.
School assembly on the last day of Term 2 farewelled Heather.
She fondly remembers the days when school life extended beyond the classroom, with fundraising events and social gatherings bringing families together.
“We had progressive dinners around town and so many community activities,” she said.
“They were wonderful times and we’ve made friendships that have lasted a lifetime.”
Of all her roles, the most rewarding has been watching children grow from shy Prep students into confident Year 6 graduates.
“You watch them arrive in Prep and before you know it, they’re graduating,” Heather said.
Today, she delights in seeing a new generation arrive; children of former students now walking through the same gates.
Messages of appreciation poured in when news of her retirement was shared online, overwhelming Heather with emotion.
“The response absolutely blew me away,” she said.
“It was lovely to know people remembered.”
At her farewell afternoon tea on June 21, Heather was presented with a keepsake memory box engraved with A Lasting Legacy at Sacred Heart, a travel voucher, and a handmade Mercy Cross mosaic.
As she steps into retirement, she is looking forward to family time, travel with her husband, and a long-awaited trip to Lake Eyre.
Heather was farewelled at a special assembly at the school on the last day of term.
After 27 years, Sacred Heart is farewelling not just an employee, but a quiet pillar of its community whose kindness, dedication and steady presence will long be remembered.
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