Dannevirke: Farewell to beloved teacher

Chris Beetham, principal of Weber School (back, centre) with Prue Haldane, surrounded by all the pupils of Weber School.

"The pocket rocket," was how most described Weber School's extraordinary teacher aide of 28 years, Prue Haldane.

Last week the school and Weber community farewelled Prue and her husband Richard after 35 years farming in the district.

Known as Mrs H by pupils, Prue was described as a pint-sized power pack at the farewell in a packed district hall last Friday night.

"Prue leaves a gap on the Weber School map," principal Chris Beetham said. "I was appointed to the school in 1986, by the then head of the board of trustees Peter Barnett who was convinced I needed help. So along came Prue. She worked as a volunteer until 1997, before going on the payroll as a teacher aid, spending all those years working with me in Room 1.

"She's been an energetic, hardworking, gifted and compassionate teacher known for spending her weekends at school striving to be the best."

Sam Edwards, a former teacher at Weber, said he'd been very privileged to be with a team of women who were like mother hens.

"Prue told me to pull my head in, raise my standards and just get on with it," he said.

Liz Allen, a literacy adviser for the Manawatu, worked with Prue while completing her post-graduate degree in literacy.

"She was fantastic and the results were amazing," she said. "Prue took my research thesis and ran with it, working with three pupils. One pupil moved two-and-a-half years in reading age in two terms; another moved up one-and-a-half years and the third also made outstanding progress."

After pupils sang their school song and another dedicated to Mrs H, it was time for their rendition of Abba's Mamma Mia, with the Haldanes delighting family and friends with an impromptu dance on stage in front of the community.

Prue's husband Richard then talked about their plans for the future. "It's my time to be with Prue 24/7," he said. "We'll be able to spend time with our five lovely girls and our grandchildren. Mind you, it was pretty good having Prue going to school every Sunday, it meant I could go to golf."

The Haldanes have moved into a new home in Central Hawke's Bay and left Weber last Sunday, with Prue admitting there were lots of tears.

"I could barely see where I was going because of the tears, but it was time to make the next step," she said. "I'm looking forward to spending time with our five grandchildren who have already bounced on the beds and put biscuits on the carpets."

And the new neighbours have made the couple welcome, helping to move furniture into the house, bringing food and coping with the mud that surrounds the yet unfinished house. "It's a complete and utter shambles here at the moment," Prue said. "I'll miss Weber, but now it's time for the next chapter in our lives."