After more than three decades as part of the Bunclody Community College community, Sandra O’Toole is preparing to begin a new chapter as she retires from the school.
Sandra first joined Bunclody Vocational College as it was, in 1994 and, since 2010, has served as Deputy Principal. During that time, she has witnessed enormous changes in education, technology and wider society, while also seeing one thing remain constant — the importance of relationships and community.
We caught up with Sandra to reflect on her career, the changes she has witnessed, the lessons she has learned and what she will take with her from her many years at BCC.
You first joined Bunclody Community College in 1994. What has changed most during your time here?
I suppose the biggest change in my time at Bunclody Community College has been technology – how it is used in education and in our lives.
When I started in 1994, there was no internet, or certainly none that we were using in our lives at that time. I was teaching a secretarial course to students who were using typewriters, with word processing in its infancy! Windows were things we looked out of!
We found information from books, TV documentaries, newspapers, libraries and other people. People communicated face to face, by phone — talking — or by writing letters and faxes.
While technology has fundamentally changed everything, both positively and negatively, its impact on our school life has been enormous.
Has all of this technological change changed your view of what a school is?
While I value the transformative uses of technology in education, it has also made me much more aware of the value of what schools really are at their core.
We meet each other every day, five days a week. We build face-to-face connections. While the world around us is changing, schools still function on relationships — person-to-person, conversation by conversation, interactions, laughter and sometimes tears.
Connections are what build a community. I hope this never changes.
You have worked with generations of students during your career. What have they taught you?
Being a teacher and Deputy Principal at Bunclody Community College has been a privilege.
To have supported and celebrated students over the years as they transformed from childhood to adulthood has been incredibly rewarding. We, as teachers in BCC, are so aware of our responsibility in this worthwhile task.
All the students and staff I have worked with over the years have taught me so much. I have learned to never make assumptions about anyone, ever. They can surprise you in so many wonderful ways. Everyone has so much resilience in ways we cannot see.
You had a particular saying displayed in your office. What did it mean to you?
I had a saying hanging up in my office:
“Be kind, for you never know what is in someone’s mind or heart.”
When you are working in a community of hundreds of people, you are dealing with so much that is going on in the background of their lives. I have seen every day the transforming consequences of acts of kindness and care for each other. That will stay with me.
Education clearly means a great deal to you. Why?
I am a product of the free education scheme introduced by Donagh O’Malley. People forget how transformative this was to a generation growing up in the seventies. Education is the gateway to everything — not just a career path, but to sparking an interest in all that the world has to offer. We learn new skills and hobbies, we find out about our world through all the subjects we study, and we make friendships that will last a lifetime. You never stop learning. I have been so lucky to be part of a teaching cohort that have embodied this ethos and made it part of their work every day. Hard work, determination and the right attitude will get you there — whatever ‘there’ means for different people. But how we treat each other has to be the foundation of how we live our lives. Bunclody Community College has taught me that, and I will carry that with me always.
You have also developed a strong connection with books and reading. What does reading mean to you?
I cannot leave out books, since I hope to be a librarian in my next life! I will treasure the beautiful books, the inscriptions by the students and the exquisite bookcase that the school presented to me.
Reading and books have been the biggest influence in my life. They are a portal to other worlds, people’s minds and times in history. In a world that is so immediate and busy, I hope that all the students of BCC will continue to love reading and books and use them as their portal to help them relax and take a break from the busyness of life.
Finally, after so many years at BCC, what will you remember most?
The people. The students and staff I have worked with, the relationships built over the years and the experiences we have shared are what I will carry with me.
A Lasting Legacy at BCC
Sandra leaves Bunclody Community College having made an enormous contribution to the life of the school. Since joining BCC in 1994 and becoming Deputy Principal in 2010, Sandra has been a dedicated advocate for students, staff and the wider school community. She was so often the first port of call for anyone who needed help, advice or support, and her kindness, care and commitment have left a lasting impression. Her legacy will be found not only in the work she has done, but in the people she has supported, encouraged and inspired along the way. And, of course, there will be plenty of other memories — including those legendary and delicious pavlovas!
We wish Sandra a long, healthy and happy retirement and every happiness for the future with the family. You will be greatly missed at BCC.