Here in Holy Trinity School we are very sad to see our principal, Mr. Jerry Grogan, retire at the end of this term. After working with him for many years as a fellow teacher and as “the boss” we can’t imagine Holy Trinity School without him – students, parents and colleagues.
So how did Jerry become a teacher? As the story goes he had decided to become a secondary school teacher. He studied at night in UCD and during the day subbed as a primary school teacher. It was during this time that he realised that primary teaching was in fact for him. Following this, his first job was in White Friar Street where he taught for one year before he found himself in Holy Trinity School on July 1st 1978.
He has taught the children of Donaghmede for 28 years before becoming principal in the last ten years. In this time he has worked with generations of families. He has instilled a love of learning, in particular through his passions of Gaeilge, sport and nature.
Throughout his career, he has spent hours of his own time every week organising trainings, matches, and trips to Croke Park etc. The children of our school, both past and present, remember every detail of these games and Jerry reminisces points and goals scored by each of them from many a year gone by.
Tastefully, he has completely changed the outside area around the school to now include an organic garden, a polytunnel, a compost area and a pond. He has planted native Irish trees around our school and created bird feeding areas among them.
But mostly he has come to school every day cheerfully, greeted the children in the yard or corridors with a smile on his face and treated his colleagues with the highest of respect. Everyone who comes to our school comments on the lovely atmosphere the school has and how happy everyone is to be here. This is all down to Jerry and his friendly, caring and easy-going personality.
It’s been a privilege to work beside him and we all wish him the very best of luck in this new phase of life. We hope he won’t be a stranger and that he’ll come back to visit us often. Go n-éirí an bóthar leat Jerry!