Mary’s death has deeply saddened me, and seems so wrong for someone who I remember as being so energetic. She was a headmistress of the old school – deeply involved in the life of the school and knowing every member and inch of the community. I always marvelled at how well she knew the students, but I suppose it was no surprise: she cheered them on at a wide range of activities, and regularly read their reports. This level of personal involvement on a granular level created a deep sense of community that pervaded the school, but somehow never felt like micromanagement. I think this was because she respected her staff’s professionalism. For myself, this made me feel incredibly supported, like I would be backed to the hilt if a student or parent questioned the decisions I was making. She will be missed.