Strathallan Staff News We say farewell to... Sheldon Drover Sheldon Drover spent the last seven years being quite literally the big man of the common room. This towering Canadian bought energy, verve and professionalism to the Maths department and, in his guise as Head of Strathallan’s Duke of Edinburgh programme, far beyond it too. Sheldon threw himself into the life of a Scottish boarding school, cutting a dash in a kilt and dusting off the pipes for good measure. He was as supportive of his friends and colleagues as he was of his pupils. The school as a whole will miss his authority, his professionalism, his sense of fun, his absolute sense of fairness and most of all, his contagious philosophy that life is for living. It is that very philosophy which has taken Sheldon, Francesca and their girls to Vietnam on a whole new adventure. We wish them well and can’t wait to see what they get up to. Rachel Quigley Rachel was with us for only a year but she certainly made her mark in that time. She bought innovative fun to the Maths department, was a sympathetic and empathetic resident tutor in Thornbank and was an energetic member of the CCF staff. She managed to keep a huge variety of activities going during lockdown but ultimately, the lure of family and friends in the restricted times of the pandemic proved too great for Rachel. We are grateful for everything she offered us and wish her every success as she moves on. Niall Dickens Niall Dickens, who spent this year in the PE department and as a Freeland tutor, made a number of important contributions to Strathallan. As husband to a Strathallian he knew exactly what to expect when he and his family returned to the UK to live and work. His wife might not have expected to bump into Mrs Barnes, her former house matron, at the primary school gates but that’s part of the joys of longevity at the school. As a father he must have revelled in the praise lavished on his son Raghallaigh who made such an impression in Riley house. In the senior school he quickly gained the wholehearted approval of those in both the PE department and Freeland, most notably he became one of those chosen as a portrait subject by talented A level art student Muna. Niall’s time with us might have been brief, but it was special in all sorts of ways.
Jed Case As a newly qualified teacher, Jed threw himself into the wider life of the school; as resident tutor in Ruthven for a year and as a cricket coach as well as all the DT department has to offer, his time with us was certainly busy. This year, with a growing young family, Jed made the decision to move back to Edinburgh and we wish him all the very best as he pursues his career from this new base. The Strathallian
139
