Students are set to say goodbye to assistant principal Lynn Chittick at an assembly at 2.45pm in the school’s hall.

Mrs Chittick, whose sole career has been in Department of Education, said she has a passion for public education, a passion for teaching kids and that she was “truly privileged to be a teacher”.

“[Kids] will be the thing I miss,” Mrs Chittick said.

“I would like to thank the students and parents of Milton Public for the magnificent time I have had.

“I can honestly say that the children who have attended Milton over the last 10 years are second to none. Their manners are exemplary and they come to school with a willingness to learn.”

Mrs Chittick., who spent the last 10 years of her career at Milton, had always wanted to be a primary teacher and when she got her opportunity in 1980 she “never looked back”.

Her first post was in Bourke at the distance education centre where she taught correspondence children.

“I used to visit kids on properties that were hundreds of thousands of square miles, that was fun,” she recalled.

The most interesting development in education was the advancement of technology in the classroom. Mrs Chittick remembered using “jelly pads”, vastly different to photocopying.

“You would heat it up and it would set and you would use carbon paper and do 30 sets of books, [when] the gelatin would start to set on the books, it got very messy,” she said.

“Computers first came into schools in 1986 and it was a cassette recorder, and monochrome screen. To see the advancements to actually having touch technology, that’s certainly the biggest change that has occurred.”

The long-standing teacher said there was so many “different things” she has fond memories of in Milton, but Christmas concerts, her colleagues and opportunities for children outside of the classroom stood out.

“The Christmas concerts have been absolutely fun and taking children to eisteddfods and giving them opportunities outside the curriculum is always important,” Mrs Chittick said.

“Working with amazing teachers. I think that’s one of the bonuses as an assistant principal. I supervise people and have a great time with them.

“I think the amazing thing about Milton Public is that sense of community, the parents are absolutely amazing and we participate in the Milton Show and the arts festivals and things like that.”

Mrs Chittick also taught at Sussex Inlet and East Nowra schools for 13 and five years respectively.

She had the unique opportunity to teach a “second gen” of children at Sussex Inlet.

Looking ahead, Mrs Chittick and her husband intend to travel for two years.

However, she will put her decades of experience in education to good use on the road.

“What I do intend to do is volunteer as a tutor on stations,” she said.

“You go out to a property for six weeks and then move on, go and have fun, kayak, dive, swim and walk. Life will be good.”