0n 1st July 1974 Sr. Teresa Joseph Hennessy stood with her Aunt Sr. Paulinus and watched the organised disorder of classes being promoted to new teachers, Sixth Class leaving sadly and boys going to the Brothers. After twenty years teaching in Edenderry she was now the new Principal of the Faythe School and only the 5th person to hold that position in the schools span of 99 years. She was one of the six new teachers to arrive that day, so no wonder there was a slight sense of confusion on the premises.
It was not her first time in the school. She had taught 6th Class in 1947 and second class in 1948 and like other nuns had served her year as postulant in the old school when she had been an assistant to Mother Berchmans.
In 1975 the first male teacher joined the staff. He was Mr. Brendan Howlin who left the school in 1983 to become a Senator and was later elected to Dáil Éireann.
Perhaps one of the biggest changes that took place during Sr. Teresa Joseph's time was the appointment of a Board of Management. Up to this if something was needed in the school the Principal just went to the Reverend Mother of the convent at the time and asked for the money or for the job to be done. The Reverend Mother of the convent was also the School Manager.
The first meeting of the new Board of Management met in the school on the 21st October 1975 at 7.30 p.m. Sr. Justinian Joyce who was the Reverend Mother agreed to act as chairperson. The following members signed an acceptance form and agreed to manage the school in accordance with the regulations of the Department of Education. Mrs. Anne Kierans, Rev. John Jordan, C.C., then the School Chaplain, Ceall O'Dunlaing, Tomas O'Hartigan, and John R. Sherwood. At the next meeting three new members signed the acceptance form, Mrs. Maureen Considine, Mr. Joseph Furlong, and Mr. Patrick O'Dowd. The Board was now complete and began the task of managing a big school. Sr. Teresa Joseph acted as Secretary on the original Board and Ceall O'Dunlaing was Treasurer. Over the years the Board has devoted itself to such tasks as appointing teachers, fund-raising, repairs, painting, replacing windows, acquiring the Rocks field for Sports Day, cleaning the school, the formation of the Junior Traffic Warden scheme and much more.
Sr. Justinian was transferred in 1979 and Sr. Albert Kenny became the next Chairperson and Mrs. Monica Hayes became a member of the Board the same year. The Board of Management comes up for re-election every three years. It always consists of the Chairperson, Bishops appointees, two parents' representatives and a representative of the teachers.
Money always seems to be a problem and Sr. Teresa Joseph was fortunate in having a good fund-raising team to help with cake sales, bazaars, concerts and whatever other means by which money could be made.
1979 saw the appointment of a School Secretary for the first time. Dolores Roche Fardy began work in the school on the first of September of that year. Now everyone finds it hard to imagine how we would manage without her. She shares her time between the Faythe and Our Lady of Fatima Special School. Mr. George Ross was appointed as Caretaker in 1979. Even though he has retired now the children still go to "Mr. Ross's Office" in search of paper or lost coats, or straws for the milk or any of the things he seemed always able to provide.
In the year 1980 the end of the phasing out of primary and secondary pupils was reached. The Presentation school at last closed its Primary section and two of the teachers, Mrs. Teresa Cantwell and Sr. Gertrude arrived to teach in the Faythe and brought their classes with them.
1980-1981 saw the highest number of children, 650, ever on the rolls and twenty one teachers on the staff. Boys were now retained until the end of third class. There were classes everywhere, at one time part of a class was up on the stage!
The full staff in the year 1981- 1982 was as follows:
Sr. Teresa Joseph, Principal
Mrs. M. Considine, Vice Principal
Sr. Dolores, Miss Marian Clancy, Mrs. A. Keating,
Miss E. Cullen, Mrs. Bernadette Parle, Mr. B. Howlin,
Mrs. M. Crofton, Sr. Marie Therese, Sr. Mary Ryan,
Sr. Mary O'Shea, Mrs. R. Morrissey, Mrs.T. Cantwell,
Sr. Marie Jones, Mrs. M. Cashman, Sr. Gertrude,
Mrs. Peggy Hill, Mrs. N. Power.
In 1982 the parents again brought up the idea of a school uniform. This would be the fourth! Whereas the first uniform was for drill, the second for special occasions and the third for the secondary school, the fourth uniform was for everyday wear. Parents voted on a choice of colours and wine and grey was the most popular choice. The girls now wear pinafores, grey blouses and grey cardigans and the boys wear grey trousers, wine jumpers and grey shirts. All wear wine and grey ties.
From the year 1981 onwards numbers in the schools began to decline. Teachers who retired could not be replaced. Sr. Marie Therese retired after serving in both primary and secondary school. Sr. Dolores retired, Srs Mary O'Shea and Patrice were appointed as Principals to other schools and Mr. Howlin became a T.D. in 1987.
All the new housing estates were being built on the far side of town. The new school at Coolcotts, Scoil Mhuire, opened and many of the younger generation of Faythe families moved out of the area. The parents of the sixties are becoming grand-parents of the nineties and very few children live in the Faythe itself nowadays.
Sr, Teresa Joseph retired from her post amid many tears in 1988 and handed on the job to Sr. Marie Jones. She hasn't stopped working though! She is now part of the Catechetical team that visits schools each year and is loving every minute of it!
Although Sr. Marie Jones' principalship is still in its infancy she has not lost any time in getting things done. The school now has a playground to be proud of. It has basket—ball courts, tennis courts, hop scotch and several other games areas marked out on its lovely new surface.
Once again there is a great fund-raising team working tirelessly to provide the improvements the school needs. Many a mother calling for her child in the afternoon has been heard to say "We didn't have things like that when I was going to school".
The school still distinguishes itself in the Music world. In 1986 and 1987 the school choir trained by Mrs. Maureen Considine won three gold medals at Slógadh Náisiúnta and took part in the final concert for President Hillary on both these occasions. Several trophies were won for verse speaking at the Arklow Festival and in 1989 the Junior Traffic Wardens brought glory to the school by winning the national final.
In this year 1991 the Faythe school has 398 pupils and thirteen teachers of whom only two, Sr. Marie and Sr. Mary Curran are sisters of St. John of God. Nobody knows what the next chapter will be. Every pupil who was educated at the Faythe has different memories. One thing is for certain Sr. Philip Barron was right that day in 1875 when she took the keys and said "We can teach too".
