AN EMOTIONAL send-off for a much-loved retiring mealtime assistant has been staged at Tavistock Primary School.

Janet Cope, 77, of Whitchurch, said she could not hold back the tears when she was treated to a special school assembly to say goodbye and thank you for her 52 years’ service.

Janet was thought she had ‘escaped’ any send-off event, but knew she had failed when she was asked to attend the assembly.

There the school paid tribute to her through children singing songs, a speech by headteacher Laura Handel, a presentation of flowers and ‘an ode to Janet’ written and designed by Year 6 children.

Janet said: “My last day was a really moving one. The children and teachers and my colleagues were lovely and put on a big farewell event in assembly.

“I must admit I couldn’t hold back the emotions and the kitchen staff did shed some tears.

“They said some lovely things about me and how good was at my jobs – I also clean at the school – and how I will be missed.

“They packed the cleaning cupboard full of balloons, so they all came out when I opened it to get my stuff out which made me jump. They then decorated the hall for my surprise assembly.”

Janet joined the school preparing meals to fill in for another worker and then left because demand for school meals fell as prices rose. She then rejoined as a meal times assistant and has worked under six heads and when the school operated from two sites on Plymouth Road (the Alexander Centre and the GP surgery) – needing a shuttle bus to take children to their lunches at one site.

She said: “I have nothing but happy memories of working at the school. It’s the children that make the job such full of variety every day. No day is the same and no day is boring or routine. Even the naughty children said they’d miss me and one even asked me to tell them off one last time before I left, which was cheeky, but funny for us both.”

Both her children went to her school, but only one liked school meals, while the other took packed lunches.

In the past the food was served at the table, but now children queue and some of them are too small to see the food properly.

The children’s Ode to Janet was written on a large orange card decorated with catering designs, said: ‘52 years to this day a young lady called Janet came to play. Bright-eyed and keen, she started her day at Tavistock Primary School. In the school hall.’

Jane will now enjoy walking and gardening.

‘Janet answered the call. No job was too big or small at Tavistock Primary School. She settled in nicely and decided to stay. And all of the children said hooray.

It was a very special day at Tavistock Primary School. With her neat hair that she keeps in a bob, she’s always careful to do her job. A chip or two may disappear, but this doesn’t make us sob. ‘

Jane will now enjoy walking and gardening.