Rachel Collier
Maria Jenkins
Maggie Jarman
E ver since Rachel’s arrival at Dulwich to take up her first teaching appointment in 1997, the Cloister tiles have clicked under her must-not-be-late- again run and the corridors have echoed to her infectious laugh. Proud of her Hungarian heritage and bi-lingual upbringing, she has an astounding capacity for, and love of, languages. The more difficult they are, the better, both living and long ago dead – although never dead in Rachel’s lessons as she taught Latin, Greek and Ancient History throughout the school. She led boys in exploring more than the common Classics, learning Sanskrit along with them for three years, and lectured happily about the Rosetta Stone as well as yearning to decipher Linear A. In her wake, she brought two tow-headed little boys, Sam and Louis, and what mighty assets to the College they grew to be: stars of the debating stage, clearly having inherited the Classicist’s delight in order and logic. Rachel’s organisational skills are formidable and must be the secret behind her success in steering a family of four children through the complexities of their academic, sporting and social lives, yet still maintaining the intellectual rigour of her own. How could such a capable and energetic person be confined just to the classroom? After six years as assistant, Rachel became Director of University Admissions in 2013. In this capacity she frequently decried the illiteracy of the 21st-century Personal Statement and applied her own inimitable brand of linguistic pedantry to the texts of applications and references. Let a simple list suffice to outline other responsibilities she has assumed over 17 years, alongside the births of two daughters: staff representative for DUCKS; running a Junior School Latin club; President of the Union (2005-2010); training competitors for the UK Linguistics Olympiad. She was Acting Head of Department in Michaelmas 2006, Principal OCR Examiner for GCSE Greek since 2011 and her seminars broadened the cultural sweep of the now-annual Symposium and Middle School Free Learning days.
Ken Maycock
The Classics Department will be bereft, not only of Rachel’s impeccable and encyclopaedic classical knowledge, but also of her vivid recounting of dreams that she had just experienced: more than that I may not say. The Common Room Bar will be the duller for the want of her erudite conversation, though the stock of Viognier might last longer. She propped up other kinds of bar, too: the Musical ones, eloquent with her clarinet in the orchestra and Wind Band, with whom she visited Salzburg in 2006. Anyone who has ever heard Rachel sing will appreciate her fine voice; it swelled not only the Bach Choir for 21 years, but also the more diminutive ranks of the altos in the Madrigal Choir and Dulwich Chamber Choir at concerts from the Fairfield Hall to Southwark Cathedral. In the 2000 production of Pirates of Penzance , Rachel tackled the part of Ruth with vibrance, and undertook other roles in staff and student productions, in The Real Inspector Hound and Unman Wittering and Zigo , as well as the Chorus of The Mikado , Iolanthe and King Arthur . In many ways, Rachel is a golden girl and the radiance of her personality has illumined many dull days. However, although professionally she rarely gave glimpses of it, life has not always been easy for her in the past few years, with many unfortunate trying circumstances to navigate in uncharted waters but, like a trireme in full sail, she crested those waves out of the troughs of despond. She leaves Dulwich for Latymer to be Head of Sixth Form, a position that she thoroughly deserves and where she can draw on all the skills and experience gleaned over her years at Dulwich. And, as should be obvious from what has just gone before, we will miss her mightily, colleagues and pupil cohorts alike. So, Rachel, you have drawn inspiration from ancient writers: let them have the final words: Amicitiae nostrae memoriam spero sempiternam fore (Cicero) et aequam memento rebus in arduis servare mentem (Horace). (‘I hope that the memory of our friendship will be everlasting’ and ‘Remember when life’s path is steep to keep your mind even.’)
M aria arrived to teach at the College in 1994 and was appointed Director of Art in 2002, a role that she fulfilled brilliantly and forcefully until her departure in July 2014. The Director of Art’s brief is a complex and difficult one, a tough nut to crack in any school; but possibly even more so at Dulwich with so many disparate and complex personalities engaged in the creative process, boys and teaching staff alike. Within what seemed like moments of her appointment, many much-needed changes were instigated: a longed-for computer suite was installed so that boys could properly engage with the digital world and major structural changes were made to enable each teacher to have his or her own teaching room. With regard to the teaching of Art, Maria was adamant that each of us should play to our strengths whilst fulfilling our role as team players. Her own modesty was impressive in that she more than once admitted that she did not consider herself to be the best teacher among us, but that it was her job to bring out the finest in her colleagues. I am not sure that the former is at all true as she was a superb motivator of boys and always had their best interests at heart, putting them first and rightly so. She took her duty to her pupils seriously, both academically and pastorally. In her 20 years at Dulwich she oversaw the education and development of many grateful boys, being as much concerned with their growth as individual personalities as with helping to further their artistic education. Maria’s down-to-earth sense of humour militated against artistic pretention and her loathing of self-
importance (emails were a rich source) could lead to a mirthful explosion of mock outrage emanating from her office along with perhaps a few well-chosen and sometimes unprintable words: it is hard to think of Maria without hearing the sound of her laughter. Under her guidance, the Art Department was a cheerful, cohesive and positive place to work for both boys and staff. She is a gifted artist in her own right and her talent embraces many disciplines. Her training was as a photographer and her skill in this field proved invaluable for her teaching and her later promotion of the role of digital imagery within the Art Department. She is also a fine printmaker and leapt to the rescue on more than one occasion when my own ineptitude in this field threatened a boy’s GCSE or A-level grade. Latterly, Maria has taken up landscape painting and this work (to my mind) is her best, embodying many virtues of this tradition by being delicately observed and concerned to convey the spirit of a particular place, yet without becoming bogged down in local detail. The painting she so generously donated to the Art Department upon her departure shows a side of her nature that is quietly sensitive and perceptive. We are deeply grateful to her for all that she did on behalf of the boys at the College and her staff in the Art Department in her two decades of loyal and invaluable service. We wish Maria every success and happiness in her current role as Director of Art at the newly established Dulwich College Singapore.
Janice Gillard
Richard Mayo
PamMartin
J anice was attached to Dulwich College as a Violin teacher and Assistant to the Head of Strings for 23 years. Her teaching method was thorough and her pupils were always technically secure and well prepared for their exams. Her assistance with the Second Orchestra
was valued and her coaching of the smaller ensembles such as String Quartets was informed by an affinity and knowledge of the Classical repertoire. We wish her every success as she steps away from the College.
Simon Northcote-Green
P am leaves the College after 10 years of devoted service in the Medical Centre. She has decided to retire after maintaining a distinguished record of high level medical care and attention given to boys of all ages. Pam’s method of treating boys and staff
was always professional and of the highest standard. Many will have appreciated her firm guidance and clear thinking, particularly when under pressure. We all join in wishing her a very happy retirement.
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