Ron Lay – Our third longest-serving current staff member, Ron, is hanging up the guitar this year after 30 years. Whether it’s donning the red for Taylor or turning sums into songs, Ron’s always given his best… at high volume and with boundless flair. Over the years, Ron has worked under four principals, “each here for an important season where their God-given skills, gifts and talents were necessary for the ongoing growth of the College”; he’s held positions as the Head of Maths, Head of Science, Year 12 Coordinator, Academics Extensions Coordinator; been involved in a plethora of extra-curricular activities like chess and musicals; supplied conundrums for the newsletter; and proudly worn the Taylor red as Senior School house leader. Music has always been a huge part of the Ron show. He loved to turn a tricky concept into a catchy tune. You’d often hear students singing them to their mates after class, whether they got the point or not. “To be in a place as long as I have, and have it bless me and enrich me, as this has. It is so hard to let go,” said Ron. “There are so many special people to me here. I love my students and work colleagues, I have a passion for them. I’m going to miss this place, but I know I’m going into a new journey.”
Andrew Morabito – A teacher of French and Chinese, Andrew has taught at Heathdale since 1995, (aside from 2017, which he spent establishing a French program elsewhere). It is long enough for some of Andrew’s current students to be children of his former pupils.
His next career move, to teach French at the city campus of Haileybury College, is not one Andrew was seeking (a recruit company acting for Haileybury initiated the contact) but one into which he believes God is calling him to step in faith.
Andrew has also enjoyed seeing some of his students become French teachers, along with hearing their language skills used in more humble contexts.
“Just inconsequential things, where you actually see them try to use their French when they’re overseas and they order in French. I really like that, because they’re using their skills and they’re owning their skills.”