'Inspirational' teacher given fancy dress send-off by pupils (From Bucks Free Press)

'Inspirational' teacher at Chesham school given fancy dress send-off by pupils

7:30am Wednesday 6th February 2013 in News By Andy Carswell

A UNIQUE fancy dress tribute was paid to a popular performing arts teacher at a Chesham school on Friday.

Pupils and staff at the Chiltern Hills Academy dressed up as their favourite characters from novels, plays and films as a way of paying tribute to former director of performing arts Lynne Wright.

Described as an inspirational teacher, Mrs Wright - a mother of three who started working at the-then Chesham Park Community College in 1975 - died in December aged 63.

Her husband of 43 years, Ian, said of the fancy dress tribute: "It was something totally unexpected and something we as a family found hugely uplifting. I'm in no doubt Lynne would have loved it."

The idea was put forward by members of the Academy's sixth form charity committee, as a way of raising money towards a permanent memorial to Mrs Wright.

Academy Principal Kevin Patrick said: "Her untimely death shocked us all. We all wanted to do something special for her in her memory.

"She was an inspirational teacher and positively impacted many students through her classes and extra curricular performing arts work. She was an outstanding member of staff here.

"The support from everyone was fantastic - they really responded well and remembered the wonderful things she did."

Mrs Wright retired from her post in 2008, but even after that she couldn't keep away and continued to help with extra curricular activities and plays at the Academy.

Mr Wright said: "She was totally dedicated to her job and the school, and more specifically to the pupils she taught. We received many tributes to her from generations of pupils who benefitted hugely from being taught by her.

"Many people have described her as a larger than life character. She had a huge passion for drama and the performing arts.

"She had a dedication to teaching children who hadn't always had the best start in their education and needed that bit of focusing. She was good at bringing the best out of people."

All three of her children, Joanne, Emma and Alison, are involved in the teaching profession. She also had two grandchildren, four-year-old Rebecca and two-year-old Toby.

Mr Wright said: "The passion she had for teaching was only equalled by that she had for her children and grandchildren."