Cheryl Henderson has worked in Catholic education for 50 years - 46 of which have been in the Maitland-Newcastle Dioceses.

The school surprised Mrs Henderson after a liturgy about the history of Catholic education, by honouring her long-term achievement.

Mrs Henderson began her career in Sydney before moving to the Hunter in 1975 and teaching at St Patrick's in Cessnock, Holy Spirit Kurri Kurri, St Brigid's at Branxton, St Paul's at Rutherford and then onto Our Lady of Lourdes where she has been for the past 13 years, holding the positions of assistant principal and principal.

Our Lady of Lourdes religious education coordinator Petrina Massey said Mrs Henderson was "highly supportive and extremely approachable, compassionate and caring".

Related: Three sets of twins start kindergarten at Our Lady of Lourdes

"She is forward thinking with a vision to the future which inspires and encourages us all to exceed our own expectations regularly," she said.

"She regularly emphasises to staff that we are all responsible for the students at Our Lady of Lourdes and it's all about the kids.

"She has very wide open door policy of which we are all grateful for. However it is possibly the reason she is here so early and stays so late she can do the work she had actually planned on completing during the day.

"A visit to Cheryl's office is never complete without quietly opening the left hand drawer and sneaking a treat from her chocolate and lolly stash.

"Cheryl will always provide support in times of need. She cares for the wellbeing of all staff, students and the wider community."

Mrs Henderson said the acknowledgement was a surprise, but felt honoured.

"It's lovely that my staff feel that way, that they acknowledge that this is the vocation for me," she said. "It's a privilege to have been part of this journey and it's still going forward.

"I'm a convert to Catholicism, so it's something I'm very passionate about."

Mrs Henderson said it was also special to be notching up the milestone at Our Lady of Lourdes as her grandchildren attended the school.

Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle Catholic schools director Gerard Mowbray attended the celebration and said it was "a really special occasion".

"It's just outstanding that she's worked in education for all those years," he said.

"I've worked in education and whilst it's a wonderful vocation, it is hugely challenging and I think the fact that Cheryl has had that longevity is probably testament to the amazing passion she has for young people.

"She's a driven woman and I think she's probably stayed in education because she knows that everyday she really does want to make a pretty significant difference to the lives of young people."

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