Karyn Ross remembers a manic morning on the first day she arrived at Henschke Primary School.
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Newly arrived in the city from her hometown in Geelong, she stood at the gates as her two young sons wandered in to begin their first day of school.
"I didn't know a soul and it was a big school. I had my two boys and my baby in a stroller," Mrs Ross said.
"I was standing with hundreds of kids running around me as one [son] went in one direction and the other went the other way. I didn't even know where to go to pick them up in the afternoon.
"But we made it through that and there was just so much support at the school."
That day was 27 years ago, and since then, Mrs Ross has graduated from being a "drop-off mum" to serving as the school's much-beloved chaplain for the past 11 years.
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Now, it is time for Mrs Ross to say goodbye and begin the next chapter of her life as a school-based grief counselling trainer.
When then-principal Michael Jones offered her the position of chaplain, Mrs Ross admits neither she nor he knew what to expect.
"We had no idea what it meant, but we made it our own," she said.
"Michael wanted me to get involved with running Seasons of Loss, to help grieving children after death, divorce or separation. Then the organisation contacted me to become a trainer for [the] Good Grief [programme] and so that's what I'll be doing."
Over the years, Mrs Ross has introduced various programmes to the school, including the annual 'blokes' breaky' and 'girls' night in' for graduating year 6 students.
As she prepares for her next endeavour, Mrs Ross admits she will miss the camaraderie of her colleagues and school community.
"There are always beautiful children who stick in your mind. You might meet a mum who's going through a difficult situation, and bond with them. I have two women like that who have become like daughters to me," she said.
"It's been gut-wrenching. So many have told me they love me so much, there has been lots of kind words. I'm dreading walking out of here, I don't know how to leave."