Tributes to Sally-Anne

[Amber]

It is with sadness that I return to the forum to add my condolences to those already so eloquently expressed here. "Sally Anne" and I were in touch 'in the background' and she helped me to prepare appeals for two friends - one for a primary school and one an in-year appeal for a non-selective secondary school. That both cases were successful was, I am sure, in large part thanks to her advice. She gave freely of her time to help others, and that is something rare and valuable in this increasingly dog-eat-dog world of ours. I hope that if her family reads the messages on here, they will see an extra dimension to the loved one they have lost, and that this may give them comfort, along with their own special and personal memories.

[doodles]

I was so very sorry to hear this sad news, all I can add is my thoughts and love to her family.

[scary mum]

I would like to add my voice to this thread as I understand that her family will see it at some point in the future.
As everyone has already said, this was a horrible shock to us all. It's amazing how affected you can be by the death of someone you have never met.
In spite of this, I felt that Sally-Anne (how she regretted that hyphen!) was a friend, she supported me & many others behind the scenes, and offered her time, sympathy & good old common sense when I needed it most. I am pleased to say I was able to do something for her a couple of times as well, but nothing in comparison to the time & effort she gave freely to anyone who asked.
I know she was very active in her local community as well as other areas, and I think these sentiments will be echoed over and over again - that Sally-Anne was kind, helpful, and generous with her time.
RIP, Sally-Anne, and my heartfelt sympathies to your family and "real life" friends who must be devastated.

[mad?]

I echo all the comments above. Sally-Anne (and yes, the hyphen!) did so much good on these boards, behind the scenes by PM and then also in her other voluntary activities and in real life of course. She will be very sadly missed by many of us. What a wonderful way with words she had! I will be revisiting her thread below https://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum ... =free+rice" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
on a regular basis as a way of remembering her and doing my bit to help others, as she did so thanklessly.

[Stroller]

Sally-Anne’s sense of humour was a defining feature. Despite the nature of this thread, perhaps it’s apt to quote how she described the moderator’s role back in 2009?

Modding for Beginners

1. The Mod must always intervene on a thread at precisely the right moment. For the main protagonist on the thread this will of course be directly after they have had the last word, and preferably the thread will be locked at that point to preserve their last word for posterity. Locking the thread or intervening any earlier would of course be “heavy-handed modding”.

2. The Mod must expect to be besieged by PMs from any members who are losing the argument on a thread. Invariably the PMs will start along the lines of “Sally-Anne, where are you?” The Mod must resist the temptation to say that he or she does not actually live inside the computer, but in a real house inhabited by other real people. As a result, the Mod has something that occasionally resembles a life, which includes the need to eat, sleep and even visit the smallest room without a laptop.

3. Mods must be willing to read every new post on the Forum even when it is of no interest to them or contains the most ineffable drivel. They must then be prepared to read the completely inane posts that will follow the drivel, as night follows day.

4. Mods must never, ever sound bored when answering a post, even when they have read the same post and given the same answer a thousand times before, sometimes within the last week. Smile while you Mod, even if it makes your face ache and your heart sink.

5. A Mod may only ever express their real feelings within the confines of the Dungeon, never on the Forum. Whilst stalking the boards of the Forum a Mod must exude an air of calm, sweetness and light. Frequent cleaning to remove the blood spattered around the Dungeon, caused by the Mods repeatedly hitting their heads against the walls, is included in the job description.

6. Cleaning duties do not end there. Regular daily cleaning of the Forum itself is required to remove quantities of rotten spam. Occasionally a troll will also be sighted, and both the troll and its droppings must be tracked and eliminated. The Mod must be prepared for the fact that the troll is unlikely to go quietly and may send parcels of foul-smelling troll droppings to the Mod via PM before departing for a less well-moderated forum where they can roam free.

7. A Mod must instantly recognise that when a Member posts a picture of her pet snakes, revulsion and mass hysteria will ensue, and the picture must be removed within seconds. When that member later posts a picture of a dog attempting to mount a duck the Mod must realise that it is considered to be the highest form of wit, wholly appropriate to an educational discussion board and the pic must be allowed to stand.

8. Mods should always remember that to do this for absolutely no payment at all is a privilege. They must remind themselves of that especially when mediating in a debate where they are forced to remind squabbling Forum members for the umpteenth time that posting here is not a right but, likewise, a privilege.

9. A Mod must have the wisdom of Solomon, the patience of Job, the endurance of Nelson Mandela and the goodness of Mother Teresa. Even when being trampled on by a herd of angry members, the Mod must have the sticking power of a piece of chewing gum on a pavement.

10. Anyone looking for a job?

Few manage to be both incisive and insightful. By doing all of that and more, seemingly effortlessly, Sally-Anne earned respect. She was a great woman.

[BucksBornNBred]

Such sad news. My deepest sympathy goes to her family and friends. All the comments above ring true to my experiences with Sally-Anne. Though I only knew her through this forum she was always such a lovely, helpful and friendly lady. She helped me through my hard times during an appeal and often made me laugh with her comments on the forum. I felt I could trust her (which I could) and reached out to her a couple of times via PM when I needed help but didn't feel comfortable going public. Her help and support was invaluable.

RIP, Sally-Anne. You were a true friend to a lot of strangers and you will be sadly missed. xx

There is a new star up in heaven tonight

[heartmum]

So very sad to read the news about Sally-Anne - she was such a kind, thoughtful person who did all she could to help others in need. Someone so special will never be forgotten X X X

[kittymum]

What terribly sad news and my deepest sympathies and love to all Sally-Anne’s friends and family.

I’ve been around this board for many years. My youngest is sitting GCSES in a matter of weeks and Sally-Anne very kindly held my hand through the 11+ process- nothing was ever too much. As others have said she was wickedly funny making me laugh out loud on occasions.

She never forgot anyone and had a remarkable memory for all of us and our children.

Many children (and parents) in Bucks are probably more in debt to her then they realise.

[Ricky74]

Thank you for lettimg us know. I am shocked and saddened to hear this and my thoughts go out to her family.

Sally-Anne played a key role in my son's (successful) appeal. She gave her time and expertise freely and I will forever be grateful for her generosity and patience.

She has clearly helped so many families over the years. Families like mine who were lost in a sea of admissions and appeals and whose lives were transformed because volunteers like Sally-Anne give so much.

A heartfelt thank you to Sally-Anne and loving thoughts to her family during this difficult time .

[Ricky74]

Thank you for lettimg us know. I am shocked and saddened to hear this and my thoughts go out to her family.

Sally-Anne played a key role in my son's (successful) appeal. She gave her time and expertise freely and I will forever be grateful for her generosity and patience.

She has clearly helped so many families over the years. Families like mine who were lost in a sea of admissions and appeals and whose lives were transformed because volunteers like Sally-Anne give so much.

A heartfelt thank you to Sally-Anne and loving thoughts to her family during this difficult time .

I'd like to add that we're not even in Bucks, yet she wanted to help a desperate family in Birmingham when my son's school place was withdrawn at the 11th hour. She wanted to do the right thing. Bless her x