The Lutheran primary school staff have become a second family for Mrs O'Neill over 34 years.

She will remain a familiar face as grandmother of grade 3 student Lucy Wilson, but emotions will still be running high come Mrs O'Neill's final day on Friday.

"The schools going in a direction that will bring a lot of really exciting stuff, so it's good to have younger people come through," she said.

"And with two elderly parents, it was time."

While Mrs O'Neill will stay on the books as a casual teacher, this marks the end of a 44-year career that began in the ACT.

"I was there for nearly 10 years minus one term, and came back to Jindera and had long-service and maternity leave," she said.

"My uncle was the principal for the first two years I was here."

All three of Mrs O'Neill's children attended St John's, but she soon "learned her lesson"; her youngest son was in none of her classes.

Others in the family trained before her, but Mrs O'Neill said teaching was different then.

"I remember the first time we got a computer in the school," she said.

"If I stayed in teaching until I learned how to use the computer properly I would never leave."

Mrs O'Neill finds the fundamentals of teaching remain among increasing paperwork and childhood anxiety.

"I love the interaction with kids and seeing them 'get' something," she said.

An official farewell took place at the end of November, and principal Brad Moss said the departure of the school's longest-serving teacher would be felt.

She is a much-loved family member of the St John's team and will be missed," he said.

With the extra time in her schedule, Mrs O'Neill will have more availability for activities involving her role as Greater Hume councillor, which she has fulfilled for 14 years.

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"I'm so grateful for this environment; the school is just like a big family and we're so blessed to have the resources and space that we do," she said.

"But I'm really excited to have that freedom and just wander down and help put things away in the library."