Always Caring, Good or Bad

Just because you have retired doesn't mean that you don't care about your former students, their families, or your colleagues. Hearing from them can make your day or break your heart.

Like this one, from Danny, who I had my third and fourth years of teaching. He made me smile when he quoted the Yankee Ridge school song and then cry with his last line.

This is so exciting! Even when I was there in the 90s as a student, I'm pretty sure it was noticeably due for this work! I think I remember being unimpressed when the fans went in.
Yankee Ridge was such a great school. Definitely "real cool", I know that you will agree. 😍 As always, it was the people there that made it special, like you!

Then there are those communications or messages that absolutely break your heart, even though you suspected that things might turn out the way that they did.

Hi. I wanted to tell you about our child's 6th grade year but it’s a lot to absorb. The first semester went well for the most part. He did end up getting moved out of PE and put in a study hall. It was too much of a stressor. He got into some trouble in November but that seemed isolated. As soon as they returned from Winter Break, all hell broke loose for him. He was in trouble regularly and some of his trouble involved violence. He was treated so very fairly by the school. They went above and beyond to help him. Despite several extra chances, he had in school suspension and after school detention. The final straw was at the end of the year with 3 school days remaining.  He was suspended from school for 3 days. He deserved the suspension. I’ll not make any excuses for him. He didn’t take his finals but they averaged out his grades at that point. 

My son ended up with C’s in high ability Math and English.  He could go into them next year on probation but we have decided to take the teachers’ advice and put him in mainstream classes. 

We have him back in talk therapy and we have an appt with a child psychiatrist in Indy in August. (There are no child psychs in Lafayette and the good ones in Indy are hard to get into.). We will re-evaluate his meds and see if the anti-depressant that he is on is the best fit. 

He is doing very well right now but it’s summer and the pressure is gone for now. We won’t be able to gauge things until the Fall. 

I’m going to send a copy of this to all my child's former teachers who have all been so supportive of him long after he was in their classes. Thank you for the role you played in his development and I’m hoping that a year from now, I am writing a much different report.

The woman who wrote this has always had my respect - despite her child's difficulties, she was supportive of school and our efforts to help her son. I used to think how lucky he was that she was his mama.

From smiles to tears, hearing from formers can be a roller coaster of emotion. But I am always glad when one of them checks in. After all, I will always care about them.

Former Students Work on Math Facts 5/2018

One of the funniest (to me) things at the surprise party that my former students had for me in May was that they wanted to try their hand at their old three minute  Math facts tests!

And More Drop By!

The last day of school was hectic and I was tired. I was running late since Sarah and Jessica had both left that morning and I'd stayed home to say good-bye. I had report cards to print and put into envelopes, a party to set up, and other things, so when I got to school I was hustling.

As I hurried down to the office for envelopes, I ran into Garrett Grossman (sorry, no photo!), a former student who wanted to say good-bye to me. Honestly, he could not have come at a worse time, but by the same token, I was touched that he came. So, I set my work aside and visited with him, frantically rearranging my morning in my mind as we talked.

 Then, at lunch, Jessica Gregory came by. 

And after school, Hayden Slate, MaryCate Munn, and Jackson Schrage popped in. And then Mr. Munn and Mr. Schrage! And Hayden's mom and another woman who I recognized but was so exhausted I could not remember her name!

Yesterday, Jerrick Mennen called and asked if he could come see me. I was headed to Hershey to work on packing my classroom, so of course! He is a three sport athlete (soccer, basketball, football) and was on the state championship soccer team. He will be captain of the soccer team this fall despite being a junior.

And these are only those whose pictures I got - many folks have come by my room as I have been cleaning and putting things away.

It has been a touching experience to see people I have loved again and to find that I touched them in ways besides academics.

A Surprise Bonus

A nice (and surprise) bonus of retirement is that former students have been dropping by or sending messages through social media.

 Katie Ridgway and Bailey Whitlock - finishing 8th grade this spring and moving on to high school.

Teja Kakani (I taught her for 2nd, 4th, and 5th grades) just completed her freshman year at John Hopkins University.

 Dr. Hanback, Superintendent of Schools, dropped by to thank me for my service and wish me well.

A photo and text from Ben Anthony, one of my three year students like Teja who just finished his freshman year at Purdue.

An Instagram message from Peter Ropp, who was in my class for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade.

An old joke - for two years students would write "ham" under things  for me to find.  There was no rhyme or reason to it, but we would all laugh when I found the most recent hidden "ham." I found this one after my surprise party when I was cleaning out my classroom!

Jackson Schrage, who will be an 8th grader at East Tipp next August (and visits me once a quarter or so.)

My dear friend, Kathy Nimmer, who gifted me with what she called "a retirement lesson"...

... and a beautiful chain mail bracelet that she made using 300 links, some of which were orange and blue in honor of my Illini roots.

Emily Blanchard, Lexie Gebhardt, and Kamryn Robinson, all graduating from Harrison this spring.

I have taught some really nice people during my career and these visits, texts, etc. move me deeply.

A Surprise Party

Thursday after our Chess Challenge with the 2/3 class, 

 I walked into my classroom...

 ... and was stunned to discover...

 ... that the classroom was already full.

Who were these people??

Former students from my years as a Hershey teacher!

Kathleen Loftus handed me a container of her mother's famous "Loftus Fudge...

 ... and then gave me a big hug.

 I was so stunned, I did not know what to do or say.

There were former students everywhere, mingling with my current class!

Tim Schnepp was with us (he was in on the surprise) and he ended up helping me get my current students out to the buses at dismissal so that I could stay with my formers. (Thanks, Tim!!)

There were so many people, I did not know who to talk to first.

So I just jumped in!

So many people who have been dear to me over the years.

When you spend two (and even three) years together,you become very close.

Caleb Biemfohr squeezed in his visit between school and a track meet.

Albert Quigley, Jessica Gregory, and Katy (Katybug) Olson.

 For old time's sake, they wanted to go out to the playground (even though some of them are college students!)

 This is one of my favorite photos from the day.

Mrs. Olson, who helped Katybug organize the party, had the idea to take photos by the year the students were with me.

 Fromt row: Katybug, Albert, Sophie Anthony, Jessica Gregory. Back row: Lilli Tordil, and Angelina Poznanski. They are finishing their sophomore year at Harrison.

 Nikki Campbell, Lauren Smith, and 6'3" Zach Kelly are freshmen in high school.

 Ben Anthony and Merry, Merry, Merry, Meredith, who were in the 2/3 class with me and so were with me three years,  just finished their freshman year at Purdue.

 Harrison seniors Emily Blanchard, Kathleenie Loftus, Grace Bowen, Ellen Bowen, and Jon Hillery.

Chris Page, Daniel Campbell, Jay Thoennes, and Erin Smith are juniors in high school.

Carobou (Caroline) Blanchard and Madeline Roberts will be juniors are Purdue this August and were part of the original 2/3 class and thus with me for three years.

After our "recess time," we went back inside. I saw Jon Hillery looking through my book collection and wondered what he was doing.

 Turns out he was looking for a book he had gifted me seven years ago!

 And he found it! (I cannot believe he remembered that gift all these years later.)

The party wound down and people began leaving around 5:00. Several of the kids asked to have one last picture together. I was happy to oblige.

 Carobou and Emily.

 Sophie and Ben.

 Albert (who told me that seeing me again was the highlight of his whole school year) and Katybug.

 Jon and Ben.

 Madeline and Merry Merry Merry Meredith.

Laura Hess, Katybug's mother, who helped put the party together.

 I am blessed.

Lilli Visits Me!

I love it when former students come back to see me and I get a chance to catch up with them. But, sometimes they have grown up so much that I do not recognize them at first.

That was the case with Lilli Tordil - she was so grown up and beautiful that I did not know it was her when she first popped her head around my door!

 Lilli spent most of the day with me and ended up helping us hang our 1,000 plus cranes.

And, my current students made her some, and she ended up stringing them so that she could hang them at home.