here - The Liberty Lake Splash

14 • June 14, 2012
The Splash
RETIRING
Continued from page 2
was long hours, but we did a lot of planning
for the building.
They took us on a couple field trips to
look at other schools, and we measured
rooms and got some great ideas. … Once
the school was up, I applied and I was fortunate
to be chosen to come out here and
work. It was such a beautiful, new school.
Q: What was the transition like when
you moved schools
A: I was fortunate in the fact that I was
at Greenacres before. The Liberty Lake
families that were coming here were at
Greenacres, too, so when they moved into
the school I got to move with them. That
was fun.
Q: How have you seen the school
evolve since you’ve been here
A: Well, it’s grown. We started out, and
we were told we’d have 450 students and
now we have well over 600. We weren’t
here very long before we had to add two
new classrooms. We added more students
and more family and more staff. We’ve
almost outgrown the building in some
ways. When we started, we had one of everything.
Now we have two music teachers
and two P.E. teachers and two librarians.
It’s really grown.
Q: Have you had an especially memorable
class over the years
A: Every year, something exciting has
happened, and there are memories for
every year. I can’t pick a favorite. I also
can’t tell you what grade level I like best.
I’ve liked them all. There are always new
things to do.
Q: What are some of the memories
from your career that you’ll continue to
carry with you
A: One thing I remember most is the
opening of the school. When we dedicated
Liberty Lake Elementary, outside
in the front, we had multiple generations
of people from the community there. I’d
never experienced anything like that before.
I’d always worked in old buildings,
so to come to a new school was a lot of
fun.
This year, we had a great time with our
Native American unit that we did all of
January. That was a lot of fun. Long Claw,
a speaker from western Washington,
came here. It was probably the best performance
I’d ever seen in a school setting.
He was on their level, and he taught them
how important it was to have respect. It
was an all-day thing, and then at night he
put on a potlatch. That’s what stands out
most this year.
Q: Do you have a teaching philosophy
A: I’m sure it’s changed. I look back at
what I did the first year when I taught
and sure, it’s different. But you always do
what’s best for kids. Kids come first, and
if something doesn’t work, you try something
else.
I believe all children can learn. You just
have to unlock the key to how they learn.
Everybody has a different learning style,
and you pick that up really quick. You just
try different things until they understand.
When they get it, there’s your reward.
Q: What do you think you’ll miss the
most
A: I’ll miss the sparkle in the children’s
eyes when you can see that they all of the
sudden get something — when they feel
like they’ve accomplished something and
succeeded in what they’re learning. I love
sharing that with kids. Of course, I’ll miss
the staff and all of that too. We’re pretty
close here, and I’ve made lifelong friends.
I’ll miss some of the things I get to teach.
I love the Native American unit. I love
math, and the kids will tell you that’s my
favorite subject to teach.
Q: Have you seen education and curriculums
evolve over the years
A: Not necessarily. Education changes
all the time. What I teach today is what
I taught years ago. There may be new approaches,
but the bottom line has always
been the same. I teach a higher level of
thinking skills to my third-graders than
I did before. That’s something happening
across the country. I don’t know where
we’re headed. I hope it’s in a positive direction.
You just go with the flow. Yeah, there
are things I’m concerned about, but who
knows what’s going to happen Changes
are coming. That’s the age we live in. I
mean, when I started teaching, I didn’t
have computers.
Q: With 30 years in the same community,
have you ended up teaching any
kids of former students
A: Oh yes, it’s very interesting. A young
lady who grew up here in Liberty Lake
and still lives here is a teacher now in
East Valley. She was in one of my classes
as a youngster, and now we’ve grown to
be good friends. Last year I had her son.
We laughed saying I should have retired
last year because she was in one of my
first classes, and her son was in one of my
last. I actually had a couple kids last year
whose parents were former students of
mine at Greenacres. One of my son’s best
friends growing up had a kid in my class a
few years ago. That was fun. It’s like a big
family.
Q: Do you keep up with many former
students
A: The ones I know about are teachers.
I’ve had several students who’ve become
teachers. I think I’ve made lifelong friends
in the teaching profession — whether
they’re former students, teachers, administrators
or even parents.
Q: Do you have any advice for anyone
considering teaching as a profession
profiles/community
CVSD bids farewell to retirees
The Central Valley School District
announced the certificated and classified
staff retiring at the end of this
school year. The retirees are shown below
with the number of years worked
in CV schools and their most recently
held position.
Certificated retirees
Peggy Anderson, 5, South Pines
Elementary, media specialist
William Diedrick, 2.5, University
High School, teacher and coach (retired
January 2012)
Karla Freeman, 36, Liberty Lake
Elementary, teacher
Daryl Hart, 8, University High
School, principal
Harold "Sonny" John, 25, Horizon
Middle School, teacher
Lyle Krislock, 29, Summit School/
SVLA - principal
Janice McDonald, 24, Opportunity
Elementary, teacher
Michael Palmer, 31, University
High School, teacher
Susan Peavey, 7, Summit School,
teacher
Francine Peirone, 32, Horizon
Middle School, teacher
Gary Rasmussen, 35, Evergreen
Middle School, teacher and coach
Dr. Roberta Rice, 26, Central Valley
High School, teacher and debate team
advisor
Neva Ringwald, 10, Learning and
Teaching Center, human resources
director
A: My son is a teacher and a coach at
Central Valley High School. His wife
teaches at Greenacres Elementary. We
laugh because she’s in one of the rooms I
used to be in. It’s a very rewarding profession
any way you look at it. You become a
teacher because you love it. It’s a passion. I
love what I do. My mom was a teacher, and
it’s just what I always wanted to do.
Teachers are flexible. No two days are
the same. You just make it work. It’s never
a dull moment. When you walk in that
door, you never know what’s going to happen.
You could have a child whose cat was
run over by a car and that’s something you
need to deal with, or you could have kid
bouncing off the wall because their grandparents
are in town.
Q: Do you have any big plans for retirement
A: Next fall will be very different. I still
haven’t gotten into that mindset yet. I don’t
have any big plans for this summer. I’d like
to travel a little bit. We have friends who
Kathryn Schab, 32, Horizon Middle
School, teacher
Heidi Stokke-French, 27, Bowdish
Middle School, teacher
Kathleen Steblaj, 35, University
High School, counselor
Classified retirees
Wesley Beck, 9, Learning and
Teaching Center, bus driver
Donald Brock, 13, University High
School, educational assistant
Carla Darrah, 32, Ponderosa Elementary,
paraeducator
Gregory DeHamer, Sr., 18, Central
Valley High School, custodian
Pamela Forin, 17, Learning and
Teaching Center, transportation assistant
Catherine Greiner, 12, Early Learning
Center, ECEAP family service
coordinator
Richard Grove, 24, Early Learning
Center, head custodian
Annitta Hackett, 28, Learning and
Teaching Center, bus driver
Barbara Hankel, 8, Learning and
Teaching Center, bus driver
Phyllis Morris, 43, Central Valley
High School, head cook
Fred Potter, 8, Learning and Teaching
Center, grounds maintenance
Patrick Thiel, 22, University High
School, custodian
Meredith (Merry) Young, 3,
Ponderosa Elementary, supervisory
assistant
spend the winter in Arizona that want us
to visit. My husband keeps telling me I can
do anything I want — I can even sleep in.
He laughs because he knows I wake up at
6 a.m. even on the weekends. Maybe I can
learn to sleep until 7 a.m.
I’m going to be teaching somehow, doing
something. One of my granddaughters
will be in third grade next year, and
I’d like to get involved volunteering in her
class.
I’m going to read. I’m looking forward
to being able to read during the school
year. During the summers I go to the library
once a week and spend time reading
every day. Now I’ll be able to do that
more. I have a lot of things on my bucket
list. I have some projects at home I want
to do, and my husband and I want to go
on a cruise.
I love what I do and saying goodbye
will definitely be bittersweet. I don’t have
a whole lot of plans, but I have grandchildren.