This month’s column is dedicated to Willington Public Schools staff retiring this year. Together they represent 131 years of service to this community. There are five individuals who are retiring this year.

Jan Boudreau, the food service director, arrived in Willington in 1972 and after 36 years has certainly left her mark. Jan has made many positive changes over the years and will be missed by everyone, especially the cafeteria staff who know her best. To appreciate what Jan has done I calculated that she has served over 2.5 million lunches to the children of Willington during her years in the cafeteria. Not too many people can claim to have done that!

Sue Evageliou has taught 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th grade for the past 32 years. The hundreds of students who have benefited from Sue’s guidance over the years can attest to her dedication, sense of humor and her penchant for taking her classes on “power walks” around the school. Sue has shared her love of dance with many of her students. Anyone who has ever witnessed a group of students performing a dance routine taught by Sue can appreciate Sue’s impact on children.

For the past 23 years Terri Palmer, Center School’s nurse and premier care giver, has provided countless children with a safe place to seek comfort for a variety of ailments. For those of you who are somewhat removed or have forgotten what it is like in elementary school, the nurses’ office is like a sanctuary. In that sanctuary Terri has dispensed band-aids, aspirin and a variety of other medications but probably most important she has provided TLC to those in need.

Laura Stevens first came to Willington in 1981 as a Title 1 tutor. She then went on to teach 1st and 2nd grade. For 23 years Laura has been providing a warm and compassionate classroom environment for her students. Although Laura is retiring from teaching, her legacy goes on through the work of her son and daughter-in-law, Phil and Kristen Stevens who teach P.E. and 3rd grade respectively at Center School.

Cyndy Saunders has been teaching in Willington for the past 20 years. During that time she has taught Grades 3, 5, 7 and 8. Cyndy brings a great deal of passion to everything that she does. Besides being an excellent teacher, over the past few years, Cyndy has become Willington’s own ambassador to China. She has traveled to China on several occasions and has helped develop a sister school relationship with a school in Shandong province. I am certain that in retirement, her love of travel, especially to China, will only grow.

Thank you to our retiring staff members for their years of service to Willington Public Schools. Congratulations on reaching this milestone and best wishes to each of them in all future endeavors. Their contributions have been significant and they will be missed by all.

Another teacher that needs to be acknowledged this month is Pat Pinney. Pat runs Discovery Place, the gifted and talented program at Hall Memorial School. Discovery Place is a vibrant part of the school that oversees a variety of programs including Math Olympiad, Shakespeare plays, Future Problem Solving, River Road Review (a student literary magazine) and History Day. I am happy to announce that as a result of her work on the History Day projects, in which students from Hall Memorial School won more awards that any other school in Connecticut, Pat has been named the Connecticut History Day Teacher of the Year. I can think of no one more deserving than Pat. She works tirelessly and promotes a love of historical research. Her students have consistently been recognized for their projects, papers, documentaries and performances. Pat is very deserving of this recognition for all that she does. As the winner of the state award her name will be submitted for national recognition. Congratulations to Pat Pinney!

Upcoming Events:
The seventh annual Willington PTA 5K and fun runs will be Saturday, May 24 at Center Elementary School. There will be a children’s ½ mile fun run at 9:00 a.m., a family 1 mile fun run at 9:30 a.m. and a 5K (3.1 miles) run/walk at 10:15 a.m. Each fun run costs $5.00 per person and the 5K costs $15.00 if pre-registered by May 16th. Call CES Physical Education teacher Mr. Phil Stevens at 458-0019, or email him at willingtonpta_funrun@hotmail.com for an application.

This years’ HMS Spring concert will be held Wednesday, May 21 at 7:00 p.m. at Jorgenson Auditorium at the University of Connecticut. Admission is free to the public and I encourage everyone to attend the concert. It is a fantastic venue and our music program has really come alive over the past few years.