Dear Families:
Thank you for stopping by yesterday to pick up learning materials and supplies for the remainder of the school year. Things went very smoothly and it was fun to see some of the kids. Teachers, aides and specialists took shifts handing out materials and it brought big smiles to all of our faces. I am sorry that we couldn’t let any students in the building. We hope that there will be some easing of the restrictions in June so that students can enter the building (in very small numbers) to pick up items left behind in desks and lockers. As soon as we have more information on allowing small gatherings, we will let you know a plan.
It is with a great deal of sadness that I let you know that our former first grade instructional assistant, Michele Betts, passed away this weekend. “Miss Michele” was a favorite among a generation of students. She was known for her wonderful sense of humor, her fear of spiders (students used to love to trick her with fake ones), her love of her students and a strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. During the month of May, she held daily May Crownings in the first-grade room with the students circling the room singing “Oh, Mary We Crown Thee with Blossoms Today…” followed by a decade of the rosary and students crowning Mary with their homemade flower wreaths. Graduates have mentioned that they still have the rosaries that Miss Michele had them make using beads that signified something special in their lives. There were ones with small baseball beads, Legos, shells and even breakfast cereal! Though she retired three years ago after a cancer diagnosis, she kept in touch with her St. Anne family. She fought a brave battle and we are reassured knowing that she is at peace and pain free.
Each year we face changes in the lives of our faculty and staff. It is never easy to see any one of them leave us, but it is a reality of life. This year it is particularly bittersweet as we don’t get to have the students together to offer proper good-byes. At the end of this school year, Mrs. Pam Sturgeon is “sailing off into the sunset” after over 20 years of teaching at St. Anne. She began in 5th grade and moved to 8th grade where she has taught middle school Social Studies. Pam is a gifted teacher who has given so much to our school. She has organized numerous Spirit and charitable fundraising events over the years, from candy-grams at Valentine’s Day to bake sales benefiting many non-profit, socially aware organizations. This is not the way she (or we) hoped that she would spend her final months at St. Anne. Her departure will be deeply felt.
Also, leaving us is Mrs. Selina Innes, our Technology Specialist and Geometry teacher. In just one year she has made such an impact on our school while taking care of every tech issue that has come up. She has a passion for math and when a middle school math position became available at the school where her children are enrolled, she couldn’t pass it up. We will miss her and her expertise immensely.
Their departures signal some changes in our middle school. Mr. Daniel Talevich will move from 6th grade homeroom to 8th grade. His experience with our middle school program and knowledge of our 8th grade traditions will make a nice transition for all. Ms. Erin Raney, will return to her previous role as 6th grade homeroom teacher, bringing her many talents and expertise back to the middle school. We have hired, Ms. Claire Marr, a teacher from Scottsdale, Arizona as our new 4th grade teacher. She is currently teaching at St. John Paul XXIII Catholic school and is relocating to the Seattle area in July. She comes with highest recommendations from her principal and fellow teachers
The Technology Specialist position will be filled by Mr. Terry Maguire. Mr. Maguire had been in the diocese for years as both a teacher and principal and is retiring from full-time teaching this spring. He has experience with all things “Google” and has worked extensively with PowerSchool and Gradebook. He is also a St. Anne graduate and current parishioner.
We will welcome both of these teachers to our staff this summer!
Have a great week!