The end of the year is also the end of an era...

As an administrator, the end of another school year is always a time of reflection for me. I think back on all the things that went well over the past year and look ahead to the things I would like to work on improving next year. For all of us, it is a time to say goodbye to many people who have been important parts of our lives here at the Watervliet City School District. WHS seniors will cross the stage on June 26th and graduate, thus closing this chapter of their K-12 lives. We are so very proud of their achievements and wish them only the best as they move on to college or careers – whatever they have planned for the next stage of their lives. (Of course saying goodbye to our senior class requires a blog posting all of its own, so stay tuned!)

What I would really like to talk about today is saying goodbye to staff. Commencement is the most public of our goodbyes, but there are always the goodbyes that do not have the pomp and circumstance of a graduation ceremony. This is the time of year we also say goodbye to colleagues and friends from our instructional staff. This year Watervliet is losing two very committed educators, Mrs. Kathy Terpening and Mrs. Carolyn Proctor. Between the two of them, these educators have more than sixty years of service to the students of Watervliet.

Mrs. Proctor has served as a Teacher Assistant in the district for more than thirty years. During her time here she has always been someone who went above and beyond the contractual responsibilities of her position to help our students. Mrs. Proctor has been known to spend hours after school tutoring students in whatever subject necessary. Her own background and abilities aided her in being a tireless supporter of our students for whom English is a second language. Mrs. Proctor has been a true asset to our district and will be greatly missed by staff and students alike.

I first came to know and respect Mrs. Kathy Terpening through her role as Union President. As many of you know, the relationship between a union president and superintendent can sometimes be filled with conflict and, in the worst cases, contempt. This was not the case with Mrs. Terpening and I. I found Mrs. Terpening to be both honest and ethical as a union president. The more I have gotten to know her, I’ve realized she brings these qualities to everything else that she does. Over the years countless people have come to me to compliment Mrs. Terpening on what a great teacher she is and what a positive influence she has had on her students and her colleagues. As we start the process of looking for a teacher to occupy Mrs. Terpening’s classroom (I will not say replace Mrs. Terpening, because that could never happen!) I can’t help but feel that whomever we choose will have very big shoes to fill.

We wish both of these fine educators a long and happy retirement. You will both be missed.