“Within this room is nearly 5,700 years of experience working for public schools, I wish I could bottle it up and give it to every employee who is about to join us," stated Dr. Whitney Oakley to a crowd of dozens of retirees.
Before next year's school bell rings, Guilford County Schools is saying goodbye to this year’s retirees.
From teachers to social workers and everything in between, Guilford County School employees are being celebrated for their years of service – and they’re looking back fondly at their experience.
“I started out in 1983! It was a great support team all the way through the administrative level, on the central office level, and even at the school level," said retiring GCS social worker, Ann Reeder.
“It was the best part-time job I ever had while I was going through school, through university, it was the best part-time job, I said I was always leaving, I’m not going to stay long I’m going to go do something else. But something just kept drawing me to it and it’s just been a fulfillment, hasn’t been the top paying or highest paying job, but it has fulfilled me," said Lynette Ratliffe, GCS's retired zone transportation supervisor.
And looking back fondly on their kids and the memories they made with them,
“I started at Herbin Metz Education Center, this is a school for kids with severe intellectual disabilities and autism, and I have enjoyed every minute of it, I have learned so much from the children they’ve taught me patience, they’ve taught me unconditional love," said soon-to-be-retired special education teacher, Jill Garone.
“There was a young lady, she was in the third grade, and her father had died, and we were having our father-daughter dance at our school, and she asked me if I would take her to the father-daughter dance and for the next three years she always asked me to the father-daughter dance," said Garry Hingleton, a now-retired P.E. teacher from Brightwood Elementary.
As the next school year approaches, they leave the next generation of teachers, bus drivers, coaches, and more, with their own words of encouragement and of wisdom.
“Find a way to deal calmly with folks, treat people like you want to be treated," said Ratliffe.
“Learn that unconditional love from the kids and enjoy it!" added Garone.
“You have to adapt and adjust to different situations because over 22 years things can change," said Hingleton.
“Be who you are, put your energy in there, and go to work every day with that same passion that you started with on the first day," added Reeder.