Friends, family, 2013 board members of the Ann Arbor Public Schools district and retirees gathered under a tent at the heart of the Top of the Park festivities Tuesday night to celebrate the 693 years of service accumulated by the 27 faculty members being honored.
The Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation and the Ann Arbor Public Schools District came together to host the10th annual retirement celebration.
While 37 people in-total are retiring from the district this year, there were 27 being honored in the program and seven total were at the Tuesday evening ceremony.
This year, 16 of the retirements were teachers, three were office professionals and three were principals.
Superintendent Patricia Green announced the names of the seven retirees in attendance and thanked them for their dedication and years of hard work.
“All that collective service,” Green said. “You leave your legacy behind — thank you so much.”
Green, who also is retiring from the district this year, said it is important to her and to the district that people be honored for what they have given to the program and for the standards they have set.
“When you have people on staff that give so much of themselves to the children and the district, it’s important to honor them and what they’ve done,” Green said. “We do this to celebrate lives well-spent.”
Retiring from Slauson Middle School, physical education teacher Barbara Newell said she has mixed feelings about leaving her students behind.
“There have been up's and down's, but we’ve always been all-in for the kids,” Newell said. “I’ve had a wonderful ride with this great district.”
After 37 years teaching in Ann Arbor schools, Judith Hart said she is leaving to take care of her dad who is having medical issues.
“My experience with this district has been great,” Hart said. “Our kids are fabulous and it’s been a lot harder to leave than I thought it would be. It’s just hard to say goodbye.”
Hart pulled out her phone to show a picture of her students stacking cups in one of her physical education classes. She smiled and said she would miss having the opportunity to help them learn.
Although retiring can be bittersweet, Louise Wallner, a former music teacher from Bryant Elementary School who retired last year and was honored Tuesday, said it has been a good experience.
“It’s energizing,” Wallner said. “You learn to live without the everyday stress and I can use the energy for me now. I’ve lived on a school calendar since I was 5 years old.”
Wallner taught for Ann Arbor Public Schools for 36 years and was honored this year because she declared her retirement late last year and was unable to be included in the ceremony.
“I wanted to be a part of all this,” Wallner said. “I wanted to see everyone again and be recognized for the work I have put in.”
Guests of the event ate, listened to Detroit Pleasure Society’s dixieland jazz playing at an outdoor stage a few yards away and reminisced with colleagues about their years of experience with the district.
“I’m here tonight to catch up with the people I’ve worked with for years and it’s such a beautiful setting to do that in,” retired school social worker Gloria O’Neill said. “It’s the perfect Ann Arbor way to honor retirees.”
Former president of the Ann Arbor Public Schools Board, Martha Krehbiel attended the event to show her continued support of the district. Krehbiel retired in 1989 after serving seven years on the board, one of which she was president.
“We enjoy the summer festival and to combine it with this celebration of achievements is just a great opportunity,” Krehbiel’s husband Dave said.
Retirees expressed the difficulty of leaving behind students, but were optimistic about the road ahead.
“I’m excited and nervous at the same time,” said Shirley Eagen, retiree from Forsythe Middle School. “It was sad leaving my students and it will be sad not seeing them in the fall, but I’m ready.”
Chelsea Hoedl is an intern reporter for AnnArbor.com. She can be reached at choedl@mlive.com.