Many pass the small rose garden outside of the library, giving it little thought, never realizing that each bush in the garden symbolizes an individual female teacher that has retired from teaching at TCHS.
Principal Ms. Mary Jo Fosselman King and Senior School Secretary Ms. Kathy Mushinskie started the garden in the early 2000s as a staff club project. When a female teacher retires, TCHS gives her a rose bush, along with on identical bush planted in her honor.
“We were just trying to think of something so a little bit of the person is still here,” Ms. King said. “If they have a particular hobby or interest, we try to pick a rose that represents it.”
Sadly, for current students and faculty, it is almost impossible to tell which retired teacher a specific rose bush belongs to, as signs that indicated this information have been ripped off or vandalized by students.
Because of this, all garden markings have been permanently removed. A number of the original bushes have also died because of improper gardening techniques.
Even with this thoughtful memorial dedicated to the retired teachers, the constant flow of students in and out of the high school makes it difficult to recognize their impact on the school today. Despite retirement, truly great teachers leave a quiet legacy by passing down positive teaching traits to their fellow teachers.
Clare Marquardt, a retired English teacher who has a strong connection with her Irish Catholic heritage received a St. Patrick rose upon retirement. Art teacher Ms. Kim Cales was in Ms. Marquardt’s class.
“She’s the reason I became an art history major,” Ms. Cales said. “She made me look forward to going to Humanities every day.”
History teacher Mr. Riley Saxon remembers the influence that former Biology teacher Ms. Robin Brannum had on him as a high school student and even as a teacher.
“Hardest teacher I ever had,” Mr. Saxon said. “Super difficult. But she taught me that I had to work hard and earn my stellar grades.”
Over the years, Ms. Brannum has also had an impact on younger Biology teachers on campus.
“She was so dedicated,” Biology Teacher AnnMarie Hwang said. “She inspired a lot of us younger teachers at the time, because we saw that, and we saw how effective a really good teacher can be.”