Laughter and tears filled the Media Center on the morning of June 3 as the staff listened to speeches honoring this year’s retirees: Special Education Teacher Mary Jane Card, Braillist Tina Strandskov, and Math Teacher Mary Ferrera. Media Center Technician Terri Duniven will also be retiring.
Staff club members planted a rose bush in front of the library for each retiree and gave them one to plant at home.
Ms. Card has worked as a teacher specialist in the MDDSTC program and special education for eight years. She plans to spend time with her family, particularly her grandchildren, and travel after retiring.
“During the beginning of December, my students make crafts and goods to sell at a boutique,” Ms. Card said. “My fondest memory is watching the students sell one of the items that they’ve made. It gives me a lot of joy to see them proud of their sold creations.”
Ms. Strandskov has worked for 15 years as the district Braille transcriber. After retirement, she is prepared to master her gardening skills, travel, bake and sleep in.
“Having grown up in the district and attended the high school,” Ms. Strandskov said. “I’ve seen how important the program for the visually impaired is to many people. This is a great place to make a difference in several lives.”
Ms. Terri Duniven has worked for nearly 19 years around campus, especially in the Media Center. In the future, she is preparing to move, spend more time with her grandchildren and travel with her husband.
“My favorite memory is coming to this school not knowing anyone,” Ms. Duniven said. “I made some lifelong friends in the process.”
During the ceremony, Ms. King also recognized Assistant Principal Terry Sholty, Science teacher Viggen Avedissian and English teacher and Yearbook Advisor Elizabeth Botello, who will be leaving next year as well, and gave them leis as a gratitude for their services throughout the years.
Mr. Sholty is leaving after his fifth year of working on campus as an Assistant Principal. After years of improving campus life and meeting new students, he will be teaching college students, teachers in the credentialing program and future administrators in the administration program at Azusa Pacific University and Concordia University.
“Mr. Sholty is a great guy with an amazing attention to detail,” Assistant Principal Kevin Herington said. “We’ve frustrated and challenged each other before, which has added to my positive experience with him.”
Ms. Ferrera has worked as a math teacher for 24 years teaching Geometry and Algebra 1 the most frequently in recent years. She looks forward to spending time with family, traveling at any time of the year and catch up with house reparations.
“She has been very supportive when I first started,” Math Teacher Mr. Hank Bailey said. “She was a great resource in the department and is thoroughly engaged in teaching. I wish her all the best.”
Ms. Botello is into her fourth year of teaching English 2 and being the Yearbook adviser. After leaving, she will be teaching English at a high school in Oxnard, California.
“I actually interviewed Ms. Botello for her position at TCHS,” English teacher Ms. Sarah Penalora said. “One of the first things the interview panel noticed right away was a positive energy and lots of good questions. It was refreshing that someone wanted to know exactly what her job entailed.”