Bowles is Teacher of the Year
Members of the Aurora Education Association named Rebecca Bowles the Teacher of the Year.
Bowles, who is in her fifth year in the Aurora R-8 District, and other nominees were the guests of honor at a reception recently.
Other nominees included Heather Roy and Katy Speight from Pate Early Childhood Center, Kenna McCleery from Robinson Elementary, Carla Shively from the junior high and Todd Campbell from the high school.
Words from Bowles’ peers describing her included stable, cheerful, motivator, uplifting and positive. In addition, they noted she is a glass-half-full person, has a sense of humor, has the voice of an angel and is a right hand person.
“I am who I am because of you,” Bowles told guests at the reception. “I learn from the people around me. I don’t want to be anywhere else.”
She will compete with other teachers in the state for the Missouri State Teacher of the Year honors later.
Area schools say goodbye to retirees
Aurora, Verona and Marionville School Districts will all say goodbye to staff members retiring after the 2007-08 school year.
Three teachers from Verona said their goodbyes at a retiree celebration.
Patti Brown, art teacher for kindergarten through 12th grade, steps down after 25 years of service.
She taught six years in the Tulsa Public Schools and one year at Olathe, Kansas, before coming to Verona for the past 25 years.
Brown is a member of Missouri State Teachers’ Association, Ozark Kindergarten Association and A.C.L.D. She said she has enjoyed seeing her students succeed and bringing home “best of show” awards from various art shows. She said she has also enjoyed working with the Verona Boy Scouts and her son Ed Hitt.
After retiring, she plans to help her husband with his work at Brown Construction and travel to visit family in Tulsa and Georgia.
“Building creativity in the art classroom is an art teacher’s most important skill. Art may also develop thinking skills,” said Brown in giving her teaching philosophy.
“I feel it has been a real honor to have worked with the students, parents and staff of the Verona R-7 schools these past 25 years,” said Brown.
Cindy Sergey, fifth grade teacher at Verona, will be retiring after 23 years of service to the school, where she rotated between fifth and sixth grades.
Sergey has served as the CTA president for 20 years, homeschool treasurer for 23 years and on various other organizations.
Her teaching philosophy has been, “The more you expect, the more you get, also students don’t care how much you know--they only know how much you care.”
Sergey plans to possibly substitute teach in Springfield or work with children in some other capacity such as the Boys and Girls Club.
The final teacher retiring from Verona is Mary Mael, reading coach.
Mael has spent 31 years at Verona, where she started as the librarian. She has taught second grade, first grade, been the Title I reading staff and then has been the reading coach for the past two years.
She has participated in MSTA/CTA as president and secretary/treasurer, supervised new teachers and student teachers and has participated in the Reading Is Fundamental program for 14 years, where she received a national award this year.
Her teaching philosophy is: “Teaching children academics, values, morals so as to prepare them for their future.”
Mael’s husband, Charles, is also a retired teacher. They have three children, Cindy, Chris and Kevin.
Upon retirement, she plans to spend time with her six grandchildren, travel with her husband, work in the garden and participate in volunteer work with her church, St. Lawrence in Monett.
The Aurora School District is losing Howard Coffman, lead custodian, to retirement.
Coffman spent 11 years at the high school and at Robinson.
Following retirement, Coffman plans to work around the house.
Marionville Elementary Principal Sandy Rogers is retiring from her duties this year.
Rogers has been at Marionville for 15 years. She started her career at Lamar, where she taught first, third and fourth grades for seven years.
Rogers said one of the biggest accomplishments she has achieved is being a part of Marionville’s “distinction award” this year.
Her teaching philosophy is: “Do what is best for the kids. Provide them a safe and consistent place to be and don’t forget about your own family.”
She plans to enjoy her six grandchildren (with one on the way), take time to smell the roses and raise a garden. She said she may possibly substitute.
“I had a great experience at Marionville. I wish them all the best,” she said.
Sharon Bell, a special education resource at Marionville, is also retiring, but did not provide information for this story.
Dean Vaught, assistant principal at Pate Early Childhood Center, will be stepping down from her duties this year.
Vaught has been with the Aurora School District for 17 years. She started in 1991 as a fifth grade teacher, then moved to fourth grade where she taught for four years before becoming the At Risk Coordinator for the district. She has been the assistant principal at Pate for the past nine years.
Her teaching philosophy is: “As educators, we have a lifelong impact on the children we teach. To be successful, we have to see each child as an individual and provide nurturing, support and guidance as they grow into citizens of our community. Our challenge is to ensure all children learn the skills they need to be able to achieve whatever dream they may have.”
Vaught says she is planning to do all the things she has not had time to do when she was working, including some traveling and spending time with family.
