Claypit Hill Assistant Retires After 32 Years [Video]

Debbie Besso has been a smiling fixture in the front office of Wayland's for the past 32 years. On her final day before retirement, the kids at Claypit Hill made sure she went out with ... well, a bang.

About 650 students filled Claypit's gymnasium to sing and dance a routine to Katy Perry's song "Firework."

General music teacher Bernadette Vanaria said the students had been working on the routine for about two weeks, though the first time they all practiced together was just moments before Besso walked into the gym for the surprise.

"We wanted to do something all together," Vanaria said. "It was great. I'm very proud of them."

Besso stood on the stage, intermittently laughing and tearing up, as the students sang along with the Perry song while waving and flashing rainbow streamers -- Besso called them "sparklies."

"Thank you so much," Besso said after the performance. "You all mean so much to me."

Claypit Hill Principal Debbie Bearse called the performance "unbelievable," saying she couldn't believe the students had kept the event a secret and learned it all so well.

Later that afternoon, Besso sent her final email to members of the Claypit Listserv.

"This is not goodbye, just a 'see you later,'" Besso wrote in the email. "My 32 years has been filled with experiences that I will treasure forever, especially this afternoon when the children sang 'Fireworks' to me."

Carol Reynolds has worked alongside Besso for the past couple of weeks. She will assume the administrative assistant position at Claypit.