Schools
Five Long-Tenured Roudenbush School Educators Retiring
Jane Garrahan, Carolyn Clark, Judy Coffey, Frayda Viera, and Diane Sparks retire from decades of educating young children at the Roudenbush Schools.
“In the beginning, we came together to do a job. We shaped the youth of tomorrow, and we gave them the building blocks to be successful in life. In the end, we found friendship, and an everlasting bond at a place called Roudenbush.”
That was a quote on a bookmark presented to Carolyn Clark, who along with Judy Coffey, Diane Sparks, Jane Garrahan and Frayda Viera, retired after long and distinguished careers educating children at the Roudenbush Schools last week.
Coffey, Clark, and Sparks most recently taught five year olds in the Main Street building. Frayda Viera was a preschool teacher for four year olds in the Nab building, and Jane Garrahan first started out as a teacher at Roudenbush, but for the last several years, served as the co director of the program.
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“Each one of the teachers has been a dedicated and caring member of our Roudenbush staff for over 20 years. During that time each one has touched the lives of countless preschool students and their parents,” said Juanita Antunes, Preschool Director. “Our staff is like a family and we will miss them, but remember all that we have learned from them. We wish them well in whatever new adventures retirement will bring.”
While Clark, Sparks and Coffee have expressed interest in creating a parent support group for parents of preschool students attending Roudenbush, some of the retirees expect to engage in a life outside of the school they knew so long.
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“I do plan to do a lot of traveling. My husband and I are going to Russia,” said Viera. “I have new grandchildren, and we have a place on the Cape. I expect to be pretty busy.”
Although their collective experience cannot be easily duplicated, existing teachers in the Roudenbush family will take additional hours in the near future to pick up the slack, which the retirees hope can help give them the memories they built over the years.
“I hope they have the same experiences we have (in) the closeness of the staff and faculty,” said Sparks. “Getting to know the kids and enjoying it and having a good time with it. It’s about having fun.”