I couldn't decide which topic to focus on for this, my last post of the 2025-206 school year. Instead of combining them creatively, I just decided to write both of them separately in the same entry.
Reactions to Retirement (and Redeployment)
We had a great deal of movement in our school staffing at the end of this school year. Two teachers are going to other schools, to pursue their dream positions. Two staff members may be placed in other schools because of how EA / SNA slots are determined, and two teachers are retiring.
Everyone reacts to these kind of massive changes differently. This was evident with our two retirees. One of them is intensely private, so much so that I've never mentioned her by name in any of my blog posts, despite having the pleasure of working with her for 22 years. She did not want any kind of celebration or school-wide recognition. She even requested certain parameters related to the way we shared the news or expressed our farewells. We respected her wishes and on the last day, thanks to the inspired thinking of Brenda Kim, we all wore Terry Fox t-shirts to subtly demonstrate our tribute to her and her yearly efforts organizing the Terry Fox Run at our school.
Our other retiree, Jenny Chiu, was very open about her retirement plans. She was quite comfortable with having some sort of celebration. She really liked the way we arranged the student-centered retirement celebration for her colleague, Steve Tong - he loved golf, so every class prepared a mini-putt challenge in their room for him to try, giving him the opportunity to visit with a small group for a set period of time. For Jenny, a small group from the Chiu Retirement Committee (thank you Farah and Maha) created an Amazing Race Challenge for Jenny. She had to follow clues to take her to different classes, where she'd receive the next clue and a sticker for her Amazing Race passport. These stickers were of a cartoon version of Jenny doing certain things after retirement.
For the adult portion of her celebration, there was a reception in the staff room with an Asian food theme. Some of us spent a long time preparing the dishes that were served (big shout out to Thess and Connie, and even I, who is definitely not a cook, spent hours in the early morning and afternoon steaming and frying gyoza and dumplings). Many others contributed desserts and treats.
The current school staff sang a parody song written for Jenny and then Thess, her ECE, shared a short speech. Then Jenny gave a speech (that was supposed to be 5 minutes but lasted more like 20!)
We presented her with a memory book, filled with messages from students and both former and current staff members. We talked and ate and had a lovely time at the party.
Can You Party Too Much?
Speaking of party, this was one of many, many parties that occurred during the last week of school. On Monday, we had the Kindergarten Graduation ceremony. On Tuesday, we had the Student Council run Play Day, followed by the Staff Social. Wednesday was Jenny Chiu's retirement party. Thursday was the last day of school and both our Junior Division ESL Story Viewing and Popcorn Party as well as the Quiz Bowl celebration party, acknowledging the team's 2026 Silver Birch Fiction competition win. On Friday, just before the staff PD session, the social committee hosted a free breakfast. Individual classes and even school divisions had picnics and potlucks and parties at the playground.
Is it possible to party too much? The end of the year is the perfect time to celebrate, but my perimenopausal belly expanded at a rapid rate as a result of all the delicious food. As I was supervising during my yard duty, a couple of Grade 1 and 2 students were "complaining" that they missed following their regular schedule because they didn't know what to expect when. I hope it doesn't lessen the special feeling of sharing food and socializing together.
Happy end-of-school to those who are still part of the cycle. Enjoy your summer rest, recreation, and/or recuperation!
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