Retiring Teacher Barbara Parker '72 Honored

June 12, 2010

June 12, 2010, Greencastle, Ind. — "After a teaching career that has spanned nearly four decades, Barbara Parker of Wayland's Happy Hollow School is retiring at the end of this school year," begins a story in the Town Crier of Wayland, Massachusetts. "Parker received her teaching degree from DePauw University in Indiana and came to Wayland in 1972, fresh out of college. Except for three years off to take care of her daughter and another three spent in Connecticut, Parker has been here ever since -- teaching at both the elementary and middle school levels."

"The elementary schoolchildren are wide-eyed about learning things," Parker tells the newspaper. "They want to be like sponges. It’s wonderful to help them learn better skills, make new friends, find good books, solve their math problems, and feel happy about themselves."

The middle school students, she adds, "start out the year not sure they like reading, and then end up loving it. Helping them make the transition from elementary school, hone their social skills, and learn how to sit down, concentrate on a project, and then have a good discussion --  these are the things I particularly enjoy at that stage."

A retirement celebration for Barbara (Howe) Parker was held yesterday.

Access the complete article at the newspaper's Web site.

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