The Student News and Media Site of Blue Springs High School

The Purple Post

The Student News and Media Site of Blue Springs High School

The Purple Post

The Student News and Media Site of Blue Springs High School

The Purple Post

Numbering our days

By J. Metje

“When I see a student learning important things and learning how to apply it to their own lives, that’s what makes it worth it.” -retiring teacher Dacia Rzchowski

“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” -Psalms, 90:12.

It can be said that no others teach us to number our days like the teachers, faculty, and administration in our schools. Here at BSHS, five individuals skilled in teaching the value of time are coming to the end of theirs as members of the Wildcat family. Retiring at the end of the 2016-2017 school year are teachers Dacia Rzchowski and Sharon Erikson, counselor Linda Williams, janitor Larry Reeves and administrator Frank Wheeler.

Combined, these five individual’s careers at BSHS span more than 120 years. They complete an unimaginably large number of jobs for the school, including teaching classes, arranging activities, maintaining buildings, sponsoring clubs, and counseling students. Among all these roles, one thing remains constant: the work is always for the kids.

“The main thing [I enjoy] is watching over three years how our students grow. They come in as sophomores and they seem so young, and we really get to see them mature,” Williams said, after counseling here for 15 years.

Larry Reeves, a 14 year BSHS  janitor  who works mainly around the school’s gyms and activities office, concurred with Williams.

“Seeing the kids everyday and watching them be happy and enjoy the campus has made it all worth it. I enjoy seeing a job done right,” he said.

Dacia Rzchowski, a 39 year educator, echoed her co-workers’ sentiments.

“When I see a student learning important things and learning how to apply it to their own lives, that’s what makes it worth it,” she said.

However, after generations of work, it is time for these five peerless individuals to say goodbye. First, they said goodbye to their fellow staff, who they all agreed are phenomenal.

“I think this is such a special place because there are so many teachers passionate about what they do,” said Frank Wheeler, a long time coach and activities administrator. “Three people I’ve grown close to, Coach Donohoe, Larry Reeves, the custodian, and Sarah Schulenberg, my administrative assistant: they are people that I’m going to miss the most.”

Williams shared that she wished to say goodbye to “Everyone.”

“We have such a great staff. And the kids, who are so blessed to have a team as dedicated as they are,” she said.

With attention back to her students, 30 year teacher Sharon Erikson also took the time to say goodbye.

“I would like to say goodbye to my students and my former students. I want them to believe they can learn more than they think they can learn,” she said. Finishing, she added, “To my fellow teachers: keep on loving and keep on learning. We must stay passionate. Focus on the kids.”

Focusing on the kids, of course, is something these five have always done.

At the end of the day, these faculty members will be deeply missed, but certainly not forgotten. Wheeler concluded his thoughts with a fitting epitaph of the school year, and these five’s admirable careers.

“It may be cliché, but it’s a great day to be a Wildcat.”

That is one numbered day we will never forget.

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