Vancouver Secondary Teachers’ Association

Retirees’ Dinner

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Royal Vancouver Yacht Club 3811 Point Grey Road

Vancouver, BC

6:00 Reception

7:00 Welcome & Dinner

8:00 Retirees’ Group Photo

8:15 Greetings from VSTA & BCTF

Introductions and presentations

Britannia

Byng

Churchill

Gladstone

Hamber

John Oliver

Killarney

King George

Kitsilano

Magee

Point Grey

Templeton

Thompson

Tupper

University Hill

VASS

Vancouver Technical

Windermere

Vancouver Secondary Teachers’ Association

Retirees’ Dinner

O n behalf of the Vancouver Secondary Teachers’ Association,

welcome to the 2014 Retirees’ Dinner. We are honoured to

celebrate with you the closing of your teaching career and the

opening of a new chapter of your life.

Tonight, on behalf of the countless number of students you have

taught, we thank you for your undaunted professionalism, diligence,

nurturing, patience, and occasional pushing and prodding. Thank you

for all of the numerous tasks you have done beyond the 8:30 to 3:15

window: planning lessons, marking papers and exams, preparing

interims and report cards, meeting with parents, working on

committees, coaching teams and sponsoring clubs, organizing field

trips, and so much more. Most undoubtedly, it was your willingness

to do more that made school such a positive and supportive place for

the many, many students who had the great fortune of moving

through your care.

We also acknowledge and thank you for your ongoing commitment to

protecting and ensuring a quality public education system. The

leadership you have demonstrated during the better part of the past

thirty years has had a profound impact on the teaching profession. As

a direct result of your collective efforts, significant gains were made in

enhancing the rights of teachers, including the right to bargain. Your

advocacy has made a difference and has helped pave the way for

successive generations of teachers.

As you close your classroom door for the last time, remember the

many fond memories of the past while simultaneously looking

forward to the travels, experiences, and endeavours for which you

now have time. On the first Tuesday in September, savour that second

cup of coffee, secure in the knowledge that you are free from

meetings and bells. Simply put, it is your time to relax. Put your feet

up, indulge in a good book, and enjoy!

The 1500 members of the VSTA extend our congratulations and best

wishes for the coming years. We salute the graduating class of 2014.

Debbie Pawluk President

Retiring Vancouver Secondary Teachers

Paolo Altan Victoria Apps Julie Bond Antonio Bosello Ross Breen Erla Calahaisn Lily Chew Brenda Denchfield Susan Dickson Susan Downing Irene Dundon Catherine Eberle Gary Fabris Susan Gabel Anna Giordano Kevin Grant Karen Gray Maria Hawes Ann Hayes Peter Hill Rick Houghton Karin Hubbard Ellen Hughes Stanley Hyde Bruce Inglis Sue Inglis Timothy Ireland Victor Jensen

Rosalind Kellett James King Joanne Knight Milina Kovacevic Brian Landrigan Cathy LaRocque Vincent Lau Janet Letourneau Corrine Leung Diane Little Brent Loader Ross MacKay Cynthia Mah Shyam Monga Joan Muir Dianne Murray Karen Naso Gary Pryke Marigrace Rennie Donna Staller Mary-Chris Staples Leo Strong Rodney Tanabe Warren Torrance Colleen Trigg Sheelagh Wright Marcus Yu Erin Zimmaro

Julie Bond 22 yrs experience Kitsilano, Windermere, TOC, Toronto, Kamloops

Highlight: Theatre/Drama at Kits! So many plays, musicals, improv competitions; endless rehearsals, late nights, laughter, creativity and passion. I loved every minute of it. Now off to teach in China.

Tony Bosello 30 yrs experience Point Grey, Churchill, Skeena Jr (Terrace)

Susan Dickson 15 years experience Magee, University Hill, Windermere, Point Grey

Will miss the 12 hour days preparing for a production. Won’t miss the 14 hour days preparing for a production.

Susan Downing 28 yrs experience Pinnacle, Gateway, Phoenix

Founding teacher of Pinnacle Program. Established a taxation/consulting business. Plans: work and travel. Will miss my students and co-workers. Will not miss labour unrest!

Catherine Eberle 33 yrs experience Kitsilano, Churchill, L’Ecole Bilingue

Highlights: the development, in 1984, of the French Immersion Programme in Vancouver and meeting the many teachers/principals who helped me to become the teacher I am today.

Gary Fabris 34 yrs experience John Oliver

Enjoyed teaching the carpentry ACE IT Program. Plans include travel, hockey and golf. Will miss staff and students. Will not miss BCeSIS, clean-up and shop maintenance.

Mary Hawes 33 yrs experience Killarney, Vancouver Technical

“Most of us have no more than five or six people who remember us. Teachers have thousands of people who remember them for the rest of their lives.” Andy Rooney For this I am truly grateful and will miss the energy that comes with the job.

Ann Hayes Kitsilano

I have loved my teaching career. I have given my all to both teaching and coaching. I am very excited about opening up my next chapter.

Peter Hill yrs experience University Hill

Farewell to all my friends at school. I'll miss the walks, the coffee, the gossip. And now, I'll turn my boat to the open sea.

Karin Hubbard 37 yrs experience Thompson, Templeton, Churchill

Highlights: Teaching AP Psychology, Pre-IB Planning 10, Gr. 10 Keats Island Camp, Career prep scholarships at Churchill, JA Business Challenge winners at Churchill and Thompson, Typing contest winners at Templeton. Will miss: motivated students. Plans: relaxing, running marathons, travelling.

Stan Hyde 33 yrs experience Churchill, TOC

I've taught a lot of wonderful students over the years and worked with a lot of imaginative, caring teachers . . . and I'll miss that. But I have a lot of plans, including getting back on track with my writing career, some acting, and continued work in Film education.

Sue Inglis 24 yrs experience Point Grey, Prince George (DP Todd)

I will miss the relationships with both students and staff, but particularly, this year, having no real time to say good-bye to so many students who came to me in the last days or slipped a note in my mailbox to say how much they loved my classes and how much they would miss me. Retiring is bittersweet.

Tim Ireland 34 yrs experience Hamber

My 34 years in the VSB—33 1/2 of them at Eric Hamber Secondary—have been marked by wonderful students, magnificent colleagues, and abundant support. Favourite saying: "I get paid well for repeating myself. Have I said that before?"

Rosalind Kellett 37 yrs experience Hamber, University Hill, Windermere, TOC, Surrey (GPCS, JHJS, PMSS)

Highlights: Teaching in 6 different schools and meeting so many wonderful teachers and students; becoming active in politics of BC education. Future plans: Travelling to the Galapagos Islands, writing a book.

Brian Landrigan 30 yrs experience Vancouver Technical, Gladstone, Shaughnessy Elementary

Highlight: Learning how to combine speech pathology and educational psychology. Plans: singing, dancing, travel, gardening and cooking. Favourite anecdote: “Do and say what is true, kind and necessary.”

Many students express gratitude and appreciation for all the efforts I made in nurturing them. That made all of my time and energy investment worthwhile.

Vincent Lau 26 yrs experience Windermere

Janet Letourneau 31 yrs experience Point Grey, Prince George (North Nechako

Elementary)

Ahhh, retirement! No more living by the bell! Off to kayak in Haida Gwaii and to explore India.

One student asked today, “Are you really going to retire? Who will teach me next year?!” We all know we are, indeed, replaceable, but we also know . . . Yes, we did make a difference!

Cathy LaRocque 31 yrs experience Vancouver Technical, Gladstone, Windermere

Karen Naso 25 yrs experience Thompson, TOC

I will miss the laughter of students in the classroom and colleagues in the staff café.

Gary Pryke 30 yrs experience Tupper, Vancouver Technical, Point Grey

Future plans are to continue with my passion for writing ... and some golf, travel and fun! Will miss the great staff and students at Tupper and the chance, in the classroom, for those special moments when learning and fun come together! I won't miss the sound of the bell or those early morning staff meetings!

Mary-Chris Staples 32 yrs experience Britannia, Tupper, John Oliver, Gladstone, Toronto

From Toronto to Vancouver, Gladstone to Britannia, I have had so much fun working with kids! They have kept me young and I will miss them! My plans for the future are to spend as much time as possible working for my other great passion: Animal Rights!

Leo Strong 29 yrs experience Tupper, Windermere, Byng, King George, Point Grey

It has been an enjoyable privilege to work with so many professional colleagues and to work with such wonderful students. Greatest insight: after so many years I discovered that students were the teachers and I became the privileged student.

Dianne Murray 36 yrs experience Hamber

“All our dreams can come true—if we have the courage to pursue them.” After spending 36 years at Hamber, it is time to pursue my dreams. I am looking forward to spending time hiking and biking around the world.

Marigrace Rennie 33 yrs experience Prince of Wales, DLS, King George, Hamber, Abbotsford, Mackenzie

Although I enjoyed teaching, I am thankful to be retired with a good pension. When I started teaching, I would always say that I wanted to take my pension out and spend it on a vacation. My colleagues would resoundingly say "Don't do that, you will regret it when you retire". They were right. Experience and wisdom trumps innocence.

Staff & Committee Representatives

Rick Appel

Lee Bensted

Leo Boissy

Rob Bordon

Margaret Brooks

Bonnie Burnell

Greg Chan-Henry

Mike Choi

Melanie Clay-Smith

Henny Coates

Pat Douglas

Cindy Dudra

Jody Findlay

Lisa Ford

Iqbal Gill

Kelley Grant

Heather Jensen

Leslie Johnstone

Kate King

Stephanie Koropatnick

Alita Krickan

Fred Lackmance

Anthony Larock

Brian Latimer

Joseph Lee

Hazel Lising

Jillian Maguire

Jacob Martens

Perry Mathias

Susan McIntosh

Peter McLennan

Jolene Mergens

Airdrie Miller

Saiqa Mohammed

Janet Mowatt

Raymond Moy

Janet Nicol

Bodo Niek

Tanya Noble

Denise North

Lisa Pacheco

Bal Panesar

Eleanor Pang

Don Phillips

Petr Pospisil

Lindsay Reynolds

Sally Ringdahl

Christopher Rozitis

Anne Sander

Carmen Schaedeli

Shirlene Shelfontiuk

Karla Smedley

Esther Tello

Rachelle Tessier

John Thomson

Wendy Waller

Ian Weniger

Brad White

Sally Wong

John Yetman

Special Guests and Members of the Executive

Bill Bargeman

Shaun van der Hoop

Andy Hattrick, SIF

Rory Brown

Mary Filleul

Darren Gock

Treena Goolieff

Leanne Hagglund

Phil Lee

Katie Leung

Phoebe MacMillan Sylvia Metzner

Trish Mugford

Nancy Palejko

Debbie Pawluk

John Silver

Terry Stanway

Tobey Steeves

Christine Stewart

Chris Wong

Vice Commodore’s Dinner Buffet

Mixed Greens, Caesar Salad, Quinoa Salad,

Roasted Vegetables, Greek Salad, Beet Salad,

Pasta Salad, Marinated Mushrooms

Smoked Salmon Platter, Baby Shrimp, King Prawns,

European Charcuterie Platter

Chicken Breast with Hunter Sauce

BC Salmon with Beurre Blanc

Farfalle Pasta, Fresh Cream and Herb Sauce

Seasonal Vegetables, Roasted Potatoes, Brown Rice

CARVING STATION

Roasted Top Sirloin with Red Wine Sauce and Dijon Mustard

Imported and Domestic Cheeses

Fresh Fruit

Cakes, Pies, Cheesecakes, Tortes and Pastries

Freshly Brewed Barista Coffees and Imported Teas