We'd like to thank our retiring employees for their service and dedication to our students. Congratulations!
Stella Barr
Kathy Beery
Loretta Clark
Virginia Ann Deavers
Reba Fansler-Ryan
Diana Flick
Joseph Glick
Sandy Kauffman
Anne Lintner
Constance Miles
Suzanne Miller
Andrea Nolley
Ron Ornstein
Sandra Parks
Peggy Ritchie
Sonny Rodriguez
Chris Shifflett
Sharon Shuttle
Patti Studwell
Rebecca Wickline
Walt Williamson
Stella served as a school nutrition assistant at Waterman Elementary from 2004 - 2006 before taking a break for a few years to care for her grandchild. She returned to HCPS in 2009 and worked at Thomas Harrison Middle School until 2014, before finishing her career at Spotswood Elementary.
Stella is truly a jack of all trades and has been an asset to our program. Students were always greeted with a smile as she rang up their meals and adults could always count on a smile and a laugh when Stella was around.
Stella is looking forward to using retirement time to catch up on home projects. She also plans to come back as a substitute for our program.
Best wishes, Stella! We will miss you! – Andrea Early
Kathy Beery cares about children and providing high quality educational opportunities for all students. In her time as a Reading Specialist at Stone Spring Elementary School, she encouraged students to develop a love for reading. She ensured students had access to books that would interest a wide variety of students no matter their reading level. Ms. Beery was also passionate about ensuring a quality work environment for her colleagues as evidenced by her involvement in various educator organizations. We wish her the best of luck as she begins the next chapter of her story! – Kathleen Taylor
Loretta Clark dedicated 21 years to Harrisonburg City Public Schools and we are very grateful for all she gave our division. During her time, Loretta worked in several different roles. Many of us remember Loretta for her important work in Human Resources or as our division receptionist. Others recall her most recent vital role as Medicaid Coordinator. Loretta took pride in her work and demonstrated a superior work ethic. If Loretta did it, you could count on it being done right. She showered many with her amazing handmade gifts and always put others first. Loretta is a very caring and generous person and we wish her the very best in the next chapter of her life. Congratulations on retirement! – April Howard
Mrs. Deavers is retiring after 20 years of service at Thomas Harrison Middle School as one of our custodians. We often talk about the importance of seeing ourselves as needing the whole village to educate our children. Mrs. Deavers exemplifies this attribute more than most. Children cannot learn if they don’t feel safe, loved, cared for and are able to be in an environment that is clean and attractive.
Mrs. Deavers has always taken great pride in meeting these expectations. Her assigned areas are always cleaned well daily and she goes above and beyond to create an environment that looks cared for as if it where own home. She has consistently sought the advice of teachers and students for ways to improve how her areas look. She has always been willing to support teachers in arranging their rooms or in moving furniture or boxes from one location to another even when it may not be on her to-do list.
Over the years there have been many times in which we have been shorthanded in our custodial staffing. Mrs. Deavers has always stepped up to perform the same level of excellence in her areas as well as other areas without complaint. Her pride in doing a job well done drives her to complete the needed tasks across the entire building.
The teachers in our building often request that Mrs. Deavers be assigned to their area because they know and see the results of how well she cares for the area as well as the people.
Mrs. Deavers is a dedicated employee. Beyond her outstanding work is the way in which she demonstrates the importance of building positive relationships. I have seen her on so many occasions stop in the hall in the middle of a task to reach out to a student to say hello or to comfort someone in need. Middle school students wear their emotions on their sleeves and Mrs. Deavers has a unique ability to be able to reach out wherever needed to provide the support for students or staff.
As I write this note, I am reminded about Mrs. Deavers because I’m wearing one of the many polo shirts I have with the THMS logo embroidered by her. Every time I put one of these shirts on I will fondly remember how many lives Mrs. Deavers has touched and the way that she models excellence, accepting nothing but the best for each person in our THMS family.
We wish her the best and will miss seeing her taking care of us and our building daily. -Donald Vale
Congratulations to Karen Fansler Ryan, who is retiring from Harrisonburg High School. Karen has taught Family and Consumer Science for 29 years. During her career Karen has educated children in Shenandoah County, Page County, and Harrisonburg City. Family and Consumer Science is a field that is important to every single person. Every person benefits from the knowledge of nutrition and wellness that Karen taught in her courses. According to The National Coalition of Family & Consumer Sciences Education, “Family and consumer sciences education serves as a foundation for life literacy education. One curriculum goal is to improve students’ ability to be successful in today’s world.” Karen Fansler Ryan taught life literacy and encouraged her students to use the skills she taught in her class, in their lives. For example, on numerous occasions, Karen was asked to prepare food and cater for school events such as Prom or Parent/Teacher conferences. To accomplish this, she recruited students for help to give them real-life catering experience while providing a top-notch culinary experience. Karen also provided a scholarship each year from the profits of her catering business to a graduating HHS senior who was going to pursue a career in the culinary arts. Karen, you will be missed, may the next phase of your life bring you all that you seek and more. - Melissa D. Hensley
Diana Flick concluded her career in education at Harrisonburg High School in the role of ITRT in June. She served in this role with the opening of the current building in 2005. Prior to assuming this role, Diana served as an algebra teacher. As a math teacher she focused on her students, providing them with engaging and purposeful activities. As she shifted into the role of ITRT, she continued to serve the learning needs of students by providing technology assistance to teachers and staff. Diana was responsive to requests as well as introduced technology to teachers to assist in improving their instructional skills. Possibly Diana's greatest attribute may be her sense of humor as she helped the staff through, at times, stressful situations. It is this sense of humor that earned her the nickname "Giggles." Much thanks goes to Diana for all she has done for the students and staff of Harrisonburg High School. – Melissa Hensley
Mr. Joe Glick is well known by many of his students as "Pops" for his kind and welcoming demeanor, willingness to listen, and desire to go above and beyond to assist parents and their families. Joe has welcomed students to HHS with a warm smile and friendly hello for years and will be missed by the faculty, staff, students, and community. Mr. Glick has served as an administrator within the Harrisonburg City Public School system for the past 18 years as an assistant principal, principal, and Director of the Summit Academy. In the seven months that I have spent as Joe's direct supervisor, it is obvious that he cares deeply about the at-risk youth involved in the Summit Program as he worked tirelessly with the students and their families to align services at the school and community level that would enable the students to be successful in their academic pursuits. Mr. Glick worked diligently with the Summit staff to enhance instructional processes and social-emotional techniques and strategies in an effort to meet staff needs. In January, Mr. Glick was asked to assist the administrative team by assuming a case-load of general education students and conducting walk-through observations to help the team catch up on evaluations that needed to be completed. Joe did so readily and without hesitation. Mr. Glick will be retiring from the Harrisonburg City Public School system effective June 30, 2020, to spend more time with his family. I wish Joe the best in his retirement and thank him for making my first year at Harrisonburg High School a smooth transition by providing support for all aspects of my job. - Melissa D. Hensley
Mrs. Kauffman is retiring after 24 years of service, most recently as a 7th grade math teacher. I have had the pleasure of working with her for the past eight years and I am honored to say that I have had the opportunity to get to know her as an educator and person.
Mrs. Kauffman is a dedicated teacher who truly cares about the growth and success of her students. Even in her final years, she continued to work tirelessly to improve her skills and model lifelong learning. As technologies change faster than one can blink an eye, Mrs. Kauffman can be described as an early adopter – never afraid to try something new or to take a risk. Thomas Harrison Middle School greatly values collaboration, knowing the adage of “two heads is better than one” serves us all better, Mrs. Kauffman again models the ideal staff member who not only contributes to the team meeting but often brings ideas to the table that are valued and often adopted. Additionally, Mrs. Kauffman continues to contribute to our community by picking up and delivering school meals to two families in need on her own time all of this past summer.
More importantly, beyond her outstanding teaching skills, Mrs. Kauffman is able to build strong positive relationships with our students and families. She can be seen working with students before, during and after school hours in support of helping them “get it”. She is a great listener with a heart of gold and true compassion for the myriad of things middle school students experience and go through. She runs a classroom with structure, (much needed by children at this age) and at the same time is able to make “math fun”. Her projects and hands on activities are talked about throughout the hallways as her students leave the positive and caring environment of her classroom.
Over the years, Mrs. Kauffman has been actively involved in our school and community, most recently sponsoring our Math Counts club with amazing results in the local and State competitions.
I could go on to share pages of examples of her commitment to the field of education but I would close with this thought. As a parent myself, I wish that my children have the good fortune to work with a teacher like Mrs. Kauffman. She has touched the lives of so many and all that come in contact with her are better people for that time. She is irreplaceable and we will miss her greatly. All of us in the THMS family wish her the best and will keep her in our thoughts and hearts. - Donald Vale
We will miss Ms. Miles willingness to always pitch in to support our staff and students at Spotswood. Her special touches with decorating the faculty lounge, mailbox surprises, and genuine interest in the lives of our staff will be greatly missed. – Deb Cook
Like many people who have long careers that reflect a great commitment in education, Suzanne Miller has enjoyed great success throughout a long career in education. However, her work should never be measured in years, but rather in lives she touched and lives she changed. In Suzanne's elementary classrooms, no student was ever left behind and no student was ever left unchallenged. Because in Ms. Miller's classroom, students had goals and all the support they needed to reach those. She never saw a challenge as anything that couldn't be solved - over time. Always the consummate patient professional, Suzanne's work was guided by deep and uncompromised principles that sought to bring out the best in each of her students.
In recent years, Suzanne guided Language Arts throughout the division. To list her accomplishments in that role would simply take too much time and would lead to some great omission of something great she led or brought to the school division. What is safe to say is that she was a risk taker, innovator and tireless worker - always with clear purpose and a child in mind. What HCPS got every day from Suzanne was her absolute best. Few people ever command the attention and respect that Suzanne did as a teacher, coach and instructional coordinator. HCPS will remain grateful for her work for many years to come, as she put Language Arts on a solid foundation and set a course for the great work to be continued. – J. Patrick Lintner
ANDREA NOLLEY
How do we honor Andrea Nolley in her retirement? We’d need a book to fill up the pages with examples of her tireless energy and enthusiasm. Her creativity, passion, and engaging lessons have made a tremendous impact on HCPS students in the 40 years she has been in education. We have had the pleasure of working with Andrea as her administrative team for the last four years at Smithland Elementary School. We have witnessed Andrea demonstrating instructional expertise, kindness, and thoughtfulness as our school librarian. We don’t know how we are going to fill the gaping hole she will leave behind as she retires.
She is a teacher dedicated to her craft. She has added depth and value to so many students’ lives by instilling in them a life-long love of reading and by empowering them to be responsible citizens capable of making right-minded choices. The library at Smithland was started by Andrea and she has dutifully curated its collections with an eye toward her students’ best interests. She is a book whisperer at heart and a book pusher when needed. She shows her students the magic that can be found in books and feeds their natural curiosities. Andrea has created a space in the library where families are welcome and where students feel safe to explore possibilities.
Andrea has also helped students become leaders through her efforts in the Reading Makes Cents program and Mini-Society. On the surface, these programs appear to be about personal finance and economics but a deeper dive shows them to be tools for character building and independent thinking. Andrea uses stories to highlight the importance of the choices students make and to help students develop an awareness for what they might achieve if they apply themselves.
Andrea is a hard-working professional. She provides daily opportunities for students to construct meaning and make connections to what they already know. Andrea has intentionally added culturally relevant literature and Spanish stories in our library so that our students see themselves in the books on our shelves. Ms. Nolley demonstrates strong communication skills. She is a reflective listener and articulate as she communicates with members of our school community. Andrea goes above and beyond by having Family Literacy Nights, Family library accounts, Book Buddies, Book Clubs, Mini Society, finding guests for our Marvelous Mondays, the list goes on and on. She recently earned the well-deserved Virginia Economic Educator of the Year award. She loves dressing up as Pete the Cat or participating in crazy antics her team comes up with for our school’s Variety Show or June Jam celebrations.
Andrea demonstrates the ability to lead collaborative efforts within our diverse school community. She has served on our leadership team addressing issues and making suggestions in an attempt to improve instruction and our school program. She builds an atmosphere of trust, mutual respect, and openness with students, families, colleagues, and administrators. She believes in the value of promoting a love of literacy. She has also led school wide initiatives which led to deeper student learning, family engagement, and equitable practices. She is a wonderful role model for all learners. We will miss her dearly and wish her the best in her new endeavors. Fondly - Norris Bunn & Janis Churchill
Ron Ornstein retired after thirty two years as an educator in Harrisonburg City Schools working at Thomas Harrison Middle School and helping to open Skyline Middle School. The words of Ron’s peers are powerful in demonstrating his impact on children and educators:
“Having worked with Ron for 15 years, as direct partners and team members, I can 100% stand by the fact that he is one of the hardest working teachers I've EVER known. I became the teacher I was, by the guidance, direction, and support Ron provided me, and so many other teachers. He is a man that many, many teachers seek advice, support, and wisdom from.”
“Ron's educational philosophy of fully respecting students, while providing them with high expectations, allows his students to reach goals they didn't even know they could dream of, and feel appreciated and respected, many for the first time in their lives. This teaches his students to have respect for others, as well as for themselves, and to believe in who they are as young adults.”
“Ron is his students' BEST advocate, and having been in hundreds of student-teacher meetings, as well as parent-teacher meetings, with him, I am in awe of how Ron holds his students accountable, all the while going-to-bat for them. Although students don't always realize Ron's sacrifice in the moment, they fully know his dedication, as they look back at their 8th grade experience.”
“Ron is a team player and ALWAYS gives 100% of himself to Skyline. He is willing to join any committee in the effort to make the school and system better. He is often the first to volunteer for after-school support programs, from helping with concessions at basketball games, to organizing homework & study skills help, after school hours. Ron is not just a 8:00am to 3:00pm teacher, as he invests all of himself in his work. It is not abnormal for Ron to be at school late into the afternoon and evenings, working sporting events, helping students, grading, or creating lessons.”
“Thank you Ron for your service to a cause far greater than oneself. Thank you for the compassion that you have extended to students and adults. Thank you for affording everyone the dignity of a greeting each day. Thank you for sharing your years of experience with others.” – SKMS Staff
Sandy Parks has served in Harrisonburg City Schools for thirty years at Harrisonburg High School, Thomas Harrison Middle School, and Skyline Middle School. Her colleagues words tell it best:
“Her email says ‘sparks’ and that is how I have always thought of her. I didn’t really know what a school librarian could be until I met Sandy. Watching her interact with students for the past 14 years, I see true creativity as she uses her time with students to teach curiosity, compassion, questioning and learning through stories.”
“I’ve found that Skyline is a place where people of all pasts and presents can find a home, and Ms. Parks has fostered this idea in a big way through the library.”
“The most amazing fact I know about Sandy is that she ordered EVERY book in the SKMS library since the school opened. There will be many “pieces” of her left behind in each book that she chose. What a wonderful legacy for others to discover, explore and value!”
“Social justice warrior, avid reader, spark of life, storyteller. Sandy, you’ve been such an asset to SKMS. Anytime a student finds the perfect book, you’ll be remembered.”
“Recently, I was reminded and ever so thankful for you and how you’ve: taught kids to be anti-racist, promoted books from authors who looked and felt like they do, told stories -fictional and non- that tugged on their conscience and hearts, and helped me look beyond my sphere of influence and use my voice to touch others.”
Thank you also for creating a library where every student can find a book and say, “that’s me” or “that is who I want to be!” We wish you all the best!! – SKMS Staff
PEGGY RITCHIE
Peggy served as a school nutrition assistant from 2011 to present at Spotswood Elementary School. Peggy’s smile is infectious and you could always count on her to offer a kind word of encouragement to students in the lunch lines.
Peggy will use her retirement time to take care of her family member and their pets, spend more time with family and friends, and to volunteer with her church. Most recently, she has been part of her church’s “front yard singing” mission to reach those who are shut-in during the pandemic. - Best wishes, Peggy! We will miss you! – Andrea Early
Sonny Rodriguez is a home-school liaison extraordinaire. He was born and grew up in Alice, Texas, in a family of nine. He had an eventful life, before enrolling at EMU where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in both psychology and social work. After college, he spent 15 years working as a behavior program manager for the Commonwealth Center for Children and Adolescents in Staunton. In that position, Sonny demonstrated his great love for children and families, as he collaborated with mental health professionals and used a multidisciplinary approach to help children develop the ability to self-regulate.
In October of 1996, Sonny was offered a 30 hour a week position as an Elementary Service Provider for at-risk students in Harrisonburg. Sonny accepted the position and served 40 students across the four elementary schools that first year. He kept notes about each child he served, and the assistance he provided to families, staff and the school. During that first year, he met with individual students, translated notes and report card comments, made home visits, interpreted at parent conferences and IEP meetings, assisted with testing Headstart students, helped families schedule school physicals, helped children practice the alphabet, took sick children home, assisted with registering students, made phone calls late in the day to catch parents at home and always found time to eat lunch and play games with students. At the end of the year, he turned in a report of his work and his closing remarks were, “Thank you for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime, for your confidence in my abilities, and most of all for the great sense of appreciation I felt all year. I look forward to serving you again next year.”
And that he did for the next 23 years. Sonny became the first full-time elementary Home-School Liaison in Harrisonburg in 1998, and worked at more than one school for many years, until finally in 2010, HCPS made the decision to place a HSL at every school. Sonny became full time at Keister and remarked, “In my 12 plus years of working as a HSL, I have never been assigned to only one school, the possibilities are endless. I may not know how to act!” Finally, in 2017, Sonny made the decision to leave the school he loved and step into the adventure of opening Bluestone Elementary School.
Sonny has been highly instrumental in building global communities within our schools. His work includes many tasks that are focused upon building relationships and supporting the education and health of children and families. A more recent reporting of his work included additional items: responding to over 1,100 phone calls, Saturday language programs, hosting evening community nights, setting up community advisory committees, organizing translators for parent conferences, speaking in JMU classes, providing tours for new families, accompanying teachers on home visits, serving as a designee when administrators are away from the building, administering SOL tests, writing parent surveys, analyzing parent surveys and once again, helping students develop the ability to self-regulate.
Sonny manages his job with humility and grace. His warm smile and welcome are a daily perk. He still finds time to play games and eat lunch with students, creating a pleasant ruckus at the end of the hall! Through it all, year after year, Sonny has prioritized building relationships and has earned the trust and respect of those he has served. He remains the source of guidance, counsel, and assistance to so many. Thank you, Sonny, for caring so deeply for the children, families and schools in Harrisonburg. Thank you for building our capacity to communicate to all community members that they are valued and their voices matter. – Anne Lintner
Chris Shifflett walked the halls of Harrisonburg High School for the past 31 years. For the first 15 years of his career, Chris worked every event that occurred at the school. Throughout his career, he has seen tens of thousands of students come through the doors of Harrisonburg High School, knowing a large majority by name. Many of the relationships he established with former students are still intact today. You would always find Chris with a smile on his face as he completed his work. He took pride in the building and his work, and was always willing to help with whatever task. Chris' knowledge of the building, his contagious smile, and his willingness to assist in every possible way will be significantly missed. – Melissa Hensley
Sharon Shuttle has been positively impacting the lives of young children and their families since 1989. For the past seventeen years, she has served our youngest students in school - our preschool children. Beginning with her public school career in Augusta County in the Head Start program to her time working in Harrisonburg in the Virginia Preschool Initiative and Head Start programs, Sharon has worked tirelessly to build an outstanding early learning program for the youngest learners in our community. During her time in Harrisonburg, Sharon helped to grow our Preschool programs and also led the planning and opening of Elon Rhodes Early Learning Center.
For the past three years, Sharon has served the Shenandoah Valley in her role as Director of Early Learning Services and Smart Beginnings. In this role, Sharon has supported local preschool programs and helped improve early childhood education throughout our region. Sharon has worked collaboratively with local school divisions and many area childcare centers to increase the quality of teaching and learning experiences for area children and their families.
Sharon has been a strong advocate for young children and their access to quality learning opportunities for many years. Our school division and the community has benefited greatly from her work - her positive impact will be felt for many years to come. We wish Sharon all the best as she begins the next chapter in life in her home state of Tennessee. Thank you Sharon, thank you for your service to this community! – Jeremy Weaver
Patti Studwell is an exceptional educator, and exceptionality is rare. She was born in Manhasset, NY and grew up in a family of 7 in Floral Park, NY. She lived an eventful life before enrolling at Lynchburg College, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education in 1976. She went on to receive a Master of Arts degree at West Virginia University and completed the coursework for an ESL endorsement at JMU. In 1987, Patti began working in Harrisonburg with the Catholic Campus Ministry as an associate campus minister at JMU. She worked as a local preschool teacher for four years, and as an assistant in a special education classroom for one. In 1995, she was hired at Keister Elementary School where she taught first grade for 15 years.
In this role, she sang, explored, listened and laughed with her students. She passionately brought stories to life, and consistently affirmed the uniqueness of every child. Students were happy in her classroom and adored her. After her first year, Patti was described as “a teacher with enthusiasm for the teaching and learning process, one who builds caring relationships with students and colleagues, is able to effectively identify student needs and is proficient in asking questions.” Patti received her ESL endorsement in 2009 and moved into the position of ESL resource teacher at Keister.
She became an instructional coach in 2012 and this role was a natural fit for her. Her commitment to working with others to improve education for all children was evident early on as she supported practicum teachers, guided student teachers and mentored new teachers. Patti became an extremely well-trained and effective coach.
Patti is an innovator and always forward thinking. In 2017, she left the school where she had worked for 21 years to step into the adventure of opening Bluestone Elementary School. It was a tremendous challenge through which she demonstrated never ending patience, thoughtfulness, insight and tenacity. In looking back through Patti’s file, I found the resume she submitted in order to be considered for the opening Bluestone Leadership Team. It included a vision statement that read: “The vision and design for Bluestone, challenges the community of learners to a deeper level of engagement. To see beyond walls and move toward planning that includes new thoughts on space, grouping of students, teacher collaboration and instruction, is the goal set before us.” For 33 years, Patti’s work has been vision led and mission driven. Thank you Patti, for being a teacher, our coach, an inspiration, and for leading others toward lofty goals of excellence. – Anne Lintner
Affectionately known as Becca, Ms. Wickline will be missed by students, families, and staff. Becca always had a gentle demeanor, infectious smile, and prizes for students demonstrating perseverance. We are sad to see her go, but recognize that she has earned the right to share her warm smile with her grandchildren. – Deb Cook
Walt Williamson has dedicated his life to ensuring "Walt's Kids" were provided with the best learning experiences possible. From operating the morning coffee cart, to teaching his kids the ins and outs of daily life, and helping them to secure paid employment--Walt has made a difference in the lives of his students that will never be forgotten. He will always be in the hearts of those at HHS and the countless students and families whose lives are better for having known him.
Walt--Thank you for everything you have done in creating a warm and welcoming family environment for our students. Your legacy will carry on at HHS. – Melissa Hensley