Oxford Elementary lost a combined 64 years worth of experience Friday with the retirements of Adelle Lund, Kathie Schafnitz and Linda Lamphere.
‘I know I remember laughing a lot and that’s what’s most important,? said Lund of her 17-year teaching career, which has been divided between Daniel Axford and Oxford elementaries.
Prior to taking a full-time teaching position with Oxford Schools in 1987, Lund did some substitute teaching for the district in 1972, left to raise a family, then returned as a substitute in 1980. She spent the last 11 years teaching fourth grade with six of them being spent at OES.
‘This is such a wonderful age, the 9 and 10-year-olds,? she said. ‘They are just starting to take responsibility for a lot of their learning. Everything’s starting to click with them.?
Lucky for Lund’s hundreds of students over the years her first career choice didn’t work out.
‘I started out wanting to be a Spanish translator,? she said. ‘But in the back of my mind, I always wanted to work with kids. I got into a Spanish class at Wayne State (University) where I was in way over my head. So, I made a career change and went into elementary education and fell in love with it. . .I’ve always loved working with children.?
Lund noted her fourth-grade teacher, Mrs. Dittmer, ‘always stuck out in my mind and I think that’s why I ended up in education.?
The ‘most rewarding? part of Lund’s job is ‘seeing how the kids grow through the years.?
She enjoys seeing them when they return to visit as high school students and they’ve ‘turned into the type of person I wanted them to be as far as being responsible, taking their school work conscientiously, and being successful in what they want to do.?
One of Lund’s former students, now in her third year of college, is studying to become a teacher.
‘She’s kind of related that it’s because of me,? Lund said. ‘That just makes me very proud.?
‘I know that I make an impact on kids and I think that’s one of the rewards of teaching,? she said. ‘I just feel lucky I’ve been able to have a career in a job I love and work with people that I get along with.?
Lund plans to spend her retirement travelling with her husband of 35? years, Ed, and finishing their home on Drummond Island.
The couple will continue to live on Dennison St. in Oxford Village, where they have resided since 1970, ‘for a little while? until the Drummond Island home is completed. ‘Then we’ll move up there,? she said.
Kathy Schafnitz traded the prospect of serving people with a badge and gun for teaching kids with words and books.
Prior to spending 23 years with the Oxford school district, Schafnitz was ready to join the Detroit Police Department as an officer.
While waiting for a position in the department, she decided to use her degree in education to take a temporary teaching job.
‘I started teaching and never left,? said Schafnitz, who spent six years with Oxford Schools? former Community Education program and the last 17 years as a contract teacher.
Schafnitz, who’s lived in Oxford Lakes since 1978, taught at Clear Lake Elementary, Oxford Elementary and the middle school for most of her career.
Schafnitz has spent the last three years at the district’s literacy coach, instructing teachers at the Clear Lake, Lakeville, Leonard and Oxford elementaries in various techniques designed to make students more effective readers. She also works one-on-one with small groups of students who have difficulties with reading.
She said her favorite part of the job is ‘when the light goes on in the children,? when the lesson ‘clicks and you see they understand.?
Schafnitz said she will miss the ‘hugs? from students. ‘I’m a touchy-feelly kind of person,? she said.
She will also miss the ‘amazing group? of teachers, paraprofessionals and staff, which has given ‘so much time and money out of their own pockets? to help students.
‘You can’t ask for a greater group,? Schafnitz said.
The 55-year-old plans to spend her retirement with her husband of 34 years, Paul, and doing volunteer work for Detroit’s Thanksgiving Day parade.
Schafnitz said she’s never worked on the parade before, but she always watches it and has fond memories of the event dating back to childhood.
She doesn’t know exactly what she will be doing for or in the parade. ‘You can go to float driving school, be an equestrian escort (which means cleaning up after the horses) or wear a papier-mache head (in the parade).?
‘I’d like to drive a float,? Schafnitz noted.
Linda Lamphere, of Clarkston, ‘wasn’t looking for the job? when she became a secretary for Oxford Schools 24 years ago, ‘but it’s the best job I’ve ever had.?
‘Actually, it’s about the only job I’ve ever had,? she added.
Her career started out as a temporary gig filling in with the Community Education program.
‘It was just a favor,? Lamphere said. ‘They needed somebody right away for six weeks or so until a broken bone healed.?
Changes in district staffing led to offer of a full-time secretarial position, which Lamphere decided to take.
She stayed with the Community Education program for the next 14 years, and when the department closed, she was moved to the Oxford Intermediate School, which later became Oxford Elementary. Her last 10 years have been happy ones at the building on Pontiac St.
Lamphere said it’s been ‘very rewarding? for her to ‘see (the children) grow? and watch the new young teachers ‘mature.?
She said working with kids at school is ‘an extension of nurturing your own children,? of which she has four grown ones.
‘I don’t treat these kids any different than I’d want anyone else to have treated my children when they were in school,? said Lamphere, noting that working with kids ‘comes easy? and ‘natural? to her.
Lamphere decided to retire in order to spent more time with her husband of nearly 44 years, Richard, at their vacation place in Florida.
She said they plan to spend the whole month of January in the sunshine state and that’s why she decided to retire.
‘I couldn’t get January off so I retired,? she said. ‘If I could have January off, I’d probably continue until whenever.?