We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
Retirees from Harlem Elementary School: Kathy Long, Sherri Pronto, Kathy Johnson, and Paula Annis were honored in a retirement ceremony on May 26.
At the conclusion of the Harlem Elementary Track and Field Day, top finishers in each grade were celebrated with MVP status. Back Row: Brielle Medicine Bear (Third Grade), Glen Messerly (Third Grade), Sheldon Jackson (Fourth Grade), Drew Messerly (Fourth Grade), Marlee Brown (Sixth Grade), and Brodie Williams (Sixth Grade). Front Row: Tela Garcia (Kindergarten), Kallen Flansburg (Kindergarten), Lei Arah Lawrence (First Grade), Austin Cochran (First Grade), and Coley Healy (Second Grade). Not Pictured: Second grader Jacob Wilson and fifth graders Naeleigh Main and Xander Young.
In honor of this year's Track & Field Day and to celebrate the completion of another school year, Harlem Elementary School students form a human 2022 on the football field.
Harlem Elementary second graders race to the finish line with Carrigen Stiffarm breaking the tape for the win.
Kruze Ereaux soars across the sand pit at Harlem Elementary School's Track & Field Day.
On Thursday, May 26 during the last week of the 2021-2022 school year, Harlem Elementary School (HES) students, staff, and administration commemorated the retirements of four staff members. Additionally, they held their traditional Track and Field Day on May 25, after which participants came together to create a human 2022 on the football field.
Teachers Sherri Pronto and Kathy Johnson, along with paraprofessionals Kathy Long and Paula Annis, were honored for their combined 74 years of experience and dedication to Harlem Schools.
"Their vast collective experience made a huge impact on the students they taught and mentored over the years, as well as on their coworkers," stated Elementary Principal, Evelyn Bigby.
Long started at HES as a substitute teacher, functioning in that role until she was hired full-time as a paraprofessional. Long served eight years as a para, assisting in every grade level. "She was very dedicated to her students through the last minutes of the last day of school," Bigby said of Long's performance.
Annis also worked as a paraprofessional, interacting with students at every grade level and filling in wherever she was needed and doing whatever was asked of her. She served for 19 years. Bigby commended her for her "strong work ethic in every capacity possible."
Although Johnson began her journey at HES as a paraprofessional, upon earning her education degree, she returned as a teacher. Johnson taught in Harlem for 13 years, serving the last nine in fifth grade where she prepared her students for the rigors of the upper grades and remained connected to many past students once they moved on.
Last, but certainly not least, Pronto has been a pillar of Harlem Elementary since the 80s, according to Bigby. Pronto taught first graders for 34 years. She impacted the lives and learning of hundreds of young people, teaching students who grew to be parents who then enrolled their children in her class. Given her longevity, Pronto has literally taught generations of HES first graders.
"Each one of our retirees brought a unique perspective to education, and their contributions will be felt for years to come," Bigby concluded.
All four of these individuals received gifts, including plaques and Pendleton blankets, as everyone shared memories-not to mention a few tears-while enjoying refreshments.
To close out the school year, on May 25, students competed in a variety of track and field events as part of the Harlem Elementary Track and Field Day. A top male and top female finisher from each grade level were awarded a trophy as the Most Valuable Player (MVP).
After a day of exercise, exertion, and achievement, the group gathered on the football field to form a colorful 2022 with their bodies. The human formation not only celebrated Track & Field Day but marked the completion of another school year, one which could not have happened without the contributions of all.
