THOSE WHO SERVE: THE THIRTY PLUS CLUB

Mr. Phil Hickey
This week a few sixth graders asked me how old I was when they heard some seventh graders wishing me a happy birthday. UPDATED/ AUGUST 6, 2019
This week a few sixth graders asked me how old I was when they heard some seventh graders wishing me a happy birthday. Of course, the question one might expect from children is the typical one -- How old are you?  When I told them my age -- just in case, there is a mandatory retirement age at the school, I shall not divulge that large number; the next question was, “How long have you been a teacher at Graland?”
 
The second question had me thinking about teachers and staff who had served thirty years or more at Graland School. A trip to the Master Teachers’ Wall was in order.
 
Here is a list of teachers who worked at Graland School for more than thirty years:
 
  1. Ruth Gorham- 62 years. This dear woman taught here for 49.5 years and returned part-time to begin organizing the archives and communicating with our alumni. For me, she symbolizes the spirit of this school. Alas, I never met some of the other legends on this list.
  2. Genevieve Jones- 45 years
  3. Nancy Nye Priest- 44 years. Her hello always made my day.
  4. Chet Preisser- 43 years. What a wonderful man!
  5. Philip W Hickey- 41 years 
  6. Robert Romero-39 years 
  7. Cathy Naughton- 39 years (includes this school year
  8. Jackie Wylde-38 years 
  9. Georgia Nelson- 37 years. There is an eighth-grader at this school who once asked me after a presentation to one of the east K classes, whether I had worked with Georgia Nelson. I laughed, of course. I wish I had worked for this remarkable woman.
  10. Barbara Kobler Nunn- 37 years
  11. Andrean Andrus- 37 years
  12. Nadine Miller-35 years
  13. Andrean Andrus-37 years 
  14. Inara Humeyumptewa- 34 years
  15. Ray Eslinger- 34 years I shall never forget Ray. Such a kind man. During one Christmas vacation, he built a wall- to-wall bookcase in my classroom so that I could store all my grammar and mythology papers.
  16. Ludmila Glasscock- 34 years.  I loved sharing mysteries with her.
  17. Lucile Hobelman-34 years
  18. Debbie Cuerden- 34 years
  19. Tom Rice- 34 years
  20. Katie Dodge-32 years
  21. Kay Hanson-32 years
  22. Dick Kinney-33 years
  23. Parthenia Williams - 32 years (as of 2019-2020)  
  24. Todd O'Malley- 32 years (as of 2019-2020)
  25. Rocio Zeiler-30 years (as of 2019-2020) 
You will be learning more about these people as I continue my series on our Master Teachers.
 
It is such a pleasure for me see my name on this list. Soon, some dear colleagues will be tricenarians and will join this list.
 
Back

Graland Country Day School

55 Clermont Street    |    Denver, CO 80220    |    303-399-0390
Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.