Mrs. Curtis retires in style after 25 years teaching first grade
LAFAYETTE, Ind. — It’s official.
After dedicating more than three decades of her life as an educator, with 25 of those years as a first grade teacher at James Cole Elementary, Kelly Curtis officially graduated on Thursday.
It was a bittersweet moment for Curtis.
Not only was the retiring teacher saying goodbye to her first grade students, who were excitingly talking about their summer plans and questioning what it would mean to be a second grader, she was also saying goodbye to the world that she had known for a majority of her adult life.
“I have so many great memories and I’ve loved my job. I’ve had so many things that kept me going,” Curtis said.
Thursday marked the last-last day of her academic career, a rare experience that only an educator can experience.
It was clear that the moment had truly settled in for Curtis. In that moment, she was still a first grade teacher, and that wouldn’t change until she heard the last bell of the day ring.
Before that moment came, Curtis asked her students to sit down and do one last reflective circle with one another.
Thursday’s discussion was to consider what they had learned over the past year of school.
Many shared their favorite lessons, such as learning about animals or how to read.
For Curtis, her favorite lesson was teaching the kids their United States presidents.
Curtis went on to ask her class what they would miss after graduating from the first grade.
"Mrs. Curtis," a common response.
Curtis paused for a second, holding her hand over her heart, and told her students that she would miss them. too.
The Journal & Courier asked Curtis what it meant to be a first-grade teacher.
“It takes a lot of patience. But it’s such an important year for them because that’s when they learn how to read,” Curtis said.
“It’s changed a lot in the last 20 years. The demands on first graders now are so different from when I first started teaching. But it’s just that basic year where they learn lots and lots of skills.
“I’ve loved teaching first grade.”
Before the last bell rang, the J&C also asked Curtis what she had planned in her next chapter of life.
“I don’t know. I’m going to relax for a while,” she said. “The plan is to be with my family and my grandkids.”
Unbeknownst to Curtis, as the J&C was keeping her occupied with questions, Curtis’ family pulled up to the front of the school in a limousine.
After dedicating her life to the next generation of Tippecanoe County students, her family believed that she deserved to be sent off in fashion on her final day of school.
Her family members all wore shirts that said, “School's out forever,” and all of her grandchildren held a bouquet of flowers for her.
Just as they got into position, the final bell of the day rang, and she walked her class to the front school to wave them goodbye.
As she walked through the entrance of the school, she was not greeted by a large yellow bus, but instead by her friends, family and co-workers, all to wave goodbye.
Before she could give everyone a hug, she still had one job left to do. Every single one of her first-grade students received a Mrs. Curtis hug before running to their designated school buses.
Once her students were on the buses, she said more goodbyes, posed for photos and took one last look at James Cole Elementary before entering her limousine.
Before leaving, she could be heard asking her family, “What’s next?”
The beauty about retirement is that the answer to that question could be anything.
And with that, James Cole Elementary teachers, staff, and administrators waved farewell one last time, all with checked flags.
Noe Padilla is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. Email him at Npadilla@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter at 1NoePadilla
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: First grade teacher retires from James Cole Elementary in Lafayette
