Denise Ray was selected as Teacher of the Year at Gallatin High School. Denise teaches sixth grade; coaches Junior High Softball and is advisor for the elementary Academic Team. Denise is pictured, center, with teachers Anita Malo, left, and Sherry Golden, right.
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Jean Fales, Sandra Boland and Kathy Robertson.
At the end of the school year, Gallatin R-5 High School honored three retiring teachers, Kathy Robertson, Sandra Boland and Jean Fales, and recognized Denise Ray as Teacher of the Year.
“You get out of it what you put into it,” said Kathy Robertson, who will retire after 33 years of teaching Family and Consumer Sciences at GHS. “I’ve always told my students that, I firmly believe that and I live by that.”
Mrs. Robertson was a teacher from the “old school” who insisted on disciplining her students, even if that meant requiring them to repeat things over and over until they got it right. It was an approach to teaching that her students didn’t seem to mind and has had some extraordinary results. Over her 33 years as its leader, FCCLA has produced 25 regional officers and nine state officers. Two of those state officers were state presidents. There has also been one national officer and Katie Patton is a national officer candidate this year.
“I had some great students. I’ll miss the classroom and all the things we did with FCCLA. It took a lot of hours, a lot of practicing and hard work, but it paid off for us. We had quite a run for several years. Even before national STAR events, the FCCLA students had a lot of success. The kids were awfully good about that and have always been there for me.”
“You really felt like you were at home when you walked into that room,” says former student Angie Conover. “I enjoyed all of my teachers, but Mrs. Robertson was one of my favorites. The things I learned in home economics class are things I still use on a daily basis. I think about her a lot when I use the skills she taught us. She was very patient with me. I was not a sewer and sometimes she would have to tell me to go back and rip something apart and redo it. But she was always patient and kind.”
Angie especially remembers the year of 1981-1982 when all the senior football players signed on for Mrs. Robertson’s Home Economics class. The seniors included Angie’s future husband, Jeff Conover. Mrs. Robertson accepted the challenge and saw the potential.
“Those guys learned to cook up some good food,” says Angie. “Jeff is still a good cook.”
Angie also recalls when Mrs. Robertson took the class of football guys to Stevenson Apple Orchard in Kansas City. Students who took the trip included Alan Smith, Bill Eaton, Jeff Hester, Jeff Conover and Angie.
If any teacher could instill a bunch of rough-around-the-edges Bulldogs with a little finesse, it would be Mrs. Robertson.
“We had never eaten in a big restaurant like that before,” recalls Angie. “There were these little bowls of water and one of the football guys said, ‘What’s this? Is this to wash our fingers in?’ And Mrs. Robertson said, ‘Yes, that’s exactly what it’s for.”
Angie says that recently her mother and she were in the city and stopped and ate at that same restaurant. “It was over 20 years later, but I still remembered the last time I’d eaten there. I have a lot of good memories of having Mrs. Robertson as a teacher.”
Mrs. Robertson has seen the second generation of many students pass through her classroom.
“It’s nice to see them develop and grow and become actual community leaders; to see them grow up to be young, responsible adults with families of their own,” she said.
This summer will be spent getting her daughter Lindsey ready for college. A son and wife are moving to Oklahoma for a new job.
“I’ll mostly try to find some new hobbies and pick up some old hobbies I left a few years ago. I’ll be able to do some things I’d like to do for a change.”
She and her husband will be traveling to the northeast, to Vermont and Maine, this fall
“That’s a goal we’ve had for a long time. We’ve always said, once the kids are off, it would be a great time for us to go.” Hopefully I’ll play a little more golf, just for fun. It will be nice to have a change in pace.”
Sandra Boland is retiring after serving as librarian for 30 years, the last five at GHS.
Mrs. Boland taught second grade for one year at Hamilton. She was librarian for five years at Adams Middle School in Trenton. She also taught at Putnam County elementary and West Putnam, K-8.
Sandra’s husband, Fred, is also retiring as principal at Trenton. They have four sons. Ryan has a daughter Jordyn and is a single parent. Tim is also single and lives and works in Trenton. Brock is a teacher at Hickman High in Columbia. Brock and his wife, Annell, have two sons. Brandt and Brooke have three children.
“I will miss just being around the students and working with other teachers,” Mrs. Boland said.
She plans to relax, read and spend time with her family. She and Fred have an RV and hope to do some traveling.
Mrs. Boland’s has some simple advise to aspiring new teachers: “You need to have a sense of humor and treat everyone with respect.”
And what was the biggest reward of teaching?
“Just the fact that I hope I’ve had a positive influence on students and they’ll remember me with fondness.”
Jean Fales has retired after 27 years as library aide at GHS.
“I’m going to miss the kids, that’s for sure,” said Mrs. Fales. “I’ve seen them coming and going. It was a hard decision to make. I just decided 27 years was enough. It was time to step down and let someone else take over.”
As for what she will do with the next stage of her life: “Whatever I want,” said Mrs. Fales. “At least for a little while. If Sherry needs a backup to babysit I can do that. If Kenny says let’s go, we can go.”
Mrs. Fales and her husband, Kenny, have two daughters, Sheri and Shelly. Sheri and her husband, Byron, live in Cameron. They have three children, Awbrey, who will be in fifth grade, Joseph, who will be in first grade, and Kennedy, who is11 months old. Shelley lives in Kansas City and works at J.P. Morgan.
“Our grandkids are doing things I’ve been missing out on,” said Mrs. Fales. “Joseph was in kindergarten this year. He had an academic meet. His team won first and went all the way to the championship. The team tied and lost by the buzzer. I missed out on that.”
Mrs. Fales says besides keeping up with the grandchildren, she has projects she need to get going. Her niece started her on scrap-booking. “I was gung-ho on that, then I had to quit. School took priority.”
She admits it will be difficult at first not seeing the people at school she worked with day after day.
“I’ll miss it next fall, I’m sure. The cook’s told me I have a free pass to drink coffee with them once in a while. I’ll miss the teachers, too. I had them spoiled.”