It is hard to believe that 33 years have gone by so quickly. I vividly remember the rainy day in early July 1989 when I came to interview for the Spanish position at HBR with Mr. Thompson. To my horror, he was standing out in front of the school with Mr. Blankenship and saw me do a 360 on a slippery Route 30 as I attempted to turn right onto Rees Street. They greeted me like nothing had happened, invited me into the school and the rest is history!
I am so thankful for being part of the HBR community for my entire career in education. I have had the pleasure to teach so many wonderful students, entire families and several children of students. One of the most rewarding moments I have is when a former student tells me about their life, family and successes after attending HBR. I meet HBR alums everywhere: Cubs games, college campuses, at the movies, weddings, doctors offices, Walt Disney World, on a plane to Florida, the list goes on. I always refer to my students as “my kids” and over the years have confused many friends when I have shared stories about my kids, not my son or daughter.
The most rewarding part of being a Spanish teacher has been watching my students grow and learn. There is nothing more satisfying than having a student say something to me in Spanish or having a former student tell me how much their learning Spanish has helped them in casual interactions and/or their career. As a Spanish teacher I also had the amazing opportunity to take several student groups to Mexico and sponsor Spanish Club as well. Thank you, Amigos, for making episode #33 a special one.
Fall 2019 Spanish Club field trip to the National Museum of Mexican Art.
Students participated in an Alebrijes workshop with Jacobo and Maria Angeles.
I love interacting with students outside of class and getting to know them, so being involved in a variety of extra-curricular activities has been very rewarding. I started as freshman class sponsor for the class of 1992 and soon was convinced to move on to Student Council. What fun it was to plan all the dances, spirit weeks, game nights and especially Homecoming! When I was in high school, my favorite part of Homecoming was the parade so I was very excited to bring back the parade to HBR, rain or shine. This year’s parade was especially meaningful thanks to the outpouring of appreciation from the community along the parade route and pep rally. Mrs. Halverson and Student Council members, thank you for making my last year at HBR a memorable one.
2019-2020 Student Council members at the Spring Game Night.
Once I became involved in student activities, our guidance counselor, Mrs. Peterson invited me to be a chaperone for the annual leadership retreat and I absolutely loved it! I am very proud that the Leadership Retreat is still one of the activities that students look forward to and enjoy. A lot of special memories have been made at the retreat. I appreciate all of the student leaders and co-sponsors that I have worked with over the years. Mrs. Larsen, Mr. Olsen and the retreat leaders, thank you for all of your hard work in planning and lack of sleep.
2019 Leadership Retreat
After a trip to the 2000 Jostens Renaissance National Convention in Las Vegas, Mrs. Peterson and I started HBR Renaissance. Renaissance inspires the same acceptance, appreciation and excitement for academics that is traditionally reserved for athletics. HBR has the attitude and belief that everyone can seek and achieve excellence. With this, we can focus on what every student can become and have each student compete within themselves to strive for continual improvement. This focus on school climate and culture contributes to increased attendance and graduation rates, improved academic performance and behavior, higher teacher retention rates, and a boost in overall school spirit. Mrs. Larsen and the 2019-2020 board, thank you for all of the time and effort that goes into the fundraisers and rallies. Our next rally is next Wednesday, March 18. I cannot wait to see what they have planned!
2019 Fall Renaissance Rally
I have enjoyed my time at HBR. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of the community and trusting your child’s education to me. I couldn’t ask for any better place to work. To my colleagues, thank you for your friendship and camaraderie. To my students, thank you for making every day a better day. Keep learning and never give up on your dreams.
Muchas gracias por todo. ¡Vamos a la playa!
Carolyn Taylor