Big shoes to fill
Three HFS teachers retire this May
In May, Holy Family School will lose three of its finest teachers as they embark on a new journey into retirement. Mrs. Mary Marti, Mrs. Cindy Meredith, and Mrs. Rosalie Ohlson represent decades of experience and have been a blessing for the thousands of students they have taught.
In 1975, Mrs. Mary Marti joined the staff of Sacred Heart School, and she continued as a teacher at Holy Family School after the merger in 1989. She has taught grades 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8, but her favorite by far has been teaching the fourth grade. Teaching has been a happy time for Mrs. Marti, though she does admit that at times it has also been challenging, exhausting and nerve racking!
During her 45 years of teaching, Mrs. Marti has most enjoyed passing on the faith to her students, planning special liturgies, grading papers, and enjoying time spent with the teachers and staff. When asked about her time spent at Holy Family, Mrs. Marti reflected, “I feel we have always had the best school in Granite City with the nicest kids and the hardest working teachers, principals, priests, and staff anywhere around. I have always admired and appreciated the dedication of all who work so hard to support the school, including parents, grandparents, and friends.”
Mrs. Marti’s enthusiasm for teaching and sharing her faith will be deeply missed. After years of dedicated service, Mrs. Marti is looking forward to spending more time enjoying her family and babysitting her new grandbaby.
After 26 years at Holy Family School, Mrs. Cindy Meredith is hanging up her lab coat as the junior high science teacher and looking forward to retirement. In August 1993, Mrs. Meredith joined the staff of Holy Family School as a junior high homeroom and science teacher. In the past few years, she has served soley as a science teacher. A few days a week, she ventures into the preschool to bring hands-on science lessons to the young minds there. She describes her time teaching at Holy Family as a blessing from God. “I have been allowed to watch and guide young adolescents as they traveled along their faith journey. Best of all, I was able to help them investigate the mysteries of science, looking for signs of God’s presence in the universe, all while preparing them for high school,” said Mrs. Meredith.
Because of her passion for science, Mrs. Meredith was instrumental in launching our school’s mission to annually send the eighth grade students to Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. She elevated the science program at Holy Family to include opportunities for students to compete in regional and state Science Fair competitions with the Illinois Junior Academy of Science. One of her joys of teaching comes from hearing about past HFS students that are doing well in science or going on to a career in science, and they credit that success to their HFS classes.
Although she will miss her time with the staff, students, and families of Holy Family, Mrs. Meredith is definitely looking forward to retirement. She has been a familiar face among the local Scout BSA Troops 103 and 1899, and she will continue volunteering her time with them. Once retired, she is looking forward to traveling the world with her brothers, spending more time with family, bike riding, hiking, sleeping past 7 a.m., and that is only the beginning! Mrs. Meredith’s bright smile, positive outlook, and fervor for teaching will be missed.
For many students, the love for science begins when stepping into the fourth grade classroom with Mrs. Rosalie Ohlson. It is here that students first have a taste of the earth sciences and begin laying the foundation for their middle school years. Mrs. Ohlson has spent the last 18 years at Holy Family School, and this spring she will be retiring.
Mrs. Ohlson has found her time at Holy Family School to be very rewarding. At times, it was challenging, but Mrs. Ohlson always loves a good challenge to keep her on her toes! When asked what she would miss most about teaching, she said, “I will miss the children the most, but I will not miss the mundane tasks that go along with the job.”
Teaching opened up a world to Mrs. Ohlson to meet people she would otherwise not have known. She has found her time teaching at Holy Family School to be a wonderful experience.
While in the throws of state testing and wrapping up the third quarter of school, Mrs. Ohlson has not had much time to think about what retirement will bring. She is hoping to spend more time with her family. She may take a fall vacation, which she has never been able to do before with her teaching schedule.
Whatever the future holds for these three fine teachers, we wish them all the best as they begin this new chapter. ▪
Tell us your GOOD NEWS!
We have so many things to be thankful for at Holy Family School, and yet, sometimes we forget to pause and recognize those members of our community who go out of their way to be kind to others, as well as those achieving great things in our name.
Let’s spread the word about all of the wonderful things that we have happening at Holy Family School. We want to know about alumni achievements, acts of kindness, and good ‘ole fashioned GOOD NEWS! We want to hear from YOU! We want to hear YOUR stories! Click on the link below for more info. Email us your GOOD NEWS – goodnews@holyfamilyhawks.net.