By Carson Lambert

clambert@civitasmedia.com

Twenty six district employees received a celebratory sendoff on their way to retirement Tuesday night. In no particular order are Robert Bannister, Patsy Chapman, Wanda Connelly, Jonathan Floyd, Lynn Grimsley, Cindy Kibler, Hubert Kinard, Connie McMorris, Debra Monts, Loretta Sheppard, Sally Shouse, Linda Kay Slice, Delores Stephens, Iain Stewart, Lorraine Stockman, Martha Suber, Darlene Suggs, Debbie Werts and Katherine Young. Unable to attend the ceremony were Frances Abrams, Delphena Brooks, Tywanna Conner, David Green, John Lemon, Karen Newkirk-McCoy and Judy Yon.
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_retirees_group.jpgTwenty six district employees received a celebratory sendoff on their way to retirement Tuesday night. In no particular order are Robert Bannister, Patsy Chapman, Wanda Connelly, Jonathan Floyd, Lynn Grimsley, Cindy Kibler, Hubert Kinard, Connie McMorris, Debra Monts, Loretta Sheppard, Sally Shouse, Linda Kay Slice, Delores Stephens, Iain Stewart, Lorraine Stockman, Martha Suber, Darlene Suggs, Debbie Werts and Katherine Young. Unable to attend the ceremony were Frances Abrams, Delphena Brooks, Tywanna Conner, David Green, John Lemon, Karen Newkirk-McCoy and Judy Yon. Carson Lambert | The Newberry Observer

NEWBERRY COUNTY — Twenty six employees of the Newberry County School District were celebrated for reaching retirement at a reception held Tuesday at Newberry Middle School.

“Don’t ever underestimate the difference you have made in the lives of thousands of young people that you have served in your various roles,” said Superintendent Jim Suber. “I commend you for your dedication and your service to this school district.”

Among those retiring were science teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria workers. School board chairman Jody Hamm and director of human resources Pamela Arrington lamented the many years of experience that will be lost.

“So staff that are here that are not retiring — you better step up your game,” joked Hamm.

The following is a brief synopsis of each retiree:

• Frances Abrams, of Prosperity-Rikard Elementary, is retiring after 24 years as an instructional assistant with the district.

•Robert Bannister, of the Newberry County Career Center, has been the building construction instructor for 33 years. He has over 50 years experience in construction. Bannister is married to Janice Bannister and they have two children, Ashley and Clark, and one granddaughter, Annabel. He plans to spend his retirement golfing, fishing, hunting and spending more time with his family. He also looks forward to taking short-term mission trips.

• Delphena Brooks, of Boundary Street Elementary, is retiring after 14 years with the district as a teacher and instructional assistant.

• Patsy Chapman, of the Newberry County Career Center, has served the district in several capacities. She was the secretary for parenting/family literacy and work-based learning as well as the receptionist for the Newberry County Career Center. She has also served as the secretary to adult education and is retiring after 28 years of service. She is married to Rodney Chapman who is also retired from the district as a teacher and has one son and daughter-in-law. Upon her retirement she hopes to spend quality time with her family.

• Wanda Connelly, of the Newberry County Career Center, has been the cosmetology instructor for 19 years. She has been married to Philip Connelly for 44 years and they have five children, one step-grandchild and three grandchildren. Her retirement plans include travel, gardening, reading all the books she has not had a chance to read and spending time with her family.

• Tywanna Conner, a transportation employee, is retiring after 19 years as a bus driver with the district.

• Jonathan Floyd, of Whitmire Community School, has been the guidance counselor for 43 years. Floyd has also been the guidance counselor for adult education for 18 years. He has five daughters — Laura, Jennifer, Beth, Megan and Haley. He says he has no specific retirement plans and is going to see how useless he can be. According to Floyd, retirement snuck up on him.

• David Green is retiring after 17 years as the director of adult education.

• Lynn Grimsley, of Mid-Carolina High School, is retiring after teaching 37 years with the district. She spent her first two years teaching at Little Mountain Elementary, Prosperity Elementary, Rikard Elementary, Mid-Carolina Junior High and Mid-Carolina High. She then began teaching chorus and AP music theory at Mid-Carolina. Additionally she taught the Newberry County School District Gifted and Talented Theater Arts Program and was selected the District Teacher of the Year. She is looking forward to spending more time with family, especially her brother Chuck and nephew Mills. She will continue to work with her church choir and run summer camps and conferences.

• Cindy Kibler, of Pomaria-Garmany Elementary, has been teaching in the district for 35 years. She taught early childhood at Little Mountain Elementary, Bush River Elementary, Reuben Elementary and taught at Pomaria-Garmany Elementary for 18 years. Her retirement plans include relaxing, gardening and spending time with family and friends.

• Hubert Kinard began his teaching career at Newberry Middle School and has taught science for 24 years at Mid-Carolina High. Kinard also coached basketball and golf at Mid-Carolina for seven and 22 years, respectively. He is married to Edith Kinard and they have two sons and six grandchildren. His retirement plan is to travel.

• John Lemon is retiring as an HVAC technician after 14 years of service with the district.

• Connie McMorris, of Newberry Middle School, has 35 total years of teaching experience and 25 with the district. She began teaching at Reuben Elementary and was most recently employed at Newberry Middle School where she instructed seventh grade science. She has three children — Chelsea, Marcus and Lonette. Connie’s retirement plans include working part-time and continuing to work with students in some capacity.

• Debra Monts, of Boundary Street Elementary, is retiring after 12 years as an instructional assistant with special services. She has worked at Newberry High School and Boundary Street Elementary. Monts has been married to Jimmy Monts for 40 years and they have two sons — Jamie and Robbie — and two daughters-in-law as well as four grandchildren.

• Karen Newkirk-McCoy, of Pomaria-Garmany Elementary, taught with the district for 29 years and has an additional 10 years of experience. Karen taught special needs students at Prosperity-Rikard Elementary, Little Mountain Elementary, Boundary Street Elementary, Speers Street Elementary and most recently at Pomaria-Garmany Elementary. She has three daughters — Angel, Ashley, and Amber. She looks forward to enjoying wedding planning, babysitting her grandchildren and traveling to Paris and Norway.

• Loretta Sheppard is retiring with 26 years of experience as a bus driver with the district. She has three children and plans to work in her church, yard, house, garden and spend time with family and friends.

• Sally Shouse has 30 years teaching experience with 19 at Whitmire Community School. She taught first grade for a year and kindergarten for 18 years. She is married to Ricky and they have three children — Corey, Eric and Seth. They also have three grandchildren — Wren, Noah and Bristol. Her retirement plans are to become a full time grandmother and enjoy watching them during the day.

• Linda Kay Slice has worked with child nutrition as a cook for 15 years. She and Gordon Slice have been married for 45 years and have two children — Donna Koon and Travis Slice — and four grandchildren. She has no specific plans for her retirement.

• Delores Stephens, of Newberry High School, has worked for 31 years with the district. She has been an instructional assistant working with ED, LD and autistic children and began her career working in the reading and math lab at Mid-Carolina Middle. She has three children — Clinton, Delene and Dexter — and eight grandchildren. Stephens’ retirement plans include relaxing, tending to her flower garden and visiting family.

• Ian Stewart was the Project Lead the Way teacher at the Newberry County Career Center for three years and was also the robotics team mentor. His retirement plan is to remodel his house.

• Lorraine Stockman, of Mid-Carolina High, is retiring with 28 years in the District. She spent 21 years at Newberry Middle School as a special education instructional assistant, math assistant and computer lab manager. She was the media assistant at Whitmire Community School for three years and the media assistant for four years at Mid-Carolina High School. She has been married to Carroll Stockman for 44 years with whom she has two daughters and two grandchildren. Her retirement plan is to travel around the country.

• Martha Suber, of Whitmire Community School, has 33 years experience as an educator, 17 of which have been with the district. She spent a year as the study hall monitor at Whitmire High, seven years as a physical education teacher/administrative assistant at Newberry High and most recently nine years as the assistant principal for middle and secondary at Whitmire Community School. Suber’s retirement plan is to not have a plan. She does, however, look forward to playing golf, music with her dogs and pretending to be a carpenter at her home which she calls “The Cowpalace.”

• Darlene Suggs has been a third grade teacher at Prosperity-Rikard for 20 years and has 37 years total as an educator. She has twice been her school’s teacher of the year and was named runner-up for the district teacher of the year. Suggs is married to George Suggs and they have three daughters — Danielle, Leah, and Logan — and a granddaughter, Jailyn. Upon her retirement she plans to complete some projects around the house, spend time with her daughters and granddaughter and perhaps learn something new for fun.

• Debbie Werts has been a bus driver for 20 years in the Mid-Carolina area in addition to volunteering and substituting. She has been married to Paul Werts for 31 years and they have two sons — Stephen and Rion. She plans to complete projects around her home, re-do furniture, ceramics, make jewelry, write books and cook. According to Werts being retired is a little bit like heaven on earth.

• Judy Yon is retiring after nine years working with child nutrition.

• Katherine Young has taught a total of 10 years at Mid-Carolina High School and has a total of 25 years of experience. She taught Spanish for the last six years before that teaching special ed and biology. Kathy is married to David and they have three children — Amanda Norton, Any Young and Morgan Young — and one grandchild, Ethan. Her retirement plans include spending more time with family, traveling, reading, gardening and volunteering.

Reach Carson Lambert at 803-276-0625, ext. 1868, or on Twitter @TheNBOnews.