Mrs. McClay’s last day of school this year is is truly her last one, as she is retiring.
Mrs. McClay, a first grade teacher, has been at Fredericktown for 21 years.
Some of McClays favorite memories include Pumpkin Festivals, Camp Skeeter, Grandparents’ Days, and the Teacher Lip Sync performances at the Tomato Show.
During 1st grade Camp Skeeter, at the end of the school year McClay would always love to completely transform her room into a “campground.” It was a lot of work but the kids’ shock-awe was worth it. She built a pretend campfire in the middle of the room.
On the last day, she would put “fake poop” by the fire. Every year she was able to convince her students that a wild animal had snuck in and left it there. Other staff members would complain about the smell and Mr. Goeppinger would even offer to clean it up. After reading a book called WHO POOPED IN THE PARK , she would “accidentally” bump into the poop, let it fly across the room, and watch their faces as they realized it was all a joke.
Pumpkin festivals were fun because they changed up the schedule and did their learning in a different way. The kids got to do their first stage performance and they thought they were such a big deal. McClay remembered one student who got so nervous that he threw up all over the stage. He went on to be an amazing performer with our band. Every year she watched him in the band she would laugh, remembering his first grade debut.
Grandparents’ Days were always her favorite just because everyone was so happy. The kids were excited, the grandparents were excited, and the smiles and pride were at an all time high. The grandparents always showed kindness and appreciation and were respectful.
One positive classroom incident that happened that she will never forget is in first grade. It occurred in May of 2020. After being home for many weeks during the COVID scare, they all (the first grade teachers) all got on a school bus and went to each student’s house to return their school supplies. The weather was beautiful and they spent all afternoon driving around the school district. She has lived here all her life, but Mr. Grubb showed us parts of Fredericktown that she had never seen. It was fun to spend the afternoon with her teammates (socially distanced, of course), but the best part was to see her students’ faces when she stepped out of the school bus. The parents were so appreciative and some had gifts, cards, posters, and even treats for them. There were definitely some tears shed that day. They had bonded with those kids in a unique “unprecedented” way, and that group will always hold a special place in her heart.
McClay will miss lots of things but what she will miss the most is the kids, the funny things they say, and watching them learn. She also has also made some great friends here and will miss seeing these people on a daily basis.
McClay became a teacher because she always wanted to be one. She loves kids and loves watching them grow and learn. Since she grew up in Fredericktown, she counted it as a special privilege to be able to teach here.
McClay taught first grade for 4 years at a different school. She was in charge of the Latchkey program at FLS for 6 years. She also taught second grade here for two years and has been in first grade for the last 21 years.
Some things have changed since she started teaching. Families have changed and the school has to do more to support many families. Also, the state standards have become more influential in driving much of what is taught.
Advice McClay had given to her own kids because they are also teachers is “Just show your love to the kids. Let them, and their parents, know that you care. Also, take time to enjoy the fun times. The work is hard but the fun is a wonderful trade off.”
McClay’s biggest challenge was doing all that needed done during the school hours. Through the years, she has spent much of her time at home thinking about and working on school things. She believes that is true for most teachers.
Some advice for future teachers is this: Even though it is hard and time consuming, take the time to truly enjoy the kids and appreciate the difference you are making in their lives. It really is worth it!”
If McClay had not been a teacher she probably would have involved kids and helping people. After retiring, she is going to be the Special Events Coordinator at her church. She is doing this because she loves her church and wants people to have a positive experience there when having an event such as a wedding, funeral, shower, banquet. She knows it will be different from teaching, but her goal is still to help people. She also plans to volunteer for the first grade teachers to help carry some of their heavy load.
