It started as a casual suggestion. It turned out to be a fun reunion for a former teacher and her students.
‘Your class was the last class I taught before retiring in 1992. I thought it would be fun to get together briefly for a photo-op.?
Twenty-one Clarkston High School students received a letter in the mail recently from former kindergarten teacher Josephine Vaara with that opening statement. Vaara met with her students on May 19 to catch up and say good-bye before the graduating seniors go their separate ways in June.
‘I can’t tell you how wonderful it was to see them today,? Vaara said. ‘They’re all grown up. They’re really sweet children.?
Last year Vaara’s husband, Mel, realized that the last kindergarten class Vaara taught at North Sashabaw Elementary School in 1992 would graduate in June.
‘He said, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to have a picture with your last class??? Vaara said. ‘We had talked about it for a while.?
From there the idea blossomed. Working with CHS principal Jan Meagher, Vaara supplied her 1991-1992 class roster and found that only 21 of her 40 students were still in the Clarkston school district. The others had left the district or graduated early.
‘I was surprised. I’ve seen her since then, but I was surprised she wanted to do a picture,? Jessica DeZess, CHS senior and former Vaara student, said.
Letters went out in the beginning of May asking students to gather for the photo at the high school. From there Vaara began looking for classroom keepsakes and reliving fond memories of the last class she taught.
CHS senior Nick Ranick was one of the students that arrived for the reunion. He wasn’t surprised that one of his former teachers would orchestrate an event like this.
‘I knew she’d do something to commemorate this,? Ranick said.
Vaara came to Clarkston in 1954 as a beginning teacher. She was here for just a short time before heading to Denver, Colo. in 1956 for another position. She returned back to Clarkston shortly there after.
Taking time off to raise her family of four daughters, Vaara returned to teaching at NSE in 1975 working with developmental kindergarten and creating her own curriculum for the new program. She stayed there for 17 years.
‘It’s a wonderful school. It’s one of those schools where if you were working on a project and needed help, you just had to mention it and you had volunteers,? Vaara said.
Thinking back to the last class she taught, Vaara was overwhelmed with both funny and touching memories from her teaching career in Clarkston.
One of Vaara’s favorite memories came from former student Benjamin, now a major in the Marines. Vaara chuckled at the fact that the officer was always known for being a bit of a sloppy dresser in class and always spoke his mind to his teacher.
‘He used to say to me, ‘Teacher, you know what? I pray for you every day.? And I said, ‘You know what? I can use all the prayers I can get,?? Vaara said.
Vaara was always appreciative of the relationships formed with parents of students in her classes. To this day the Vaaras still receive open house invitations from former students. They make sure to attend each one.
‘You make so many wonderful friendships from the parents,? Vaara said.
Just because Vaara is a retiree doesn’t mean her life has slowed down a bit. An active member in the community with husband Mel, Vaara volunteers with Hospice, facilitates a breast cancer support group in Clarkston and works with the Reach to Recovery program with the American Cancer Society (she is a 16-year survivor of breast cancer).
Not to mention being an on-call grandma.
‘My feet hit the floor in the morning and I’m running all day,? Vaara said. ‘We still go to all the Clarkston school events.?
When Vaara met with her former students in front of CHS with Mel, the couple chatted about universities the students would attend in the fall and senior end-of-the-year activities. They even discussed sports standings for final games of the year.
‘If kids are well-nurtured, we don’t have any problems,? Vaara said.