Click on picture for Recipe for Caring--

News & Events at Riley

"This month's Character Education trait is 'Caring'," explained Mrs. Skrzypecki, "and this seemed like the perfect year to say thank you to my friend and mentor Miss Honey (Alice) Bruno. I was her student teacher (just a few years ago), and this year I have a student teacher (Michelle Glancz) and one of my student's father (Steven Tuthill) was in Miss Bruno's class when I did my student teaching at Roanoke, so I decided this Thanksgiving was the perfect occasion to invite her into my classroom and thank her for her caring and gracious example to me as a student teacher. I have tried to emulate her enthusiasm and caring ways in my own classroom and to share her message with my students and student teachers."

Miss Bruno started teaching at Roanoke in 1936 and at 81 is still very much that same "gracious and loving example" of caring that teachers can emulate. Back and forth the stories went.

"Miss Bruno always wore dresses and skirts, but pants suits became the rage while I was student teaching," explained Mrs. Skrzypecki, "so, of course, I began to wear them to school. She gave me a startled look the first time I wore one, but never said a word. I always think of her as a very gracious lady and was impressed that she never raised her voice in the classroom. She always emphasized the joy of learning in her classroom. She wanted her students to come to school with a smile and to leave with a smile."

"Mrs. Skrzypecki is great with the children," shared her own student teacher, Michelle Glancz. "It's obvious that she embraced Miss Bruno's concept of making learning a joyful experience. She's so enthusiastic and has a wonderful ability to incorporate the parents in her classroom."

"It's true," chimed in one of Mrs. Skrzypecki's first students, Steven Tuthill. "I'm one of her math group parents, and come into the classroom quite often. She was the hot, young student teacher when I was in Miss Bruno's class, and now my own daughter is lucky enough to have her for a teacher."

While all this sharing was going on, Mrs. Skrzypecki's class was enjoying their Thanksgiving feast and re-enacting that first Thanksgiving between the pilgrims and the Indians.

The final course to this many layered lesson: "Caring is a trait that continues to give for a long, long time." Looking ahead: May 4 will be National Teacher Day this year, a time for honoring teachers and recognizing the lasting contributions they make to our lives. But don't wait until May to say thanks.