Betty Dietrich spent 35 years teaching fourth grade at Central Elementary School in Wilmette. Kathleen Vegter taught kindergarten there for 31 years, and Cindy O'Callaghan worked as a reading paraprofessional at the same school for 24.5 years.
All three are among seven Wilmette Public Schools District 39 employees who retired this school year, recognized at the Board of Education's Tuesday, May 19 meeting at the Mikaelian Education Center, 615 Locust Road. Together, the seven retirees represent 171 years of service to Wilmette students.
The full list: Kay Churchill, physical education teacher at Wilmette Junior High School, 21 years; Dietrich, 35 years; Dr. Christina Heyde, sixth-grade English language arts and social studies teacher at Highcrest Middle School, 21 years; O'Callaghan, 24.5 years; Chris Rusnak, psychologist at Romona Elementary, 21 years; Ioannis Tsimpirlis, custodian at McKenzie Elementary, 17.5 years; and Vegter, 31 years.
Three of the seven retirees worked at Central Elementary.
The district thanked the retirees for "their time, talent, and dedication to the children of Wilmette," according to its May 22 newsletter.
The Board also held what it called its inaugural Student Recognition Ceremony the evening before, on Monday, May 18, at Wilmette Junior High School, 620 Locust Road. Nearly 130 students from Highcrest Middle School and Wilmette Junior High were honored, according to the district, for achievements in band, choir, athletics, Science Olympiad, Latin (including Certamen, the National Latin Exam, and the National Mythology Exam), Math Olympiad, Math Counts, and the Daughters of the American Revolution essay competition.
The ceremony was hosted by the Board of Education.
All six District 39 schools are collecting donations of unused or lightly used notebooks, paper, pens, and pencils through the summer. The drive, which opened Monday, June 1, benefits underprivileged students in the Chicago area. Collection bins are available at Central Elementary, Harper Elementary, McKenzie Elementary, Romona Elementary, Highcrest Middle School, and Wilmette Junior High.
North Shore schools week ahead
- Friday, July 10 — District 39 Board of Education Committee of the Whole meeting, 8:00–11:00 a.m., Mikaelian Education Center, 615 Locust Road, Wilmette. Agenda to be posted at wilmette39.org.
