 |
| Ms. Lawrence teaches her class of Grade 9 students. |
Her teaching and volunteer work with programs such as the volleyball team and the Student Representative Council has helped shape the young minds of the town and leaves a lasting impression that will continue on into the future. However, the school and the town itself will experience a time in the not-too-distant future where Lawrence will no longer be teaching, as both she and her husband approach retirement and leaving Mossbank.
“My mom taught school, and from the time I could talk all I did was school at home. So she basically taught my grades 1, 2, 3 before I even started school. I’ve always loved it, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. That’s one of the first things I remember is that’s what I wanted to do. I never even pondered anything else, it was just a given that’s what I was going to do,” said Lawrence.
In a teaching career that has spanned over three decades, Lawrence started teaching in 1981. She recalls the Mossbank school having around 180 to 190 students. The school enrollment today is about 104 with a few grades having only 2 to 3 students. It is not just the enrollment itself but also the ratio between boys and girls that has proven some difficulties in student involvement.
“(Gender) factors into the kinds of projects you can do because they’re (the boys) not so gung-ho as girls are, they don’t want to take those leadership roles. I finally talked a few into being in the SRC but it’s hard to those boys do anything other than sports, with the small town mentality,” said Lawrence.
Her years at the school have been well spent and well received, especially with the involvement she has with the students.
“She was coaching us (bantam girls volleyball) and we made it to districts which was the furthest that any of else have been in volleyball,” said Tiffany Earl, a Grade 12 student who has also been involved with the SRC since Grade 7.
“Now when we think back on it, we won districts and when I’m talking to the girls that’s the one thing we remember is her sitting us down and saying ‘you guys are gonna go out there win because you can and I believe in you and you can do it’ that’s just the one thing we all remember.”
She notes that as she approaches retirement, the attitudes and minds of the students has changed in recent years but acknowledges that it has been gradually changing throughout the years.
This is one of the reasons why she wanted the students to open up their world. She did this by coordinating two events: raising funds to help build wells in India and a non-school trip to Europe.
“My whole goal, being that I taught social studies from grade 5 to 12 every-year is trying to get them aware that there’s more than just small town Mossbank. I want them to reach out and experience something else,” said Lawrence.
“Being able to take 25 students from my classes to Europe and watch them experience a totally new and different culture, and being able to take that back to the classroom, even though it was not a school trip, that to me was huge. What better way to learn than being there.”
Mossbank currently consists of one main road downtown with few businesses that includes a Conexus Credit Union bank, a restaurant, a bar, a speciality figure skating shop and of course the convenience/grocery store.
“It’s lost a lot of little businesses and things that have tried to spring up, it’s become a lot more ghost-like. I notice a lot more older people and a lot younger people, although the last couple years that’s changing with a lot of younger families coming into the community and we’re getting a lot of people coming from Alberta,” said Lawrence who added that the town’s people are still very friendly and that hasn’t changed in the years of her teaching.
Even though Ms. Lawrence and her husband Dale plan on moving away from Mossbank when they both retire, she remarks that Mossbank is a great town but doesn’t compete against being able to order pizza and have it delivered. School principal Leanne Rutko says that when they both retire, it “ will leave a huge gap.”
“They’re both awesome teachers and the kids come out of their classes knowing their information very well and having excellent skills,” said Rutko.
Lawrence plans on teaching for the next few years before retiring and the lasting impression she’s had on the town and the school will live on in the years-to-come.
“(Gender) factors into the kinds of projects you can do because they’re (the boys) not so gung-ho as girls are, they don’t want to take those leadership roles. I finally talked a few into being in the SRC but it’s hard to those boys do anything other than sports, with the small town mentality,” said Lawrence.
Her years at the school have been well spent and well received, especially with the involvement she has with the students.
“She was coaching us (bantam girls volleyball) and we made it to districts which was the furthest that any of else have been in volleyball,” said Tiffany Earl, a Grade 12 student who has also been involved with the SRC since Grade 7.
“Now when we think back on it, we won districts and when I’m talking to the girls that’s the one thing we remember is her sitting us down and saying ‘you guys are gonna go out there win because you can and I believe in you and you can do it’ that’s just the one thing we all remember.”
She notes that as she approaches retirement, the attitudes and minds of the students has changed in recent years but acknowledges that it has been gradually changing throughout the years.
This is one of the reasons why she wanted the students to open up their world. She did this by coordinating two events: raising funds to help build wells in India and a non-school trip to Europe.
“My whole goal, being that I taught social studies from grade 5 to 12 every-year is trying to get them aware that there’s more than just small town Mossbank. I want them to reach out and experience something else,” said Lawrence.
“Being able to take 25 students from my classes to Europe and watch them experience a totally new and different culture, and being able to take that back to the classroom, even though it was not a school trip, that to me was huge. What better way to learn than being there.”
Mossbank currently consists of one main road downtown with few businesses that includes a Conexus Credit Union bank, a restaurant, a bar, a speciality figure skating shop and of course the convenience/grocery store.
“It’s lost a lot of little businesses and things that have tried to spring up, it’s become a lot more ghost-like. I notice a lot more older people and a lot younger people, although the last couple years that’s changing with a lot of younger families coming into the community and we’re getting a lot of people coming from Alberta,” said Lawrence who added that the town’s people are still very friendly and that hasn’t changed in the years of her teaching.
Even though Ms. Lawrence and her husband Dale plan on moving away from Mossbank when they both retire, she remarks that Mossbank is a great town but doesn’t compete against being able to order pizza and have it delivered. School principal Leanne Rutko says that when they both retire, it “ will leave a huge gap.”
“They’re both awesome teachers and the kids come out of their classes knowing their information very well and having excellent skills,” said Rutko.
Lawrence plans on teaching for the next few years before retiring and the lasting impression she’s had on the town and the school will live on in the years-to-come.
No comments:
Post a Comment