Mid-Prairie board honors retirees for 95 years of service

By Mary Zielinski

When they honored four retiring teachers Monday, the Mid-Prairie Board did not just acknowledge dedicated employees but said farewell to good friends.
For a combined 95 years of service, the four, Mark Dalton, Kathy Conway, Kathy Shellday and Becky Curtis, counseled students, taught them to read, to play music and, in many cases, to deal with life in all its ups and downs.
Dalton, special education teacher at the high school, “Would tell it like it is,” said fellow teacher Jessica Jones. “There was no sugar coating,” noting it was an approach that reached students no on else could.
Principal Gerry Beeler agreed that Dalton provided “life lessons,” using Dalton’s methodical approach to golf as a metaphor.
Among those who acknowledge Kathy Conway was her daughter, vocal music teacher Collette McClellen, who said since she was 14 and a Mid-Prairie student she could always find her mother to talk to when needed. Conway has served as the secondary media specialist (she prefers to be called librarian) for 22 years.
“We were a department of two,” said elementary media specialist Phyllis Casper, “and we really got to know each other. I will miss you.”
So will fellow teacher Becky Curtis who noted Conway also made many of the costumes for the high school’s annual Madrigal performance, and husband John Conway who admitted “I had been forbidden to speak” told the large audience that his wife will miss them a much as they will her.
The most moving tribute to Kathy Shellady, Title I reading, came from her grandson, Ryan Shellady, now a M-P high school student, who said “you understand me better than anyone,” and praised her willingness to go above and beyond the classroom to help her students. He said his grandparents house “was my home,” and his grandmother his best friend.
Ryan also had praise for Becky Curtis, middle school instrumental band teacher, “Who did more effort than any other. No offense to any of you here. She was there before 7 a.m. and also stayed after school. She made everything a lot more fun.”
For McClellen, who was one of Curtis’ students, “It will be weird not to have Becky here,” noting that Curtis encouraged students constantly, that they could achieve and they did.
Tracy Zahradnek, special education teacher, told how Curtis made it possible for students with extreme disabilities to learn music by “setting up a time for them to be every day at the same time.” It meant giving up much of her planning time, said Zahradnek, to guarantee the set routine those students needed. For Curtis is just meant providing something the students would have for a lifetime.
Beeler noted that Curtis “could grow a program,” and would not take no for an answer. The result right now is that she has taken on getting a grand piano for the music program and, to date, has raised $6,000 for it, and Beeler said he did not doubt she would get the piano.
All four received plaques noting their service, and small reception followed the awards.