norman
country-financial
March 28, 2024 4:19 am
Your hometown Newspaper since 1987.
Search
Close this search box.

Retiring Teachers Recognized At Open House

By STEPHANIE BUNKER

Moapa Valley Progress

Bowler teachers l to r Stephanie Newman, Cathy Buchanan, Jolynne Wimer and Becky Bartle were honored by former students and community members at a retirement party last week. Not pictured is Ronalee Hymas who was also honored. PHOTO BY STEPHANIE BUNKER/Moapa Valley Progress.
Bowler teachers l to r Stephanie Newman, Cathy Buchanan, Jolynne Wimer and Becky Bartle were honored by former students and community members at a retirement party last week. Not pictured is Ronalee Hymas who was also honored. PHOTO BY STEPHANIE BUNKER/Moapa Valley Progress.

Grant M. Bowler Elementary School is losing five of its best teachers this year; some are retiring and a few just feel it’s time to move on and are resigning. The teachers retiring are Stephanie Newman, Becky Bartle, and Ronalee Hymas. Those who are resigning are Cathy Buchanan and Jolynne Wimer.

On Thursday the school held an Open House for these teachers to honor the service they have given. Former students, their parents and various other well-wishers came to congratulate the teachers and wish them well in their next venture in life. The Cafeteria to the school was buzzing with laughter and tears as attendees reflected on past memories.

Stephanie Newman had the seniority at Bowler Elementary with 29 years working for the Clark County School District. She spent 11 years teaching in Las Vegas and 18 years at Grant Bowler. She has taught 4th and 5th grades, with the last few years being focused on teaching 5th grade math which will now be taken over by Linda Bush.
“Linda will be a great replacement,” Newman said.

Newman was honored by receiving the VFW Teacher of the Year award last year. One of her favorite things was having the kids do the Around the World project. She saw the program implemented in a Las Vegas school and from then on took it wherever she went.
Newman said that she loved bringing laughter into the classroom, “Humor is a big part of making kids happy,” she said. Newman loved to tell personal stories of her own family to help students relate to her.
After Newman retires she plans on moving back to Las Vegas to be with her kids and hopes to do some traveling.

Becky Bartle is also beloved by the many students who passed through her classroom. Bartle is retiring after 27 years of teaching. She was hired by former Bowler Principal Vee Wilson. She has taught 1st and 2nd grades and has taught 3rd grade for 17 years.

Bartle put on musical programs with her students for a lot of years and loved doing it. She no longer does those productions but has since began holding a Pioneer Day for her students at the fair grounds across the street. They play the game, Oregon Trail, leading up to it. And on the day of the event she cooks the students breakfast, plays hands-on games, does a round-robin of stations learning about pioneer culture.
“I will miss the kids and miss seeing the light turn on when they get a concept,” said Bartle.

Ronalee Hymas has dedicated 28 years to her career. Hymas has been involved in various roles while working within Clark County. She has taught 1st grade and 2nd grades as well as 5th, 6th, and 8th grade English.
For the last few years she has served as Educational Computer Strategist at the schools. Although Mack Lyon feels most like home and is where she spent most of her time, she has been involved with all of the schools in the Moapa Valley.
“It’s neat to see the advancement in computer technology,” she said. “It has been a huge plus for (students) in the way the world is going.”
Hymas plans to enjoy her retirement with her husband in the years to come, and maybe even do a little traveling.

Cathy Buchanan has spent 12 years working for the school district and has been loved by her students and their parents. She has taught the 5th grade as well as 2nd and 3rd grades. She is excited to say that her first 2nd grade class will be graduating this year.
What makes Buchanan special to her students is that, for the past 11 years, she has visited each one of her students at their home before a new school year begins.
“I love making them comfortable and to see them in their own space,” she said. “I can still remember being in their homes.”
Buchanan feels patriotism is very important and during Veterans Day she invited local veterans to a special program with her class.
“The kids got to sit at the table with them and they would be so excited to be next to a real veteran,” she remembered.
Buchanan will be looking for a new adventure in her life after teaching school. But she still hopes to be involved with young children.

Jolynne Wimer has taught school for many years and has taught in three different states. Before she came to Moapa Valley she touched children’s hearts in Arizona, Utah, and Las Vegas.
Wimer has been at Bowler since 2003. She has seen a lot of wonderful teachers and great mentors here. Wimer loved to see the light come on in her students eyes when they finally grasped a concept and to see the growth they have made throughout the year.
One fond memory she recalled was of a student that couldn’t write a sentence at the start of the year. By the end he was writing a full page of words.
Wimer said she would love to be a tutor and work with kids one on one. “I had great parents come to volunteer in the classroom, I had a parent there almost every day and it helped us work in smaller groups,” said Wimer.
Wimer will be leaving to give service to her mother as she is in need of help in her older age.

Print This Article:

Share This Article:

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Screen Shot 2023-02-05 at 10.55.46 PM
2-21-2024-fullpagefair
4 Youth Service WEB
2-28-2024 WEB Hole Foods St Patricks
No data was found
2023 WEB BANNER 2 DEFAULT AD whitneyswater
Mesquite Works Web Ad 10-2020
Scroll to Top
Receive the latest news

Subscribe To Our Weekly Newsletter

Get notified about new articles