SAD 29 bids farewell to longtime educators

By Karen Donato
Staff Writer
    Reading, writing, grades, scholarships and a few musical notes will be no more for these longtime educators.
    Peggy Mitchell, a fifth-grade teacher at Southside School, Paul LaPointe, instrumental music teacher for fifth and sixth grade at Southside School and Guidance Director Jon Turner at Houlton High School have turned in their keys for the final time.
    Mitchell, known as Peggy Dwyer before her marriage in 1973 to the late Gary Mitchell was originally from Merrill. She attended Oakfield Grammar School and graduated from Oakfield High School. She went to Aroostook State Teachers College, now known as the University of Maine at Presque Isle receiving her degree in 1970.
    After graduation Mitchell said that she hadn’t had time to apply for a teaching position when she got a call from the late Beverly Clark, principal at Lambert School. He told her about an opening in the fifth grade. She met with SAD 29 Superintendent Hamilton Giberson and he and Elementary Supervisor, Genevieve Carpenter showed her the school. Mitchell signed a contract for $5,600. There was no official interview; she had no written recommendations, no resume and not even an application. Much different than it is today. Mitchell has made the 50-mile round trip drive daily for 39 years.
    Mitchell said, “When Mr. Giberson gave me a contract, I signed it. I didn’t even read it or take it home to look it over and I have been here ever since.”
    “Lambert School was a great school,” said Mitchell. I taught all subjects for a few years, but for many years I have taught just social studies.”
    Once Lambert closed, Mitchell moved to the Southside School.
    “Many people that I have worked with through the years have become good friends and I will miss them,” said Mitchell.
    When asked what has changed over the years, Mitchell said that so much more is required of the classroom teachers by the state and the local school district. Teachers have a lot more personal paperwork, portfolios, record keeping, computer generated grading for students, more meetings and assessments. Time is directed to district and state expectations rather than to developing new lessons and activities within the classroom. Over the years class size has decreased. Mitchell taught many years with 25 to 30 or more students. Now the average class size is 18 to 20. She finds the students today seek out the teacher for guidance and advice.
    “I feel some days I am a counselor helping students with personal problems they are having, said Mitchell. “With the busy lives of parents, either two working parents or a single parent many students need some extra attention.”
    When asked why she decided to retire, she replied, “It just all seemed to come together. The district offered some extra incentives and I just felt this was the time to take advantage of it.”
    Mitchell will miss the students and her co-workers, but she is looking forward to spending time with her family. Her daughter, Rebekah lives at home and although her mom is cared for at a nursing home, her father at 87 still lives on his own nearby. Mitchell has five sisters and one brother, all living in Maine.
    “We have a great time together and I have not had much time to spend with them, except for summers,” said Mitchell, “So I am really looking forward to the extra time I will have.”
    That time is already short lived as Mitchell has signed up to substitute and landed her first assignment for next fall.
    Paul LaPointe graduated from Jay High School in 1968. He received his degree in music four years later from the University of Southern Maine or as it was known then Gorham State Teachers College. He started applying for jobs and decided he would take the first one he was offered. One of the applications went to Houlton, a town he had never been to before and he certainly didn’t know how far it was from Jay. He received a call to come for an interview.
    LaPointe started driving north only knowing Houlton was beyond Bangor. This was the time when the Interstate was completed to Howland and after that it was back to a two-lane highway. Needless to say he was late for the interview, arriving at the superintendent’s office and greeted by the secretary, Nina Berry informing him that everyone had gone except for Superintendent Giberson. Giberson called for Gladys Tarbell, the vocal teacher and Dave McGillicuddy, the high school band director. LaPointe had his interview after all, not encouraged since he felt he hadn’t made a very good impression by being late. However, a few days later he received the contract and signed it.
    LaPointe has taught for 37 years and manages on average 100 students a year for instruction in instrumental music. Many of his students have gone on to have careers in music, either as teachers or performing professionally. Some of the names that came to mind were, Kelly Clukey Ellis, Rick Nickerson, Lewis Cleale, Fritz Robertson, Travis Humphrey, Ryan McGillicuddy and most recently Jenny Beasley.
    LaPointe says that the students today are much more receptive to new material, there is no hesitation.
    “Students were more reserved when I first started teaching,” said LaPointe, “now they are ready for anything new.”
    LaPointe is the father of two grown sons, Dana and Darren and has a young granddaughter. He spends his free time in the summer sailing at Grand Lake and for 25 years has been a member of McGill’s Band playing every Thursday in Monument Park. This summer he will take a break from the band to experience a no schedule summer.
    LaPointe will however continue with his musical group, “Two Men and a Horn”, playing at local restaurants and for private functions.
    “It has been a great career,” said LaPointe and my future is open. I’ll see what happens next.”
    Jon Turner was raised in Mars Hill, graduating from Aroostook Central Institute in 1963 and furthering his education at the University of Maine in Orono. He graduated with a bachelor of science degree in education and then attended the University of Connecticut to further his education, but was drafted into the U.S. Army. He was stationed in Belgium at the NATO headquarters.
    Turner married Anna Broad also from Mars Hill in ’68 and completed his tour of duty in Europe. Returning to the United States he obtained his master’s degree at UMO under the G.I. Bill. He took his first job as a physical education teacher in Berlin, N.H. for two years before coming back to Maine.
    Turner had always been drawn to counseling and pursued his certificate to become a guidance counselor. He accepted a job at Houlton High School under Director Donald Duplessis where he has remained since 1974. Turner assumed the directorship when Duplessis retired in 1984.
    Turner has always been happy in the school district and is very proud of the students he has worked with  during his career. He said that he always receives high praise from college representatives that interview the students. They often remark about the great questions they ask and how well prepared they are for college life.
    Turner said that only a few teachers are left that he started with. Those include, Wayne Quint, Dave McGillicuddy, Shawn Snell and secretary Sandra Wotton. He also mentioned former physical education teacher and coach Terry Spurling, now retired. Spurling was Turner’s high school basketball coach in Mars Hill and later became a very close friend through their working relationship and as nearby neighbors in Houlton.
    He has seen the curriculum change somewhat and of course the enrollment. Gone are the days that the corridors were wall-to-wall students. Turner also remarked about former Principal Elwood Scott.
    “He was an institution. There may never be another one like him, he was great,” said Turner.
    “I feel very fortunate to have spent my career here,” said Turner, “The community has been so supportive of the students and providing scholarships even when the economy is so upside down. “I am also very appreciative of the Houlton High School Alumni Association and how they have added thousands of dollars to the scholarship program.”
    Turner said that he was influenced to go into education by his parents, Rellon, a farmer and his mother Mary, a teacher and principal in Mars Hill. Turner lost his dad at the age of 12, but was fortunate to gain a great step-father Ken Irvine at the age of 15. He has never regretted his career choice.
    Turner lost his wife, Anna, a nurse just a couple of years ago to cancer. He said of his decision to retire that he decided to live for the day, one never knows about the future. Both of Turner’s children live in California. He plans to spend some time visiting his son Scott and family in Burbank who has two young sons and his daughter Andrea and her husband who live near the San Diego area. Turner doesn’t have any plans to make a move from Houlton for now. He loves the area and has many friends here. He looks forward to playing golf, hiking and skiing.
    Good luck retirees and thank you for a job well done.