Follow Us 
Related News
Current Poll
| Paying tribute to ‘Miss Ruthie’ |
 |
 |
 |
| News | |||
| Written by Doug Carder | |||
| Wednesday, 24 December 2008 09:00 | |||
 Ruth Towne fondly remembers a few preschool boys who would stand alongside her to measure their height. On Friday, she craned her neck to look up at some of those same boys who are now in middle and high school.“You can’t use me for a measuring stick any more,” she laughed. Youngsters ranging from kindergartners to high school students gathered with their parents at the Learning With A Smile Educational Center on Broadway Street to wish “Miss Ruthie” a happy retirement. The students brought gifts and cards and reminisced about their preschool teacher. “I remember she was the first person who figured out how to tell when I was going to get sick because my ears would always turn bright red,” said Josh Steward, a freshman at Louisburg High School. Decked in a festive red Mickey Mouse sweater, Towne greeted young and old with the same warm smile. “I’ve had so many kids over the years, but I’ve never really forgotten any of them. I remember all their names and what they looked like,” said Towne, who accepted a big hug from a teenage girl and gushed about what a pretty young lady she had become. Kindergartner Sydney Thornton nuzzled her former preschool teacher’s side. Towne put her arm around the 6-year-old and proudly told all within earshot that Sydney not only knew how to spell her name but also the names of every other student in her former preschool class. “She’s a very bright girl.” Sydney’s mom, Megan Thornton, smiled at Towne. “Thank you so much for everything. You are a wonderful lady, and we’re going to miss you.” The preschool teacher, who had devoted 13 years to educating and looking after Louisburg’s youngsters at the center, said she hated to leave, but it was time for her to retire. “I’ve always done things with the kids outside. We used to play hide-and-seek, but I found I couldn’t run like I did. I’ve noticed I’m getting a little more tired. Sometimes, in the middle of the afternoon, I would look for a chair to sit down,” she chuckled. Towne said it was hard telling her students she was retiring.  “It’s funny, kids at times don’t recognize age. I was explaining to some of them that I was going to retire, and they said ‘why?’ I said, ‘Well, when you get older and you have worked a lot of years, you retire and don’t do as much.’ They looked at me funny and said, ‘You’re only 16.’”Heather Wilson said her family has fond memories of Towne. Wilson’s son, Daniel, a sophomore in high school, and her daughter, Sarah, a third-grader, used to see Towne every day at the center. “When Sarah was getting ready to go to school, her teacher told her she would have to know her ABCs frontwards and backwards, and Sarah took her literally. Sarah learned how to say her ABCs backwards and she still can to this day, and Ruth got such a kick out of that,” Wilson said. Wilson said the kids always wanted to stop by Towne’s house on Halloween and Christmas. “She might as well have been a grandma to them,” Wilson said. “She’s just the sweetest person you would ever meet.” Learning With A Smile owner Dawn Stahl and staff member Jeni Smith described Towne as a loving teacher. “She has a very caring heart,” Smith said. “I’ve learned a lot from her.” Towne plans to move to Olathe to live with her daughter, Cheri, who runs a daycare center, which has several special needs children. “I will help out Cheri,” Towne said. “I doubt that I’ll get bored.” Towne said she always has got along well with children, and they never held it against her when she had to occasionally put them in timeout for misbehavior. “Kids are very, very smart, and they can pick up really fast if you like them or not, and they know if you really, really care about them or not,” she said. “Each one is different, and I’ve cared for them regardless.” Towne said working with children has been rewarding, and she will miss her current students and former students, who still stop in to see her. “To me, it was a wonderful experience, I got more from kids than I gave to them, I’m sure,” she said. “It was a dream job. I never minded going to work.” Ginny Rigney, former owner of the daycare and preschool, was choked with emotion as she gave Towne a hug and handed her a gift. “Ruth has touched so many people,” Rigney said. Towne said she strived to treat each child with kindness and respect. “There are so many people that work in this field that don’t have a kind heart, and that really bothers me,” Towne said. “That’s what so many kids need.” A former student who has Down syndrome wrapped her arms around Towne’s neck. “I love you, Ruthie.” Towne patted her back. “I love you too, honey.”
Set as favorite
Bookmark
Email This
Hits: 773 Trackback(0)
Comments (0)
 Write comment
You must be logged in to post a comment. Please register if you do not have an account yet.
|
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
