Long-Term CUSD Employees and Retirees to Be Honored in May

The only CHS retiree this year, English teacher Becca Feeney has been teaching for 18 1/2 years.

photo | Phumanee Nosovan

The only CHS retiree this year, English teacher Becca Feeney has been teaching for 18 1/2 years.

Chrissie Meyer, Reporter

On Thursday, May 22, at the Alexander Hughes Center, long-term employees, as well as those retiring from the Claremont Unified School District (CUSD), will be honored for their dedicated commitments in serving the community. For the past 20 years, the district has held the Honor Our Own event in order to recognize both members of the Claremont Faculty Association (CFA), and the California School Employees Association (CSEA), which includes non-teaching staff, for their hard work. At the event, employees who have dedicated 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 years to working in our district will usually receive a pin or other award based on how long they have served in the district.

“This event is a great way to recognize people from CUSD who have shown dedication to our district and for the retirees that have shown devotion to their careers,” CHS Principal Dr. Brett O’Connor said.

The Honor Our Own event acknowledges not only those who have the been in the district for varying lengths of time, but also those who have decided to retire from their teaching careers. Those retiring include El Roble’s US History and drama teacher, Kenneth Kirkwood, who has been a teacher for 37 years, and CHS English teacher Becca Feeney, who has been a teacher for 18 and a half years. For those retiring, either a friend or other Claremont faculty member will talk about that person, giving a brief speech or some information on the retiree’s plans following their time with the district.

“I really liked working with Mrs. Feeney as both a teacher and administrator because she has a true passion for teaching which is very hard to replace, but I wish her well in her retirement,” Assistant Principal Dr. June Hilton said.

Feeney has had many memorable experiences at CHS. Although she currently teaches Freshman English and Senior Modern English, in the past she has also taught American Literature, as well as the Journalism and Creative Writing course at CHS. Feeney was also the Wolfpacket adviser for nine years. She enjoyed seeing how her students grew from freshman to senior year.

“What I really cherished about being an educator was seeing the creativity and energy that students bring to class,” Feeney said. “That was what lit up the classroom every day.”

Once retired, Feeney would like to be more involved with community service, as well as participate in activities that she was too busy to do otherwise while working. Feeney believes that her time here at CHS has been amazing and will miss her connection with students and the faculty.

“It will be really sad to see a familiar face leave CHS because I always looked forward to stopping by her room and talking about how my life has been going,” senior Hailey Davis said. “We had a really good relationship which cannot be replaced.”

Honor Our Own is a yearly occurrence which gives a special moment to each individual for whatever they are being recognized for, whether it be for their time commitment or for retiring. All employees are welcome to come together and celebrate the district’s hard-working staff. As for Feeney, she is looking forward to her retirement, has greatly enjoyed her time here, and would like to make the most of her last few weeks at CHS.