As the school year comes to a close, students and teachers alike will be saying farewell to one another. In particular, CHS will miss Spanish teacher Wendy Reeder as she retires after 16 years of dedication and hard work.

Before teaching at CHS, Reeder originally taught ESL (English as a second language) at Chino High School. She worked with many native Spanish speakers and immigrants to help them grow accustomed to an English-speaking environment and American high school. Because of her experience in Spanish (having learned it from the age of 12), Reeder’s students naturally gravitated towards her, and saw her as a “home-room mom.”

Through this experience, Reeder discovered that she had interest in focusing solely on Spanish, since she already loved the language and cultures. After a number of years spent raising her four children, Reeder ventured towards returning to the classroom, and was offered a part-time Spanish teaching position at CHS. She then became a full-time teacher, and was promoted to Department Chair.

Reeder has found her colleagues’ devotion to education and students’ individuality to be the highlight of teaching at CHS and has enjoyed the challenge that comes with teaching. She will miss the daily interactions with her students and colleagues, and the sense of achievement that comes with her success in teaching and learning the most. One of Reeder’s favorite memories is from a past Spanish Three class.

“One day in particular, they got me laughing so hard that I cried,” Reeder said. “There was no hiding or disguising it, which made it all the more funny (and probably shocking) to them. I’ll never forget one student walking out saying, ‘I’ve never laughed so hard in a class in my entire life.’ Learning should be fun. Teaching should be fun.”

After retirement, Reeder will be taking a much-needed rest, and plans to travel the world and pursue hobbies with her husband.

“We don’t have enough time to hike all the mountains we want to, but we’re going to do our best,” Reeder said. “Our four children are healthy, happy and independent. Now it’s our turn to play.”