Reception set May 24 for retiring teachers

By Melinda L. Lucas

Three veteran retiring educators will be honored at a special reception on Wednesday, May 24 at Nancy Smith Elementary School.

The come-and-go retirement celebration for Ginger Norton, Roxanne Raymond, and Lillian Wheeler, who between them have 90-plus years in the realm of education, is set for 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the NSES foyer at 741 Griffin Road.

Norton, who began her coaching career almost  32 years ago, has been in the Albany ISD system for the past 22 years. In addition to being a route bus driver and elementary P.E. teacher, she has been head coach for girls track and cross country, as well as coaching junior high girls basketball, volleyball, and track. When she stepped down from the head track position in 2017, she continued to serve as assistant high school track coach until this season.

Roxanne Raymond began as an aide at Nancy Smith Elementary School 24 years ago. Two years later, after earning her teaching certification, she taught Head Start for a couple of years, then moved to first grade, where she has been for the last 20 years.

Lillian Wheeler has been in the field of education for 35 years, all of that with Albany ISD.

The Albany native has helped with early childhood, English as a Second Language, Write to Read, and special education and has been a bus driver for 34 years.

For a number of years, she has been the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) coordinator for the elementary campus.

“I am so grateful for each one of these three ladies and for how much I have learned from working alongside them over the past few years,” NSES principal John Gallagher said. “I wish them all the very best in their retirement.”