Retiring S. Ray Lowder Elementary teacher Elizabeth Cline is flanked by 2011-12 student Joe Rhyne and his father Jody, who was her student in her first year as a teacher.
AMANDA SEBASTIANO
Staff Writer
Lincoln County is saying goodbye to teachers, an assistant principal and a principal as they hung up their hats, graded their last papers and submitted their final round of grades before their retirement following the recently ended school year.
Among the educators leaving county schools this year was Elizabeth “Libby” Cline – former 1st grade teacher at S. Ray Lowder Elementary in Lincolnton. Cline has seen her share of students pass through her classroom, but is ending her career in a similar way to when she started.
Her first year teaching, Cline taught a student named Jody Rhyne at South Aspen Street School in the 70s, which has since burned down. Now, after a 23-year career in county schools, Cline finished her last school year with Rhyne’s son Joe; same family, same teacher, but very different environment than when she began, she said.
“Teaching has changed a lot since I started,” Cline told the Times-News last week. “There’s more focus on technology and assessing, not so much attention is paid on teaching. I had more teacher-student time then; I miss the old way (of teaching.)”
County teachers retiring, by school:
Catawba Springs
James Herndon – 35 years
Love Memorial
Montrose Helms – 30 years
Joy Loan – 30 years
Sheila Rutledge – 32 years
North Brook
Rebecca Childers – 39 years
Pumpkin Center Primary
Max Anne Keener – 28 years
Rock Springs
Mary Zabilansky
S. Ray Lowder
Elizabeth Cline – 23 years
Lynn Crump – 29.5 years
Union Elementary
Bambi Heavner – 30 years
Rebecca Hurt – 30 years
Candy Sapp – 12 years
Kiser Intermediate
Kirby Oldham (Principal) – 39 years
East Lincoln Middle
Janice Lyall – 18 years
North Lincoln Middle
Deborah Frye – 28 years
Lincolnton Middle
Rebecca Wentworth
Michelle Zbytek – 19 years
West Lincoln Middle
Robert Green – 33 years
Mary Beth Sain – 43 years
Asbury Alternative
Donald Goosman – 33 years
Lisa Jones – 32 years
Lincolnton High
Dennis Blair – 18 years
Harriet Dobbins – 37 years
Debra Putnam – 30 years
North Lincoln High
Kenneth Hopkins (Assistant Principal)
West Lincoln High
Allen Hoyle – 13 years
Sidney Hepler is retiring after her work in various English as Second Language (ESL) programs in the county as well.
Open teaching positions have been posted on the county schools website.
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