Saying Farewell to 5 Retiring Elementary Teachers

The end of the 2016-2017 school year brings a significant change at Red Lake County Central Elementary School in Plummer. Five teachers with a total of 183 years of teaching experience will retire including Nancy Bray, Dan Brustad, Melody Brustad, Mary Fore, and Sue Hagge. All five have spent their entire teaching careers at RLCC, Oklee, and Plummer school districts! 

In today’s age, not many people stay in the same career, let alone at the same business or organization. The retirees’ years of service show their dedication and commitment. It also says a lot about the school districts and these communities that have made them feel connected and at home.

As the school year winds down, the retirees are sorting through a collection of educational materials. Endless hours of preparation are coming to a close. They are also reflecting back on a lifetime of experiences and memories. And now, they are preparing for their own commencement—the start of a new chapter in their lives. New adventures await. 

The retirees were asked to reflect on their teaching years and upcoming plans. Their reflections follow. The staff and students at RLCC wish each of them a very happy retirement!

 

Nancy Bray 

By Marie Johnson

Mrs. Nancy Bray will be retiring from Red Lake County Central Elementary this year. Bray attended Moorhead State University earning her Bachelor’s Degree. She chose teaching as her career because she liked kids and enjoyed school. Bray had family members that were teachers. She saw how much they enjoyed their careers so she decided to become a teacher. She student taught at two places in Fargo, one was in fifth grade and the other in Kindergarten. 

Bray has taught at Plummer Elementary and Red Lake County Central Elementary for 35 years. Bray started teaching Kindergarten, then went to third grade, then back to Kindergarten. 

When asked about highlights and memories of teaching she couldn’t just think of one or two. She said, “I enjoyed every year and it was fun and exciting to get a new group of students each year.” Bray will most miss the students and fellow teachers. She will miss the look on the faces of the younger students when they master a skill. She said she will also miss the hugs one receives from the younger students. 

One thing that has changed during her years in education is that students are required to master many more skills at a younger age now than years before. Some advice Bray wants to give new teachers coming into the profession is to “Have fun and begin every day as a new day. Also when a student is having a bad day try to think of why he/she is having a bad day. They might just need a hug.” 

Bray is married to Tom Bray and has two children—Kevin, a student at MSUM and Brittney, a surgical tech at Altru in Grand Forks on the OB floor. In her free time she enjoys playing and watching all sports, doing puzzles, and playing cards with family and friends. Bray’s retirement plans are to continue coaching volleyball, subbing and just relaxing. 

 

Dan Brustad

By: Sarah Christensen

Retiring from the Red Lake County Central Elementary School is Mr. Dan Brustad. He has been teaching at the elementary for 36 years, and has taught fifth and sixth graders, and Math RTI. Brustad attended the Mayville State University for BS degree in Elementary Education. His student teaching experience was in the fifth grade at Mayville Elementary School. 

During his senior year in high school he was allowed to work with elementary students which led him to choose a teaching career because he enjoyed it. Brustad will miss the day-to-day interaction with all his students. His highlight was all the cool kids that crossed his path over the many years. One change he has noted during his years of education is that technology has become a major tool of learning. 

Brustad gave this advice to new teachers. “Be yourself as a teacher, have fun and make learning fun for your students. The curriculum isn’t the most important piece to your student’s education. You are.” 

Brustad has been involved as President of the local Education Association and Membership Chair. He is married to Melody Brustad and they have two children, Emily and Nick. Emily lives in Robbinsdale, MN and Nick lives in Burnsville, MN. He also has a granddaughter named Charlie. 

In retirement Brustad is hoping to have more time for hobbies including boating and time on the lake. Also he loves to ride his motorcycle and anything that involves spending time outdoors. After he retires he plans on moving to Big Lake, MN into their new home and spending time with his kids and grandchild. He wants to travel as well and be available for both his and Melody’s parents. 

He also added, “These past 36 years have really just flown by. I leave the profession with absolutely no regrets. I have enjoyed my time in Plummer, but now I really look forward to the next 36 years in retirement and all the opportunities that go along with it.”

 

Melody Brustad

By: Sydnie Gunderson

Mrs. Melody Brustad also has plans to retire from Red Lake County Central Elementary School this year. When asked what led her to choosing her teaching career she said, “I’ve always enjoyed children, so I wanted a career that involved kids and play.” She attended Mayville State University in Mayville, North Dakota and also had her student teaching experience in Mayville. 

Brustad has been teaching students at Plummer and RLCC for over 35 years. She’s taught phy. ed., health, elementary art, computer, home ec., and correspondence classes from NDSU. She has also coached girls’ basketball and volleyball. She was an active member of the local education association and co-president of PEA.

She’s enjoyed teaching throughout all of her years and will miss the activity and children very much. Brustad noted that “there is never a dull moment when with the kids.” There have been many memories and highlights. She said there are “too many to count.” Technology in all subject areas and the restlessness of students are some changes she has noticed during her teaching years. Her advice for new teachers is to be patient, listen, and smile. 

She is married to Dan Brustad and has a daughter Emily, son Nicholas, and granddaughter Charlie. Brustad enjoys crafting, sewing, gardening, and riding motorcycle and plans to go on new adventures and spend time with family and friends after retiring. 

Brustad stated, “When we first arrived in Plummer, we thought we’d be here for 5-7 years and then relocate to a larger community. Obviously, we have loved the community, school, kids, and will miss all of it.”

 

Mary Fore

By: Julia Bernstein

After teaching for 34 years (22 in Oklee and the last 12 in Plummer), Mrs. Mary Fore will retire from Red Lake County Central Elementary School. One of her best memories of teaching was when she moved to teaching first grade with her “dear friend Kaye Munt. I have learned so much from her and have absolutely loved teaching at the first grade level.” She also added she had so many memories that it was hard to pick one. What Fore said she will miss the most is the people including the students and staff.

Fore attended Bemidji State University and studied Elementary Education. She student taught fourth grade at Magelssen Elementary in Fosston. Fore has spent her whole teaching career in the RLCC school system. Throughout her teaching career she has taught third grade for her first 22 years, one year in second grade and her last 11 years in first grade. Fore was involved in NEA, MEA, RLCCEA, and was also the secretary for the OEA a number of years ago.

When asked what has changed during her years in education she said, “Curriculum has changed a great deal and is much more rigorous than it was back in my early teaching days.” When asked what advice she had for new teachers she said, “Be flexible! No two days are ever the same and your lesson plans will probably will be off by noon on Monday.”

Fore is married to Todd and has a son Michael and granddaughter Whitney, and daughter and son and daughter-in-law Elizabeth and Chad. Her hobbies include reading, sewing and trying out new recipes. Fore’s retirement plans are to complete projects she has started, travel, and spend a lot more time with family. 

When asked if there was anything else she would like to add she said, “As I have stated before, I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to work within the RLCC school system for my whole teaching career! I have worked with so many wonderful students and staff! I will always look back on my career with very fond memories!”

 

Sue Hagge 

By: Hannah Riendeau 

Mrs. Sue Hagge is retiring from RLCC Elementary School in Plummer after having been a speech therapist for 43 years. 1974 was her first year working at Plummer, Newfolden, Viking, Karlstad, and Strandquist. Hagge joked, “I spent more time in the car than in the schools!” 

A couple years later she worked at Newfolden, Viking, and Plummer schools then went to part-time in Plummer. She went back to get her master’s degree at UND and worked part-time at both the Plummer School and the Fosston hospital doing speech therapy. Currently Hagge has shared a speech therapy job with RLCC Elementary School in Plummer and the Fosston School. She has been in Fosston for 19 years. Her official retirement will be October 2017.

Hagge was very interested in public speaking and drama at college. Speech pathology was in the same building and it interested her. “It seemed like something could do with my interest.” Hagge earned an undergraduate degree in speech therapy at NDSU and did her student teaching in Casselton, ND. In 1991 she went back to college at UND for a master’s degree in speech pathology. 

During her years of teaching Hagge has noticed a change on the amount of paperwork, “The mountains of paperwork that continues to grow. In the early days there was very little paperwork.” 

She has many highlights and memories of teaching but it would be hard to come up with just one. Hagge enjoys when previous students and parents approach her and tell her how much they appreciate what she did to help them speak better. “I will miss working with students and helping them to speak their best. I won’t miss the paperwork that is a large part of my job!” Hagge added, “I will miss all the talented staff I have worked with, people who are really dedicated to teaching children.”

For new teachers coming into the profession, she gives this advice: be a realist because it is a difficult profession. “It has a lot of rewards but there are many sleepless nights where you are worried that you have missed a deadline for a meeting or some other paperwork that had to be completed.”

Hagge has a husband Jim of 42.5 years, three daughters: Laurel (Ben), Sarah (Burgess), Kirsten (Matthew) and two granddaughters: Lydia and Adalynn. In her free time she enjoys sewing, gardening, traveling, playing with her grandkids, quilting, and spending time with her husband and daughters. Hagge’s retirement plans include all of the above. Also she has always wanted to do some writing so she might try that, too. 

Hagge also added, “Starting the speech team for RLCC was a highlight. There were so many talented young people to work with and watch them develop skills that would be useful for their entire lives, EVEN with early mornings and late nights!”