Posted by Laurie Sullivan at 5/31/2012
This week Barrett staff gathered in the library to bid a fond farewell to our beloved Art teacher, Ruthie Streeter, as she retires in June from Arlington Public Schools. Mrs. Streeter has given 22 years of service to the children of Arlington Public Schools and it is with mixed emotions that we say good-bye.
We celebrated Ruthie with anecdotes, poems and delicious food. The PTA presented Ruthie with a beautiful bouquet of flowers and an original piece of artwork to be commissioned this summer. A student performed an original poem which had everyone smiling through tears. It was a beautiful tribute to an amazing educator and artist and friend.
In lieu of a gift, Mrs. Streeter asked that we make a donation to Arlington Food Assistance Center, specifically the Backpack Buddies program. The Backpack Buddies program provides meals to children on the weekends who would otherwise go hungry. Barrett staff raised $655.00 which will be matched by another donor. A total of $1,310 will be made in her honor, which is a beautiful thing!
To paraphrase one teacher’s poem on behalf of Barrett staff:
You are our humble gifted teacher
You live the Golden Rule
You’ve touched the lives of every child
At Kate Waller Barrett School
And you took each child like balls of clay
And you realized their potential
And you gave them lessons
That will reap them
Blessings exponential
For more information about the Backpack Buddies, click on this link. http://www.afac.org/donate/BackpackBuddies.php.
http://www.afac.org/services/who.php – Who AFAC serves
http://www.afac.org/about/mission.php – AFAC Vision & Mission Statement
