By Olivia Decker

Reporter

Two teachers in the Supportive Services department here at Blue Springs South have decided to retire from teaching after decades of hard work.

After teaching for a total of 42 years, retiree Mary Ann White says she has been teaching long enough and is ready to do things like be a grandmother and do volunteer work.

“I intend to travel, work in my garden, and keep my house cleaner than it’s been in years. My grandchildren live in Virginia, so I intend to visit them a lot, and just do and see a lot of things during the daytime, like see matinees and go to the museum, and do the type of thing you can’t do during the daytime when you’re teaching,” White said.

White has been teaching for the Blue Springs School District for 29 years and at Blue Springs South for seven years. Though she doesn’t like making big plans and raising her expectations for the future, she is looking forward to doing more things that interest her.

“[The most exciting thing] will be having a little bit more freedom to do things when I see them open for me to do; I don’t have to drive in bad weather if I don’t want to, I can go down to events at the plaza, or things at my church, or just things happening during the day,” White said.

Supportive Services teacher and retiree Dave Hollett says he and his wife are preparing to move to Sarasota, Florida, in June in order to be closer to their son and grandchildren. Before beginning teaching career, Hollett retired in early 2001 from a 26-year long career in business, which resulted in him earning a teaching certificate. After eleven years total of teaching, including two years at Blue Springs South, Hollett is ready for a change. But he isn’t technically retiring; Hollett says he plans to continue working for a few more years.

“I’m really not retiring; this is my second retirement, I’m just changing gears. I probably will continue to work for another two to five years. I’d like to do something different. I’ve done some interviews over the phone with a couple of small colleges around the Sarasota, Florida, area, so I may teach something in business applications or leadership,” Hollett said.