Barbara Lawlor, Nederland.  Nederland Middle Senior High School principal Carrie Yantzer named last Tuesday’s lunch a “New Beginnings” celebration. Vased flower bouquets graced the tables set up outside near the concession stand.

A barbecue grill sent out the smoky, charred scent of sizzling hamburger and bratwurst, bowls of salads, fresh fruit and Le Croix sparkling water on ice added to the picnic. It was a lovely day and a bittersweet event.

The new tradition was created because of the large number of teachers and staff who are moving on, leaving the Ned schools family. Some of them are retiring, some want to leave because of the commute and the sparsity of places to live in Nederland and others are moving on because of district needs in other communities.

With the Eldora Mountain Resort trails and the Continental Divide mountains for a backdrop, the teachers and staff had a chance to reminisce and say goodbye before setting off in new directions.

Science teacher Laura Marts is retiring after 30 years of teaching, beginning when her daughter was two years old. Soon to be a grandmother, Marts says she will become a support system for her daughter. Also, her husband retired last year and chased the powder all winter long without her. And fair is fair.

Also retiring is Dawn Foster, who began teaching at NMSHS in 2001 and taught math, science, sign language, special education and ESL during that time. She also ran the Magic Team. She said she is moving with her family and her first job is to build a tree house for her grandchildren. She has been commuting 42 miles each way all these years. But she will return: she has promised this year’s seniors, juniors and sophomores that she will come back to see them graduate.

Math teacher Andrea Kinzey-Wheeler is also retiring after decades of teaching. All three retiring teachers received an engraved glass star of Nederland saying “Your legacy will live on. Thank you for your passion, love and commitment to education. Once a Panther, always a Panther.”

Also leaving are psychologist Nicole Alvarez, special education teacher Kate Bradley, campus monitor John Braselton, assistant principal Greg Guevara, registrar Casey Henrikson, Spanish teacher Megan McEachran, special education teacher Kelly Money, athletic director Emmy Murphy, Physical education teacher and cross-country coach Dan Shea, counselor Kristin Wogmer and social studies teacher and football coach Clay White.

Each of the teachers or staff leaving received a custom made Nederland blanket and a four-pack of homemade cupcakes. The hiring process has begun and interviews are taking place this week. The new teachers and staff will begin on August 1.

The Nederland Elementary School is also losing much of its staff, including principal Jeff Miller. He is being replaced by Laurel Reckert who has been with Boulder Valley School District for nine years as assistant principal at Foothills and Crestview; and before that as an elementary music teacher and middle school music teacher in Massachusetts.

The school’s front office person, the one who greets the parents and directs traffic for students and teachers, who keeps things organized and friendly, Marisa Orsulak, is retiring after 19 years of being there for everybody. Orsulak began volunteering when the school moved into its present location from where the community center now stands.

Her daughter was in kindergarten the year it was held at the Swiss Chalet, now the Black Forest Restaurant. She remembers the teachers spent much of their time telling the kids not to take the wine glasses off the wall.

After many years of volunteering and then working as the president of the PTA, Marisa was hired to do what she had learned by bits and pieces.

“This was a great place to raise a family. I wouldn’t have changed any of it.” She remembers that when her daughter was in seventh grade, she received an anonymous phone call from someone saying that her daughter was in front of the video store talking to seven boys. Ned is a town that watches over its children.

The last week of school was busy, with people coming to say goodbye, including people who were children back in the day.

Also retiring is Marie Allen, the head custodian; psychologist Chris Munro, and kindergarten teacher Johanna Gangemi.

Second and third grade teacher Jenny Lee is moving on as well, as is pre-school teacher Eliza Kraham.

Both schools will look and feel different at the beginning of the new school year in the fall. While the school community will have to adjust to new leadership and new teachers to guide the Nederland students, the newcomers to the family have a whole community to learn about and hundreds of children to get to know.

It will be new beginnings for all of us; a time for change and open doors.

(Originally published in the June 8, 2017 print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)