As the teachers at Lone Tree school attempted to coordinate the seating of their elementary students in an orderly fashion, the plan to surprise Wanda Anderson, retiring teacher with 40-plus years of experience, was already in motion.

Ms. Anderson walked down the hall to the open area in front of the main office where she was greeted enthusiastically by elementary students and teachers. This was a planned surprise to show well-deserved gratitude to the teacher who has left a positive mark on the school that won’t go away anytime soon.

While Ms. Anderson was surprised by this grand gesture, she did suspect something was afoot.

“I kind of was suspicious because I heard whispers here and there from the kids, but otherwise I was really shocked,” Ms. Anderson said about the school giving her a big “thank you” surprise.       

Ms. Anderson was given a chance to speak to all the elementary students who gathered to give her thanks. She spoke about how appreciative she is to have taught for so long and how she hopes the students will always hold Lone Tree in high regards.

During the speech Ms. Anderson got a bit choked up and it was evident to see how much her work meant to her over the years.

While leaving to return to their classrooms, all the elementary students had a chance to interact with the retiring teacher and give her a goodbye hug. The line may have been long, but Ms. Anderson was more than happy to give all the students a warm embrace.

“It was fun getting a lot of hugs. I’m very happy, but I’m sad to say goodbye to everybody,” Ms. Anderson said.

Ms. Anderson has been teaching in some capacity for 50 years. She taught fourth grade classes in Lone Tree for 33 years and then was a substitute teacher for Lone Tree and other school districts (Mid Prairie, West Branch, Regina, Riverside) for 17 years.

Since she has taught at Lone Tree for so long, it has allowed her to even teach children of her former students.

When at Lone Tree, Ms. Anderson preferred to teach elementary, and it is a big reason all those students have such a fondness for her.

“I guess I was known as the entertaining teacher,” Ms. Anderson said about how her students viewed her. “They always wanted to know what did Dad do, where did Mom sit, so I know they liked me because I knew something about them.”

She was also a reliable person to depend on whenever Lone Tree was in a pinch. If they ever needed someone to come in and substitute, they could rest assured Ms. Anderson would take care of it.

“I’ve always really enjoyed subbing, even more than I did teaching. It’s been remarkable how well this community holds together because a school is very important,” Ms. Anderson said. “I’m glad to say that you reach a time after 50 years when I think it’s time to do other things.”

When all the hugs were finished and all the goodbyes were said, it was clear to see how much Ms. Anderson meant to the school. She took great pride in teaching and subbing in Lone Tree for so many years and knows she will always feel at home anytime she visits.

“I feel joy that I’ve had a lot of good memories,” Ms Anderson said about Lone Tree school. “And I’ll leave here today thinking, ‘I feel like I’m always welcome to come back.’”