Article Contributed on: 5/13/2008 6:12:09 PM
Douglas County School District said goodbye to nearly 60 employees at a special retirement reception held May 8 at Rock Canyon High School.
Everyone from teachers to bus drivers enjoyed hors d'oeuvres, a chocolate fountain and an address from superintendent Jim Christensen. In all, 59 employees retired this year.
Pine Lane Primary, 6475 E. Ponderosa Drive, will bid farewell to literacy teacher
Linda Fligg, who has been with the district for eight years. During her time with the district, Fligg has primarily worked with students who need help developing their reading skills.
"I take the lowest kids and I support them and I get them where they need to be," she said. "I'm going to miss it. I'm going to miss making a difference in children's lives."
Fligg started her education career in 1967 in Wichita, Kan. She moved to Colorado in 1971 and worked briefly as a full-time substitute teacher for Denver Public Schools before joining a speech and hearing clinic at Porter Adventist Hospital in Denver.
She took time off to be a stay-at-home mom and then went back to work as a full-time teacher in 1985 for Aurora Public Schools, where she primarily worked with "at-risk" students in the Title 1 program.
After working for two years at Peabody Elementary in Centennial, she found a home with Douglas County School District.
The most rewarding part of her job was watching kids become more confident of themselves after finally feeling comfortable reading, Fligg said.
"It's hard work, but it's very rewarding work," she said.
Fligg said she has a passion for helping people and that she'll miss it after she's retired.
"It's just been wonderful," she said. "Yes, I will miss it, but I'll keep doing things and volunteering, whether I'm working with adults or with children."
For now, though, Fligg is going to enjoy her time off and start planning for her 40th wedding anniversary cruise to the South Pacific. Like most of the retirees, her plans include plenty of travel.
"I bought the book 1,000 Places To See Before You Die," she said. "I'm looking forward to it. I've worked year-round for a while so now I can travel and do the things I want to do."