THANK YOU TO A SPECIAL TEACHER AND HER CLASS
December 14, 1999
Karen is a teacher and so am I, so I want to share a story about a teacher that is making a difference
with our children and helping a fellow teacher, Karen, at the same time.
I want to tell you about a thoughtful and resourceful teacher in Hazelwood School District who did
something educational with her class and something very helpful for Karen. The teacher’s name is
Leslie Henderson, and she teaches third grade at Lusher Elementary School.
I was substitute teaching in Leslie’s classroom the day of Karen’s accident. She had had a baby and
I had planned to finish out the school year for her. Although I had retired from teaching the year
before and had vowed to myself that I was never going back into the classroom, I couldn’t say no to
this young, vivacious, dedicated teacher. Leslie and I had met at a science curriculum meeting years
before, and although we never worked together our personalities just clicked. We always enjoyed
seeing each other through the years at other school district functions. Her class was a third grade,
and that is the grade I loved to teach the most during my teaching career.
On the morning of May 5th, 1999, after two and a half weeks of teaching Leslie’s class, I was called
out of the classroom and rushed to Christian Northeast Hospital where Karen had been taken from the
scene of the accident. I never went back to Leslie’s class.
As time passed, and we moved into the new school year, I decided to substitute teach this year and
found myself back in Leslie’s class on two different occasions. It was new group of children but the
same great learning environment I remembered from the previous spring. Actually, I subbed several
days at Lusher School in other teachers’ classrooms, too. I always love to go there. It is a great
place for kids and teachers.
Last week I had to drop off something at Lusher. When I was walking to the office Leslie was in the
hallway. It was her lunchtime. She asked me if I could come down to the classroom; she had something
she wanted to give to me. Later, when I went to the room, the children were there. And wait until I
tell you what Leslie and the class had done!
Hazelwoood school District has an Economics Education Curriculum. In third grade the children plan a
product they can “manufacture”, costs involved, make it, sell it, and do something worthwhile with the
profits. (I guess you’ve figured out where this is going by now.)
Leslie’s class made a Millennium Calendar. These eight-year-old boys and girls researched and wrote
about many of the tourist attraction in the St. Louis area. This information, along with their own
illustrations, provide the top pages of the calendar for each month.. The bottom page of each month
has the actual calendar with large squares for writing notes or appointments.
And yes, you figured it out. Leslie’s class voted to give the profits to Karen Weir, the teacher who
was paralyzed in the automobile accident last year, that substitute’s daughter.
So, the children presented me with $200 stuffed in a big envelope. They wanted these profits from
their economics project to be put to good use for Karen. I told them about the Standing Frame Karen
will need when she recovers from her surgery and they thought that would be a good place for it to
go. They just want her to get better. I cried, they cried, and a lot of tissues were used up that
afternoon.
These kids had spelling, writing, math, history, computer, reading and research lessons. They did all
the lessons the third grade economics curriculum requires. But if you could have seen the smiles on
their faces when they presented me with a calendar and the profits from their hard work, you would
know there was a much better lesson they had learned that wasn’t written into the Hazelwood
curriculum guide.
Thank you Leslie Henderson and Alex and Rory, and Josh B., and Tommy, and Philip, and Jake, and
Siobhan, and Joy, and Jeremy, and Mallory, and Lindsey, and Camille, and Shannon, and Kelli, and
Chris, and Khyri, and Kyle, and Kady, and Tyler, and Zach, and Aimee, and Josh D.
Thank you from the substitute teacher and thank you from the substitute’s daughter, Karen. With help
from you and all the wonderful people and doctors and nurses at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Karen will be
back someday doing terrific things with eight year olds just like your teacher is doing.
HURRY! HURRY! HURRY! GET YOUR MILLENNIUM CLAENDAR NOW!
Copies are still available ----Donation Just $3.00 plus shipping of $1.00 = $4.00 total
Great Millennium Gifts. The gift that lasts a whole year!
Original Third Grade Art
Original Third Grade Stories
Send requests to:
Mrs. Henderson’s Class
Lusher Elementary School
2015 Mullanphy Road
Florissant, MO 63031
Checks can be made out to Leslie Henderson’s Class.
Stay tuned. There will be more “teacher stories” to follow this one. There are a lot of terrific
teachers out there making a difference just like Karen did. And remember, Karen will be back again.
Barbara Ramming, Karen’s mother
Return to Karen Weir update
Last Updated: 12-15-1999
Webmaster: rick.meyer@mail.alagri.com