On Wednesday afternoon, students at Spencer Elementary presented an emotional and heartfelt gift while saying good-bye to one of their most popular teachers.
Liz Larwa, who spent 37 years teaching at the Brighton elementary school, will be retiring at the end of the year. During the school's last assembly, parents, students and faculty showed their appreciation for her years of dedication and passion for teaching by presenting Larwa with a small model of a tree and bench that will eventually be installed in the school's playground.
The idea for the tree and bench came after the school and parents were informed that many of the current trees will have to be removed during the summer construction project of the school's new playground.
“Spencer has a beautiful playground now with a lot of shade-giving trees and it was just something that Mrs. Larwa was very passionate about and very upset to hear that all of our tress were going to go away,” said Spencer Elementary PTO president Cari Pilon.
Planting the tree and dedicating the bench seemed to be a fitting tribute, according to Pilon, to the woman who loves science, teaching and her students.
Pilon, who had two of her children taught by the veteran teacher, said that expanding the world and sharing her love of science with her young students was one of Larwa's biggest strengths.
But it was also her passion and her ability to connect with all types of students that made her special, according to Pilon.
Humbling accepting her gift, Larwa said was "thrilled" to have a tree planted at the school where she spent more than half her life and agreed that it was a wonderful way to be remembered.
"Although I didn't do this to be remembered," she said. "It's just been a fabulous career and I hope I've instilled passion and joy for these kids and I hope I've made learning fun... because this is what I love."
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