To all of my former students:
This is my last year of teaching at Parkway West High School. It is my 30th year of teaching, with 25 of those years being served at West. It has been a pleasure to teach so many wonderful kids and make so many friends over the years. Although I look forward to all of the opportunities awaiting me, I know that the most difficult part will be leaving behind the daily interactions that I have had with students during my teaching career.
When I attended school at Parkway West, I learned that the more effort I put into my education, the more I gained from the experience. I also discovered that what you learn in high school is divided into two parts. Of course, high school is focused on academic achievements and development, but I learned that it is also about the relationships one develops with people along the way. I tried very hard to put those relationships first in my teaching style, knowing that once I established a sense of community in the classroom, the academic achievement would follow. I found out that students want to learn as a result of developing that kind of relationship with the teacher. Al Burr taught me that as my principal when I was a student at West, and I carried that into my teaching career when I started in 1977. Oftentimes, teachers have no idea the impact they make on a student’s life until years later, when the student contacts the teacher and explains how influential they were in their lives. Over the years, these kinds of experiences have meant the world to me because so many have come back just to say, “Hi,” and to express appreciation.
The purpose of me writing this letter to all of my former students is two-fold. First, I wanted to thank you for touching my life and constantly molding me into a better teacher and person.
The second purpose is to ask you to join me in giving something back to Parkway. I want to use my retirement as a means for helping kids with special needs in Parkway, so I am asking each of my former students, from 1983 to the present, to donate a minimum of $1 to the Al Burr Fund. I will present your donations to Al Burr at the Parkway Alumni Association Hall of Fame Dinner on Nov. 15, 2008. Please send your donation to the Parkway Alumni Association, 455 N. Woods Mill Rd., Chesterfield, Mo., 63017. Or, call the PAA office to use a credit card (314-415-8074), and be sure to mention my name!
Again, I cannot thank you all enough for the countless wonderful experiences and memories that I have had during these 30 years. I truly feel blessed to have had the privilege to work with so many exceptional people.
With many thanks–
Larry Geldbach, ATC