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Thanks!!! You had wonderful suggestions, as usual. I'm going to need = someone else to retire to use more of these fantastic ideas. a.. I had an assistant once who loved poetry, so I either had people = write her a poem or just an essay; or bring their favorite poem to the = party, where we read or recited them and created a memory book. It was = a truly wonderful event. Another time, we each brought a chocolate bar or piece of candy to a = chocoholic. She was a little embarrassed by that one, but it went okay. I like the idea of picking something that the person is fond of and = expanding on that for the party. =20 =B7 In case she likes to garden..... A friend was in a = similar situation and bought the retiree a garden statue of two children = reading a book along with other gardening tools, all delivered in = decorated wheelbarrow. =20 =B7 I've created a long list of overdue books for a couple of = teacher's that=20 have retired. I think I might have done one as well for the last = secretary.=20 If you have some old fan fold type computer paper, that works well. I = usually print the titles in large print and have this long list fall = to the=20 ground. The students and staff always get a chuckle just from that. You can make up titles related to things she does or events that have=20 happened in your school. I usually have a mix of real books and made = up=20 ones. You can tell her that she thinks she's retiring, but until she=20 returns all the books, she's not free to go. =20 =B7 My aunt retired after 35 years in the district. Her = favorite fun gift was from Mom and me. We bought her a little tiara. It could mean = anything you want... Queen of leisure time. Queen of the media center. We told = her she could mow her lawn in it if she wanted. Every girl needs a tiara! :) =20 =B7 The school I am at had a retirement party earlier this = year for a Guidance Office Secretary. There was a picture of her from when she first = started at our school (she too was here for a long time) on the cake. Most = bakeries can put pictures on cakes (speaking now, as a former cake decorator). = We also had a sign in book where people could write notes or memories. = As far as a gift, I can't remember what was done. At Barnes and Noble or = Borders there is a journal book that is really neat. It is full of pages that = you fill in. I gave one to my cooperating teacher from student teaching = when she retired. She loves the book. It is called All About Me by Philipp = Keel. =20 a.. How about buying some books for your library and putting = remembrance/retirement book plates in them ? Then, at the retirement = dinner/party you could use them as centerpieces on the tables. Later = the books would become part of your library collection. If she has = worked in the library for a while, she may really appreciate this = gesture. =20 a.. Buy the picture book Yay, You! Moving Out, Moving Up, Moving On = by Sandra Boynton, read it at the party and then give it to her as a gift. =20 a.. Something our HS has done recently for 2 long-time employee (30+ = years)=20 retirements was to make a quilt. They did this by handing out = squares to=20 people (staff, admin, past students, community members, etc) who = knew the=20 employee well and asking them to draw or write something on the = square=20 (white ones I think). The completed squares were collected and sewn=20 together along with whatever else has to happen to make a quilt (can = you=20 tell I'm not a quilter?) and presented at their retirement party. They also made a "memory book" by asking folks to write a note = describing=20 something or some event that the person remembered particularly = about the=20 retiree. The notes were put in sheet protectors and put in a ring = binder=20 that had a place for a photo on the front. I think they also = illustrated=20 the binder with photos copied from various staff members' photo = collections. =20 a.. Our head custodian did a lip sync (?) routine to an Elvis song = since=20 one of our retirees loved Elvis. This was in front of 100 people and = was hilarious! Someone else made an iMovie and included everyone in = the=20 bldg waving from their teaching area. The background song was Thank = you=20 for being a friend (Golden Girls). I am not the creative type so I=20 organized the meal, dinner seats, issued the invitations to former=20 colleagues far and wide and collected all of the money. (I have been = known to change the words to songs so I have a version of Thanks for = the Memories and the Battle Hymn of the Republic that is perfect for = retirees. I also have a version of My Way (if you ever have a = special=20 retiree!) =20 a.. a gift certificate from a book store makes a lovely present. We = usually have pitch in or office paid for luncheons catered, with profits from the = lounge pop machine.=20 =20 =20 =20 =20 Jeanette Gerrietts Media Specialist St. Paul's Lutheran Elementary School Waverly, Ia 50677 jeanette.gerrietts@stpaulswaverly.org Ph. 319-352-1484 "Outside of a dog a book is a man's best friend, inside of a dog, it's = too dark to read." -Groucho Marx =3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D=3D-=3D-=3D- All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law. To change your LM_NET status, e-mail to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL 3) SET LM_NET MAIL 4) SET LM_NET DIGEST * Allow for confirmation. 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