Beloved teacher waves goodbye after 50 years at St. Margaret School

I always wanted to be a teacher from the time I was in second grade. I don't have children of my own but I always felt like the St. Margaret's children were my children. My name is Dolores Lepresti. I'm a teacher at St. Margaret's School in Narberth, Pennsylvania. I have been here for 50 years. At the end of this school year, I'll be retiring full-time. I never thought I'd make it this far. I wanted to quit my first year. I was new, right out of college, and I had no clue what to do and I cried every day. It's not how you start, it's how you finish. That's right. Luckily, the people I worked with helped me and next year I loved it and have loved it ever since. At St. Margaret's, I'm the only second-grade teacher this year and I teach all subjects. Oh my goodness, you guys! And I love to make like learning fun. I like to play games with them for math and sometimes dress up as a character. Mrs. Pepperoni comes in with a pizza and they play this math game and I'm really lucky because I get to prepare them for their sacraments of penance and communion and I love that. It's like a family here. It's a community. I know everybody. I've taught children of children now. It's just a great place to be. I love my teacher because she's funny. She's been here for 50 years and no one really wants her to go. She taught us cursive and math and she loved all of us. Reading to the pre-k, Mrs. Pepperoni. She's been an amazing teacher to me. She's also popped in and out whenever I grew up too, so it was really great going up with her and I'm glad to see her retire. I just want to say how blessed we were that my two sons, Connor and Owen, had her. She's the absolute best. She's the reason my sister got into teaching. I can't thank her enough for all she's done for my family. She tutored me in high school. She was in college and I was flunking algebra and she got me through. She was the only one. I've been waiting 50 years As a former student, I'm honored to be a part of this. She's been an inspiration forever for a lot of kids that grew up in Narva. This is a great day. Not to be a classroom teacher is gonna be a different feeling because it's what I've done for more than half of my life. I know, that is the most fun I've ever had. But to have a new adventure, I'll be part-time a couple days doing other things here. Every day is a new day, I tell them. Every day is a new day. Don't give up. Be kind. Be loving. It's not how you start, it's how you finish. It doesn't matter how old you get, once I'm your teacher, I'm always your teacher.