Jane Chudina says goodbye to Kindergarten at Troutville Elementary
Chundina retires from Troutville Elementary School after 32 years of teaching
It has been a fun job as one might imagine teaching the Kindergarten class. Jane Chudina has been teaching 32 total years and 31 of them at Troutville Elementary School. The breakdown of her teaching career is 11 years in second grade, 1 year in first grade and 19 years in Kindergarten. She graduated from Virginia Tech in 1978. Now she will retire to the next phase of her life. She has seen changes in education and parts of it have come full circle, she said.
“Kindergarten used to be developmental, but is now paper and pencil academic, ” said Chudina as far as changes go in her 32 years of teaching. What else has she noticed? “Children have changed they are exposed to so much more information. SOL’s have changed what they have to know, ” she remarked.
She and her husband have been a long time residents of Roanoke. In her off time she volunteers for the Ronald McDonald House and has raised two daughters, one of whom is in health care and the other in teaching in Roanoke City Public schools. “I plan to relax, garden, travel and volunteer in my daughter’s class.” She continued, “I will miss watching the children grow as they do in Kindergarten. They are adorable and funny. One of my students looked at a record we still have and said, “That is a really big CD!” she said with a laugh.
During her time at Troutville she has seen five principals come into her building as a teacher at the school. One of the most unique things that happens to long time teachers is ,”I began to teach the children of children I taught in the past.
As far as her good-bye to Troutville Elementary, “I have loved every minute in Botetourt County Public Schools. I have really loved working here with my co-workers, administration and definitely the people who live here.”
May 28, 2010 - 7:18 PM
I enjoyed working with Mrs. Chudina during the six years that I served as principal at Troutville Elementary. She is a fine teacher who has touched many lives and she will be greatly missed by students, parents and co-workers.