FARMINGTON – A longtime teacher was honored earlier this week at W.G. Mallett School, with her students helping plant an apple tree on the grounds.
The event was held June 13 at the elementary school, honoring Wendy Oakley. The teacher, who has more than 35 years experience in education, is retiring at the end of the school year from teaching pre-Kindergarten at Mallett School.
The apple tree was donated to the school by Central Maine Power with the assistance of a local parent, Jeremy Drake. The tree was planted beside the pre-K playground with the help of Oakley and some students.
Congratulation and well done, Wendy. Both our boys had you as a teacher while you were teaching a UMF playgroup and preschool. I always thought of you as the best of Wendy in Peter Pan and Miss Frizzle. Your ability to encourage a student to be excited about learning and appreciation of others has change so many lives for the better. Years later I meet a young man who was at a research conference in Arizona and I said I was from Maine. He went on to say one of his greatest influences in his life happen to be from Maine. She was a mother of his roomate while he was in college and she helped him begin to focus as a student and attributed his success from her. She lived in a small town. I asked where and who knowing how small Maine is. He said near Farmington , and Wendy Oakley was her name. Josh Daniels was his. You have touch thousands of lives and improved the world with your many skills. Now on to the next adventures!
What a wonderful honor for a very special teacher. Wendy’s love for children and for shaping their lives through education and compassion has touched many, many children – and their parents (and grandparents). It’s also a tribute to the leadership at Mallett that chose to honor Wendy’s passion by planting this symbol of strength, resiliency, and longevity that represent some of the values that Wendy has brought to her professional life. We are so happy for Wendy that she is making this transition to new adventures in her personal life and we are sure that these new adventures will continue to grow her lifelong passion that children are treated with respect and compassion and that we see the very best in their hearts and minds, and that we remain available to them as they make their own transitions through life.
Wendy, we are grateful for all that you bring to our community that helps us all grow stronger together so that we may live fuller lives and that the world is a richer environment as a result of these values and efforts that you embody.
Wishing you the very best in your new adventures.
Tim and Maggie Davis
Dear Wendy,
I am so happy for you as you celebrate your retirement from a long, dedicated and illustrious Teaching career.
Your very wise, kind, patient and adventurous personality blended well with teaching and guiding young
children in our community. Best Wishes as you commemorate a wonderful milestone and begin a new
adventure!
What a wonderful tribute to you, Wendy. It is well deserved as you have given so many of Farmington’s kids a solid and exciting base on which to build an adventurous road to the wonder of learning. Congratulations on your retirement with hopes that you will have time now to enjoy that amazing grandson.
All the best on your own adventurous road,
Carol and RA Perez
Why an apple tree? Give this woman an OAK. Missed opportunity, smh.