Thursday, December 14, 2017
I am unsure if Marilyn Irey was the Miss Irey who was my second grade teacher at Welton Elementary in the Central School System in 1964-65, but I send you my deepest sympathy in your loss. Miss Irey has always held a special place in my heart as one of my favorite teachers. What a sweet, kind person she was, making learning so much fun and her classroom such a warm, welcoming place! My Miss Irey would encourage us to develop our interests. Once, when I brought my xylophone for sharing, she asked me to play a little tune several times throughout the day when we were transitioning between activities, and I loved her for that. As a second grader, I really wanted to have glasses like my teachers. When I came to school one day wearing white plastic sunglasses frames without the lenses, Miss Irey let me wear my pretend glasses in class. How special that made me feel! Learning to read with Dick and Jane and listening to the books she would read aloud to our class gave me a lifelong love of reading. Miss Irey had a big influence on my decision to become a teacher which has been my profession for the past 38 years. Miss Irey may not have ever realized the huge impact she had on her students' lives, but we are all so grateful for having her as our teacher and shaping us into the people we are today. We love you, Miss Irey!
