Mrs. Haeffelin Retires
by Melissa Krason
May 27, 2009
Mrs. Carolyn Haeffelin, Bridgeport's 4th grade teacher for 18 years, announced her retirement this spring. At the end of the year, Mr. Myers and the current 4th grade class, surprised Mrs. Haeffelin with a going away "hip, hip horray" that the entire student and staff yelled in her honor on the very last day of school. Also honoring her with cards and cake were the staff at Bridgeport school. Mrs. Haeffelin was given many cards, photos and a "lucky duck" cake to celebrate her retirement.
Mrs. Haeffelin is remembered for starting the "time capsule" for each of her 4th grade classes during those 18 years at Bridgeport. The time capsule is where each student brings an important item of theirs to school with the understanding that it will be stored in their very own class time capsule that won't be opened until they reach 12th grade and just before their graduation day. As the years went by, Mrs. Haeffelin also created videos to place in the capsule of their 4th grade year. These memories are treasured by the seniors and remembered even throughout their adult lives.
Another important event in 4th grade is their trip through time. Each year, the 4th graders go to Flowerfield school, a pioneer school, and they experience what school was like in 1888. Students dress as they did back in the 1800s, and they spend a typical day in school learning as students may have done in the late 1800s. The memory of Flowerfield is kept in the minds of these students well into their adult life. These and other experiences given to them by Mrs. Haeffelin are appreciated by many and Bridgeport Public School staff and students want to wish Mrs. Haeffelin a very happy retirement!!
