Published: November 01, 2009 06:49 pm      

Empire’s Haynes calls it a career

EMPIRE — It was an emotional afternoon for Judy Haynes.

Surrounded by family, friends and former co-workers, Haynes was honored at a reception in the Empire Library Thursday. Haynes, who retired following the 2007-2008, school year, received accolades and well-wishes for her body of work at Empire, which started in the fall of 1983.

As a Kindergarten teacher, Haynes taught generations of Empire graduates and played a major role in helping bring the technological aspect of education to Empire.

“I loved it so much,” Haynes said. “I always felt like in your life, you place God first, family and then your friends. That was one thing about teaching at Empire. The people are so close. To know they care for you and take time for this, it is very emotional.”

Haynes spent the first part of the day visiting her former classroom and visiting with several of her former students before adjourning to her reception where special items had been prepared, including a scrapbook.

“It’s unique having someone that has taught several generations,” Empire elementary principal Josh Skiles said. “Being a small community, you see those generations come through here often. Being here today brings back memories she has had over the last 30 years.”

Haynes earned a degree in education at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. She started off pursuing a degree in math and secondary education but made the switch after deciding her roommate was having more fun than she was in elementary education.

Upon receiving a degree, Haynes taught at Cyril for four years before the family moved back to the Empire area. At Empire, she served as a substitute teacher before joining the teaching staff full-time. It was only natural that she teach in the same school system where her two children Kary and Barry graduated.

“There was never a doubt, this is where my family is and my friends are,” Haynes said.

Throughout her teaching career, Haynes was on the front lines for many changes in education that seem normal today. When she started teaching in 1983, kindergarten only lasted half the day. Empire was one of the first schools to make the adjustment, offering kindergarten over the full school day.

“Ours was one of the first schools that went to all-day education,” Haynes said. “The administration saw that it was a coming thing.”

Haynes also was one of the leading proponents of the evolution of technology within the school, creating her own Web site and making computers part of the curriculum. During the reception, Haynes’ contributions toward the technology side of things were memorialized on a plaque that will be placed in the technology center at the school.

Through all that she accomplished and experienced, it was the relationships built with her students that proved most precious, something that was reinforced in her walk down memory lane prior to the reception.

In explaining her what she treasured most about her years in education, it came down to those kids and the ones that came before them.

“I think seeing the kids now that they are older, coming up and asking me if I remember them,” Haynes said. “I feel like I am a little bit part of them.”