XENIA — Greene County Retired Teachers Association recently held its fall meeting.
The meeting included the installation of the 2019 Officers by current Ohio Retired Teachers President-Elect Gale Adkins, and a program presentation on Beavercreek Schools by Superintendent Paul Otten. Fairbrook Elementary Choir also provided a Christmas musical presentation.
The featured member recognition, presented by Virginia Pinkerton, focused on retired educator Ed Wingard.
Wingard grew up in Elyria, Ohio, close to Lake Erie. The oldest of six children, he enjoyed fishing and blackberry picking. After graduation from Elyria High School, Wingard headed to Miami University where he lived across the hall from another Greene County retired educator, John Haines. Wingard’s first teaching job after graduation from Miami was at Bryan High School in Yellow Springs in the fall of 1959. One of his students in that first year was a quiet student named Mike DeWine. Wingard taught physical education, math, social studies, science, and was the athletic director and drivers’ education teacher prior to becoming a principal.
Later, Wingard became the Director of Education and then the Dean of the College of Education at Central State University. Other accomplishments of Wingard include serving on the 1974 Tornado Relief Fund Committee and on numerous boards at the county and state levels, publishing articles in at least 10 publications, and training youth for the Peace Corps. Wingard earned both a Masters’ Degree and his Ph.D. Wingard’s roles include teacher, principal, college dean, farmer, and community servant. He and his former wife Barbara have three sons.
Otten shared qualities of the new Beavercreek Schools Strategic Plan, generated by several months of planning, data collection, and public input. He said the new football field and track will be installed with no taxpayer dollars being used. The Creek Safe Program, a nonprofit organization created by Beavercreek parents, has purchased 335 locks for all elementary classrooms to use in the event of an active threat situation. Next will be raising funds for middle school locks and then high school locks.
Otten also said a Facilities Master Plan is underway as Beavercreek anticipates a student enrollment rise of 600-1,200 more students over the next 10 years. Redistricting due to changing geographical student enrollments will be undertaken by drawing input from the community. Transportation Efficiency will also be explored. Beavercreek High School recently held a fall Senior Citizen Luncheon with girls’ choirs entertaining and football players serving the guests. A second Senior Citizen Luncheon will be held in the spring at one of the elementary buildings. Both girls soccer and girls cross country teams won state titles for Beavercreek this year.
The next GCRTA luncheon meeting will be held 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27 at Memorial United Presbyterian Church in Xenia.
