Nahant students bid farewell to 2 teachers

NAHANT – Johnson School teachers Diane Dunion and Sue Beebe were serenaded into retirement by every student and even faculty and staff at the school Monday.Students, faculty, staff and administration gathered in the school?s cafeteria to honor Dunion, a sixth grade teacher, and Beebe, a former art teacher at the school. Dunion has worked at the Johnson School for 30 years, and Beebe for 32.?Because we are so small, anyone who leaves here leaves a lasting impression,” said School Committee member Kerri McKinnon. In her address thanking the teachers, she said with a laugh, “It?s clear every time I come into this building that lasting effect you have, because even my friends had you.”Each grade prepared a performance for the teachers showcasing their affection for Dunion and Beebe, but instead of just singing the words to the classic songs, the students worked with their respective teachers to personalize them for the honorees and the school.The kindergartners took the stage first, singing “This Little Class of Mine,” to the tune of the gospel hit, and later the sixth-graders honored Dunion, a specialist in English language arts, by remixing the folk song “Down by the Bay,” so they were singing “In E-L-A.”The group with the loudest applause were the fourth grade students, who had choreographed a hip hop dance and song to the pop song “The Time (Dirty Bit)” by the Black Eyed Peas, a remix of the “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights” theme song, “Time of My Life.”Rivaling the fourth-graders? performance was first-grader Kristijons Shiles, who, after finishing singing “May There Always be Sunshine” with his class, shouted, “Happy retire-” before he realized he was the only one shouting the salutation. Shiles immediately dropped to the stage?s floor and covered his face with his hands amid giggles from his classmates, before the audience broke into applause. Kristijons finally stood, beaming.Finally, each member of the faculty, staff and administration took the stage to sing “The Candyman” from the movie “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” as they brought forward well wishes and candy one by one so that Dunion and Beebe each had an overflowing basket of candy with her gifts from the students.The sixth-graders ended the dedication with a group hug for Dunion on the stage.Dunion said she was touched by the performances, adding that each one brought to her mind all the special memories she had at the small school. “They sang with their hearts,” she said.Beebe agreed. “They enjoyed themselves, and it was really so moving for the rest of us,” she said,Both Dunion and Beebe said they are looking forward to relaxing as their retirement begins, finally able to read a few books that aren?t on a curriculum list.?I?ll put the alarm clock away for a while,” Beebe said.Kait Taylor can be reached at [email protected].