The end of a school year brings many bittersweet goodbyes. Beyond just the graduating class of 2025, some teachers also find themselves moving on with their lives outside of the walls of West High School. This year, West bids farewell to several retiring teachers, all of whom have helped shape the lives of the students they had the chance to work with.

One retiring staff member, secretary Valerie Aronson, shares her reason for her leaving. Despite her passion for helping kids, she knew that it was time.

“I've been here for 23 years so far, and I had a magic birthday, so now I can retire,” she said.

Aronson recalls her reasons for joining the West staff. As her kids grew older, she found herself pursuing this career.

“I was a stay-at-home mom for 14 years. When my youngest one became a freshman in high school, I knew I had to do something else. My first job here was in a study hall. So, I went home from babysitting kids that were two and three years old to being with kids that were taller than me but still having to supervise them,” she said.

Aronson has deeply enjoyed working at West. She will remember everyone that she met during her time fondly.

“Between all the kids and the staff, it's like a huge family,” she said. “For me, that's the best thing.”

It is this found family that makes saying goodbye so difficult. In retiring, she knows that she has achieved her life aspirations.

“I will miss the people most. This was my dream job and I'm going to miss it,” she said.

Also saying goodbye is art teacher of 30 years Kelly Spanbauer, who, after these many years of teaching, is ready to settle down to spend quality time with her family.

“I have two grandchildren, and my oldest daughter lives in Minneapolis. I just want to be able to have more time with them,” she said. “My husband retired last year, and I want to be able to have my own time.”

For Spanbauer, having the opportunity to interact with her students and co-workers has been incredibly important to her.

“Creating connections with the students are some of my best memories,” she said. “The connections that I still have with former students today, just knowing that they are still doing art and we still have a lot in common. I will miss my students and coworkers the most.”

Art has always been a beloved activity for Spanbauer starting from an early age. Despite academic struggles, she found her place in art education.

“When I was in school, I wasn't the best academically, and I always liked art. I wanted students to know that just because they might not be super great in math or english, art is still a skill and an intelligence,” she said. “Sometimes you need a creative person to think outside the box, working with that math person to come up with a great idea.”

Leeann Morrill, former English teacher and current librarian, always dreamed of becoming a teacher. Even from a young age, she was confident in her aspirations.

“I really like working with kids, I like helping people, and I love books,” she said. “I used to set up a classroom in our basement, and I saved all my paper.”

Morrill has assumed several different positions throughout her career and has worked at Oshkosh North as well.

“I started at North as an English teacher. Then, I felt like I needed a bit of a challenge. Then, the district approached me and asked me if I would be an instructional support teacher as the CAPP and AP coordinator,” she said. “I really liked that, but after a couple of years, I wanted to do something different, so I came here.”

Making a change is something that Morrill has hoped to do during her time at West. She has been working to create this change through a variety of projects.

“My favorite thing has been renovating the media center. We started the project, and the kids all worked together, and it was just really fun,” she said. “We didn’t quite finish, but then one of the students wanted to do an independent study afterward. She did that study with me, and I really enjoyed the one-on-one with her. She worked her tail off to turn the library into what it is today.”

For Morrill, the hardest goodbye will undoubtedly be with the connections she has made over the years. Her passion for her job has made every second worth it.
“I'll miss the staff, friends, and the kids. I love this job.”

by Tenna Ruetten and Chloe Lusvardi

Published May 19th, 2025

Oshkosh West Index Volume 121 Issue VIII

West bids adieu to students and staff alike