Aug 12, 2016 4 min read

Two Washington County teachers are being celebrated for their many years of service at the Children’s School, a nonprofit and independent preschool for children ages 3 to 5 in East Washington.

Nancy Cohen of Washington, 67, is retiring after 26 years of service, the last five of which she also acted as director.

Cohen started in 1990. She had previously taught in public schools for 13 years but had retired when she had her son. After a few years of taking care of him at home, she sent him to the Children’s School and decided it was time to get back into teaching, because she knew it would be a great place to work.

“Every day was fun,” Cohen said. “Children are so enthusiastic about learning and trying new things, and it was great to be involved with their learning.”

Pam Kushner is retiring after 32 years of service to the school. She got her start in 1984 when she became a teacher’s aide in the pre-kindergarten class, also after taking a break from teaching following the birth of her son. She actually was an aide to Cohen, who said she was “really lucky to be able to work with Pam Kushner for all of my 26 years.”

“I will most miss the students and the contact with Nancy Cohen,” Kushner said. “She and I had a great working relationship, and she was the best coordinator of the students’ day.”

Both Cohen and Kushner said their favorite memories came from times when one of the children in their classes said or told them something funny.

Cohen recalled a time when an enthusiastic young student referred to “hibernation” as “hibernackle,” as well as a time when after the students learned their phone numbers, a girl said to her, “Oh, you’re silly. I don’t even have a phone!”

For Kushner, she recalled when a student was answering the question “What do you know about dinosaurs?” and replied with “They are In Sync!” – rather than extinct.

Cohen said what she will miss most is reading stories to the children. She said they had a story every day, about something they were learning about, nonfiction or a story just for fun, and that it was wonderful to watch the expressions on the children’s faces as she was reading to them. During her retirement she is looking forward to getting some reading done on her own, as well as spending time with family and friends. “I enjoyed watching each child learn and grow and change. Four- and 5-year-olds make such great strides,” she said. “It was really fun to watch them become ready for their next step, which was in most cases going into kindergarten.”

Kushner recalls that when she got her start at the Children’s School she was not sure she would enjoy working with younger children, having previously been a secondary math teacher. However, she found that from the beginning she absolutely loved her job.

“I hate referring to my ‘job’ as such. It was never a job for me.There has never been a day that I didn’t want to go to work,” said Kushner.

Kushner’s plans for retirement involve spending time with her children and grandchildren, as well as looking after her 90-year-old mother.

“I have always loved the Children’s School and will miss it. I don’t have the feeling of being retired yet since it is still the summer,” she said. “Come September, the full impact of being retired will probably set in.”

“Teaching for them was a joy, and the same could be said for the students who experienced their class. Children’s School is honored for having them be a part of the program for 25-plus years,” said Cortni Junko, the new Children’s School director. The Children’s School is in First Christian Church, 615 E. Beau St., and can be reached at 724-228-1409.