Jochims says farewell to H-M-S 'family'

There will be no shortage of memories for Cathy Jochims when she officially retires from Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn on June 18.

Whether it was getting "slimed" in the gym, kissing a pig or camping out on the roof to raise money for cancer research, the outgoing elementary principal always tried to make things interesting at H-M-S.

"It's been fun," said Jochims. "You really feel like you get to know the students and families so well. I always said though, if I ever had to tell a child that I taught their grandma then I knew it was time for me to leave. I haven't gotten there, though."

Jochims has been principal at H-M-S Elementary since 2014 and held various positions in grades 3-6 before that. A teacher by trade, she said she has always attempted to maintain strong relationships with students beyond disciplinary referrals.

She credited the elementary school's staff for making her tenure as principal memorable.

"We've always been a really cohesive group in the elementary and really function as a family," she said.

Jochims has been at H-M-S since 1992. The district marked a milestone this year with the opening of the new elementary school, which has been a welcomed change of pace for everyone involved.

"It's been very exciting," she said. "We've seen so many things change just with how everyone feels about the building, and they're just excited about the newness of it. For teachers it allows the collaboration and with students, that's huge."

Jochims has positive memories from the old elementary, though she doesn't miss the building itself. The structure was wrought with wiring problems, heating issues, plumbing complications and other headaches that created a difficult environment for both teachers and students.

"The memories I have with teachers and students just happen to be in that building, and that's something you get wherever you go," she said. "The building itself, I don't think I miss anything."

Education is ever evolving, and Jochims said keeping up with classroom standards and curriculum changes has kept things interesting over the past three decades. So too has technology.

"You went from 16-millimeter films, to VHS tapes, to DVDs to now everything is just online. Technology has just really influenced how you teach and manage your resources when you're teaching," she said. "When I was in college, I remember learning how to splice film to watch movies in class. That training is all very obsolete now."

With retirement looming, Jochims is looking forward to traveling more, spending time with her family, gardening and reading. She was proud of her tenure at H-M-S and will miss the daily interactions with people she's grown to know so well throughout the years.

"H-M-S Elementary has been an absolutely wonderful place to work. The collaborative support from the elementary staff for each other in and out of school makes coming to work enjoyable," she said. "The teachers and support staff all put our students first. I will miss seeing and working with this great group of people."