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Teachers Bids Farewell To Mesa Verde School
0522 Janice
Mesa Verde Elementary School teacher, Janice Rariden will be retiring at the end of the school year. When the students learned about her retirement, they all started shouting out that they would miss her. VIRGINIA STILL/The News

First and second grade teacher Janice Rariden will be retiring from Mesa Verde Elementary this month, after giving 25 years of service to the Riverbank Unified School District (RUSD) from 1988 to May 2013.

Rariden started out teaching in 1988 at Rio Altura School, which is now Riverbank Language Academy in Riverbank and transferred in January of 2010 when Mesa Verde Elementary opened.

“I have loved working in a beautiful new school,” said Rariden.

During her teaching career, she spent one year teaching third grade and 24 years teaching first and second grade. Rariden was a mentor for the BTSA Program (Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment) for three years.

“I enjoyed helping teachers get started in their careers,” expressed Rariden.

For the last two years she has been the Riverbank Teachers Association secretary and two other years before that, for a total of four years.

Rariden explained that she became a teacher because she wanted to help others, which also had her thinking about becoming a social worker.

“I love kids so I thought I could help kids,” she said. “I think teaching was the right way to go.”

She also added that she will miss being in her own classroom with her students, following their progress and making sure they are learning.

“I will also miss the cute and funny things they say that make me laugh,” said Rariden. “I'm going to miss hearing, ‘Hi Mrs. Rariden’ from across Target when I am shopping at Crossroads. It happens almost every time I am in Target. I love that the children want to say ‘hi’ to me when I am not at school.”

Throughout her retirement, Rariden plans to spend more time with her three grandchildren, ages two to 13, take more trips, and spend more days traveling.

“I am looking forward to retirement, but will miss the kids and the staff at Mesa,” stated Rariden.

The RUSD retirees were recognized at the school board meeting on Tuesday, May 7 and presented a plaque of appreciation. At the presentation Dr. Daryl Camp, RUSD Superintendent shared some observations about each teacher.

“Janice Rariden has taught for 25 years and has been exemplary,” said Dr. Camp. “Always has the students’ interest at heart.”