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[Sep. 22nd, 2005|09:28 am] |
I have an amazing request of you people.
Sarah Restaino and I want to do something in remembrance of Mrs. Woolery. So we decided to make sure, during this incredibly sad time at Hickory, to remember the good times we had with Mrs. Woolery. What we're going to do is print out all of your comments and put them on posters to commemorate her loving memory and incredible heart and spirit. Leave me messages anywhere; on myspace (www.myspace.com/decibels), in an email (cwool6px@umw.edu), through an IM (girlinpearlsss) or here. Tell your friends who knew her, or just knew of her, or passed her in the hall, or had her as head of NHS, to write something down and pass it my way. Say anything you want, and hopefully we can celebrate the life that was Mrs. Woolery, rather than the loss. We all loved her incredibly-let's remember that. She'd want us to. Remember, we were her angels, and now she is ours.
"There were times when I would stand outside of the door to the classroom with my boyfriend before first bell. Mrs. Woolery would poke her head out the door and say in her cute little voice, "Parting is such sweet sorrow, my dears." Every time, I would smile. She taught me so much about life and I can never thank her enough for the knowledge she instilled in me. I miss her voice; the way she called us her "Angels" and the way she got so excited about poetry! I miss her handwriting, the beautiful script that covered the numerous essays and papers we wrote for her; words of encouragement and praise. I miss her smile; oh how beautiful her smile was. I miss her infectious laugh, I miss her. I miss her so much. But she is in Heaven now; she is our Angel." -Chrissie Woolsey
"I never had her as a teacher, but I always wished I had. From the friends I had in high school, I knew she was a great teacher as well as a great person. Her students will always remember her for her kindness and amazing words of advice. She will be forever missed." -Kellye Klein
"One day Corey was playing with "goop" from Chemistry in Mrs. Woolery's class and he decided to open up Perrine and squish it in between the pages in order to flatten it out. Well, it stuck together about four of Perrine's thin pages and when he realized it he slammed the book shut with a "I didn't do anything" look. Mrs. Woolery immediately knew. She walked over to Corey and said "Angel, did you put the goo in that book?" And she laughed and laughed as we attempted to cut it out of the pages. I have a picture of the goo being cut out and Mrs. Woolery is in the background, laughing so hard she's nearly crying. You see, she took the time to teach us the important lessons in life, but she also took the time to laugh at life's everyday occurences." -Jackie Fox
"I'll always remember being afterschool studying for latin convention. Joseph was there. He's one of those people who will speak his mind no matter what the issue. He recounted his own vicious battles with the Wool only to end with a description of her head spinning around upon her neck and flames shoooting from her mouth. Mrs. Brooks smiled and laughed; she told us just how dedicated Mrs. Woolery was to teaching. Joseph will just have to accept that he is wrong sometimes. After the retelling, I remember wanting nothing more than to meet this woman: to learn from her and to be witness to someone with a passion for bettering others. I light a candle for you, Mrs. Woolery." -Casey Sears
"Mrs. Woolery was this amazing woman. She could take a room filled with people from all diferent backgrounds and beliefs and turn them toward one cause. She gave the love of learning to many and she never stopped pushing you towards being the best that you could be. She was ALWAYS thinking of others, her many projects in NHS were proof of that. She worked tirelessly and always seemed to have a smile opn her face. She touched som many lives. And even now, thorugh those she loved, she will touch others still." -Casey Rickman
"Mrs. Woolery is probably the most amazing woman I've ever met. She was so selfless and cared so much about her students. She treated us like we were her own children, and always put us before her own needs. I remember her cute quirks, like her gold lame shoes, and how she sang out "poetry" every day, and when she danced around the room like a bull. I'll never forget her, and I can only hope to one day become half of the teacher she was." -Lisa Van Dyke
"Mrs. Woolery was honestly the most amazing teacher I've had. She instilled a love of English in me. She came to class every single day and gave us her all, 100% of herself. She was always there for outside of class as well as class discussions. Anything could be said in her class, the most obscure answers could hold truth (ie: a wet pad in "Hills Like White Elephants" -Andrea). She was always willing to explore new options, even if we got off of the syllabus it didn't matter as long as the students were delving into our own knowledge to find answers and grow. My writing improved so much from her detailed strategies and comments. I loved how she tried to relate to each and every single student she had. She was a great sponsor for Nation Honor Society, always using us, her class, to help raise money for charities. She was always so happy, and so invovled even with her tennis. She touched so many people; she was such an amazing woman. She let us get away with controlled murder: ordering lunch, post poning quizes because of Bruce's badgering. I honestly loved her. I can't believe she is gone. It was such a shock to find out so suddenly. She has nothing to regret. She lived each day to the fullest, you could see how happy she was. I just hope that I can be something like her." -Meredith Brier Lee
"Mrs. Woolery was the only teacher I ever had who called me by my full name. I was never just "Nick" as far as she was concerned--it was always Nicholas, or on a few occasions, Mr. Nicholas. Just a few extra syllables...but they meant so much. It made her different from any other teacher--it was one of the innumerable things that made her special. And in an odd way, it made me feel special, the way all her students were special to her. It was just one of the strangely motherly things she did every single day. She was also the only teacher who really inspired me to work, to put everything I had into something that I otherwise would have been tempted to blow off. But the one thing that will always stick out in my memory of her is her smile, that undying grin she never seemed to lose. It was infectious; you couldn't even be around her without that smile fighting to spread to your own face. When she laughed you couldn't help but join her. She was the only person I've ever known who always found a reason to feel genuinely happy, and who could always spread that happiness to everyone she met. And spread it she did, and I believe that is because she honestly cared about everyone she knew. She took us all under her wing, in one way or another. With her passing, not only has Hickory High School lost a great teacher; the world has lost an entirely unique and wonderful individual. But Martha Woolery lives on. She lives on in the hearts and souls of all those of us she touched. A part of her is still here with us, and it always will be.
Mrs. Woolery borrowed her parting words to her AP English class from Emily Dickinson: "If I can stop one heart from breaking, if I can ease one life the aching, I shall not live in vain." And if there is one person who did not live in vain it was she. You are sorely missed, Mrs. Woolery, and you will always be fondly remembered. If I could have a fraction of the effect on a fraction of the lives you did, I would feel truly blessed." - Nicholas Winslow
"Mrs. Woolery never stopped smiling. Even before I had her as a teacher, I knew her as the "teacher who always smiled." Once I got to know her, I realized that she was much more than that. She was always able to make the class laugh even if it was a rainy, boring day. Her countenance was always cheerful and she always saw the glass as half full. She had passion and her passion was contagious. She loved her students as she loved herself and never asked for much in return. She granted mercy when no mercy was due and she always listened to the needs of others. She was an incredibly wonderful woman and she will never be forgotten. There are so many things that can be said of her, but most of all, she was loved." -Jess Brew
"As much as I complained about the class, I really did love Mrs. Woolery. There was no way you couldn't. She was an absolutely amazing teacher. I remember for the door competition we dressed up Shakespeare as a cowboy. She called him "Wild Bill." And her letters. Her letters were always full of kind words, no matter what was happening in her life. She was always worried about her "AP Angels" doing well. We miss you, Mrs. Woolery. You will always be in our hearts." -Andi Scott
"There are a lot of words I want to say about Mrs. Woolery. I was lucky to have had her twice during high school; she was my english teacher in tenth grade where she sparked the fire of integrity inside me. She taught me many life lessons; my favorite quote from her is "Even in great tragedy there is great beauty". Mrs. Woolery told us we might not remember everything she said all year, but to remember that. I still remember it today, as a college freshmen. Mrs. Woolery was not just a teacher for me. She was a mentor to me, someone who I could come to no matter what the topic was. I knew I could trust her. We had this type of relationship since my sophomore year. I loved the way she loved what she was doing; she loved teaching and that showed- ask any one of her former students. Mrs. Woolery, you mean a lot to me, and I'm sorry I did not get the chance to tell you this, the chance to say goodbye. I am sorry. I know you are in Heaven watching over us, your little Angels. You will forever be ours now. Funny how I can still go back to that day Corey put goo in Perrine and see your face when he did it...I will miss you, Mrs. Woolery. Rest In Peace." -Meg Etter
"Mrs. Woolery was a teacher who cared. Everyday you walked into class, she always had a beaming smile, she always said "Good Morning" or "Good Afternoon," and always asked how you were. She never made you feel scared to go up and talk to her about anything. She loved English and she loved teaching it. Of course when she taught, I was always ready to learn and never felt like "Man, I have to go to English," because I always wanted to be there. We respected her as a teacher and she returned that same respect to us, her students, who, I felt, were treated more as adults than stupid high school kids. She was very open minded and respected all views, whether they were different or not, because she felt that what you had to say was important and that we could learn from it somehow. It really stinks for the fact that when I go home on breaks from college that I won't be able to visit her in Room 144. She is one of the few teachers I actually would have cared to see after high school. I will never forget "Mercy Bear," the way she said "Poetry," or the way she grunted and said "Yes" when you made a really great point about something. However, even though she is gone she will never have really left for what she taught will live throughout her students to be spread to others. You will be dearly missed and loved eternally." -Jared Tschohl
THIS MADE ME CRY
Thank you, Jackie.
THIS MADE ME CRY, THEN SMILE THROUGH MY TEARS
Thank you, Ashley |
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