Closing the Chapter Dawn was a fixture of not only the Early Childhood program, but The Parish School as a whole. The thought of retirement hadn’t crossed her mind. She thought to herself, “I have more to offer. I have more to do. I have more things I want to implement and try.” It wasn’t until about three years ago where retirement could be on the horizon. After last school year, following the retirement of fellow longtime Early Childhood teacher Amy Rapp, she knew at the end of this school year, it was time. She had given all that she could give. It was a tough decision for her to make. Being at Parish helped her become a better mother and mentor. It’s also allowed her to see the impact she’s made on families. “At the end of the year when I read those cards and I see those messages, what feeds my soul is parents saying, “‘You're an angel on earth. You've changed our lives forever. You have no idea the impact you've had on our family,’” Dawn said.
Dawn has been a mainstay at Parish for decades. Her impact is impossible to quantify, according to Anne.
“She has this legacy of over 30 years of teaching,” Anne said. “When I meet people, they'll say, ‘I was a Duck or I was a Dinosaur.’ And they'll ask about Dawn and kids remember being with her. It'll just be sad not to have her here.” Retired Life Although she’s officially retired, Dawn continues to stay busy. In June, she went to Mexico for a friend’s birthday. The following month, the Reinarz family took a trip to Prague as her daughter landed a job there. She’ll also be covering a Carruth staff member’s maternity leave this November, so she’s not leaving campus just yet. But Dawn is taking retired life day by day. She wants to take a photography class, learn how to utilize AI and possibly get a dog, train it and bring it to Parish. If she’s not busy, the best place you’ll find her is by her pool.
Dawn poured decades of her life into children. It’s helped keep her feeling young. Through all the ups and downs, it was all worth it.
“I would do it all again to know that I impacted their life in that way.”
| 19 SUMMER 2025
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