Pat Vigeland graduated from the first grade on Friday – after 23 years at Mark Twain Elementary.
Current and former students, family, co-workers and friends packed the school library to say goodbye to a teacher that has had an impact on many Kirklanders’ lives.
“She is just like family,” said Mark Twain teacher Chris McKenna. “I feel like she has taught me so many things and she is going out at the top of her game.”
McKenna, Doris Reeves and Vigeland have been the only first-grade teachers at the school for 22 years.
“It’s probably pretty rare to have three in the same grade for so long,” said Principal Rick Burden.
Vigeland, who grew up in Bellevue and was a cheerleader at Belleve High School, had saved all the class pictures from every year she taught and they were taped up in the library to commemorate her career. The staff at the school even prepared a slide show with pictures from Vigeland’s entire life. Vigeland taught a total of 42 years, including many as a substitute and five years in the Bellevue School District. In 1969 she and husband, Bruce moved to Florida for his work.
“That was the same year that Florida was desegregated and she is proud of that,” said Burden.
But the impact that Vigeland had on 20 years of students at Mark Twain Elementary, not to mention her four sons, brought tears to her eyes.
“I am really overwhelmed,” said Vigeland. “This is very emotional cause I love teaching.”
One of her colleagues told a story of a student who asked Vigeland where her bed was at the school cause she spent so much time in class.
“She was always willing to spend hours talking about how to reach kids,” said Reeves. “She is the Martha Stewart of the classroom. She organizes everything.”
McKenna told the crowd that Vigeland can “change a bulletin board in the blink of an eye.”
As a show of appreciation, the PTSA donated $100 in Vigeland’s name to the charity of her choice. But most in the room just wanted to say thank you.
“This is kind of overwhelming,” said her son Bert, who works in the education field. “You can tell the impact she has had on other people and it is inspiring.”
