Ms. Duncan's Retirement Celebration

On Wednesday, September 27, 2006, Hal Henderson faculty and staff along with a few of Ms. Duncan's dear friends celebrated her retirement. After 33 1/2 years of dedication to Talladega City Schools, the celebration was "bitter sweet." Mrs. Laros shared her personal story of Ms. Duncan's impact on her as a student. Ms. Duncan taught Mrs. Laros P.E. in 5th grade at Dixon Middle School. Mrs. Laros enjoyed sports and because of Ms. Duncan's effort as a P.E. teacher, Mrs. Laros continued playing tennis and softball outside of school. Mrs. Gooden thanked Ms. Duncan for the impact and positive impression she has made on her son, Harrison (student at Houston Elementary). Ms. Gooden stated she has only known Ms. Duncan for a short period of time (approximately two months); however, Harrison's comments about Ms. Duncan demonstrated Duncan's ability to improve self-esteem in children. Mrs. Davis described Ms. Duncan as a "saint." There were many comments regarding Ms. Duncan's kind, encouraging words and her positive comments. Everyone agreed that Ms. Duncan is, and always will be, a "true friend." Ms. Duncan always had a smile on her face and went out of her way to reward students with positive attitudes. Ms. Duncan was famous for her ping pong tournaments. Each year, she gave awards to many students for their effort in P.E. Some awards were given to students who weren't the "best athletes" but were very cooperative and assisted her with keeping score or handling equipment. Ms. Duncan could always find something good to say about anyone. She was an asset to Talladega City Schools and she will be missed!