Let's Send Gayle off in Style!

Hi Sun Valley Elementary Community,

 

With both sadness and a fierce sense of pride, we are reaching out to you to help us send Gayle Hartsook off in style as she retires after 25 years of dedicated service to our little school. Gayle is the first person you see as you step onto campus; she will inevitably know you by name and likely already guess why you are there. It's hard to imagine life at Sun Valley without her.

 

We asked her what she plans to do with her time in retirement, along with a few other questions. We hope that you can join us in thanking Gayle for her incredible thoughtfulness, loyalty, and resourcefulness with respect to the Sun Valley community over the years.

 

How many years have you worked at Sun Valley Elementary?

Twenty-five years!

 

We hear you are planning on going on a road trip when you retire. Where are you going?

When my husband was alive, he had a thing for train rides. There is a train program in Ely, Nevada (https://nnry.com), I plan to start there. Then I will head over to the Great Basin to hike, which I do every year. After that I plan to go visit my SIL in Colorado. I'm going to drive.

 

What other things do you expect to do with all of your free time?

Maybe volunteer at the Marine Humane Society, the Food Bank or if the Library needs people...

 

What is your favorite memory of/at Sun Valley?

That is such a hard question! I'd say it is when the school won the Blue Ribbon Award.  

 

What is the worst memory??

Oh that's easy, the year of the floods. In 2002 or 2003 Sun Valley underwent a renovation. In 2003 I was having a spa day in Calistoga when I got a call from my husband that the school had flooded. The people who had done the renovation had forgotten to attach the sewar line. The school flooded two years in a row before they fixed it!

Upon second thought, the worst memory is during COVID.

 

What are your parting words for all the students? Parents? Teachers/Staff?

For the students - Get a good education, do your best, and find your passion!

For the parents - RELAX! It'll all be ok. Enjoy your children because they grow up so fast. Talk to them! Even if they don't want to talk about their day. Communication is so important. Emulate good citizenship because we sure need it these days!

For the teachers/staff - I'm going to miss you guys so much! You've been a family to me and I can't thank you enough for everything!