It is with a bittersweet heart that I write to say I will retire from my job at the Grand View library at the end of this school year.
For more than a quarter of a century, it has been my honor and privilege to bring the joy of reading and the love of lifelong learning to so many children. I have cherished the opportunity to be a part of their educational journey.
Throughout my career, I have striven to create a positive and engaging learning environment in the library. I am proud of the relationships I have built with my students, their families, my faithful library volunteers, my colleagues, and the larger community. I will cherish the memories we have shared together.
While I am excited about this new chapter in my life, I will miss the daily interactions with your children and the joy of seeing them learn and grow. I must confess, like the old cliched answer to the question, “recess” is my favorite subject. There is something uniquely special about spending time with children who choose to spend their free time in the library, whether it is before school, during first recess, or lunch recess.
The Grand View library is a special place due to the strong support of MBEF, which funds the position, and to GV PTA, which pays for pretty much everything else. This school year, MBEF was able to beef up its already generous support so that library service hours would not need to be cut. Also, this school year, the PTA purchased new library technology: two new circulation desk computers, six new ChromeBooks for student use, and a new interactive presentation board. All this was on top of an already more than generous PTA budget for library materials and operations. I cannot state emphatically enough how grateful I am for such unwavering trust and support.
I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have served in the library. Your children have brought me immeasurable joy and have taught me so much about the importance of education, resilience, and the power of books to foster human connection. Books serve as mirrors when they reflect ourselves and our known experiences. Books serve as windows when they show us the experiences of those unlike ourselves. Reading books, all kinds of books, is so important for a well-rounded education.
While I will deeply miss the daily interactions with your children, I am excited about the new chapter that lies ahead. My husband and I are relocating to the Bay Area to be a bigger part of our two grandsons’ lives, and where I hope to find meaningful ways to contribute to my new community.
Heidi Snively - Library Resource Specialist