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Thanks for the memories Alice Bieman will never look at a goldfish with a straight face again. "I‘ll never forget that winter day when one of my students was cleaning the goldfish bow! that we kept in our portable," said the longtime Empire public school teacher. "We always poured the dirty water out the winâ€" dow. Buy one day, the little girl doing it acciâ€" dentally threw the fish out the window instead of the water. We ran outside and found it. Fortunately the snow kept it alive. But it sure was funny." Empire public school teacher bids farewell after 34 years at the same school Recalling memories like this one made closing her classroom door for the final time last week even more difficult. After 34 years in the profession â€" all of which she spent at Empire school â€" Bieman has officially retired. "I‘ve enjoyed everything about my time at Empire," she said, after dismissing her kindergarten class for the summer last Wednesday. "Everyday is something new and exciting here. It really crawls up on you. Nobody ever wants to leave Empire." _ ~ Spending over three decades teaching all levels from kindergarten to Grade 3 was never something Bieman dreamed of doing as a child. "It was a much calmer career than 1 had planned on when 1 was young," she said, with a smile. "When I was a child, I was going to be an undercover agent and â€"solve the problems of the world." But having been surrounded by family members in the teaching profession, Bieman said the field of education soon became a natural career choice. "Teaching kept me around home," she said. "And I‘ve loved every minute of it. It was definitely where I should have been." And after a trying time in her life, when she lost three family members all within a year and a half, Bieman said the Empire school community became her family. > HDECOMT!NG Everyone has meant so much to me By Anorea Bamey Chronicle Staff On Women‘s & Men‘s Quality Footwear Sale Now On Final Summer Markdown 4 ie "i ', Z & | ht ~ â€" , 10 es aed Alice Bieman retired this week after 34 happy years of teaching at Empire public school in Waterloo. AnpMEA BAILEY PHOTO here," she said. "Students, teachers and parâ€" ents, they‘ve all been wonderful." _ And it‘s those aspects of the job Bieman will miss most. sake she will treasure forever. "I will especially miss working with the children, hearing their stories and helping them do something they couldn‘t do before," she said. And in return, the students Bieman has helped made sure to honour her with a keepâ€" 353C * LIFESTYLE | :4 VJ "During an assembly earlier this week, the students gave me a 200â€"page book filled with their favourite memories of me," Bieman explained. "It was quite touching actually. Until then, I was pretty good. All I kept thinkâ€" ing was that after 34 years of teaching, it was time to hit the retirement road. But I‘m afraid after that, 1 was pretty tearyâ€"eyed for most of the day." Bieman also said a number of former stuâ€" dents paid her a final visit, with some bringâ€" ing their parents whom Bieman taught years earlier. "That was always neat, teaching children of children I‘d already taught," she said. And with each class she taught, new memories were made. "I‘ll never forget putting on the play Snow White and have it broadcast on Rogers Cable TV," she said. "The (school) board thought it was so well done that it should be televised." "Knowing how much help the kinderâ€" garten and Grade 1 students need, I‘ll defiâ€" nitely be back as a volunteer," she said. And while her students may remember her for a variety of reasons, such as her fondâ€" ness for buttekflies or her stories of touring amethyst mings, Bieman hopes to remain known in a spetial way. "All of these things made my time here enjoyable," she said. "There were no downâ€" sides to this job. And anything I didn‘t enjoy doing was overpowered by all the good things." "I would v%ve to be remembered for being a caring pérson who in some way helped every child I met," she said. Bieman said she also enjoyed taking part in the school‘s art and library clubs, as well as the choir. Bieman said she hasn‘t planned too far ahead into Wtiremem. The mest She‘s arranged is a trip to Churchill Falls in Manitoba to see some polar bears. And she added that even though her days as a teacher at Empire may be over, her time as a volunteer at the school is just beginning. 11 â€"ra»‘"~1 WATERLOO NORTH 0% In the spirit of community involveâ€" ment and to put area residents in direct contact with a vital agency in the Kâ€"W area, WholeLife Magazine, the Natural Food Market and the Emergency Food Hamper program are inviting people to a unique fundraising event â€" a vegetarian barbecue. The event, to be held July 7 from 1â€"5 p.m. at 807 Guelph St. in Kitchener, will feature vegetarian patties, organic condiments, drimks and snacks, live music, activities for the kids and tours of the Emergency Food Hamper program facility. The goal of the event is to highlight the needs of the hungry in the comâ€" munity, and to raise awareness of and funds for the hamper program. While the agency has in the past held events onâ€"site for employees, volunteers and representatives from other agencies involved with taking care of the needs of the hungry, the barbecue marks the first time the Emergency Food Hamper program has opened its doors to the public at large. "We‘re pleased to be able to open the program to the public to highâ€" light issues of food and poverty that exist in Kitchenerâ€"Waterloo," said Michael Parkinson, coâ€"ordinatof df the hamper program. "The barbeâ€" cue will be a great opportunity to link members of the food communiâ€" ty with a community agency that is chronically short of good food. It is great opportunity to have a &Ie at a program that, throughdut The week, deals with very setious issues." Veggie BBQ raises funds for emergency food program FINANCING Northfield at the Parkway in Waterlon 746â€"1666 Ask for details worw watericomazta.com