ABOVE: Karen Sandhurst stands outside of her second grade classroom at St. John Vianney Catholic School in Fairmont. After the last day of school today, Sandhurst will retire as a teacher from the school.

FAIRMONT– A long-time teacher at St. John Vianney Catholic School in Fairmont, Karen Sandhurst, is retiring after an impressive amount of years in service. Sandhurst has taught at SJV for 44 years, essentially making her an institution of the school.

Before speaking of her years as a teacher at SJV, Sandhurst was adamant that she had a lot of help over the years to thank for her successful career.

“God has used me as an instrument, absolutely. I can’t do what I do myself, but God works through me as his instrument to reach kids and parents and colleagues to make amazing things happen,” she said.

Sandhurst grew up on a farm near Klossner, which is outside of New Ulm. She spent her first six years of school in a small, one-room country school. She immediately took a liking to learning.

“I enjoyed it immensely. In first grade I decided that I wanted to be a teacher,” Sandhurst said with a laugh.

She spent seventh and eighth grade at Central Catholic in New Ulm and then spent her high school years at New Ulm Cathedral. Following her graduation, Sandhurst went to Winona State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education with a minor in early childhood education, in just three years. She graduated in 1980. Later, in 2003, she went back and received her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction online through St. Catherine’s University.

Sandhurst explained that she knew she wanted to teach younger kids and she had learned while student teaching that she preferred second grade specifically. She also had a preference to teach in a Catholic school.

“When I graduated I was offered jobs in public and Catholic schools, but I felt very at home right away at Saint Augustine – Saint Edward in Austin when I interviewed there,” Sandhurst said.

The first two years of her teaching career were spent there. Then, Sandhurst married her husband, Ron, and moved to Fairmont.

“I was afraid I would never teach again because I applied all over and there was nothing,” she said. “In August of 1982, all of a sudden St. John Vianney was short a music teacher and they needed someone soon.”

While the job was only part-time, Sandhurst took it. Looking back, she said it worked out well because for the seven years she taught music part-time, she was also busy growing her family, which includes three children, now grown.

After seven years of teaching music, a full-time position teaching second grade opened up. Sandhurst took it starting in 1989 and she’s been there ever since.

Over her years, she’s seen a good amount of changes. She had 33 students her first year of teaching with no aid in Austin. Currently she has 11 students but said said the most she’s had at SJV is 26.

“Technology. I never touched a computer before St. John Vianney School. I went through college and taught my first two years and never touched a computer,” she said.

Now, it’s evolved even past computers as she pointed out they have iPads and a Smartboard in the classroom.

As for the kids themselves, Sandhurst said mostly kids are kids, but that she’s seen some changes.

“It seems like they’re used to more attention nowadays. They have smaller classes and smaller families. Years ago they had so many siblings, they were used to sharing and being patient and waiting for help. I do see that,” Sandhurst said.

However, she said most of the life lessons they go over in the classroom have been the same throughout the years.

“Say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’, sharing, not hurting other people’s feelings. That’s the same,” she said.

While Sandhurst has thoroughly enjoyed teaching all subjects, she has especially enjoyed math and religion. Along with her experience teaching music, these passions have come across in the special offerings Sandhurst has provided to her student over the tears.

Some of the notable things her students may remember include the second grade plays, baking bread and reenactment of the Last Supper, singing on Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day at area nursing homes and celebrating Johnny Apple Seed Day on Sept. 26.

Of the plays, Sandhurst said, “we got into doing different plays each year and inviting all of the different grades, performing them more than once. Most years we’ve done two plays.”

Her rule is that each student has a speaking part, big or small, depending on what they’re capable of.

“In that way we all grow and that’s really what you’re trying to do in teaching. Make everyone grow from where they are. I think the plays teach a lot. There’s setting, plot and characters and they certainly learn that through plays. They learn to be expressive readers and they understand others’ point of view better. Plus, they have a lot of fun and learn some teamwork,” she said.

Along with the reenactment, the students bake make their own bread. She said the students learn what yeast is and what it does because in the Bible they learn about unleavened bread so she feels it’s important they see how the bread raises. Plus, she said math skills are involved in baking the bread.

With 44 years of teaching at one school, Sandhurst has had many students come through only to realize that she had previously taught their parents.

“This year, at grandparents day, two of the grandparents that came, I had taught,” she said with a laugh. “That’s when you know it’s time to retire.”

Sandhurst admitted that she was planning to retire a year ago, but she didn’t feel ready. She prayed about it and was told that God wasn’t done with her yet, so she returned for another school year.

“Now I can see in His master plan, that Tamarae Schmidt is going to be replacing me and she would not have been ready a year ago… now I understand why. She is the perfect replacement for me… God’s timing is always best. Now I feel ready and maybe that’s because I know it’s going to be in such good hands,” Sandhurst said.

She doesn’t really feel sad or reluctant to leave her position. She mostly feels gratitude.

“I’m grateful that I could teach for this many years and have this many kids. I’m grateful for the team that I’ve been a part of because as you’ve often heard, it takes a village and it really takes a lot of teamwork between parents, the children, other teachers, the principal and even my family,” Sandhurst said.

She said her husband has been very supportive of her career and has helped her many times make different props for the plays, including a bridge for three billy goats and a

spinning wheel for Rumpelstiltskin.

In her retirement, Sandhurst plans to spend more time with her eight grandkids, ages 6-16, more time with her three children and more time with her own siblings. She is also looking forward to volunteering more, baking more and having more of a relaxed schedule.

Sandhurst has been the co-chair of the Martin County Kids Against Hunger organization and said she plans to stay involved for now as she believes it’s a good cause.

With the last day of school being today, those she’s worked with throughout the years recognize that it will be different without her, but they, too, acknowledge her successful career.

“Mrs. Sandhurst is a wonderful teacher. She has made a huge impact on all the children that have been fortunate to be in her classroom over the years. The things that students learn from her stays with them forever because of the dedication that she has to her profession. She has been an incredible mentor and friend to me over my years at St. John Vianney. Our school halls will feel different next year without her here every day, but we are very happy that she is able to make this move into retirement. We wish her the very, very best,” said Principal Sarah Striemer.

Looking back on all of her years teaching, Sandhurst said, “God has gifted me with an amazing, fulfilling career.”