Educators Play Hooky!

Over 200 Retired Educators
Celebrate New School Year
– By Going Out To Lunch!

The ubiquitous Josephine Scott, at 98, is Norfolk Public Schools most senior retiree.  She joined some 200 other retired educators for a day of fun on the day children went back to school.

By Glen Mason
Special to New Journal and Guide

While the children are away in school the formers teachers, support staff and administrators will play.

Retired Coastal Virginia educators, support staff and administrators gathered at Grand Affairs in Virginia Beach on the opening day of school for the Not Back To School Luncheon.

The Not Back to School Luncheon was created in 2012, planned and executed by a small committee led by two “visionaries” – retired teachers and principals Inez Blount-Mason and Mona Gunn. They wanted to host a carefree, unscripted, “un-programmed” luncheon that would run opposite of what they would be doing if they were reporting to school. And to add a little humor and satire the fellowship luncheon is scheduled for noon the day school opens. School personnel must be retired to attend. Any proceeds from the luncheon go to a scholarship fund for teachers.

After the first Not Back to School Luncheon was so well received, a second event, chaired by Cynthia Watson, former principal of BTW, was held at the Clarion Hotel on Monticello Ave. Getting together for no reason at all caught on. Each year a different chair and committee are charged with hosting the popular event for educational retirees.

The event has grown from a group of professional colleagues eating luncheon at Golden Coral or Picadilly’s to inviting all retirees in education from the Hampton Roads area and encouraging them to “Steal away” to spend an afternoon dancing, telling old stories of the classroom, their children and grand children and celebrating the fact that they are not in school the day other people’s kids go back to school. As two custom tee shirts said, “Living My Best Life.’’