Alumni gather to reminisce and celebrate Maple Valley Schools

Amy Jo Kinyon

Decades of education were represented at the annual Maple Valley Alumni Association dinner held this past Saturday. Highlighting the honored classes of Vermontville and Nashville 1946 and 1956, along with the Maple Valley classes of 1996 and 1991, the evening featured the reunion of old friends and school memories.
Retired custodian Kim Hansen was selected as the honored support staff for the event. A graduate of Maple Valley, Kim spent nearly 50 years in the district, from his time as a kindergarten student to retirement.
“I started kindergarten in 1958 and 48 years later I left,” joked Kim. “I tell the grandkids that it took me 48 years to get out of school.”
Jeanne Hansen spent 17 years teaching at Maple Valley and was chosen as the honored staff member. She told the crowd that while technology and methods in the education have seen many changes, the core principal remains the same.
“Today’s kids and classrooms have drastically changed, but the goal is still to create productive and well-rounded students,” she said.
A 1938 graduate of Vermontville High School, Mrs. Nichols represented the earliest graduating class present at the dinner.
The alumni association also presented a check to the Maple Valley Memorial Scholarship Foundation, which provides scholarships to graduating Maple Valley students each spring.
Maple Valley Superintendent Michelle Falcon also detailed work being done to the high school campus this summer as part of the bond project. The high school campus will be completely closed this summer to allow for those projects to be completed. The usual summer activities will be housed at Maplewood Elementary in Vermontville until August when the high school will be re-opened.
The district is searching for photos and memorabilia to create a display at Maplewood to honor the history of Vermontville schools. To contribute items or information, email Falcon at mfalcon@mvs.k12.mi.us. The last remaining portion of the Vermontville High School campus was demolished last summer as part of the bond project.