“Live, Love, and Laugh” is Sra. Parkinson’s way to look at life. Sra. Parkinson is retiring this year after 46 years of teaching! She started her career at age 20 with an instructional position teaching first grade at a private school in San Juan, Puerto Rico. After that, she taught in Milwaukee and eventually came to Berkeley in 1993, and this is her 29th year here. Some of her favorite years to teach were the years she worked in Milwaukee as a first-grade teacher for a bilingual program for students of many different backgrounds; her challenge was to teach her students English. Her second favorite year was when she switched from teaching both Upper Division and Middle Division at Berkeley Preparatory School to just teaching Middle Division.

Sra. Parkinson has held many positions in Berkeley. Before Coach Rivas, she was the 8th grade Academic Dean for ten years. She also taught seventh grade Latin for three years and was an NJHS advisor. She assisted Mr. Johnson with 7th and 8th-grade trips by coordinating the venues, getting busses, advising teachers, and figuring out where all the students would go. For chaperoning, she helped Mr. Johnson with the Dominican Republic trip for 13 years, and she has always chaperoned the Dude Ranch. Through the years, she has gone on most of the  7th and 8th grade trips. Her favorite field trip is the community service trip to the Dominican Republic because she is able to connect to the culture and speak Spanish to students. Sra. Parkinson has also made friends with the teachers over there. She will miss the Dominican Republic trip, but she will not miss the cabins in the Dude Ranch.

Sra. Parkinson also started a study skills program for new students to Berkeley during the summer, and she is also the current mentor program chair for new teachers to Berkeley. 

As for what to do in retirement, Sra. Parkinson has a long list of activities. The number one thing on her list is to relax and not have an alarm clock! She wants to spend more time at the beach, and she wants to learn Italian so she can communicate if she goes to Italy and Greece. Another priority will be to exercise more, and she will go on more long walks. She looks forward to spending more time with her two sons and husband while also going back to her old hobby of ballroom dancing, as dancing is her favorite pastime. For her community service after Berkeley, she wants to volunteer at places that help the homeless, specifically those with mental illnesses. Along with that, she will collect materials that hospitals need. According to Sra. Parkinson, “We should live every day to the fullest using our talents, love everyone like you want others to love you, and laugh a lot by doing things that you enjoy make you happy!”

We will miss you, Sra. Parkinson!