NewsUpper SchoolStudent LifeFaculty/StaffAlumniPre-K to 8AdvancementServiceAcademics
Darlington instructor retires after three decades
Sep 1, 2003 8:00 AM
By Stefan Eady - Faculty
The School honored Randa F. Mixon’s retirement by presenting her with a scrapbook of remembrances from fellow faculty during the Faculty Welcome-Back Picnic held at Home-on-the-Hill, in August. David Rhodes, headmaster, reflected on Mixon’s 31-year teaching career at Darlington and recalled a personal story of how much she has meant to her students throughout the years.
“One year when we were on vacation, Sarah wanted to take the time to find a particular book written in French to give to Randa, because she knew she would like it,” Rhodes said. Sarah wanted Mixon to know she was thinking about her because she knew that Randa was struggling with physical problems.
“It will not be the same without Randa around here; she has been a friend and colleague for many years,” Tollie Ross, German and Spanish instructor, said. “Without a doubt, what I will remember most about her is her jolly good spirit and eternal optimism. These past couple of years have been very difficult for her I am sure, but one would never know just from speaking to her.
“I will miss the personal touch she gave to the department—the small gift that would appear on our desks at the opening of school, the genuine concern she had for our well-being and those of her students, the enthusiasm she brought to her profession that inspired us all to do better,” Ross recalled.
“Randa and I go back a long time,” Nancy Ivester, Middle School instructor, said. “I actually knew her sister, Mervette, before I knew Randa. Mervette was an international student from Cairo when I was a senior at Jacksonville State. Later, when I moved back to Rome in 1979, I attended a neighborhood party with my husband’s sister and husband. Ronnie and Randa were there, and I discovered that she was Mervette’s sister. We have been friends ever since then.”
Contrary to Ross’ remembrances of Mixon’s optimistic nature, Ivester recalls one time when Mixon was not pleased. “The maddest I ever saw Randa was when the announcement was made to drop French as the only foreign language taught at the Middle School,” Ivester recalled. “She threw the French books in the garbage can. Randa had worked so hard to keep the French program going and the decision to change our direction by having three languages offered in eighth grade meant that every student did not take French anymore.”
“She was a wonderful teacher. All three of my sons had her for French. They loved the Mardi Gras celebration and meal that she did every year. I don’t know of any teacher at Darlington who has been more conscientious and caring,” Ivester said.
“Randa and I became friends when our children were young,” Lola Bradshaw, fourth grade science and math teacher, said. “She taught my son French for six years at the Lower School.”
In 1978, Mixon and Bradshaw began teaching at the Middle School and remained there for seven years. Bradshaw moved to the Lower School in fall of 1985 and Mixon moved to the Upper School. About a half dozen of the Middle School teachers from that period of time have remained very close friends. “We get together usually several times each summer for lunch and other outings and just review all the ‘good ole times.’ We still e-mail, have parties and showers for each other’s children when they marry, and talk on the phone to keep up with each other,” Bradshaw recalled. “Our years of working together at Darlington’s Middle School are cherished memories for all of us.”
“When we were at Middle School, we were a very close faculty and Randa helped make it a very special group. She is an outstanding teacher, wonderful with the students, and always did many extra things that were not asked of her to help her friends and students. She is a very creative teacher,” Bradshaw said.
“One year when we were on vacation, Sarah wanted to take the time to find a particular book written in French to give to Randa, because she knew she would like it,” Rhodes said. Sarah wanted Mixon to know she was thinking about her because she knew that Randa was struggling with physical problems.
“It will not be the same without Randa around here; she has been a friend and colleague for many years,” Tollie Ross, German and Spanish instructor, said. “Without a doubt, what I will remember most about her is her jolly good spirit and eternal optimism. These past couple of years have been very difficult for her I am sure, but one would never know just from speaking to her.
“I will miss the personal touch she gave to the department—the small gift that would appear on our desks at the opening of school, the genuine concern she had for our well-being and those of her students, the enthusiasm she brought to her profession that inspired us all to do better,” Ross recalled.
“Randa and I go back a long time,” Nancy Ivester, Middle School instructor, said. “I actually knew her sister, Mervette, before I knew Randa. Mervette was an international student from Cairo when I was a senior at Jacksonville State. Later, when I moved back to Rome in 1979, I attended a neighborhood party with my husband’s sister and husband. Ronnie and Randa were there, and I discovered that she was Mervette’s sister. We have been friends ever since then.”
Contrary to Ross’ remembrances of Mixon’s optimistic nature, Ivester recalls one time when Mixon was not pleased. “The maddest I ever saw Randa was when the announcement was made to drop French as the only foreign language taught at the Middle School,” Ivester recalled. “She threw the French books in the garbage can. Randa had worked so hard to keep the French program going and the decision to change our direction by having three languages offered in eighth grade meant that every student did not take French anymore.”
“She was a wonderful teacher. All three of my sons had her for French. They loved the Mardi Gras celebration and meal that she did every year. I don’t know of any teacher at Darlington who has been more conscientious and caring,” Ivester said.
“Randa and I became friends when our children were young,” Lola Bradshaw, fourth grade science and math teacher, said. “She taught my son French for six years at the Lower School.”
In 1978, Mixon and Bradshaw began teaching at the Middle School and remained there for seven years. Bradshaw moved to the Lower School in fall of 1985 and Mixon moved to the Upper School. About a half dozen of the Middle School teachers from that period of time have remained very close friends. “We get together usually several times each summer for lunch and other outings and just review all the ‘good ole times.’ We still e-mail, have parties and showers for each other’s children when they marry, and talk on the phone to keep up with each other,” Bradshaw recalled. “Our years of working together at Darlington’s Middle School are cherished memories for all of us.”
“When we were at Middle School, we were a very close faculty and Randa helped make it a very special group. She is an outstanding teacher, wonderful with the students, and always did many extra things that were not asked of her to help her friends and students. She is a very creative teacher,” Bradshaw said.
