Beloved Bay Area preschool teacher retires after more than 40 years at same school

NOVATO, Calif. - With hugs, flowers, and many expressions of love, Michelle McSweeney this week said farewell and walked out of the North Bay school where she worked for 45 years.

The beloved and longtime preschool teacher retired from Miss Sandie's School in Novato on Wednesday.

McSweeney was among the first to work at the school, which has been in operation for 46 years. 

The backstory:

She first became a part of the preschool back when she was a high school student and started working there as a teacher’s assistant.

"I walked in when I was 16 years old, not knowing what I was going to do," she told KTVU. "I never thought I'd be walking out the door 45 years later having experienced Miss Sandies’ family."

It didn’t take any time for her to realize this would be her calling.

"The first day I walked in, being surrounded by little people that just looked to you for guidance and caring and love, and it’s easy to do," McSweeney shared. "And I knew that in my heart that’s where I wanted to be, so I stayed for many years."

Over those many years, her job at the school involved wearing many hats. In addition to teaching, she supported the school in a variety of other roles, including working as the school’s assistant director and its director.

Her family said, by far her favorite role was being teacher to those kids, which included leading the school’s pre-kindergarten group for the last two decades. 

Family affair

For McSweeney, her presence at Miss Sandie's became a family affair in multiple ways through the years, as her own children became students there. 

And then, when they got older, all three would later help out at the school, working as teachers' aides over their summer or spring breaks. 

Eventually, her grandkids would also be students where their grandmother taught.

McSweeney's grown children attended Wednesday’s send-off, expressing how incredibly proud they were of their mother. 

What they're saying:

"She's been really lucky to be at Miss Sandie's, but Miss Sandie's has been even luckier to have her," daughter Molly McSweeney said.

"We're just so proud of her," her son Mitchell McSweeney said. "She's impacted so many lives."

Daughter Maddie McSweeney said it was a bitter-sweet and well-deserved celebration and told us how their mom's work had a deep impact on their own lives.

"We learned so much from her, we learned how to ensure that the kids wer playing safely, kindly, caring for each other, how to talk to kids when they're handling hard situations," the daughter said. "We learned all of that through her, and we couldn't be more grateful." 

RELATED: After 58 years at the same school, legendary teacher celebrated for her illustrious career

In addition to her kids, McSweeney said she was very lucky to have opportunities to work alongside her own mother and brother at certain points during her career, and she even got to teach with her sister, which was an extra-special gift for her.

"My sister has been my ride or die too, this whole time. She’s been working alongside in the same school for almost as many years as I have been, and the last two years we were able to work together for the first time after being here," McSweeney said. "We are each other's yin and yang, Abbott and Costello, Laverne and Shirley. It’s been a nice way to end my career."

Touching send-off

Large colorful banners decorated by the young kids and the school’s leaders adorned the fence at Miss Sandie’s, wishing the veteran teacher love, congratulations, and a happy retirement from a career that was more than just going to work.  

More than a job

"It was a life. It was more than a job. It was coming in every day and working with little people, knowing that they're going to be big people, and knowing that I might have had a little impact on that between stage," McSweeney shared. "So that has been the long-lasting lesson and meaning for me."

She was handed balloons, flowers, embraced in hugs and showered in words of gratitude. 

And in turn, she expressed her gratitude to her colleagues and the many families that became a part of her life.  

"I worked with so many wonderful teachers… made long-life friendships that will remain with me til my end. And the children and the families that I have been with have just filled my heart to the brim," the teacher said, "and I will go home knowing that I was loved, and I loved."

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