Saint Francis Xavier teacher retires after 35 years

Friday, May. 22, 2015

KEARNS — Mollie Wood will retire from Saint Francis Xavier School in Kearns at the end of this school year, but she’s not going to quit teaching; she has three grandchildren aged 4 months to 2 years old who will need grandma’s tutoring, her son said. 

Wood has been teaching for 35 years, 26 of which have been at St. Francis Xavier School, where she taught fifth and third grade. She was honored at a reception held at the school May 16, where friends and past and present teachers and students wished her well.

“I’ve loved teaching you kids,” Wood said as students came up to her to thank her. 

“There is a lot of joy and sadness over Mrs. Wood’s retirement,” said Patrick Reeder, St. Francis Xavier School principal. “The joy comes because we know she will be traveling with her husband and spending time with her family, but it will be sad because she will no longer be with us. We want to thank her for all that she has done; she has been a blessing to this community.” 

Wood taught her twin children in the fifth grade at St. Francis Xavier; her retirement is a celebration of her “patience and understanding,” said Robbie Wood in a tribute. “She encouraged us with words full of hope and support to help us shine. We will miss you as our teacher, but we will miss you more as our mentor, friend and nurturer. … The hallways will no longer hear your voice say ‘Oh, fiddlesticks.’ … You are the reason why ordinary students dream to do extraordinary things.” 

“She always wanted to inspire children,” said Robbie Wood. “She is a textbook example of No Child Left Behind.” 

Katie Morris, Wood’s daughter, could never call her “Mrs. Wood” in the classroom. “I was told we couldn’t call her ‘Mom,’ so I called her ‘Um,’ and at times it was a challenge for everyone,” she said. “If I got in trouble for talking and got a green slip, and I had to have my dad sign them because she refused. Both my parents were super strict, but she was always our cheerleader.” 

At Saint Francis Xavier, Wood was a “stable factor for 26 years,” said Nancy Essary, former principal, now St. Joseph Elementary School principal. “She has helped hundreds of students explore their gifts and grow in knowledge and faith.”

Wood has been a “wonderful person to work with,” said Veronica Brand, a coworker for more than 20 years. “She is supportive, genuinely cares about the children, has a positive, upbeat outlook and she just rolls with everything. She is always so calm, and we are going to miss her.”

Wood’s students also complimented her.

“I liked the way she taught mathematics in third grade; she always interacted with the kids to make sure they learned well,” said Zachary Mecham, now a Juan Diego Catholic High School student.

“She taught me science in the third grade and that is why I started loving science; without her I wouldn’t be in the science fair or the advanced math group,” said sixth-grader Andrea Moreno.

“Even though she was strict, you could tell her if something was troubling you and she would help you figure everything out,” said Isabelle Castelano.

Wood taught two generations of the Solomon family, said Matt Solomon, adding that she taught him in fifth grade and is now his daughter’s third-grade teacher. “I want to thank her and congratulate her for her many years of service to St. Francis Xavier and the community. It is neat to see that teachers who retired years ago have come to congratulate her.” 

Wood became a teacher because “I just love children,” she said. “I had gone through Catholic school my whole life and I was inspired by the nuns that I had growing up. I thought teaching in a Catholic school would be a wonderful experience and I would be able to help the children succeed and move forward with their lives.” 

Wood began teaching in Illinois and moved to Utah in 1983. She is looking forward to retirement and spending time with family. “I think I’ll be fine for the summer, but in August it might be a little more challenging when it’s time to get ready to come back to school,” she said.