Tyrone school district is losing one of their most beloved teachers.  Mrs. Karen Delbaggio, long time middle school reading teacher, will retire at the end of the school year after 27 years of service.

“I have mixed emotions about retiring. I am happy and sad. I am going to miss seeing the students’ everyday but I am looking forward to starting a new part of my life” Delbaggio said.

Mrs. Delbaggio has taught at two other schools besides Tyrone. “I have taught every grade except kindergarten, second, and sixth.”

In her last year of teaching she has been teaching seventh grade reading.

“I will miss coming to school and being with the students and teachers. The thing I will miss the least is the three minutes. I will [absolutely] not miss those very few minutes,” she said.

David Loth, a fellow seventh grade teacher said that “Mrs. Delbaggio is positive and puts me in a good mood. I will miss her smile and dedication.”

Another fellow teacher Susan Orlosky said, “Karen is one of the most caring and compassionate individuals I have ever met. I will miss her sense of humor and her visible love for teaching.”

Sean McGovern, a ninth grader at Tyrone, said, “My favorite thing about Mrs. Delbaggio was that she was nice but she knew how to be strict when it was needed. My favorite thing that she taught was the Twilight Zone lesson.”

Kendra Walker, also a ninth grader, said, “Mrs. Delbaggio was really cool. I loved her [science fiction] lesson.”

Delbaggio’s advice for students is “students need to strive to find the purpose for which you were born.” Her advice for teachers is “teaching is more than a job. It is a calling. Never forget why you became a teacher.”

In her spare time Delbaggio wants to “spend more time with her family, read [a lot] more, play more piano, and maybe even teach piano lessons,” she said.