Assistant Elmbrook Superintendent Resigns, Another Retires

Much like the record number of Elmbrook last year, the turnover in Elmbrook administrators continues with one of the district's two assistant superintendents resigning and a director retiring.

• Eileen Depka, assistant superintendent for educational services, asked to resign effective June 30 — a year early on her contract — in order to pursue other interests related to her doctorate to be completed in May.

• Ramona Stavros, Elmbrook's director of special education who also handled duties of a former position of director of pupil services, announced she will retire June 30 after 16 years with Elmbrook.

The two departures come on the heels of:

• Superintendent Matt in June after 17 years leading Elmbrook and 42 years in education.

• The retirement of three principals: at Hillside and Burleigh Elementaries (both in June 2012) and at Swanson Elementary (June 2011)

• Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources 's resignation to take a similar job at the Waukesha School District last June. The Elmbrook School Board took that opportunity to eliminate one of its three assistant superintendent positions and transfer Hedstrom's duties to various other staff through promotions and additions, .

• The retirement of Claire Topp, a school psychologist and Christopher Keadle, a school social worker, who each had 27 years with Elmbrook and were part of the administrative team.

Depka led Elmbrook's educational services division for the past five years, longer than her three predecessors who served from one to three years, Gibson said.

He applauded her work, as well as that of Stavros, who despite retirement said she plans to continue to serve special education students in some fashion in the future. The School Board this week approved both departures, with several board members taking time to thank both women for their dedication to Elmbrook's success.

Board member Bob Ziegler said he was moved by a poem Stavros included in her retirement letter, saying it articulated "why education professionals are in the business they're in." The poem:

IT MATTERS TO THIS ONE

As the old man walked along the seashore, he greeted me
I was tossing stranded starfish back to the deep blue sea.
He said, "Tell me why you bother, why you waste your time this way.
There's a million starfish, does it matter anyway?"

And I said, "It matters to this one. It deserves a chance to grow.
It matters to this one; I can't save them all I know.
But it matters to this one; I'll return it to the sea. It matters to this one,
And it matters to me."

The old man walked into the classroom, he greeted me.
I was helping Johnny study, he was truggling the old man could see.
He said, "Tell me why you bother, why waste your time this way.
Johnny's only one of millions, does it matter anyway?"

And I said, "It matters to this one, he deserves a chance to grow.
It matters to this one; I can't save them all I know.
But it matters to this one; I'll help him be what he can be. It matters to this one,
And it matters to me."