A Tribute to Retirees: Carole Kredel and Isidro Panuco

A TRUE EDUCATOR: HARBOR DAY SCHOOL CELEBRATES CAROLE KREDEL

By Moujan Walkow

Carole Kredel is retiring after 41 years of service to Harbor Day School. Whenever anyone compliments her on her loyalty to The School, she dismisses the compliment, saying it was always more like “going home.” Here, in an interview, she expands on her personal and professional life, fondly recalling what brought her back to Harbor Day over and over again. We will miss Ms. Kredel and wish her all the best in her retirement.

Q: Tell me about your growing years. Where did you grow up, and which schools did you attend?

A: I grew up in Corona del Mar and went to Corona del Mar Elementary School, which is no longer there. I went to Lincoln Junior High—it was the new local junior high in those days. At that time, Lincoln was surrounded on three sides by fields of cattle—it was open fields of cattle owned by the Irvine Company. After Lincoln, I attended Corona del Mar High School and then studied education at USC.

Q: What brought you to Harbor Day School?

A: When I graduated from USC and was working on my master’s [degree], I decided to return to CdM and figure out what to do, because there were few teaching jobs at the time. I was on the substitute list for Newport-Mesa, and my mom suggested Harbor Day. It had been a little school on Marguerite and had recently moved to their “new” location on Pacific View Drive. That’s when I started as a substitute teacher at Harbor Day. The year was 1978.

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1. Ms. Kredel (third from left) at a Ceramics Tea Party with students and faculty in 2016. 2. Ms. Kredel (center) with fellow fourth grade teachers Linda Chiao and Jeff Peters. 3. Ms. Kredel teaching in 1986. 4. Ms. Kredel and third grade teacher Mrs. Graham with their HDS Family, The Graham Crackers. 5. Ms. Kredel with students in the early 2000s. 6. Ms. Kredel not only taught these fourth grade students pictured here, but also taught either their parent(s) or relative! From Top Left to Right: Anton Rowe (uncles: Kevin Rowe

Q: Tell me a little bit about your work at Harbor Day. How long have you been teaching?

A: Forty-one years! The year I started subbing, both of the secondgrade teachers were leaving. That next fall, John Marder [the head of school] hired me. I was 23 years old. [laughing] That would never happen today—someone with a brand-new credential and limited experience. That first year, I had in my class some parents of current students. In those early years, I had some current faculty members or their family members too: Susan Johnson; Sean Rowe’s brothers, Kevin and Mark Rowe; Courtney Zarrilli; Caren McKinley [now Caren Kelly].

Q: I know you have taught a number of grade levels. What was the chronology of your teaching experience?

A: I taught second grade for 10 years and switched to third grade. I had two breaks from teaching: one a year after my daughter was born and one after she graduated from Harbor Day. When I came back to work after my first leave, Harbor Day was expanding its associate program, and Sid DuPont [the head of school] asked if I wanted to teach as an associate teacher back in second grade. For me, at the time, an associate position worked well for my family, so I took on that role. When Rene DuPont retired, I returned to a lead teacher position in second grade and worked with Cheryl Taylor until my daughter, who was now a Harbor Day student, graduated.

After my daughter graduated in 2008, I retired for the first time. [laughing] I was again a substitute teacher, which included a long-term sub position for Jeff Peters, who was a new dad. In 2010, Becky Bilder, the associate teacher for third and fourth grade, left mid-year, and I was asked to take her place. I have been an associate teacher for third and fourth grade since then!

All lessons and units were developed by the teachers. It’s been really “ fun to see and experience the development of the school—to see it go full circle to the new campus.“

Q: What would you say are some of your favorite experiences in the roles you have assumed? What did you enjoy most as a teacher?

A: Being an associate teacher early on was perfect for me, as I was juggling being a mom and taking care of my elderly father. I loved working with Rene and Cheryl in second grade—we were a great team. I loved teaching second grade. I also loved teaching third grade, with California history being a favorite subject. I had a lot of fun developing Gold Rush Day with Marti Murphy. I really loved all my roles; teaching is fulfilling and rewarding on so many levels. Kids are funny and spontaneous and without filters. When working with kids, you will find something to laugh about and something that touches your heart every day. The most fulfilling part is watching the kids grow up and seeing who they become. Because Harbor Day is a family school, we keep track of so many of the students—where they go to college and what they do in their lives. It’s really fun to see.

Q: How has The School changed over the years?

A: The size and the resources. We didn’t have all of the special subject classes when I started. We had a smaller faculty and an office staff of three who worked here. Everyone’s car would fit in the parking lot. [laughing] There was one art teacher and one music teacher for the whole school. We didn’t have foreign language in lower school, or science in lower school as a separate class. We didn’t have woodshop; that came later. We didn’t even have textbooks in the beginning. The reading program was a phonetic-based program called “Words in Color.” All lessons and units were developed by the teachers. It’s been really fun to see and experience the development of the school—to see it go full circle to the new campus.

Q: What are your hopes for the future? What advice would you give your students today?

A: I like that we are encouraging kids to think more globally and to be kind and accepting of others. In many ways, I feel that there is less of that in the world, and it’s nice that we are doing something about that at our school.

Q: What will you miss the most about working at Harbor Day?

A: The kids and the colleagues. Everyone builds strong friendships with people who work here. I [still] enjoy friendships with some of my former colleagues.

Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of teaching? What do you look forward to in your retirement?

A: I’m looking forward to doing some traveling, gardening, and spending time with friends and family. My daughter lives in LA, so it’s nice to have the time to get together more frequently. I have a lot of childhood friends who still live in the area, so it will be nice to travel and spend time with them too. n

34 YEARS OF SERVICE AT HARBOR DAY SCHOOL: ISIDRO PANUCO

By Mike Coleman

Mr. Isidro Panuco was a hardworking and loyal Harbor Day School employee for 34 years. He took pride in keeping the school looking good and running smoothly. Whenever someone needed help, he was ready to step in to lend a hand. For example, when I began transitioning to Facilities Director, he helped teach me the ropes—explaining all the different aspects of the maintenance needs and providing ideas for improvement. If I ever had a question about where something was located or how an event was setup in the past, Isidro could recall in detail how it was done previously.

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Mr. Panuco is known for greeting everyone— students, faculty, parents—as they stepped on campus. He has always enjoyed talking with people and learning about their lives. Alumni loved coming back on campus to catch up with him.

Mr. Panuco has been an important part of the Harbor Day School community for all these years. We wish him much happiness in his retirement. Thank you, Isidro!

IN THEIR OWN WORDS… FACULTY THOUGHTS AND MEMORIES OF MR. PANUCO

“He was always pleasing and with a nice sense of humor! All my requests or favors I asked from Isidro were always taken care of—no matter how difficult it might have been— like the numerous times I asked him to help me find boxes when we stored them in the sheds, and he would go all the way to the end to find the one box I was needing. The country flags in my room are on display thanks to his initiative to make stands for them. Thank you, Isidro, for your patience and many years of help. You will always be remembered by faculty and students as well. Happy retirement!” — Violeta Cambra, spanish teacher

“All our students know and love Isidro. He knows the kids by name and truly cares about them. Isidro ALWAYS has a smile on his face, and his happy nature is contagious. Almost to a fault, Isidro helps whenever someone needs something fixed or carried. For 26 years, Isidro has been a co-worker but, more than that, a friend. I will dearly miss our early morning talks and racing to see who could get to school first!” — Meggan Stockstill, math teacher

“Isidro will always lend a hand, even when he’s busy. He put the teachers and kids before anything else. He was always a friendly face, a “hello” in the hall, and would always ask if I needed anything to make my day easier!” — Megan Carter, first grade teacher

“Isidro is such a friendly and welcoming member of the Harbor Day family! He is always so kind to the kindergarteners, waving to them as we walk by, taking them on a special ride in the golf cart during recess, and practicing Spanish conversational skills with them. Regardless of how challenging the task is, Isidro always graciously offers a helping hand and a kind word.” — Casey Lange, kindergarten teacher

“Kids loved seeing Isidro driving around in the cart and getting rides from him in the back of the cart was a special treat! Being his assistant for the day was always a hot ticket item at the Fall Benefit. He was always ready to help with anything we needed for the Eighth Grade Musical, from helping to secure set pieces to figuring out problems on how to make something work. ” — Courtney Zarrilli, ceramics teacher/ art associate / technical theater manager

“Isidro has always made the kids feel special. His “golf cart” rides are adorable, and kids talk about them even into eighth grade. They also talk about how he’s usually the first person that says hi to them when they walk on campus.” — Chatom Arkin, english teacher / dean of students

Thank you, Isidro, for your patience and many years of help. You will always be remembered by faculty and students as well. Happy retirement! “ “

— VIOLETA CAMBRA, SPANISH TEACHER