LOCALS
MARIA MAGIC A beloved prekindergarten teacher retires after three decades by ADDIE LADNER photography by BOB KARP
T
ucked into the lower level of Cathedral School is their prekindergarten classroom, a cinderblockwalled space lined with posters and weather wheels, nursery rhymes, alphabet charts, and an impressive amount of craft projects hewn by a gaggle of four-year-olds. For the last 30 years, Maria Yeager has greeted her students here with grace and gusto, a friendly, reassuring presence for generations of children at the downtown Catholic school. In June, Yeager taught her last class, alongside her co-teacher of 18 years, Lou Ann Amato. Yet, the curriculum she developed
and the impression she has left on hundreds of children will leave a mark forever. Four- and 5-year-olds can be tumultuous to teach, with their strong opinions, newfound independence, and big emotions. But Yeager sees these as the glory days, full of opportunity. “They want to learn. They want to please you,” she says. Among those is my middle child, Charlotte, who defines the phrase “fiery redhead.” At home, she can be incredibly emotional and spirited — but when Yeager speaks, she calms with respect and attentiveness. I’ll never forget our confusion at her first report home: in a column of expectations for school, like I The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 41
