PERU – June Giambattista sometimes calls Bryce Whittemore by his older brother’s name, Brett, or by his father’s name, Dana. But not too often.

And it’s easy to understand why.

In her 30 years of teaching for SAD 21, she has taught Bryce, who is just finishing up the year; Brett, now in eighth-grade; Dana; and the boys’ mother, Jenn.

Although she has taught the children of children she once had, this is the first time she has had both parents as former students.

“When I start having grandchildren of former students, that’s the time I will retire,” she said.

For now, though, she loves each of her classes and is pleased to have had both parents and both children in the Whittemore family.

So are they.

“We always wanted the boys to have her,” said Dana, who works for a pool business and owns a small business of his own. “She’s good. She asks a lot of the kids. Every minute is spent doing something.”

Bryce loves his class, too. He thinks it’s kind of weird that both his parents and his brother have had Giambattista teach them.

He also recognizes some of the differences between the classes his parents experienced and what he has.

“We have computers. My parents had to do everything by hand,” he said.

While computers may be new, homework isn’t, Dana said.

Bryce also likes that his grandmother, retired teacher Betty Swan-Stearns, volunteers in Giambattista’s classroom.

“It’s really a lot of fun to have her,” he said.

Dana attended his early elementary years at the former Canton Elementary School. There, Giambattista was both his third- and fourth-grade teacher. Jenn and Brett attended fourth grade at the former Dixfield Elementary School.

Jenn is now a guidance counselor at Dirigo High School.

Jenn remembers when the Carthage Elementary School closed and the children were moved to Dixfield. It took a while for each group to get used to the other.

She believes Giambattista prepares youngsters well for their next steps. She also likes that it’s easy to make contact with a former teacher, and she knows what to expect.

Both Whittemores left the area to attend college when they graduated from high school. But both decided coming back was the thing to do.

“We got out of college, and we came home,” Dana said. “We have friends who are moving back to the area because of the small towns.”

“Their children are so good. This whole family has high expectations of themselves,” Giambattista said. “I feel very fortunate to have this whole family.”