Vickie Gaylord, principal of Park Avenue Elementary School, poses with students on one of her last days before she retires. (Andree Kehn/Sun Journal)

AUBURN — For retiring Park Avenue Elementary School Principal Vickie Gaylord, breaking up is hard to do.

She wants to see more of her grandchildren in Madawaska and Portland, she said, but she’ll miss the contact with students.

Gaylord, 64, started to tear as she spoke about leaving.

“I’ve been in education in Auburn for 25 years. I’ve never worked a day in my life,” she said. “I’m excited to come to school. There isn’t a better job in the world.”   

With her husband, James, retiring this fall, and wanting to be a community volunteer and see more of their grandchildren, she made the decision to retire, she said.

“I feel very healthy and young enough to be a very active part of their lives. I don’t want to miss anything,” Gaylord said. “I want them to know me. I want to know them more. I plan to be very involved.”

Gaylord grew up in Pennsylvania and moved to Maine in 1992 with her husband and three children when his work brought him here.

In those days she was a former teacher and stay-at-home mom. She volunteered in her childrens’ schools, Fairview and Western Avenue. She was the head of the Western Avenue PTO. Before long she was spending so much time as a classroom volunteer, the Western Avenue faculty provided her two-year-old daughter desk of her own.

“I decided it was time,” Gaylord said.

In 1993 she began working for the Auburn School Department as a special education consultant teacher for three schools, then as assistant principal at Fairview. Before long she was principal of Lake Street and Webster elementary schools.

Her next task was helping to oversee building Park Avenue School.

“It was the opportunity of a lifetime,” Gaylord said.

Park Avenue opened in 2006. Opening meant meshing staff from several schools “to make us one,” Gaylord said.

“The focus was climate and culture. Every teacher from a different school brings something, like a melting pot,” she said.

The students were from different cultures and countries. Today, enrollment is 400, of which 108 students are English Language Learner students.

One of Gaylord’s favorite school moments is the monthly “morning sing,” where all students assemble to sing songs such as “Put Your Paws Up,” the school song written by students and music teacher Jody Steidel.

Another is “”We’re All Together Again,” and “Forever Friends.” Morning sing is about making every student feel a valued part of the community, Gaylord said. “When we sing, ‘Forever Friends,’ you see kids putting their arms around each other and sway back and forth.”

One reward of being principal is “my daily contact with the children and families, helping them problem solve,” Gaylord said. “I just had a student email me from the high school. She said, ‘I hear your retiring. Please can I visit with you before you leave?’”

Educators don’t always know what kind of impact they have on lives, Gaylord said. When years later students tell her things like, “‘You made me feel safe,’ or ‘You always helped me with my problems,’” it illustrates how she and others make a difference.

On one of the last days of school last week, several students said they’ll miss Gaylord.

“She’s the type of principal who knows how to help people when you’re sad,” said Afia Kavi, 10. “She’s very understanding, very caring.”

“She’s awesome,” said Hannah Mogul, 11. “She’s kind, caring. We will miss her.” But Mogul said she’s glad Gaylord is retiring. “She deserves to have time for herself.”

bwashuk@sunjournal.com