Franklin County GaArchives News.....Moon shares memories from years of teaching 'Moon Pies' at Royston June 23, 2022
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Alisa Dunn ardunn91@gmail.com November 24, 2023, 6:36 pm

Franklin County Citizen Leader June 23, 2022
By Samantha Sinclair
Staff Writer

Royston--Robyn Moon is a "behind the scenes kind of girl."
She waited until the last minute to retire from Royston Elementary School, turning 
in her retirement letter on the last day of May, and making her retirement 
effective June 1.
Her goal was to make sure a staff member who was also retiring got the recognition 
she deserved. Besides, she didn't need the recognition.
"The blessings came every day through that door," Moon said, pointing at her 
classroom door.

As she visited her classroom two weeks after retirement, she found joy in seeing 
crayons out on the desks and projects laid out on the floor. It was a sign her 
former classroom was being used and loved over the summer.
She sat at a desk looking through her forever file--a folder of memories of her 35 
years at the school.
It contained notes and gifts from students, newspaper clippings and photos that 
she collected.

She stopped and pulled out a photo of her first class of first graders--28 
"babies," as she called them.
She taught that class in the 1987-1988 school year-- her first year at the school 
was in special education--and in one of the smallest classrooms in what is now the 
kindergarten hall.

She doesn't know how they all--including Paraprofessional Kathy Phillips--fit in 
that classroom.
But, she remembers her first day as a first grade teacher. She doesn't know if she 
was excited or something else, but she taught right through recess.
Someone had to tap her on her door to remind her it was lunchtime and let her know 

her class missed recess.
"I don't think you ever forget the first bunch," she said, "I was a happy girl 
that year."

She wishes she could go back to those early years and do them over--she said 
"things snowballed," that first year, and her class ended up getting behind in 
reading.
She said she's learned a lot from other teachers over the years, both those more 
experienced and new to teaching.

"You never quit learning as a teacher," she said. "I think that's something new 
teachers need to learn...it's a work in progress."

Moon recommended that young teachers get involved. She's been involved in a 
variety of committees and boards over the years, but the biggest thing was serving 
on the state teacher conference committee with fellow Royston teacher Zadie 
Gaines.

They got to help plan the conferences, and had the best job, in her opinion--
decorating committee.
Through working on and attending the conferences, she met people from all over 
state.
Now, professional development is handled more locally than state-wide, she said.
She estimated she's taught 600-655 kids over the years, and she remembers pretty 
much all of them.
On the first day of school each year, she gives each student a Moon Pie, and has a 
message for them.

"You're forever a Moon Pie," she said.
As she looks at the class photos, she sees a sheriff, business owners, doctors, 
nurses, caterers, and teachers.
"Gosh, a lot of teachers." she said.
In fact, four of the teachers worked at Royston with her--Merideth Jordan, Katlyn 
Mitchum, Elizabeth Cochran, and Hillary Davison.
It's amazing for her to think she's somehow influenced that many lives over the 
years.

She said she could not ask for a better plan than 34 years teaching first grade in 
the same building. She said she had other opportunities offered to her over the 
years, but she couldn't take them.
"My heart was here," she said, "There's something magical about children when they 
learn to read."

She knew early in life that she wanted to be a teacher. She had great memories of 
her elementary years at Eagle Grove in Hart County, and loved sitting at the desk 
her parents set up for her in a hallway to do her homework.
"There was just something about school," she said. "I knew elementary was where I 
needed to be."
COVID had the most impact on her teaching. She can understand why teachers are 
burning out.

"It's hard to do it all," she said.
It was hard for students to adjust from being at home to returning to the 
classroom. She had to back up and serve students' emotional needs before taking 
care of their educational needs.
"You've got to deal with that," she said. "They're not goingt to take in anything 
you say until you deal with that."
She said teachers have to understand who their kids are, and teach them to believe 
in themselves and see their successes.

She also said that when she could, she'd make sure the kids knew that they would 
fair a  whole lot better with God than without Him.
"He gave me this journey." she said.
It was very hard for her to make the decision to retire.
She first looked into retirement in 2017, but it just didn't feel right then. 
People told her she would know when the time was right.
"I kept going," Moon said.

Then, last summer, her mother got very sick and needed to spend the summer in the 
hospital. It made her think she was needed more at home.
She prayed hard about it, and asked for clarity until He gave it to her.
She sent a letter to all her coworkers to say goodbye and thank you, as she didn't 
have the opportunity before school closed for the summer.
"We go in and out of these seasons creating the personal tapestry of life...You 
all have helped design the tapestry of my life." she wrote.

She put the letter in her forever file, and closed it.
"And I guess this is my tapestry," she said as her fingers touched inspirational 
quotes written on the folder.

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