Retiring Jana Vartanian Reflects on 14 Years at Genoa Elementary School
For the last 14 years, Jana Vartanian has dedicated herself to serving the Genoa-Kingston CUSD #424 community. Her days have been spent at Genoa Elementary School, where for a decade she worked as an Education Support Professional in the Special Education department, before becoming the Principal’s Secretary in 2017. This year, she’s ready to write her next chapter in life as she prepares to retire at the end of the school year.
As she looks back on her time with GK schools, Vartanian said it’s been her interactions with students over the years that has become her favorite part of the job.
“I feel like the students are the reasons we (staff, teachers, ESPs, etc) are here,” she said.
In particular, Vartanian said two experiences stand out that she will “always treasure and carry with me.”
“The first one was when I was an ESP in a special ed classroom,” she explained. “There was a student who spent some time in a regular ed class for most of her day, and I accompanied her and a couple other students when they joined. I treated her as I would any other student, and was there if she needed help on work or if she got frustrated. Towards the end of her fourth grade year, her guardian wrote a note to Mrs. Simmons on what a great year the student was having—and at the bottom of the note, she wrote….‘Finally, whoever Mrs. V is, (the student) loves her. She has made an impact on (the student).’ I thought it was very thoughtful of the guardian to write the letter, but more so the fact that all I did was be me and treat all students like they should be treated and respected.”
Vartanian’s other treasured moment is when she discovered she had been nominated for the DeKalb County Excellence in Education Award by a teacher at GES. Though she didn’t win, the nomination itself was an honor, she said.
“Knowing that your peers and staff think you are doing a great job is heartwarming,” she added.
In fact, it’s her colleagues from Genoa Elementary that she will ultimately miss most about her day-to-day experiences, she said.
“Over the last 14 years, I feel like they are no longer peers, but family,” Vartanian said.
Still, she looks forward to traveling with her husband in retirement — including plans to visit all 50 states and see some of the country’s great National Parks. Vartanian said she’s also excited to spend more time with her children and grandchildren.
For those just heading into a career in education, Vartanian offered some parting advice: “I guess it would be to treat students and staff with kindness and respect. You don’t always stop to think that you are making an impact on them daily.”
