Teachers request board to consider naming Carlyle Grade School library in honor of Wehking

Retired teacher Patty Tate talks to Carlyle School Board about the possibility of naming the Carlyle Grade School library after former teacher Sandra Wehking.   A group of current and retired teachers in the Carlyle School District came to the school board meeting on July 15 to ask the board to consider voting to name the Carlyle Grade School library after Sandra Wehking.
   It was only a discussion item and no votes were taken.
   Wehking spent more than 35 years working in education, especially teaching first grade at Carlyle Grade School. After fighting a long and courageous battle with numerous cancers, she passed away on June 23 at the age of 72.
   Patty Tate spoke to the school board on behalf of the many current and former teachers at the school board meeting. Tate is a retired teacher at Carlyle.
   Tate represented the family, friends and colleagues of Wehking. The day after Wehking passed, Tate received a number of texts and phone calls about doing something special for Wehking.
   Someone mentioned having a special place in the grade school library that was dedicated to her.
   Wehking was born on Sept. 26, which was the same day as a man named John Chapman. Chapman became very famous for going around the United States, planting seeds and teaching people about how we should protect our planet. Chapman became known as Johnny Appleseed.
   Since Wehking was born on his birthday, she would dress up as Johnny Appleseed and come to school. When the idea about having a spot in the library dedicated to Wehking started, they knew it had to be apple related.
   The group went to Carlyle Grade School principal Lindsay Fark about the library idea. Fark said it was a great idea and she would talk to the school librarian to come up with an idea for the space. Fifteen minutes later, Fark texted Tate and said there is a little house inside of the library. Fark suggested the teachers group use the house so that the space would not be shoved in the corner of the library.
   One of the other ideas the teacher group brought up to Fark was to have the library to be named after Wehking. Fark said that had to be school board approved.
   Wehking was hired in 1981 and taught exclusively in the Carlyle School District for 33 years. One of the things Wehking did was constantly supporting others to teach children how to read.
   "That made our decision to consider having the library named after her very easy," Tate said.
   Wehking not only attended in services and different kinds of meetings, she also presented at those.
   There are other areas in the Carlyle School District named after people. The high school and junior high gymnasiums, and the baseball and softball diamonds are named after individuals. The library/media center at the junior high is named after a teacher.
   "We do have areas named after people, but this would be unprecedented at the grade school," Tate said.
   Wehking's sister said two months ago, Wehking was tutoring a boy so that he could make it from first grade to second grade. His mom would send flowers to Wehking every couple of weeks because she would help the boy with reading.
   A scholarship has been set up in Wehking's name and currently that scholarship is more than $11,000 with money rolling in daily. The scholarship will be earmarked for a Carlyle High School graduate.
   Superintendent Annie Gray said she appreciated all of the current and former teachers attending the meeting. She did not know Wehking as a teacher, but knew her socially a little bit. Gray said in the little bit she knew her, Wehking was very humorous and will be deeply missed.