Salute to retiring educators

Lexington-Richland 5: Going out on a high note

By DEVON COPELAND - dcopeland@thestate.com

In her college days Marjorie Turner had her sights set on becoming an opera singer.

One day her father gave the mezzo soprano a bit of unsolicited advice.

“He said, ‘In case the opera thing doesn’t work out, you probably need to have a backup plan,’” she recalled.

After taking some education courses and doing some student teaching, Turner said she was hooked and most thoughts of performing disappeared.

“It’s been a wonderful career,” the Dutch Fork High music teacher said. “I’m so glad I made this choice. I did the right thing.”

Turner, who has been at the school since it opened in 1993, will retire at the end of this school year.

She plans to spend time with her son, Frank Jr., who’ll be a senior next year.

She’ll also continue arranging music for the Dutch Fork Choral Society and maybe open her own piano or voice studio.

But as excited as Turner said she is about taking the next step, she said she’s sad to end her 35-year teaching career.

“I’m going to miss my Dutch Fork family when I go,” she said.

“When I walk out the door with my box of Turner stuff on June 5 and turn around and see that empty room — that’s when it’s going to hit me.”

Some Dutch Fork administrators said they’re already dreading her last day.

“She has an excellent rapport with the kids,” said Donna Wilmot, an assistant principal.

Wilmot said Turner doesn’t hover over the students, instead letting them flex their own creative muscles to collaborate on music productions.

“It’s a good thing to do, that way (it’s) empowering the kids.”

“They know she’s not going to let them go out there and not perform their best,” she said.

Turner said sometimes her visions have been lost on the students — especially in 1999 when she suggested students dress up like animals, crawl around on the floor and sing.

But what they got was “Roar,” a production that combined songs from “The Lion King” with other songs that followed the theme, such as “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”

The show became one of Turner’s favorites.

Wilmot said although it was also one of her favorite performances, she’s never been disappointed by Turner and her students.

“It’s been the highlight of my time teaching and working at Dutch Fork High,” she said.

Turner said she hopes all her students have learned important life lessons in her class.

“Music teaches us to never quit,” she said. “You can’t quit when you get to a difficult part and tell the audience ‘we’re going to skip that part.’

“You have to persevere and get through it.”

But just as important, she said has been the support and energy she’s received from her students.

“My students motivate me on a daily basis.”

“They have been there for me so many times. Through their energy and excitement for learning music --- that just feeds me.”

Reach Copeland at (803) 771-8485.