Joan Conrad and Donna Thaxton

honored for thirty years of teaching

Joan Conrad and Donna Thaxton were honored and received a standing ovation at Alton's Mississippi Valley Christian School's senior high graduation in gratefulness of their thirty years of teaching.

Beginning her three decades with MVCS as a one-time, spur of the moment substitute, Joan Conrad laughingly says that as the 30-year full-time history teacher, she has out-subbed all others! Bringing History's successes and failures alive and aptly applying learned principles to this present day, Mrs. Conrad thoroughly enjoys her subject and her students. Taking her government classes on yearly trips to Springfield throughout her 30 years, students not only visit the statehouse, but attend scheduled visits in the offices of their representatives and senators such as William Haine, Ron Beiser, Ron Stephens, the late Sam Vadalabene, and many others. She and her husband, David, are Alton residents and their three married children are graduates of MVCS.

With English as her forte, Donna Thaxton, a native of Piasa and a Southwestern grad, began teaching at MVCS the year after her infant daughter had open heart surgery. She had little thought that she would still be teaching 30 years later. She and her husband, Jim, saw their three daughters receive their MVCS diplomas during those years. In 1987 Mrs.Thaxton accepted the challenge of adding a Drama class to her teaching while continuing her regular English classes. Since then, 22 yearly and very enjoyable high school dramas have been presented on the large gymnasium platform. Her eldest daughter, Noelle played the part of Ernestine in the school's very first play, Cheaper By the Dozen, and was the first person on stage for the opening of the drama.

While Mrs. Thaxton plans to continue on with her teaching next year, Mrs. Conrad will be retiring from a full-time position to that of part-time and true substitute.