Retired Educators kick off program season

The Vikingland Area Retired Educators Association (VAREA) will hold its first fall meeting Wednesday, September 8 at 9:30 a.m. at Calvary Lutheran Church in Alexandria. All retired teachers are welcome. Carla Ptacek, assistant director of the Runestone Area Education District, will speak.

Ptacek has worked in education for more than 20 years. Before coming to the Alexandria area, she worked for more than a decade with students who had special needs in the Granite Falls school system.

She serves as the special education director for Brandon, Evansville, Osakis, Parkers Prairie and Minnewaska. Another component of her responsibility is principal of the Runestone Regional Learning Center, an alternative school for at-risk students in Alexandria.

Following is the schedule of meetings of VAREA for the upcoming year. They will be held at 9:30 a.m. at Calvary Lutheran Church except for the two luncheons.

• October 13 – Ed Smith, KXRA;

• November 10 – Russ Larson, travels in Ethiopia;

• December 8 – Holiday luncheon;

• April 13 – Mark Anthony, weatherman;

• May 11 – Spring luncheon.

Tags: life, varea, retired, educators, meetings