Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, November 9, 1995 TAG: 9511100005
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: E-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: KAREN ADAMS SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
But Roberts stayed 16 years.
The school had been looking for a full-time secretary and was trying out temps, recalls then-school administrator, David Prestipino.
He liked her from the moment they met. She was "very businesslike, punctual and very willing," Prestipino said.
"So we offered her a permanent job immediately," Prestipino, now director of development at St. Coletta's of Illinois in Palos Park, Ill., said in a telephone interview.
Roberts is retiring and moving with her husband, Lowell, who is retired from the State Corporation Commission, to Kill Devil Hills, N.C.
But for the 16 years, Marion Roberts has been at the Achievement Center, she's greeted the students in the mornings and said goodbye in the afternoons.
She knows all of the 81 current students of them and said she even thinks about them after she leaves school for the day.
And, even though their stays are usually brief - most of the children, who range in age from 5 to 15, are there for two to four years before going into mainstream classrooms - Roberts said she remembers each student who has come through.
"This is such a warm, friendly place," Roberts said a few days before her retirement. "The kids here are very special."
The announcement of Roberts' retirement brought a steady stream of cards, calls, flowers and gifts from friends, co-workers, former students and faculty.
A banner announcing "Marion Appreciation Week" hung in the foyer above a cluster of floral arrangements and a pumpkin carved by one of the art classes. The parents' association brought her lunch and flowers.
"All of this kindness has been pouring out," said Barbara Whitwell, director of the 20-year-old school. "It just shows how much they love her."
During "Marion Appreciation Week," students, staff and board members also honored their secretary at an assembly. Whitwell and the students presented her with a picture of the school, signed by all the employees. The 5- and 6 year-olds sang "This Is Mrs. Roberts' Song," and Peter Scheibe read his poem "Our Secretary, Mrs. Roberts."
"You could see the tears in her eyes when the younger kids sang to her and when I read my poem," said the 14-year-old Scheibe, who was selected to write the poem for his class.
"She cares a lot," says 14-year-old Jessica Cutlip. "She's really sweet, and she knows who everybody is. It's very unusual."
"Mrs. Roberts is so nice and polite. Every time I stop to talk to her she always asks how my family is doing," said 11-year-old Mary Bankert, adding Roberts was surprised by the presentation, and "had no idea we were going to do that. It made her cry."
Roberts cried several times before the assembly, though.
"Last week a group of children came into my office and sang to me, and I just broke down," Roberts said.
She said one of the most rewarding aspects of her job is knowing that things have worked out well for the students. Years later, they will often come back to visit the school, and "it's great to see how they've grown into such fine young adults."
But Roberts, a grandmother of three, admitted that some days did not start well, and occasionally she would feel a little down. "Then all of a sudden a child will come in to visit and give me a smile or a hug, and everything's better."
Whitwell, who also arrived in 1979, said someone with Roberts' dedication and disposition is a rare find. Besides having all the qualities of a great secretary - she is efficient, organized, and even-tempered - Roberts is a good friend, Whitwell said.
"She can get along with all kinds of people," Whitwell said. "Calm and gentle, that's Marion."
"What we do here is change the lives of children, and Marion has been a huge part of it. She's a most unusual and professional and dedicated person," Whitwell said.
Whitwell marvels that in 16 years Roberts has never been late or absent.
And, because the two of them share the same philosophies and values, Whitwell often doesn't even have to explain what she needs; Roberts just knows.
Roberts frequently worked with the school's board of directors "She's really dedicated to the school. It's not a 9 to 5 job for her. She takes an active role. She knows all the kids and their parents," said Jim Douthat, the board's president. "Marion serves as a good role model for the children in everything she does," he said. "Marion Roberts has helped the school evolve into what it is today."
Mike Warner, another board member, said that everything Roberts does reflects her care and concern for the school. "Her smile is the first thing we see when we walk in and the last thing we see when we leave."
Memo: NOTE: Also ran in November 12, 1995 Current.