Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, July 14, 1990                   TAG: 9007130423
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV5   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG                                LENGTH: Short

GRETCHEN PRICE RETIRES FROM TEACHING

The first principal she worked with "was so mean. She must have been 80 years old and had rotten eggs every morning for breakfast," Price said. Students who misbehaved were sent behind the school to choose a cherry tree branch, which was used to paddle them.

Price, then Miss Dawson, taught a range of ages from 10 to 15 years old in her first class of 45 students. One group of boys called themselves "The Dawson Gang" and was rumored to be responsible for slashing the tires of an entire row of cars in the teachers' parking lot.

Price recently retired from Christiansburg Elementary School.

Although Price contends that teaching students today is harder than when she started in 1957, Price said she will the miss the camaraderie with the other faculty members and the students' enthusiasm when understanding new concepts.