Art teacher After 34 years of teaching art at Pillager School, Bari Rahn will be retiring at the end of this year. (Submitted photo) The Pillager School will say ‘goodbye’ to two long time instructors at the end of this school year.

After 34 years each of teaching at Pillager, Charlie Johnson, music; and Bari Rahn, art instructor, will be filling out report cards and cleaning out their desks for the last time come this May.

“I think it’s sort of poetic that Bari and I started teaching here the same year and we’ll be leaving the same year, too,” Charlie said recently.

Both Mr. Johnson and Mrs. Rahn, as they’re known to their students, took some time recently to reflect on their teaching careers.

Mrs. Rahn Except for one year teaching at a school in St. James, the majority of Bari Rahn’s career has been spent as Pillager School’s art instructor. “I came here in 1975 and have been here ever since,” she said.

Bari grew up in Hopkins, where she graduated with a class of over 700 students. She went on to study art and elementary education at St. Cloud State University.

Music teacher Charlie Johnson has taught music at Pillager School for the past 34 years. He will be retiring at the end of this school year. (Staples World photo by Dawn Timbs) Although her earlier years were spent in an urban setting, Bari said she grew to really love the town of Pillager and its school.

“My parents had a cabin on Lake Alexander and I grew up spending my summers in this area.”

Her familiarity with this part of Minnesota was a driving force in her decision

to accept the teaching

position at Pillager School. “I love this part of the state,”

she said. “I also really love this school...that’s why I’ve stayed so long.”

The opportunity to teach in a small school is something that Bari is grateful for. “Here at Pillager, I’ve developed longterm relationships with students. In a big school, I don’t think that happens as much.”

She’s also appreciated working along side some terrific teachers and administration over the years, Bari said.

Doug Hamilton was the school’s principal at

the time when Bari and

Charlie came on board. “He went on to be Superintendent

and has been a school board member, too,” Bari recalled. “His daughter, Roxi Norlin is now a teacher here.”

Scott Doss, principal at Pillager High School, said he has had the privilege of working with Bari for the past nine years.

“She has received the Merit Award for outstanding service to the district during my tenure,” Doss said. “She is a compassionate teacher that loves art and instilling the passion for art in her students. She is deeply loved and respected by her students and staff. A great lady with outstanding character,” he added.

When Bari first started at Pillager, she taught both the high school and elementary art programs.

Later, the position evolved to working solely with middle and high school students. “Unfortunately, there hasn’t always been funding available to have an art program for all ages.”

In addition to teaching art, Bari’s gifts in this area include painting.

“I hope to be doing some more of that in the future...I haven’t had a lot of time to paint in past years,” she said. “It’s on my list of goals.”

Her first year of retirement, Bari said, will be spent doing whatever she wants. “The whole first year is all about me,” she laughed. “I’ve already told my family that.”

Bari lives with her husband, Michael, in an old Brainerd home they’ve been renovating over the years. “It’s been an on-going process. I’ll definitely have more time now to work on projects around the house.”

Mr. Johnson

It was 1976; and Charlie had recently graduated with a music education degree from Gustavus Adolphus College. He landed the job at Pillager a short time later.

“This has been my one and only job,” he said April 22, at his desk in the elementary school’s music room. “It’s been a good fit.”

A native of Mountain Iron, Charlie said he’s always felt ‘at home’ with small-town life and has been very fulfilled teaching music at Pillager.

It’s a subject he’s always been passionate about.

Charlie said he’d been active in band and choir throughout high school

and college and wanted to

pursue a career in music. “In those days, if you were

a musician, the only job in that field seemed to be teaching.”

He’s never regretted becoming a teacher.

“We’ve had some outstanding students graduate from this school; a lot of musical talent,” Charlie said. “I’ve also appreciated that the community is so supportive of our school’s music program. There’s a real commitment to it.”

He’s enjoyed directing a multitude of Christmas concerts over the years, as well as leading music at special events. “I remember one year the band got a standing ovation at graduation. That was really special,” Charlie recalled.

A trombone player himself, Charlie spent his first 28 years as Pillager’s band director. Six years ago, he switched to teaching music at the elementary school. “Rob Freelove was hired at that time to be the band and choir director at the high school,” Charlie said. “It was a mutual decision on all of our parts and a good one. Rob has taken the band and choir to a new level. He’s doing a fantastic job,” Charlie added.

Music will still be a part of his life after he retires, Charlie said. He plans to continue singing with the Legacy Chorale out of Brainerd. It’s a hobby he shares with his wife, Sue, whom he met while doing community theatre years ago. “Sue’s also retiring this spring...she taught elementary music in Brainerd for the past 20 years.”

Charlie’s short range plans include taking a road trip to New England this coming autumn. “Sue and I want to see the leaves in Vermont. Traveling in the fall... that’s something teachers never get to do. I’m looking forward to that.”