Middle School Secretary of Over a Decade Leaves Fair Grove

Jill Dieke has been working as the Fair Grove Middle School Secretary for 12 years, and has decided to retire at the end of this school year.

Dieke is retiring so that she can spend more time with her family. She explained, “I’m retiring because I want to travel more and I also have grandchildren that live in Dallas, Texas.  I would like to have the flexibility to travel to Dallas whenever I want as I would like to spend more time with them and be able to enjoy my grandchildren’s various activities in Texas.” She continued, “My first big adventure when I retire is that I’ve rented a condo in Florida for a month and I plan on having family & friends visit me while I’m there.”

Middle School Principal, Marc Green, emphasized the atmosphere that Dieke brings to the job. “When students, parents, grandparents or any other community member contacts our school, Jill is the first person they speak with. She has a welcoming personality that provides comfort and reassurance to those that she comes into contact with. Jill keeps our office moving in the right direction each and every day,” he commented.

When reflecting on the most memorable thing that happened while she was at Fair Grove, Dieke recalled, “When the derecho hit Fair Grove in 2009. I was so impressed not only with how all the employees & students handled the situation here in the district, but with the parents when they came to pick up their kids from school that day, as we let school out early because of damage to the district. I heard more parents talking about the devastation they had seen driving out here to Fair Grove, yet the parents were very calm and orderly as they checked in and patiently waited in line for us to retrieve their children from various classrooms, as we had no intercom or phone service because we had no electricity. I was just so impressed with the outpouring of support and calmness of the parents in this situation. Then as the last child left, I walked outside and saw the devastating destruction that the high school building had suffered, realizing how fortunate and blessed we were that NO ONE was severely injured.”

After working at Fair Grove for such a long time, Dieke is a recognizable figure in the community. Green praised, “Jill has been the face of the middle school office for many years and the entire time I have been the Middle School Principal. She serves in so many capacities and is someone who can always be relied upon. Jill’s heart for serving others is evident in her daily interactions with our students and community.”

Dieke will be replaced by Tina Cantwell, a substitute teacher. Green stated, “We are excited about what she will bring to the office and our building. We have worked with Mrs. Cantwell over the last couple of years while she has served as a substitute teacher, and I know she will be an awesome addition to the middle school.”

Dieke concluded, “I am going to miss all my co-workers (faculty & staff), and of course the students and the interaction with the parents here at school. This school district has always been a very important part of my life as both of my children graduated from Fair Grove and now two of my grandchildren are attending here. I want to retire while I still enjoy my job. I don’t want to get to that stage where I dread coming to work each day — but I have to say, I’m looking forward to sleeping in. I feel like I’ve had the best job in the world. Working for Mr. Green and Mrs. Lepold has made my job here at FGMS so enjoyable–when you work for the middle school, you just feel like you are part of a family!”