After giving decades of time and energy to Shorewood, Bill Dunbar, Casey Bent-Callaghan, and Wesley Proudlove are excitedly announcing their retirement.
Saying goodbye to a beautiful community can be challenging for the staff that treasures their time with students in and outside the classroom.
However, after so many years of negotiating late assignments, grading in the middle of the night, and running a school, these retirees will enter a new chapter filled with family, relaxation, and new adventures.
Bill Dunbar, principal
Bill Dunbar has been principal of Shorewood since 2007, but has been working in Shoreline for 25 years. Previously, he has taught English and social studies, and has even been a football, ice hockey, and lacrosse coach.
After teaching in several schools around the country, Dunbar says Shorewood made him stay for much longer than expected. “Amazing things are happening here, and people are really good to each other,” Dunbar said. “It’s really fun to be around [and] work here.”
Most people don’t know that Dunbar was the planning principal when it came to the development of Shorewood. He helped plan the design of the school, which is an extremely rare opportunity for someone working as a staff member. Dunbar helped plan for the beautiful lighting that Shorewood gets through the large, glass windows in the commons.
Dunbar says he witnesses some of the most incredible things students do outside of class. “One of the most interesting things for me is some of the things that students do that are not in classes,” Dunbar said. “Things outside where you’re seeing them really achieve other things that are not motivated by grades.”
Most of Dunbar’s favorite memories of working at Shorewood include being involved with the Drama Club. He was invited to be in the school play, and, even though he only had one line as the Governor of Wyoming, he says it was one of the most fun experiences for him as the principal.
One of the most fulfilling parts of Dunbar’s job is his experience of witnessing graduation. Dunbar said, “Everything for you leads to that… I really believe my job is to help you get the most out of your education.” Watching graduates thrive after being prepared by Shorewood are moments Dunbar treasures the most.
Dunbar’s mother lives in Connecticut, where he was born, and his daughter lives in Maryland. After retiring, Dunbar has plans to spend time with his family as much as possible.
Casey Bent-Callaghan, math
Casey Bent-Callaghan– also known as Mr. B-C– has been teaching for 39 years, and has been working as a math teacher at Shorewood since 2011. The first 24 years of his teaching career were spent teaching middle and elementary school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Phoenix, Arizona.
Bent-Callaghan has greatly enjoyed his time at Shorewood. “I love the school. I love the community. I love my co-workers, and my bosses have been great,” he said.
One of his favorite aspects of working at Shorewood is witnessing the amount of school spirit students have.
He is awestruck by how many students attend homecoming and how the community makes it a big deal.
“For the first few years here, I just couldn’t believe the school spirit,” Bent-Callaghan said. “That wasn’t that way in other schools that I’ve worked in.” The tight-knit groups within Shorewood clearly make attending (and teaching) an incredibly enjoyable experience.
Watching students understand difficult math concepts has been especially fulfilling for Bent-Callaghan.
His experience with helping kids overcome the fear of numbers makes teaching at Shorewood all the more rewarding. “Watching a student [say] ‘I don’t understand’ to all of a sudden ‘Oh, I get it.’ The light bulb moment. That’s very satisfying as a teacher,” Bent-Callaghan said.
After retirement, Bent-Callaghan has a hefty to-do list.
From exercising and gardening, to fighting against ICE and helping adults get their GEDs (General Education Development), Bent-Callaghan is thrilled to begin this next chapter of his life while continuing to help people in need.
Wesley Proudlove, autotech
Wesley Proudlove has been working at Shorewood since 2007. He currently teaches the automotive class, but has taught physics and robotics in the past. Proudlove did not start teaching until he had retired from Ford Motor Company.
Proudlove adores watching kids be hands-on participants in automotive class and come out wanting to be engineers.
He recalls seeing potential in his students struggling a lot in high school. Speaking of a previous student, Proudlove recalls, “He was one of my homeless kids who couch surfed and everything like that… He’s married now. He [now] owns a house in Shoreline,” said Proudlove.
Proudlove’s favorite part of working at Shorewood is seeing students of his become successful, especially when they’ve ended up in a technical field. “You guys have broken my heart multiple times and made me so happy other times,” Proudlove said. “I’m totally here for the kids.”
After retiring from Shorewood, Proudlove has plans to volunteer and help the community. “I run a homeless food shelter, so I will be working more to get meals out,” Proudlove said.
He also supports his community by volunteering for the Boys and Girls Club. “It was created as a place where kids could go after school and get help continuing their education,” said Proudlove. “They do summer camps… I’m specifically interested in Little Lego League Robotics [where] they build Legos with robotic attributes.”
Proudlove’s dream is to continue the Robotics Club at Shorewood and come back to automotive class as an assistant.
Shorewood will miss these staff immensely, as they each put a lot of energy into communities inside and outside of school. But they will be able to pursue their passions and continue making a difference by starting a new chapter outside of the classroom.
