My boss, Bob Noyes

It has been awhile since I wrote about "The Heart of Lincoln." I could tell you all the reasons why I haven't chosen to keep up with this part of my writing but instead I will tell you why I decided that it was time to get back to what I love to do. I love to write about our not-so-little-town that, over the last three years, has become my hometown. If you are a bit confused about the title of this article, you will soon see how it all fits togetherDuring the last couple of months, at least eight people, some that I knew and some that I didn't know, asked me why I was not writing my Lincoln News Messenger column. Each person expressed kind words about missing my interpretation of our life here in Lincoln. With a little help from a dear friend, I realized that it was time to pay attention to those who loved reading about the heart of this not-so-little town that has so much to offer. While not writing, I wasn't sitting around doing nothing! I have been busy with the Western Placer Unified School District schools and the volunteer SCHOOLS (Sun City Helping Our Outstanding Lincoln Schools) group. Via SCHOOLS, I became a Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment mentor. During the last three years, I have worked with nine of the school district's finest young teachers as they completed their first and second year of teaching. I am in a group of mentors working for the Western Placer School District under the guidance and immense support provided by Bob Noyes, the now retired Assistant Superintendent of Personnel. As a mentor, I meet with new teachers on a regular basis to support them as they progress through their first years of teaching. I also assist them in completing the necessary state requirements needed to obtain their teaching credentials. As a leader, Bob Noyes made the decision to hire mentors who were either retired or not presently a classroom teacher. It greatly benefits the first- and second-year teachers who participated in this program. A mentor, who is not working in the classroom, has the time to focus attention solely on the new teachers.After a lifetime of dedicating himself to Lincoln and the Western Placer Unified School District, Bob Noyes is retiring. I know that he will be greatly missed. I haven't been living in Lincoln for the last 40 or so years and so I can't tell you all the details about Bob's long and much respected tenure. But I have had the pleasure of working with Bob for the last three years and have come to greatly appreciate him as a leader and a mentor with a thoughtful ear. As the leader of our Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment program here in Lincoln, Bob has supported us as we worked our way through the ever-changing program. As a mentor with a thoughtful ear, he listened to our concerns, applauded our successes and provided us with the tools that we needed to do the same for our teachers. From day one, it has been clear to me that Bob Noyes, a solid arm of the Western Placer Unified School district, deeply cares about the people who work to support the students of our school district. I am one of many who will miss Bob and all that he does for our school district.I know that he is as involved with the Lincoln community as he is with the Western Placer Unified School District. With a great deal of heart, my wish for Bob Noyes is a continued life as a leader and a mentor with a thoughtful ear. It is those qualities that make Bob Noyes a huge part of the "Heart of Lincoln." Eileen Marks can be reached at emarks@aol.com