Tribute to Elizabeth (Liz) Zsebik

Thank you Peter for asking me to share a few words about “Liz”, “Mrs.

Zsebik” as we, her Regency Family/colleagues, community fondly knew

her as. She was my Kindergarten teaching partner for 11 years, and

together we started our journey NOT ONLY as teacher’s of our

earliest learners, but also of a lasting friendship

-Liz touched so many of us in different ways whether she was your

teacher, your friend, through the hatching of chicks and butterflies,

chick trivia, kindergarten concerts, Santa’s workshops, Gardening club,

Regency Run, and in many other ways beyond that which I can speak to.

Reflecting on Liz’s life, her legacy at Regency, and sharing stories this

week have brought a few thoughts to mind and common experiences we

have all had with Liz.

-Giving/Caring nature-

-cared deeply about her students, would always see her chatting with

parents discussing a concern that she felt needed to be addressed, or

sharing a funny story about their child. She would always read up and

research about anything she wasn’t sure about, talk to her teaching

partners, SERTS, administrator…whatever it took…she went the extra

mile to get it right.

-always making something homemade and bringing it to school to share

with her class or her friends-sometimes it was a baked good…always

with natural ingredients, there was the homemade bug spray

concoction she gave to the Kindergarten team before leaving for

summer holidays (along with the recipe)

-when she started sewing, it was the napkin holders we all received at

Christmas

-she knew I was looking for a female Kiwi vine for my garden and when

she found it, she gave it to me and I planted that beautiful plant about

7 or 8 years ago. I think of Liz when I look at how that plant grows

with beautiful blossoms in the spring, intertwined, and winding,

connecting to all things that are on that arbour and all insects and

birds that use it.

Problem Solver/willing to share her ideas:

-if you had a health issue, she took the time to find that solution and

show you to help you- exercises for plantar fasciitis and sciatica, cold

remedies (homemade of course), or if it was core strength you

needed…she would show up with the exercise ball and show you how to

build it into 10 minutes of your day

- when money was tight for purchasing items at school, she told the

Kindergarten team “not to worry” as she had found a recipe we could

use to make homemade paint

-she was always looking for new ways to get her Kindergarten students

out that door at the end of the day in “a more timely” fashion. Liz’s

solution…the Dualing Bango song, -you could dance the jig with Mrs.

Connelly and her…BUT…if you wanted to join in, you had to be dressed

and ready to go out that door first

-Recently it was the butterfly issue…the chrysalids kept falling off the

lids they were attached to-she looked it up and reported back to all

the “hatchers” in the school…it’s ok to leave them in the bottom of the

netting, just make sure the wings are up

Frugal/Environmentally kind:

She lived by the philosophy of:

–one man’s junk is another man’s treasure…or in her case…one woman’s

junk is another woman’s treasure

-3 R’s-Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

-One year, She saved stacks of salad containers…had the students

decorate them with blue tissue paper and quickly became a favourite

building block during the winter when the students were building igloos

-that black steering wheel she found at the curb provided years of

pleasure to students for building anything that could be driven in the

large block areas of our classrooms

-she never tossed out a pencil…those small little stubs…excellent for

those student’s working on fine motor skills

-many times when planning for Santa’s workshop or Chick concerts, I’d

be panicking and thinking…gee Liz…we got to get this cut out or prep

this…she would say…wait…think I may have kept that yellow tissue

paper all cut up…sure enough…10 minutes later…she would surface with

the container of it

-She hung onto stuff because she knew it could be

used…somewhere…somehow down the road

Lastly: couple of favourite memories/things Liz said

-Huge gardener…(mostly vegetables I know cause she was all about

being natural)-but always part of the school Gardening club…or as she

referred to it as “Snail Club”-students were always focused on

finding/looking at those snails…forget pulling weeds/digging!

-FDK (Full Day Kindergarten) program –she made the analogy about the

energy every day in a Kindergarten classroom was “like being at the

mall at Christmas time…EVERYDAY”

-always remember her passion for vegetable gardening and the

outdoors, her love of visiting the Wiarton area, contagious smile, the

giggle of her voice after telling a story, and the pure joy and

excitement when she burst into my classroom 3 years ago telling me

she was going to China “to pick up her little girl Sophie”

Rest in Peace my friend, gone too soon but never forgotten.

by

Kim Carretta,

May 28, 2016