'Job Of My Dreams': Retiring Teacher Gets Emotional Goodbye As Preschool Shuts Down
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - You could hear the horns honking and people cheering all down 33rd Street in Sacramento. It was quite a surprise for Grace Mattox, better known as "Miss Grace" in the McKinley Park neighborhood.
The Tiny Tots preschool teacher is heading into retirement but never expected a parade all to herself.
"It's going to make me cry again. It's been fun. I've been Miss Grace for so long I don't know how I'm gonna be anything else," said Mattox. "Met a lot of wonderful families and children, got to love lots of kids. It was the job of my dreams."
The love and appreciation are shown on both sides, as parents and former students now heading into high school lined the street.
"She affected how I am now and we've made childhood friends here and I really think a whole lot of people are going to miss her," said Taylor Thrower.
"My daughter is almost 14 and she came here and then my son came here and we just loved every minute of our time we got to share with her," said Elena Thrower.
They're not just saying goodbye to Mattox. The Tiny Tots program in McKinley Park is closing down after four decades of little ones meeting their first friends and their first teachers and parents making lifelong connections.
"You got to get out there and thank people. Parades seem to be the way to do it, so we thought we'd jump on," said parent Rachel Nickel.