At the end of the school year, parents and staff at the Lower Valley’s Stillwater Elementary, past and present, literally lined up for a chance to speak at a special ceremony recognizing their much loved and deeply admired teacher, Bob Scharer. The Stillwater PTA organized the event to honor Scharer, who retired from a 40-year teaching career.

During the ceremony the PTA announced the establishment of the Bob Scharer Scholarship, in honor of Scharer’s extraordinary contribution to teaching, to be awarded to a Cedarcrest High School students at the annual senior awards ceremony.

In his 40 years of teaching in the Riverview School District, Scharer spent 27 as a classroom/PE teacher at Cherry Valley Elementary, and 13 as the elementary PE specialist at Stillwater. He has watched some of his students grow into adulthood, and enjoyed the rare opportunity to teach their children, too.

Stillwater Elementary parent Christine Stefani-Hillstead was happy to see her oldest daughter become a student of the man who was her sixth-grade teacher. “I would like to say that he is an inspiration to my family and to the thousands of former students who had the pleasure of having him as their teacher. Thank you, Mr. Scharer for positively impacting our lives and for challenging us to always do our best.”

Scharer is remembered fondly by past students, and has been asked to speak at high school graduation ceremonies, a privilege rarely given to elementary school teachers. Many past students still treasure the birthday posters that Scharer made for every student, every year.

When the Stillwater PTA recognized Mr. Scharer as their 2011-2012 Outstanding Advocate they spoke of his ability to teach, challenge, and mentor all students on a daily basis. They talked about his PE fitness classes and the focus on fun creative games for the inclusion of all students, and how he created additional opportunities for students in fitness and learning by volunteering his time to organize the popular after-school Skippers Jump Rope Program.