by Garrison Wester
Mrs. Beth Peters has had a very successful career at Greenfield School, and it is very sad to hear that she is retiring. Mrs. Peters has been an active member of the Greenfield community since 1970, when she enrolled at Greenfield School, until today, and she has no doubt left a huge impact on our school that will never be forgotten. It is an honor to have been able to go to the school that Mrs. Peter’s has overseen because she makes school fun, and she makes sure we as students have a very healthy learning environment.
I sat down with Mrs. Peters as she reflected on her time here at Greenfield School.
Below: Head of School, Mrs. Beth Peters, will be retiring at the end of Academic Year 2021-2022. Photo Credit: Jasmine Nguyen.
Garrison Wester (GW): What year did you start coming to Greenfield as a student?
Mrs. Beth Peters (BP): As a student, I think it was - hold on, let me subtract - 1970.
GW: And where did you go to college after leaving Greenfield?
BP: I went for two years to an all-girls college in Raleigh called Saint Mary’s College, and then I transferred to UNC Chapel Hill for two years. I majored in math education.
GW: Did you return to Greenfield for your first years of teaching?
BP: No, I actually taught for two years at Rocky Mount Academy, and then my husband and I lived in Brazil for two years. He worked for a tobacco company, and then after that, we came back to Wilson in 1984. That was when I first started teaching at Greenfield.
GW: How many years did you teach math for at Greenfield?
BP: I actually started off teaching computer classes here and then transitioned back into math. I don’t know what the exact year that was.
GW: What type of math did you enjoy teaching the most?
BP: Geometry was my favorite just because it is so relevant to what is going on in the world around you and measurements.
GW: What made you want to take over as headmaster at Greenfield School?
BP: Well, it was not something that I was trying to do or wanting to do really, but the board of trustees searched for someone to replace Dr. Janny. They searched and asked Mrs. Beaman to come back for a year - I don't know if you remember that - and she did while they searched to find somebody to take over. They really couldn't find anybody, so they came to me that January and said, would you consider doing this? It took me a long time to decide - like a week. I talked with Mrs. Beaman and said, “tell me everything you do.” And anyway, I decided to do it.
GW: What has been your favorite Greenfield School traditions?
BP: Gosh - the holidays are always very fun. The Halloween parade and the singing of “Witches Brew” is a favorite of mine because I like to dress up. Also, the day we get out for Christmas break is a favorite of mine because we get to sing Christmas carols and then each grade sings the “Twelve Days of Christmas.” I also think our graduation is special because of how few students we have so we really get to talk about each student. This makes it very personal and a very memorable time for each student.
GW: What type of impact do you hope you left on the school while being here?
BP: Well, I feel like I have helped the school grow a lot with the tennis courts and baseball field. Hopefully we can get started on some buildings, maybe not by the end of this year, but hopefully the process will get started. We have experienced a lot of growth in the last six years, but with growth comes challenges - so I hope that we can keep this number of students, around 400. I just hope people remember that this place is the best school in this area for education.
GW: What do you plan on doing during retirement?
BP: I don’t really know; I do have a grandchild that lives in Georgia, so I hope to be able to see her more. I certainly would be happy to come out here to substitute teach. But I don’t really know yet.
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