“The part I’m going to miss most about my job are the kids,” Middle School Assistant Maurine Hatting said.

For many Upper School students who attended the MS, spotting Hatting in her office in the morning on their way to classes was a daily ritual. “She kind of coordinates everything,” sophomore Sandhya Ramachandran said. “She was very helpful with getting forms turned in.”

Hatting is retiring this summer with her husband. “We have three little granddaughters right here in the Twin Cities who we’re going to spend more time with and help out more with,” Hatting said.

Hatting found an advertisement for a receptionist job at SPA in The Villager, a local newspaper, 24 years ago, decided to apply for it, and got the job. After working as a receptionist for six months, Hatting moved into the Development for several years. Then, when the MS was formed, the new principal hired Hatting to be his assistant.

Whether frantically finding last minute substitutes for teachers or watching over special schedule language and math students in her office area, Hatting has quite the job. “Middle school is a pretty fun age. It’s kind of different every day; they are just so full of surprises,” she said.

“I work all summer and I’m always glad when school’s out,” Hatting said. “But that only lasts about a week and then I start missing the kids again and I’m glad when school starts up.”

When asked about what she wanted the school to know before she left, Hatting grew quiet. “Well, I would like everyone, the students and all my colleagues, to know how much I appreciate all their kindnesses.”

She added, “In all of my 52 years of working, Dr. Romans and Mr. Magee are by far the best supervisors that I have ever had and they are the main reason that SPA’s Middle School has been such a special place for me.”

Hatting has kept gifts from past students in her office, including a string of paper cranes made by Heather and Emily Upin from the class of ‘12. “I’ll miss the people here,” she said.