It's only fitting that another Logan-Magnolia legend is recognized in the same edition of the Times-News that the district's first Hall of Fame class is announced.
Cheryl Greenwood, who served as the office secretary for the junior and senior high for nearly 40 years, recently retired from her longtime position. All of us at the Times-News offer our sincere congratulations and gratitude for all of the help she has provided us with over the years.
In honor of that, we have compiled comments from several individuals who similarly offered their appreciation for Greenwood's years of service at Logan-Magnolia. Those can be seen below.
"Cheryl epitomized what Logan-Magnolia is all about. She was dedicated to the district for almost 40 years as an employee, and continues to be a champion for the district. Cheryl was devoted to helping others. Whether it be a parent in search of answers, a teacher who needed some help, or a student in desperate need of a listening ear, Cheryl was always there for others. We are forever grateful for her years of dedicated service." – Superintendent Jacob Hedger
“Cheryl was the perfect person to greet visitors or answer the phone. She always had such a pleasant smile when greeting and helping everyone. She had such a pleasant cheerful phone voice. Cheryl was one of the best multitaskers.” – Gordon Fliehe
“I was never a teacher or student at LoMa, but from the time my oldest kids were in middle school she helped me with so many things. I know my kids respected her and went to her with a lot of questions. She truly was the glue at Lo-Ma.” – Wendy Thompson
“I have known Cheryl since we were in sixth grade; she was a bridesmaid in my wedding way back in 1976. I know all the kids love her – I have two grandkids who attend Logan and one who has graduated. I always loved that I could count on her if any of the kids needed anything. She is friendly, kind and always willing to help. Logan-Magnolia was very fortunate to have her! She will be missed by all! Congratulations and enjoy your retirement!” – Fonda Story
“Cheryl always put a smile on any face that walked through her door. She was the rock to that high school. If you needed someone to rant to, Cheryl was your gal. She always understood and never judged. No one could ever leave a mark on a school like she did.” – Kali Collins
“She helped introduce me to my husband!” – Melissa Snyder
“She’s the sweetest person. You always knew that your kids were in good hands and that you could count on her to give them a message, or something they forgot. She was the voice of Lo-Ma, and everyone loves her dearly. She will be missed. The little energizer bunny! Thank you Cheryl Greenwood, enjoy your retirement!” – Mona McDonald Fisher
“I could always count on Cheryl to ID any photos I sent when I had a question. Even if she was busy with three other people, she was such a help to me when I was at the LHO. She seemed to have the answer to any question asked and always answered with a smile!” – Mary Machart Darling
“Cheryl was my lifeline when I became LoMa's secondary principal and continued for 12 years until I left. Cheryl's knowledge is not what made her great at her job, it was her compassion and love of the kids and staff. The respect, love and admiration I have for her is beyond words. She created a climate in the high school office that was cheerful, inviting and fun. When people visited the school, she made them feel welcome, like long-lost friends.” – Christi Gochenour
“Usually when you have a main secretary like Cheryl step down there are people who say thank you for a job well done. But Cheryl deserves so much more.
When I came to Logan-Magnolia in the fall of 1996 I had nine years of teaching middle school Language Arts in inner city Des Moines under my belt.
The Lo-Ma job was my first as a principal, and I was terrified. But Cheryl was my lifeline and she spent years teaching me what to do as the leader of 350 7-12 grade students.
Cheryl helped me and Gene Esser put together the 7-12 grade schedule, which was no easy task. She would look at the rolling white board and just stare at it, determined to see how we could get all the classes we had to offer to fit in there correctly. Then she would wait as very nervous students came into the office stating that there was no way they could schedule all their courses in. She took what they had and somehow figured out a way to get everything in. It was magical!
Cheryl was the voice of Lo-Ma.
When she answered the phone with “Lo-Ma Schools” you always knew you were talking to the real boss.
Cheryl attended all the graduations, which was a huge help to me. I had to get all the scholarships made and filled out, the diplomas signed, the gym set up and the motivational speech written. But that was never enough, and thankfully Cheryl showed up at noon on Sunday, got the kids lined up in the auditorium, outfitted their robes with flowers, made sure they looked good and then led them out to the gym doors like a proud mama duck and shooed them down the aisle alphabetically. Just another thing completed by Cheryl that made Lo-Ma run smoothly.
Cheryl was so good at calming students (and teachers) down when they were upset. She was able to get people to sit down in those chairs in front of her desk and talked to them in a way that got rid of their stress or their anger or their broken hearts. Often by the time students (or staff) got to my office, Cheryl had them under control and feeling better already.
But her greatest gift was her compassion. During my 14 years at Lo-Ma we lost far too many boys in the saddest of ways. Cheryl was so good about making sure that everyone had the grief counseling that they needed. Our students knew that the teachers, support staff and administrators were there for them, but she also knew who might need something extra or more specific. She just knew. It was a gift that not every human has.
She was so good at lending an ear and assuring people that broken hearts would eventually stop hurting quite so much - and letting anybody who needed it to be aware that she was there to help if they needed it.
So while many people have told Cheryl thank you for her years of service at Logan-Magnolia Jr.-Sr. High School, those words don’t seem to be big enough.
Cheryl was a gift to the school district, to the students, to the staff, to the administration and to the school board and to me. You don’t often get a person as special as Cheryl. The Lo-Ma community was very blessed.” – Katy Wobig Sojka
“Cheryl had the 'magic,' meaning she had the ability to connect to every student who came into the office. In a school setting, we always hope to treat everyone fairly and respectfully. Cheryl did that every day and during every encounter. She was never 'too busy' (although she often was) to take time to help students.” – Matt Straight
“One of the most important parts of the impact Cheryl made at Logan-Magnolia is that she established a precedent for how to communicate and treat others in our community. Logan-Magnolia is a positive and supportive school district and I believe this is in large part because each person who entered our doors encountered her smiling face first. This attitude is contagious and has helped shape the culture and environment of our district.” – Blake Dickinson
