St. Vincent Schools will say goodbye to a dedicated Administrator soon.
St. Vincent Elementary School Principal Diane Unterreiner has announced her retirement from her position at the end of the 2023-2024 school year.
She said it was a hard decision and one that she did not make lightly.
“It is truly hard for me to turn this position over to someone else because God created me to be a teacher and an early childhood educator at that which is why I go over the top with such joyful energy,” Unterreiner said. “Thank you and my heart is always open to do anything I can do to keep St. Vincent moving forward.”
Unterreiner has been a dedicated educator at Perryville schools for 25 years and St. Vincent Elementary Principal for 6 years. Unterreiner started her teaching career in 1993 at Perry County School District #32. During her twenty-five years at PCSD #32, she has taught Early Childhood Special Education, Kindergarten, First Grade, and Title 1 Reading. Teaching is her passion because she wants students to know the endless love God has for them. Teaching at both schools in the county was a blessing to Unterreiner.
“It is so helpful that our community offers choices for families to decide what school to send their children to. The schools in our community have excellent teachers and programs to support the children in Perryville. I have definitely been blessed with graduating from St. Vincent to being guided to teach 25 years at Perry County School District 32 back to being a principal at St. Vincent Elementary. In coming full circle, the joy in it has been my students, their families and those I worked with. My job as an educator was delightful because of how supportive and positive parents were with my teaching style or administration style,” she said. “Such parent support was a gift to not only myself but for their child too. So, being able to teach at both schools in the county (Perryville and SV) has been quite the experience, but to return to my alma mater at the end of my career has completed the circle of joy.”
St. Vincent faculty and staff have loved working under Unterreiner during her tenure.
“Mrs. Unterreiner always puts Christ first and truly embodies the values of St. Vincent Schools in all she does. She has always set high standards for herself and others and always takes the time to let each student know how much she cares,” St. Vincent High School Administrative Assistant Morgan Wheeler said. “Our students will dearly miss her daily sign off on the morning announcements of “Have a great day being the best version God created you to be” along with all of the joy she brought wherever she went. Mrs. Unterreiner has made such a positive impact on St. Vincent Catholic Schools and for that, we are forever grateful. We have been blessed to spend the last 6 years with her.”
Unterreiner will miss many things once she steps away, none more than the students she works with every day.
“What I will miss the most is seeing how students face each day with a smile and look at what is around them with a fresh perspective. The students in our community are our tomorrow and being an educator may help build a better future for many including myself as I grow older each day,” she said. “Also, I will miss helping students feel safe, welcomed and important so they are able to learn and grow. Next, I will miss everyone I have worked with from fellow educators at the public school to the staff I have at SV. Everyone I have worked with at both schools were always helpful in many ways and a pleasure to be part of their professional group. There is a lot I will miss because being an educator is what I was created to be and sometimes I go over the top because it all began with me being an Early Childhood Special Education Teacher for the 1993-1994 school year in a double wide trailer behind the old senior high public school building.”
Unterreiner plans to persue many passions once retirement sets in.
“Once I retire, I am planning to give back to my husband and our family because it was from his support and our family’s support that helped with the success of my career. I hope to spend time visiting our grandchildren and more adventures with attempting to play golf,” she said.
