Mrs. Getting

Many students have had the opportunity to have class with some of the most valued teachers at OHS for their last years as staff members. There are five teachers retiring at the end of the 2019 school year and Owatonna has been so lucky to have had these teachers. Mrs. Jackie Getting is the OHS FACS teacher. FACS stands for Family and Consumer Science, which varies from Foods courses and preparing students for life on their own. Mrs. Getting has been a wonderful part of the Owatonna school community for eighteen years, and everyone is very thankful for all the work she has done. Senior Evie Phillips said, “I have had Mrs. Getting multiple times and I can say that she is an awesome teacher to have.”

Mrs. Getting went to Concordia College in Moorhead, MN and never had the intentions of being a teacher. In her early college years, a speaker came in to speak about food preparation and also demonstrated cooking to the school. Getting said, “I just thought she had the most awesome job, and I wanted that job.” Getting has had so many favorite things about teaching, but her favorite is the relationships she has made with her students. Getting said, “The connection with kids, teenagers are just delightful human beings and I love every one of them, they make me laugh, they make me cry and, they make me roll my eyes and I just love them”. It is clear that Mrs. Getting has had an amazing time being a teacher at OHS and she cherishes all of the memories that have been created.

Unfortunately, Getting has had cancer three different times throughout her teaching career, and each time she was amazed at the students’ reactions and support. Her favorite memory from OHS  was how loved she felt by all her students during those hard times. Mrs. Getting said, “The reactions students had when they found out I had cancer, what they did for me, the hugs, the notes, has been something that has stuck with me ever since.” Although she has had an amazing time being a teacher, she is excited to have no schedule anymore and is going to work part-time at a winery for fun. Getting is excited to find more hobbies and have time to read and quilt. The Owatonna Senior High thanks Mrs. Getting for being a great and fun FACS teacher, and we wish her luck in her future plans.