As the end of the 2013-2014 school year approaches, Canyon Vista is saying goodbye to a few amazing members of its staff. Mrs. Nancy Oliver, the ESL teacher and former CVTV coordinator, is enjoying her last few months at school. Over time, Canyon Vista has become Oliver’s second home, and though she has cherished her time teaching her students, Oliver would like to spend more time with her family.  

Oliver’s journey began following her graduation from the University of Houston when she received her Bachelor of Music in 1977. She started teaching as a choir director in Houston. After teaching only one year, Oliver decided to stay home and care for her first child. Over the next 17 years, she raised all three of her children and had side jobs as an accompanist and childrens choir director at churches in Houston and Austin. She returned to teaching in 1994 at Voigt Elementary and eventually became the choir director at CD Fulkes and later Cedar Valley.

Oliver joined the Canyon Vista family in 1999 as a choir director and then slowly added the CVTV class to her schedule. After completing certification in ESL, ESL became her full time class. Of the many things she has learned, she expressed, “The past six years have been more about what I have learned than what I have taught.”

“I decided to retire because I have two precious little grandsons, 4 ½ and 2, who fortunately for me, are my next door neighbors. I would like to spend time with them before they start school,” Oliver said. “My husband has already been retired for 5 years so we are looking forward to doing things together with the family.”

Oliver’s family is glad that she will be able to spend more time with them. “Everyone in my family is thrilled that I am retiring now, especially my 4-year-old grandson.  He tells me on holidays, ‘Nan, I like these days when you don’t have to go to work.’”

Oliver expressed that she will miss many things about Canyon Vista, such as the friends that she has made with teachers and getting to know the students who come to our school from all over the world. But she looks forward to the break from the hassles of teaching. “I must have been crazy when I was the choir director to have all those Lock-ins! What was I thinking! I certainly do not have that kind of energy anymore!”

Oliver has many things on her to-do list after she retires. “I plan to spruce up my home and become a full-time grandmother. It will be nice to have the time to go to Houston and see my parents and my oldest son more often. I will also spend more time sewing, playing the piano, and doing things that I do not have time for while working. I hope to input more of the music that I have composed into the computer so that I can send it to publishers.”

When asked what she is most proud of at Canyon Vista, Oliver responded with a heartfelt answer, “I loved taking my choir students to sing at the Capitol, at Round Rock Express games, the Rodeo, and retirement homes in our area. My CVTV class won awards for news programs and had the honor of having the C-Span bus visit our school. I feel tremendous pride in the role that all of us have played in the success of our ESL program.”

Every teacher has a legacy that they would like to pass on. For Oliver, it is for her students to value her as a mentor along the path of life. “I hope that my students will remember me as a teacher who helped them find their passion and encouraged them to develop it. I hope they remember that I valued each of them as an individual.”

The day that Oliver was awarded the Teacher of the Year and given a bouquet of roses is a memory that she will carry with her wherever she goes. Having taught her students to be meaningful and sincere human beings in the real world, is what will make her smile everyday.