Children and parents recreate Daily Press photo
Baby Boom: Fifteen born to Escanaba teachers in ’06
Photo courtesy Lynn Eugate, Vagary Photography Teachers and their children who were featured in the Daily Press in August of 2006 recently recreated the photo announcing the “Baby Boom” in the Escanaba school system. A staggering 15 children were born to teachers that year. Two of the teachers moved away from the area, but 13 of the children featured in 2006 will be graduating this spring from Escanaba High School.
Daily Press file photo There’s been a baby boom among the teachers at the Escanaba Public Schools in the past year. During the 2005-06 school year, 17 teachers have had new babies added to their families. Pictured are: seated from left, Lisa Maki and 4-month-old twins Morgan and Keira; Shayne Dix and Sawyer, 5 months; Stacy Wilson and Zoe, 8 months; and Kristi Johnson and 8-month-old Ben. Kneeling, Molly Lancour and 5-month-old Bryson, Barbara Purvis and Lauren, 5 months; Angela Faust and Luke, 7 months; Kelly LaMarche and 7-month-old Brooklyn; Erica VanDamme and Molly, 6 months; and Rachael Wagner and Sophia, 8 months.
Photo courtesy Lynn Eugate, Vagary Photography Teachers and their children who were featured in the Daily Press in August of 2006 recently recreated the photo announcing the “Baby Boom” in the Escanaba school system. A staggering 15 children were born to teachers that year. Two of the teachers moved away from the area, but 13 of the children featured in 2006 will be graduating this spring from Escanaba High School.
Daily Press file photo There’s been a baby boom among the teachers at the Escanaba Public Schools in the past year. During the 2005-06 school year, 17 teachers have had new babies added to their families. Pictured are: seated from left, Lisa Maki and 4-month-old twins Morgan and Keira; Shayne Dix and Sawyer, 5 months; Stacy Wilson and Zoe, 8 months; and Kristi Johnson and 8-month-old Ben. Kneeling, Molly Lancour and 5-month-old Bryson, Barbara Purvis and Lauren, 5 months; Angela Faust and Luke, 7 months; Kelly LaMarche and 7-month-old Brooklyn; Erica VanDamme and Molly, 6 months; and Rachael Wagner and Sophia, 8 months.
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The following article was originally published in the Daily Press on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2006.
Baby Boom: Fifteen born to Escanaba teachers in '06
By Dorothy McKnight
Daily Press
ESCANABA -- What does it take to get 11 squealing, wiggling, drooling babies -- ranging in age from 4 to 8 1/2 months of age -- to sit up on cue and smile for the camera?
Forget it… it ain't gonna happen.
No matter how much cajoling and encouraging the charmers got from their moms, and despite the clacking tongues and whistles of onlookers (one waggling a noisy ring filled with keys and other baubles), just about the time two or three would give a toothless grin for the camera, others were more interested in fussing, chewing contentedly on a fist, or making a thwarted attempt to reach out and pull the hair of the mom sitting in front of them.
What was so special about these 11 babies? All of them, as well as four more that weren't able to make the photo shoot, were born to teachers in the Escanaba School District during the 2005-06 school year.
The moms and two school-teaching dads and their new additions are Lisa Maki (twins Morgan and Keira), Shayne Dix (son Sawyer), Stacy Wilson (daughter Zoe), Krista Johnson (son Ben), Molly Lancour (son Bryson), Barbara Purvis (daughter Lauren), Angela Faust (son Luke), Kelly LaMarche (daughter Brooklyn), Erica Van Damme (daughter Molly), Rachael Wagner daughter Sophia), Bob Viau (son Gabriel), Dave Wilson (daughter Madelyn), Amber Smith (son Ben) and Colleen Schmidt (son Hunter).
"You could say we're doing our part to help with declining enrollment," said Stacy with a hearty laugh.
Angela Faust said she shared her unexpected, but pleasant surprise with a couple of her fellow teachers at the Lemmer School early in the school year last fall only to learn that two more of them were expecting new babies as well.
"Several of us were talking in the hallway and it wasn't long before I was throwing up and I said 'guess what?' said Stacy Wilson.
Krista Johnson, who was also pregnant at the time, managed to keep her's quiet -- at least for a while.
"It got to be quite funny," said Stacy. "First we'd hear about one pregnancy and within a month, there was another. It got to be one unbelievable joke."
It eventually got to be great entertainment for the teachers to compare bellies as their pregnancies advanced.
"Luke weighed 8 pounds, 15 ounces when he was born," said Angela, "so mine was the biggest, I'm sure." With a premature birth for her daughter, Brooklyn, Kelly LaMarche's pregnancy barely showed.
But the group of pregnant teachers did pose a little bit of a problem at the Lemmer School where three of the teachers -- Barbara Purvis, Stacy, and Krista -- all had classes along-side each other in the same hallway.
"There was quite a fight for the bathroom," said Stacy. "I'd stand at the door and say 'common, I'm sick.'"
Once the babies began arriving, Angela said several of the new moms organized a play group that met on school breaks over the winter.
"This has been a lot of fun having these babies," she said. "Some are brand new moms and others already have a couple of kids so we can learn from each other."
It goes without saying that the substitute teachers were in vast demand almost throughout the school year.
Angela said many of the teachers were able to have input in the selection of their own subs.
While the majority of the new moms were able to take between 10 and 12 weeks off to care for their new babies, some were able to take even longer.
"Those who had enough sick time accumulated were able to take as much as they needed," said Shayne.
"A lot of it depended on their family needs and their financial situation."
All the teachers pooh-poohed the idea of any comparisons between their respective children once the youngsters begin attending school.
"We're all teachers and we know that all kids are different," said Angela.
"There won't be any comparisons," said Stacy, added with a chuckle, "They're all going to be geniuses."
But as enjoyable as the 2005-06 baby boom may have been, it could be only a portent of things to come.
According to Krista, three other teachers are expecting new babies at the beginning of the new school year in the fall.