A tribute to the incomparable Candi Coe, legendary kindergarten teacher, nature-lover, opera buff, and all-around dynamo
Although she retired in 2009, Candi Coe (that’s pronounced like one word, she’d have you know) remains an Epiphany School legend, and a treasure trove of stories. Here, Candi reflects on her 35 years at Epiphany School, with 28 of those years in the kindergarten classroom.
How did you get involved with Epiphany School?
One spring I was between two life things, and I just said, “You know, I’d like to work in kindergarten.” I already had my teaching degree and taught a couple of years in Colorado, and I needed a kid fix. I started out in spring of ’74 volunteering for Jean Augustine, who was Epiphany’s kindergarten teacher at the time [before becoming Head of School in 1981]. I knew about Epiphany because my brother went to school there in the mid-50’s. I knew Bob Spock [Head of School from 1969 to 1975] and also Fran Bassett [founder of Epiphany School’s Learning Skills program] because they were at Lakeside when my brother was there, and they both had ended up at Epiphany. I was very interested in their kind of teaching, and in how to help kids who were really smart and not making it in school. That little square box of a classroom doesn’t work for all kids, and you have to help them get through.
How would you describe your philosophy of teaching?
Be kind, loving, and firm, and teach passionately. A sense of humor is vital! Another thing that’s really important is listening to the little kids, really hearing what they say.
What made you want to work at Epiphany after volunteering?
When I walked in there at the age of twenty-something everybody was so nice and welcoming. I was more than just a volunteer to them. They were all just so wonderful.
Do you have any favorite stories from those days?
Which ones do you want to hear? Well, you know Epiphany has very grand auctions now. The first auction we had was in the gymnasium of what was then the St. Nicholas or Lakeside School on Capitol Hill. The faculty had to bring hors d’oeuvres and I think it was some kind of a hoedown. Which is amusing when you think about what the auctions are like now.
Another story, we had a sixth-grade campout and many kids and adults on the trip got sick with strep throat. And I remember after we survived the campout and got well, sixth grade teacher Anne Eggler stood up in front of everyone at graduation and said, “Hooray for drugs!” Because we were all on antibiotics.
What is the biggest change you’ve seen at Epiphany?
Oh my God, it would have to be the size. And having two classes per grade. Denise [Dyette, fellow kindergarten teacher] and I were the first people who did that, starting in 2003 when they started adding one grade per year. At the beginning I was not in favor. I liked having my own little space and bringing in another person meant upsetting the apple cart. But we were determined to make it work, and it did. We had a wonderful bunch of years together. Our teaching styles were very different, but we melded.
Is it true you taught the littles opera?
Yes, I did. I’m a passionate opera-goer. I had a CD called Opera for Kids or something, and I’d play all the great arias and marches and say, “What do you think about this? How does it make you feel?” One of my goals was to just let them say what they think without a right answer. I also had a beautifully illustrated book, The Magic Flute, which I gave to the school. Every page has a beautiful picture and a description of what’s happening, and then you play that selection on your CD. You can’t make kids sit through a whole opera, but we would sit in a circle each day and I would read a page and we would listen to the CD, and then the next day we’d read another page. I had one child who loved The Magic Flute so much he went home and told his parents he wanted to listen to it and they ended up becoming opera fans and they’ve gone all over the world to see opera. But all my students got introduced to it because I taught passionately, and they had no choice.
What has stayed the same?
I haven’t been on campus for a long time, but I suspect there’s still a strong sense of community, still a welcoming feeling to everyone. That’s what I hope, and from the reports I hear, I think there still is.
What have you been up to since you retired?
I’ve been doing a lot of traveling, hanging out with friends, birdwatching of course, and just living a wonderful life. I’m still in touch with a bunch of women with whom I taught. We were known as the Baja Babes because when Epiphany first started having a week-long midwinter break, we decided we wanted to go kayaking down in Baja. So we did. We were all old enough that being called a “babe” was not an insult. Smaller groups of us have gone elsewhere since then: Belize, India, Africa.
What is the Candi Coe Collection at Epiphany’s library?
When I retired, I didn’t want anything [for a gift]. But they all knew how much I love books and they also knew how much I loved teaching science stuff. If you look at the books, I think you’ll see a lot of them are science related.
If somebody visited Epiphany today and said, “Oh that’s Candi Coe’s influence at work” what would they be talking about?
I felt passionately about the rainforest and birds and so I started teaching a whole rainforest unit and it’s still going on. There was one family whose father emailed me once and said he wasn’t sure he was ever going to forgive me for getting his child interested in birds because they have to take all these books with them now when they go anyplace.
And reading buddies. That’s something the fifth-grade teacher and I started years ago. I remember my little cherubs watching the fifth graders at graduation, whispering, “That’s my buddy!” It was just so wonderful that they had that contact with the older kids. It’s a really close, wonderful relationship.
You never know what you’ve done for the people who don’t say anything, but I think I did make a difference. I guess that’s what I really wanted to do, is to make a difference. A positive one, thank you.
What has Epiphany meant to you personally?
Epiphany was a wonderful place for me in my life. I gained— well, I gained a lot of knowledge, but I also gained so many close friends who are still with me today.
Celebrating Candi Coe
Current and past Epiphany School colleagues reflect on Candi Coe and her bright, indefatigable spirit.
“Candi was a renowned enthusiast of Winnie the Pooh and folded the tenor of A.A. Milne language into her everyday comments, such as ‘practice your patience,’ ‘it makes me feel all hop-skippity,’ and ‘oh, bother!’ Moreover, she lived this quote from Winnie the Pooh: ‘It never hurts to be looking for sunshine.’ She looked for sunshine at every opportunity she could.”
— Lee Badovinus, former first grade teacher
“I never entered my classroom without channeling the spirit of Candi Coe! She had this amazing power where she would just walk into the classroom and the children snapped to attention, worked on their own, learned a million different things, and laughed while enjoying life. I’m not sure I ever mastered it—but I kept trying!”
—Jenny Cummins, former Pre-K teacher
“There are so many things I could say about Candi, but I’ve decided to share my final paragraph from the end-of-year review I wrote for her in 2006. I had the privilege of visiting with Candi a few weeks ago and every word still rings true. ‘I have written you these glowing end of the year evaluations for the past five years and I never grow tired of writing to you about what an inspiration you are to all of us, especially me. I know that your kids miss you when you are not at school, because I certainly do. We need your wit, your intelligence, your slight sarcastic humor, and your insatiable curiosity. You make this a much better place to work, to teach, and to care about kids.’”
—George Edwards, Head of School from 2001-2008
“There is nothing like a Candi Coe smile and hug! Both are so genuine, warm, and full of positive energy. I always look forward to seeing Candi!”
—David Bush, fourth grade teacher
“For many mornings over many years, Candi Coe walked from 7-8am, fortifying herself before greeting her ‘cherubs.’ She loved the change of seasons: the light, the birds, the budding, and the greening. Her range was vast and varied: east to the lake, west into Madison Valley, and north through Washington Park. After that, she was good and ready for those kindergartners.”
—Susan Fuchs, former librarian
“Candi Coe is not only a kindergarten teacher, but she was my teacher as well. I learned so very much while being one of her forever-kinders. For a few years she had a class pet, a beautiful white dove named Victor. He was allowed to fly freely around the classroom. Candi convinced the kinders that it was good luck to get pooped on by a bird—they actually looked forward to the possibility! I’m wondering how many still believe that and the many other fun things she told them!”
—Becky Melonson, kindergarten instructional assistant
- Kindergarten