Roger Johnson, Tom Keith and Bob Ochu Retire After 71 Years of Combined Service
Tom Keith - 15 yearsTom Keith is retiring after serving as principal of St. Anthony Village High School for fifteen years. Keith's service to students and commitment to education spans 35 years as a teacher and administrator in four of Minnesota's public school districts. As principal of St. Anthony Village High School, Keith's tenure was the longest of any principal at the high school and close to one-third of the school's existence. Under his leadership, Keith worked to polish the reputation of St. Anthony Village High School which benefitted our district's standing not only in the metro area but in the state and national education community as well. As a result of Keith's efforts, St. Anthony Village High School has been ranked in the Top 5% of all high schools in the U.S. by Newsweek Magazine and US News & World Report rated our high school as one of "America's Best High Schools" in 2007 and 2008. Keith's passion for our school district, advocacy of teachers and knowledge of the students at St. Anthony Village High School will be missed.
Roger Johnson - 21 years
Roger Johnson’s service to students in the St. Anthony-New Brighton School District has two phases. Johnson originally started at St. Anthony Village High School in 1978, taught Social Studies and coached for a number of years. In 1983, Johnson moved to Lac qui Parle Valley and Appleton High Schools to serve as counselor. In 1994, Johnson was offered a position and, for the past fifteen years, he has served as guidance counselor at St. Anthony Village High School. Tom Keith, principal, applauded Johnson’s service, “He is a strong, effective advocate for students. He tirelessly works with students and their families, promoting higher levels of student achievement. An exceptional strength for Roger is his understanding of how to maximize opportunities for students with limited resources. He is integral to the mission of the school and consistently exceeds my expectations. I am forever grateful for all he does for the students and community of St. Anthony-New Brighton School District.”
Bob Ochu - 35 years
Bob Ochu started with the district in 1974 as a night custodian at St. Anthony Village High School and remained at the high school/middle school building for his entire career. Ochu moved to the day shift in 1986 where he was responsible for transporting food service items to and from Wilshire Park, keeping the cafeteria clean, and
assisting as groundskeeper. Bob Ochu will be remembered for his sense of humor, dedication to his work, and friendship with Greg Thomas. Thomas remarked that whenever there was too much snow for one person to handle, even at 2 a.m., Ochu was there to help. Ochu is married to Carmalee Ochu, special education teacher at Wilshire Park and, in retirement, Ochu explained, “I plan to have the lawn perfectly manicured, the housework done, and the food on the table every night when Carmalee gets home from work.”