WESTLAKE, Ohio — Teachers help shape the future, and in Westlake, one woman has spent nearly 50 years doing just that at St. Bernadette Elementary School.
For Mrs. Debbie Chinchar, her space was more than just a classroom; it was a sanctuary.
Now, as she prepares to close this chapter, the community is coming together on Thursday to celebrate her final day in the classroom.
“This is my home away from home,” Chinchar said.
And teaching was never just a job.
“My goal every year has been to build a little family,” said Chinchar. “It's so important, and I know the effect I can have on my students, and I take that as a very big responsibility.”
That deep sense of calling began when she was just a child. And she answered that call at Saint Bernadette Catholic School as a first-grade teacher. It’s also where she met her husband, who is still working at the same school.
“We got married in St. Bernadette's church, and I had my class; my students of that year were attending my wedding,” Chinchar said.
For 49 years, Chinchar taught, inspired, and nurtured hundreds of students, sometimes even multiple children from the same family. Her impact didn’t end with her students. She also became a mentor, a friend and a guiding light for fellow educators.
Maria Nicaise, who taught first grade alongside her for eight years, says Mrs. Chinchar transformed her life.
“She's changed my life in so many ways,” said Nicaise. “She taught me so much about what it means to be a teacher, what it means to pass on the faith to little kids.”
Mary Sue Anders, a third-grade teacher, has been Chinchar’s best friend for 32 years.
“I’m still in awe at the person she is, the teacher she is. How much she's loved is, like, beyond measure,” said Anders.
Now, just as she once felt called to enter the classroom, Chinchar said she now feels called to step away.
“I just realized deep down, it's time. It's time to rest, and I prayed about it, and I got the answer,” Chinchar said.
As she reflects on nearly five decades of service, she says the blessings far outweigh anything she gave.
“I've received so much more from this place, my second home, than I've given to all of them put together, and I'm just truly blessed and grateful for that," Chinchar said.
On Thursday, students, alumni, faculty, administrators, and friends lined the halls for one final round of applause—a celebratory "clap-out" in her honor. Watch below:
But Chinchar’s journey may not be entirely over. While she’s ready to rest, she says she may still be around in some capacity next year. And as for the community? They say not to worry—more celebrations are still to come.
