Kay Bacharach, a teacher at Granite Bay High School for 28 years, is now retiring. Not only is she just a teacher, she’s a part of the Sunshine Bears Program, the Culture Committee and a great friend to the staff and students at GBHS.

Through all the programs she’s organized and the years she’s spent teaching, Bacharach has become an impactful leader to the students and a kindhearted member to the staff at Granite Bay. She knows how to make an unfortunate situation into a positive one and a great example of that is during Covid. 

During a time that was very uncomfortable and unnatural for students, Bacharach made the effort to make it just a little more special and enjoyable. For example, she let students submit music choices that they would like to hear in the mornings just as a nice way to start the day. 

Bacharach also went to the extent to make sure she still was able to connect with students even through black screens and muted microphones because connection is very important to her.

“We were all trying just feeling absolutely defeated and overworked trying to transfer all of our stuff from paper to digital overnight. It was just so much, but she went beyond and was paying attention to you guys on a personal level,” Shannon McCann, a teacher at GBHS and a good friend of Bacharach’s, said.

Despite hardships and her own struggle with the adaptation, Bacharach always tried to establish and strengthen connections with her students. 

“It’s like that one old quote by Maya Angelou: ‘People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’ They might not remember the English stuff, but I hope they’ll be leaving knowing it felt good to be here and that’s what’s important to me,” Bacharach said.

Bacharach went to many extents to make sure her students felt safe and supported here on campus. Something she took part in that really displayed her kindness and generosity was the Sunshine Bears Program.

The Sunshine Bears is a program that Bacharach and McCann facilitate that involves the whole entire staff. In the beginning of the year, it is asked that small donations are made from the staff so that they can show support to certain staff members over the course of the year. For example, if somebody gets married, they get a wedding gift and if somebody has a baby, they get a baby blanket.

Another thing the Sunshine Bears do is support staff going through the loss of their parents. If it’s the mom that passes, it’s common to give a rose bush. If it’s the dad that passes, lemons or limes are given. They bloom every year, so it’s something to be able to look forward to. 

“(The Sunshine Bears Program) is a perfect example of her compassion, because she cares about people on a personal level. She’s probably one of the most compassionate people that I know. She’s constantly checking in with people and bringing gifts to people and organizing get-togethers and things because she genuinely cares,” McCann said. 

Another impact Bacharach has made on the staff’s lives was on our admin Levirt Griffin. When he started having children, he was given care packages full of stuff such as blankets and extra support that really helped him ease that transition, particularly when he wasn’t getting much sleep and things. 

“The blanket was nice because I can always look at it and think back to the people that cared enough to take the time to make it in the first place,” Griffin said. “She’s a selfless person. She’s somebody who thinks about others and her impact on others which is very nice to see.”

Bacharach does a lot of things for others such as organizing gatherings around the holidays and going out to do shopping and baking for events without the expectation of recognition.

“I think that she finds joy in making other people happy and bringing people together. I think that’s one of her favorite things to do,” McCann said. “Not even for the validation or approval of it. No, it really is just the joy of smiles just like seeing people smile and making them happy.” 

A previous version of the article incorrectly stated that Bacharach had been working at Granite Bay for 30 years.