Six teachers from the Chester School District will be retiring at the end of the 25-26 school year. From the high school, we have two teachers departing: Mr. Steve Colonel and Mrs. Cheri Diercks-Boyd. From the grade school, we have 4 teachers departing: Mrs. Sue Colonol, Mrs. Mary Bohnert, Mrs. Gail Kordys, and Mrs. Robin Renfroe.
Mr. Steve Colonel has been teaching for 33 years, with 31 of them being at Chester. During those years, he has been very active in the music department, teaching marching and concert band, jazz band, swing choir, and a class on music theory. He has also taken on many leadership roles, including serving as CHS Theatre Director and directing the orchestra for CHS musicals, sponsoring the Yearbook, and directing Chester Grade School’s choir. Beyond the school year, he has dedicated his summers to directing the Chester Municipal Band, a role he assumed after John A. Birchler retired.
Following Mr. Colonel in retirement is his wife, Mrs. Sue Colonel. She has been teaching for 29 years. Her first year was at Johnston City, and she spent the remainder of her career at Chester Grade School. At CGS, her responsibilities have included teaching and recruiting fifth and sixth-grade bands as well as the Junior High band. In addition to teaching band, she also prepared her JH band for the ISMA Music Contests, where they constantly earn high ratings from the Judges. She then proceeded to take over the Chester Grade School General Music Program for first through fourth grades. She prepared these groups for many events, including CGS Spring and Christmas Contests, the first through fourth grade music program, and ISMA Contests. Even in the summer months, Mrs. Colonel remains busy, performing with the Chester Municipal Band and organizing music folders for its members. She also enjoys performing with the orchestra for the Chester High School Spring Musicals.
One student shared heartfelt words about both Colonels:
“Since I first began learning about music in grade school, Mr. and Mrs. Colonel have been the reason I am completely obsessed with the subject. For years, I never thought music would capture my interest as much as it does now, but as I continued to learn the trombone, I realized how much I love the world of music. That realization would not have been possible without Mr. and Mrs. Colonel opening that world up to me. Now, I plan to attend Vandercook College of Music, the same school they graduated from. It would be my dream to continue their legacy as a music teacher. I would love nothing more than to return to Chester and teach music just as the Colonels have for decades. In just a few years, that dream might actually be possible, and I would owe it all to Mr. and Mrs. Colonel.”
Mrs. Mary Bohnert is a grade school teacher who has taught many different levels throughout her 21-year career. For college, she attended Eastern Illinois University before transferring to SIUC (Southern Illinois University Carbondale). She graduated in 2004 and began her teaching career. Over the past 21 years, she has been a substitute teacher and has taught Kindergarten, Third Grade, and Fifth Grade. Mrs. Bonhnert stated, “I look forward to retirement and plan to spend lots of time with my grandson and enjoy my retirement.”
One previous student wanted to include:
“Mrs. Bohnert was one of my favorite teachers all through grade school and high school. She had such a big influence on my life. I really struggled during my 6th-grade year just trying to keep up, and she was one of the teachers who helped me through it. She also kinda started me on a whole new pet. My family only ever had cats and dogs, but by the end of 5th grade, I was taking the class pet, Peaches, home every weekend. At the end of the school year, Mrs. Bohnert asked if I wanted to keep Peaches, and I did. After that, I fell in love with hamsters and had one until last year. I’ll never forget that.”
Next up, we have Mrs. Robin Renfoe, who has been teaching for 29 years. She began her teaching career in Perryville, Missouri, at the Perry County Middle School, teaching Math and Science for nine years. After her husband started working at Menard, she moved across the bridge to Chester Grade School because she wanted to teach in the same school district her kids were attending. She began teaching sixth-grade Math and Science, then she became the Math Specialist in the Math Room, assisting students who were struggling.
Outside of teaching and helping students, she is also serving as the CGS Curriculum Director. She states, “ I love the smaller community and that I can be acquainted with most of the parents of my students. I’ve taught many children from the same family and even some children of former students. Building those relationships with the families and watching the children grow up and have their own families is so rewarding.”
She will miss the friendships that were made over the past 20 years, and she hopes to stay in touch with these people. She states that after retirement, “I plan to spend more time with my family, especially my granddaughter, Madison. I also plan to enjoy slowly sipping my coffee or iced tea on the patio with my flower gardens, birds, and dogs.”
Our fifth retiring teacher for the 2025 school year is Mrs. Gail Kordys. She began her 37-year teaching career in Pinckneyville, teaching Social Studies for one year, before coming over to Chester, where she started as a substitute teacher for both the grade school and high school. After 3 years of substitution, she taught a variety of grade levels and classes, including Sixth-Grade Social Studies, Junior High Computers, and Math.
Outside of her classes, she also served as a Cheerleading, Volleyball, and Track coach, as well as a sponsor for the Beta Club and Student Council.
Lastly, we have Mrs. Cheri Diercks Boyd. After attending both Chester Grade School and Chester High School, she went on to Eastern Illinois University before transferring to SIUC, where she earned both a bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree. She is currently working on earning her Doctorate Degree.
After graduating from SIUC, she taught for 10 years at Decatur High School and spent 11 years in the Corporate Training before moving back to Chester. Since her return, she has taught a variety of classes, including Career Technical Education (CTE), Web-Based Design, and Business Classes.
Outside of her class, she leads the HIVE Pep Club and sponsors both the Senior Class and S.A.D.D. (Students Against Destructive Decisions.
Her favorite part about working at CHS is the students. She states, “They keep me young!” She also shares that she will miss the friendships she has made with the fellow staff members.