Faculty Feature: Miss Sue
Sue Long, or “Miss Sue,” as her students lovingly call her, is in her 30th year at PCA. In those 30 years, she has filled many roles from teaching children about letters and colors to being a parent and devoted PCA Eagles sports fan. Sue is a devoted teacher, supporter, colleague, parent, and friend.
Sue’s first role was that of parent when she and her husband sent their own children to PCA in 1992 when it was still known as Bethel Christian Academy. She was drawn to the small, tight-knit community that the school offered for her children. That role quickly expanded when Sue began to fill needs in morning and after-care and substitute-teaching during the school day. Sue remembers that, back then, she didn’t need to fill out an application to secure her position at the school. Instead, as a member of Bethel Baptist Church, which was then affiliated with the school, she saw a need at school and made herself available to help out. “Things were less formal, back then,” she says with a laugh. As a parent, she was excited to be involved in her children’s school. “It was just the right place for me to be.”
Having served at PCA for many years, Sue has many stories to tell about the school’s history. She remembers the buildings that housed the growing school over the years and the students that filled the classrooms. Still today, Sue is known to run into alumni on tours or at homecoming and reminisce about their time at PCA.
In addition to Sue’s impressive knowledge of PCA’s history, she also famously knows where to find just about anything in Preschool. “She is one of the only ones who knows where EVERYTHING is.” Says Diane Pineo, who has worked with Sue in Preschool since 1999.
Sue’s colleagues consider it a pleasure to work alongside her. “She’s an incredible teammate, willing to share, open to new ideas, patient, gracious, funny, and kind,” says Harlee Tuttle, Preschool director. “She has a heart for working with young children. Sue’s passion for the job shines through in all she does.”
Sue coordinates some of the preschool’s favorite activities, such as the rain forest unit (which culminates in the Kapok Tree play, an annual favorite), the Thanksgiving feast, and the oceans unit. She also sets up weekly science experiments which coordinate with every letter of the alphabet, and is the resident caterpillar finder for the preschooler’s butterfly unit.
Deb Drew, another member of the Preschool team, says, “Sue is the most dedicated person I know. She gives her all to PCA, the preschool, the families, and especially the students.”
Sue’s key role in PCA Preschool includes more than the support of her students; it also includes her support of her co-workers. “Sue always looks out for us who are fortunate enough to work with her,” Pineo says.
“She is the first one to offer to help and has any supplies that anyone might ever need!” Tuttle says, sharing stories of times that Sue came to the rescue with an iron or a blender for a co-worker in need. In addition to having material things to share, Tuttle says, “Sue has a heart for her colleagues. She prays for her coworkers and loves them like family.”
Sue’s loving heart and devotion to her students, co-workers, and the school extends, most importantly, to her own family. She enjoys spending time with her family on their annual trip to Maine, and talks about how her love for PCA is rooted in the impact that PCA has made in her children’s lives. “I love what the teachers at PCA sewed into my children and my family over the years.” Sue says. Families at PCA are grateful for the investment Sue, in turn, has made in the lives of students in Preschool throughout the years.
Originally Posted: April 3, 2019