Kindergarten teacher Audrey Smith says farewell after 23 years

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Kindergarten teacher Audrey Smith says farewell after 23 years at Cranbury School.

Like most kids, Lauren Jani was in kindergarten when she caught the chicken pox and the itchy, contagious disease kept her from participating in the 1985 Cranbury School play.

Instead, she and her younger sister, Alexis, both wearing matching white eyelet dresses, watched the play from the back of the auditorium. Afterwards Lauren's kindergarten teacher, Audrey Smith, took the girls outside and photographed them in their beautiful handmade dresses. Ms. Smith's photo later won an award and appeared in a local newspaper.

Lauren, now 26 and working for a finance company in New York City, said this memory of Ms. Smith — who is retiring after 23 years of teaching kindergarten at the Cranbury School — has stayed with her ever since.

"She was always so nice and caring and even when I see her now, she still remembers me 21 years later," Ms. Jani said Tuesday. "She really had a way of connecting with her students and making everyone feel special."

Friends, co-workers, former students and parents are invited to share their memories and join in a farewell celebration for Ms. Smith at 3 p.m. Tuesday in the Cranbury School Large Group Room.

Carlene Reyes, who is organizing the event with fellow parent Angie Cook, said she wanted former students to have a chance to take a trip down memory lane and wish Ms. Smith good luck as she plans to travel and spend time with her husband, George, and her family.

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