Oak Ridge students, staff surprise retiring teacher

ROYAL OAK — A retiring physical education teacher was surprised and honored by the Royal Oak community at a student and staff basketball game.

The students and staff from Oak Ridge Elementary School held their annual basketball game April 28 at Royal Oak High School. Unbeknownst to Mike Lewis, the game also was a cover to honor his final year working in the district.

Lewis walked into the high school’s gymnasium thinking he would just be refereeing the game, which was organized by Oak Ridge’s student senate.

Instead, Lewis found hundreds of members of the community wearing shirts with his name on it and posters of his face.

“I had no idea,” Lewis said. “I had no idea any of this was going on. I called my wife (Lisa) at lunchtime. I said, ‘Well, do you even want to come to this thing?’ She said, ‘Well, maybe I’ll come by.’ I had no idea my kids were gonna be here. And then I couldn’t believe all this. This is really special and nice.”

“I’m still in shock,” he continued. “I kind of need time to reflect on it because I’m kind of stunned.”

The retirement event was organized in part by the student senate. The vice president, fifth grader Sean Bailey, 11, said Lewis has been a mentor to all the students.

“He’s been a really good role model, like teaching us to be kind; to help others; like if somebody falls or gets hurt, to pick them back up,” he said. “I just know that everybody’s gonna miss him and that they all liked him. He’s a legend at school.”

Another senate member, fourth grader June Heiple, 9, said Lewis is an Oak Ridge legend.

“Everyone in the school loves Mr. Lewis’ presence and his methods for teaching,” she said. “He’s very kind and he wants to make sure that everyone’s interests are achieved in their life, and that he wants everyone to be happy. And for me, I’ve been at Oak Ridge for a long time. And also my sister was at Oak Ridge, so I’ve known him for a while, and so I feel like he’s just been a big part of everyone’s life here and definitely mine, too.”

Lewis has been working as a physical education teacher for more than 35 years, about 33 of which have been in Royal Oak after working a couple of years in Detroit and Roseville.

Lewis said he’s stayed in the district all these years because of Royal Oak’s family and community feel.

“We got great families, we had great kids and it’s been so enjoyable,” he said. “The kids have been outstanding. The schools have been great. I love the people I’ve taught with; the administrators have been great. My time in Royal Oak as a teacher could not have been any better.”

Mary Kosnik, a third grade teacher at Oak Ridge and the student senate teacher representative, was hired in the district at around the same time as Lewis and said her longtime colleague has meant a lot to everyone.

“He has been a leader and a mentor to students and staff alike,” she said. “He is also an incredible coach in and out of the walls of Oak Ridge, which it just permeates around any student or staff member that he touches, the way he’s able to lead and just inspire in the work that he does with kids and teachers.”

From the time Lewis was in the seventh grade, he knew he wanted to be a physical education teacher. He has been able to see students come through the elementary schools and see them all grown up.

“When I was growing up, my life revolved around sports, and I was heavily influenced by the coaches and teachers that I had, and I thought it’d be a great and honorable profession to get into,” he said. “And it has been. It’s been awesome.”

With his retirement impending, Lewis said he’ll be spending a lot of time with his six grandchildren.

“I’m going to spend a lot of time with them. I am, especially the first six or seven months, just gonna take it easy, see what happens and then from there, who knows where I’m gonna end up or where I’m gonna go,” he said.