WESTBOROUGH – Nancy Stanton loved kindergarten so much she never left.
Decades ago, 5-year-old Stanton walked through the doors of Westborough’s Annie E. Fales Elementary School for her first day of school. After graduating from Westborough High School and later earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in early childhood education, Stanton found herself back at Fales – this time as a teacher.
It’s been her home for the last 29 years.
While the building itself has changed over the last three decades – Fales was demolished and rebuilt in 2021 – Stanton’s commitment to educating young Westborough students has remained the same. After 35 years of teaching kindergarten in Westborough, Stanton retired in June as the district’s longest-tenured educator.
Becoming an educator
Stanton loved interacting with children from an early age, babysitting and working as a camp counselor for the Westborough Recreation Department. However, it was her kindergarten teacher at Fales – Mrs. Lalone – who truly inspired her love of teaching.
“I remember she always had a smile on her face and was happy and enthusiastic. She had a spark that I will never forget,” Stanton told the Community Advocate. “When my mom walked me to kindergarten on the first day of school, I didn’t want to leave her side. Soon enough, I fell in love with Mrs. Lalone, and on the last day I didn’t want to leave her side.”
It was always kindergarten for Stanton – she hardly considered teaching any other grade level.
She started teaching kindergarten-age students at Hastings Elementary School for six years, spending the next 29 years at Fales. In those 29 years, Stanton served as team leader for kindergarten educators, holding meetings, creating budgets and serving on countless committees.
“The excitement the children bring into the classroom makes them special. Educating students has always been a passion of mine, focusing on the young child and setting the foundation for a lifetime love of learning,” she said.
In her bright-yellow classroom, Stanton has dozens of activities, neatly organized cubbies, and boxes of building blocks and other learning tools. There’s also the classroom library and student work displayed throughout the room.
There’s never a dull moment in Stanton’s room – and that’s just the way she likes it.
“I believe in building a classroom community that fosters student relationships and collaboration amongst each other,” said Stanton.
Connecting through Fales
Stanton attended Fales, but her roots with the school run much deeper. She lives in the Fales district, three of her five siblings are Fales graduates, and her two sons, John and Drew, attended the school. In recent years, Stanton has met some second-generation students; that is, students whose parents she once taught. There’s perhaps nobody more connected to the Fales community.
Although she has thousands of former students, she does her best to keep track of them as they grow up, often attending Westborough High School graduations. She enjoys seeing her current and former students around town.
“Any time I see my former students, it’s a real thrill for me. I know it’s a thrill for them, but it’s really exciting for me,” she said.
The next chapter
While Stanton said she enjoyed every moment of teaching and could, if needed, continue doing the job forever, she decided to retire.
“I’d like to spend some time with my own family. It just feels right. It was a really difficult decision for me, one that I had to put a lot of thought into. I feel like now is a good time. I’m not far away, and I know I’ll somehow be back in this building,” said Stanton, noting that although she’d like to travel, she has no intention of moving away from Westborough or Fales.
And when speaking about her retirement, she couldn’t help but leave a message for all of her former students.
“Being their kindergarten teacher was an honor and a privilege and something I never took for granted,” she said. “I was so happy to have them be a part of my classroom community, and it’s nice to know that somehow, in some way, I might have made a small impact on their lives. I’ve enjoyed my time as a teacher so much. It’s been such an honor.”
