WESTLAKE, Ohio — Teachers help shape the future, and in Westlake, one woman has spent nearly 50 years doing just that at St. Bernadette Elementary School.

For Mrs. Debbie Chinchar, her space was more than just a classroom; it was a sanctuary.

Now, as she prepares to close this chapter, the community is coming together on Thursday to celebrate her final day in the classroom.

“This is my home away from home,” Chinchar said.

And teaching was never just a job.

“My goal every year has been to build a little family,” said Chinchar. “It's so important, and I know the effect I can have on my students, and I take that as a very big responsibility.”

That deep sense of calling began when she was just a child. And she answered that call at Saint Bernadette Catholic School as a first-grade teache

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