Before Montgomery County R-II music teacher Pam Walton got ready to start her final choir concert of her 31-year teaching career on May 9 at the Montgomery County High School gymnasium, she got a huge surprise.

A large group of Walton’s former students from Montgomery County and Wellsville-Middletown high schools stopped by to wish Walton a happy retirement and do a 30-second singing performance. The group had planned this since November.

“It was really bittersweet because she is such an amazing person,” said Megan Berck, a 2016 MCHS graduate. “It’s sad that she’s leaving, but it was nice to get up there with my choir members again and share a moment of nostalgia.”

Walton taught music at the W-M School District for 11 years before being hired to head the music department at the R-II schools in 2004. At the concert, there were books that included old programs and newspaper articles during her long career as music teacher.

Hailee Dixon, who graduated from MCHS in 2022, was ecstatic to see Walton again. In her senior year, she helped a sextet qualify for the State Music Festival.

“I loved every moment with Mrs. Walton and this brought back a lot of memories,” said Dixon, who is now working as a substitute teacher at the Warren County R-III School District. “I enjoyed it.”

Alexis Lockett, a 2019 MCHS graduate, said said she enjoyed singing with Walton and her old classmates.

“It was really nice to come and sing again for her even though it has been several years since I sang for her, people I went to school with and people I never went to school with, like the kids from Wellsville,” Lockett said.

Walton said she was thrilled to see some of her old students in her final concert performance.

“I want to thank the former students for coming back,” Walton said.

The Montgomery County Middle School sixth and seventh-grade choirs and the Montgomery County High School concert and honors choirs performed at the concert.

Senior Autumn Marshall, a member of the honors choir, performed in her final high school concert. She was in tears after the concert since Walton is retiring. Marshall said Walton was her biggest role model.

“It’s a lot more touching to me knowing that I’m her last senior in the honors choir because the honors choir has always included the people she pushed the most out of everybody,” Marshall said. “To know that she pushed me to be the best out of all of us over these seven years, it hits me like a train.”

Marshall said seeing some of Walton’s old students made her pretty happy.

“That was amazing,” Marshall said. “I was so happy that they came and showed Mrs. Walton what they can still do after having her teaching them these things after so many years and remembering things that she has said, how she picked them up over difficult times, put them in spots and gave them more opportunities in their lives. I love seeing how people from your past can come and make an appearance in the future and bring back all of those memories and emotions and those feelings.”