Vern Ratliff used these notes to talk about Sandra's dedicated teaching career:

I.                    Hired in January of 1969
A.     35 ½ years in district (30 @ Dondero)
                 i.      7 ½ yrs – Dondero
                ii.      Leave of absence for child
            1.       Went to school with Robin (two years younger)
                iii.      Laid Off
               iv.      Kimball – 1 yr
                 v.      Laid Off
                vi.      Addams Elementary – 1 yr
  Laid Off
              viii.      Dondero – 1 yr
                 ix.      Kimball – 1 yr
       Dondero – Here ever since

II.                 Major Things while in Royal Oak
A.     Around when Varsity sports began for females
B.     Coaching
                    i.      Softball
              1.       1^st 4 years – league champs
              2.       1^st year – needed to beat Kimball to win districts
                      a.       Won 1-0
              3.       Undefeated in League – 1 year
                    ii.      Basketball
              1.       Coached 1 year
                      a.       Varsity and Junior Varsity Coach
                  iii.      Helped develop parity in coaching pay for men and women’s sports
              1.       Board refused to open contract
              2.       She and another teacher agreed to file a Civil Rights Lawsuit.  Sandy filed and other teacher backed out.
              3.       Board opened contract and raised pay for women’s coaching
C.     Activities
                       i.      Many clubs
              1.       Racquetball – late ‘80’s
              2.       Chain gang for Dondero Varsity Football – last few years
                       a.       Worked with ex-Dondero grads
                                                                                i.      Kevin Ryan and John Sebastian
                       b.       Speaking of ex-students, has been reminded about throwing a few teachers out of the pool when they were students
                                                                                i.      Sam Lynch and John Sebastian
                                     1.       Turned out pretty good, depending on whom you ask

These things do not really tell who Sandy Shapiro is, though.  The only word I can use to describe her is PERSEVERENCE. Sandy has been through a lot, much of which I will not go into, during her teaching career and life. For starters, I don’t know if I would have kept teaching if I were laid off as much as she was. It would have been hard to keep the faith.  This pales to what she had to go through while she was battling with Breast Cancer. During this whole time of Chemotherapy and radiation, Sandy only missed 6 days. She missed the five days after each of her Chemo treatments and one day when she was sick. She would have radiation treatments in the morning and then come to school after her treatment. I don’t know how many of us could have done this; I know for sure that I couldn’t have.  Just recently Sandy has had to endure the passing of her Mother, and not too long after, her husband. Knowing how important family is to Sandy, and having gotten to know her, I know how hard it was for her to stand around and not be able to help them out of their pain.  These things, along with others, have showed me that there is nothing that Sandy can’t handle.  She has taught me not to sweat the little things, but to remember the things that are important in life: GOD, FAMILY, AND FRIENDS. I will miss working with Sandy, but more importantly; I will miss her daily friendship. As said before, we are not saying “Goodbye” to her but “Until we see again.”  Thank you for everything, Sandy.