With the 2017-18 school year now firmly in the rear view mirror, members of the Hillsborough Township Board of Education recently took time to allow the district’s administrators a chance to praise the work and dedication of the 24 teachers and nurses who retired this year.
During the June 11 school board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Jorden Schiff said this year’s group of retirees were all major contributors to the district’s success, noting their expertise and leadership through the years.
“This year, if you were to gather up all of the years of experience these 23 folks have shared with the children of our community, it would be over 491 years,” Schiff said. “That’s remarkable. Thank you to all of the retirees for this amazing gift.”
Principals each retiree’s corresponding school extolled the strengths and passions of their outgoing staff members by sharing their career highlights and anecdotes.
Hillsborough High School Principal Karen Bingert had the largest list of retirees, with nearly a dozen outgoing teachers and staff.
Diane Bavier, a retiring English teacher with 30 years of experience in education and 17 years in the district, said she most enjoyed working with the high school’s senior students. She was also the school’s yearbook advisor.
“There are always those students that struggle and typically, I have one student each year who has given up before the year even starts. I make it my mission to motivate those students to perform to the best of their ability,” Bavier said. “I love working with these students and showing them they are capable and bright.”
Joanne Brush, a math teacher with 36 years in education and 17 years in the district, was most recently named this year’s Teacher of the Year. Bingert said Brush was an example of a teacher who took the profession for the right reasons.
“Mrs. Brush is one of those teachers who does what she does just because they are the right things to do for her students,” Bingert said. “She gives her students her all through extra help, tutoring and home instruction…She is positive at all times and her students are luckier for it.”
Mary Dubberly, who spent 26 of her 34 years in education in Hillsborough, was a teacher of self-contained moderate classes in the school’s special education program. After her time at the district, Bingert said Dubberly is moving on to work with adults with special needs.
After spending nine of her 19 years in education at Hillsborough High School, Bridget Gleason, an instructional assistant and job coach, is also leaving.
“Whether working with students at school or on the road, [Gleason] has been that critical added element that has helped some of our students better learn the ways they will become adult workers in our community, and in some cases, workers in our district,” Bingert said. “Although only in our building for nine years, she has had such an impact on our students’ and co-workers’ lives that she will be sorely missed.”
Described as a “piece of work” by Bingert, outgoing special educator Diane Hammond, who spent 18 of her 35 years in education at Hillsborough High School, has also said goodbye to her teaching career.
Other retirees for Hillsborough High School included Craig Hoppe, a long-time science teacher; Teresa LaGreca, who spent 18 years as Bingert’s administrative assistant; Virginia Perrotti, a member of the child study team who spent 12 of her 20 years in education at Hillsborough High School; and Fred Salz, a 15-year math teacher who also served as an advisor for photography club. He also regularly built sets for theater productions.
Hillsborough Middle School Principal Dr. Joseph Trybulski also shared the microphone to praise Deborah Fingerhut, an instructional assistant for the last 16 years.
“[Fingerhut] was a wonderful asset to so many children and so many classrooms,” Trybulski said. “Her dedicated care now will be given to her grandson and her loving family.”
Other outgoing teachers at HMS include: Robert Gill, a science teacher at the school for the last 38 years; Maria Iaia, who spent 15 of her 16 years in Hillsborough schools at HMS teaching world languages; and Bonnie Sobel, who taught music at HMS for the last 32 years.
For Woodferm Elementary School, Principal Steven Kerrigan shared his thoughts and feelings on the careers of Colleen Consalvo and Eileen deMatos.
Consalvo taught for 35 years, with 28 of those taking place at Woodfern.
According to Kerrigan, deMatos spent 24 of her 25 years in education at Woodfern Elementary teaching transitional primary. The principal said deMatos was looking forward to spending time with her family.
“In trying to come up with something that will encapsulate everything that she has done…the thing that stands out most is she regularly has former students coming back to visit her,” Kerrigan said. “The thought that she has touched these childrens’ lives is truly without measure.”
When speaking about Triangle Elementary School’s retiree, Nancy Knutsen, Principal Lisa Heisel said “no one will fill her shoes” at the school in her absence.
“We hope to honor her by continuing to see all the things she has shown over the years,” Heisel said. “Nancy has made us see that we should live today, and everyday, in all caps…Nancy has made us see that in each child is something spectacular.”
According to Sunnymead Elementary School Principal Dr. Tammy Jenkins, retirees Kathleen Pisciotta, who began working in the district in 1991, and Ann Cucchiara, who had a circuitous career over the years, were both assets to the school that would be missed.
For Amsterdam Middle School, Principal Dr. Mary Ann Mullady said outgoing teachers Barbara Patone and Cynthia Pugnet were important members of the teaching staff.
Patone, who spent 23 of her 26 years in education at Amsterdam, “made an impact on many a child and many an adult during her time in Hillsborough,” Mullady said.
For Pugnet, who began working at the school in 2003, Mullady said the outgoing kindergarten teacher’s legacy was “the manner in which she treats children. She treats every child with kindness, patience and warmth. She is a safe place in which to nestle. She is their comfort and she is their joy.”
The district’s retiring nurses were also recognized during the meeting. Lynne Biegel, Annette Haveson and Ruth Standley each joined the district in 1998, 2000 and 2001, respectively.
