HOPEWELL VALLEY: Officials OK teachers’ retirement requests

By John Tredrea, Staff Writer
   Three veteran Hopewell Valley Regional School District teachers with nearly a century’s worth of service will retire this academic year.
   Their retirements were accepted by the school board Monday night.
   — Frank Harsanyi III, a teacher at Bear Tavern Elementary, will retire July 1. He has been with the district since 1971.
   — Retiring May 1 will be Timberlane Middle School teacher Cheryl Rigel. Ms. Rigel has been with the district since 1974.
   — July 1, another Timberlane teacher, Mariann Fuca, will retire. She has been with the district since 1981.
    Of Mr. Harsanyi, Bear Tavern Principal Bruce Arcurio said, “Frank has served as one of Bear Tavern Elementary School’s greatest advocates. He routinely sits on school committees to further the ideals of Bear Tavern and the district. His dedication to the children and his colleagues is evident through his strong work ethic in all teaching positions he has held and his efforts as an HVEA member and leader for decades.”
   Doug Brower, the school district’s technology supervisor, added, “Frank Harsanyi has been an integral part of the technology program since its inception in the early 1980s. As a technology specialist at Bear Tavern for over 25 years, Frank saw the first computers come into the school district for instructional purposes. A skilled teacher and knowledgeable of all facets of the elementary curriculum, he was instrumental in working with teachers to integrate technology into all subject areas. He served as a leader for teacher professional development in the area of technology at the building and district level. Frank has always been an outspoken proponent of technology and how it can transform the educational experience of students and teachers to enhance learning.”
   Timberlane Principal Anthony Suozzo said Cheryl Rigel “has been an outstanding language arts teacher as well as media specialist. Her greatest strength is her constant commitment to community service. Cheryl continually developed ideas for how we as a learning community could reach out and provide support to less fortunate students in surrounding communities. She was the founder of our current eighth-grade community service project, ‘One for Books,’ in which a partnership was developed with a local school providing services to special needs and underprivileged students. This experience has served as perhaps the greatest life lesson possible for our students.”
   Mr. Suozzo said Mariann Fuca “has been the foundation of our French program at Timberlane since her arrival in 1981. She has been an outstanding teacher and role model to all of the students at Timberlane as well as a mentor to our teaching staff. Mariann has a heart of gold and is always looking to provide meaningful experiences to our school. These included monthly spirit days for both our students and staff. She brings energy and enthusiasm each and every day and provides continual support to students and staff.”