They worked for a total of 198 years
By John Tredrea, Special Writer
As a group, they provided just under two centuries worth of teaching to the Hopewell Valley Regional School District.
Ten teachers, who worked for a total of 198 years here, were honored at Monday night’s meeting of the Hopewell Valley Regional Board of Education.
The retirements of all 10 teachers were accepted formally by the board, with every seat in the meeting room taken by relatives, friends and colleagues of the retirees.
After being introduced, and as the room filled with applause, each of the retiring teachers was given a commemorative plaque and shook hands with all members of the board, Superintendent Thomas Smith, school district Business Administrator and Board Secretary Robert Colavita and Assistant Superintendent and Human Resources Director Richard Lang.
”You all went out at the top of your profession,” Dr. Smith told the retirees. “The kids will miss you. The school board and administration will miss you. Enjoy your retirements, and please come back and visit us.”
The retirees are:
— Mary Yoemans, the district’s science supervisor, who worked in the Hopewell Valley district for 37 years.
— Carol Hanson, speech and language specialist at Stony Brook Elementary School, 31 years.
— Betty Ann Benton, Hopewell Elementary, 26 years. She is the first Certified Reading Recovery teacher in Valley schools.
— Alan Seltzer, English teacher at Central High School, 23 years.
— Ann Marie Anthony, Stony Brook Elementary, 21 years.
— Judy Leitzes, speech and language specialist at Stony Brook Elementary, 20 years.
— Joan Smith, Hopewell Elementary, 20 years.
— Connie Olde, family and consumer sciences, Central High School and Timberlane Middle School, 16 years.
— Karen McCarville, language arts, Timberlane, 15 years.
— Susan Lafferty, Hopewell Elementary, 10 years,
A number of the teachers honored Monday night have worked in more than one school in the Hopewell Valley district. The schools listed above are where they worked this school year, at the end of which their retirements will begin.