At the end of the 2017-18 school year, the Gorham School Department said goodbye to a vice principal, teachers, and specialists after many years of employment. We wish them good luck in retirement.
Courtesy of Betsy BeavenELIZABETH BEAVEN is retiring from Great Falls Elementary School as a speech language pathologist after working for 24 years in Gorham. Prior to Gorham, she taught speech in Oxford Hills and Biddeford, was a professional modern dance performer, and a ballet, jazz, modern dance and creative movement teacher.
She has her B.S. degree from Northwestern University in communication disorders and M.A. from the University of Maine at Orono in communication disorders.
The most rewarding part of her job has been witnessing students see their success and show pride and enjoyment. “I will miss interacting with staff and students, sharing funny stories, playing fun learning games with students, and seeing students skipping in the hall,” said Beaven.
In retirement, she plans to enjoy traveling, yoga, walking tours, biking, being with family, consultation, and who knows what else. “It has been an honor working in the caring and dedicated community of Gorham,” said Beaven.
Photo credit Terri DawsonVICKI BOVE has taught visual arts for the past 40 years. She received a B.S. degree from S.U.N.Y. at New Paltz. She moved to R.I. after college and taught in a middle school in southern R.I. for the next seven years.
After vacationing in Maine, Bove and her husband fell in love with the Rangeley area and they both found teaching positions there. She taught K-12 visual arts in Rangeley for six years. Eventually they decided to move back closer to family and the coast, and in 1993, moved to Gorham.
She held a variety of positions during that time, which included teaching part-time at White Rock School, Peaks Island School, and Riverton School in Portland. Bove began teaching full-time at Narragansett School in 1996 and moved over to the new Gorham Middle School when it opened.
“I have had the honor and privilege of working with over a thousand students, staff, and parents over these years,” said Bove. “I have so many wonderful memories of happy students creating beautiful art that they and their families treasure. I am proud that my students have found success in my art classes and enjoy solving problems creatively and making art with their ideas, materials, and with many techniques.”
She also enjoyed creating new lessons and will miss seeing the creations that they have yet to make. Although she will miss the students and staff and seeing them every day, she is really excited about the next chapter of her life even though it seems a bit surreal at times.
She and her husband plan to see family and travel a bit and she looks forward to other new adventures, including volunteering more, taking classes, and perhaps working part-time. She can’t wait to be able to spend more time continuing to create her own artwork.
Courtesy of Scott CaulfieldSCOTT CAULFIELD is retiring from Gorham High School after teaching in Gorham for 21 years. He spent five years in the old Shaw School teaching seventh grade social studies and math, two years in another school system, and the past 16 years at the high school.
Prior to teaching, he spent five years as an active duty Marine, enlisting in 1977 and making Sergeant, and then getting commissioned up through the ranks. His final rank was as a Captain. When he got out, he worked at two businesses: Fairchild Semiconductor as a supervisor, and then in marketing; and as the operations manager at Humpty Dumpty Potato Chips until it was sold.
He received his B.A. in communications from UMass/Amherst and University of Southern Maine, and received a B.A. in history and M.S. in educational leadership from USM.
The most rewarding part of his job has been his students. “They are an unending source of inspiration to bring one’s best to work every day,” said Caulfield. “Seeing and hearing about their successes once they’ve graduated is very gratifying knowing I had a small part in helping that happen.”
He will miss the classroom teaching as it’s never boring and it’s intellectually challenging; the lively energy of students who are genuinely interested in the world and what it is all about; and his colleagues, who have to be the best group of people he’s had the pleasure to work with over all these years.
In retirement, Caulfield plans to finish up writing a children’s book he’s been working on, possibly work with a couple of political groups in the greater Portland area, travel to Scotland, and his older daughter is expecting her first child in late September, so he thinks he may be reintroduced to bottles and diapers again.
Courtesy of Jan GallawayJAN GALLAWAY is retiring from Village School as a speech language pathologist after working in Gorham for 17 years. She has had the opportunity to work in all three elementary schools in Gorham, helping students with their speech-language skills. Previously, she worked nine years as a speech therapist in other school systems, and she spent one summer working in a long-term care facility.
She received her undergraduate degree from Washburn University in Topeka and moved to Wichita, Kansas to complete a M.A. in communicative disorders and sciences in 1992.
“The most rewarding part of my job is making a connection with my students,” said Gallaway. “It was always important for me to develop a trust with my students. I felt that if I didn’t spend time to make them feel safe, then therapy wasn’t going to be as effective.”
She will miss all her friends and many talented colleagues.
In retirement, she plans to move to Kansas to be closer to friends and family. She will stay with her daughter for a year and take some time to decide where she wants to live. She plans to be a part-time gardener, farmer, organizer, grandmother, handyman, and builder.
Photo credit Joe HanleySUSIE HANLEY is retiring as assistant principal of Gorham Middle School after 13 years in that role. Teaching since 1981, she worked at the New Country School (independent school), Head Start (government school), and Waynflete (private school) prior to being hired in Gorham in 1987.
“I brought six years of teaching in very different settings with me when I was hired in Gorham,” said Hanley.
Before her assistant principal role in Gorham, she was a Kindergarten teacher and adjunct University of Southern Maine faculty member/district K-12 induction coordinator. As assistant principal, she helped facilitate the startup of the GMS Advisory program, the GMS RTI system, the GMS Alternative Education program, and the GMS Makerspace.
Hanley grew up in Brunswick and went to Brunswick High school. She didn’t go to college right after high school. Instead, she worked for a non-profit in England teaching sailing, and then worked for Discovery Inc. in VA upon returning to the U.S.
She worked as a N.O.L.S instructor for many years and finally finished college at USM with a B.S. in K-12 art education. Over time, she gained her M.A. in educational leadership, and then a C.A.S. in educational leadership from USM.
The most rewarding part of her job has been helping middle schoolers “come into their own.”
“Moving from childhood to adolescence is a big transition with more brain growth and pruning than any other stage of life, as well as the onset of formal and abstract thinking,” said Hanley. “Social skills, emotional skills, communication skills, thinking skills, physical skills are all in flux which make each student fascinating and a true puzzle. I love getting to know them holistically and encouraging them to blossom.”
When asked what she will miss most as she retires Hanley responded, “there is a rhythm to the school year that has given my life a similar structure for most of my adult life. There is something very special about the opening of each school year and something bittersweet as each one ends.”
She will also miss having an advisory of kids to care for as each group has been very special to her, three recesses a day all year long, and watching the kids play wall ball, knockout, kickball, and sledding in the winter.
“I will miss my colleagues and friends the most, and though I can see them out and about, it will never be the same,” said Hanley. “I have loved all the roles, all the partners, all the accomplishments that the district has afforded me over time.”
In retirement, she will spend time on her art in many mediums: paint, glass, mosaic, sculpture, wood, paper and clay. Beyond making art, she hopes there will be travel. As her kids are grown, she and her husband “will figure it out as they go along.”
JACQUIE LORTIE is retiring as a literacy specialist at Village Elementary School after teaching reading in Gorham for 19 years. Prior to teaching in Gorham she was a special education teacher, school psychological services provider, and worked on a preschool assessment team for CDS.
She has a M.A. in special education and school psychology and a certificate in graduate studies in literacy education.
The most rewarding parts of her job have been gaining the trust of the students so they are willing to take risks with their learning, watching the first graders transform from non-readers to readers, and “hooking” students so they see themselves as readers.
“I will miss spending my days with children, reading with them, listening to them, and learning from them,” said Lortie. “Their humor and energy are never-ending.”
In retirement, she hopes to volunteer with children, perhaps in the Gorham schools, volunteer in the Adult Education ESOL program, join a book club, and to do some traveling.
MICHAEL LORTIE has been a school counselor in Gorham for the past 35 years, most recently at Great Falls Elementary. Before working in Gorham, he was a middle school social studies teacher in Taunton, Mass.
He has a B.A. and M.A. in counseling from Bridgewater State College. He also has a certificate of graduate studies in educational leadership from University of Southern Maine.
“I love my job,” said Lortie. “I have enjoyed getting to know two generations of Gorham children. I have enjoyed my time building relationships and helping them to be successful in school. Helping kids to solve the problems and concerns in their lives is a tremendous responsibility and honor.”
Without a doubt, he will miss the kids the most.
In retirement, he plans to do some travel, have some family time, have some time to catch up, have a chance to read the newspaper, and walk the dog.
Courtesy of LifeTouchCINDRA SIMPSON has been teaching in Maine for the past 20 years, the past 18 years as a kindergarten teacher in Gorham (currently at Great Falls Elementary) and two years prior to that in Oxford Hills as a second grade and fourth grade teacher.
She taught at Fort Wainwright, Alaska and Eielson Air Force Base for 10 years prior to moving to Gorham teaching Kindergarten, first, and second grades. Prior to that, she taught in Augusta, Georgia for 10 years teaching Kindergarten and first grades.
She has a degree from the University of Maine in Orono.
The most rewarding part of her job has always been working with the children: instilling a lifetime love of learning and guiding them to become kind and compassionate adults.
“I will miss the smiles, hugs, sweet words, and adorable pictures that my little Kindergarteners give to me every single day,” said Simpson. “I will also miss my colleagues that I have had the good fortune to work with.”
“I must say that I have been blessed because I had a career that I actually loved to do every single day for 40 years,” said Simpson.
In retirement, she plans to follow her “bucket list,” which includes spending more time with her five grandchildren and doing lots of traveling. She also plans to open a business called Bailey and Me Pet Sitting Services.