In the last Superintendent’s Blog of the school year, Heather Perry recognized the 12 retiring school employees by noting the combined 323 years of service that these individuals had compiled and the thousands of lives that they had impacted. This year’s class of retirees is a special group of individuals who will surely be missed. They have been coaches, team leaders, activity advisors, and educational committee leaders, all of the while inspiring our students to succeed as learners.
Deb Roy has worked as a Spanish teacher at Gorham High School for 47 years. She had visited Gorham High School as a high school student when the Waterville chorus did an exchange concert with the Gorham High School chorus. During her time in Gorham, she served as advisor to many of the groups and activities.
Mrs. Roy will miss the students at Gorham High School and watching them grow from nervous freshmen to confident young adults as seniors. As she reads, tends her garden, and watches over her family, she will miss the laughter from her students and hearing the Spanish language all day long. She would like to thank the community for giving her the opportunity to have a career in Gorham and the students, parents and grandparents that she has come to regard fondly.
Lona Tassey has also taught in Gorham for 47 years. She feels that some of the reasons that her application gathered attention was her maiden name and her love of literacy. She was Miss Lona Gorham from Gorham, New Hampshire looking to teach literacy in Gorham, Maine. After a wonderful interview, she was offered the position as Middle School Literacy Teacher and has spent many wonderful years teaching in this community.
Mrs. Tassey will remember the students and parents of Gorham and the wonderful memories of students who have made her laugh and have understood her love of teaching, as well as her desire to get them ready for a successful high school experience. She is looking forward to having time to travel and spend time with her three wonderful grandchildren.
Rosalie Mosher is retiring from her position as Kindergarten Teacher at Great Falls School after a career of 43 years. After 5 years teaching in Lamoine, Maine she and her husband, Mark, moved to Gorham (Mark’s hometown and much closer to her aging mom) for the next 42 years taught every grade K-8 except 3 and 4, in six schools, under 8 superintendents and for 12 principals. In these 47 years she has taught over 1100+ students, the record being one year with 58 half-time K students!
Mrs. Mosher will fondly remember the students, families and colleagues that she has met over the years. She is looking forward to spending time with her family (including her first grandson due in October), quilting, sewing, embroidering, painting, knitting and spending relaxing, sunny September days by the lake.
Diane Knott has retired from her position as the Coordinator of the SAIL Program, Gorham’s Gifted and Talented Program. During her 31-year career in Gorham, she has been an Educational Technician, a teacher of a Multi-Age Inclusionary Class, a Teacher-Scholar, a Math Lead Teacher, and the SAIL Coordinator.
Mrs. Knott will miss working with students, teachers and the Gorham community every day. It has been rewarding for her to help students to build confidence and think “outside the box”. She has thoroughly enjoyed the Odyssey of the Mind and Robotics competitions. She is looking forward to remaining in the Gorham community and continuing to be active through volunteering and consultation.
Deb Noble is retiring after 24 years as a Teacher of Special Education at the Gorham Middle School. She grew up in Gorham, as the child of educators, and attended Charlotte Millett School, Village School, Shaw Junior High and Gorham High School, while her mother taught at Shaw and her father taught for some time at Gorham High School. She returned to teach in Gorham after seventeen years teaching in Wells-Ogunquit.
Ms. Noble will miss the staff of GMS that works endlessly to support and encourage their students, as well as the friendships and collaborations that she has forged. She will also miss the students who brought curiosity and excitement to her room each day. She is looking forward to spending more time digging in the dirt in her flower and vegetable gardens, traveling a bit, spending time with family, going camping and just relaxing by the pool while reading a good book.
Laurie Kenny is retiring after 24 years of teaching first grade at Narragansett School. One of her fondest memories is her most recent class. They were inspired after watching a Scholastic News Video about Melody, a student in a wheelchair who worked to create more accessible playground equipment that ALL students could play with together. As a result, Mrs. Kenny’s class raised funds to purchase a playground glockenspiel for Narragansett! Students donated toys and books to sell at a yard sale, applied for a GEF grant, made a fundraising video, and held a coin drive. Their fundraising efforts were so successful that we are going to be able to purchase three pieces of equipment that will be accessible to all.
Mrs. Kenny is moving to North Carolina at the end of the summer to be closer to her children, their spouses and her grandchildren. She will miss the wonderful students, families, and staff in Gorham.
Dennis Crowe is retiring after fourteen years as Technology Director. He came home to Gorham after serving as a teacher and Technology Director in MSAD # 6. Gorham was where he lived, where his children went to school and where he was a softball coach for a very successful middle that played at several national tournaments and competitions, including two World Series.
Mr. Crowe is proud of his time in Gorham, including managing the technology of the school system during a pandemic and providing all students with home devices very early in the crisis. Instead of waiting for state direction and guidance, Dennis and his team formulated and implemented a successful sharing of technological devices to keep students as engaged as possible during the at-home learning time. He plans to spend some time traveling, avoiding snow, and playing golf.
In addition, the following educators are all retiring in 2022: Winston Barton (the Librarian/ Media Specialist at Village School, 35 years), Veronica Scontras (Grade 6 teacher at Gorham Middle School, 32 years), Joyce LaRou (School Nurse at Gorham High School, 24 years), David Palmer (Grade 8 Science teacher at Gorham Middle School, 18 years) and Bryan McManus (Bus Driver, 6 years).
These staff members have spent their careers impacting students and changing the lives of students in our schools. The community of Gorham owes them a great debt of gratitude for all that they have done for “our kids.” THANK YOU and may they all enjoy their well-deserved “next steps.”