Retiring Teachers Praised for Decades of Dedication

At the last Board of Education meeting before the end of the academic year, Superintendent David Abbey lauded the contributions of five teachers and one school pyschologist who are retiring.

In 46 years as an art teacher in New Canaan, Lurline Lapolla, Abbey said, had sought venues to display student work around the world from Tokyo, Japan to Glenn Falls, NY. She crafted her lessons to support instruction in other disciplines, including social studies and technology, with projects like making "Pinwheels for Peace" to celebrate the United Nations' International Peace Day.

"Beyond the length of her dedicated years of service, Lurline has distinguished herself as a teacher who defined herself through the lens of her students' work," Abbey said.

Abbey called science teacher Robert Goodnow, who worked at West School for 24 years before moving over to Saxe, "a master at making learning fun for the seventh graders he works with." The superintendent complimented Goodnow for "enthusiatically embracing new professional learning," in a fast-shifting discipline.

Goodnow is, he said, "retiring at the top of his game."

Pat Powell was first hired in 1985 to teach math at New Canaan High School before switching over to Saxe in 1989, where she became coach of the math team. She was noted as an early-adopter of new classroom technologies, opening up her classroom to demonstrate applications of computers and SMARTboards to colleagues.

"Her approach to collaborating with colleagues has greatly enhanced the professional learning community at Saxe," Abbey said.

As a pyschologist at the elementary and high school levels in the district since 1982, Abbey said Carol Hamilton made major contributions to the development of the gifted and talented program, as well as being a source of expertise in social and emotional learning.

"I was her supervisor back in 1988 when I was Director of Special Education and I was very appreciative of her initiative, insight, professionalism and hard work."

Gail Mann is retiring after 33 years of teaching reading at the elementary level. She was, Abbey said, actively involved in every review of the language arts curriculum, "starting with the very first one in 1991 when we literally creating a curriculum that didn't exist prior to that time."

"She still gets so excited when she discovers new ideas or materials," Abbey said.

He noted that Mann had presented parent workshops to allow them to better help their kids with reading at home and partnered with other teachers to organize the annual reading and writing celebration which is now a treasured tradition at South School.

Tom Smith was hired in 1979 to teach industrial arts at Saxe; he's been working in the Career and Technical Education Department at NCHS since 1984.

His career, Abbey said, "eatly parallels the enormous change in the field that was once known as 'shop.' What began as teaching the basics of home repair, manual craftsmanship, and machine safety, has emerged over the years into Career and Technical Education, encompassing a phenomenal number of essential skills for today's world."

He's been involved in creating courses in areas ranging from television production to architecture, and from yearbook to child development.

"He is a master teacher."

Each of the retirees was awarded a crystal star trophy in honor of their stellar work.