Spotlight on Retirees: Mrs. DiChiara

After twenty-nine years of working in the Wappingers Central School District, Mrs. DiChiara, a special education and English teacher, is set to retire at the end of the 2023-24 school year. As a teacher, friend, avid union member, and pillar of our John Jay community, we will surely miss her.

Mrs. DiChiara began her teaching career in 1994 at Roy C. Ketcham High School before transitioning to John Jay in 1995, where she has cherished every moment since. One thing is clear in conversations with Mrs. DiChiara: she truly loves her job.

She has always wanted to work with children. She recalls playing school on her front stoop, treating each step as a grade level, moving her play students up and down the steps. In college, DiChiara first wanted to become a speech pathologist, but after taking an education class, she fell in love with teaching, just as she did as a little girl on her front stoop. She eventually student-taught in both elementary and high school, choosing high school special education because she “wanted to work with kids that didn’t feel great about school” and to give them “positive experiences.”

As she teaches, Mrs. DiChiara brings in her own passions for reading and writing. She loves to watch movies with her students and hear that they are ruined for them, now that they can no longer watch them without questioning why each choice was made.

Impressively, Mrs. DiChiara holds a National Board Certification for teachers of students with exceptional needs. The National Education Association regards the certification as “a rigorous, challenging process that causes teachers to analyze their work.” It shows her dedication to improving her teaching and education as a whole. Since her certification, DiChiara has taught classes so others can receive the same recognition.

According to Mrs. DiChiara, her most admirable accomplishment comes in the form of her reputation with parents and students. She is rightfully proud of maintaining a positive and consistent force in her students' lives and encourages new teachers to build the same rapport.

She shared, “Classroom management is everything. The easiest classroom management comes from developing a rapport with students. To develop this rapport, it is important to know something about each and every one of your students. No kid should go through the school day without being noticed, and unfortunately way too many do. Finally, students deserve consistency from their teachers. If you say it, mean it and follow through.”

She also wanted future teachers to know that doing the job well is very hard work and that the work day does not end when the school day does. You must have a passion for working with teenagers and children to truly excel in education.

Mrs. DiChiara is also very active in our local teachers union. When she was a child, her father was a Teamster Steward, a large part of America's largest and most diverse union. From a young age, union talk was a huge part of her life, leading her to become an executive board member of the teachers union. Mrs. DiChiara believes that there is so much that goes into teaching and that union participation is part of that. The union is the people, and everyone in a union should participate so workers' rights are protected.

As she embarks on this new chapter of her life, Mrs. DiChiara leaves behind a legacy of empathy, integrity, and a deep-seated belief in the transformative power of education. Her impact will resonate long after her retirement, serving as a guiding light for future generations of educators.

To Mrs. DiChiara, we extend our heartfelt gratitude for her tireless dedication and wish her a retirement filled with joy, relaxation, and the knowledge that her contributions have made a lasting difference in the lives of so many. May the next chapter be as enriching and fulfilling as the career she leaves behind.