March 24, 2023
By Victoria Novais, Veritas Staff
ROCKLAND- English teacher Ms. Cahill is retiring after 19 years of teaching.
Ms. Cahill decided to retire this year, and she was keeping it a secret for a while but then she decided to tell people about it.
Anthony Lopez, a freshman in her class this year, thinks she has been a great teacher to him, even though he has not made it easy for her. He wasn't a big fan of her class at first but he grew to love her class.
Ms. Cahill has consistently been a good asset to Rockland High School. She has inspired many kids to be better and believe in themselves.
“In the beginning, I didn’t like her class at first but I realized that she just wanted the best for me,” said Lopez.
For the past several years, Ms. Cahill has taught mainly freshmen, but she also helped bring AP Research and AP Seminar classes to RHS.
“She's done an outstanding job creating a rigorous course. The students do quite well on the AP Exam, and that's a testament to Ms. Cahill's high expectations, thoughtful preparation, and determination. She took on a new course offering toward the end of her career, and she should be commended for pursuing this passion and building the AP Capstone experience for our students,” Dr. Harrison said.
English teacher Ms. Walsh is proud of Ms. Cahill and hopes she has a great retirement with lots of happiness.
“To enjoy retirement is what everyone wants to do. I know she has a lot of great plans and exciting things she wants to do and wants to try and as much as we are going to miss her, I am definitely happy for her,” said Ms. Walsh.
Ms. Cahill grew up in Rockland and went to school at Rockland High. She has been around Rockland her whole life. She has directed school musicals, and one-act plays (short plays), and taught night school to English learners.
“She is a Rockland Bulldog through and through,” Ms. Walsh said.
Ms.Cahill after retirement wants to be stay involved in theater and the radio station here at Rockland. Dr. Harrison hopes she’ll come back and be involved in Poetry Out Loud and the Spellman Oratorical Contest.
“I will miss the kids enormously,” Ms. Cahill said.
Although the kids and other teachers are sad to see her leave, they are happy knowing she is starting a new chapter in her life.
Mrs. Valerie Mulready is definitely going to miss Ms. Cahill at Rockland High.
She said, “I can't believe Ms. Cahill is retiring before me....after all, I am one day older! We have been friends since we were young; it has been wonderful having a good friend at work that I could see all the time. I wish her only the best in her retirement and I do hope she includes me in some of her new adventures!”
Mr. Harrison, who has worked with Ms. Cahill for seven years, added, “Ms. Cahill is one of the most genuine people I know. I've always appreciated our honest conversations, her thoughtful dialogue, and her love for Rockland. She's an amazing person.”