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Congratulations New Retirees
Congratulations New Retirees
Lynne Aucoin, Northeast, Paraprofessional
James Bibbo, FitzGerald, Custodian
Ethel Di Lorenzo, Northeast, Paraprofessional
Edward Finney, District, Electrician
Chrstine Kelleher, Stanley, Food Services
Mary Petry, District, Health Services / Nurse
Debra Sinerate, High School, Food Service
Nancy Womboldt, High School, Paraprofessional / Media
William Callahan / Central / CTE
Linda Furbush / Waltham High School / Mathematics
Mark Good / All / Compliance and Safety Coordinator
Eileen Herlihy / All / Director of Mathematics
Debra Martin / Kennedy / Mathematics/Grade 6
Sara Meyers / Kennedy, NE, Fitzgerald / Special Education
Regina Pacitti / High School / School Adjustment Counselor
Sallie Russ / Waltham High School / English
Merrily Smith / Middle School/High / Office Secretary
Violet St. Cyr / Waltham High School / Food Services
Joanne Sinerate / High School / Drama/Dance
Anne Elcock Sullivan / Waltham High School / English & Drama
Remembering Paul Mayberry
Dan Doyle and others (sports and education associates) are organizing a tribute to the memory of Paul Mayberry. Dan is looking for those who knew and loved Paul to add stories or memories of Paul to exhibit at this event. Please send your written tributes to retireescorner@gmail.com. Dan will have a special email we will post as soon as the logistics are finalized.
The event is planned to be held in the Waltham Room of the new Waltham High School in February. If you know how to contact Dan please send him your contributions. If you already know how to contact Dan, you can send your reflections about Paul to him directly.
To Cursive or Not to Cursive
If you were a Waltham elementary teacher, who began your career prior to the mid 1970s, you probably still remember the chart that had to be posted in your classroom that displayed your seals and stars, and hopefully they were all gold seals, that designated your students’ handwriting performance as evaluated by the “Rinehart Lady”. I have recently learned that there was also a man who did this work, but he never visited my classroom. I had gone to parochial school and had learned cursive in Grade 1 with Palmer Method, but, even before I was a teacher in Waltham, I have memories of my mother, (Miss White/Mrs. McKenzie) fretting over the upcoming visits from the Rinehart Lady, so when I was a fourth grade teacher, I knew what I was in for – it was a gold seal or failure. I also remember having a workshop during new teacher orientation from the Rinehart Lady, explaining how everything was designed from the /. Obviously, serious stuff back in the day!
While there is nostalgia about learning cursive, I always wondered how much time is really necessary to devote to it today. How many among us who were taught this method still make letters like on the chart? I guess I had an awakening about how times had changed when I was giving a workshop to Grade 3 teachers in the “old” Whittemore School. It must have been in the mid to late 1990s. There must have been some question about handwriting and I said that when I retired I wanted to be the Rinehart Lady and I was met with blank stares by most. It made me realize that something that was part of your professional life was a complete unknown to the next generation. Marie McKenzie
For further reading….enjoy the following articles
A Bridge to the Beautiful Past by Beverly Beckham
www.beverlybeckham.com/columns/2018/12/10/a-bridge-to-the-beautiful-past
Why Cursive Writing and Penmanship Is Important by Jennifer Freedman
https://wordsmarts.com/cursive-penmanship/?lctg=5f2515f1-5fd6-4cc6-9129-d2735920b86f
Who Invented Cursive by Michael Nordine
https://wordsmarts.com/history-cursive-writing/?lctg=5f2515f1-5fd6-4cc6-9129-d2735920b86f
If you love reading cursive, the Smithsonian is always looking for transcribers who can do the volunteer work from home.
We couldn't do it without you!
As some of you may remember, in the first few editions of the Retirees Newsletter we asked some readers to write a remembrance for support staff in the building where they taught. Since that time, I have been bothered by the fact we never followed up on that initiative. Having time on my hands, I decided to write a response to that request.
One of our earliest recognized retirees was a custodian and coach at the high school: Tucker Taranto, who was much more of an influence on a lot of students than most people realized.
In the forty plus years I worked in the schools, I always arrived early before the doors opened. The custodians were always there before me, and the buildings were always clean. I always used the support staff as examples in telling students how important it was to be in attendance and to be on time. Is that not a lesson for students to see every day? I could mention many others, we all taught in our own way as part of a team, whether we realized it or not.
Or how about the cafeteria ladies: there was always a hot lunch ready and of course our FAMOUS chocolate chip cookies.
And how about the maintenance staff that kept our heating system and plumbing operating despite the fact they had exorbitant numbers of people using them.
Let’s remember others such as the police and fire whose jobs in the school are not getting any easier. Also remember the medical staff who deal with injuries and sickness and increasing government interference.
Everyone contributes to the functioning of the system. And we can still help as retirees.
Submitted by Norm MacDonald
Graduates in the News
Richard Ballo, WHS ’72, spoke this past August at the Charles River Museum of Industry. Not only does he speak nationally but he is the author of many nonfiction books, mostly focusing on death, grief, bereavement and healing. Six of his books have won awards. For more information and book titles, refer to his website, richardballo.com
Keisha Gilles, WHS ’08, has appeared on Broadway in Aladdin and The Book of Mormon. She was in the national tour of Dreamgirls. She is well known as Ms. Keisha on the very popular, Ms. Rachel, a Netflix show for toddlers.
Ivy Watts, WHS ’11, was the recipient of the Distinguished Student Scholar Athlete Award twice while a student and track star at the University of New Haven as well as one of the top finalists for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award. Subsequently she received a MPH from Boston University. She has authored a blog, Beautifully Simply Yours and is a motivational speaker with an emphasis on self-care and mental health. For more information, refer to youtube.com@ivywattsSpeaks/videos.
A spotlight article in the July 3 Cape Cod Chronicle featured artist Dave Rosolko, WHS ‘74. He earned a bachelor of fine arts in illustration from Mass College of Art. He retired to Harwich, MA after a career as a graphic artist for Raytheon and Honeywell. He contributed to the Chatham Arts in the Park this year. (He had a pop-up art show in Chatham in July so I, Marie McKenzie, was able to pop in and chat about when he graduated from WHS. He said that he grew up around Bike Park, so that would mean he would have gone to Banks and Central but I never asked when he moved to Waltham! He did say that he had tried to contact his former teacher, Julie Blanchard, so she could come to his show and was saddened to learn she had passed but he also said that he was glad he had run into her on the Cape several years ago and “caught up” so she knew he had made a living with art! )
2025 Athletic Hall of Fame
New members of the WHS Athletic Hall of Fame were inducted during a ceremony on Friday, October 17 at the Sons of Italy
The annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony was held on Friday, October 17 at the Sons of Italy Hall on Cedar Street in Waltham. Congratulations to this year’s inductees.
Tricia Auld ’03 / soccer
Ryan Scanlon ’03 / football
Danielle Scanlon ‘96 / skiing
Kristen Tracey ‘96 / soccer, basketball, track athlete / School Resource Officer
Patrick Watson ’02 / hockey
1988 Boys Hockey Team
Coach Joe Salvo / softball
Criteria for nomination
Congrats to all!
Another Retirees Social
The Retirees Committee is in the beginning stages of planning another social.
We had one at the Bright School, during which Jack Cox gave an overview of growth of education and schools and key players in Waltham.
We also had another so that retirees could get a guided tour of the new High School.
Our third one will (hopefully) be held in May at the old Waltham High School. It will revolve around a chance to see again Paul Shea’s paintings of Waltham schools, many of which no longer exist! Those paintings used to hang in those schools. The paintings of the schools are now displayed in the Superintendent’s Conference area, a very skinny room. We have also learned that there are a few more somewhere in storage.
Some of you may also have one of his paintings. Might you let us know if you would be willing to bring it and we will put that on display as well? Please contact retireescorner@gmail.com .
Paul Shea was part of the Waltham Public Schools for 34 years and was the art director for many of those years. He passed away in 2009 at the age of 83. (Back in the day, he would visit elementary classroom around Christmas and Easter and the students, and teachers, would be transfixed as he drew a Santa and a bunny, respectively, on the chalkboard)
Do you know any of these retirees?
Can you reach out to them for an email address?
Thank You!
Patricia Adolph Marion Anthony Lynne Arico
Joseph Arsenault Marie Arsenault Patricia Aucoin
Djalai Babazadeh Cecile Babineau Eileen Benoit
Marcia Benson Linda Bergantino Robert Biddy
Linda Bontempo Barbara Bourque Bernadette Bourque
Margaret Boyajian Charlotte Brown Glenn Brown
Nancy Brown Frank Buczel Janet Buczel
Doreen Burke Mary Burke Donna Butler
Zita Callahan Marie Caloggero Marion Campbell
Margaret Cannon Michael Carrafiello Mary Carson
Clifford Chase Robert Chiasson Stephanie Childs
Helen Clancy David Class Ron Colachico
Ann Coleman Erin Collings Anne Combs
Bernadette Concetti Joseph Connolly Joseph Corbett
Jerry Cormier Lois Crandell Donna D’Allesandro
Joseph Dayton Ann DeAngelis
Joseph Defillippo Peter Delaney James Dempsey
Beverly Di Vaio Amy Doherty Michelle Dolitka
Stephen Duffy Diane Dupuis James Dempsey
Carol Ehwa Lawrence Enos Kathleen Ferro
Helen Finn James Finney Michael Gledhill
Mark Good Debbie Grimes Joyce Guelli
David Hachey Louise Hague E.Hamalainen
Barbara Hantman Lois Hecht M. Hoagland
Donna Holdman Alan Jacobson Regina Jacobson
Joanne Jeffries Dorothy Jensen Sven Johnson
Gail Kearns Fran Kelly Bob Kennen
Brian Keough Margaret Kipp Carol Klatt
Jeanne Kunze Steve LaForest Mary Langdon
Dan LaRose Helen Leavitt Gilda LeBlanc
John Lennon Gerardo Leone Mark Letson
Tom Leverone Madeline Litopoulos Jeffrey Lord
Robert Lucente Faye Madden Richard Madden
Diane Mahoney Paul Maiorano Charles Malloch
Patricia McCaffrey Joe McCusker Dianne McDermott
James McDonnell Marsha McDonough Mary McGagh
Patricia McLaughlin Britta McNemar
Christine Mirabito Elaine Mitchell R Moody
Wendy Moore Anthony Mrugala Lisa Mula
Linda Murfitt Marianne Murkidjanian Neil Murphy
Miguel Negron Perez Vincent Nocolarra Daniella Noel
Fignole Noel Mary O’Brien James O’Connor
Virginia Page Marian Parrella Deborah Peros-Finnell
Maria Pimental Sheila Ponte Kevin Pratt
Donald Prohovich Alexandra Quinn Stephen Rando
Anthony Ratta Maryann Rayne Carolyn Ream
Debra Riggott Marie Rivera Kelly Robbins
Annette Roberts Robert Rooney Emile Rosenberg
Gail Santiago Robert Schubert Wayne Schubert
Michael Shaps Joseph Silva Debra Sinerate
Elizabeth Singer Nina Skavinski Mary Smith
Sandra Snow Stanley Straub
Woody Streeter Nancy Taranto Margaret Tramantozzi
Paula Truax Candace Vanderkruik Arlene Velleman
Mary Vigneau Richard Wall Barbara Walsh
Amy Whiting Leanne Wilcinski Dorothy Walazek
Alexander Wyeth Linda Yerardi Richard Yerardi
Peter Yetten Arlene Young Rosanne Zottola
Best Wishes for a Wonderful Holiday Season!
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