Retiring teachers, nurse share concern for pupils

Retiring teachers, nurse
share concern for pupils
By jeanette m. eng
Staff Writer

MARLBORO — A collective 78 years of dedicated service to the township’s K-8 school district will come to an end with the retirement of three valued members of Marlboro’s faculty and staff.

At the Feb. 25 Board of Education meeting, Assistant Superintendent of Schools Dr. Marc Gaswirth shared with the board the stories of three retiring staff members.

Jane Barricelli began her career in Marlboro in 1968 as the first teacher to be hired for the Robertsville School. Since then, her 30-plus years of service have made her known for her mind, her sense of duty and her love of children, Gaswirth said.

Together with her closest colleague, Arlene Knittel, Barricelli has been involved with various projects which have brought honor to the district, the assistant superintendent said.

The two teachers received a grant from the Metropolitan Opera Guild which enabled their fifth-grade students to write and produce an original opera, to much acclaim, he told the board.

Barricelli and Knittel also received an unprecedented four grants from the New Jersey Historical Commission, one of which was used to produce the film Whale Watching in New Jersey.

Barricelli attained her national certification in social studies this past year.

Retirement will provide Barricelli with leisure time to travel the world with her husband, Bill, according to Gaswirth. Her retirement agenda will begin with a hike on the Appalachian Trail and include "hanging out at the library" and enrolling in classes of interest such as Spanish, philosophy and yoga.

She is also looking forward to spending more time with her daughters and granddaughters. Barricelli will also consider volunteer work at the new Marlboro Memorial Middle School, according to information provided by the board. She will be retiring on June 30.

Liz Hanson has been in the Marlboro public school community for 26 years. Her positions have ranged from a fourth- and fifth-grade teacher at the Frank Defino Central School, to acting vice principal at Defino Central School and now, to computer teacher at Asher Holmes Elementary School.

Administrators said Hanson was instrumental in the establishment of the technology program in Marlboro. Dedicated to a high-quality technology program, she has designed and implemented staff in-service sessions, one-on-one staff tutorials and grade level planning sessions, according to information provided by the board.

Despite increases in staff size, Hanson has been the coordinator of the school’s Sunshine Committee, regularly organizing staff celebrations, meetings and holiday events. Her keen intelligence, quick wit and strong sense of professional pride have made her a well-respected colleague, district administrators said.

Hanson is planning to spend a great deal of retirement time with her cats, her husband and her golf game. She will be retiring on March 31.

Isabella Orr does not spend any time in the classroom, but is well-known by any pupil who might have needed a tissue or a Band-Aid over the years. Orr has been the school nurse at the Frank Defino Central School for 22 years.

From her first year and through the years, Orr has handled many challenges with care, concern and professionalism, district administrators said. She has also become quite adept at distinguishing between the aches caused by illness from those caused by "science tests," school administrators said.

Orr has served on the Intervention and Referral Services Committee for many years and has been an invaluable resource to the committee and the school, according to information provided by the board. She will be retiring on April 30.