Point Road Says Goodbye To A Special Teacher

Walking out onto the courtyard of , one can tell the care and love that went into the planting and excavating that makes this area so beautiful.

There were stones displayed with their descriptions next to them. There were freshly landscaped areas with plants. There was a patio area designed to be a chess board with extremely large chess pieces for playing. This and more were all put together through donations and volunteers.

On this particular evening, the patio tables were decorated with balloon-print tablecloths. There was a long table being prepared to display a veggie platter, wraps, a sheet cake, black & white cookies, brownies, refreshments, including homemade lemonade.

This occasion was to honor Bonnie Akey, who was retiring after spending 32 years teaching Special Ed. However, this event wasn’t just about saying goodbye to a great teacher. It was a gathering of a special family.

“Carol (Moser) introduced me to my husband,” Bonnie stated. “And we’re still talking!”

Amazingly, Bonnie was also one of the ladies who were involved with the setup for this event. “I always throw these,” Bonnie explained.

As parents and past students of Bonnie’s arrived, Pamela Devine (the Principal of the school) stated, “Bonnie has always been all about the students.”

Tara Dunne, the teacher who had the responsibility of piping music through her iPod, added “Bonnie is the mother of Point Road. She takes care of all of us.”

Carol Moser, the teacher who owns up to the joining together of Bonnie and Kevin Akey, continued “Bonnie was one of the first people I met when I started here. She took me under her wing.”

Seth Rosen, whose son Matt never got left back, but spent 7 years in the school between Kindergarten and 4^th Grade due to his early start in Preschool, praised Bonnie, Tara and Carol for their patience and being well-read in the area of children with special needs.

On the Board Of Education for a number of years, Rosen said “they achieved unbelievable results with Matt. My son had developmental delays at a young age. Some of the kids wouldn’t talk to others.”

“I wanted to be on the Board to support these teachers,” continued Seth.

Currently attending , Matt plays with the school band and has successfully auditioned for the Regional Band.

“The teachers know they have our support,” stated Lisa Gilmour, another parent who became a member of the Board Of Education to make a difference. “The district does a good job in fostering the proper environment to help these kids. There is a good synergy here.”

Also in attendance in support of Bonnie was Cathy Balco, who is very instrumental in assisting with the operation of Friends Of Different Learners. This is a support group for parents with kids who have special needs.

While the special needs kids are taught at their own pace, they do get the opportunity to experience how the other kids in the school are progressing as well. Bonnie not only taught her students, but gave them life lessons. This was very evident by the turnout of her past students.

Now that her retirement will be official, does Bonnie plan on retiring to some deserted island with her husband? “I am going to come back here as a substitute,” Bonnie concluded. I guess it is hard to leave family!